Examples of Student Writing
Micro Fiction from 2014
Here are examples of students' 6-word stories:
In church, spitting out the demons.
The man laughs as lightning strikes.
Fishing with father, to mend wounds.
Petrified of seeing him, always hiding.
A house once full - now a charred shell.
She sank, eyes closed, letting the water win.
Trust him, he trusted you.
We left the taps running for a hundred years.
Life swims terribly, it dragged her down.
It's all in your mind, I'm dead.
Below is an example of a found poem by Ms. H.
theumbrellashop
always
open an
umbrella
s l o w l y and
carefully
rivets and ribs
can be
repaired
worn out fabric
signals the
End
of the umbrella’s
life
The Future Is Now
I believe that someday, every ounce of hate, discrimination, oppression, selfishness and greed will be extinguished and the world will be as one. No secrets, no lies - complete peace and honesty. We will all realize that no matter who we are, what region we come from, what sex we prefer, what race we originated from, whether we believe in a god or not - we are all brothers and sisters. Earth is our home, and in a home, we should feel accepted, safe and looked after.
There are no favourites, no least favourites, and no outcasts - all will be treated equally. We will not wage wars for resources and domination - we will share the land. There will never be a violent thirst for power and/or control. We will be thankful for every single thing that is given to us. And we will spread the generosity as far as the arm can reach. Politicians will not take handouts and will listen to every word the people have to say. No one will have to take a bullet for anyone because there will be no need to do so.
No sides will be taken because there will only be one side to take - the side of humanity. We will not pray for someone's death - but for someone's survival. We will not turn blind eyes to the unfortunate and needy. Nobody will have dominance over anyone and we will never let a continent or country be without safety, care and love. Religion will not forcefully tell us how to think and how to live - it will be up to us, as individuals, to decide whether to live that way. Whether there is a god or not, we will let people believe what they want, and we won't judge them because of their opinions - they are only human. We will speak our minds if we feel something is unjust - and we will not be afraid to do so. And if there is ever to be any enemy, we will stick flowers in the barrels of their guns, and not rest until there is a peaceful resolution.
We will put our future first, so the future generations will learn to do the same. We will refuse to die knowing that any mess we may have made will be left for them to clean up. We will abandon the ways of factory farming and treat our animals the way we treat our loved ones - they will be our loved ones. No longer will we slash the ancient forests and habitats of millions upon millions of creatures. We will refuse to let one more aquatic habitat be destroyed due to acidic reactions created by pollution. No longer will we let our chemicals tear away at the ozone that protects us from the wrath of the scorching star. We will not rely on pharmaceuticals to save our lives when we are in need - for their only goal, is to keep us coming back. Doctors will continue to make miracles and not only will we heal the body - but we shall heal the soul as well. We will take care of our elders and ensure that they will never feel forgotten or unrecognized. Society will be one big family - each of us looking after one another. Our passion will be maintaining the earth and all that live within it - and we will always put our passion before wealth and power.
This world I hope for may never happen within my lifetime and maybe it will never happen at all. But at this time in age, with all the problems going on around us, a world like the one I dream of is needed. It will never be as perfect as it sounds, and I am yet to see true perfection, but to live in such a world that only covers half of what I've discussed would be much more desirable to live in than the one I'm in now. It ceases to amaze me how many greedy, cold-hearted people hold the cards in today's society. But I'm also glad to know that so much good is being done to deal with these problems. The fact that everyday, more and more people rise up and stand for what they think is right makes me feel that the tables are truly turning. I know this world could never be a utopia, because nothing can ever be truly perfect. But the future is uncertain, so it's up to us to positively shape our world and future - and the future is now.
Jake Jones, February, 2014 (published in Teen Ink)
Bobcat Entries 2014:
Stillness, ever so still
Cody Naugle
As they fill the hallways, flitting from class to class,
they will often stare or glance at me while passing
and at times reach out to run their pencil-sore fingers
over my wooden features and trace the carved lines in my hands.
I watch them pass through the doors without turning for a second glance, and see some linger, and I look for the ones whose eyes are
saddened, so I may tell them that I care, that I’m here to lift their heavy spirits and raise their weighted heads, to have them know that I care,
to have them know I am here, and that I will give them strength.
Sequoia Marchand
A new coat of varnish awakens the spirit within. Determination in every stroke of wood, courage in every line. The bobcat signifies our journey through this maze of adolescence, beaten but still standing.
Natalie Nguyen
The bobcat symbolizes a burning force of ambition that is inside all of us. We are his family and he is with us every step of the way.
Jake Jones
Liam Palmiere Revised Journal Entry: A Random Story
P.8
John observed the office space with baggy eyes as he leaned on the water cooler, sipping cautiously at his coffee. Steam rose from the Styrofoam cup. He saw cubicles under hospital lighting, smelled perfume and coffee and paper, and heard the staccato clacking of busy fingers.
