Pizza Poetry Blog Post #8: Congrats to this year’s Pizza Poet Laureates!

Pizza Poetry Day 2017 was a huge success! Congrats to this year’s Pizza Poet Laureates, who won custom-made posters from Litographs, gift cards to Domino’s, and will be featured in a special section in this year’s Pizza Poetry Anthology (to be released late summer 2017).

1st grade – 3rd grade

Help the Fight

She turned into a dragon and she
was golden. I could see the jewels in her skin.
I could hear the sound of her friends cheering for
her like wind on water and encouraging her. I could feel her flat, thin,
and long scales cool under my fingertips. I could feel the gold saddle and reins.
I could smell the fresh air and all of the trees
and bushes around them. I could hear the sounds
of all the dragons walking around and the horses whining.

– Caroline
Grade 2
Edward Hynes Charter School

Senses in the Galaxy

I can see the stars at night
I can see the asteroids
I see the planets
As rockets go by
Going to touch the sky
I can smell the flames
Of the rockets
As they pass on by
Each and every meal I smell
Is from a planet called Riell
I can hear the crunches
As they eat their meals
I can hear the churn
As the french fries burn.

– Audrey
Grade 2
Edward Hynes Charter School

Pizza

P pepperoni is so good
I is perfect
Z zelicious toppings
Z zebras probably eat pizza
A amazing flavors

—Chloe
Grade 2
Akili Academy Of New Orleans

Why is the sun a star?

Why is the sun a star?
Why does the moon change shapes?
Where does light on the moon come from?
Why do we have planets?
Is the Milky Way made out
of milk? Was Pluto a real dog?
Who invented planets?
Who made aliens?

– Angelle
Grade 3
Sylvanie Williams College Prep

Candy Land

I hear the water. I smell the salt.
I see the people swimming.
I touch the island,
and I taste the yucky ocean water.
I’m so happy. I’m at the beach.
I love the beach.
I see the candy. It looks so good.
It tastes so great. I love the chocolate lake.
I hear gingerbread men laughing.
I can touch the gummies. I smell the yummy sugar.
I see the candy castle. The princess looks so very pretty.
I hear the villains making an evil plan.
They are talking about taking over Candy Land.

– Livia
Grade 2
Edward Hynes Charter School

4th grade-6th grade

Why Do the Stars Shine So Bright?

Are my ancestors in the stars looking down on me?
Do the stars reflect the sun?
Is it because God’s love is shining down on me?

Why is the sun so bright?
Is all my family’s love inside the sun?
Do life’s lessons shine on inside the sun?
Is life itself shining down on me?

Why is love so strong?
Is love people’s way of telling you a secret?
Is love people’s way of saying I love you?
Is love my way of telling you something important?

—Teren
5th grade
Audubon Charter School

Why Space?

Why do humans try to explore space?
Why don’t aliens meet us face to face?
Why space?

Are the aliens on Mars purple, blue, or green?
Are there other planets with many rings?
Why space?

Why are most planets big and round?
Are there other planets with livable, solid ground?
Why space?

Why is space starry and bright, but dark and deep?
Why can we only see space when it’s time to sleep?
Why space? Why life? Why are we here?
So many questions, but the answers won’t appear.

—Wyeth
5th grade
Audubon Charter School

Very Fat Pig

There was once a very fat pig
His name was Dig the pig
And one day there was a man
With a frying pan.
And that was the end
Of Dig.

—Toby
Grade 5
Homer A. Plessy Community School

Ode to YouTube

This site known as YouTube has completed my life
If it was not around I don’t know what I would do
And yeah, yeah, I know before 2005 it wasn’t around
But when it’s silent it provides me sound.
My favorite YouTuber is Jake Paul
My YouTube channel subscriber count is very small
Me and YouTube are both 11 years old
I watch YouTube when I’m cold,
It entertains me like no one else,
And that’s my ode to YouTube.

—Tristan
Grade 5
Homer A. Plessy Community School

Little Red Riding Hood in the Hood

Once upon a time…
There lived a little girl named Red.
And she was only 7 years old, and her mom was stupid
because she let her into the woods by herself.
All of a sudden, when she was in the woods, a wolf popped out.
Except it wasn’t a wolf. It was, in fact, a gangster.

—Trinity
Grade 4
Sylvanie Williams College Prep

7th-9th grade

Love

I Love the way
she moves with
her wavy sides.

I Love the way
she moves side
to side.

I Love the way she
smiles. It reminds
me of a shiny dime.

I Love the way she
talks to me. It makes
me feel good inside.

I Love the way she
Laughs. It makes me smile
time to time.

—Ryan
Grade 8
ARISE Academy

You Will Not Be Disconnected

You will not be disconnected,
You will not be able to sit, eat, and be on social media all day, sister.
You will not be able to screenshot and send to your friend and say, “Girl, look at her.”
You will not be able to get on FaceTime and talk all day, because the revolution will make us unfriend each other.
We will not be disconnected from reality.
We will not be disconnected from the world.
We will not be disconnected.
We will not be disconnected.
We won’t be judged on the color of our skin and the stores we shop at.
The revolution will not star the latest comedians or Jay-Z holding hands with Beyonce or Blue or playing GTA on the PS4.
We will not be disconnected,
we will not be disconnected from this possible lovely world.

