Final Presentation Category

1. The Glory of Taiwan ( Culture Poem)

2. Playground ( how we see the world around us)
3. Our Story ( Love, thrill, excitement)

4. Stranger ( Hip-Hop poem)

5. Peace  ( Peace & War Poem)

Poem & Me

Creating a poem is a tough mission,

With no imagination,

The beginning of the poem is like a mysterious puzzle,

With no direction and sensation.

Now poem is challenge,

But keep working on it is an option,

Finally I got great creation,

To express the deep emotion through the poem.

Brief description:
I was thinking about the first impression of creating poem. Poetry, in other words, for me, the period of this semester, I finally knew how to include the real emtion through words, it is not about how perfect a poem would be like, it is all about the sensation and experience of life.

Stranger

( Image resource: http://yhoo.it/19yRv3R )

"Hey, how do you do?" you said.
When we met each other for the first time,
I knew god sent someone special to me.
We were like air and water,
so essential that cannot image what future  would be like without you.
You taught me to be the best person I could be,
Just like you always give me the best everything as you could.
You bright up my life with beautiful sunshine,
“La~ La~ La~” I am humming a song,
When you walked me home at night,
The moon was especially brighter than ever that night.

In the second year, you suddenly moved away,

It left a hole in my mind when you went away.

You said we still can keep in touch wherever you are,

We both cried and hugged each other tightly,

For the first time you wrote a letter to me,

The stamp brought sunshine in blue sky,

Just like your smiles that always belong to me.

I put it in a wooden box so the good old memories will be cherished.

Somehow I wonder what you are doing now,

“Are you happy now?” I whispered,

But no one answered.

Now we are merely like strangers,

No matter how hard we try for our friendship,

And tears run down my face,

" I dont wanna lose you." I said,

" We are still as good as before." you said.

We are now living in different circle of social life,

although we sometimes make time to chatt as before.

But time is a devil that changes everything,

And our friendship can never like as before,

However, the photo of both of us will in my heart forever.

Description:
This poem is based on a story between my friend and me. We were used to be the best friends when we were sophomore. We went abroad for the first time together, we shared the secrets and often talked and planned for our future and even promised each other that someday we would definitely study abroad. However, I guess time chaneged everythning. Our friendship is not as good as before and I miss the good old days we spent together. So this is why I created this poetry, it indeed express the feeling of loneliness.

 

Dear Mama ( in-class task)

"Dear Mama"

You are appreciated

[Verse One: 2Pac]

When I was young me and my mama had beef
Seventeen years old kicked out on the streets
Though back at the time, I never thought I'd see her face
Ain't a woman alive that could take my mama's place
Suspended from school; and scared to go home, I was a fool
with the big boys, breakin all the rules
I shed tears with my baby sister
Over the years we was poorer than the other little kids
And even though we had different daddy's, the same drama
When things went wrong we'd blame mama
I reminice on the stress I caused, it was hell
Huggin on my mama from a jail cell
And who'd think in elementary?
Heeey! I see the penitentiary, one day
And runnin from the police, that's right
Mama catch me, put a whoopin to my backside
And even as a crack fiend, mama
You always was a black queen, mama
I finally understand
for a woman it ain't easy tryin to raise a man
You always was committedA poor single mother on welfare, tell me how ya did it
There's no way I can pay you back
But the plan is to show you that I understand
You are appreciated

[Chorus: Reggie Green & "Sweet Franklin" w/ 2Pac]

Lady...
Don't cha know we love ya? Sweet lady
Dear mama
Place no one above ya, sweet lady
You are appreciated
Don't cha know we love ya?

