Poetry Returns to the Farm
April 11, 2022
Join us for Gaining Ground’s second annual Poetry Walk!
We are once again installing a self-guided farm tour featuring poems authored by Gaining Ground recipients, partner organizations, and poets throughout our community. The Poetry Walk kicks off on Saturday, April 30, and will continue through Friday, June 17.
Please pay us a visit and enjoy a selection of thought-provoking poems while you walk through the natural beauty and thrumming activity of our hunger-relief farm. This exhibit is free and open to the public.
This year we have also created a virtual version of the exhibition. Due to space limitations, we were unable to include all of the poems we received in our installation on the farm. Below you can read every poem in an accessible online installation.
This year’s Poetry Walk is made possible by the generous support of the Nellie Leaman Taft Foundation and the Concord Cultural Council.
Our 2022 Poetry Collection
Season 1 BY CARMELLA ABRAHAM “Look out! Don’t step there!” The farmers, they shouted How was I to know That the seeds had not sprouted Embarrassed to see that I had trampled the seeds I pulled up a few plants Because I thought they were weeds (oops) With a rough start behind me I continued my training Harvesting produce Even when it was raining The farmers were patient As I learned their techniques How to wash and sort produce Over the next few weeks Pruning tomatoes Harvesting greens Bunching asparagus Picking string beans Thinning carrots Quarting peas Sorting peppers Bunching beets Washing the lettuce Mulching strawberries Trying not to step On all the husk cherries Stocking vegetables When the CSA begins Selling food in the farm stand Washing produce bins Riding in the truck bed With the scent of cilantro Pulling landscape fabric From each eggplant row Each week there was something new A vegetable or crew member We all became close friends By the time it was November And when the season ended And the barn had all been packed I think about next spring and how I’m dying to come back I’ve learned so many skills In just one season, how? But if there’s one thing that I know, I am a farmer now.
A Jewel, A Gem BY LOLA CABRERA A jewel, a gem, Planted in the earth. Watch it emerge, Watch it grow, Watch it birth. A stem, a leaf, A green dot on the dirt. Watch it stretch, Watch it flourish, Watch it spurt. A trunk, a branch, Prosperity and power. Watch it bloom, Watch it extend, Watch it flower. A jewel, a gem, Dropped on Earth’s floor. It grows, It blooms, It roars.
The Garden of Life BY MARIANA CADAVID What are gardens if not a representation of life, in small wooden crates. The flowers are just the remains of those that destruct or enjoy. The poles that hold up the greens, your special knight holding you up when you can do nothing but fall. The rain, a sad thing that life bestows and glooms your thoughts at first, but becomes a blessing later on. Something made you stronger. The ones that stomp over one’s. In their secure home in the soil, the evil that comes with burden We call “to live”. The good: the ones that care and plant and watch you grow into someone else’s flower.
What We Are Worth BY DAVID COOKE Are you not worth more than they? Matthew 6:26 Surely we are. They with their parade of unpleasantries; grotesqueries the raw meat scalps of vultures the corkscrewed cocks of mallards the statistic talk of crows their diets of carcass and worms. But then I think of hummingbirds the progenitor of pixies the dazzle and dart of them both beauties of bird and blossom born of planetary Providence. How spectacular to be fed by a universe of flowers by sprays of petals piling, flutes of nectar rising tides of bee balm, hibiscus, salvia and suckle to awake from torpor and torpedo through the garden. But we are men. We boil hibiscus. We burn our salvia. We are no better than fowl. We dream we are lions. What mangy pride we have with the thickening skin of our bald spots resting on pillows packed with down.
Wonder is a Bridge BY DAVID COOKE What is wonder but ecstatic confusion ignorance with an exit experience with an extension bridge vanishing into the fog? How tedious knowing is the well paved commute through the contours of orchards undulating grid of vineyards mile-stone after mile-stone. But wonder wonder is a bridge holding you over the void like the heels of your father’s hands on your hipbones in the air. Can’t you see your drives are all bridges flanked by fountains of foliage over roots divining chasmic chaos chthonic oceans of Cambrian explosions. Don’t look down on bridges the littoral curtain between meal and guttery’s gone you can see what you believe is the vacuous current the bottom dropping out. It’s okay there are railings and trusses though dizzy with fears with breath in your throat the air won’t drop through the trap door in your lungs. Wonder is a bridge between known and unknown over what we cannot believe From Motionless From the Iron Bridge
Not Kitten But Cat BY DAVID COOKE I told you about the mange the ear mites and the curdled pus of her eyes. Eyes and ears big like the Moon is big on the horizon. The Moon you said was always the same and it only looks big when low enough to compare. I told you her punim was so small and sweet and same for her body so small compared with that head of eyes and ears. You didn’t see her play with the cranefly but that too would not have changed you. For you youth is not innocent nor excuse and why you called her not kitten but cat.
