MJH eighth grade poetry

Editor’s note: Eighth grade English students of Cindy Wilcox at the McCook Junior High finished up their poetry section and if schools had not been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, would have presented them at the “Poetry Cafe.” Here are some of the poems students wrote.

Undercover Magic

by Haylee Schlegel

When you saw the title of this poem, 

What did you find yourself thinking of?

A wizard, a magician, a witch, perhaps?

No, the magic I’m thinking of is so 

much more powerful than that.

I’m thinking of a book, all of the 

wonderful words, colorful descriptors

and the ability to take you to another 

place entirely. You could be transported

to can amazing fairytale world, where you

mingle with fairy folk, or where you have

tea time with ogres and their friends. You

could end up in a terrifying, wonderful horror

story, where you spend your days cowering in 

fear from a poltergeist. Or, you could find

yourself in a sweet, classic romance that

you would love to be the main character

in. All you have to do is delve into a book, 

between the worn paper covers to discover 

the hidden tomb or the sacred key in your

all-time favorite adventure. The magic you can

unlock within a book is astounding, just open 

your book, sit down, and open it. What you’ll find 

under the cover is the easiest way to escape a hard 

day. It’s the most pleasant way to forget what troubles 

you. And, when you think about it, reading in itself is a  whole lot of fun.

The Medicine Creek

 by Canyon Hosick

I was introduced to the Medicine so many years ago, 

I was only that of 5 or close. 

The tall trees that tower above the Medicine,

Provide the shade for snakes and the animals that call it home. 

The Medicine rolls and twist and bends for miles,

Going deep into the time of your ancestors and ice aged animals. 

The murky green tint that accompanies the water gives it a feeling of peace. 

Fallen trees that stretch across the banks are the businesses of its own town.

The Medicine is a peaceful sight in the day,

But come night you will want to be gone .

It was home to the Indians, their land. 

So every night the chief pays his visit. To collect the medicine he made from the river.

 Peace

By Canyon R. Hosick

Peace awoke from its strong slumber through the warm April night

It reached its arms out to hug the lake and protect it.

Peace whispered to the clear water inhabiting the fish within it,

“ Wake up, today is a good day”

The cloudy sky covered the water like a strong blanket.

 As I sat on the bank, peace put its arm around my shoulder while I watched my bobber float atop the water.

I looked over at him only to see the grin on his face.

He spoke to me the words, “watch this,” 

Peace reached down and dipped his index finger in the water.

The moment he took it out I felt a nibble on my line and reeled it in.

He mocked my look of shock when I looked at him returning the same look to me.

Within the moment he stood up and walked off leaving me on the broken log covered by the booming oak trees providing a cool touch to my exposed skin.

Behind the Gold

Abby Boner

Inside this medal

There are hours of hard work.

All the blood, sweat, and tears.

Every day you spent at the track,

Every night your nerves were so bad you couldn’t sleep.

Countless injuries.

Broken spikes and twisted ankles.

Every mile you ran.

All the people who told you you’d never be good.

Every tear that fell off your face.

All the hard work paid off.

It’s all inside the medal.

Reading

Sienna Dutton

Books are the sun, lighting up my world.

I try to focus on homework, but it shines bright in my eyes,

It calls me away from all I’m supposed to do,

Reading is the peeking sun on a cold, miserable day,

Each word pulls me in, leaving me dazed,

Excitement is a whirlwind inside me, blocking out everything else,

A stone of guilt buried in my stomach as I think of my school work,

But it is quickly whisked away as the story unfurls,

Shining rays shimmer down to my brain, wonder fills me, “What will happen next?”

Begging me, forcing me, to open the book,

I wince as I glance at the hours pulled away, 

I see all the open tabs of homework that must be done, clouding over my fun,

But I begin to read again, and the sun pulls through,

I smile and bask in its life-giving light.

Inside Your Phone

Sienna Dutton

Inside your phone

Lay infinite possibilities.

Lounging around, 

waiting to be called upon.

The mind is your only obstacle,

A surplus of knowledge,

Sitting idly at our fingertips...

And yet we move on

Favoring entertainment to true growth

You can learn anything, Be anything...

But most don’t.

Oblivious to the power in our hands

This perfected, intricate technology…

It’s been taken for granted by us.