[second and third chorus, "And dear mama" instead of "Dear mama"]

[Verse Two: 2Pac]

Now ain't nobody tell us it was fair
No love from my daddy cause the coward wasn't there
He passed away and I didn't cry, cause my anger
wouldn't let me feel for a stranger
They say I'm wrong and I'm heartless, but all along
I was lookin for a father he was gone
I hung around with the Thugs, and even though they sold drugs
They showed a young brother love
I moved out and started really hangin
I needed money of my own so I started slangin
I ain't guilty cause, even though I sell rocksIt feels good puttin money in your mailbox
I love payin rent when the rent's due
I hope ya got the diamond necklace that I sent to you
Cause when I was low you was there for me
And never left me alone because you cared for me
And I could see you comin home after work late
You're in the kitchen tryin to fix us a hot plate
Ya just workin with the scraps you was given
And mama made miracles every Thanksgivin
But now the road got rough, you're alone
You're tryin to raise two bad kids on your own
And there's no way I can pay you back
But my plan is to show you that I understand
You are appreciated

[Chorus]

[Verse Three: 2Pac]

Pour out some liquor and I reminsce, cause through the drama
I can always depend on my mama
And when it seems that I'm hopeless
You say the words that can get me back in focus
When I was sick as a little kid
To keep me happy there's no limit to the things you did
And all my childhood memories
Are full of all the sweet things you did for me
And even though I act craaazy
I gotta thank the Lord that you made me
There are no words that can express how I feel
You never kept a secret, always stayed real
And I appreciate, how you raised me
And all the extra love that you gave me
I wish I could take the pain away
If you can make it through the night there's a brighter day
Everything will be alright if ya hold on
It's a struggle everyday, gotta roll on
And there's no way I can pay you back
But my plan is to show you that I understand
You are appreciated

[Chorus]

Sweet lady
And dear mama

Dear mama
Lady [3X]

(Link: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/2pac/dearmama.html )

Translation:
1. beef:  words meaning a crimainl  charge
2.Ain't a woman alive = there is no other women alive
3.You always was a black queen= you were always a black queen
4.You always was committed= you were always committed
5.Don't cha know we love ya? = Don`t you know we love you?
6.ya= you
7. crack: butt, buttocks
8. rocks: words meaning jewerly (related to)

Peace

World without war is peace,
Children run on the field in grace,
Meditation is a state of peace,
Starting a new day with peace.
 
Peace is when someone cares for you,
Peace is when you are meditating,
Peace is happiness we are looking for,
Peace is  a state of mind.

Listening to soft music is a peace,
Life is a race,
Maybe you can escape the conflict,
But peace never dies.

Peace is a noun but a state,
Peace is a  word but a feeling,
Peace is a state,
And the world without war is peace.

Brief description:
First, the poem is about to define the meaning of peace. Peace is easily to find if we pay a little attention on the environment we live in.Therefore, I wrote this poem mainly about peace while I was thinking how to express the emotion of peace through words.

Speaking: The Hero ( in-class task)

I did not want to go.
They inducted me.
I did not want to die.
They called me yellow.
I tried to run away.
They courtmartialed me.
I did not shoot.
They said I had no guts.
I cried in pain.
They carried me to safety.
In safety I died.
They blew taps over me.
They crossed out my name
And buried me under a cross.
They made a speech in my home town.
I was unable to call them liars.
They said I gave my life.
I had struggled to keep it.
They said I set an example
I had tried to run.
They said they were proud of me.
I had been ashamed of them.
They said my mother should be proud.
My mother cried.
I wanted to live.
They called me a coward.
I died a coward.
They called me a hero.

by Felix Pollak

( Link: http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/issues/peace-&-war/peace-poems.htm#8)

The reason why I chose this poem is because it remind me of the sence of Pearl Harbor. No one wanted to  join the fight (the soldiers) but had no choice to leave their hometwon and some came home safely after the war, but some, (they call " hero") the person who die in the war  for the nation and peace. Therefore this poem is moving and touching when I read it.

Culture Poem- The Glory of Taiwan

                                          (Image resource: http://yhoo.it/10EtG2v )

Her name is Formosa,
The most  beautiful island I know in this world,
There are a million people who live on this land.
It has various and wonderful culture if you explored.

People who live on this land is passionate,
Formosa is a tropical nation,
The kingdom of fruit is  her name,
Diversity in food culture is also the fame.