Abruptly, the lull of Monday morning was pierced by a woman’s scream. The keyboards stopped clacking and the alarm went off, mimicking the screech. Papers fluttered and wheeled chairs flew back from cubicles as John’s coworkers frantically rushed for the stairs across the room. Men and women moved awkwardly in their business attire, but cleared out quickly despite it. Soon, only John remained. He slurped at his coffee, still leaning on the cooler. Other than obtuse shuffling from the closed office behind him, it was now silent.
He removed his weight from the water tank and turned slowly. A rarely washed window, business curtains, and Katherine throwing looped punches at … a Kangaroo? John was stunned and perplexed. Why would she throw looped punches? Everybody knows that Kangaroos are excellent boxers. It would simply bob and weave, and then WHAM! It would land a Tyson-style uppercut. She had no chance. John’s fists clenched, his pupils pinned, and he began to slightly perspire as he went for the door. The knob turned, and the door opened.
In spite of Katherine’s best interests, John slowed to a dramatic walk upon entering the room. He yanked at his tie, kicked off his dress shoes, and began unbuttoning his shirt. He stripped it off, revealing a strong build beneath an a-shirt. Thick, corded muscle rippled as he observed himself in a mirror leaning against a wall. He posed in several different ways, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of his build.
“JOHN! STOP CHECKING YOURSELF OUT AND HELP M-“ Katherine’s plea was cut short when the marsupial did as predicted. She went down in a tangle of limbs. The Kangaroo turned sharply and assumed a Kung-Fu-esque stance. Its palms were open and its knees were bent. It looked unflinchingly into John’s eyes. John swallowed, and a single bead of sweat rolled down his cheek. The Kangaroo smiled coyly. It then made a ‘come-hither’ motion and said, “Come at me, bro”.
The Kangaroo received its answer as John sprinted forward. He flew into a side kick, and the Kangaroo narrowly avoided it with a side step. Furry fists flurried at John, who was off balance and stumbling as he parried. Regaining composure, John waited for an opening in the onslaught. A lazy left hook. John ducked it, slipping to the ‘Roo’s left and standing back up, behind an uppercut. The Aussie took it to the ribs and its torso curled toward John. Right hook. The punch connected hard with the ‘Roo’s face, which was already contorted in a pained grimace. Its face relaxed. It went limp. John held his breath as he watched the Kangaroo collapse to the carpet. He couldn’t believe it: he won.
Here are examples of students' 6-word stories:
In church, spitting out the demons.
The man laughs as lightning strikes.
Fishing with father, to mend wounds.
Petrified of seeing him, always hiding.
A house once full - now a charred shell.
She sank, eyes closed, letting the water win.
Trust him, he trusted you.
We left the taps running for a hundred years.
Life swims terribly, it dragged her down.
It's all in your mind, I'm dead.
Below is an example of a found poem by Ms. H.
theumbrellashop
always
open an
umbrella
s l o w l y and
carefully
rivets and ribs
can be
repaired
worn out fabric
signals the
End
of the umbrella’s
life
The Future Is Now
I believe that someday, every ounce of hate, discrimination, oppression, selfishness and greed will be extinguished and the world will be as one. No secrets, no lies - complete peace and honesty. We will all realize that no matter who we are, what region we come from, what sex we prefer, what race we originated from, whether we believe in a god or not - we are all brothers and sisters. Earth is our home, and in a home, we should feel accepted, safe and looked after.
There are no favourites, no least favourites, and no outcasts - all will be treated equally. We will not wage wars for resources and domination - we will share the land. There will never be a violent thirst for power and/or control. We will be thankful for every single thing that is given to us. And we will spread the generosity as far as the arm can reach. Politicians will not take handouts and will listen to every word the people have to say. No one will have to take a bullet for anyone because there will be no need to do so.
No sides will be taken because there will only be one side to take - the side of humanity. We will not pray for someone's death - but for someone's survival. We will not turn blind eyes to the unfortunate and needy. Nobody will have dominance over anyone and we will never let a continent or country be without safety, care and love. Religion will not forcefully tell us how to think and how to live - it will be up to us, as individuals, to decide whether to live that way. Whether there is a god or not, we will let people believe what they want, and we won't judge them because of their opinions - they are only human. We will speak our minds if we feel something is unjust - and we will not be afraid to do so. And if there is ever to be any enemy, we will stick flowers in the barrels of their guns, and not rest until there is a peaceful resolution.
