Unabashed Basho
/Record number of haiku entries wow judges
By Gary Meyers, CRR Haiku Fest Founder and Chief Judge
Ms. Cichosz’s 6th grade class at Longview’s Monticello Middle School wrote haikus for the event.
Article
Columbia River
Reader’s Haikufest 2014 concluded at midnight on February 28th after a wild ride to the finish line. We obviously touched the poetic pulse of the CRR community this year. The final tally confirmed the largest number of entries ever recorded in any of our previous contests—317 haiku from 98 entrants. All but a handful were submitted by local area residents.
In announcing this year’s haiku competition, we explained the changed rule: classic haiku only, (1) capturing observations and experiences from around Southwest Washington, and (2) all others, with the traditional five/seven/five syllable counts. Our reason for limiting entries to classic haiku was simple. In the midst of today’s instant messaging, texts and tweets, the editor wanted to remind readers that life still exists in the slow lane. Beautiful roses still grow on bushes and we dared suggest that one might want to pause between tweets to catch their scent. As far as we know, there’s not yet an app that can provide the same experience on an iPad or smartphone.
Article continues below.
Best Haiku From Afar
Keith Simmonds – Crayford, Dartford, England
A waft of perfume
Hovers over the village
Weeping plum blossoms.
Winners’ Circle
Devany Hubbard
“Rainbows”
You have to go through
The rain, to get the rainbow
That’s the way of life.
Sharon Ashford
Spider’s dainty home
Delicate, silvery strands
Deadly deception.
Estrella Brown
Their mom’s aging hands
Silently clasped in prayers
Her peace will come soon.
Margie Caron
Little fir trees stand
At the feet of cottonwoods
Green fuzzy slippers.
Sunshine Clark
Autumn’s slanted rays
Lengthening streaks, reaching out
Desperate to stay.
Joy Sawyer
Clouds build the lyrics
Thunder sings the melody
Rain accompanies.
Kaitlyn Zuber
A bellowing call
It announces their coming
Behold the great whale.
Jan Zuccarini (on the passing of her beloved cat, Cocoa)
Now we say goodbye
My valentine gift to you
Set you free of pain.
Monticello Middle School
(Ms. Cichosz’s 6th grade class)
Devany Hubbard
“Rainbows”
You have to go through
the rain to get the rainbow;
that’s the way of life.
Keely Lemmons
“Winter’s Promise”
Bare trees on pale sky
A soft chill in the sharp air
Winter’s promise stands.
Mary Knowles
“The Beach”
The warm summer sun
The waves come crashing ashore
Footprints in the sand.
Meilin Pang
“Hidden Beauty”
The willow is shy
Hiding behind its safe leaves
Wishing to be free.
Junior Sanchez
“Oceans”
An ocean voyage
As waves break over the bow
The sea welcomes me.
Cloey Trotter
“Salmon”
Slick and gleaming bright
Fighting the river’s current
Avoiding quick claws.
The hardest part of subjective competition is the judging—ask the Winter Olympics figure skating committee! With 300+ entries to evaluate, our four judges — Creighton Goldsmith, Deborah Kim, Mike and Linda Ryan — worked like medieval scribes on speed to give every entry a fair assessment. Overall, they were impressed with the range of vivid, nature-based imagery. After several reviews, the results came down to which poets best described those images with clarity, energy, rhythm and in 17 syllables. Only eight entries received two or more votes. No haiku received all the judges’ votes and only one garnered three – Devany Hubbard’s “Rainbows.”
Companion art
We welcomed art to accompany the entries this year emphasizing that any art submitted would not play any part in the judges’ evaluation of the haiku. That proviso was not violated. However, Cathleen McNeely of Longview presented a dilemma. She wasn’t a winner in the haiku competition; she might have been had we offered a pop haiku category. But the judges were so taken with Cathleen’s imagination and creativity that they created a special category for her submission: “Best Non-winning Combination Haiku and Art with Hawaiian Winter Theme.” You can see Cathleen’s entry and art on the cover and judge for yourselves.
The shortest haiku entry: “Indiscriminate/Incogitativity/Undeniable.”
