Ode to Cement January 23, 2008

by Miguel A., age 11

I saw you
in my sidewalk
I fell on top
of you I’m
sorry
if I hurt
you but you
hurt me
even
more you’re
gushy, mushy,
and hard I
like that you
make up all
my sidewalk
you make some
beautiful armatures
that support
some of artists’ sculptures like some
of the ones in Chicago’s Garfield
Conservatory. Plus I make drawings
on you.

I’m From October 17, 2007

By Miguel A.

I’m from a place I love very much
where the
food tastes great the streets are full of
leaves and soda cans and potato chip bags
I live in a place where I have only heard
one gunshot fired
I’m from where my school is next to
a laundromat
I’m from a place where one word
can’t describe it