Languages is very interesting in this place,
Hakka, Taiwanese and Chinese,
Its aboriginal culture is an attraction,
Foreigners often come here for vacation.

" Where do you come from?"
" Taiwan" I would say with pride.
The world is so wide,
This heaven is always bright.
 
Description:
 This poem is about to tell foreigners that Taiwan is worthy to visit and the most beautiful place in the world. This is my hometown. When I wrote this poem, I searched lots of imgaes of scenery of Taiwan online in order to tell others how much I love my nation, and there is no other place like this for sure.














 

Parody- Lotto,lotto,lotto

Original Text:
I work all night, I work all day, to pay the bills I have to pay
Ain't it sad

And still there never seems to be a single penny left for me
That's too bad

In my dreams I have a plan
If I got me a wealthy man
I wouldn't have to work at all, I'd fool around and have a ball...

Money, money, money
Must be funny
In the rich man's world
Money, money, money
Always sunny
In the rich man's world
Aha-ahaaa
All the things I could do
If I had a little money
It's a rich man's world

A man like that is hard to find but I can't get him off my mind
Ain't it sad

And if he happens to be free I bet he wouldn't fancy me
That's too bad

So I must leave, I'll have to go
To Las Vegas or Monaco
And win a fortune in a game, my life will never be the same...

Money, money, money
Must be funny
In the rich man's world
Money, money, money
Always sunny
In the rich man's world
Aha-ahaaa
All the things I could do
If I had a little money
It's a rich man's world

Money, money, money
Must be funny
In the rich man's world
Money, money, money
Always sunny
In the rich man's world
Aha-ahaaa
All the things I could do
If I had a little money
It's a rich man's world
It's a rich man's world

(  lyrics resource: http://bit.ly/3ljhbJ)



Jenny’s version:

He lives on the street, no one care for him, and have no place to go

Ain`t it sad

And still there never seems to be to pay off the debt he owes

That’s too bad

In his mind he got a plan

If he won a lottery

He wouldn’t have to bear the laugh; he would travel around and have a ball…..

Lotto, lotto, lotto,

Must be funny,

In the rich man’s world

Lotto, lotto, lotto

Must be sweeties,

In the rich man’s world

Aha-ahaaa

All the things he would do

Is that if he had a fortune

He would be somebody

It is hard to win a fortune but he can’t stop giving a try

Aint`t it sad

And if he lose a game and no one willing to help him

That’s too bad

So he must act, he got a plan

To Las Vegas or Casino

And marry a rich lady, his life will never be the same......

Lotto, lotto, lotto,

Must be funny,

In the rich man’s world

Lotto, lotto, lotto

Must be sweeties,

In the rich man’s world

Aha-ahaaa

All the things he would do

Is that if he had a fortune

He would be somebody

 Lotto, lotto, lotto,

Must be funny,

In the rich man’s world

Lotto, lotto, lotto

Must be sweeties,

In the rich man’s world

Aha-ahaaa

All the things he would do

Is that if he had a fortune

He would be somebody

He would be somebody

Description:
" Money,Money,Money" is a famous song which also an original soundtrack of the movie Mamamia. Lottery, on the other hand, it is another word to indicate that people are dreaming of becoming somebody when he/ she wins a lottery and get rid of the poverty. So this poem is interesting to read and even for singing.

Parody- You are my sugar (in-class task)

You are my sugar,

My only sugar.

You make me laugh loud,

When I am bored .

You`II  never know, sweet,

How much I need you,

Please stay here with me for good.




Original Text:

You Are My Sunshine
My only sunshine.
You make me happy
When skies are grey.
You'll never know, dear,
How much I love you.
Please don't take my sunshine away


( Adapted on the song " You are my sunshine"  and video resource: http://bit.ly/13klTuN )

Honey Waffle

Turned on the Waffler maker,

Ring!Ring!Ring!

The cooking show was about to begin.

Everyone clapped, Pia! Pia! Pia!


Cracking two eggs to the bowl,

Ko! Ko! Ko!