Shortest evaluation: “X”
We saw familiar names from previous contests, first among them being Rose Putnam from Kelso, age 93. I’ve not met Rose but she exudes a remarkable zest for life. Her haiku says it all: “Walk on the wild side/do let loose once in awhile/and live life fully.” Good advice for everyone whether or not they are 93. And for the record, at 93, Rose doesn’t win the “Silver Poet” award. That recognition goes to Jean James from St. Helens, a young and prolific 96! Jean’s haiku: Vine maples backlit/by a sun just peeking through/images galore.
Another heart-warming aspect of this year’s contest was the young folks’ participation. At an age when I was still puzzled about how a thermos bottle keeps hot stuff hot and cold stuff cold, these young multi-taskers are crafting poetry on computers, scanning pictures, and adding clip art as part of their routine school day. I’m encouraged.
Kaitlyn Zuber, age 11, from Rainier sent several hand-written haiku. Hand-written! I only see handwriting when my grandchildren endorse their birthday checks! Kaitlyn even included art with her submission (see above).
But it was Jessica Cichosz’s package that stunned us all. Jessica is a 6th grade English Language Arts teacher at Monticello Middle School in Longview. As a class project, Jessica encouraged her 58 students to enter the contest and did they ever — 172 haiku! Our hats are off to Jessica for stimulating interest in the arts and to her students for their enthusiastic response. To bring more attention and support to the class project, the judges decided to evaluate the students’ submissions separately against their peers. Some say that haiku is successful if the readers can sense the images as if they were viewing them through the poet’s eyes. Can they sense feeling the summer breeze upon the cheek, hearing the wet snow drop from the cedar bough, or seeing the ripples on the pond after the trout has leapt for the fly? If the answer to these questions is “yes,” then the poet has succeeded and the reader is satisfied. Our judges were very satisfied with this year’s haiku collection. We hope that you, our valued readers, will be equally satisfied. See you next year.
Following is the list of all the haikus submitted.
Alooooooha!
See complete Haiku entries below.
•••
Gary Meyers
Longview native and now Honolulu resident Gary Meyers created CRR’s annual Haiku competition and remains fully in charge of coordinating all the details. We appreciate his work.
2014 Haiku Submissions:
Margie Caron
Share life with children
Humble myself so I learn
Find brilliant secrets
Finally reach top
The mountain humility
The eyes see beyond
Little fir trees stand
At the feet of cottonwoods
Green fuzzy slippers
Chartreuse moss blankets
Top beds of volcano rock
Warming mother earth
Split cottonwood logs
Now glowing red gold embers
Cozy little home
Steve Chandler
On cold winter days
Great Blue Heron's Angel wings
Softly heavenward.
Life goes underground
winter prepares seeds to burst
soon sun brings birth forth.
Winter's light soft, low
hides emergent spring’s new breath
O, behold wonders.
Terry Hopkins
Exquisite sunset
The dark trees silent voices
my loneliness
Keith Simmonds
Tentacles of snow
gliding on the windowpanes…
eerie gusts of wind
A sip of nectar
from the petals of beauty…
a butterfly dance
The autumn full moon…
a spiral of crimson leaves
in the evening glow
A waft of perfume
hovers over the village…
weeping plum blossoms
Splinters of sunshine
Shimmer upon the snowflakes…
chimneys disappear
Linda Dolph
Water drop clinging
Resisting its sparkling weight
Earth calls, glitter drops
Mysterious mist
Hovering over river
Faithful foghorn blows
B.E. Wheeler
Late night on my dock
Starlight lit my lonesomeness
The dark silent sound
Golden haze ahead
Purpled shadows on the flank
Whitecaps in the dusk
Quiet, stark cottonwoods
Naked brown by slate gray skies
Geese survey the flood,
George Kalista
winter reigns supreme
till spring softly conquers it
blending to summer
winter the land rests
gaining energy waiting
springs assault is near
birds in living room
screaming loud for attention
I want out right now
dog on lap resting
makes light snoring sounds
quit haikuing pet
nights curtain has closed
sleep eluding me tonight
turn computer on
Jean James
Baby footprint rocks
Part of my rock collection
Treasures beyond words
Handicapped children
Always tug at my heartstrings
My grandson is one
Vine maples backlit
By the sun just peeking through
Images galore
Sharon Ashford
Stallion, white as pearl
Dancing moon on meadow green
Beauty for all time.
