Historical Poems from Mrs. Taylor's 1st Period Class

EDITORS NOTE: The following poems were written by the students of Mrs. Taylor's 12th grade English Class, Period 1. The assignment was to write a poem that MAY one day be used as an original historical document. The assignment parameters were that the facts the poems are based on must be independently verifiable, and the historical significance can be personal or social. Any style was acceptable. I have edited for spelling only, and any errors remaining were at the request of the individual author. Appearance of the poems here constitutes first publication, and all authors retain all rights to the individual works. Matthew E. Forman



UNTITLED by Cat Brinkley



September 11th 2001 was a normal day at first;

It was morning and I went to Ms. Monroe's

Spelling class, and we were going over

Prepositions when Ms. Goodwin the principal

Told the teachers to turn on the news



Everyone in class including me were wondering

What was going on.

When we saw the news the first thing

I noticed was the plane crashing into one of the twin towers.



We were all watching the images of the

twin towers collapsing.

We didn't really know what happened

or why it happened.



Everything was quiet after Ms. Monroe

turned off the t.v.

After spelling class was over the day went

on as usual but at the same time

everyone was worried about what we saw in the news.

------

UNTITLED by Delano



'94 is the year and

I am silently waiting as I hear

Shouts of pain

Dawning on the task of helping you

State your claim

I don't yet know your name

but still love you the same

I pray to God that I will be a good

example

for I am now the oldest and should be the example

My name is Delano and I'm your older mister

I would now like to introduce the world to my new

baby sister.

-------

The Last Game by Alex Farley



It was the last quarter

Hope was anything but lost

With a score of nine to seven

A touchdown would win but a kick would do



On a big throw we took the ball over

It was a big thrill



We needed a big drive

Only then would our season continue to thrive

Things looked promising

The kick was lined up

It went wide right



Now it was over

They had won

It could have been different if it was me.

---------

GRANNY WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN by Patrick Alexander

I will remember that winter forever
The day my granny died it was so sad
Tears coming down our eyes
She was so sweet
I wish I knew her a little more
She had some hard times
But I know now she's walking through the door
She stayed real strong
Wouldn't let anyone bring her down
I love her so much and I wish she was still around
Mom took it hard to be strong
Bur its hard to be strong when your mother is gone
She in a better place now she has no more pain
-----------
POEM by Kelsey Rogers

Mommy looks so sad today
As she buttons up her blouse
Shaking fingers, heaving chest
She rushes 'bout the house

Mommy looks so sad today
As she combs her pretty hair
Shaking fingers, heaving chest
She rushes me down the stairs

Mommy looks so sad today
As I hold her pretty hand
Shaking fingers, heaving chest
She helps me into the van

Mommy looks so sad today
So pretty that it hurts
Shaking fingers, heaving chest
We pull up to the church

Mommy looks so sad today
Dressed head-to-toe in black
Shaking fingers, heaving chest
She wants her daddy back

Mommy looks so sad today
Now that grandpa's gone
Shaking fingers, heaving chest
She sings his favorite song

Mommy looks so sad today
As she stares at the pretty stone
Shaking fingers, heaving chest
She whispers' "Let's go home."
-------------
Untitled by Michael Carroll

Speeding down the interstate,
It's 2:00 in the morning + I'm super late,
Taking a girl home but she ain't in trouble,
If I'm not home soon I'll get double.
Bout a mile from the exit I see the lights,
She looks at me as I pull over in fright,
"This can't be happening," "No way it can,"
I'm really glad it was a nice policeman.
He ran my tags, but nothing more,
The night was made horrible as rain began to pour,
Two years later now + I haven't been pulled over,
Now when I'm driving that late, it will be slower.
------------
Untitled by Jordan Scott

It was close to 13 years ago
I grabbed my sticks for the first time
I was nervous, so I started slow
Once I started I knew the talent was mine.

Drumming is my talent
It's what I'm good at
Drumming is my talent
It's what I work hardest at.

I started very slow
But now it's what I'm best at.
------------
May 1, 2007, a Poem by Sarah D.

It was the first of May
And it was a sunny day.
Cheering and stunting right after school
How that day would end so cruel.
Trying my hardest
To push my flyer the farthest.
And then the accident came.
As my flyer fell in a tangle
She left my wrist mangled.
Through the sobs and tears
There also came fear.
Tushing to the emergency room
Hoping the nurse would bring good news soon.
A simple surgery was all that was needed
I was so happy I pleaded.
To be able to cheer once more
I was so glad my life wouldn't be a bore!
------------
Untitled by Katie Richard

Two years ago at cheer leading camp
I went through the most stressful week of my life
We learned a cheer, chant, and a dance
My coach, at the last minute, incorporated stunts in the routine
My stunt group had the hardest time with it
And it was all my fault though
When it was time to perform the routine I took a deep breath
And I prayed I wouldn't let the other girls down
I gave it everything I had and it was all worth it
We hit the stunt and I felt like I was on top of the world
Hard work really does pay off
------------
Summer of Hard Times by Kristin Brannon

The phone rang and rang but no one was home;
Message after message I listened to alone.
My aunts and uncles with worry in their voices,
Didn't say anything but call back quick.
I knew how to reach her, so I called her right then.
I told her it was an emergency but I wasn't sure what.
We rushed to the ER where they all were.
She was finally stable but to sick to come home.
Day after day we went to visit her that summer.
It was before my freshman year.
They tried and tried but it only got worse.
She moved to Vanderbilt where we still went everyday,
but I had to stay away no kids aloud in the room.
After 2 weeks at Vanderbilt the
nurse came and got everyone; except for her
grandchildren. They all followed her back and
stayed in the room forever.
One by One they all came out, with tears
in their eyes. That when I know. My mom
was still back there with my grandfather too.
They cam out together, I knew she was
gone. The person I went when I needed
to talk, who helped me with my problems
and even my homework sometimes. She was
more than my grandmother.
She was also my friend.
-----------
Untitled by Taylor Lewis

It is a beautiful day
With birds chirping in air
When I have a hunch about this
I think today is a special day

Without doubt we get a call
My brother Ryan is to come down
Ryan's wife will be down too
She is in the hospital though

Now it is more clear
My brother is to be a Dad!
I am soon to be an uncle!
Today was a very special day
-----------
Death by Jody Dominguez

Much grief was caused from my father's death
but life went on nevertheless
times were rough, what can I say
but to me it was just another day.
Three years have passed since that time
but I have not let it hide my shine.
Seasons changed, and I got older
but that was something I just brushed off my shoulder.
-----------
Grandma Dying by Alex Silavong

My grandma passed August 13, 2008
It hurt me so had she had to leave that way.
She had internal bleeding on the left side of her brain,
It made her whole body numb, she wouldn't feel any pain.
When she tried to speak all she could do is whisper
and I then asked God why You do this to her?
First time she went to the doctor he said she would be fine
then the second time we found out that she was running out of time.
The doc said the only way to save her is to do surgery
but my grandma said if it came to that then don't even worry.
When he said that we knew we could do nothing else
that was the worst feeling that I had ever felt.
The doc never told us when she would pass
so we went up there as much as we could 'cause we didn't
know how long she would last.
The day she passed I was sitting in school
Then my aunt came up here and told me the news.
We tried to hurry to the hospital so we could say our good-byes
but halfway there we got a call that said she had already closed her eyes.