L-e-t-t-e-r P-o-e-m-s

This week, we read two short letter poems: "Letter," from "Lennox Avenue Mural" by Langston Hughes, and "Dear Joanne" by Lew Welch. Students discussed what was similar, as well as different in each poem, and what makes them unique from other forms of poetry. They then wrote their own letter poems.


Ms. Fialkowski, 5th Grade

Dear Poetry,
Why is it so hard to write poetry? Why
is it so short? I wish Poetry was
longer. Poetry gives me ideas. I like
what to do or what to plan. I think
Poetry is he best thing to do,
I wish every day there was Poetry
instead of math, social studies. Poetry
I write and maybe never stop.
Poetry people can write about
everything.
Edgar A.

Dear room,
When you are dirty why don't
you clean yourself because
it is so much work. I get
so tired. When my mom tells
me to clean my room I
ask my room please clean
yourself even though I make
a mess.
Claudia A.

Dear Lew,
I liked your letter a lot, it was
really cool and funny. I wish
I could be a real poet to write
about someone or something, it's
really fun to be a poet, it is cool.
Just tell me so one day I could
be just like you are right now.
Jasmin C.

Dear refrigerator,
Why don't you
work for the
ice cream?
When I want
ice cream it's
all melted
and it doesn't
stay frozen.
Daisy F.

Dear friend,
I am happy because you are my
best friend and the first friend
that I had. You are nice to me.
You are like a sister to me,
you are a good first friend for me.
You are the best friend in the world.
And in the city. I don't know
what I will do.
Julissa S.

Dear Hector,
Stop crying, stop bothering me, stop trying to
wake me up, I want to sleep, I want
to rest and stay in my own bed. I
want to rest, not to play and have
a wonderful day. I don't know what
is wrong but I think it's too much
all each day, all of them.
Luis V.

Ms. Michel, 5th Grade

Dear my dear dream,
Why did you have
to be real, why did
you have to make
my brother snore
in my ear? Dear
my dear dream, you
are so wonderful and
funny. You make me
imagine and dream
the good and bad
things. Thank you
for the good things.
But I don't thank
you because you
make my brother
snore in my ear.
Griselda A.

Dear Brain,
Of all the things I've lost –
my keys, my diary, my homework –
I miss my brain the most.
Brainless me (Alondra B.)
P.S. Please come
back I need you

Dear Heavy Metal and Rock,
Why are you so
loud and hard-
core on music?
Rock is always
hard but you
are 3x as hard
as Rock. You
Heavy Metal,
how do you
make people
love your
music? Both
Rock music
and Heavy Metal.
You make me
like your music.
Angel B.

Dear Brain,
Hello Brain
why don't you
work a lot
and why don't
you make
me think
I have to
think so
I could
do my
homework
because I
don't want
to guess.
Servando C.

Dear Airplane,
Why do you go so high and you're
scary but still put people in your big
roller coaster and why are you so huge?
Marcelo E.

Dear flower,
I like your
petals they
are so
red your
leaves are
green you
come from
dirt.
Liliana R.

Dear McDonald's,
I love your food
mostly the fries. My cousin
likes getting toys from
McDonald's, I always order the
number nine
because it
comes with ten chicken
nuggets and I
like dipping them
in barbecue, that is my
favorite food. I wish
I could go to McDonald's
every day because your
food is so good and
if I could go everyday
it would be like heaven.
Sincerely,
Yulissa R.

Dear someone,
I don't know
who I'm writing
to. Tell me when
you got this letter.
Is this a letter?
Where am I?
Who are you?
Please tell me.
I'm getting
confused.
Sincerely,
Alvaro
Or is this my name?
Please tell me.

Dear sister,
You are the best sister ever.
You are always really helpful.
Sister you can be the
best sister in the world.
You are the one that
is always with me
when I am sick.
Love
Daisy

Ms. Hughesdon, 5th Grade

My dear
deariest
golden sun, you
are so bright
and shy I
give you thanks
for all the
brightness in the
world. So shy,
bright I send you
wishes from here.
Claudia A.

Dear Brian Urlacher,
how do you hit people hard
like to make them fumble
the ball? How do you
jump high to get an
interception? How do you
sack a QB?
Jose B.

Dear Dad, I miss U.
But still thanks for still
coming to visit me, my
sister and brother. I hope that
with your other family you
have a good time. Even if
I don't like the idea that
you are with another
family.
Love, your daughter, Nancy

Dear Dad,
you should come to
our new house it's
really rad.
I'll tell my mom
to send a cab.
But my mom has
to fix the phone
because it's really
jad.
And my mom is
really mad at her
brother.
Sincerely,
Michael C.

Dear Me,
I really feel weird
not tired
I'm coming home
taking my dog
with me
we're going
back to D.F.
in Mexico
it's a small little
ranch
even with
pigs,
cats,
dogs,
even Pancho the Pony.
Sincerely,
Salena C.

Dear Feet,
why do you
trip me?
You are so clumsy
when you
move. Why can't
you be
normal like other
feet?
Well, bye, I need
to go
buy some new feet.
Sincerely,
Your master (Marlene C.)

Dear microwave,
Why do you always
burn my food when
I put my food in you
and then when I take
it out it's all burned up?
Also sometimes you leave
my food cold.
From your only friend, Abel G.