Spider’s dainty home
Delicate, silvery strands
Deadly deception.
Glennis Roper
Snowflakes flutter down,
Wispy, icy filigree
Blanketing our town.
Silken spiderwebs
With giant spiders in them
Confiscate my yard!
Shadows on pavement;
Spiky peaks from evergreens-
Asphalt mountain tops.
Vast Vs flying high,
Honking geese are heading south.
Winter's on its way.
Hey, feasting squirrel
Harvesting my walnut tree--
Leave a few for me
Rose Putnam
Promise me you will
Remember the dreams we had
Do them as our plan.
Walk on the wild side
Do let loose once in awhile
And live life fully.
Wonders never cease
My enjoyable life goes on
And I am at peace.
Gary Meyers
Indiscriminate
Incogitativity
Undeniable
Dale and Pam Hirsch
Nuts in our pockets
Went searching for a squirrel
Mission Accomplished.
Foamy white ocean
It calls to me day and night
So peaceful and calm.
Larry Studebaker
In the cool spring morn,
Bending, stooping, working hard;
Thistle in my yard
Bleeding heart watches
Daisies, weeds and grass compete
From a clearing's edge
Conquest of our lawn
By evil Dan De Leon;
This shall be avenged
My nostrils flare from
the fragrant stench of fir death;
A Christmas tree lot.
Kait Lyn Zuber
Robust and snowy
Adorns the surface of ice
It’s the whistler swan
Biting winds cascade
Hail, snow, and rain are unleashed
Winter has arrived.
Apples are no more
The doe and her older fawns
Look disappointed.
A bellowing call
It announces their coming
Behold the great whale.
Colorful wild birds
In cold leafless trees they dart
Finding life within.
Lois Brudi
Syllables are put
In order--five, seven, five
For our enjoyment.
Jasmine, Rose, Lily
Violet, Daisy, Pansy.
Flowers? Or girl's names?
Sunrise to sunset
The time goes by so quickly.
The night is coming.
A crushing sadness
At the loss of a loved one
Envelopes the soul.
Lacy spider webs
Unseen, until they appear
Sparkling in the sun.
Ray Iwamoto
Darkness with no moon
Star light gloomed by cloud and fog
Cat still stalks the night
A tropical night
Moonbeam dances on the waves
The tsunami strikes
Nancy Knight
Voices thin as thread
Skeins of geese fill the flyway
Necks stretched toward home.
Plump dusty sweetness
Hang hairy on thorny vines
Sun-warmed wild sachet.
Coats molt, black boots shed
Kites caught in newly leafed trees
Daffodils blare spring.
Blur of golden splash
Ham pink tongue lolls, nose snuffles
Tennis ball plops on sand.
Gregg Gustin
Playful water dogs
Dark masters of the Cowlitz
Otters rule the night
Kids are home no school
World becomes icy playground
Snow day makes all young
River seems so calm
Flowing silently past us
The source of all life
Loo Wit lost her head
a fiery day of ash
She shares with us all
Giant ancient trees
Harvested by brave young men
Logging fed us all.
Lois Sturdivant
Plowing through the rain
Windshield wipers can't keep up
Winter misery
John Hanna
The flowers are gone.
Where are they now, you wonder?
In Spring, you will know.
The snow geese have flown
far away where it is warm
When will they return?
An inner life plan
is a gift to every seed.
Time reveals the goal.
In my small garden
The first unfurling of spring
Ends the long winter.
The warm summer sun
Awakes my sleeping garden,
Releasing fragrance.
Estrella Brown
Fog fades quietly
Sun graces valley meadows
Green blades glistening
Deer huddle 'neath trees
Freshly fallen snow shimmers
Silence everywhere
Their mom's aging hands
Silently clasped in prayers
Her peace will come soon.
Throwing and sliding
Shaping snow men and angels
Winter blues released
Northwest rain at dawn
Waikiki beaches by noon
Bare feet free at last.
Alena Erickson
Stop by Crystal Springs,
Get lost in its' looking glass.
Breathe, Be still, Reflect.
tulips warp the loom,
rows of colors patterning
acres and acres.
Cascades' "Fuji" cone,
Pure white mound piercing blue sky,
It blew!, mind blowing!
A cold hard stone heart
Thawed to your sunshine smile,
Warmed by your voice.
