Joshua's Poetry Collection

 

 

What If?

 

What if I could fly?

What if I could soar up high in the sky?

 

What if I could touch the stars?

What if I could walk on the moon?

 

What if I could hold my breath for hours?
What if I could swim into the depths of the sea?

 

What if I could be invisible?

What if I could explore without being seen?

 

What if I could speak every language possible?

What if I could talk to everyone in the world?

 

What if I could be the strongest person in the world?
What if I could lift anything or anyone?

 

What if I could read minds?

What if I could see behind enemy lines?

 

What if I could remember everything I’d see?

What if I could do everything I would like?

 

What if I could do anything and everything?

 

 

Journal for What If?

 

Growing up I was always told I could be anyone or do anything. Just like I have been told this I am sure a lot of you have been told as well. But realistically that is impossible. It is impossible to defy the laws of gravity, of physics, of logic. I may have not known that when I was younger but I know that now. You know that, I know that, we all know this. It is just one of the things about life that we don’t like but can’t change. However the fact that it is impossible has never stopped me from thinking about it. I love using my imagination to think of the impossible. There is something thrilling about being able to create anything you want, just because you thought about it. It’s even crazier when you think of the fact that you can create something no one else has even thought about. Sometimes you create similar or the same things as others but it always has your own twist to it.   In fact, it is this fact that makes me enjoy reading fantasy books.  It is amazing to see how people can take an idea, like a dragon, and write not one book, but hundreds of books. Hundreds of books that share one thing in common but are also vastly different.  There is something interesting about doing something, seeing something, or becoming someone that most people cannot or will not even think about.  It is also because of this that I enjoy playing video games that allow you to create anyone and anything you want.  I like being able to not be limited by just “close your eyes and imagine” and actually get to see some sort of realistic form, even if it is digital. I like being able to make my ideas tangible in some sort of way. I like being able to think “what if…” and see what I can come up with.  As a result this poem consists of some of my favorite “what if”.

 

 

A New Friend

 

I have a new friend who is as cute as can be.

I have a new friend who is as ugly as you please.

 

I have a new friend who likes to sleep all day.

I have a new friend who likes to roam around all night.

 

I have a new friend who is as quiet as a mouse.

I have a new friend who is as loud as a truck.

 

I have a friend who likes to play catch.

I have a friend who is not afraid to scratch.

 

I have a new friend who likes to sprawl out on the floor.

I have a new friend who likes to sleep around in a ball.

 

I have a new friend who can climb the walls.

I have a new friend who can scour the halls.

 

I have a new friend who is as small as my palm.

I have a new friend who is as large as my Uncle Tom.

 

I have a new friend, and her name is Masha.

Journal for A New Friend

 

I have always been a private person. This has meant that I have always had a small but close group of friends. Growing up my mother would tell me about her childhood and how she used to have pets.  It was because of this that I grew up with a bunch of pets. Fish, turtles, cats, and dogs… what more could I have ever wanted? Well unfortunately one of cats that I had grown up with , and who was pretty old, had fallen ill.  Soon due to the sickness and old age he had to be put down and my entire family was sad. My mother knew how much I wanted another kitten and had promised that in a few months we would go and get one together.  Well one day I came home and found a brand new kitten in my mom's lap! I was so excited. I had always wanted to raise a cat from a young age. While I was sad about my old cat not being around it helped having someone else who loved me just as much, if not more.  My mother and I sat down and discussed a few names and decided to name my car Maria, or Masha, in Russian. It was decided that she would sleep with me. Unlike my other cats who were all close in age to me, this would be my first kitten. As a result I started observing her carefully. I found it interesting how she would do things a specific way. Often the complete opposite as my other cats had and did. For example she loves climbing the couch, which is something my mom hates. I wrote down everything she did and realized that it would be a nice poem. I organized it into clear concise sentences and bam, the poem was created.

 

 

The Colors of the Rainbow

 

 

When I see the colors of a rainbow I think of…

 

My cousin's hair when I see the color red.

The bright warm sun when I see the color yellow.

The tangy orange juice when I  see the color orange.

The vibrant sky when I see the color blue.

The dark shadows when I see the color purple.

The comfort of my room when I see green.

The warm eyes of my dog when I see the color brown.

 

What do you think of when you see the colors of the rainbow?

 

Do you see the bright red letter of a bad grade?