—DiMyri and Ky’Liyah
Grade 8
Samuel J. Green Charter School

Pizza Love

I wrote your name in the pizza box
But couldn’t throw it away
I missed us having pizza together
All the way from night till day
We used to fuss and fight
But yet I still say
I loved having pizza with you
It was the only way we could play
I wrote your name in the pizza box
And couldn’t throw it away.

—Ha’Sohn
Grade 8
ARISE Academy

Ode to My Love

You capture my heart with your glimmering eyes like
A person catching a bouquet. Sometimes you’re a pain in the —
Bum, but most of the time you’re like a kid having the time
Of your life. You make me laugh, you make me smile,
When I’m in trouble or down, you always go the extra mile.
Your imperfections are what makes you you,
Your nagging, your fussing, your screaming
Like a referee calling a fail too.
But no matter what, I Love You.
No matter what you say or do.

—Maya
Grade 8
ARISE Academy

Who I Am

I emerged out my cocoon early
unable to fly
Began a new life
the apple of everyone’s eye
I am fast like a cheetah
intelligent like a lion
gentle as a lamb
and stubborn like a goat
With faith tall as a mountain
hope for people in the world
a thirst for knowledge
and the strength to endure
Outside I may seem meek
inside I know I’m strong
Wherever I’m myself
with confidence, I’ll know where I belong
and who I am.

—Brianne
Grade 7
Crocker College Prep

10th-12th Grade

Tired of Beauty

“Aurora my darling, we’re waiting”
is what I hear after my awakening,
putting on makeup
and the most beautiful dress,
but underneath all of this is a girl full of stress.

Maleficent has done me a favor
and woken me up from my eternal sleep,
but with all this hard work that’s
the one thing I should have decided to keep.

My hand waves daily, and we have
dinners every night.
But while we are at the dinner table,
it’s an irony that sleep is what I’m trying to fight.

Impatiently going to my room,
back to my dreams,
I know it may sound as weird as it seems,
But I have to get prepared for
another day that’s not so great
With a prince that my mother likes but wants me to date.

She wants me to marry, love,
and live happily ever after with him.
But I have a rude awakening for the both of them.
Sleeping Beauty is what they called me before
But now that I think of it, they should’ve called me snore.
Now back to sleep I’ll go.
I hope they leave me asleep,
because sleep’s the best thing I know.

—Myneisha
10th Grade
New Orleans Charter Science and Mathematics High School

Poem

Being crushed by the expectations of those around.
I am who I am, following the guidelines of what I should be.
Stuck in a never-ending loop of the same timeline.
Is there chance for me to be free. Be who I am or be who I want to become.
Follow my dreams and desires. But I can’t. A dream so far that
it’s unachievable. Struggling to find myself, holding onto the things
that keep me sane, holding onto a dream. A dream. A dream. A dream…
All it ever was was just a dream. A dream that we hope, no wish,
to have but the oppression of success weighs us down.
The typical stereotypes of us make it seem that we live a good life.
That we live just like whites…
But you’re wrong.
I know that this is sad but all I have to say is shout out to my friends
that bring me up and support me in what I wish to achieve
because we share the same dream that we know we can’t achieve.

—Teresa
Grade 10
New Orleans Charter Science and Mathematics High School

A Shout-Out from the Concerned

Here’s to the Caucasian folks that stopped and stared when I spoke.
Is it my brown skin that startled you?
Is it the kinkyness of my hair that has you staring?
Here’s to the young black boys who shamed the way my body’s made.
Do my short legs and thick thighs offend you?
Does the way I wear my clothes and how my cleavage shows?
Here’s to the people who have never heard a “black girl”
speak with so much class.
Is it because I used the words supercilious, incompetent,
illiterate when I was asked my perspective on today’s society?
Here’s to the people who saw the color of my skin, the way I dressed,
and the way my hips sway when I walk.
Here’s to the people who judged this book by its cover
and didn’t know I had a nurse for a mother and a veterinarian for a brother.
Ohhh, and shout out to the people who thought my father
wasn’t in my life, little do they know the man who went
in half to create me tucks his baby girl in every night.

—Jasmine
Grade 10
New Orleans Charter Science and Mathematics High School

The Deep Part of the Ocean

I am from the deep part of the ocean,
Where there’s sharks, fishes, and dolphins.
I am from a place where if you go too deep, it darkens.
I am from an environment that smells like gunpowder and marijuana.
I am from a home where there’s graduates, and life takers,
That will have your mind full of trauma.
I am from a society where people love guidance,
But there’s no one to guide them.
I am from a place where there’s no love lost or no love found.
I am from a state where blacks are called killers
And whites are called life savers.
I am from a country where people commit crimes for the love of money.
I am from a place where we struggle for freedom.

—Kevon
Age 17
Travis Hill School

The Deep Part of the Ocean

I am from the deep part of the ocean,
Where there’s sharks, fishes, and dolphins.
I am from a place where if you go too deep, it darkens.
I am from an environment that smells like gunpowder and marijuana.
I am from a home where there’s graduates, and life takers,
That will have your mind full of trauma.
I am from a society where people love guidance,
But there’s no one to guide them.
I am from a place where there’s no love lost or no love found.
I am from a state where blacks are called killers
And whites are called life savers.
I am from a country where people commit crimes for the love of money.
I am from a place where we struggle for freedom.

—Kevon
Age 17
Travis Hill School