Keene Central School Observer

Elephants

Long ears swaying, swaying

Wrinkled gray brown skin

Big trunks spraying, spraying

Rambling with its kin

Lion in long grass hiding, hiding

Hunches up ready to lunge

Time the lions biding, biding

Waiting for his midday lunch

An elephant turns looking, looking

She can see the lion's tail

Blowing her horn, elephants booking, booking

Leaving the lion in their trail

Amelia Ellis

Grade Six

The Community of Grass

By: Elaina Smith

The blades, or the community, of grass laid by the originals now independent.

The child that sweeps his feet, bare and petite, the shoes had been taken off,

The woman, removing her broom from her gentle hand to inhale the fresh fragrance of the

meadow,

The man, his strength, surrendering to the gentle and peacefulness that nests below his height.

Or.

The other child that stumbles due to weakness and weary, his feet relieved with the soft touch for

his travels, long and rough, with feet, bare, but no shoes were taken off,

The other woman weeping over her lap, at the absence of another child lost or taken, darkening

the grass,

The other man stained by the stench of alcohol or by the dirt from below, covering his

insignificant features.

Together.

Man, all together, all enjoy the common grass,

Man, as many as those of grass or as much of a variety as grass,

Man, as colorful, or as original, or as unique as the ubiquitously growing grass,

Man, saying au revoir to the separation, segregation, the stream that splits the sheet of schismed

Sod.

Bears skunks chipmunks squirrels

In cold season sleeping sound

Waking up in spring.

Birds and butterflies

Following the stars in night

Waiting to return.

Isaac Hernandez

Grade 3

Night Sky

Outside at night

The stars are shining jewels,

The moon is at her fullest state, showing all she rules.

Orion stands bravely above,

Protecting his kingdom from all who trespassed.

On the horizon the morning sun rises.

Capturing Orion and everything else

The night sky provided.

Megan Quinn

Grade Six

Utahraptor

Utah is the home of these

Terrific

Hunters of meat

Running

And

Pursuing

The

Offspring of

Ricardoestsia (ri-KARD-o-es-TEE-ze-a)

So delicious!

Awesome and

Radical

Everyone

Mopes for

You, because your

Life

Is now

Finished, and all that is left of you is scanned

Evidence that you lived

Tara Fine

Grade Six

Spring

Clouds low

Over dun colored fields

Cloaks everything

In a robe of shadow

Light pierces mist

Rays shine down

Monotonous dawn is broken

Day begins

Sounds everywhere

Beyond chirps of birds

Filling the air

More than can be identified

Bubbling brooks

Splash in their banks

Leaping sprites

That hide away again

Wind whispers

Through pines

Sighing of cricket’s wings

In tall maples

Different smells

Fragrance from sap

Flowing in abundance

From tall sentinels

First of flowers

Crocus, daffodil and snowdrop

Peeking heads

From underground dwellings

Feel of sun

Warm on faces

Brings tidings

Of summer to come

Lura Johnson

Grade 9

Paper

Paper,

the back side of an old affidavit

thrown out the third story window

of Latham and Watkins

Crumpled, folded, used, unwanted

Drops down from the building,

to bustling streets of New York,

Hits receding gray hair of an old man,

who swats It

with his dense, zebra wood cane,

traveling into the road, lit up by headlights

Of an old Mercedes,

blown under the vehicle,

pushed out by the movement of the car,

flies back up into the polluted, dull sky,

Sputters and coughs,

pushes itself over to a street cafe

Lands in an open purse without acknowledgement

Of the rushed woman,

Purse,

thrown into the back of the car,

dropped onto folds of the seat

Brought home, and opened up,

Hand, moves through the purse,

Reaches for an item, and stumbles upon the paper

reads the letter addressed to someone with her name,

Knows it’s for her,

Through the elegant calligraphy of her lover’s hand

A proposal idea,

Produces a need for paper,

Strikes woman’s heart,

Creates a state of ineffable joy

Student name: Noah El Rimawi-Fine

Grade: 9th

Parched and cotton mouthed

Flaking like a dry loaf of bread,

desert sands flake and float, aflame in the bright sun

Blown by hot fickle winds

Yet two long figures writhe

Together entwined in love

And up above,

A head sneaks a peep,

But such a beautiful scene

Makes even immortals weep,

So down to the ground,

Sustenance drops,

And two happy snakes,

Continue to flop

The ground absorbs,

Through pores enlarged,

By seemingly an eternity

Without rain

And immortal tears,

Seem to disappear,

Yet here and there,

Mud appears

For days and days,

The game goes on

Wriggling,

Writhing,

Squirming

Until dawn

On the third day,

They make their way back

To separate homes

Leaving inspired gods alone

But rain still falls,

Gods still cry,

And the desert farmers

Have snakes to thank for their rye

Joseph Wilson

Grade 9

In the dark black night,

I am there waiting for you;

With hope still in me

Aidan Durant

Grade Five

Not the End

It hurts but I have to get through this

I can’t leave him alone here

He’s not meant to be without me

He’s just a child

I can finally hear him but

It’s startIng to fade

He’s gettIng further and further away

But He’s not moving

He’s finally in my arms

But He’s getting darker

Everythings going black

It’s fading. All I can see is blood...and it’s mine

No not now

I’m losing it

I can’t go

I have to hold on

I can’t go

not yet

The pain was so unbearable

All I can feel is his warmth on my chest but it’s fading

He’s so beautiful

I kiss his forehead and tell him

I wIll never….

Corinth Lawrence

Grade 10

Notes

Hung on a line

Early sunday

Sunny day drying

Flowing in the wind

Like rays of golden light

Leaving no sign

We are blind

Without

The notes

Sarah Jane Woltner

Grade 9

Grandma's Flower Bed

Calm Carnation smile sweetly at the

Peaceful Petunias while

Quiet Queen Anne’s Lace waves to the

Serene Sea Lavender while the

Composed Clover sings to the

Tranquil Tulips and the

Still Sunflowers sit pretty.

Lacey Lawrence

Grade Six

Lazarus’ Carpe Diem

When your bones are old,

And your gravestone is cold,

You need to think;

“What have I done?”

“Did I have fun?”

Life is not all “hip-hip hooray,”

Life is short, so seize the day.

You will probably dread

The day you are dead

But when you’re a ghost, say;

“Did I give life my most?”

But do not fear

Listen with your ear;

“Life is swell,

If you live it well.”

Lazarus Blacksmith

Grade Six

Adirondack

n o i s e

B i r d s

overhead

D i r t

underground

You can hear the

b e a u t i f u l

wind whisking

past your

e a r s.

Landan L.

Rocky Peak Ridge

Inspired by Street Music written by Arnold Adoff

R o c k y P e a k

So silent

the f u n,

the l a b o r

a n i m a l s

the s q u i r r e l

the b i r d

and of c o u r s e the bugs,

the t r e e s

blowing in the wind

until

you

reach

t r e e l i n e

above the c l o u d s,

R o c k y P e a k R i d g e

Soren J.