Week 19: Your Neigborhood

This week the students and I looked at an exerpt from T.S. Eliot's Preludes, where he discribes a scene at 6pm. The student wrote a poem discribing one part of their neighborhood, in a specific season, at a specific time of day. Here are some fabulous examples:


From Ms. Gonzalez's Class:

26th Street
by Carlos S.

It's 8:30am and windy
but fresh.
There are students walking
to school. Their laughter
fills the streets with life.
There are loud cars
beeping, I see people opening
the stores. When
I pass through a restaurant
the aroma of pancakes
fills the room.

Spring
by Sammy C.

Spring noon rising
with the smell of burgers and steaks.
12pm.
This hot spring day
kids go outside and play
behind their houses under a tree
and into a pool.
The hot sun is burning.
Eloteros and paleteros are outside.

Afternoon
by Hector P.

The summer afternoon almost ends
with the smell of barbecues in the houses.
Five O'clock.
It starts to get less sunny
but you can still feel how hot it is.
Gangbangers hanging outside
with the smoke coming out of their mouths.
Kids are playing outside
having a good time with their friends.
You can see a lot of houses
and you can see a lot of cars.
As a car passes by throwing gang signs
the ganbangers chase, yell, and throw objects at it.
When the car leaves it is all back to normal
and everybody returns to what they're doing.
You can feel the sweat and how scared you are.

From Ms. Formisano's Class:

Maria B.

At Homan & 24th,
spring settles down
to the smell of corn and mangoes.
Three O'clock.
The chill air comes,
students coming out of high school
talking and laughing out loud,
cars zooming down the streets.
Tall building all around me,
the chill air feels cold on my face.

Nailha S.

The outside of summer
5:30 afternoon clear blue skies
Hot, sweaty kids laughing and shouting
The dogs barking while being walked
You could smell the fresh cut grass being watered
House windows open, all kinds of loud music pouring out:
Chaos walking down the street .

Lazaro

Spring's bright light
it's 4:45 pm
raining, people running
inside their house,
wind blowing bags
in the air, cars moving
slow dirt soft as a
pillow. People on the
corner watching their
neighborhood, kids chatting
on the porch. Shadows in
alleys. My neighborhood is like this
every spring.

From Mr. Lukas's Class:
Asucena L.

The fall with colored leaves.
falling side to side
and everywhere around.
Eight in the night,
A lot of people
walking, talking. Some
are kissing; enjoying
the calm weather.
Cars go by, some even honk.
Smell of a cool breeze
with a nasty smell;
the smell you get when
you're outside. Stores
on every side.
Groups of people
walking by.
You feel the
breeze run through
your hair.

Steven G.

burning summer hot
5 min before 1pm
traffic car's honking
aggressively kids out
side screaming in joy
generous boy opening
the pump teenagers on
their bikes and the street
hanging around, living their lives.

Kimberly R.

The summer day has started
with school out and the
sound of kids having fun
It's four O'clock
the starting of fun days.
Now, a shower of pure
excitement as kids get
ready to go out and play,
the sound ringing down the street,
the bikes and skates
and the grass at it's full bloom.
With the street vendors
out and the sound of
families spending time
together, it's just one
of those warm summer days.