From Still
BY DAVID COOKE
The poem has not changed.
The rain that wicked up the page is dry.
The copies all gone
or worse
still here,
still worse
the poem you left
collapses into itself,
folds like the faraway fan
brought back from the trip
you didn’t take.
But this
this is the walk you’ve taken.
It untangles you.
Still, even if you do not
take this walk, you will travel
sixteen hundred thousand miles
since yesterday. I don’t know
what today’s turning adds.
It depends on your latitude.
Still you’ve come this far
by stopping here.
From Poetry Boxes, 2014
The Great Draw-down BY NEIL DALE When we finally say goodbye to oil, and we keep the coal and methane in the ground, We will pull the carbon from the air in the Great Draw-down: In the rolling of the range-land, and the ocean and the trees, In the way we plant and grow our food, we’ll win our victory And the Sun shines, and the rain falls down, And the plants they grow a kingdom underground – And the world below our feet keeps growing year to year, And there’s plenty of room for carbon here. If you’re fearful of the tempest, and the rising of the sea, And the waves of climate refugees – well that may not have to be: If we turn our willing hearts and minds to the systems of our Earth, We can seek for our solutions in the cradle of our birth. Will you listen to Grandmother when She whispers in your dreams, That this world of smart phones, plastic and glass isn’t all it seems? Slow them down, your mighty engines, and the headlong rush to wealth, And let Nature rain Her bounty down, as we nurse Her back to health. And the Sun shines, and the rain falls down, And the plants they grow a kingdom underground – And the world below our feet keeps growing year to year, And there’s plenty of room for carbon here.
Farmers Market BY BARBARA FEEHRER As summer comes we’re going green— Farmers Markets are on the scene! We bike to town, meet old friends, stroll midst booths and stalls to choose an evening meal: red-ripe globes, fresh crisp greens, hearty breads, and luscious peaches. Cage-free eggs, fresh fish or lamb, complete with coffee, jams even ice cream treats. When fall returns and the markets close our meals aren’t so exciting.
Incoming spring BY ABBY GIBSON Waking up to the songbird songs, as the vibrant flowers blossom, and a host of golden daffodils sprout. The call of the cuckoo in the distance, accompanied by drumming woodpeckers, tap-tap-tap. Bare winter tree limbs covered with bright green leaves, Budding trees and flowing sap, and the return of butterflies and bees. Lingering soft sweet scents
Growth BY GORDON HALL Buildings fall Like apples from a tree. Ideas sprout Like cabbage from the ground. Planes fly As birds do. However, Not all animals can fly. Nature doesn’t permit it. The wind may blow, And the quakes of the earth Fell man's creation, But man still flies. The important distinction, However, It that Humans don’t fly, Nature doesn’t permit it.
Our Investment BY DEBORAH BURKE HENDERSON We are one. Tiny seeds cupped in hand we feel the love offered and accept it graciously, voraciously. Then gently lowered one by one into the hearty earth, we abide in darkness, and slowly, gratefully, partake of the sustaining nutrients that surround us. Once blessed with an initial watering, we linger, awaiting moisture from the heavens and balmy temperatures. Warmed most days by the sun’s shimmering rays, we sense our freedom sprout forth. On our journey wriggling through dirt and stone, winding our way upwards, we gain strength and resolve. Our efforts are repaid fourfold as we burst into and breathe the bright air, stretching and reaching for the azure sky. Ah, the process of growing, of becoming our true selves, of giving who and what we are to nurture others in need. We are one.