A caring mentor,
She tends the injured bird,
Heals wounds with a smile.
Jan Zuccarini
Stressed out kitty then
Losing weight at age thirteen
Chronic kidney cat
eighteen plus years old
mommie loves you very much
tired feline boy
tongue stops working now
feed with syringe four times a day
tired old man cat
don’t know what to do
cry when at the water bowl
don’t know how to drink
now we say goodbye
my valentine gift to you
set you free of pain
Randy Zuber
Sheltering forest stream
Cold, refreshing, life-giving
Wild creatures rejoice
Among stars above
Our imaginations roam
Clear, cold, free to dream.
Branch breaks, power’s out
Opportunities abound
Wood stove, hot cocoa.
Cathleen McNeely
Blood clots, thick and deep
Dying to travel vein path
Stay home—it’s cheaper!
Barred rocks, leghorn girls
Stomp, huff, feathers fluff—LEAVE hawk!
We’re not that tasty.
Hula Lulabelle
Inhale, exhale frosty air
Brrr! Cold coconuts!
sea green tidal orb
glistening arms bloom, beckon
welcome prey…join me.
Jim Hautala
Rest home, Fron and Barb.
They were there but now they’re gone.
Singing praising songs.
Rest home, come visit.
If you see them you will know.
Helps you more than them.
Snowbound forest shack.
I do not know where I'm at.
Till the Son shines on.
I don't lie as yet.
I don't always tell the truth.
The truth would hurt you.
If you publish these.
Hope royalties bring you joy.
I will write no more.
Jim Meskew
We climbed together
With few words before he died;
Sip a toast to him.
Carolyn Caines
The Big Dipper sits
On the edge of night…strangely
Immense in my scope
The rains have returned
I am drowning in the street
By the locked mailbox
A landscaper prunes
Front-yard shrubs …several looking
Nothing like themselves
Hanging baskets ask,
Where have all the flowers gone?
I have no green thumb.
Stubborn fog sitting
On the river, refusing
To leave before noon
Sunshine Clark
Tiny Dancer
2 months, sonogram-
tiny dancer fluttering.
Heavy hearts weigh less.
Dizzy
small girl child, daughter-
wonder in her eyes and heart.
dizzy with summer.
Autumn
Autumn's slanted rays-
lengthening streaks, reaching out,
desperate to stay.
Summer Love
hands joined together-
too hot for other love,
forever friends.
Tiny Bird
My heart's fluttering-
tiny bird inside my chest.
Anticipating.
Joy Sawyer
The sun warms the earth
once more awakening hope
of eternity
Raindrops fall on pond
making ripples chase in glee
the drought is over
The honeysuckle
quivers and hums with life
bees gather nectar
Clouds build the lyrics
thunder sings the melody
rain accompanies
The baby robin
awaits parent bringing lunch
worm is not willing
Deborah Studebaker
Sunny spring morning
Dark shadow in the woodpile
Sleeping baby elk
Unseen road ahead
Murky for lies think and low
Terror in the night
Rainy window pane
Dark clouds pelt the earth with hail
Witnessing a storm
Blanket of pure white
Bundled up to go explore
Footprints in the snow
Nature towers high
A branch cracks beneath my feet
Walking in the woods
Caroline Wood
The hydrangea
Blossoms from last summer are
Greeting the new buds.
Night is falling; the
Black chickens are on their roosts
In the backyard coop.
Shawn Siltala
Fallen alder leans
gently into the water,
blending gray and green.
Men work elsewhere now.
Ghosts in empty buildings know
how strong we once were.
Falling icicles
leave tracks like crazy birds' feet
in the melting snow.
Matt Wall
ice blue winter sky
blooms awaiting warmer days
calm winds have found me
children never care
about cold hands, wet feet or
dry coughs, fun is fun
awaiting green grass
sunshine, fireworks, hot dogs
some things take too long
high up, way above
leaves holding on by mere threads
squirrel nests remain
three nests in a tree
how many birds? I can't see
they're on vacation
Millie Grocott
In memory still
Sedge bends at the water’s edge
More lyric than grass.
Dorothy Parker
Fragile twigs, buds swell,
Tips of green, purple petals
Winter Daphne Springs.
