Poetry Selections
Sample Student Writings
JoeyForsyth Middle School8th GradeTeacher: Mrs. Waters
"I am a 14 year old boy in 8th grade who loves the great outdoors. I love to walk in the woods and notice things. . . . My favorite animal is a snake. I really think about the world of the outdoors, and so I decided to write a poem about it. I believe God gave me a gift and the courage to make it grow."
Forsyth
Forsyth. . . a beautiful place in the spring. . .
a place where, in the morning the sun comes out of hiding. . .
flowers and leaves bloom so pretty. . .
a place where, on hot summer days the wind blows light and cool. . .
a place where, birds sing their beautiful songs full of peace and serenity. . .
a place where, squirrels and chipmunks skitter up trees when they see you coming. . .
a place where, something new comes up or renews itself each spring. . .
a place of graceful deer jumping fences and sprinting across fields. . .
a place where, at night, the stars come out lighting up the sky making it so beautiful. . .
a place where, the moon gives off its luminous glow and bathes everything in moonlight. . .
a place of God's beauty.
KatieForsyth Middle School8th GradeTeacher: Mrs. Whetstone
"I have lived here three years. Prior to that, I lived in Illinois. I am active in the Color Guard, and I like to read and write."
The Way of the Indians
A child is walking
Down the earthen path
Near the creek bed
Where he runs and plays
In perfect harmony
With all the wild creatures
But he knows now
That times are changing
The railroad is coming
And his perfect little world
Isn't ever going to be the same again
More and more
People are coming
To the area
Choppin' down the timber
Buildin' their homes
To make a new life
As he hears the ringing of the ax
Every stroke of the logger
Another tree hits the ground
And the wild creatures
Lose their homes
When he came to this area
He found no one
Just the wild creatures
He took nothing of this land
And left nothing behind
~The Way of the Indians~
But now it is hard
The creek is dirty
Not crystal clear
The White men bring the railroad
And there is nothing he can do
With the railroad come more people
The boy is grown now
And he sees the many changes
His creek is all dammed up
And more children come
Not to walk along the creek
But to ski and tube
Along the crashing waves
To ride the go karts
Go to shows and attractions
Such as SDC and White Water
Asphalt covers the earthen ground
Concrete and cement
Cover the rest
Tourists as they are called
Come spend a week
And leave again
All the while they are here
They are pushy and shovey
Always in a hurry
To get somewhere else
Never taking the time
To stop and listen
To hear the call of nature
To beckon them back
To the quite serene areas
That still exist
And now that man is old
He still walks his creek
But he knows that now
If the people don't see
That this area
Will just be
A blacken cloud of smoke
Like LA or NYC
That's not what made this area
It was the natural beauty
That did
The old man is dying now
But he stills walks his creek
Now with his grandson
His grandson he hopes
Will see the nature
And help the people
Of the area see the beauty of
~The Way of the Indians~
LyndseyForsyth Middle School7th GradeTeacher: Mrs. Waters
"My name is Lyndsey, and I'm 12 years old. I love helping others and I am a Christian. I have a wonderful family and thank God for everything he does for me. I selected a poem because it gives you a wide topic to write about, and I like how poems sound when they rhyme. I chose my writng about a lake, because it has a lot to do with our community and people."
Bull Shoals
There is a lake in our town, that's really lots of fun.
When you fish in a boat, you'll see the big red sun.
On Creek, you will seek, many things to do,
Even things like fishing in a big ole slough.
You can do some jet skiing, and some swimming, too.
The water feels so cool, and the sky is always blue.
If this sounds like a fun place, a place you'd like to be,
Then bring along a cane pole and hook up with me.
JonForsyth Middle School8th GradeTeacher: Mrs. Waters
"My name is Jon. I am 14 years old.I have two brothers and one sister. This story is about my dad catching a world record fish."
World Record
As I threw in my live bait,
It seemed a forever wait.
Hoping I would get bit,
Hoping I would get hit.
I felt a little bump,
I felt a little thump.
I pulled my rod back,
and heard a snap.
My heart began to pound,
I thought I was water bound.
As I began to bring in the fish,
I began to wish
That my line was thicker,
so I could bring her in quicker.
I struggled and wrestled with that fish all night,
Now that I look back, it was a pretty good fight.
