Mmm, Mmm Odes!

Every year I have my HOS students write poems about one of my favorite things: FOOD! Using Pablo Neruda's "Odes" as examples for this exercise always works perfectly. Two of my favorites are "Ode to Tomatoes" and "Ode to Salt". The students always really love these poems... especially when the tomato is "murdered" by the knife! In response, I asked them to write their own odes to their favorite thing to eat. We mentioned using personification, strong images and formatting their poems on the page just like Neruda. We had some great poems as a result!

Mrs. Villa's 6th Grade Class

Ode to Posole
Ismael S.

Posole fills my mouth with
stinging flavor
The pot smells like peppers
The pot looks like a red
stop sign
The meat floats around
like a sattelite in space
The chile gets ground
up to make the soup
flaming hot like the
sun
The way the soup
makes the bowl
look so good
Once you have it
in your mouth
you don't want to
stop eating it
The meat is so good
it is like you want
to murder it
with your teeth
But in the end
you wish for
more

Ode to Chocolate
Marisa T.

Smooth and sily
sweet like a bowl
full of
sugar
We must
eat immediately
or else
it will melt
as fest as an oven
can heat a single
piece of
cheese
it conquers the world
with its
delicious savory
sugary
sweetish taste
flatter than a
piece of
paper
it comes to
our doors
and knocks
come come
for me please
I beg
of you

Ode to Ice Cream
Diana B.

You're frozen
but in my mouth
you're soft
creamy
chocolately
You cry
when I leave
you
Your tears
are delicious
They create
puddles of
chocolate
You melt in
my mouth
Then you're gone
But you leave
behind a tear
on the top
of my lip

Mrs. Weiland's 4th Grade Class

Ode to Pizza
Staci Q.

Pizza
is spicey
and I like
spicey stuff
It is good
I like cheese
the best
It is spicey
like fire
I love
pizza All
my friends love
pizza
Just like me
Pizza is murdered
because it
gets cut
into slices
Pizza is
the best

Ode to Pizza
Manar S.

Millions of people
ate pizza.
It is a spicey
and cheesey.
As soon as you put it
in your mouth
it fights its way
out. It is selfish
because it doesn't
want the world
to eat something
so scrumptious.
Fine as ice cream,
pies, cookies, cakes.
Better than all
the desserts.

Ode to Chocolate
Jailene R.

The store is filled
with tons of
chocolate sweets.
It seems to be
murdering me
with its own
bitter-sweet taste.
It gets crunchy
when it is bit.
It feels hard
when it is touched.
It is bittersweet
like a grape
right off the
stem.
It tries to call kids
to come and buy
it.
On the street
it goes walking
waiting until
anyone wants
to get it.
Just as soon as
someone gets it
it tells itself
why am I
letting a person
eat me here?

Ms. Servin's 4th Grade Class

Ode to Peaches
Omar L.

The town
decorated
of peaches
when I eat
peaches they
fight
with
their
leaves
the peach
sees
an
apple
and falls
in love
with its
shiny skin
and when
I ate them
after their
wedding
they tried
to get
out of me
and somehow
they did

Ode to Tamales
Mario O.

Delicious and
wonderful
it taste
as sweet
as a strawberry
waiting to be
picked on his
vine. The wall
you have to pass to get
to its treasure.
The smell as
wonderful as
spring roses.
It waits on the dish
to be treasured by
a mouth.
It gets excited
when someone
passes by. It gets in
form to be
enjoyed by a hungry
human being, but
they ignore him.
The tamale is sad.
There is no one to
enjoy him. When I
pass by I can't resist
his look. I reach my
hand for it and start
munching on a joyful
heaven.

Ode to Tacos
Edgar D.

I am very
very tasty
and spicy
like a real good
taco or
chocolate
but when people eat
me they say
yuck!
I am going to spit
and they spit at me
and I don't like
anybody's germs.

