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POEMS
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My favorite evaluations are poems by students. Here are two very
special ones. The first poem was written by Colleen Fisherkeller from
Marsh Elementary School in Highland Park, Illinois on May 14, 2001. |
Author Kalli Dakos
Author Kalli Dakos came to visit
Marsh School one day,
She shared with us the poetry
She writes in a whimsical way.
She had the kids and teachers
Participating in the fun.
She even had the building engineer,
Join in before she was done.
She had streamers dancing all around
And toilets flushing too,
She turned two teachers into frogs,
For being . . . oh so rude.
She made us laugh; she made us smile,
We're glad Kalli came today,
She taught us anyone can write,
In such a fun and creative way.
| This next poem was written by a fifth-grade student,
Kristen, at Bettie Weaver Elementary School in Richmond, Virginia in December of 2000. I
love how she creates a poem out of the entire letter. |
Thank You
Dear Kalli Dakos, who came to our school,
Thank you for your poetry; it was super cool.
Even after rejection on a poem, you don't quit,
Your creativity is a bottomless pit.
Through your poetry we know how you feel,
You perform your poems with energy and zeal,
All your silly props made us want to grin,
Visit us from Canada, sincerely, Kirsten.
A Poet Came
to Our School
On the morning message
we saw,
An assembly with an author.
We really were in awe.
We couldn't wait to meet her.
Kalli Dakos has a
surprise.
It gave us such a rush.
You brought out two toilets
That really did flush!
In our favorite poem,
The principal gave a kiss.
Miss Chamberlain gazed into his eyes.
Hamlet was in bliss!
Some of your poems
Seemed a little bizarre.
Mrs. Wilson sang about writing,
Like an opera star.
We liked the poem
About Eric and Jane.
When Jane sneezed,
Eric flew all the way to Spain.
You brought out a
pencil graveyard.
It was really sad.
All the little pencils,
Made us feel so bad.
Thank you for sharing
Your poetry with us,
Please come back soon,
Or we'll make a big fuss.
Mr. Titus's
Third Grade Class
Fayetteville Elementary School
Fayetteville, New York
October, 2006
The Author's Visit
Something special happened.
It happened at my school.
Something special happened.
It really was so cool.
An Author came to visit.
I had read all her books.
I couldn't wait to hear her,
And see just how she looks.
Her poems are full of magic words,
I wanted magic too,
Cause sometimes writing poetry
Is the hardest thing to do.
She said to use your ears and eyes,
And she put big glasses on,
To show that if we stopped to look,
Ideas were all around.
She said to write about the things
That happen every day,
Things that make us laugh and cry,
Or games we like to play.
We listened to her message,
We tried and never tired,
I think that from her visit,
We really got inspired.
Yes, something special happened.
It happened to my school.
We're all now writing poetry.
It really is so cool!
Gayle DiStefano,
Reading Specialist
Fairfax County Public Schools
Today at School
We loved hearing ghost stories,
And poems about lavatories.
We liked the dancing soda bottle,
Especially when it waddled.
The class enjoyed the student participation,
Your poems were a great
creation.
The dead pencils were clever,
Too bad they don't live forever.
Thanks for a marvelous show,
We were sad when you had to go.
You made our love for poetry go higher,
And left us all inspired!
Mollie Traversa and her Fourth Graders
Roses are Red
Roses are
red,
Violets are blue,
But no one is
As poetic as you!
Ariana/Student
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| My thanks
go to Randy Hollister, the Headmaster of Loudoun Country Day
School in Leesburg, Virginia for writing a poem about ME!
I tell students and teachers that poems are the best
gifts we can give each other, and this one is a treasure. |
A Tribute
to Kalli Dakos
by Randy Hollister, Headmaster,
Loudoun Country Day School, Leesburg, Virginia
October 6, 2006
Hail to our Empress, our magician with words;
Our royal noun-user, our verbivore nerd.
She mesmerizes her readers with images galore,
And inspires flights of fancy that make our minds soar.
Her splendid creations and keen observations,
Profound machinations from deep meditations
Present explanations that make us want more.
She weaves, she pats, she shapes, she molds
A tapestry of rhymes each reader beholds.
She takes the mysterious and renders it obvious;
She raises our vision to heights quite above us.
She relishes the chance to poeticize relish;
She's does it with ease as she make her next dish;
Her imagination runs spicy, like peppery salsa;
Fantastical dishes, the envy of Tulsa.
She loves zany gadgets, that prompt our wide smiles;
The coke bottle that dances to a tune that beguiles.
She arrests our attention with a tiny commode;
What's that in the bowl? I think it's a toad!
It's all from her magic, her smithwording forge,
That pries us and pokes us and prods us to gorge,
On thoughts deep within us or things here and there,
On all that we wonder and see everywhere.
She lifts us, she guides us, she cues us, and leads
us;
Through all that we know about paste-eating
Gus.
She mentions frogs the class, and pencils, and names;
Her poems reek of onions and glorify games.
She alerts us of bugs that terrorize teachers;
She celebrates hamburgers, wiggles, and
bleachers.
She writes about Shakespeare the Sweet Swan of Avon,
In ways that ensure that his legacy lives on.
Her pen portrays portraits of trouble in art,
And inks about bookbags and recess with heart;
She tells of the challenge of Peter the Pain,
And all of his antics, from China to Spain.
The wiggles she writes of defeated the woggles,
But giggles, she'll tell you, are more fun that goggles!
Our Empress of crystal vision can halt us,
Can make our hearts stop for a moment or two;
Or can quicken our pulse without making a grand fuss,
She's the Princess of Poets, it's true through and through.
She knows what to say and just how to say it,
No matter the topic, the moment, zuzume;
"Zuzume's a good word" adumbrates our dear poet;
She'll use it, and share it, and make it her plume.
She's a Poet's poet, a master-maker of meaning,
Who means what she means when she means what
she means.
She gives the enigmas of life a strong leaning,
And points to the objects of life we must glean.
She enlarges our thoughts and infuses our dreams,
That each day is sweeter line after line;
For hearing her voice, for watching the streams
Of the images firing her letters so divine.
She adds to the joy that makes life feel worth living;
Our Majesty of meter keeps giving and giving.
Which tells us our tribute's not over, not yet;
To
capture our Empress demands a much greater net.
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