Lots of people, lots of needs (8th grade)

After reading “Las mamás con bebé” ("Mothers with a Baby") by Guadalupe Morfín, I asked the 8th graders to envision a personage with some sort of responsibility or problem, and to write a poem as a list of things--both real and fantastical--that could help this person. I emphasized strongly that they could write about someone they knew, but that they should change the tense out of the first person: "My mom" to "Moms," for example. I was encouraged after reading these new strong poems from students you may not have read on this site before.

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Mr. Balcazar, Rm. 203, 8th grade

Friends with 5 Sisters Need
Andrea S.

a day of freedom
Cinderella to bring her a shoe
time to concentrate in school


Dads with Hard Jobs
Amairany L.

Dads with hard jobs need
a long day without work
to make him laugh
to show him that he’s needed
to show him he’s loved.

Dads with hard jobs need
family to greet him and make
him happy on his worst.

Dads with hard jobs need
to be a prince and take his
Cinderella away from everything.


Teenagers who Need to Relax
Luis P.

Teenagers who need to relax,
who need a spaceship to fly away,
who need stereos as big as a
house,
a closet as big as a room.

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Ms. Catinella, Rm. 202, 8th grade

Mother with Babies
Alejandra S.

Mothers with babies need free time
waiting to be rescued by a prince.
Something good to do today.
Make the man get up and help
take care of kids.

A single mother would need someone
to help them.
A real family not only work.
Leave her pills and just get health.
Needs to be happy.
Needs to look good.
Needs a long night’s sleep.
A day off without work.
A house elf to help them in the house.
Morning portraits to send messages.
Owls to go to the store.
Needs to have fun with herself.
Love in her life that would never die.


teachers with students
Mariana D.

teachers with students need
fairies to zip their lips
a cup of coffee
an elf to correct work
a magic wand
a giant to put stuff


Moms with Sons
Anthony M.

Moms with sons need
someone to support them
they need a home to
keep them alive
They need some beans
to make them forget
all the bad memories

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Ms. Fenton, Rm. 204, 8th grade

Sons with Dads
Daniel

Sons with dads need
to be shown how to be a man
show me how a man stands
and show me how to do work
and do the right things
tell me to go to school
and to do womething with my life
not to become a bum
how to do business
and tell about when he was young
and it’s different from now
get me the stuff I need
like clothes, a bed, and my medical needs.
He will always be there.


Teachers with Students
Guadalupe A.

Teachers with students require
someone to help them
to put discipline
to teach them everything
a flying hawk to look over them

Teachers with students require
a large amount of candy
Darth Vader to calm them down
most important—have a lot of patience
be kind and give out As


Sons with No Dads
Edwin R.

Sons with no dads need
someone to play sports
with you someone to drive
you to school someone to
watch TV someone to pay
the bills. Someone to teach
you how to walk someone to
love you. Someone to protect
you from all harms. Someone
to teach you how to drive
your first car. Someone
to teach you how to ride
your bike. Someone to teach
you how to fight. Someone
to teach you how to
catch a football. Someone
to be there for you.