Invent a Holiday

Holidays are special, magical times. They carry with them certain traditions that give our lives continuity and provide families with cherished memories. The following “Invented Holiday” poem was written by Chelsea and is followed by the writing pattern.

Chelsea’s Day

April 3

Purple and pink

Peace signs, hearts, and smiley faces

“Whatever, sweet, tight, rad”

“Larger than Life, Here we go, Sometimes”

Pasta, steak, cookie dough, chili, Chinese, and lemons

Shopping spree at Limited Too, Playing soccer, and instant messaging all my friends

It’s my day, and I love all those things

Tank tops, shorts, bottleneck tops, sandals

Brownies baking in the oven and the scent of a lemon

When, and why I was born

Newborn puppies

Pattern:

Name of Invented Holiday:

Date:

Colors:

Symbols:

Sayings:

Songs:

Foods:

Traditions:

Reason:

Clothing:

Smells:

Story:

Animals:

If I Were Poem

An “If I Were” poem has endless possibilities. Things such as computers, radios, planets, telephones, globes, books, and houses can be used. Animals, colors, habitats, or people are other possibilities. The poem can be altered in any way! Here is the pattern with two examples.

If I were a _____ If I were a school nurse

I’d ____(action) I’d watch over all the children.

I’d ______(action) I’d give them medicine, take care of their injuries,

and______(action) and give them tender loving care.

If I were a ____ If I were a school nurse

If I were a rainforest

I’d be lush and green because of all the rain.

I’d hold many different kinds of animals within my realm,

and provide untapped sources of cures for diseases.

If I were a rainforest

Feeling Poem

Choose a feeling such as love, laziness, happiness, worry, sadness, loneliness, etc., and imagine the color it might be, how it might taste, smell, sound, and how it would look or feel. Create a poem such as the two that follow.

Boredom is gray. Happiness is yellow.

It tastes like soggy oatmeal It tastes like hot, buttery, corn on the cob

and smells like an unscented candle. and smells like fresh brownies baking in the oven.

Boredom looks like my room with no clutter Happiness looks like two new puppies to love

and sounds like the overused TV commercial. and sounds like friends having a good time.

It feels like a Saturday with nothing to do. It feels like a thunderbolt in your heart.

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