Indian Plum
Yellow-gold prisms sway,
Emerald scrolls form candle sticks,
Chandeliers of spring
Settles valley floor,
Absorbing colors well-known,
Fog lingers cold, damp.
Yellow. my yellow horse.
Majestic Yellow
Rolls on favorite spot, now
Splendid brown: Yellow.
Crocus, daffodils
Daphne, hel.le.bore, pansy,
Spring buds…pollen sneeze
Nicole Cochran
Rushing out the door,
important morning meeting -
icy windshield wins.
One, two, three, four, five-
counting out my syllables,
building my haiku.
Lights begin to dim
audience hush, pause, darkness -
the curtain rises.
POP! of the toaster,
butter knife scrapes crumbs,
honey bear drizzle.
The big night is here,
the envelope is opened...
my name wasn't called
JoHannah Musseid-Frank
Not swarthy Ducks
Hungry eagle swarming low
One saddened duck
SUBMISSIONS by Monticello Middle School 6th Grade students:
Sarah Brazier
Wolf in the spruce wood forest
Wolf, covered in snow
Sneaking through the spruce wood trees
Hunting down your prey
Clouds of summertime
Fluffy clouds up high
Filling the turquoise sky
Drifting slowly by.
Creature of the deep sea
That sleek, dripping skin
Complete with majestic fins
Behold, the dolphin.
Sleeping in the bright daylight
He sleeps on a stump
Head tucked under his golden wing
The owl sleeps till night.
Meilin Pang
Under the Lake
The still lake is glass
Calm waters conceal a storm
While a war is waged.
Hidden Beauty
The willow is shy
Hiding behind its safe leaves
Wishing to be free.
Words from the Wise
If rain gets you down
Know that sunshine will come soon
And all will be well.
Perseverance
The butterfly flies
Through rough and rainy weather
Fighting toward the sun.
Odd One Out
The tulip stands out
Against a sea of roses
Light pink to bright red.
Nailynn Bingman
The Aftermath
Water trickles down
Cold winds blow away the clouds
Now the storm has won.
The Storm
The clouds once were white
Children would play outside but
Now the storm has won.
Before
White clouds fill the sky
Little kids are running by
What a pretty day.
Autumn
Leaves of red and gold
Lazily float to the ground
The air becomes cold.
The Faces of Nature
Bumpy, broken nose
Beautiful emerald eyes
The world’s beautiful.
Keely Lemmons
Winter’s Promise
Bare trees on pale sky
A soft chill in the sharp air
Winter’s promise stands.
She will always come
Taking poet’s breaths away
An indifferent soul.
Let Me Stay
Just one more moment
Just one more breath of sweet air
Leave me in the wild.
Wildfire
Fires dance across trees
Run away! Flee the danger!
All that’s left is ash.
Sunset
Dust motes laze about
Ablaze with your rosy glow
Sunset on green fields.
Kailael Hash
Cola
Big, buff, polar bear
Why do you promote cola?
Promote Mountain Dew!
Salmon
Sleek, slick salmon fish
Why do you liked to be smoked?
It’s bad for your gills.
Emma Brindley
Forest Animals
Beautiful deer play
While caribou munch on grass
And bears are hunting.
Big Animals
Hippos munch away
Walruses slip, slide, and hunt
Elephants make fun.
Farm Animals
Cows eat the good grass
Horses gallop through the field
Ducks waddle through mud.
Jayshiv Patel
Daisies
A late afternoon
Daisies basking in glossy
Refreshing green grass.
Butterflies
Flutter in the sky
On wings of many colors
Land upon flowers
The Pond
An old silent pond
A frog jumps into the pond
Splash – silence again.
Cole Foley
The Forest
The rushing water
Sparkling in the sunlight
Bird
Colorful feathers
Little pink feet with sharp claws
And a little beak.
Trout
Shimmering scales
Living in the shallow creek
Little fins and tails
Ricky Liao
Cold Weather
Snowflakes gently fall
As the weather becomes cold
Winter is coming.
Morning Day
Birds are chirping loud
Sunlight passes through the sky
It’s a nice morning.
Waves
Ocean waves fall in
Fighting against the strong wind
Crashing to the ground.
Gwenyth Elkinton
Fall
As leaves keep falling
And the breeze keeps on flowing
You know fall is here.
Beaches
On sandy beaches
The tide goes in and back out
The waves keep splashing.