Do you see the yellow yolk of your sunny side egg?

Do you see the bright dust of your Cheetos?

Do you see the leaking ink of your pen?

Do you see the bright violet flowers in the garden?

Do you see the musky smelling grass?

Do you see the slimy mud after a rainy day?

 

What do you see when you see the colors of the rainbow?

 

 

Journal for The Colors of the Rainbow

 

When I was four years old my mom took my to art class. It was here that I was taught to look at colors. I was taught that every color represented the five senses. Sight - what things do you see when you look at the color? Touch - what feelings do you think of when you see this color?  Taste - what foods and flavors do youths the when you see this color? Hear - what do you hear when you see this color? Smell - what do you smell when you see this color? So I thought about the primary colors and what I sense. I thought of the color red, and what I think when I see it. I don’t mean common sense things like blood but beyond that. For instance, when I see the color red I think of the bright red color of my cousin’s hair. I think of the warm flickering flames of candles in winter. When I see brown I don’t always think of mud. I think of the warm comfortable couch in my living room. The smell of cracking leather, of home. When I see yellow I don’t think of just the sun. Sometimes I think of eggs, which I use when I make breakfast with my mom in the morning. I think of the bright yellow schools buses that are constantly zooming by my house in the morning. I smell the warm humid day which makes me think of summer. I think of everything, and not just one specific thing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As I Play My Game…

 

As I play my game I can hear my teammates all muttering,

“Attack!”

“Yield!”

“Retreat!”

“Surrender!”

 

As I play my game I can hear my opponents scream,

“Shields!”

“Never!”

“Forward!”
“Never!”

 

As I play my game I can hear my teammates think,

“We got this!”

“We can win!”

“Must get all the points…”

“We… can… do… it…”

 

As I play my game I can hear my opponents scream in defeat.

“Man down, man down!”

“SHIELDS!”

“GRAB HIS WEAPON WE NEED ALL WE CAN GET”

“WE SHALL NEVER GIVE UP!”

 

As I play my game I realize there is one thing I can not hear.

I cannot hear myself think.

My thoughts, my dreams, and my desires are all silent.

I can only hear everyone else.

But not myself.

 

As I play my game… 

All I can hear is the screams, the shouts, the blood rushing to my face,

as I scream…

“… YES WE WON!”

 

 

Journal for As I Play My Game

 

Just like every boy the world I must admit that I like playing video games. Just like every boy in the world there is always one game that is my favorite. In this case my favorite game would be Minecraft. I love being able to build anything I want. But not only that, I love exploring, and interacting with other people as well. In this game you can have a battle with someone, and not just the computer. I love these battles because you have to learn how to interact with people in order to win. You may have everything you need to win but if you do not go on the offense or defense when necessary it can all be for nothing.  Sometimes I get into these battles so much my mom has to tell me to lower my voice.  I know it's a bad habit but its okay.  I get so into my games that I often forget everything and everyone around me.  I end up only focusing on what is on my screen.  That means all my attention is on the players who surround me. Sometimes it's one player, when I play against the computer.  Other times it's multiplayer - anywhere between 2 and 10 people. Regardless of who I am battling, I don't like losing so I invest my energy into it.  I never realized how into it I got until my mom told me.  She once joked that if I could I would melt into the game.  I laughed but I also realized she was right. So the next time I played the game I tried paying attention to not just what I needed to do but others.  It was amazing to see not just what my team was thinking or saying but what the other team was doing. Getting that insight also helped me figure out which moves helped or hurt us. Definitely helped us win more battles which is good.

 

 

The Kitty Goes…

 

Purr.

The kitty goes when you rub her belly.

 

Purr.

The kitty goes when you give her a toy.

 

Purr.

The kitty goes when you toss her a treat.

 

Hiss.

The kitty goes when you have to brush her mane.

 

Hiss.

The kitty goes when you have to clip her nails.

 

Hiss.

The kitty goes when you have to bring her to the vet.

 

Meow.

The kitty goes when she wants your attention.

 

Meow.

The kitty goes when she wants another treat,

 

Meow.

The kitty goes when she wants another toy.

 

Rawr.

The kitty goes when she chases the mouse.

 

Rawr.

The kitty goes when she sees another kitty.

 

Rawr.

The kitty goes when she sees you ignoring her.