I had a friend named Russ jump on the shore.
He helped me make my big score.
Now that fish hangs on the wall.
I used lots of nails, so it won't fall.
NicoleForsyth Middle School Forsyth Middle School 8th GradeTeacher: Mrs. Waters
"I go to school at Forsyth. I have a lot of friends, too. I like to play sports and write poetry and short stories. I picked a poem because I'm better at writing poems than anything else. It fits the theme, because I'm writing about my community."
Forsyth
If you talk to the teens at Forsyth School,
Not very many would find this town to be real cool.
I think that we need a place to go, or we need something to do.
Is what they would say to you.
We need a place to dance or shoot a game of pool.
A place to call our own...that would be too cool.
We need a place away from home, away from mom and dad,
A place where simple fashion statement could turn into the latest fad,
A place where we could have our own say,
In the way our lives are ran in this town today.
We just need a place to call our own,
And from this day forth, let it be known,
We intend to get our way,
Maybe not tomorrow,
but perhaps the following day!
AshleyForsyth Middle School8th GradeTeacher: Mrs. Waters
"I am very interested in writing poetry. I do it quite often. Sometimes I write songs, and someday, If I'm not a psychologist, then I hope to start a band. i picked to write poetry because I'm pretty good at it, and it's quite fun. It pretty much tells about Forsyth and what goes on in the town."
Old Taney County (and it's gettin' old)
Once upon a midnight dreary
A place began that was somewhat scary
There's name for this town full of joy and bounty
We call it Ole' Taney County.
This place began so long ago
It's the coolest place I've ever been -- uh, NO!
This town is so full of old people, it's just not right
Though I party quite hard at the creeks at night.
The mighty Junction is where we all meet.
If we're lucky we're there for a scrap in the street.
Sometimes a lush will stagger out of the bar
And decide to chase a cute girl to her car.
The teenaged boys, they like to stare,
The stench of whiskey fills the air.
The girls get tired of having nothing to do
So they may end up seeing a cow that is blue.
This town is different, it's not what it seems
People turn their heads and ignore all the screams.
Sometimes it's as if there's no where to go
So we sit and we watch the world go in slow mo'
We used to hang out down at Casey Hole
But now within minutes, here comes a 5 / O.
We'd stay out late, at least until 1
But the new law here is "Having no fun."
This place is older than dirt itself
It's bad for your brain and maybe your health.
This place is filled with lakes and hills
Aside from the meth labs and moonshine stills
Marijuana plants are raised during season
This town is so lame, it gives people good reason.
Sure, good things have to happen here, too
I guess I've just never seen 'em, have you?
I'm gonna end this poem now, 'cause I just haven't the time
I'll be down yonder in Taney County, just a-learnin' to rhyme.
I think I will leave,no longer be near
But remember, y'all come back now, ya hear?
AmandaForsyth Middle School 8th GradeTeacher: Mrs. Waters
"My name is Amanda and I'm currently in 8th grade at Forsyth Middle School. I enjoy writing and poetry is my life. I love hanging in Branson with my friend Nicole. I chose the setting I did, because I couldn't really think of one certain thing to write about, so I thought I would do a collage of everything I could think of in Forsyth. It fits the theme of this project, because it shows you all the "normal" stuff in Forsyth that has value."
My Dream
I once had a dream of a place,
Where the hills gently rolled
And the river twisted through the valleys.
A place where people were kind,
And teenagers were always bored.
A place where seasons come and went,
The days just the same.
A place where in the night sky,
you find the Big Dipper upside down.
A place where on early morning hours,
Teenagers gather outside the school to joke about the night before.
A place where a warm breeze always rustles the leaves,
Of the Oaks and the Dogwood and the Rosebud.
A place where the elderly sit at the town McDonald's,
And drink coffee and talk about the weather.
A place where the bag-boy doesn't hesitate to carry the groceries of a pretty woman.
And the store owners know everybody and are always there with a helping hand.
A place where kids always help out and donate time and money.
And teachers are always open to a question.
A place where "town" is a two-mile stretch of blacktop lines with stores.
And restaurants and gas stations are a common place
A place with four banks and 24 hour ATM machines.
And the bank tellers give out candy and dog bones.
