River Writings - Sergeant Bluff-Lutton Middle School
Spring 1998
River
Dangerous, Polluted
Flowing, Moving, Curving
Swiftly flowing, Constantly Changing
Extending, Lasting, Prolonging
Sold, Dry
Land
Brian Knight, 6th Grade
SB-L Middle School
Sgt. Bluff , Iowa 51106
712-943-4235
Connie Saunders, Reading/Writing Teacher
River
long, narrow
strong powerful current
dreams, beliefs, goals, conscious
Pond
Natasha Whittmaack
SB-L Middle School
Sgt. Bluff , Iowa 51106
712-943-4235
Connie Saunders, Reading/Writing Teacher
The River
The river roars as speedboats come through,
It runs free and so smooth.
The water is so clear,
You can see the pebbles at the bottom,
Houses along the river hear the roars,
But love the sight of the
Crystal, clear water.
The river is clear and clean.
Cody Bobolz
SB-L Middle School
Sgt. Bluff , Iowa 51106
712-943-4235
Connie Saunders, Reading/Writing Teacher
Pollution
Fish, fish, everywhere but too polluted to eat.
So if I choose to eat, I will surely die.
So I choose not to eat.
Bleach, dye, and soap
Do not sound dangerous to us,
But to a river, it is extinction.
Scott Scholl
SB-L Middle School
Sgt. Bluff , Iowa 51106
712-943-4235
Connie Saunders, Reading/Writing Teacher
River
Flowing like a dream we dream
Flowing near and far.
You look down and see the river,
You look up and see the sky.
This is what you picture, a river
And when you look at this one,
It is not what you see at all.
Alisha Saunders
SB-L Middle School
Sgt. Bluff , Iowa 51106
712-943-4235
Connie Saunders, Reading/Writing Teacher
A Safe Haven
The river is so clean and pure,
An always changing home to animals.
To a bright, green, slimy frog,
Its home could one day be--
A still, cool, sparkling pool,
But the next--a narrow ribbon of trickling stream.
To the soft and downy ducks
Who float atop clear waters--
Will the river be a place of food & fresh, clean drink?
Or--a deserted, oil mess with rotting smell?
It's up to us
It's what we do and how we act
That makes their home a haven safe!
Kari Grether
SB-L Middle School
Sgt. Bluff , Iowa 51106
712-943-4235
Connie Saunders, Reading/Writing Teacher
A
Bridge Stands
Above
the
flowing waters
of the River.
Like a tree in the sand,
Like a bird in the sky,
Like our
Hearts Singing
on the
WIND
Mikha Tan
SB-L Middle School
Sgt. Bluff , Iowa 51106
712-943-4235
Connie Saunders, Reading/Writing Teacher
My ABC River Book
A is for Animals
who live by the river.
B is for Boats
that travel on the river.
C is for Coastguards
who monitor the river.
D is for Dams
along the river.
E is for Efficient
which industries should be.
F is for Fish who
live in the river.
G is for Garbage
thrown into the river.
H is for the Health
of the river.
I is Industries
who pollute the river.
J is for people Jeopardizing
our river.
K is for Know how
to help our river.
L is for Lachrymose
is the way some people feel about our river.
M is for Megawatts
put out by dams.
N is for Negative
effect on the river.
O is for Obdurate
people who pollute the river.
P is for Protection
of the river.
Q is for Quality
of the river.
R is for Reduce
Refuse in the river.
S is for Sand along
the river.
T is for Teaching
others how to take care of the river.
U is for Undercurrent
in the river.
V is for Value your
river system.
W is for Wildflowers
along the river.
X is for Xylem in
the plants along the river.
Y is for Yearn for a
cleaner river.
Z is for Zeal for
a cleaner river.
Kari Tjeerdsma
SB-L Middle School
Sgt. Bluff , Iowa 51106
712-943-4235
Connie Saunders, Reading/Writing Teacher
Boat Down a River
Take a sailboat down the sea.
Take a canoe down a lake.
Whatever you do, please take me.
Erika Rhinehart
SB-L Middle School
Sgt. Bluff , Iowa 51106
712-943-4235
Connie Saunders, Reading/Writing Teacher
Rivers
Big Rivers,
Little Rivers,
Even Itty Bitty Rivers.
Clean Rivers,
Dirty Rivers,
Even stinky inky Rivers.
Tiffiny McCleod
SB-L Middle School
Sgt. Bluff , Iowa 51106
712-943-4235
Connie Saunders, Reading/Writing Teacher
The Importance of Rivers
Rivers are very important in many ways. They're a habitat for living organismsand can produce power. When humans dump harmful chemicals, trash, thermalwater, dirt, and other harmful pollutants, the river can't clean itself.
People can help the rivers though by having riparian retreats, recycling,adopt-a-river programs, speeches, fundraisers, and petitions.
We need to act now because if we don't they will just keep getting polluted.
Tyler Burnham
SB-L Middle School
Sgt. Bluff , Iowa 51106
712-943-4235
Connie Saunders, Reading/Writing Teacher
I Cry
A bird flaps its delicate wings
soaring through the sky until
the sun swallows her.
Flowers jump out at me
but I don't feel frightened by them.
I am impressed and fascinated
by their beauty.
I cry because of what people
do to the river.
But laugh because I see people
pick up the garbage that keeps
the river from living and freeing itself.
Dena McKay
SB-L Middle School
Sgt. Bluff , Iowa 51106
712-943-4235
Connie Saunders, Reading/Writing Teacher
Missouri River
I see pollution
I see broken trees
I see what the Missouri
looks like to me.