 

The kitty goes purr, hiss, meow, and rawr, all day and night.

 

Journal for the Kitty Goes

 

As I said in my previous journal I have always had cats growing up. Everyone thinks that all cats do the same thing but that is not true. Every cat does things differently. Sometimes it is a small difference. Other times it is a big difference. For example one of my cats likes to only eat cat food out of the bag. That means it cannot be in a cup, a bowl, or even on the floor.  The same cat loves sleeping on the floor.  She loves to bounce on the walls (it’s true!).  She loves sleeping on the highest piece of furniture she can reach. My second cat will eat anything and everything, no matter where it is. However she only sleeps on a cushioned chair or on the bed.  She does not like the floor.  She also does not like sleeping on the highest piece of furniture. She is less active than the first cat which is probably why. My third cat loves sleeping on people but hates playing with people.  He loves to sit right in front of you when you’re doing homework. He is always trying to get your attention when you should be focusing. He is a great way to get distracted and sometimes annoyed. So when I got my new kitten I was excited to observe her.  It was cool seeing how different and similar she was to my other cats.

 

 

Can You Imagine…

 

Can you imagine the weight of the world on your shoulders?

It does not have to be a physical weight.

That makes your shoulders hunch in,

That makes your eyes harden,

That makes you sigh.

 

Can you imagine the weight of the world on your shoulders?

It does not have to be a mental weight,

That makes your eyes darken,

That makes you frown,

That makes you cry.

 

Can you imagine the weight on the world on your shoulders?

It does not have to be a real weight,

That makes you tired,

That makes you

Give up.

 

If you do not want to imagine this weight,

S M I L E

:)

 

 

Journal of Can You Imagine

 

Think of your favorite movie. It probably has a hero and a bad guy, right? Well, have you ever thought about what the hero might be feeling? Or what about what the bad guy was feeling? No, well I have! I had to help my cousin with her homework once and the assignment was to write about the inner thoughts of a main character. My cousin choose to write about Iron Man. She wrote how he was a superhero who everyone depended on. But she also brought up the fact that he was like everyone else. That people forgot he was human. That he had feelings just like everyone else. She brought up the fact that he went through more issues than most. It also made me think about us “regular” people. Everyone has their own weight on their shoulders. It may be because of different things but we all know what it feels like. I started to think of what type of weights and realized that there were a lot. Some people have physical weights, like body builders. Others have emotional weights, like the sad girl across the street. Some people, like the veterans, have a psychological weight. But regardless of what type of weight it is possible to make it lighter. So I wrote this poem to help everyone realize that just by one smile you can help someone lift their “weight”.

 

 

Summer

 

Summer,

The start of some fun!

 

Unpacking my bag,

School's out for the year!

 

Hello fun in the sun!

 

Swimming in the ocean,

Playing with water guns,

Everyone’s causing a commotion.

 

Sand castles touching the sky,

Waves as high as kites.

 

Fourth of July,

Blueberry pie,

Apple delights.

 

Lovely fruit flies,

Fluttering light bugs,

Oh my!

 

Summertime Sadness,

It’s coming close to an end.

 

Journal of summer

 

With the warm weather arriving I started to think about the end of the school year. All state tests have already been taken. A lot of our textbooks have been returned for the year. It’s the middle of May, and we have less than a month of school. I started to think of what I do in the summer. I thought about the trips to the beach and pool I’ll make with my family. The rides and slides in Adventure land. The long days in the park with my dog. I thought about the popsicles and cold fizzy drinks. I thought about what I would do all day. I have some friends who go upstate and are surrounded by campfires. I have others who go to camp and play soccer all day. I thought about the fourth of July. Of the fireworks, of the apple pie, and more. I thought about the weekends of hanging out with my cousins. Of all the family barbeques I will have. I start thinking of all the late nights. Of seeing all the stars bright in the sky. I also start to think of the end of summer.  Of the long nights slowly winding down. Of school starting back up and learning new things.

 

 

My School Day

 

Shake, shake, my mom’s waking me up.

Sip, sip, I drink from my cup,

This is how I wake up.

 

6 o’clock, 7 o’clock, 8 o’clock,

Out, out, out, I shout!

 

“Love you mom! Have a good day!”
Passing some blue jays,

I enter the school,

Not leaving until 2.

 

Math, science, and gym,

It’s all fun and games.

