A g i f t o fP o e t r y

P O E M S

2 0 0 7S p r i n g

What I’m Gonna DoI’m gonna dig down deep

I’m gonna end my day late

I’m gonna skip over the sea

I’m gonna tell the world my opinionI’m gonna pray the bad times are over

I’m gonna dance till the sun goes down

I’m gonna sing till I have no breath

I’m gonna rush towards the future

By Devon, 15

Recipe for Love PieIngredients: kisses, hugs, kindness, hearts,

the color red, flowers, butterflies

Directions:

Mix together 2 cups of kisses with 1 heart.

Add in 4 teaspoons of hugs.

Stir for 2 hours.

Pour in 1 cup of butterflies.

Crumble up some daisies.

Blend all of this with a spoon until smooth.

Next add the color red.

Put the mixture into a pie pan and cook.

When it’s done, sprinkle with kindness.

Serve this Love Pie to all your friends!

By Aletria, 14

God is Next to MeI lost my wedding ring

My brown dog ran away

My truck fell in a ditch

Cockroaches are in my bed

I cry til I can’t anymore

I’m sinking in the quicksand

I think my back is broke

And my boots are all torn up

My wife broke up with me

I have to eat dog food

They had to tow my truck

And someone stole my horse

But I’m gonna make itGod is next to me

I will rise from the ashes

God is next to me

By Luis, 9

My NameMap and mark

Ants and acorns

Rabbit and runYes and yell

Joy and jump

On and on

These are the things that

Make my heart spin.

By Mary Jo, 6

Too Much StressToo much stress

Hours and hours of bags of blood

Always tired

Loving nurses

Always kind

Saving livesSaving me

Energy again

Miles to run

IV’s

Always mine

By Isha, 13

Hayrides and HorsesHayrides and horses

Apples and apes

Yogurt and yo yos

Heaven and high-tops

Airplanes and astronauts

Yellow and yelling

These are the thingsThat makes my heart Dance!

By Haley, 8

HomeGrew up in Ethiopia

Playing soccer in the dirt

Wearing plastic shoes

And a white t-shirt

Tricking up my friends

When I kick that ball

I pass it down the field

Like it’s against the law

I dribble and I kick

The ball, it hits the pole

Everybody yells my name

And me, I take a roll

I get off the ground

The sky—it looks like rain

I kick it in the goalHurray, I’ve won the game

I miss my home so much

I want to go back home

By Edris, 15

PrincessPrincess

Fabulous

I like to dress up in high

Heels and necklaces and

Skirts and hats. I want

To wear diamond rings

And bracelets and put a

Crown on my head. I want

To carry a purple purse.

I want to look fabulous!

By Haylee, 4

Mi VidaMi vida

Oh yes

My vida

Mi vida es dura

Mi vida es bella

It’s hard to be the oldest

Changing diapers

Making bottles

It’s hard to be the oldest

Chasing babies

Cleaning house

It’s hard but I still love it

Laughing loudly

Smiling, playing

It’s hard but I still love it

Tios, tias

Abuelitos

By Alicia, 11

Who I AmPink, polka dot nails

Deep, chocolate eyes

Bright, red cheeks

Big, beautiful smile

That’s me, Megan!

Lovely, soft laugh

Smart, mega mind

Flexible, athletic body

Happy, healthy heart

That’s me, Megan!

By Megan, 11

The Animal PoemSnakes that squiggle along the ground

Turtles that move slowly

Alligators that bite

(Not me, I hope!)

Iguanas that move quicklySharks that chew their meat

Elephants with great big trunks

By Staise

A l l A b o u t M eA U T O B I O G R A P H I E S

I WishI love my

Red and white

Bike with

Streamers.

I pedal fastAll around.I wish I

Could ride it

To my grandma’s

House. I wish!

By Stephanie, 5

SupergirlPets her dog Mikey

Cleans her room

Plays with her toys

Loves vanilla cake

Likes to color

Loves the color pink

Blows bubbles

Listens to RBD

Works puzzles

Is a princess!

