When I open the clock - SCRIBE SERIES
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SCRIBE SERIES
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When I open the clock…When I open the clock… poetry by the children of John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital Preface: The first poem in this short collection begins “Inside of my mind is an eye.” That one line tells the tale of all of the poetry here: each poem is filled with poetic insights that move us into the territory of the familiar made strange, and the strange made intelligible. The poets here imagine being blue birds, shooting the winning basket, seeing green flags fly over pumpkin houses, flying into dark clouds, opening clocks and finding blocks… Told with incredible clarity, the poems put new eyes inside our own minds: eyes that won’t see hospital rooms and IV poles, but the “electrified diamonds” of children and young adults thinking their thoughts through poetry. Eric Elshtain poet-in-residence 1 John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital
My mind The direction of the wind Black & Dirty Nightmares appear before
by Alexis H., age 7 by Janay D., age 17 by Erika R., age 19 the stars
a random word poem
Inside of my mind is an eye You can tell what direction Look at the white morning— by Kelly M., age 16
that makes me see better. the wind is blowing the one that showers the kindness
by where you feel it and purity of a clean, sensitive The bright light
Inside of my mind on your body. heart on the windy trees. in the corner of my room
are different electric lines startled me.
connected to my stomach, arms, legs You can tell the direction Look at the sparkling whiteness
and hands. of the wind by watching the trees move. of the snow that reflects The numbers in my head
on the fluffy clouds that move continue to repeat.
Inside of my mind are holes. You can tell the direction of the wind with each pure pulse of people’s souls.
The holes take you to different body parts. by looking at a tiny windmill The bumpy surface
stuck in the ground The marks that life leaves of my pillow irritated me.
2 You would not have fun or in a child’s hand. are like footprints the snow 3
inside of my mind, wears after a long day. A dark light
because if you touched anything You can tell the wind’s direction in my room
you’d get a shock. while looking at clothes The black and dirt of your heart began to appear
on a clothesline—the clothes is a mirror image of the ruined snow. in the other corner.
On the floor of my mind look like ocean waves.
is one little electrified diamond Look at the white morning… The crime that occurred that morning
that gives me oxygen. You can tell what direction had me wishing for a fairy land.
the wind is blowing
If you were to touch it, by watching kites in the sky. The stars above
it would shut my body off. came down
I would not be able to breathe, eat or move. and sang me to sleep
like a humming bird.Be there Nobody knows Three random word poems The winning shot
by Erika B., age 18 by Marishia H., age 10 by Uriane R., age 17 by Montrail C., age 14
I’m a blue bird Nobody knows why the trees untitled I faked my head right
in the forest change their leaves every season. and the other guy stepped right
flying and searching for you The flower is spicy; as I sped left
Nobody knows monkeys hate eating Cause desolation with colors speeding down the court.
You were the air bananas instead of eating peaches. Hear the angry voice as it begins to crackle
that helped me fly The agitated mechanic grows tiresome I reached the three-point line,
carrying me up and down Nobody knows that people hate walking to work after drinking the formula… pump faked
through the dark trees. and instead want a motor scooter. the defense jumping
Removal and raising an arm
A snowflake white and clean Nobody knows kids love candy to block a ball
reaching for the ground, more than their vegetables! Listen to the tone of the honeybee that I still held in my hands.
4 the breeze placing the snowflake Throw away the mushy water pitcher 5
down gently. Nobody knows some people hate needles Take a deep sniff on the inside of the artist A soon as he landed
and have to take sleeping pills to get their IV. Break passed the cloudy and oily overcast I shot the ball.
Like the air As the ball left my hand
you will always be there. Nobody knows that earth Embrace I knew it was going to be
loves his children. the winning shot.
Feel the rough python
Nobody knows that glasses Taste the sweet pass down your throat The ball floated
hate being in water. Attempt to fly and bring all peace in the air
Read a fairytale to shine white in slow motion
and when it
whispered through the net
I heard someone say
“What a shot!”Shooting the ball
by Armando S., age 11
The madness Inside my brain Three monsters
I’m controlling the ball a random word poem by Yetzabel P., age 9 by Rayshawn S., age 9
tricking the defense by Jaliyah W., age 8
making them think Inside my brain “Diamond Head” He’s colored red and lives on Mars.
I’m going to pass I will scream really loud is a big room
to make you mad. with bright pink walls. He has four eyes: He travels to different planets
but I keep the ball two on the front because there’s nothing to eat on Mars;
then I shoot. I know my phone number There are dogs playing and two on the back. he eats the monsters on other planets.
The ball goes as fast and I’m not giving it to you. with each other
as a shooting star and pop music playing. Two are as big as a hospital water pitcher. “Swamp Fire”
Don’t raise your tone! Two are as small as a magic marker cap.
directly into the goal. People are dancing He lives on the sun
The ball hits the back of the net, My tongue is pinkish. inside my brain. His head is shaped like a diamond. and has spikes like sun’s rays.
