Poetry for Hope is a collection of poems written and illustrated by 4th grade students in Greensboro, North Carolina. The theme is close to their hearts, since it relates to their immigration journeys, struggles and life challenges. It's not perfect, but it is authentic because it portraits their lives.

1. Poetry for HOPE
Written and illustrated by 4th grade students of
Sedgefield Elementary, Greensboro, NC

2. Hope
When I came to America I felt sad
I left a lot of family behind
Like my grandma, she was a great person;
when I needed help she helped
she was going to help me no matter what was wrong with me
even when I am sad she will cheer me up
even when I was mad too.
When I left Africa my mom
hoped we will have a good life
but when we arrived
We didn’t know a word of English
But after three years we got the hang of it
Then we learned to speak English and write English
Also, three days later, my mom got a job so we can get a house.
Mubarak
1

3. HOPE
Hope is something that you can’t stop in my dad’s heart
My father hopes to see me again
When he left me alone 5 years ago
My heart broke every day
I cried every night because I
Was so down, I was underground
I needed his love and I didn’t get that
Then he came back to see me again
Hope to get that love back
I feel like I’m family with my dad
By Zykiria
2

4. HOPE
Hope is believing in my self
I believe I can become a tech rorker
but if I don’t have hope
Then that can’t be
My family
Will fight until I succeed and
I will not fall I will stand up
And fight for my dreams but
Not only that you’re supposed
To have hope so you can succeed
In your Dreams
Taylor
3

5. Hope
Is the bus that took us here to the U.S.A.
We left Mexico because there
Was a lot of crime!
Hope
Hope
Hope!
The bus went to the U.S.A. with us
On it so we can have a better life
My parents worked hard
Day and night in hope
That we can get a
Better life.
Pablo
4

6. HOPE is everything!!
Hope is my parents’ life
I have hope for my mom
And dad because they are
The thing I Love
Hope is in my mom’s and dad’s heart
Hope is everywhere in the world
Hope is my mom because
My mom believes I can do everything; like
passing 4th grade
Hope is my dad because
My dad believes I can do better in school
Hope is everything to me
Because my mom and dad
Believe in it too
Nicole
5

7. HOPE
Hope is the heart of my family
I wonder why my parents left Cambodia
we came because of the war in Cambodia at the killing field
and in the war in Cambodia my great grandpa and grandma passed away
It was hard for my dad to take care of all three of his kids
I hope my parents won’t fight in front of me or stop yelling at each other in front of me and my
brother.
NOW WE ARE IN AMERICA, but we are still a family
Because hope is the heart of my family.
By Malina
6

8. Hope
Hope is an airplane that flies trough the sky…
It took us away and
It brought us here
My heart was broken when I left Togo in 2012
I had to leave all my friends in Africa
I felt very sad it took us 2 days to come to America
It was very hard for me and my family
I got better and better at school
And life got better for my family too,
It was very hard but not any more
Everything changed and changed...
Kale
7

9. HOPE
HOPE is my family
We have a good Life
My uncles are helpful
because they help me on my
homework
and they talk to me and they play with me
HOPE is my family
I love my Great Great Grandmother
because she is the best one in the world
HOPE is my family
My dad is there for me
If I get hurt he is there to help me
He is caring because when I’m sick he gives me
Medicine
HOPE is my family!
Jose
8

10. HOPE!!!
HOPE is a meteorite
Like me
Because cars
Never stop going
Incredible speed
When the race begins I hear
Room! I’m going so fast other cars
Are blowing up boom! cars are smashing
my car wham! But I’m still going on to pass the
finish line and have that big trophy in my
sweat, rough hands!!!
9

11. Hope!!!
Hope is a strong tiger
that has freedom
It has a lot of power
I am a Tiger
I have lots of hope for my life
I hope to be a professional soccer player
I can see the number on my shrit
and see my team mates
on the field
people shouting, screaming,
yelling go to our team
I can see me make a goal
after goal
and winning the games
making my family
friends proud
most of all I feel proud of myself
10

12. HOPE!!!
Hope is a shooting star
Flying in the sky brightly
It shows freedom and faith
My mom and dad had hope to come to NC
It took time but they knew what they are going through
Hope is just what they had needed
It was tough but they knew hope was it
Walking hard day and night
Hungry and tired
They stopped a few times when there was lots of rain
After the rain ended they started walking more and more
My mother was pregnant with my oldest brother
My mother cried because they had their first baby
And because they have a safe place to have it
Two months later they just made it to North Carolina
Such good people gave food and water to my parents
Hope pushed us here to America
Hope is our shooting star
11

13. HOPE IS . . . . .
Hope is the wind
That goes every where
it doesn’t sleep
it’s up in the sky going
house to house
giving hope to everyone
It leads you to feel
Succeed in your dreams
Hope is believe hope makes
You feel like you can
Do everything
HOPE! HOPE!
Hope is love, faith and
Strong
It feels peaceful graceful
Hope is anything it is
What you want it
TO BE!
DANIELA
12

14. HOPE
HOPE is all the special
Things that happen in your life
Hope is your path to freedom
Hope is everywhere in the wind, in your body
everywhere you go
Hope is like a wild tiger
Searching for something, teaching its cubs
How to survive in the wild
Hope is moving from Africa
Hope is saving people that means
A lot to me and others
Being with my family makes me feel like I can do
anything
I was having trouble with reading homework
I could not understand
But then when I had
Hope I succeed.
by Cinaly
13

15. Hope
Hope is a bald eagle
It shows freedom
It shows justice
It fly’s saying
HOPE!
HOPE!
It teaches how to hope
It teaches how to get your
Wings and fly like a bald eagle
Soaring and looking
For the
Ones that
Don’t
Hope
14

16. Hope is like angel
With wings flying in
The sky looking for people
With hope in their eyes
It sings with hope aside
Teaching others hope
Is alive now hope has
Arrived
Looking for people
With hope in its eyes
Soaring
Throw the sky dreaming
About hope in it eyes
By ASIA
15

17. HOPE
I hope when I turn 13
I hope they get together my dad and mom they love each other so
much
I don’t know why... they do it
it makes me sad now
Our family will be okay my sister and brother are happy now
my mom and dad are happy they are living together they had some
things
but they are happy now
16

18. Hope
Hope is everything you can have in your life
Love, obey, believe and succeed,
If you follow your dreams hope will be in the air
If you listen to the songs hope will be right there
Hope is everywhere in your life
I bet hope is standing next by you smiling right now.
Hope, love, believe and succeed will always be right
Hope, hope, hope will be standing right there.
Aniyah
17

19. HOPE
HOPE is to become a doctor
I have faith to find the cure for cancer
Cancer can make you sick by lung disease
If it is Level A or B it is easy to cure
It is level C or D it is hard to cure.
I also want to help babies because if
They’re sick or have a disease
I will heal people especially babies and the elderly
It take a lot be a doctor because you have be
Patient and loving and caring
I HOPE my passion take me to there be a doctor
18

20. Hope is my family
they encourage me, they care about me
They love me
They also believe in me to get better in school
They are always proud of me because I’m
Getting amazing grades in school
They check on me
They check if I’m ok
They check on me
I’ll come to see them
They check if I’m doing well in school
I’m so glad that my family is here
I wouldn’t have hope without them.
Almirton
19

21. Poetry For HOPE: What does Hope mean to you?
Copyright © 2014 by 4th Grade students
Mrs. Pok-Muir and Mrs. Wells 4th grade class.
Acknowledgment
Editing by Mrs. Wells.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including storage and
retrieval systems without permission in writing from 4th Grade students
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