By Evelyn, 4

W e i r d I n t e r e s t sI’ve been interested in infectious disease since I started watching

the TV series House. It came on when I was hospitalized for B-cell

non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It’s interesting that the human body

can tolerate so much and then change when you’re sick. Whatever

you have, there are symptoms and the body acts accordingly. I’ve

read Bitten and A Woman with a Worm in Her Head. My nerd father

introduced me to this kind of medical book. The first one I read was

called Gifted Hands about a surgeon. Then I read When the Air Hits

Your Brain and that had more humor. The more I read about surgery

the more I realized I did not want to go into surgery. I also remember

Fever, a book about the Yellow Fever outbreak. It’s historical fiction

and prompted me to read The Coming Plague, which are short stories

about everything from AIDS to Ebola. I’m kind of a paranoid person

so I wouldn’t want to do surgery on someone. I am also too emotional.

I’ll either do oncology because I had cancer or infectious disease, becauseI’m interested in that field. I’d like to focus

on research but I’m social so I want patient interaction, too. I find

that people are so interesting, and when you see them in pain or at

their worst, I’ve discovered that they can shine.

By Chloe

T h e C o v e r A i n ’ t t h e B o o kThis year I’ve gotten really deep into music. My friends and I listen

to hardcore, which a lot of parents call devil music. When my

friends’ old band crashed, we decided to start our own. My friend

plays guitar and my other friend plays drums. I sing vocals for the

band. My voice is crackly today because we had practice yesterday

and it involves a lot of screaming. I have to work my vocal chords

because this is my first time as the band’s vocalist. We’ve already

written about 6 songs.

Most hardcore is about being negative and about hating. We’re trying

to create more uplifting, inspirational music to raise people up

when they’re down. I got the idea because at church the pastor’s

son said he was concerned about my generation. I prayedabout it, and then came up with anidea to use music as a way to reachout to kids who don’t feel likethey’re worth a hoot.

I’ve noticed that most parents think “emo” and “Goths” are just

about hating. They stereotype all the kids who listen to this type of

music because of the clothes we wear. They hate the names of the

bands we listen to, like Dead Before Dark. But, there’s more to us.

Lots of hardcore bands are straight edge, which means they don’t

do drugs or alcohol and they save themselves for marriage. So,

don’t judge a book by its cover.

I understand that some hardcore music is bad and that the lyrics

are negative but I use the music as way to reach kids who can’t be

reached in other ways. Personally, I listen to the hardcore for its

rhythm and its beat. I really hope my music will touch some of the

kids who feel worthless and so far down. I want my music to be

good enough to bring them back up.

By Corey

M y B r o t h e r : A W a r r i o r The annoying beeping of the heart rate monitor was becoming all too familiar.

The cold hospital floor chilled the soles of my feet as I walked over to my

brother’s bedside to make sure everything was alright. He muttered of a

headache and asked for some Tylenol. I paged the reception desk, and after

a few short beeps a voice came from the speaker. “Can I help you?” enthused

the receptionist, with a very energetic tone of voice for three o’clock in the

morning. “Yes, can you send the nurse in?” I asked. “Okay, sweetheart, I’ll

let her know that you called —” CLICK! I made my way back to the couch

where I had lain before Cody had interrupted my sleep and thought of

how great life was before all of this had happened, before the tumor.

Cody has been an extremely strong figure in my life. We always worked

together through everything. Whenever either of us had a problem, we

worked side by side to make sure that no one got hurt. I can remember one

time in particular when mom was baking brownies in the kitchen. “Okay,

you knock the lamp off of the table and start crying so that mom will come

see what is wrong, and I’ll snatch us some dessert!” he whispered into my

ear, pointing out exactly what he wanted me to do. Nothing could stop us!

We were two of a kind, both spinning, like gears operating in unison. I never

thought that anything could stop all the wonderful times. The room was dark,

and the light from the outside gleamed through as the nurse opened the door.