Storms
Boom, Boom, goes the storm
Crash – the storm has hit something
Then there was silence.
Tanner Allen
The Ocean
Swaying swell of salt
Foam floating on the surface
Splishing and splashing.
Fields
Fields overflowing
With so many crops and trees
Green as it can be.
The Stream
Salmon jumping forth
Right back to where they came from
Going up the stream.
Rene Alvarez
Snow
Snow is cold but soft
The snow dropping on my face
When the snow falls gently.
Trees
Trees are full of green
Trees are what keep us alive
We need trees to live.
Water
Water is magical
Water can do lots of things
It keeps us alive.
Hannah Price
The Stormy Night
Stormy clouds darken
The fierce oceans grow fiercer
While the air grows cold.
The Nocturnal Night
Wolves are howling
Owls are searching for mice
While the moon grow bright.
Finally Calm
The clouds roll away
The water finally calms
But the stars shine bright
The Morning Has Come
The sun is rising
The birds are chirping loudly
children rush outside.
The Surprise
Only to find white
They don’t know what to expect
But they play anyway.
Esabella Meeuws
Beautiful Flowers
Purple, yellow, pink
Flowers growing everywhere
Breathing summer air.
Nine Tiny Deer
Nine tiny brown deer
Peacefully gazing on grass
Run away to be free.
Butterflies
Flying to and fro
Searching for something to eat
Pretty butterflies.
Rising Sun
Rising sun above
Creating days with laughter
Everyone enjoy.
Devany Hubbard
Rainbows
You have to go through
The rain, to getthe rainbow
That’s the way of life.
Waves
Salty waves come in
And they crash against my skin
Close my eyes, and smile
The Jungle
Ivy snakes up stones
Vines hanging down low to the ground
But the sun is high.
Tylor Sells
Fire
On beautiful fire
If you were any hotter
I would turn to soot.
Water
The lovely water
Has a mouth but does not talk
Runs but does not walk.
Thunder
The crashing thunder
Lighting up the forest trees
With a cracking sound.
Morgan Rawson
The Flower
One pretty flower
Sweet fragrance filling the air
Swaying in the breeze.
Water
Big, deep, blue ocean
Tiny, shallow, little pond
Small, large, both the same
Gentle Stream
Soft, sweet, swirling
Moves the water so slowly
Cold, liquid water..
Jakob White
Forest
The forest is the
Greenest place in the world with
All its greens and kind
Lovely animals
Big to small all to survive
Sustained by its beauty.
Lightning
Destructive lightning
Burning all it smites near
Me for it I must evade.
Mary Knowles
The Beach
The warm summer sun
The waves come crashing ashore
Footprints in the sand.
Good night
The sun’s going down
The owl comes out at midnight
Black cats roam the streets.
White Christmas
The snow is falling
The kids are building snowmen
It’s a white Christmas.
Alex Stephens
Forest
It’s grown tall and strong
Leaves fall toward the ground
All the trees fall down.
End of Winter
Paths from the snow clears
Animals search for some food
Spring is on the way.
Sky
Sunlight bursts through it
The clouds form into pictures
Sun goes for the night.
Glen Toler
Leaves
An afternoon breeze
Expels cold air, along with
The fallen brown leaves
Trees
Cherry blossoms bloom
Softly falling from the tree
Explode into night.
Snow
A winter blanket
Covers the earth in response
But only a dream.
Junior Sanchez
Hurricanes
Hurricane Issac
Why are you so destructive?
You destroy all year.
Safe and Sound
Sound and silence is
Space and form within the mind
And all time is born.
Oceans
An ocean voyage
As waves break over the bow
The sea welcomes me.
Hannah Bledsoe
Trees
Trees are so sparkly
Trees whistling in the wind
Waving in the fields
Flowers
Small, frail and tiny
Shining like the stars at night
Dying in the fall.
Grass
Green as nature’s mom
Waving in the distinct breeze
Green and growing slow
Alberto Balbuena-Trujillo
Chihuahua
Little Chihuahua
Covered with mud and grey dust
Brown and beautiful hair
Rainbow
Beautiful rainbow
Striped with colorful colors
Huge on dark rainy days.
Kailey Sirnio
Dream land
White sandy beaches
With blue majestic water
Land of Hawaii.
