Student Samples: Middle School
 A Tribute to Ansel Adams
by Jordan, seventh grade poet
Who could have known your true potential?
You were destined to be a great pianist,
Yet when the time came to chose your path,
You chose the rocky trail that led into an unknown topic to you:
Photography.
What was it about your abstract photos that angered people?
Your inner artist needed freedom,
So you gave yourself it.
Rejection has never stopped you from what you love:
Photography.
When did you start photographing?
You were first exposed to it at the Panama Pacific.
At Yosemite, you got your first camera,
Where you showed off your spectacular talent:
Photography.
Where is it that you went wrong?
You didn’t.
Nobody could accept your beautiful work.
They didn’t know what would soon be famous:
Your photography.
Why is it your own people couldn’t accept you until you were famous?
They couldn’t see,
They were blind to your abilities,
Your talent:
Photography.
(Click here to view/print Jordan and two of her classmates' poems.)
Student Samples: High School
 Dorothea Lange
by Kristen, eleventh grade poet
Work-worn hands
embracing a pair of
smaller ones likely to be yours. Telling
stories of how to be fiercely independent and
not let disability disable you. With your
crippled limp and polio making
images in your memory, you become
sympathetic for others. Depriving people of illusions
and putting truths in their views providing
what is necessary for those
suffering and starving people
in despair to be noticed.
Your camera may as well be an appendage of the body. 
You show the depression and insecurity that
you felt while shelter and food were unattainable. Trying
to be as unobtrusive as possible.
While living in Bowery, you became
passionate about photography. You
and your work are heart-warming.
Giving emotion a whole new meaning and
pulling at the heart strings of viewers
You are a masterpiece yourself, over-coming
what would normally
overrun any other person.
You truly are tremendous.
You are Dorothea Lange.
(Kristen's final product was actually a shape poem. Click here to see a photo of Kristen's poem.)
 Gustav Klimt
by Dannah, twelfth grade poet
patches of black, green and orange
making lovers in a field
a mother savoring the moments
with eyes shut,
for once they open
everything has changed
Not so simple
Your colors dull,
yet blotches of vibrant joy.
bleeding into each other,
Making perfect sense.
the worn out flower
striving for growth
Compassion
(Click here to see a photo of Dannah's visual version of this tribute poem to Gustav Klimt)
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