I was only able to make out the silhouette of the tall, slender shadow. By the

time she reached my brother’s bed, my eyes had already adjusted to the light.

The nurse was wearing an all-white lab coat with a stethoscope around her

neck. “Cody, on a scale of one to ten, how bad does your head hurt?” she

asked him.

“About a five or six,” he murmured into his pillow. After the brain surgery

and removal of the tumor, Cody could barely do anything on his own. The

nurse and I had to help him sit up so that he could swallow without choking.

Sitting up completely drained him of all his energy. I took the medicine into

my hands and placed it onto his chapped lips. He grabbed the cup of water

and swallowed the pills by himself. We softly laid him back down into the

same crevice that his head had previously rested in before he sat up. The nurse

left the room, and I continued to sit and think about what I could do to help.

On the tenth floor of Texas Children’s Hospital I heard a car pass by every so

often on the corner of Fannin and Holcombe. The sound overcame me with a

strange feeling of sudden loneliness. I concluded that if I were in my brother’s

position I would want someone with me at all times. After all, the hospital is

a scary place. I decided that as long as he was in the hospital that I would not

leave his side.

For three straight weeks, room 1023 was my home. I can still remember

the nurses’ routine schedule. She would come in every hour to check his

vitals, and every four to give him medicine. I didn’t get much sleep. The

bothersome noises of sick children crying down the hall did not allow for

an easy snooze. Every time Cody needed to use the restroom I would page

the nurse, help him up, and walk him to the toilet. I ordered his meals, and

even ate a couple with him. He needed me, but the more I stayed with him

I realized I needed him just as much. As time went on, he slowly recovered.

Cody impressed the doctors, but they still seemed worried that the fluid in

the brain was not going to flow normally on its own. They scheduled another

surgery in order to put in a shunt, a tube that goes under the skin from the

brain to the stomach. This would help pump out the extra fluid built up in

his brain. The surgery went well, and a week later Cody came home.

Sadly, I wasn’t able to stay with Cody for the entire time he was in the hospital.

School started three days before he came home, and I moved to Galveston to

start my first year of college at Texas A&M. Leaving for school meant that I

would be further away from my brother. The transition from constantly sitting

by his bedside to visiting once a week for a few hours was devastating. I’m

sure that Cody enjoyed seeing something different besides the hospital’s

plain white walls. My family told me that when they opened the door to the

house, there were dozens of balloons and flower arrangements waiting for him.

I am now in my second week of school, and I still call to see how he is

doing every day. I wish I could be there with him now more than ever.

He has started radiation and chemotherapy in order to make sure that the

cancer does not grow back. The once outgoing, fun, adventurous and loving

fourteen-year-old-boy that I knew as my brother is now hidden inside a

body that cannot even raise a left hand. I know in time everything will turn

out fine, but seeing someone that you love in a condition such as this only

brings pain.

My brother is a warrior. He has endured more setbacks than anyone else

I’ve ever met. He is my hero, and I will always love him. I have learned how valuable time really is, and now I wish

I had spent more of it with him while he was well. Our lives are completely

different now, but this experience will not be one that we regret. My family

and I will remember this as a moment that changed us forever.

By Shane, 18

B e f o r e a n d A f t e rI was in training camp doing speed and agility drills.

I wanted to be a wide receiver.

The check-up was a surprise.

I thought it was dehydration, but it turned out to be more.

I had a brain tumor.

Everything changed in a flash.I still have double vision.

I have to have radiation and chemotherapy until

November of 2007.

Nothing is the same.

People stare at me.

I have no hair.

I’m in a wheelchair.

I want to play football again.

I want to dive for the ball on the field, then run

for a touchdown and score.

By Cody, 15

P r i n c e s s N e n aVictoria is two years old. She loves to shop and go to

stores. She rides in the cart and points to things she

likes. She also loves the color pink. She has lots of clothes

that color, but she’s picky about what she wears. If we

don’t let her sleep enough, she’s grouchy. She will cry

and fuss and be mad with her mom. She’s smart.

