I Am Attean I am a swift hunter and a polite young man. I wonder if I can find my manitou. I hear my lost mother calling. I see my gone father hunting. I want to learn the white man’s signs. I am a swift hunter and a polite young man. I pretend to hunt moose. I feel the wind behind me. I touch the rattling water. I worry about the white man's trap. I cry to see my camp leave. I am a swift hunter and a polite young man. I understand I must go hunt. I say there should be peace. I dream of unity with the white man. I try to be brave. I hope to see my camp again. I am a swift hunter and a pol

Did You Ever Look At . . . Did you ever look at the stars in the sky? What did you see? I saw the Big Dipper, the Little Dipper. I look very closely and see the shape of my face. Did you ever look at the sky on an afternoon? What did you see? I saw children in a train and a very big castle. Sometimes, if you look very closely, you may see your beautiful face. Did you ever look in the mirror? What did you see? I saw my beautiful skin, blond hair, and hazel eyes. Sometimes, if you look very closely, you will know that you are truly beautiful, too!

The Civil War The United States went through a split, The South decided that they would quit. “A house divided cannot stand,” Rang Lincoln’s voice throughout the land. Then the Civil War broke out, Each side fought without a doubt. A war against slavery, a war to unite, Were two of the reasons for the North to fight. A battle to separate, and the right to own others, These were the reasons the South fought its brothers. After four long years, the North won the war, And all the states were united once more.

Sloppy Joes Sloppy Joes are my favorite food; Once I eat one, I’m in a good mood. Mix some ketchup, onions, and meat; Put it in a pan and turn on the heat. Cook it, stir it, put it on a bun, Serve it on a plate, and now you're done! Here’s a recipe: 1 lb. ground beef chopped onion (to taste) 1/2 t. salt 1 c. ketchup 1 T. mustard 1 T. sugar 1 T. vinegar Brown the meat and onion, and then add the rest.

When I Was Upside Down When I was upside down, my smile became a frown. I wore a bright blue gown, but it made me look like a clown. As I was hanging upside down, the world was moving all around. My feet were on the roof, while my head was on the ground. While I was hanging upside down, my long brown hair was dangling down. My eyes were closed, my ears were shut, and I could not hear a sound. Hanging upside down was fun for just a day. Now I’m back on my feet, and I’m really ready to play!

Dreams As your eyes flutter and your breathing slows, Teddy bear clasped in your hand, You hop on a beautiful train To a mystical, enchanted land. You step down on cloud steps And think, “Is this actually real?” Your breathing stops, and your eyes pop open; Shock is what you feel. Ladies dance in pink silk dresses, And their skin looks so fair While they talk and laugh with the wind And ribbons twirl in their hair. They fly over rainbows. They glide over streams. They dance on and on— Forever, it seems. You can ride on an eagle, You can wish on a star, And joy fills your body Wherever you

A Lesson to Learn My little brother is so irritating. All day long he says, “Eddie, I wonder why people can talk but animals can’t.” Or, “I wonder why the ocean looks blue.” Of course, I don’t know the answers, but I don’t let him know that. I just make up reasonable explanations, and he accepts them as if I’m the smartest person in the world. Before I answer one of his questions, I usually tell him that he’s pretty stupid and asks too many questions. Well, yesterday we both got our report cards. I got B’s and C’s, and he got straight A’s.

The Racist Warehouse It was a beautiful August morning. The sun was brightly shining on my sunglasses while my mother drove the U-haul truck to a warehouse in Santa Ana, California. As my mother drove down the streets of Santa Ana, I looked out the window and began to realize that the mixture of people was no longer a mixture; there was only white. When we arrived at the warehouse, I had to peel my arm off the side of the hot door like a burnt sausage off a skillet. There were not many cars in the parking lot, and I could see the heat waves.

Giving Life It was a hot summer day. My dad and I were getting ready to go out for a ride on the boat with my friend Katie and the dog. That’s when the phone call came, the call that made that bright, beautiful day a cold, dark, gloomy one. I had just put on my suit, shorts, and tank top, and packed my bag with sunscreen and everything else I would need for the day. I ran into my parents’ room to find Dad. When I saw him on the phone, he was crying. I’d never seen my dad cry before. My heart sank. What possibly could have happened? “Max, I’m so sorry,” I heard him say. That’s when it hit me.

The Great Paw Paw Memory. The dictionary defines it as the mental ability to recall past experiences. We think of it as that picture we saw, the words she said. Who in your life is so vivid in your memory that you could describe him or her without a second thought? For me, it’s my grandpa. But when I was small, I couldn’t say “Grandpa,” so 13 years ago, Theodore Lazarus became Paw Paw. To all the grandkids, Paw Paw was full of fun and games. We all remember his favorite expressions, the ones that would pop out each time we saw him. Luckily, we visited Paw Paw quite often.