your vision, your voice
Jake’s House
There was a man whose name was Jake
Who had a house upon the lake
Every morning he would wake
And for breakfast have a piece of cake
He had a private fishing hole;
He always used a long cane pole
He fried his fish on red hot coal
And served it in a great big bowl
For a pet, he had a cat
Wolcott High
12
A million tear drops to be found
Falling empty to the ground
Forced to leave the rivers, forest, freedom and their homes
And nature speaks thru them all alone
but makes no sound
Their steps are no where to be found
Oh their sadden souls
That nobody else would come to know
Just their lost shadows
Who knew would come to grow
Maybe their melodies would echo their goodbyes
But you can still hear their soulful cries
David Crockett High School
9th
Sure, like the wind is sure
when it blows a little breeze.
Sure, like the sun is when
it shines down upon us.
Sure, like an architect is sure
when he looks at blueprints.
Sure, like a mother bear is sure
that her kids are safe.
Sure, like when the universe was sure
it could support life on some planet, somewhere out there.
How can we be sure, but still be uncertain?
Baldwin
5th
Hello, Vision+Voice fans and families!
Here’s some information so you know what to expect at tonight’s Award Reception.
Our overall goal is to make the Vision+Voice honorees feel like rock-stars at the award reception. We want the students to see themselves as artists whose expression of self is important to the world.
We will have a great buffet of tapas-style food catered by students in ACC’s Hospitality Program. There will be a red-carpet with paparazzi, film crews will be documenting and live-streaming, and we have a writer who will be interviewing students and parents to capture info that she’ll use for an article about V+V. What a night!
Vision+Voice honorees will each get a goody bag with special treats — including the 2017 Vision+Voice Anthology and a certificate of achievement. And we have lots of posters to give away.
The program will feature speakers from ACC and AISD, and will include the videos of the students reading their poems. Our Master of Ceremonies is an award-winning poet and educator who is coming all the way from New Orleans for this event.
Please bring your friends and family to enjoy the festivities.
We are delighted to announce the winners of the 2016-17 Vision+Voice poetry contest! First choice poems will be paired with art by an ACC art student to create posters, and all the winning poems will be collected into the 2016-17 anthology.
More info coming soon!
Kindergarten: Whale, Elle J., Ridgetop Elementary
First: My Story, Ana D., Ross Baldwin Elementary
Second: Tsunami, Ryan H., Boone Elementary
Third: Art, Ivy N., Baldwin Elementary
Fourth: Time, Martha N., Casis Elementary
Fifth: The Flow of Life, Janhavi K., Bernice Kiker Elementary
Sixth: The Heart Hears Music, Lily C., Lamar Middle School
Seventh: Pearl Whiskers, Ivy M., The Ann Richards School
Eighth: Empty Scars, Rachel P., Covington Middle School
Ninth: Nothing, Blayce W., William B. Travis Early College High School
Tenth: Light (And Not), Miranda H., McCallum High School
Eleventh: Badland, Saylor H., James Bowie High School
Twelfth: Deep in the Heart, Hailey A., James Bowie High School
Dean’s Choice: El Monstruo, Ximena S., Barbara Jordan Elementary
Kindergarten: Polar Bear, Ruby L., Rodriguez Elementary
Kindergarten: Monster Truck, Xavier J., Rodriguez Elementary
First: Just Be Happy, Christopher Z., Odom Elementary
Second: Time, Astrid F., Gullett Elementary
Second: Christmas, Alyssa T., Baranoff Elementary
Third: What I Like, Eva D., Blanton Elementary
Third: In the Front Yard, Lark T., Bryker Woods Elementary
Fourth: To Swim, Olivia A., Casis Elementary
Fourth: My Sister Ate My Homework, Malachi J., Boone Elementary
Fifth: The Ocean, Nicole P., Kiker Elementary
Fifth: Dreams, Nicole P., Kiker Elementary
Sixth: My Family is Like the Ocean, Omar U, Gorzycki Middle School
Sixth: Sunrise, Megan S., Gorzycki Middle School
Seventh: Underwater, Peyton C., Lamar Middle School
Seventh: Dysl3xia, Ryan O., Gorzycki Middle School
Eighth: Chains, Samantha P., Gorzycki Middle School
Eighth: Home, Kelsey N., Fulmore Middle School
Ninth: Color Guard, Talia H., James Bowie High School
Tenth: Ode to the Night, Marisa R., Anderson High School
Eleventh: BLM, Charlotte T., James Bowie High School
Eleventh: Bloodletting, Riley E., Garza Independence High School
Twelfth: Zephyr, Rachel C., James Bowie High School
Twelfth: Repress, Disaster Alike, Don’t You, Nicole H., James Bowie High School
Dean’s Choice: Gus, Diane D, Gorzycki Middle School
Thanks to all the parents and teachers who support our poets! Special thanks to AISD for helping to make Vision+Voice possible.
And to our poets: It’s your vision, and your voice. Thanks!
Take a deep breath, and you’ll see why you did
The jungle is filled with amazing tricks
The monkeys swing side by side
While the snakes hunt mice quickly but sly
The parrots and toucans are high in the sky
When the panthers and jaguars hunt with pride
Oh the trees the beautiful trees
The mango banana and avocado trees
So take a deep breath and you’ll see
The jungle is filled with amazing tricks
Bernice Kiker Elementary
V
Under the blanket, I live with fear
Hoping the monsters don’t come near
I check if any are there
But what I find is quite unfair
A mask and wig is what I saw
It turns out it was my brother after all
Bernice Kiker
5th
The sun is bright, the sky is blue
The wind is cold, the frost is too
The ocean waves are calm but do stay
The rainbow across the mountain never goes away
There is anger and hate, and joy with fate
There is hope and creation, and sadness with frustration
But all leads to one equation
Light and dark are the same, so as life and death
Creation and destruction are the same
That is the equation of life that we all live today
Live your life, see it through
Don’t have hate but joy with you
And see the many wonders that life brings to you
Be the calm river that is steady and slow
Or go through the stream that is wild and free
And go through the adventures that were meant for you
Don’t go down the path that is written
Go down the path that you write as you go
Don’t let anything stop you, don’t let anything make you slow
Choose your path calm or wild
Flow with life as you go!
Bernice Kiker Elementary
V
As I wake up from this sleepless night,
I see the light on the frosted windowpane.
To the frosted windowpane;
The light comes through you to fade slowly.
This lustrous glow is as beautiful as the new fallen white snow.
To the new fallen white snow;
You are smooth yet coarse, but as brave as a horse,
To fly along the wind without knowing just where
You will ever land.
To the land;
You let the snow fall on you, the wind batter you, the light fade you,
And most of all, never, ever sleep at night.
How can it be?
Covington Middle School
7