Zoom In BY LOULA HOUSH Slow down. Stop whatever you are doing. Think about a forest, A waving, writhing creature. And move your gaze to one tree a changing, looming life. Look a little closer to a hole on that tree a gentle quiet hollow and look deeper still 'til you see a curled up ball of fur and nose big black eyes and little toes a squirrel, no longer on its own and zoom in closer at last you'll see a nestled, hidden family.
earthworms BY ALICE KOKOSZKA if you listen closely you can hear the secrets earthworms tell they have been everywhere eat the history of the world then fertilize our gardens with it
loons BY ALICE KOKOSZKA in the clear cold at the edge of the water closer to the sky the doleful tones of a loon ripple the pond
farmer BY ALICE KOKOSZKA the sun on her neck her rough hands in the soil she works the earth day after day harrowing, harvesting, plowing she holds ancient history slipping through her fingers harrowing, harvesting, plowing
Haikus BY SANDRINE KWAN Deliberately. Sown seeds of joy. Love. Laughter. Radiate much hope. Heart of Concord, Mass. Fields of purpose. Loving souls. Feed busy bodies. Seeds and ideas. Sprout. Come to life. Growing. Ripe. Colourful promise.
Haiku BY BARBARA LAWSON Seed, earth, sun and rain Will meet to reveal a name for The rows of emerging green
Daffodils BY MOLLY PETERSON A surprise snow fell this morning, damp and heavy, like tears as the sky released its burdens and piled them onto the petals of the daffodils, who had dared to show us their magnificence risked it all just to kiss us with their beauty. Look at them now: weary, faces bent towards the ground— breaking under the weight of being both fragile and brave in an unpredictable world.
Romeo, Juliet, and Farming BY DELANEY REMINGTON Distrust sowed deep in the ground A raindrop meets a sunbeam Creating colors and beauty for a second Before dissipating into the light beyond the sun No hydration of the soil A friar's trowel combing the dead ground Snapping the deep roots of mutiny And a love story turned tragedy turned Hope The rain will come again
I-89 S BY LOLA VAN DUZER The arterios Oak and broken bone Birch line the concrete highway. Their mummified complexion, unencumbered by leaves. A bald eagle rides the Canadian wind, leaving the dandruff dusting behind. Cliffs with frozen hair greet us, with their yellow rock slide warnings. The golden sun warmed crow screeches “Bienvenüe, welcome home”.
Four Seasons Renga
THE CONCORD LIBRARY WEEKEND WRITING STUDIO
Fall Is Everywhere
Catching leaves
The smell of pumpkin pie
Tracy’s house
Fallen leaf
Playing in a pile
At last with friends
The smell of leaves
My very own rake
Where did the wind take it
Leaves fall
Making piles
For kids to jump in
The cold air blows
Whispers from the sky
Soaking people
Apples everywhere
The trickle of rain
A doe darts through the trees
Crickets chirping
A cold Autumn night
Fire makes the branches sing
Everywhere Is Snow
Snow blankets the ground
Bears hiding
Fireplace blazing
Time slowly drips
Like icicles on a house
A cat in a window
People play in the snow
Snowballs are thrown
Until the snow melts
A snowman stands
Lonely in the cold
As the pretty snow falls
Play in the snow
Hot cocoa
Smells like chocolate
The crackle of a fire place
Snowflakes dance in the sky
Cups of hot cocoa to keep you warm
Snow picked up, balled up
Thrown, whizzing through the air
Hitting someone special
The snow getting thrown at my face as i race down the slope on my sled
Me and my friend screaming as we fall
Me and my friend laughing as we try to get up
Colorful lights glow
Wind whispers across the sky
Glittering snow falls
It snows everywhere
The breeze comes quick
Everywhere is snow
Spring Is Here Now
Looking at flowers
Flowers everywhere
Vegetables grow
Flowers grow in earth
Birds chirp in the trees
Green grass flourishes
Below the trees
Flowers grow
In the grass
New life is born
A bird glides
Wobbling as it tries to stand
The color of flowers
The brightness of sun
Birds are coming back
Smelling flowers
Flowers glow
Bunnies everywhere
Birds fly everywhere
Watching blossoms
Leaping through the field
Summer Birds
Birds creeping
Going swimming
Collecting seashells at the beach
Summer wind blows
Birds fly in the air
Waves lap at the sparking beach
I pull the lever
Gears shift
Let the race begin
Salt water splashing
Waves rise
Running down the beach
The water ripples
My friends cheer on
I jump
The clouds go far away
I need a change of pace
I need the beach
The little birds chirp
Warm footsteps run on sand
The reflection of the sun
Family vacation
Animals are every
Where
Yellow, red, blue, green
Racing above the water
Relaxed wings on the warm sandy beaches
Pools to swim in
Oceans to surf in
All with water
The birds above us
Fly through the sun
I stretch my summer feathers
I’ve Seen Hunger BY FIONA FONTE AND JULIET IRWIN Alcott Elementary Fifth Grade “I’m full” millions of people say this, meal after meal, day after day, not listening to the quiet call of those who are neither full but hungry. “When will it end?” The one question that can never disappear into an absence that is no longer branded into those who are unfortunate. Viewers of hunger see our world through a lens that seems to be forever tilted to the rich, while the poor are just the sunlight glare. The rich are treated with esteem, blinded by their own greed while the less fortunate no matter what level of intellect or strength are deprived and set aside as their walls come tumbling down. I have seen hunger, I've seen pain, I've seen suffering, I’ve seen sickness, I've seen lack, I've seen despair, I’ve seen fate pick sides, I've seen the bird crashing down from the tree falling to his ultimate demise because with everything in his life he forgot to fly. Maybe tomorrow we can all be soaring in the whims of our dreams, in a world where Hunger is just a distant memory.
