ATT ISSN 0197-What's the point of poetry? Might as well ask what's the point of spring. What's the point of a flower opening, What's the point of singing? Might as well ask why a bird flies, Why a tree seeks the sky. (That's the way life lies.) Jan BarryWATERWAYS: Poetry in the Mainstream Vol. 3 No, 2 April, 1982 Co-Editors: Barbara Fisher & Richard Alan Soiegel Page 4d Acknowledgements 15 Giovanni Licorish 26 Jennifer Giarratano 5 John Keats 16 Brian Ramjit 27 Nancy Guida 6 Richard Boccato 17 Robert Anderson 28 David Jacobs 7 Sean McHugh 18 Nicky Daraviras 29 Stuart Lee 8 Gabriel Philipson 19 Paul Fiorentino 30 Liz Basch 9 Jason Smith 20 Stephen Fuchs 31 Frank Carcaterra 10 Shawn Alexander 21 Hardy Hyppolite 32 Venta Cernoks 11 Keesha Bonett 22 Ricardo Jackson 33 Tracy Daraviras 12 Dashiel Gables 23 Lance Jeffers 34 Jennifer Donadio { 13 James Hairston 24 Renee Tricamo 35 Darryll Dufresne | 14 Rachel Kemp 25 Jennifer Dassori 36 Lukas Haynes Subscriptions to WATERWAYS are $15 a year; single issues, $2. Made payable to Ten Penny Players Inc., 799 Greenwich Street, NY 10014 All rights revert to contributors after publication of this issue. © 1982, Ten Penny Players Inc. 237 Tracy Hopf 56 Dalton Conley 69 Ilsa Gilbert 38 Shani Levitt 57 Ming Chie Fond —_70 Doree Igra 39 Elizabeth Miniero 58 Pamela Nardi 71 Louise Jaffe 40 Lawrence Moses 59 Lauren Springer 72-5 Emma Landau 41 Michael Pensabene _60 Alison Street 76 James H. Brennan 42 Melissa Simeon 61.John Sucke 77-9 Richard Davidson 43 Joseph Talarek 62 Frank Contursi 80 Preview 44 Nicholas Tzonis 63 Flora Moy 45 Sharon Boucher 64 Sing May Siu 46 Victor S, Brody 65 Stephanie Frank 47 Luke Joerger 66’ Amanda Jacobs 48 Asia Linn 67 Adrienne Day | 49 Ansu McClinton 68 Nadya Engler 50 Kina Perkins | 51 Timothy L. Reason [Poem by Jan Barry reprinted with per- | 52 Rebecca Walkowitz mission from - PEACE IS OUR PROFESSION | 53 Marvin Breedlove East River Anthology, 1981] 54 Constantine Koutras 55 Regina RawnerACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It has become very popular for the press and the media to condemn educators and parents for failing to educate and train children better. As frequent critics of the school system and of adults who work with children, we agree that things most certainly could be better. However, this issue of WATERWAYS demonstrates that whatever our failings as parents and educators, what is happening in homes and classrooms is not as bleak as the critics paint it to be. When the editors of a poetry magazine announce a contest for poetry, with the only ‘reward! being publication and the chance to read poems to the public and more than 500 poems are sent out from classrooms and private homes by children who are both reading and writing poetry (enjoying it and doing it well) something positive is happening in those classrooms: and in those homes. Our thanks to the District Superintendents, Principals & Teachers from — Districts: 1,2,13,15,16,18,20, 22,27 & the HS Division of NYC; PS 3,19,40,41,67,107, 204,229,235, 247, 269Annex, 276; 1S$70;JHS 117,220, 258, 259, 278; Bx HS of Science, St. Thomas Apostle, Village Community School and to the other schools that submitted poetry for this issue, our thanks as well. i [Programing made possible by the generosity of B Dalton Bookseller] 4ON FIRST LOOKING INTO CHAPMAN'S HOMER John Keats ” Much have | travell'd in the realms of gold And many goodly states and kingdoms seen; Round many western islands have | been Which bards in fealty to Apollo hold. Oft of one wide expanse had | been told That deep-brow'd Homer ruled as his demesne: Yet did | never breathe its pure serene Till | heard Chapman speak out loud and bold: --Then felt | like some watcher of the skies When a new planet swims into his ken; Or like stout Cortez--when with eagle eyes He stared at the Pacific--and all his men Look'd at each other with a wild surmise-- Silent, upon a peak in Darien. 