Ms. Kane's 7th Grade Class

Ode to Coffee
Alejandra O.

The kitchen filled
with its steamy scent
during
the mornings
of the day.
Its light brown
chocolate color
filling the
cup to
the very top.
Its scent traveling
through the
halls,
entering rooms through
the bottom of the
doors and
calling the persons name
by getting closer
to their face.
The person with a
delight and cheerful
smile.
It is like a hot tub
steaming and
keeping the person
warm.
You could share it with
your friends.
In the end
the cup is empty,
like a pool without
water.

Ode to Pie
Antonio P.

The pan,
happy to hold this
amazing,
delicious,
outstanding
pie over it.
An explosion of
crunchy,
juicy,
mushy,
deliciousness.
Your taste buds
cheering in this
wonderous
celebration of
taste and delight.
It never dies.
In fact,
it multiplies,
giving life to
other pieces.
Sharing the greatness
and awesomeness
of the
fruit-like,
crunchy,
taste.
Like a math problem
different,
can be added to,
divided,
subtracted,
multiplied.
The pie wants to
go,
anything to make
anyone happy.
It will jump
into your mouth.
It knows you will
appreciate the
taste and delight.
Pie cannot be eaten
alone, though.
It has
to mix
with what
makes it even more
complete and
perfect:
fruit.
They are soulmates,
perfect for each other,
happy together,
great chemistry,
extreme heat,
amazing taste,
crunchy and mushy,
perfect combination.

Ode to Strawberry
Ivette V.

Its red color
looks so good
and yummy.
When you take the
first bite
it feels like you're
in heaven.
As you eat
through it you see
its bad side.
You could almost
see it speaking
to you.
Don't eat me! Don't eat me!
As you move
and see its
good side
it says,
go ahead! Eat me!

Ms. McDermott's 5th Grade Class

Ode to Popcorn
Amanda C.

In to the
microwave
it goes.
The sweet
smell of
popcorn
right before
a movie.
I love the sound
pop!
pop!
pop!
It is ready
to eat.
As the first
piece
of popcorn
arrives
in my
stomach
the party begins.
As more arrive
it sounds
like
all of them
hopping
at the same time.
As I pat my stomach
you can
hear them scream...
EARTHQUAKE!

Ode to Pasta
Marco L.

I love pasta
it tastes good
it tastes like
tomato and it
is red and yellow
I love pasta
even with garlic bread
the pasta meat
so good
the pasta looks
like a big red dragon
that we can eat

Ode to Sausage Sandwiches
Marisol T.

When my
mom
does not
have ham
she makes
sausage
sandwiches
and they
are so
good.
They look
like
normal sandwiches
but with
sausage.
It cries
when I tell
it I am
hungry. I
say I am
sorry.
But then I
eat it.
They taste like
witch sand
and a sausage
dog.

Mr. Herbeck's 5th Grade Class

Ode to Enchiladas
Jordan D.

Chiles picked
out and
dried
in the sun,
murdered
in its own home,
then chili
sauce with
dried chilies
soaking in it.
Add salt.
Then,
tortillas swim
in the sauce
with meat put in.
They look like a
train on fire.
A towel of cheese
gets laid on it
to dry
it off. Beans come
near but are
quickly soaked
up in sauce.
Then the aroma
fills the house.
A river of lava
flows down my
throat with pieces
of meat catching a
ride on
a tortilla.

Ode to Posole
Trent B.

The spicy
hot red soup
just
sets in my
bowl
as it looks
like hot lava.
The hot giant
corn as
it dances in the
pan.
It feels like
I am biting a shark.
Why are you so
delicious?

Ode to Pierogi
Luke K.

Pierogi
nice and
delicious smooth
and good looking
It is dancing in
my bowl. Tries
to tackle
my teeth so I
wouldn't eat it.
Hangs out
in my stomach
like it is
in the pool.
Eats my
lung like
a strip of
candy.