Untitled BY MAX BAZZLE Belmont Day School Second Grade Carrots sprout in spring Hop, hop, hop, look who's coming Ears flop carrots gone
Untitled BY ADRIENNE HAILE Belmont Day School Second Grade I see food growing I hear bees flying I taste fresh honey I smell good food I feel good lives We are so lucky to have Bees who make honey in their hives. I see the bees buzz I eat the fresh carrots I touch the soft leaves, they make me cheery What a great time - just you and me~
Untitled BY LOLA MANN Belmont Day School Second Grade As I watch flowers take their shape All I see is joy, not a single sign of hate As I watch cherries grow on a cherry blossom tree Flying by, I see a cute bumble bee As I watch nature prance and play All I see is joy, not one sign of hate. Colorful flowers And fresh, ripe, delicious food I love Gaining Ground
Five Senses BY ANNA PAULSON Belmont Day School Second Grade As flowers take their pretty color I feel petals and they feel like butter I hear birds chirping and frogs burping When I bite into crunchy salad I say to myself this is very valid In front of me I see a plate Full of vegetables that taste great
Everyone is Happy BY SAWYER STRAUB Belmont Day School Second Grade The farm is fair The farm is tasty I can see it from my room Bees are flying near my house Birds are chirping near my house Vegetables are growing People are growing Everyone is happy!
Untitled BY ANAHITA STUTI-BALA Belmont Day School Second Grade I walked onto the farm I smelled honey I saw a bunny I tasted fruit I know instantly that farms are good Farms grow carrots and peas So I promise we will take care of all of your needs Farms grow berries But we can't harvest that fast Except if we were fairies For people who don't have enough food Farms are the best So don't put food to the test There is sweet, sour, spicy and mild Don't worry if we might take a while So, please don't worry about food. I promise we will all take good care of you.
Untitled BY LARA ULUKAN Belmont Day School Second Grade Roses are red Violets are blue The farm is pretty Just like you!
NATURE BY LEGEND BUTLER Bridge Boston Charter School Eighth Grade Nature is earth's beauty, its life force It populates almost all of the world. The animals in our world The plants in our world All Nature. Nature supplies us with everything we need It provides us with life. Trees are the Earth’s hair That hair that gives us the air we need to breathe. Yet we’re taking them down. The animals in our world are harmless Yet we humans hurt them. Slowly, but steadily, we suffocate the planet with our toxins. I believe that we can do better as a civilization We can help our planet survive WE CAN HELP NATURE SURVIVE
Spring BY DELIA DONARUS Bridge Boston Charter School Eighth Grade Birds chirping Flowers blossoming The sun shining. Snow is starting to dissolve as Plants start to grow. The trees bud as Raindrops fall. Leaves turn green as Spring shakes off winter’s slumber. With winter's footprints in the past, Life has begun to grow in nature's atmosphere. Transforming everything carefully, Trusting that the frost has concluded. Buttermilk and maternal instincts waterproof the thunderbird́. The gardens - there is an excess of love disguised there. The fundamental earth is filled with the devotion of God.