Darn, you rabbit
Rascally rabbit
I’m hunting for a rabbit
A rabbit indeed.
Toadally
Hopping here and there
With a bumpy back of green
With a fly in sight.
Average squirrel
My bushy tail fluffed
My wide cheeks are full of nuts
Ready for winter.
Kaylee Homme
Rivers
Passing by through logs
Very big undercurrent
Gliding above fish
Trees
Covered with white snow
Branches breaking every day
Birds sing at the top.
Rabbits
Fur as white as snow
Hops as fast as a cheetah
Hides under bushes.
Birds
Sing every morning
Flying up high in the sky
Swimming in bird baths.
Wind
Whistles in the sky
Knocks over big tree branches
Gives you a big chill.
Cindy Alvarez
Grizzly Bear
Big, brown and fuzzy
Walking toward the river flow
Catching fish for food.
Small Frog
Small, green and slimy
Lying in the lily pads
Waiting for a snack.
Kenneth Hockett
Ocean
The white foam is cool
I love to play in water
It is alive.
Tree
Very brown and tall
During fall its leaves are red
Today they are yellow.
Alyssa Ruiz
Snow
Ice cold on my nose
As quiet as mice creeping as white as smooth paper.
Tree
As hard as a rock
Covered with small, smooth, green leaves
With bark all over.
Wind
Passes by green trees
As cold as snow on your nose
Whistles in the sky
Flower
Beautiful petals
Covered with beautiful colors
Bees are chasing after
Jacqueline Zarazua
Sun
The sun appeared
Over the beautiful hill
Making the earth bright.
Snow
The snow layers trees
With beautiful snow glowing
Melts in the summer.
Roxana Morales
Fishes
Beautiful fishes
Swimming in the big blue sea
Shining like bright stars
Beautiful
Colored flowers
Red, purple, many colors
Pretty as rainbows.
Sierra White
Caterpillar
Fuzzy little worms
Make a home then comes out as
Graceful butterflies.
Snowflake
Shrivel up and die
A ton falling from the sky
Then piling up high.
Noah Gaston
Wolf
A wild animal
Wonderful fearful hunter
Blends into darkness.
Lion
King of the jungle
Most fearful of Africa
Lives in a den.
Anthoni Garcia
Oak Tree
Pretty, ugly tree
Flying squirrels live in them
Leaves sway in the wind.
Polar Bear
Glowing white fur bear
Catching fish underwater
Waiting for next hunt
Everardo Carapia
Bears
Big, fat, and furry
Not very gentle at all
Sharp, dangerous claws
Cats
Like playing with yarn
Like to eat fishes at lot
Big, fat, furry and claws
Izzy Platt
Her Mist
She dances at dawn
To Bobby Mackie’s music
Till darkness fades in.
Wild Winds
Cries fly in the air
Door slams at the middle of night
Well, that’s debunked.
My Snow Flurries
Orbs fly in the air
Little balls of energy play rounds
What happy souls to me.
Demonic Tree
Screams yell help me
Three times mocking knock next to me
The tree never scared me.
Angelina Jiminez
Beautiful shine
Sunflowers bright like the sun
Perfect glow and shine.
Small and cute kittens
Cuddly, special, and little
Always very strong
.
Natonia Cureton
Bunnies Don’t Want To Sleep
Bunnies playing late
Bunnies so majestic now
They don’t want to sleep.
Barn Animals
Barn animals cute
How do they get their cuteness
Because they are cute.
Big Bears
Big bears everywhere
Hunting in the field
How do they live now?
Forest
Trees glisten in the sunlight
How wonderful so pretty
Can you imagine?
Austin Daniels
Water
Water is pretty
It is blue and we need it
It is a liquid.
Sharks
Sharks are vicious
They are dangerous and kill
People all the time.
Grass
Grass is cool and green
It is important to us
Animals eat it.
Trees
Trees are big and nice
Lots of creatures live on them
We need them to live.
Alex Khoxayo
Tsunami
Big destructive wave
Coming fast and furious
Get to higher ground.
Tree
Standing big and tall
Giving oxygen to breath
Too bad we chop you.
Israel Kalar
Green Grass
The grass is so green
Sharp grass runs through my fingers
Its smell is so sweet.