A place where fishing is a favorite past time,
Subsides only to school sporting events.
A place where no one is a millionaire,
And everybody is generous but conservative.
Then my dream ended and I woke up,
It wasn't a dream...
it was home!
KelseyForsyth Middle School8th GradeTeacher: Mrs. Whetstone
"I moved to Forsyth almost six years ago. I attend Forsyth Middle School. I like to listen to music, hang out with my friends, go skating, ride bikes, read suspense and horror novels, watch scary movies with friends, and swim. I like to try new, exciting adventures and dangerous things. I selected more than one topic. People who visit Taney County say it's very pretty, and it has fun places to go, but for the people who live here, it doesn't seem as exciting. Especially to the younger people who have nothing to do that they haven't already done countless numbers of time. I felt I should share my point of view of Taney County in more than one subject."
Taney County
I was sitting at home
Thinking to myself:
"I live in a town where people retire
There's nothing to do, but light up a fire.
My nights and days are gray
Because of this town's boring way.
Boredom is the name of the game
it drives us all insane.
Every summer rolls around
We all say we're party bound
But what we really do for fun
We girls, we like to tan a ton.
The boys, well they just sweat a lot
During a basketball game as they get hot.
Another thing to do for fun
Is sit beneath and watch the sun,
As it sends down a warm smile
It sits beside us and stays a while.
With nothing to do, but look towards a violation,
This will be our community's annihilation.
Open your eyes and look around
The world we knew is falling down.
Down the road of drugs and pain,
Blood is now the dropping rain.
Everyday I see a fight
And pray to God it's out of sight.
Life itself from which we steal,
This may be our last meal.
Every week a body lain
'Cause their souls have been slain.
The commandments of my life
Are my friends Misery and Strife.
And as they sit inside their cell
They think of how much their life has fell.
They ask themselves a question
'Am I under possession?'
*They sob and nod their heads in assurance*
'No, there's no one there at all,
Except the demon that I walled.
No, there's no one here at all,
Only the demon that still calls. . .'
We see each other on the streets
And pray to God we do not meet.
My real friends let me be me all along,
Knowing that someday I'll grow strong.
Some "friends" talk behind your back.
About how much brains you really lack.
Yet, it's the way they understand
The broken dreams held in my hands.
And the way they hear my voice
But judge not my words or choice.
They bring the hurt into the light
And chase it off into the night
Of two worlds that were shattered
Into the dust of all that mattered."
Viewpoint of Taney County,
And that of its Human Bounty.
JannaHollister High School11th GradeTeacher: Mrs. Roberts
My Home Land
Running creeks
Traffic jams
Colorful trees
Music bands
Waterskiing
Camping trips
Country singing
Record hits
Friendly people
Fresh road kill
Once Ozark Mountains
Now are hills
Beautiful lands
Great sunsets
Taney County is
Missouri's best!
TamaraHollister High School10th GradeTeacher: Mrs. Rowland
The Ozarks
The sun gleams in and warmly wakes you
You stretch as you walk to the window to look through.
Hills of green grass and trees seen all around
Birds sing happily, a welcoming sound.
Crystal clear rivers and deep clean lakes
Provide swimming and places to lay and bake.
The air is filled with a cool gentle breeze
That swirls the dirt and tickles the leaves.
The people are always willing to help one another
Always taking care and looking out for each other.
The neighborhoods are safe and clean
With little violence ever seen.
It is a privilege to live in the Ozarks.
AmberHollister High School10th GradeTeacher: Mrs. Rowland
Here in the Ozarks where the beauty is grand,
rolling hills and trees cover the land.
A place where eagles will come for a winter retreat,
to feed on the fish they love to eat.
Nature's spring beauty so fresh and so strong,
you can hear the songbirds singing their songs.
The caverns and cave that sure do abound,
fresh water springs running out from beneath the ground.
The big man made lakes held back by great dams,
a paradise for sportsmen who come from all over the land.
The air that's so clean and the water so clear,
let's not forget that Branson is near.
Live shows that are so grand,
the most in the land.
The people come from miles,
to be greeted by the smiles,
Of the local entertainer,
who won't make them feel like a stranger.
So come on to the Ozarks where nature is all around,
and the stars can be found in the growing Branson town.
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