I Worry BY KEYBELL GONZALEZ Bridge Boston Charter School Eighth Grade I worry about our Bugs, Birds, our Air, and our Water. But……the season of SPRING Spring is here! Take off your puffy jacket, Put on bright colors. The flowers are blooming The bees are pollinating For kids, it’s back to playing outside. For animals, it’s time to wake up from their long slumber. For adults, it’s time to tend to the garden. Daisies, tulips, roses, and poppies, Tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, and cabbage Pull out weeds, Sprinkle water, Add fertilizer. HOLD the pesticides. You planned to eat a nice salad right? I worry about our Bugs, Birds, our Air, and our Water.
Summer Nights BY JACELL BROWN JENKINS Bridge Boston Charter School Eighth Grade The sounds so silent. The black crows taking over the night Winging by The moon slowly coming down. Sunflowers create a Picture only stars can see The moon sings out a soft breeze Motivating the tall green grass to sway, And the ancient bark from the 400 year old tree Is being forced to move to the man that stays To watch the sunrise from midnight to 5am.
Rebirth BY GABRIELLE JOHNSON Bridge Boston Charter School Eighth Grade Bright yellow, with white. Delicate and intricate Grows in spring Returns, ever so quietly Big and strong High and mighty Rebirth… New and rejuvenated But if left unnurtured If not cultivated It perishes Physically and mentally. They call it a Daffodil… But it might as well be called a Human Being.
When I think about Farms… BY CHRISTIAN NGNOMBOUOWO Bridge Boston Charter School Eighth Grade The farm brings life. Life comes from the farm. The farm provides food for dry stomachs. The farm brings milk for good coffee The farm brings people together - To work with soil and water and sun and air. The farm takes life and helps it grow The farm brings life
It’s All Art BY KENISHA NORMIL Bridge Boston Charter School Eighth Grade The spring has given us what we need. It has brought forth flowers And bees. It has woken animals from long winter sleeps. The world is a canvas Everything is art From the saplings to the vegetables that were grown from the heart. Though it's not always warm on these spring days, Sometimes quite rainy, It's still….enjoyable The sound of the water soothes me. The spring has clothed the once naked trees. No more bare branches. No more fallen leaves. Children run after an ice cream truck driving away, Spring sounds – eager feet on pavement. Families go to spend a day at the park It's surprisingly quiet there A quiet we can all enjoy, all be with. Hard to explain…. The joys of sitting here on this spring day
HOPE BY JULIAN PORRATA Bridge Boston Charter School Eighth Grade All flowers die But they come back every summer Perhaps they do that by having hope And pushing through the cold To bloom a beautiful rose. You must always have hope, Even at your lowest. There will come a time when You’ll bloom like a flower. You’ll be just a beautiful as one. Have hope, one day Your day will come.
When I was Five BY OSMAN CHALA SOTO Bridge Boston Charter School Eighth Grade The first time I went to a farm I was five. A cold, sunny day The sun as bright as a yellow apple. I went pumpkin picking And as I was doing that, the birds Were chirping; the winds, blowing The sound of nature so beautiful. I grew onto and out of that farm Like flowers grown in spring.
Flying from the Farm BY TAESAUN YOUNG Bridge Boston Charter School Eighth Grade I see wheat, beets, carrots in my mind’s eye I hear pling plong - as the bucket fills with droplets of water Echoing, our own “Big Bang” The beautiful, crimson soil of our land I soon recollect the jimson water - past due, boiled As a bird flies past, I run behind Soon I hear a faint voice I start to fade from this world Become one with the sun I loom over the place We humans tamed and named Earth. Because we thought it was our turf The seed continues to bloom Though humanity’s turf is doomed I look down at the town’s Hospital. I lay there My body staring at my soul I start to notice I’m ascending…. I think of a word I utter it, but I don’t say it My body does, it says, “Paalam Sa Lahat” (I love everyone) In a whispered tone, that shakes my bones, I should be alone There are forces that are invisible. As I get farther and farther and farther away I think of Father, Who probably didn’t shed a tear, only sits and drinks beer As I struggle with the distance, so does my resistance Until I can no longer. See my body I feel my body torn into pieces, like I hope When I open my eyes I’m rejuvenated In another life, filled with nothing But surprise, no demise My eyes Got them closed. When I open them, it’s too bright light And 100 people on each side They say in unison” Kumusto Po (Hello there)
In Nature BY SAWYER BURDETT Tenacre Country Day School Sixth Grade The sun through the trees The cool of the breeze The soil on the ground The green grass all around The birds in the sky They chirp and fly The clouds might come and the rain might fall But the trees, the grass, the birds stay through it all It is a calm place In nature
When the Storm Arrives BY JACKSON BURNS Tenacre Country Day School Sixth Grade Out on the farm The wind changing left to right You know what’s about to happen Birds go back to their nests Puffy clouds roaming over the sky Suddenly, your legs have goosebumps, Then, the storm arrives...