“poof!” like magic. He has no teeth—he just slurps up He can make a ball of fire
6 I will be an artist, I see six teddy bears noodles, spaghetti, and mac and cheese. and make the sun bigger. 7
you will be so cold! sitting on a soft, black couch.
I ran “Four Arms” He hates people.
by Maria C., age 11 The window is There are six hamsters One day he wants
transparent. on their exercise wheels. He has four arms, two on the right to make the sun so big
A child runs the wheels squeak. and two on the left. it burns the earth.
in Afghanistan. I will see stars
at night. I am playing Nintendo, He has four eyes, two on the left
He runs from bombs and I am happy. and two on the right.
falling on his village, I will crunch you
through red fields like a piece of cereal.
of flowers.
He trips and drops
the pumpkin
he was carrying to safety
for food.My red purse Space The worst USA
by Dominique D., age 5 a random word poem by Jocelyn B., age 8
by Andreanna P., age 11
I like purses because I like purses! I carry Green people live A tornado tries to break down
money, makeup and my puppy in my purse. When I landed in space in the pumpkin house. the pumpkin house.
Pink lipstick, purple eyebrow pencil, blue comb I started to scream There are green flags
and black hairbrush. My brown puppy’s name on the pumpkin house The tornado is mad
is Chloe. When I landed in space that say USA. because someone
it looked desolate threw a rock at it.
I go to the store to get Now or Laters and I put The green people Finding Stuff
them in my red purse. I leave the store and go When I landed in space are about to eat. The person who owns by Kimani C., age 7
to buy a REAL puppy. I name my new girl I started to feel like I was in an oven There are pink cracks the USA puts yellow spikes
puppy Chloe! in the windows in the ground When I open a clock
When I landed in space to hurt people. I find a block.
8 it was too black for me to see because kids threw rocks 9
A tornado at the pumpkin house. A dog went into the spikes When I open a bear
by Jacqueline G., age 13 When I landed in space Big red snowflakes and died. I find the air.
based on a collage by fellow student I started to love it because it looked fun to me fall down to the earth.
Timaya, age 17 When I open a bag
When I landed in space The old man who owns the USA I find a dog.
Stuff flying all over the place it looked like a crunch bar dyed the snowflakes red.
A man with some skates When I open the door
The rocket from the United States When I landed in space I find a toy on the floor.
Tornado coming to the place it felt like I was swimming
A man thinking what to do When I open a drawer
Some girls pulling a rope of doom but instead I was floating I find a game.
Two camels walking by when I landed in space
Two elephants flying on the sky When I open the bed
A praying mantis just saying “bye” I find the color red.The blues in my blues My love broke my heart When one is, it is not Caged
by Cathrine E., age 17 a random word poem by Abraham G., age 13 a random word poem
by Darrick W., age 16 based on a poem by Mahmoud Darwish by Manire V., age 16
Nights alone have never seemed so lonely
never understood how much the rhythm My love my love that’s what she were When my words were old The shiny sun warms my soul
controls me Honeybee honeybee the nickname I gave her I was new my phone shines like a metallic raindrop
softly playing in the background, salty & gassy taste of steroids annoy me
safely let my guard down because she’s my honey When my words were colorful ready to get out of here like a tiger in heat
and the bass becomes the beat of my heart. fishy as she can be I was blank cloudy skies excite me with joy
true justice is served once in out & able
Questions of love revolve in my mind and going in my clothes as smooth When my words were emotional to interact with the world
send shivers down my spine as I loathe the as I am watching her, waiting I was music a whole new planet within these four walls
fact of surrenderance. a reality of no accurate description
Romance, what a shame as its name is in vain until she leaves the room, When my words were solid the hands are cold, the smell is harsh
10 as my eyes close with every note played, it’s for she can walk into me. I was water a sniff here an ACCHOOO…there 11
the start. No flavor to taste but mint sugar-free gum
Dark night dark night When my words were yellow I guess this is when the artist becomes One
It begins to embrace my soul, and it never gets waiting to throw her clothes out I was blue
old, it could be on repeat all day.
Slowly repaired where in my heart was a rip On the phone with her but when my words became one
and I slip into bliss as the vocals grip, it’s jazz. “Sunny girl, guess what?” I was another
Body sways and rethinks the pain and I feel “What?” “Guess where
as if there is no other place I’d rather be. your clothes at?”
There is a sweet remedy like grandma’s
remedies that seem to restore me, sweet misery. “Where?” Outside
in the sunny night.Every day Snow City Arts teaches hospitalized children the art of
creative writing, music, painting, photography, and film making.
To find out more about these programs and the children they serve,
go to: www.snowcityarts.com
1653 West Congress Parkway
Office 599 J
Chicago, Illinois 60612You can also read