The Moon
The moon is so bright
I’m not afraid of the dark
The moon protects me.
Hallie Buffham
The Arctic Fox
Beautiful, sneaky
Winter white fuzzy is fox
Running in the wind.
Trees
The leaves are falling
But prickly pines still staying
Waving in the wind.
Out in Nature
Just flowers to pick
So many grass blades to count
Wind blows in my hair.
Silence
Deep in the forest
There is not a single sound
Dark, peaceful silence.
Lake of Peace
A clear reflection
Animals rely on you
They really love you.
Jonathan Tejada
Changos
The monkeys are eating
All hiding in the bushes
Running away together
Bigfoot
Explorers came to forest
They spotted the Sasquatch there
Quick take a picture or video.
Tyson Adams
Tiger Madness
Tigers are fearsome
They are like big giant cats
They have long claws.
A lot of Birds
Birds whistle loud
They can fly fast like cheetahs
They are really small.
Savannah Nash
Thunderstorm
Thunderstorms rise
To the tops of trees
Then back down.
Animal
Animals burrow
Down into the cold
Surviving winter.
Snow
Snow covers
The ground all around
And quickly melts
Flowers
Swaying flowers
Shining during the daytime
Shut by night.
Kaitlyne Hylton
Kittens
Tiny glad kittens
One kitten fell down a hole
Silly small kitten.
Baby Fox
Little baby fox
Lost in the woods alone
Lonely little fox.
Panda
Small little panda
The panda that is so loved
Lucky small panda.
Piper Nguyen
Panda
Small, baby panda
Rolled its eyes and fell to sleep
Dreaming peacefully.
Penguin
The little penguin
Slid down the snow-covered hill
Having so much fun.
Stars
Twinkling and bright
Shining in the dark, night sky
As bright as a sun.
Natalie Cureton
Colorful Nature
Bright neon colors
Birds chirping so peacefully
Rainbows brightening sky.
Blue Whale
Beautiful blue whale
Crying so horrid and loud
So humongous.
Spencer Bussanich
Puppies
Curious puppies
Playing in the cold white snow
Blending perfectly.
Water
Water silently
Streams along with fish
Pleasantly with life.
Baylee Carrico
Animals
A panda ate nuts
A very comfortable cat
The cat joins along.
A silver sticky fish
Dove into the pond.
Natalie Contreras-Venegas
Oceans
Sparkly, blue waves, deep
And cold water traveling
With fish along the boats.
The Sky
Bright sunny day
Shining blue in summer, yeah!
Gray sky during fall.
Rylee Rodriguez
Dear Kitty
Little furry cat
Forever dreaming
Why did you leave?
Ugly Volcano
Rocky volcano
Why must you be so violent?
Innocent people.
Fishy
Sparkly, scaly, fishy
Always swimming beside boats
Never ever sleeping – swimming.
Colton Rutledge
Animals
Cute sweet big brown lab
Small, short, tan, little Chihuahua
White, fluffy, big bunny.
Trees
Trees are full of color
Trees can keep us alive.
Cloey Trotter
Lazy Cats
Lying in the sun
Soaking up its warm bright glow
Till the day is done.
Salmon
Slick and gleaming bright
Fighting the river’s current
Avoiding quick claws.
Summer Breeze
Gliding through the trees
Chasing away the sun’s heat
Bending blades of grass.
Snowflakes
A sparkling white frost
Drifting from heavens vast fields
Melting on your face.
Nicholas Hansen
Trees
Massive redwood trees
Their trunks are so big and round
People cut them down.
Orayan Routh
Apple
Sometimes red and green
Good apple juice of plenty
Good in size yummy.
Wolf
Feared for life
Hunt in darkness for food
Hide in the shadow.
Diamond Rice
Thunder
Beautiful thunder could
You keep it down up there.
Little fishy
Shiny fishy jumping out of the
Little ruffles of the Frog River.
Andrew Roberts
Beautiful Bird
Gorgeous flying bird
How can you fly with just wings?
Teach me how to fly.
Moldy Trees
Moldy wooden trees
Do you like mold on your trunk
Is mold always green?
Antonio Naal
Butterflies
I love butterflies
I love waterfalls with birds
Butterflies are cool.
Pandas
Pandas are so cute
Pandas like to eat a lot.