To Satisfy BY ETHAN CADET-GUIRAND Tenacre Country Day School Sixth Grade I step on the wet squishy mud; it rained last night. But the rain is good, how else would these crops grow? Firmly, but gently, I pull out the lettuce, which would satisfy the needs of many individuals. That keeps me going. For the only thing I need to do is pull and drop, pull and drop, Only until everybody is satisfied.
Untitled BY BROOKS CARTER Tenacre Country Day School Sixth Grade Nature is hues of green and blue and gives you healthy foods when you care for Nature Nurture will care for you Nature gives us snow we spray our vegetables with garden hoes when challenges occur we help get rid of debris and stash it in a bag
Hard Work BY MAX CHRISTIANO Tenacre Country Day School Sixth Grade The burning sun shines on my back. I hover over the crops and my back starts to ache. I continue to grasp and pull the food, But after I pull, one the next one is harder to get. I want to give up but I know I can't. I try to keep going but it seems to never end. Finally I see the distant end. I tell myself that I can't stop now, But my body won't let me keep going. I lie there on the ground with the sun shining on me. I jump up because I know I can't stop now. I plow through the rest of the vegetables. I get to the end of the never-ending field, And I look back and say to myself, I did it.
Seasons and Gaining Ground Change Lives BY ELLOUISE CULLETON Tenacre Country Day School Sixth Grade The four seasons affect our lives And that is not a lie Winter snow Summer sun The spring glow And the autumn fun Springtime planting Summertime harvest Gaining Ground granting Vegetables for all Filling people's hearts with Joy A tall task to ask But a high reward Gaining Ground changes lives More and more Their hopes reach the skies Seasons and Gaining Ground Both change lives all year round
Autumn BY MAXWELL DELINSKY Tenacre Country Day School Sixth Grade The bright autumn colors shined in the trees The leaves shuffled in a late summer breeze A big harvest is near, I can hear the people cheer The harvest will bring food vast, planted by generations past Soon the sun will not linger, as the sky gets dimmer The harvest is over, as winter nears closer The town is asleep as quiet as a mouse not one light shines in a house
Seasons BY EVIE DOW Tenacre Country Day School Sixth Grade Fall Leaves are falling Friends are calling Raking leaves Harvesting pumpkins, planting lettuce Kale and Cabbage Garlic and Beets Winter Snow falls and covers the ground But does not make a sound A blanket of white What a sight Spring Rainy days and hints of sunshine Planting seeds into the ground Selling veggies buy the pound Summer Hot sunny days Oh what a daze Harvesting crops Picking strawberries, carrots, and cucumbers All and all But gaining ground has it all
The... BY WILL FENTON Tenacre Country Day School Sixth Grade The soft air on a cold day The vegetables that you get to grow The challenges you endure The birds with their daily morning chirp The soil that turns into much more The season when it turns bright The foods that first roots and then feast on the sun The crops thank you but don't say a word That's what makes a farm a farm.
Untitled BY REID FREELAND Tenacre Country Day School Sixth Grade I feel the wintry breeze on my skin The snow falls and the water frozen the calm spring breeze surrounds me The rain falls and the flowers blosum The pollen in the air makes us sneeze I feel the warm summer breeze The sun burn our skin the ocean waits to be swam I feel the gentle breeze on my skin The leaves fall and halloween is on its way
The Song Nature Sings BY KAEDIN JANVIER Tenacre Country Day School Sixth Grade Through the Months plants flourish And here, Mother Nature, is giving and kind All she asks is for this in reply Soil opens the fruit from the seed And Soil gives all the leafy greens from the palms And the Sun is there to hands the light 'till turn Moon Through cold Winters even some can last the chill in some ways So this is what they all always do Together they let life grow through day and night Together they're nature and they sing to you They let the farms grow from one veggie to a few
Green Onions BY JENNA JIN Tenacre Country Day School Sixth Grade I walk out in the sun with my sister we find our onions that jumped out of the soil They are bright They are green They are white the colors pop in the early summer light. the green onions are ready to harvest.