She already knows her colors and how to say her name,and she can speak Spanishand English.Victoria is the only child, so she’s

spoiled! She looks up to her auntie Corina. When she

dances, she tries to copy her. She also loves her uncles

and gets very happy when she sees them. We hope she

gets well soon and never has to come back to the

hospital and grows up to be a good girl.

By Erica

1 2 T h i n g s A b o u t M eI recently lost twenty pounds by eating spinach and exercising.

I have hemophilia and the toughest part about that is the

infusion every three days.

I love, love, love spinach.I can burp on command and fake pop my nose.

I always wear a watch.

I have social anxiety, but I don’t have stage fright.

I got the “Most Dramatic Actor” award once.

My cousin Ryan is a famous baseball player who plays

for the Cincinnati Reds.

One of my bad habits is biting my nails down to the cuticles.

I died for twenty seconds once. It made me not take life

for granted.

I got lost temporarily off-slope at Whistler in Vancouver.

I’m good at rollerblading and ice-skating.

By Riley, 12

F u t b o lI started playing soccer inkindergarten. My dad bet me that if I scored three

goals I could get a dog. I won the bet. I named my new dog

Chico and I still have him. I played for a little over a year but

then I got leukemia. The medications made me weak so I

couldn’t play. At the end of second grade it went away. I started

feeling stronger and played a little bit. I had to start from the

bottom up learning to play again. I really like to watch matches.

One of the best I’ve seen was between Mexico and Jamaica.

I was rooting for Mexico and they won. I also saw Guatemala

and South Africa play and they tied. One player I admire is

Ronaldinho who plays for Brazil. He’s one of the best in

the world.

By Luis, 14

My Three Favorite SportsI like baseball and flag football and basketball. The first time I

ever played baseball was at the YMCA. I probably ran the wrong

way around the bases. But I got better and learned the rules.

When I was about eleven, my team was called the Astros. I played

shortstop, and I always hit grounders. We were pretty good.

I played flag football at the YMCA, too. You have to grab the other

team’s flags to score points. To be good at flag football you have

to be able to run and catch. One time I caught the ball, but I

didn’t know I was supposed to run so someone pulled my flag.

Whenever I pulled someone’s flag, I rolled on the ground. One

time a guy on the other team was running fast, but I caught up

with him and grabbed his flag before he made a touchdown.

I’ve never played on a basketball team, but I play with my brother

and stepbrother at home. It’s fun. I like shooting. I’m good at

hitting the net—swish! I love sports becausethey keep me busy and they’regood exercise.

By Carlos, 13

D r e a m C o m e T r u eOne day the doctor asked me, “Have you ever made a wish?” I said, “No.” So the doctor put me on the list for Make A Wish. About two

months later they called my dad to say I was next on the list.

I came to the hospital for an appointment and they called me and

took me to the lab. The Make A Wish lady was there and I was so

happy. She asked me, “What is your dream?” And I said I wanted

to go to Walt Disney World. Then they gave me tickets for my dad,

my mom, my two brothers, and me. When we went there, we had

so much fun. I loved the castle and Epcot and Universal Studios.

I want to thank everyone for making my wish come true. I hope

that other families who haven’t been anywhere yet will ask Make A

Wish for a dream, too.

By Melissa, 12

M y J o u r n e yI attend South Houston High School in Pasadena where I’m a

sophomore. I’m taking my basic classes in pre-AP. That means

pre-advanced placement, and they prepare me for college. The

hardest subject for me right now is Algebra II. It’s difficult because

the problems require lots of steps. The teacher guides us down the

right path, but he lets us make our own mistakes. My favorite class

right now is Health Science Technology. It’s a medical class, which

I enjoy because I want to work in the medical field. I think I’d like to be a pediatrician and help sick kids. I was interested in medicine before I got sick

but getting sick really motivated me. It’s been a year since I was

diagnosed. One of the most challenging parts is the blood test.