Tony Erickson
SB-L Middle School
Sgt. Bluff , Iowa 51106
712-943-4235
Connie Saunders, Reading/Writing Teacher
My Favorite Hat
Yesterday I wore my favorite hat,
Then we went on a boat and sat.
Then the wind flew,
Oh no, my hat flew
Into the great big river.
We tried to retrieve
And I almost believed
that my hat would come back
But the current disagreed.
Courtney Wilcox
SB-L Middle School
Sgt. Bluff , Iowa 51106
712-943-4235
Connie Saunders, Reading/Writing Teacher
Gently Flowing,
Calmly Glowing,
When you are on a roll,
It's nice to take a stroll
Brandi Turkelson
SB-L Middle School
Sgt. Bluff , Iowa 51106
712-943-4235
Connie Saunders, Reading/Writing Teacher
RIVERS are blue
RIVERS are green
RIVERS can even be
MEAN!
Alex Smith
SB-L Middle School
Sgt. Bluff , Iowa 51106
712-943-4235
Connie Saunders, Reading/Writing Teacher
Drifting Sands
The drifting sand is still, sand touchers your delicate
skin, softer than the petal of a rose.
The song of melody drifts sweetly around you, a song
that never ends.
The River's Soul
Your soul is one part of you, the soul of the river is
the same as me and you.
Your soul is fed by the river, the rivers are fed by the
stream.
If the river would speak to you, it would tell you of
the life and death.
The river changes us in many ways.
The rivers are changed by humans in some ways.
Melody
A melody, a sweet melody come through your head.
A thoughts that tells you a way to go , a way to go.
You're there, no fear, the river is at your feet.
You're at the beach, a peaceful lapping sound that
soothes your soul.
You can go back home and dream of the rivers'
beach and peaceful sounds.
Jessica Schroeder
SB-L Middle School
Sgt. Bluff , Iowa 51106
712-943-4235
Connie Saunders, Reading/Writing Teacher
The River is like
The river is like a soaring bird.
The river is like a paper airplane soaring
through the sky.
The river is like a smooth piece of cloth.
The river is like the leaves on a stem.
The river is like me when I'm quiet.
The river is like the music playing on the radio.
The River is like the world.
Nicole Rogers
SB-L Middle School
Sgt. Bluff , Iowa 51106
712-943-4235
Connie Saunders, Reading/Writing Teacher
Rivers are so important.
Rivers are so cool,
But when we pollute them,
We act like a bunch of fools.
Why do we do this?
We don't know.
For if we do not change,
It will surely show.
Myles Tague
SB-L Middle School
Sgt. Bluff , Iowa 51106
712-943-4235
Connie Saunders, Reading/Writing Teacher
River Shine
River shine, river shine, shine for me to see.
River shine, river shine, shine for the whole town to see.
River shine, river shine, shine for the whole country to see.
River shine, river shine, shine for the whole world to see.
River, shine your beauty on me,
Shine like the ocean and the sea,
Shine little shine for me.
Casey Montgomery
SB-L Middle School
Sgt. Bluff , Iowa 51106
712-943-4235
Connie Saunders, Reading/Writing Teacher
A River's Just a Riverbed
A river's just a river bed,
With ever flowing waters,
Made home to many,
Creatures of a steady wrath,
Tucked below the water's edge,
Found and loved and lost forever,
Once again the story ends,
Never like the fairy tales,
The tempts and tries,
But when we reach the finish line,
We've lost the never ending battle,
We thought we would always.
Theresa Loveall
SB-L Middle School
Sgt. Bluff , Iowa 51106
712-943-4235
Connie Saunders, Reading/Writing Teacher
Someday
Someday we're going to die
Someday we're going to starve
Someday we're not going to have any decent water
Someday we will triumph
Someday
Sam Seward
SB-L Middle School
Sgt. Bluff , Iowa 51106
712-943-4235
Connie Saunders, Reading/Writing Teacher
Wild
When the river runs wild
People come to play, to drink
Maybe just for a day.
When the river runs wild
People come to hike, to camp and tramp
All over the river bank.
People stay for a week or even a month.
But now the river is polluted
They say there's nothing to do.
But there is something to do.
They can clean the river
So it can run wild like the time before.
Chris Mamula
SB-L Middle School
Sgt. Bluff , Iowa 51106
712-943-4235
Connie Saunders, Reading/Writing Teacher
Land of the Wandering Waters
before-- it flowed
frozen in a state of
suspended animation
seasons of creations
born of mountain thunder
and legends of mythic times
primordial haunting voices beckon
wind storms roaring
snow water
essence of a dream
this majestic magnificent
meandering ribbon
of comfort and fear
ever present
ever moving
ever changing
flowing like memories
murky, clearing
journeying through fertile soils
diaphanous clouds embracing
the realm of the living
this roaming foaming ribbon
this winding stream
chanting of snow peaks
blue lakes
green meadows
sun somewhere in the mist
touching aspen leaves
turning to gold
shimmering like a winged
lighted dragonfly
intimate beauty and grandeur
unpredictable indolence
unwilling alliance
uneasily restrained menace
miserable wretched dirty water
reflected innocence and tragedy
mirrored in poignancy and humor
isolated in pain
lost in a drowned world
of liquid land
enduring inhospitable river
possessing a sense of serene detachment
blithe disregard
requiring no presence
reveling in infinite solitude vast, lonely
mysterious urgings
exuberant grace, fertile abundance
times of sorrow
echoing long silences
lingering on the land
wondering
how many suns will set
how many moons will rise
until death stalks the
Land of the Wondering Waters?
No Forgiveness
cold drink of water blues
drowning in a river of confusion
music for survivors
river with long memory
no time for forgiveness
Connie Saunders
6th Grade Teacer
SB-L Middle School
Sgt. Bluff, IA 511054