Gone BY IRIS JURKIEWICZ Tenacre Country Day School Sixth Grade I wander in through the gate up the road off the path To a world unknown to humankind Almost gone but not quite Almost gone A world where color comes alive and takes the shape of a flower Or a dragonfly humming a melodious tune Or a tree dropping leaves on an unsuspecting child Gone is the cool winter chill biting at me Rushing for warmth Gone the soft flake falling Instead the drip drip drip of falling water Gone the white layer upon the earth Instead new grass and weeds and dirt Finally gone the bite in the air, the chill in the day, the bleak white ground Spring has graced us with itself Winter has come and left gone
Planting plants BY KAZ JURKIEWICZ Tenacre Country Day School Sixth Grade Plants produce oxygen When you plant, you contribute to the earth We need to plant more trees Trees are incredibly Large. They have leaves My favorite plant is the carrot. I love To earth them Farming Involves dirt, seeds, and Photosynthesis
Gaining Ground BY JASMINE MESTON Tenacre Country Day School Sixth Grade When people go to gaining ground They all get special jobs We plant and harvest Vegetables and plants At gaining ground people Help others who are in Need of food Us 6th graders help Gaining ground to accomplish Their mission to help people that need Food. At gaining ground They plant so many Fresh vegetables and plants That can help someone that needs to eat They are a non-profit organization That tries to make people's lives better
The Four Seasons BY JOE MURPHY Tenacre Country Day School Sixth Grade As the winter fades away, the ground replenishes with water that is not frozen, it brings life back to the world. As the earth brings life back, the wild comes and reclaims its place in the rotation. The summer brings everything back as the trees and flowers come back and people start to farm and produce food for the people. Then - slowly - fall comes and brings in a chilling breeze. As some animals start to hibernate, some migrate and some stay. Flowers and trees fade, and so do the people from the farms, and wait until they come back again. And then winter rolls in and takes the life of the earth away as grass, trees, and flowers struggle under the snow and then we stay inside thinking of what to do next.
A Vegetable BY LIAM REED Tenacre Country Day School Sixth Grade Along the green tree tops Blossoms bloom to apples The stench of fresh clean fruit and vegetables rise from the ground As leaves are overhead the freshly scraped soil As the light of the sun is covered by the stormy darkness of a approaching rainstorm As the rain beats down on the earth like stones that have fell off a mountain The seeds grow and mature into saplings, and finally vegetables The vegetable is destined for a great cause, to help people in need.
Four Seasons BY KOLBY SAHIN Tenacre Country Day School Sixth Grade Spring, summer, fall, and winter. The factors of farming, as well as the worries of farmers. In a sense most farmers dread winter for they are not able to grow crops outside. Each one with a pro and con. Each one, unique. One hot, one snowy. One stimulates crops one doesn't. But overall, seasons are The factors of farming.
Spring Morning BY LINDSEY SCHEYER Tenacre Country Day School Sixth Grade I hear the birds song comes on I look out to see the dewy grass I put on my clothes and I grasp my shovel in front of me I set out onto the farmland I feed the cows, I feed the chickens I collect the chickens eggs for breakfast I collect thyme and basil for every meal I sprint back to my house to start breakfast, I crack the eggs, add the thyme and flip it Voila! Breakfast has been served Time to head back out into the cool spring day
The Four Seasons of the Year BY COOPER SCHULDT Tenacre Country Day School Sixth Grade When the spring starts The cold weather turns into warm days. When the spring comes They start their planting. They start planting beets, potatoes, carrots, and so many more crops. When summer comes The warm days turn into hot days With the blazing sun shining down. During the summer They start to harvest some crops And plant others. While the crops grow They wait patiently. When the fall starts The leaves turn yellow, orange, and red. They have to start their big harvest. They start to see all their hard work pay off. They see all the vegetables That they planted earlier in the year. When the winter comes The days become cold. The plating holds and they wait for the spring to come again.
Gaining Ground BY SAMANTHA SHAFF Tenacre Country Day School Sixth Grade Breeze whisks through the air Dirt is beneath my feet Insects freely glide through the grass Birds soar overhead above the towering trees Soil sustains the area Pops of color spread around the flourishing green vegetation Food is thriving throughout the grassland This is Gaining Ground.