I hope one day I’ll be well and get the chance to work here.

By Nelly, 16

T h e G a m e o f F o o t b a l lI like football because my daddy played. He taught me how

to catch and throw. I know how to tackle and kick, too.

I remember once when I was playing football my big brother

tackled me and hurt me. We had to go to the doctor and I asked,

“Can I play football on the PlayStation? And the doctor said, “Yes.”

When I was better, I went outside to play real football again.

When my big brother got the ball, I tackled him as hard as I

could. After that, I won the football game. He got mad and cried.

By Hennessy, 9

H o t e l P o o l sI like swimming in hotel swimming pools. I love the hot tubs.

If I stay in too long, I get dizzy and my hands get wrinkly.

After the hot tub, I jump in the pool to cool off. I can doflips underwater. My sister splashes me and

I splash her back. Then I get out to dry off. If I’m outside,

I put lotion all over me, and I relax in the sun. I think my papa

taught me how to swim in a hotel pool on vacation once. I like

swimming there better than outside because there are no snakes.

By Carmen, 8

B a s e b a l l a n d H u n t i n gJust about everyone in my family plays baseball—my dad,

my brother, my sisters…I’ve been playing all my life too.

Even as a kid, I’d run around with a ball in the house. Some of my

earliest memories of baseball are getting hit in the eye and

playing until I was exhausted. Right now I play for Grant

High School. I play second base and pitch sometimes.

I also do a lot of fishing in ponds, rivers, and lakes with my

brother and cousins. When I was eleven years old I caught

a nine and a half inch bass in a pond behind our hunting

camp. I also like to hunt deer, ducks, and squirrel. I go deer

hunting with my dad, brother, and cousin. I go duck hunting

with my brother and squirrel hunting with my brother and

cousin. Once I killed a nine-point buck when I was nine

years old. I hunt with bow and arrows, 243 rifle, and a

twelve-gauge shotgun.

By John Michael, 14

M y M e l o d yI listen to music 24/7. I have an MP3 player and it’s

always next to me. I download songs by artist on Livewire

like Danity Kane, Beyonce, and Christina Milian.

Sometimes I listen to music at night when I’m trying to

fall asleep. When I’m in a good mood or at a party, I like

to listen to music too. I don’t just listen to music. I make it. I’ve been in the

choir for four years. I’m a first soprano. This year I sing

for my high school choir. I had to try out at the beginning

of the year. I had to sing the scales for one of the choir

directors. I wasn’t very nervous because I’d been in a

good middle school choir. One of my goals in life is to

get a music scholarship for college. Music right now is

my life.

By Shayla, 14

M y F o o t b a l l S e a s o nThis year I played football for a team called The Saints. We were

good. We even made it to the playoffs. I was a wide

receiver, which means I had to run fast and catch. I was

not able to finish the season because I fractured my rib.

I was at practice. I caught the ball and then someone hit

me from behind. His facemask hit my ribs. I didn’t know

they were broken, but they kept hurting so much. I went

to the doctor and they did an x-ray. It was broken. At

the end of the season there was a party and we all got

trophies. What a season.

By Isaac, 11

S t r a n g e P u p p i e sMy name is Madison Lynn, and I live in a town called Sour Lake

near Beaumont, Texas. I live with my mom and NeNe and Paw.

We have two dogs Lil Bit and Bruiser. They eat funny things!

Bruiser likes to eat coffee and yogurt and anything that fits

in his mouth. Lil Bit likes ice cream and yogurt and apples

and green beans (she’s pickier). My NeNe says they are her

babies. I say they are spoiled rotten! But we all love them.