Stirring it with butter,sugar and flour,

Colo! Colo! Colo!

Putting flour paste on the waffler maker,

Waiting for a few minutes,




Bi!Bi! Bi!

A yummy dessert is ready to serve!

( Image resource: http://yhoo.it/11KWF72)

Brief description:
Someday in the morning, I watched the cooking show, a chief was teaching how
to make a delicious waffle.That was really attractive and irresistable,especially for someone like me, who love to eat snack and pie.So,I tried to write a poem regarded my favorite food, that is waffle!!

Onomatopoeia-A Working Day

A lady working in the office,

An impatient look on her face,

Dong!Dong!Dong!

She is kicking the desk.

Ko!Ko!Ko!

A man knocking the door,

" Do you want to have lunch with us?"

Kulu~Kulu~Kulu~

Her stomach is shouting loud,

Well, she can`t wait to nod.

Description:
Well, sometimes I lose my patience when waiting for the class to be over, and I guess that people who work in the office may also have the same feeling. When lunch time is coming, everyone is going to relax as soon as possible.

Onomatopeia

Dong - sound of  shoes kicking the desk

ding -sound of clicking the mouse < a computer equipment>

Kulu,.kulu.kulu- sound of being hungry from the stomach

shoo - sound of wind

O-i -sound of ambulance

kulu-sound of drinking water

ko ko ko-sound of fingers knocking on the door

Leisure students

Attracted by the stands,

students walked through the hall,

the weather is like the fall,

all the people dressed in coat. 

Books were put on the stands,

students picked up with thier hands,

a breeze of wind in the air,

 and the hair fluttered in the sky.

Students wore in red coat,

focusing on the novels,

without disturbing by others,

absorbing the knowlege of books.

Reading in the fair,

the leisure hours in the air.

happy moment with friends,

words is meanigful until the end.

Standing near the books,

gazing the title of the fictions,

it was excited to enjoy the fair,

the campus suddenly became cheerful.

Chatting with friends,

gossing the latest topic,

the appearance of eveyone was fresh,

just like they never get tired.

The world of book as if in heaven,

when students read in the Caves.

Knowledge is an endless sea,

that it never bored.

Reading in the fair,

the leisure hour in the air.

happy moment with friends,

words is meanigful until the end.

Description: 

I saw lots of students were concentrating on absorbing knowledge in the book fair. A very queit and peaceful afternoon and a perfect time for reading a fiction to kill time or enjoy the leisure moment with friends.

 

Limericks- A Big Fish

There was a town girl from England,

who raised animals on her land.

She went to go fishing on weekend,

and had a big fish for meal at the end.

Oh!That was a grand feast in her dreamland.

Description:
I wanted to try to create a funny limericks, but I think I was not in the mood to tell a joke especially after completed a pile of reports. And this poem is mainly saying that a girl is dreaming of having a big meal but actually she did notm because it was only a " dream".

Limericks

There was a girl who lived in Kaohsiung,

whose age was quite young,

she was wearing  a red dress,

suddenly a mosquito bited her hand and the the basket fell into a mess.

Now she looked disgraceful and alone.

Haiku- Water

An essential drink,
Oh! Without it life is tough,
Just enjoy  yourself.
( Image source:
http://yhoo.it/10s47Df  )

Haiku- A Break for Coffee

A cup of coffee,
Music in the afternoon,
Oh! How sweet it is!





( Image source:http://yhoo.it/ZVJ9On)

Haiku- Early Spring

A bird spreads its wings,

In a lovely dawn of spring,

The sun warms my  heart.

( Image source: http://bit.ly/X7Wbbo)

Our Story

I met you unexpectedly in the campus one day,
And you took my breath away.
I couldn't stop thinking of you,
But I guess you already knew.

You always wore a smile on your face,
which made my heart race.
I kept staring at you like a fool,
when you played the guitar and sang a song for me on the roof.

You were the reason that  made me smile,
even when we miles apart.
Our love was like for the prince and princess,
which was precious and priceless. 

