The Backyard Fairy
I don’t like when my wings
get caught in the trees. They
are hard to get out. I take a trip
to the sky and feel the breeze
on my face, then I come back to
the same boring backyard again.
I want to fly to the fairy world
Where there are pink trees with
purple flowers, and juicy blue berries, and
to see all my fairy friends, but
it is miles away from here
and if I went my wings would
start hurting. I wish I could
go back to fairy world.
Lilly Johnson
My Pig Family
My pig brother, with his room
a mess, playing with his
toys. We go for a walk, big
sis brings her pig friend,
dad brings his camera. Momma
talks to me, dad films
everything. Dad zooms in on me
with a stuffed animal teddy
bear. The air smells like
lavender, everybody doing their own
thing. Not me. I stay in my
stroller with my soft fuzzy bear.
We walk home, eat some
slop, and we watch “The Late
Night Pig Show” with Piggy
Fallon as our host. We are
bright pink from our heads to
our toes. We are pigs. We
are very, very unique.
Bella Carter
My Alligator Family
The marsh slurps around us my sister slinks
away. I try to come near her, her eyes shine in
The moonlight. I hear her following me, as though testing
me. I look back and she hides. I see her slide into the
water as though it was rolling fog. I see her wrestling
with my parents and hunting with them. I try to join
in. They leave me to the hollow body of bones. At the
end of the day I hear them growling as though I was
never there. The moss on the cypress trees serves as
our cover. I smell them on the wind and hear them
before I see them. And blood clogs my throat. Now in
a small office you may see my scales, my claws, my
eyes, laid on a small rug. And if you didn’t yet
figure it out I’m one of them too.
Parker Armstrong
The Space Beans
I carry them everywhere.
I rub, I smell, I see these
beans. Every bit of my life is surrounded
by these beans. I only have five but
they are powerful. Anything I could
possibly want is always with me.
They look like space. They smell like
flowers. They feel like pennies. Small but
powerful. Everyone thinks I’m crazy. I’m
not. Every blessing has come from these
beans. These beans taste like thick
lemonade. I can never lose them. I
throw them, they’re back. I tossed them
out of an airplane, plummeted them to sea,
but they’re still back. Why? You might
ask. These beans now cause trouble,
worries, lives. I’m stuck in a hole, with
a torturer. I am wrong. I hate
these beans. But there is no way to
get rid of them.
Dori Macarthur
The Backyard Griffin
I cannot fly, I never did
fully grow, I cannot hunt, my
claws never came. The
dog pounces around, circles
me then runs to the hedges
and hides. It spots a rabbit,
pounces, and kills with ease.
I smell the scent of rabbit
in the air, I watch him
come with the rabbit and
set it in front of me.
I take all I can get,
this empty yard is like
a prison, I am chained up.
The rabbit tastes horrible,
but this is my only
meal today. The dog wants
to play with me so I
wrestle. I see the mansion
with so many things to
play with in their backyard,
and so much food to eat.
I wish I was there. I wish…
Braeden Metheny
My Dog Family
As my sister yawns a big yawn
that’s when she yelps. Mom prances
down the hall to make treats. Sister
fetches her phone and plays flappy
dog. Mom barks to Granny every
day. Mom howls and howls to get
me awake, but I still sleep. Barks
and howls come from the kitchen
and then slowly fade away. The
cars whip wildly outside our window.
Granny wakes up to the smell
of bitter and sweet treats. Outside
the birds sing in choirs. Cats purr with
their families and then I awake. I yawn
and yelp. I go in the bathroom to
brush my fur. “Breakfast served!” Mom
barks. My brown fur gets sticky with
syrup. My snout gets all sticky and
my paws are crummy. Wow I love
being a German Shepherd pup.
Shailee Bickham
Greenbrier Public Schools
Greenbrier, AR
Dates of Visit: November 16-17, 2017
Faculty Sponsor: Tally Harp
Grade Levels: 3, 4, 5
Appx. Number Students Served: 90
Visiting Writers: Gwendolyn Mauroner, Jenee Skinner