By Madison, 6

D o d g i n g B a l l s f o r F u nI love dodge ball because it’s cooland I can play it with my friends. I remember playing it for the first time on a Saturday. We used

a trampoline. I got on the trampoline and jumped and dived

and bounced while my friends pounded me with balls. I didn’t

get hit! It was a lot of fun trying to dodge all the flying balls. I

like practicing this game with my friend Miguel. Today I was

sick so I couldn’t go to school. I stayed home and played dodge

ball until I had to come to the hospital. If I feel okay and get a

good report I want to play again when I get home.

By Efrain, 15

L i f e a s a n A c t o rSince I was two or three, I’ve been acting and doing commercials.

A lot of my early work was done in L.A., where I used to live.

I moved to Houston a few years ago. You might be familiar with

my work here through my performance as Chip in Beauty and

the Beast performed at the Hobby Center.

I’ve always been interested in singing, dancing, and acting.

I think it’s work, but it’s fun too. I like observing the different

ways that people write plays and also experimenting with

diverse ways to perform a role.

One of my most embarrassing moments as an actor was in New

York with Sage Door Manor. We were rehearsing Into the Woods

and I missed my cue because there was some loud music on next

door. I had to apologize to the director who had them turn down

the music.

One of my most memorable moments was the very last curtain

call for Beauty and the Beast. I felt like I had really achieved

something amazing.

One surprising thing that some people don’t know about theater

is the billion people backstage that make it possible. There are

people whose only job is to pull ropes or make wigs.

In the future I’d love to be on Broadway. To get there you need to work hard and do your best. I’d love to be in Putnam County Spelling Bee — that would

be so cool.

By Zachary, 11

M y F a v o r i t e S p o r tMy whole family likes soccer. My dad plays, but it’ll be his last

year. I’ve been playing ever since I saw a soccer ball. I like it

because it’s a sport where you run a lot. I like offense the best because it’s when you scoregoals. Everything’s happened to me playing soccer—I’ve

gotten hit in the head, sprained my ankle, made a lot of goals,

lost by a lot of goals, and tied. I like going to professional soccer

games. When I have the money, I go. The first time I saw the

Houston Dynamos, I was so excited, but they lost. My favorite

team is Club America from Mexico. I never miss a game!

By Edward, 14

M y D r e a m I started playing football when I was about seven years old.

I played with my older brother. He taught me how to catch

the ball while running backward and to throw it. I like football

because you have to run and it’s good exercise. Sometimes I

watch it on TV. One of my favorite teams is the Houston Texans.

I like their offense. I want to play football for my school and

someday go to UT where the Longhorns play. I try to practice

with friends and get better. When I miss something, I re-do it.

At school the coach has me play running back during recess.

I like that. You have to be fast. I also like playing wide receiver.

You have to be good at handling the ball. I think football is fun, and I dream I’ll playit at UT someday.

By Jesus, 11

O n t h e F i e l dI’ve been playing football for about one year. I like it because

you can hit and tackle people. You can’t do those things off field

or you get in trouble! I was on a team called the Buccaneers.

I played offense, wide receiver. It’s a pretty hard position to play.The only game we won was the first one. The coach said a lot of

stuff when we lost, which was all the time. We had cheerleaders

and one of the girls was in my class. I can’t play football right

now, but I watch it on TV. I like college football. The UT

Longhorns are my favorite team. Last year they won the Rose

Bowl with Vince Young. Someday I’ll be back on the field too.

By Nathaniel, 12

M y L i t t l e S i s t e rI come from a family with five girls. I’m the third. The littlest

one is Victoria, and she’s four months old. It was exciting when

she was born. She would cry a lot and wouldn’t let my mom go to

sleep. We had to change her diapers so many times a day and we

had to make her bottles. She has big eyes and black hair. She likes

to take naps and suck on a pacifier. Sometimes my mom gives

her cookies to lick. She also eats Gerber oatmeal. My mom feeds

her because she’s scared I might give her too much. She likes

when we bounce her. I like my little sister, but I don’t

want anymore. Babies are a lot of work.