( Image source:http://yhoo.it/14HVSZR )


Description:
I was thinking about a love story that happened to one of my friends. This poem is mainly about the excitement of love and the memories of the couple. The poetry is actually a story about romantic and fancy love among people.

Playground

Playground, a place where always full with laughter and sweat.

While I was watching the sence,

it reminds me of the freshman year.

We were innocent and mischievous.

Not knowing another chapter of journey is begun,

we were 18 years old.

Once again, standing at the same place,

playground is still fulled with energetic kids,

they are carefree and enjoy the moment.

But the feeling deep inside me wondering,

" What have I learned in these four years?"

Time flies like an arrow,

We are wiser and mature.

You know you have to grow up.

You know you will leave this place someday.

You know that memory will always with you.

Because you always remember there is a space in your mind called " Kids` heaven"

That is playground.

Description:

" Playground" is a heaven for any age of people to have fun with their friends and family. This is the first time that I really thinking about what I have done in college. Sometimes, playground is not just a place but full of happy memories whenever I walk pass or stop by to watch it.

On the Express to Magic School

Harry entered into the platform through the wall with his friends.

Some of them looked excited.

Some of them appeared joyful.

Having a pleasant lunch on the train,

all of the students were looking forward to seeing their old friends.

The scenery was magnificent and splendid in the afternoon.

The students bought candy from a train attendant.

Some got a fresh and unexpected flavor of lollipop.

Some got an interesting gift from the lucky bag.

When Harry took a nap,

the others were happily playing wizard chess.

After a couples of hours,

A gorgeous young witch came to wake up Harry from his sleep.

She has flawless face and always polite.

Shall there be a dance party,

Harry will ask her out on a date.

Then, they smiled and chatted for a while.

Suddenly, Ring! Ring! Ring! (Bell is ringing.)

Everyone got off the train.

A Giant came to bring them to school.

All the juniors were shocked and shy.

Move! Move! Move! ( “don’t stay there.” The giant said.)

They are ready to start a whole new journey,

it will be a fabulous memory.

Entering the hall,

the flags were flying above their heads to welcome the freshman.

Listening to the principal,

there was a feast awaiting everyone.

Raising thier head,

they saw the ceiling kept changing its colors.

After the dinner,

the owl returned to thier masters.

It’s been a long day,

Harry had a fantastic school day.

Description:
Harry Potter is my favorite movie. When I wrote this poem, all the scene of this movies just like time machine, it bring back lots of  magic and happy childhood memory to me. I remember the first time I went to the theater to see Harry Potter, it was amazing and incredible that someone could create such a masterpiece.

Without one shoe, a poem by Nishu Mathur, India ( in-class task)

http://www.voicesnet.org/displayonepoem.aspx?poemid=211178

Vocabulary & Definitions

＊  tumultuous：

 1. very loud; involving strong feelings, especially feelings of approval
 2. involving a lot of change and confusion and/ or violence

＊   garland：

1. (noun.) a circle of flowers and leaves that is worn on the head or around the neck or is hung in a room as decoration

2. (verb.) to decorate sb/sth with a garland or garlands

＊  euphoria：

1. an extremely strong feeling of happiness and excitement that usually lasts only a short time

＊  somersault：

1. (noun.) a movement in which sb turns over completely, with their feet over their head, on the ground or in the air.

2. (verb.) to turn over completely in the air

＊  spectacle：

1. (noun.) a performance or an event that is very impressive and exciting to look at

2.  a sign or view that is very impressive to look at 

3. an unusual or surprising sight or situation that attracts a lot of attention

Life and Words

Contemplating the sea,
I free myself from the noisy city.

Sitting under the shadow of a tree,
I am missing the one I love.

Standing in the middle of the garden,
I smell the fragrance of blossom.

Gazing the sunset on the balcony,
I am thinking the meaning of life.

Staring out the window,
I saw a shiny shooting star crossing the night sky.

Walking along the river alone,
I am considering the road not taken.

Life is so long,
it could be complicated and dramatic.

So, the world of words is much better and happier
than anything real