~ From poetry prompts given to 2nd graders at Buckingham Primary School, Buckingham, VA; 17 September 2018:
Write Two Animals
Write Two Machines
Write Two Things that Taste Good
Write Two Things that Hurt
1
A newspaper article on how to survive a monster storm tells people returning to check on damage in the aftermath. It also says, “In the Philippines there are some more unique risks. Beware of poisonous animals like snakes that may have entered your house….” We didn’t see any. Only a deer in the shadows, head bent and deadheading the hydrangeas.
2
When I am heartsick I press
my right hand to my chest
and listen for the whoosh of water.
When I court sleep I hold the levers
of my thumbs as I was taught.
3
Sugar.
Salt.
4
The body scored
by sugar
and salt.