Dear Pencil,
I am writing this letter
to you because my handwriting is
getting sloppy because of you. If you
don't clean up your act, you're going
into the garbage.
From your master (Cesar M.)

Dear report card, I wish you don't
scare me like last quarter. I got a heart
attack and you're a paper.
Everardo P.

Ms. Montoya, 5th Grade

Dear Mr. Dean,
So nice, so smart in poetry. Thinking all over
the place. Just one question, how are you
doing? I'm great. I hope I see you next
year, to write more poems. I enjoy all the
poems that you have told me to write
about. I have looked on the Internet and
they're great poems you have.
Sincerely,
Omar

Dear Eric,
I like the way you think
and get all the work done.
I wish I was like you so
I could keep my grades like
you, and so I could have a
honor certificate like you do
all the time. You are so
smart and a good student.
Respectfully, Michelle

Dear Anibal in the future,
You will soon become
a soccer player probably. All you have
to do is go to High School and to College.
You will have to have good grades and try
getting a scholarship. You should do
all your homework all the time.

Also, try out for the school soccer team.
You need to be a good teammate
to everyone and respect them. But you
have to try your hardest in the soccer
games.
Sincerely, Anibal

P.S. You will someday become a
soccer player.

Dear heater,
you are no good. You don't make
me warm. I'm always cold.
I feel like I am an ice cream.
You're just no good!!
Fatima

Dear pencil,
Why don't you write by yourself? I should just
tell you what to do but you can't. Someone has to move
you around making lines and curves which tun into letters.
Pencils, you help me write and do work. You should do my
work and I get a day off writing. Thanks, pencil.
Jose

Dear Godfather,

Thanks for the PS2. I really appreciate
that. Thanks for the games too.

I'm almost finished with two of the
games. Grand Theft Auto San Andreas and Liberty
City Stories.

I appreciate the cordless controllers
too. But now I have a problem. I
can't play unless my sister plays.
Well thanks,
Eric P.

Dear Dog,
why did you run away
when I barely had chosen
you a name, Christian. You
might want to know how
I chose the name. It
was very simple.
They started calling you like
my brother. I don't know
why they bothered to disturb
you and let you get used to it, but
now everyone misses you.
We would like to know
if you're still alive since you
left that snowy day.
Please come home, Christian,
or send a sign that you're
alive so that it does
not look like I am
writing to a dead
dog, like a crazy girl.
Your owner,
Diana R.

Dear future Natalie,
I hope if you have kids, don't
give them spinach. I hope you don't
work at a night club or something
else. I hope you work as a fashion
designer. And a tip 4 U treat your
husband good.
Sincerely with love,
Natalie
P.S. Trust me, I'm
smart.

Ms. Graefen, 5th Grade

Dear mom,
I hope that when I am gone
from home you could call me
and say that you don't feel
good so I could come and help
you a lot. When you and dad
are alone I could go and
visit you and take you
to the park, to eat, or to the
store, or anywhere you
want.
With love,
your daughter,
Vanessa C.

Dear friend,
I forgot your name
but I think that
you go to another
place.
Still I miss you
but I thank you
to help me and give
me things when you
were here.
Mirella H.

Dear Luci,

Last night Susi had a dream
that we found treasure.

When we found it we were
fighting for it.

Then Susi said that you opened
it and it did not have nothing.

I hope we never fight for
something.

Silvia R.

Dear Dad,
When are you
coming
back from
Mexico? I miss you,
tell me when
you're
coming.
Julian

Mr. Heredia, 5th Grade

Dear me,
In the future do not eat candy.
Because it's bad for you. And it's bad
for your teeth.
Your friend, Jorge A.

Dear cousin, when are you
coming? I haven't seen
you for a long time.
Some girls that I know
want to know you.
They saw a picture of
you and they say you
are cute. Please come. If
you come I would
be famous because
the girls I show
your picture, they
say you're cute.
Please come.
Ana C.

Dear Earth,

I know you can't
talk but please
hurry up, make
your revolution.

It takes you
24 hours to
orbit, that is
not hard, 365 days
is one year. Spin fast
I don't care of we
fly out.

I say this
because I
need to get
out of school.
Gosh this is
boring.

Sincerely,
Carina G.

P.S. What's the deal
with the leap year, make
up your mind. Gosh.

Dear clock,
why don't
you go fast?
I really really
want to go home.
Don't you see I'm
very very sleepy
and I have homework
to do.
Well clock, if you
go fast I'll promise
not to hate you
anymore and please please
hurry up!!
Amanda

Dear Grandpa,
I miss you,
I'm incomplete without you,
each night I think about you.
Come back.
Sincerely,
Eibar N.

Dear LEGOs,
I wish that you could
move while I watch you. So
you could look real. Because
you look very cool. So
I like you to build a soccer
stadium. I like the
way you look. I want
you to move or talk. That's
what I want.
Edwin O.

Dear pencil,
Who was the person that made
you? You make me write stuff I don't
want to. You're boring, you're out of style and
I hate the way you think. You're
so dumb. Go somewhere I'll never
see you again.
Mayra S.
P.S. If you leave you'll
make my life easier than when you
were here.