5A GREAT STORY Richard Boccato "Porridge, porridge, yum, yum, yum! Fits like gum in my tum, tum, tum" Said Goldilocks. But Papa Bear said, "No, no, no! Just go, go, go." So Goldilocks ran away to her home, and went to moan, moan, moan.seeing different people and different lands I say hello Sean McHugh They say how do you fly like that 1 say by reading books and imagining 22 |MY FAVORITE STORY Gabriel Philipson The Legend of Sleepy Hollow! has no head, rides on a horse, has a pumpkin. Babies cry from it and babies get scared. But when I hear it, I don't cry. I think it's great!CURIOUS GEORGE Jason Smith He is curious, curious. He likes to peek and pry. He sometimes gets in trouble, and then he starts to cry. Do you like him? Yes or no?MADELINE Shawn Alexander In the country of Paris that had a house covered with vines, could be found twelve sisters standing in straight lines. The youngest was Madeline she was very small, She was not afraid of anyone or anything at all. She was not afraid of mice, she loved winter, snow and ice. One night she got sick It was her appendix, She went to the hospital They took care of it. Now Madeline is afraid of becoming sick.THE BOOK Keesha Bonett 1 would like to be a book Maybe hanging on a hook. I would like to be hanging on a shelf, Or would you rather be a help to me Or would you rather throw me in the sea. Will you take me along with you to read.’ Or would you be in beads. | don't care how you be just love me as you read me. If you throw me in the sea That means you don't love me I will get wet So get me!BOOKS Dashiel Gables Books, books, books, Who needs books. Book, books, books You can't hang them on hooks. If you give them away, You might not get them back Cause that person might keep them on his rack Look out for all crooks , ‘Cause they might want your books. So take good care of your Books, books, books.1 WRITE BECAUSE James Hairston | write because it's really fun, Then | can read it to everyone. Someday I'll write a real story, It'll make me go down in history. My books will teach a lot, Children won't say they forgot. I write a little every day, I think carefully about what | say. I love to write stories and I do, But the nicest one is all about you.BOOKS. Rachel Kemp A book is a friend, So the pages don't bend, Take care of the books, Take care of their looks, Don't tear the pages, They'll last for ages.= CINDERELLA Giovanni Licorish Cinderella met a fella, And locked her in a cellar. She never got out. Then she started to shout, And he bought her a new umbrella.LIMERICK Brian Ramjit Tom Thumb was so small, He was smaller than a ball, He went to the store, But people smashed him on the floor, He wished that he was big, not small at all.HUMPTY DUMPTY Robert Anderson Some lucky person is enjoying a luxurious egg meal Such a wonderful man had to die, Just because he wanted to sit on a wall. | Now he is safe inside a healthy person's body. } At least he can't fall off any walls. | He was old enough to know he is | stupid to sit on a wall.ROBINSON CRUSOE | Nicky Daraviras | am in my home in England away from my island, Behind bars from my past. | I wanted this life, but now | miss those lonely nights, 1 spent listening to the crickets. Those days | killed baby lambs for their meat, today, alive 1 feel that I'm a killer. | remember the day Friday came, he was my only companion. He died of small pox six years ago. We played and worked on the island. Now, | am bored. When that boat rescued me, I was happy. Now, | am sad that my past is gone. My life is now in a glass box in a museum, It is as if | am dead.Frank Contursi Enter the calm serene world of reading. Lose yourself in adventure, Stimulate your mind in a thrilling mystery, This is the second world, a world of fantasy where even the impossible is possible. So leave reality behind Become entangled in a book And see how much fun it can be, See, how much fun it can be.GRETEL THE ONE NOW Stephen Fuchs | feel scared. | dream of killing the witch over and over again. When | look on the walls | see her shadows. When | wake up in the morning I look at the mirror. I can see her. I see drawings in my book. I get into trouble a lot.