By Emily, 9

U n t i t l e dI like playing T-ball because I won the championship. In the

last game we played the Red Sox. I hit the ball over the base

and I ran and no one got me out. I was the last player and our

team won. It was a fun day but practicesare long. My dad says I have to play softball next year.

By Logan, 6

O u r F a m i l yThe two oldest of us were born in Pakistan, but the two youngest

sisters were born in Houston. Sometimes we miss the foods we

used to eat in Pakistan—tikka biryani, a rice dish, and haleem,

a gravy, and mango lassi, and roof afza. We also miss our

cousins, our grandparents Dada and Dadi, and our friends.

We remember that all the houses were made of brick and we lived by the sea. It barely ever rains there. When it rains,

everyone is happy! We are Muslim and we celebrate Eid.

We pray and give gifts. Sometimes we miss the country where

we were born.

By Ghaffar, Shagufta, Sarah, and Kelly

M y D o g , M o n t a n aMy dog chases me wherever I go. She is a big, black lab that

is the same age as me! I put her on her leash and hook it

on my Barbie Jeep to take her for a walk. I love on her and feed her puppy treats. She loves me and protects me from strangers. Sometimes

she is bad and takes Daddy’s shoes out into the grass. She

digs in the flowerbeds and my mommy gives her a spanking.

She barks at night. We lover her very much!

By Courtney, 5

M y H o b b yI started reading a lot in fourth grade. I remember the

Goosebumps series. They’re mysteries. I still like to read

mysteries, like Vampire Breath. It’s about a boy and a girl

who go in a basement and see a coffin with a bottle that

has yellow smoke coming out of it. It’s vampire breath

and underneath there’s a vampire who is pale and has

been laying there for 800 years. This story didn’t scare me.

I like the thrill of mysteries. The

one that I’m reading now is called Lord of the Shadows by

Darren Shan. Sometimes I’ll read for eight hours and only

take breaks for lunch and dinner.

By Jessenia, 13

M u s i c a l I n s p i r a t i o nI remember the first time I ever saw a clarinet. It was at my

friend Margaret’s house. She’s about a year older than me

and she plays in the symphonic band at school and all-region

band. My brother Geoffrey also used to play. These two

were my inspirations. The first time I ever played was at

a try-out where I played two different instruments, the

saxophone and clarinet. I did really well with the clarinet

and I’ve been playing it ever since. The hardest part about

the clarinet is not squeaking. Also, if you play awhile, your

jaw gets tired. This Thursday I’ll be in a Christmas concert

with the school band. I’m first chair. To be first chair you have to take a test. You have to play a line out loud infront of everyone. Usually, I’m not nervous

unless I have a bad reed or I didn’t practice. This Thursday

we’re playing “Jingle, Jolly Christmas” and “Up on the

Housetop.” I think I’ll continue with clarinet for a long time

because I love music.

By Emily, 12

T h r e e T h i n g s a b o u t M eI have a goofy dog named Maggie. She’s a golden retriever and

we’ve had her about one year. We got her when she was a puppy.

Maggie likes to sneak onto the furniture and hide under the

blankets and eat your socks and open your Christmas presents.

She’s mischievous. She weighs more than me.

I play baseball and my favorite position is second base because

there’s a lot of action. I remember one coach who is really mean

and all the kids try to hit the ball in his direction. I think baseball is a family thing. My dad plays and my family comes to all my games.My favorite team is the Atlanta Braves.

I like watching Japanese “anime” cartoons. My cousin got me into

it. I like the show Naruto. It’s kinda a Ninja Academy where they

train fighters. They have certain villages that they come from and

they wear headbands to symbolize their village. I like it because of

the action comedy.

By Shane, 10

O n c e u p o na t i m eS H O R T S T O R I E S

N o L i m i t a n d B e y o n dThe first time I did cheerleading I was in kindergarten but then

I stopped and didn’t start again until seventh grade. The squad

I first started with was called No Limit. It was small at first and

we practiced at a gym. The practices were physically demanding.

