SEIZING JOY

Today I read two of my poems and a few poems by my third graders as a part of our UU church's service with the theme of Seizing Joy. Here are the poems by my students:

Dog

So much depends
upon
a black and white
dog
curled up with
the sun
breathing slow
and soft

The Clear Creek

So much depends
upon
a clear crystal
creek
rushing around the
rocks
beside the green
grass

Black

Black is a sleek black witch's cat
Black is what you see with yout eyes closed
Black is tyhe coals you see after a fire
Black is the jealousy that grows inside you
Black is the color that spills out in a gush of anger
Black is an ink spill that you can't clean up
Black is the hole you feel with your toungue after you lose a tooth
Black is meanness
But also the calm flow of the world
Black is the cool night sky
Black

The Pond

The calming pond,
soothes me as I watch.
The ducks floating
softly across.
Creeping up to
the sides,
leaving feathers
in their place.

Bamboo

bamboo
growing
taller
heading towards the sky
it's like
a destiny
to get up to space

a destiny
that will never be truth
but still they try
they try
but some day they might succeed
but some day they might succeed