If you haven't figured out this week's theme by now... um... it's birthday poems inspired by Billy Collins. Come on, you knew that!

Turning Ten
by Becky, Grade 6

The whole idea of it makes me feel
Like I can do anything,
Everything.
I can fly with the birds,
I can ride a dragon.
I'm going to turn ten.
Some feel the need
To let go of past games,
Imaginary friends,
All the things considered
Childish.
They think
That turning ten
Means crossing a threshold
From which
You may never return.
But I believe
At 11, 15 or even 30
At heart,
We are still kids.
So opinions are very different,
Unique,
Yet they have one likeness,
Turning ten,
Is
No
Small
Thing.

For the record, I'm 30. And I like to think I'm still a kid at heart. Here's a couple of monkeys celebrating birthday poem week to prove it. Look! They're wearing people clothes! Hahahahaha! Oh monkey.

This seems to be a popular concept here at WORD! Keep your birthday poems coming! Here's one from a student who managed to incorporate a monkey into her writing! Yay Birthday Monkey poems!

Turning Twelve
-by Emma, 11

The whole idea of it makes me feel
like Christmas came early this year.
Like a monkey in a
forest of banana trees.
Like a young child playing in a cool stream
on a hot summer's day.
Turning twelve.
Oh, how I wish it would come sooner!
"You may babysit when you are twelve", my parents say.
I have been eleven for years-an eternity-
or so it seems.
Turning twelve.
The thought of it makes me want to do a a little
dance in place,
or squeal like I do at Christmas, when I open my first present.
Turning twelve.
This is the beginning of
being treated like a teenager,
not a child,
of staying home alone,
of babysitting,
of walking home from school,
of being responsible,
of growing up.
Turning twelve.
How long it takes, but I know it will come.
Someday...
Turning twelve.

Here are a few more student written birthday poems inspired by Billy Collins' On Turning Ten and READ magazine!

Older
by Iman Siddiqui

The whole idea of it makes me feel
Like a rotten old banana peel
Everyday and every night
Holding on to my child-ish right
Sometimes I want to be alone
With everything silent to the bone
No matter how I feel inside
There is a hole open wide
Everything is changed
And I'm the one to blame
Sometimes the change is good
Just like it always should
Everything is crazy
Now it has become hazy
I can't take it anymore
All that knocking on my door
I'm sick and tired of all these traps
Closing on my weakened back
Older and older, day by day
No more time to go out and play
As I've matured, bigger and stronger
It will stay for longer and longer
Even if I cannot go out and play
Hopefully I'll enjoy my 13^th birthday

----------
Turning 13
by Christine Leong - Grade 6

The whole idea of it makes me feel
Like the shriveled old grape on 42nd street
The idea of 13 creeping up on me
Is slow but consistent
Week by week, day by day
Hour by hour, minute by, minute
second by second
It's like the lioness
About to pouce on her prey
It is like an ocean
Full of "Happy 13th Birthdays"
Swarming around me
Trying to drown me
You might wonder why?
Why are you afraid?
But, I'd simply answer
They expect so much more
They expect you to be great
They pile work on your head
'Till you can't balance any longer
Then they pile more work
And you drop like a bomb
You see, turning 13 isn't all that bad
But it's the door to independence
The door to freedom, high school
College, your job, adulthood
Being me of course,
I would never want to
Think of all this
So right now I'll just
Sit back and relax and
Concentrate on, not being 13,
But being 12.

Don't ask me why we're posting another birthday monkey picture. I don't have the answer. He just looks so happy! Oh... I guess that is answer enough.

In READ's Poetry issue, we asked you to write a few birthday poems using the first line from Billy Collins' poem, On Turning Ten. Here are just a few that we received.

--------------

Thoughts on Turning Ten
- Vivek Shankar, Grade 6

The whole idea of it makes me feel,
A little uncertain and strange,
As my birthday draws closer,
I close my eyes and whisper.
“Who am I? Who am I?
Ten years have passed so quickly,
I don’t understand,
The silent, ceaseless nature of time.
More is expected of me,
Than ever before,
Shocked am I,
As the day passes on.
I look back to remember,
The meandering course of life,
The times of happiness,
And the times of sadness.
Each memory plays a part,
In the twisting life of a human,
I look back and wonder,
What is there to live for?
I am a speck,
In the vast painting of life,
Looking back to remember,
The decade that has passed.
Who knows? I say,
But what I know,
Is to work your way through hardships,
And enjoy the pleasure of life.

--------------

Turning Twelve
-by Joseph Farhat, of the International Baccalaureate Baker Middle School

The whole idea of it makes me feel
like I'm about to explode
in a happy little fireworks display,
for that turning older
is the best thing
you can feel in your lifetime

Twelve might not be as great,
as your other birthdays you remember.
The day you turned one,
the fifth celebration of your life,
the great double digits of ten,
your sweet sixteen,
your fun twenty-one,
and any other birthdays you favor.

But I will not forget,
my twelfth birthday,
for to me it was very important,
because there at the big one two,
I felt I could do anything
If i could put my mind
to the task

Now as life slowly passes,
right before my eyes,
I reflect on my favorite B-day,
my wonderful twelfth.

Now as my poem comes to a close,
I want you to think,
about your wonderful birthdays,
and compare it to
your twelfth.