I am making an anthology of poems written by the children in my workshop at Farm Labor Homes, which is located just outside the small town where my husband and I live. Below are some of the poems they wrote in response to a stripped-down block of text I gave them. They had to fill in the missing words and phrases. The lines they came up with are wonderful and amazing.

 
Skeleton Poem #1

There will be a bunny that eats something.
Something that is not will be.

He will get sick like the wind and is not a dog.
He will be too lowly to destroy the city.

 
 
Skeleton Poem #2

There will be a sandwich monster
to destroy the world. Something that
will not be pretty like the storm or a rat.
The monster will be too ugly to be safe
as a donkey. It is no joke for you. Hold on
tight with your family. Keep packing
because being behind is not funny.

 
 
Skeleton Poem #3

There will be happy birthday to birthday happy.
Something that goes running to me and …

 
 
Skeleton Poem #4

There will be skeleton bone soup to eat.
It will freak you out like the monsters on TV.
A monster will eat you, too, if to eat is to scare.
It is no fun for children.
Hold your spirit with your life.
Keep running. Don’t get left behind.

 
 
Skeleton Poem #5

There will be a monster to my friend.
Something that will scare him
will pop out of his bed
like a dog and a duck and a deer.

 
 
Skeleton Poem #6

There will be a dog. Two more dogs.
Something that is black will pop out
Like the bird is flying a kite.