 

Can’t wait for lunch,

English, art, social studies,

Oh my!

The bell rings, goodbye!

 

Waving to my friends,

I get into the car,

And off we go

As the car roars!

 

 

Journal for My School Day

 

The motivation behind writing my school day was after hanging out with my cousins. One of my cousins is in high school while the the other is in college. I was complaining about how early I wake up when my cousins started to laugh. The younger cousin told me she woke up at 5:30  in the morning. The older cousin told me she woke up at 5 o’clock in the morning. Wow, and I thought I woke up early! I learned that my cousin in highs chool had to wake up that early because she had to catch the bus to school. Her bus took her almost an hour to get to school. Her older sister told me that if she was driven it would take 15 minutes. Wow, I am so lucky I am able to go to a school near me. We started comparing how we woke up and all. I was surprised when both of them said that their mom did not make them breakfast. Mainly because she was still sleeping that early in the morning! Then we started talking about the different classes we took - especially when they were in my grade. It was cool to learn that they both took ceramics - building with clay as their version of art class. One of my cousins even got to learn how to use the items in a tv studio! However as jealous as I was, I knew they were just as jealous of me. I mean, who does not like being able to sleep in a little? I mean, yes, ceramics is cool, but I rather have art class and learn about the history behind the work. I know everyone is different and that is why I wrote this poem. To show people what my school day looks like.

 

 

Fall

 

All shades of red, yellow, and green leafs.

They tumble to the ground.

 

I collect them all, rake them in,

To make a big leaf pile.

 

My dog and I jump in,

Scattering them about in the wind.

 

Laughing, I catch my breath.

Wrapped up in my hat and mittens.

 

I go inside where it’s warm,

And I laugh.

 

My dad plays some chess.

My mom plays the piano.

 

6 o’clock on the dot,

Dinner comes out.

 

Quick, set the table!

Turn on the lights!

 

We all fall into our seats,

Phew!

 

Journal for fall

 

My favorite season is fall. I love fall because I like art. It sounds weird but I always think of the fall season as a canvas. Everything is changing. Some things turn pretty while other things turn not so pretty. I love bundling up in cozy warm sweaters. Of wrapping a nice homemade scarf around my neck. I love being able to run around, flinging leaves as I speed by. I love being able to see the colors change. From bright reds, to light yellows, to greens. I enjoy watching the trees go from being full to empty. I love knowing that winter is coming. That soon there will be snow on the ground. That things will go into hiding and come back even better. I love fall because it means school is starting. That summer is ending. That the flowers will be blooming and the sun shining. I love knowing that my cousin’s birthday is around the corner. That a trip to visit her is nearby. I love going apple picking, pumpkin picking, and horseback riding. I love fall because of all the things you can do.

 

Winter

 

Light a candle,

Heat the room.

 

Blankets and sweaters.

Warm and cozy.

 

Some popcorn?

Yes please!

Milk bubbling, marshmallows melting,

Yum, some delicious hot chocolate!

 

The cats have their paws on their snouts,

My dog has his face in his butt.

 

My face is red as can be,

My eyes are as bright as you’d please.

 

My mother’s laughing at my dad,

As he tries to catch some snowflakes.

 

Outside is as white and bleak as you can see,

But inside its bright and warm as you please.

 

Journal for winter

 

I wrote the poem winter because I wanted to express how I feel about this season. I enjoy winter because you can see the impact of every person. No matter how big or small the minute one steps outside you leave a print. I think it is so cool because we all do things but rarely do we see the effect. I also love winter because I love how cold it is. I love dressing up in homemade scarfs, hats, and gloves - courtesy of my cousins. I love coming home from school and drinking hot chocolate with marshmallows. I love sprawling out on the couch with my dog. I love watching movies with my parents as we discuss our days. I love winter because it means my mom makes her famous soup. Nothing is better than coming home after a busy day to her soup. It always smells delicious and is so filling. She puts potatoes, carrots, celery, chicken, and more into it. I could eat that soup day after day after day. I also love winter because a bunch of people in my family have their birthdays then. That means a ton of family birthday parties. Of giving and getting gifts. Of seeing family that live far away. I love winter because it is a time to spend with your family and catch up. It’s a time to bundle up, play some games, come back in, and relax. It’s about interacting with others and enjoying yourself.