We had to really stretch our muscles. After awhile they got easier,

but they also got more frequent. As we neared competition we

would practice as much as five times a week. It’s a lot of fun at

competition. As you’re waiting backstage you feel nervous and

hope you don’t mess up. Once you get out there, you just focus.

We do stunts, builds, dances, cheersand jumps. Each routine has to have a variety of these

skills and they last about two and a half minutes. I was on the No

Limit team until the end of eighth grade. Then I tried out for high

school cheerleading. They have three squads at my school —

Varsity, Junior Varsity and Freshman. They decided not to have

Junior Varsity so it was more competitive. I made the team one

month before I got sick. I was surprised and happy to make the

team. I’ve gotten to cheer at some of the games. It’s been a tough

part of my illness—not cheering. I hope I’ll make it again next year.

By Nicole, 14

UntitledA long time ago there was a dinosaur named Louis.He liked to play Ring Around the Tree and soccer with

a rock. One day he hit his head on the tree when he was

playing and he got a headache. He had to go to the doctor

and the doctor cut open his head. Louis was sad. He cried

big tears. His mama had to take him back to Houston and

he had to stay in bed to get better and he couldn’t play

with his dino friends. Finally, he got better, again. He ran

outside to play, but he hit his head again so he had to go

back to the hospital. The doctor said, “You busted your

head open.” He put a Band-Aid on it. Then the doctor

told Louis, “You be careful.” But Louis wasn’t careful.

He split his head open again! The doctor said, “This is

the end of this.” Then Louis went home with his mama

and this time he was careful. He played with all his

friends and never went back to the hospital again.

By Alicia, 5

Woofy the CatOnce upon a time there was a kitty named Woofy. It was

orange and its fur was soft and it had a magic power. It

could do anything!

One day some men kidnapped Woofy. They stole her to give

her to a boy who wanted a cat. At first Woofy was scared. She

arched her back and hissed. But then she started to like the

boy. She purred. At night she always missed her old home. She

meowed a lot and felt sad.

One night she decided to become invisible and run away

back home. She could run a billion miles a minute with her special powers. When she got home, she saw all her brothers

and sisters. Best of all, she saw her mom Vanilla and her dad

Garfield. She cuddled with Garfield, Jr., Bob, Vanilla the

Second, and Fiona, her brothers and sisters. After that,

she lived happily ever after with her family, her tuna, and

two kinds of every toy.

By Randal, 5 and Brianna,

T h a n k s t oAlbert and Ethel Herzstein

Charitable Foundation

Kiwanis Foundation of Houston

LGR Foundation Community Fund No.1

The Search Foundation

Clarence Westbury Foundation

Valero Energy Foundation/Valero Houston Refinery

Dear Santa,Dear Santa,

Could you bring Irene de la Luz Martinez make-up

from The Princess and a Princess computer? Also,

would you bring my sister, Linda, a Barbie computer

and make up from The Princes. Lisa wants skates

because she likes to play outside. Javier wants lots

of colors. He’s the littlest. That’s my whole family.

Please bring my mom a computer and my dad a

radio. They would like those things.

My whole family has been good, except for one.

Love, Irene (7 years old)

is published three times a year by The Periwinkle

Foundation, Writers in the Schools (WITS),

and the many talented young writers at the

Texas Children’s Cancer Center.

The Periwinkle Foundation changes the lives of

more than 3,500 children with cancer and other

life threatening illnesses each year. Children, ages

3 to 21 heal emotionally through the Periwinkle

camping, art, and creative writing programs.

For more information,visit the

following websites:

www.periwinklefoundation.orgwww.writersintheschools.orgwww.texaschildrenshospital.org

The Periwinkle Foundationpresents

Texas Children’s Cancer Center’s

Making A Mark®

An exhibition of art and creative writingby children touched by cancer and blood disorders.

www.periwinklefoundation.orgwww.writersintheschools.orgwww.texaschildrenhospital.org