We will put our future first, so the future generations will learn to do the same. We will refuse to die knowing that any mess we may have made will be left for them to clean up. We will abandon the ways of factory farming and treat our animals the way we treat our loved ones - they will be our loved ones. No longer will we slash the ancient forests and habitats of millions upon millions of creatures. We will refuse to let one more aquatic habitat be destroyed due to acidic reactions created by pollution. No longer will we let our chemicals tear away at the ozone that protects us from the wrath of the scorching star. We will not rely on pharmaceuticals to save our lives when we are in need - for their only goal, is to keep us coming back. Doctors will continue to make miracles and not only will we heal the body - but we shall heal the soul as well. We will take care of our elders and ensure that they will never feel forgotten or unrecognized. Society will be one big family - each of us looking after one another. Our passion will be maintaining the earth and all that live within it - and we will always put our passion before wealth and power.
This world I hope for may never happen within my lifetime and maybe it will never happen at all. But at this time in age, with all the problems going on around us, a world like the one I dream of is needed. It will never be as perfect as it sounds, and I am yet to see true perfection, but to live in such a world that only covers half of what I've discussed would be much more desirable to live in than the one I'm in now. It ceases to amaze me how many greedy, cold-hearted people hold the cards in today's society. But I'm also glad to know that so much good is being done to deal with these problems. The fact that everyday, more and more people rise up and stand for what they think is right makes me feel that the tables are truly turning. I know this world could never be a utopia, because nothing can ever be truly perfect. But the future is uncertain, so it's up to us to positively shape our world and future - and the future is now.
Jake Jones, February, 2014 (published in Teen Ink)
Bobcat Entries 2014:
Stillness, ever so still
Cody Naugle
As they fill the hallways, flitting from class to class,
they will often stare or glance at me while passing
and at times reach out to run their pencil-sore fingers
over my wooden features and trace the carved lines in my hands.
I watch them pass through the doors without turning for a second glance, and see some linger, and I look for the ones whose eyes are
saddened, so I may tell them that I care, that I’m here to lift their heavy spirits and raise their weighted heads, to have them know that I care,
to have them know I am here, and that I will give them strength.
Sequoia Marchand
A new coat of varnish awakens the spirit within. Determination in every stroke of wood, courage in every line. The bobcat signifies our journey through this maze of adolescence, beaten but still standing.
Natalie Nguyen
The bobcat symbolizes a burning force of ambition that is inside all of us. We are his family and he is with us every step of the way.
Jake Jones
Liam Palmiere Revised Journal Entry: A Random Story
P.8
John observed the office space with baggy eyes as he leaned on the water cooler, sipping cautiously at his coffee. Steam rose from the Styrofoam cup. He saw cubicles under hospital lighting, smelled perfume and coffee and paper, and heard the staccato clacking of busy fingers.
Abruptly, the lull of Monday morning was pierced by a woman’s scream. The keyboards stopped clacking and the alarm went off, mimicking the screech. Papers fluttered and wheeled chairs flew back from cubicles as John’s coworkers frantically rushed for the stairs across the room. Men and women moved awkwardly in their business attire, but cleared out quickly despite it. Soon, only John remained. He slurped at his coffee, still leaning on the cooler. Other than obtuse shuffling from the closed office behind him, it was now silent.
He removed his weight from the water tank and turned slowly. A rarely washed window, business curtains, and Katherine throwing looped punches at … a Kangaroo? John was stunned and perplexed. Why would she throw looped punches? Everybody knows that Kangaroos are excellent boxers. It would simply bob and weave, and then WHAM! It would land a Tyson-style uppercut. She had no chance. John’s fists clenched, his pupils pinned, and he began to slightly perspire as he went for the door. The knob turned, and the door opened.
In spite of Katherine’s best interests, John slowed to a dramatic walk upon entering the room. He yanked at his tie, kicked off his dress shoes, and began unbuttoning his shirt. He stripped it off, revealing a strong build beneath an a-shirt. Thick, corded muscle rippled as he observed himself in a mirror leaning against a wall. He posed in several different ways, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of his build.
“JOHN! STOP CHECKING YOURSELF OUT AND HELP M-“ Katherine’s plea was cut short when the marsupial did as predicted. She went down in a tangle of limbs. The Kangaroo turned sharply and assumed a Kung-Fu-esque stance. Its palms were open and its knees were bent. It looked unflinchingly into John’s eyes. John swallowed, and a single bead of sweat rolled down his cheek. The Kangaroo smiled coyly. It then made a ‘come-hither’ motion and said, “Come at me, bro”.
The Kangaroo received its answer as John sprinted forward. He flew into a side kick, and the Kangaroo narrowly avoided it with a side step. Furry fists flurried at John, who was off balance and stumbling as he parried. Regaining composure, John waited for an opening in the onslaught. A lazy left hook. John ducked it, slipping to the ‘Roo’s left and standing back up, behind an uppercut. The Aussie took it to the ribs and its torso curled toward John. Right hook. The punch connected hard with the ‘Roo’s face, which was already contorted in a pained grimace. Its face relaxed. It went limp. John held his breath as he watched the Kangaroo collapse to the carpet. He couldn’t believe it: he won.