Seasons BY DEVAN SHETH Tenacre Country Day School Sixth Grade Seasons ever changing In an orderly cycle Even more for farming Planting in Spring Harvesting in Fall Soft rainfall in Spring Cool breezes in Fall Sprouting in Summer Reaching for the sky Growing and growing and growing Growing some more Forever reaching Reaching for the sky
Vegetables For You BY KATE SOMERVILLE Tenacre Country Day School Sixth Grade Gaining Ground All year Round Just to hear That crunching sound Vegetables made Fresh for you Hopefully you share Them too Leafy green Goods To fill your food Needs Even some fruits Are grown From trees Gaining Ground Invites you here To help spread cheer Of food For you
The Promise BY STEPH Tenacre Country Day School Sixth Grade As the sun shines down, Rows of bright, colorful vegetables are slowly growing Unseen, unnoticeable, but promising They grow to help another They are going to a greater cause When the clouds rain, the plants absorb the water just the same They take it all as it is For if they have too much of one An unbalance occurs To most, the crops are unseen and unnoticeable But to those who they truly help, they are promising
Spring Is Here BY MATTHEW WALTER Tenacre Country Day School Sixth Grade Birds start their chirp Fields brighten And spring is here I feel warmer than a week before flowers start their bloom Spring is here Leaves are welcomed back Seeds get ready to prosper Spring is here Crops start to plant Food is produced Spring is here.
Untitled BY JORDAN DALEY The Clubhouse Network Poetry Workshop A kernel falls, full of surprises the rain comes, and the stalk rises A swarm of bees, a hint of potential Working to death, working their fields Like cupids to crops or shepherds of flora Humans, mammals, and all else yield
A New Pot BY TAMARA F. The Clubhouse Network Poetry Workshop Leaves begin to yellow Soil no longer rich with moisture Roots are bound by the limits of this vessel Planted in a place that no longer serves or nourishes These conditions are not that of hardship, pain or sickness But an indication of growth beyond these walls And a need for a new pot A new environment to thrive Fresh soil to flourish in Another chance for roots to expand Yellow leaves fall, to make room for bright and bold foliage Soil is fertile, roots are healthy This new planter is not the destination, but a stop in the journey This habitat is only a temporary barrier As there are no bounds to growth, As I am not just natural, but nature itself
The Farm Law BY KAHMAL LONDON The Clubhouse Network Poetry Workshop We love the hog/Even with the added cholesterol Smog/ stripped out the mud/ and cleaned off the bugs/ Multiple shades, but glazed in pink/Stink they might, but that hygiene is quite alright Surprised? You might/be full of flies/ But is that the flies/ Or does the filth you lie in lie?/ Tell me why/When you are basking in the stove’s heat a brother needs to eat/ Most of ya’ll are delicious / but I’ll be damned if I eat your feet / Anytime your baking that bacon is a beacon for my sweet sensations/ But when you mix with the crew/ all they are is hating/ waiting
Untitled BY DEVEL M. The Clubhouse Network Poetry Workshop The garden, I feed The farm, I breathe, The fruit, my emotions, Am I feeling like a Butternut Squash? Or a cabbage? Or maybe a yam? And the animals vary that answer, Who am I today? Who will I allow myself to be? For I, A Cherry Tomato, A HoneyCrisp Apple, An underground carrot, Must wait for onen to water me down Longing for something I cannot have, Cannot reach, Cannot grasp But there will always be an in between For if I am watered down, I drown For if little water is in me, I won't sprout, Won't grow, I've decided, Waiting for others is not for me And there will always be an in between For my delicacy, Sweetness, Tanginess is what I should be known for, Not the head I bleed For every drip, Drop, Splash, Plop of rain that follows me, Every constellation of stars, Too far to see, That the roots of my tree, Go deep, Down to the ground, Where you step on me
The Magpies
BY JESS STUTMAN
The Clubhouse Network Poetry Workshop
Upon the pasture
A swarm of magpies
With all their chatter and
Apple stained beaks.
They await the growth of
A new season’s harvest.
Careful, watching, observant:
Their apple stained beaks,
Beady eyes and coarse calls.
The bountiful field has turned black from the swarm.
A new generation will feast on a generous land.
Poems from Willard Elementary School, Fifth Grade
Poems from Bridge Boston Charter School Kindergarten
