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I am Cheetah
I am strong and fast
I wonder, will I survive today?
I hear innocence cry out as I tear it apart
and I see life flutter and fade before me
I want my cubs to be like me
I am strong and fast
I pretend I'm the queen of the land as
I feel another's life tremble beneath my paws
I touch the ground like wind rushing over a mountain
I worry about the balance between life and death
and cry for my cubs when their survival is threatened
I am strong and fast
I understand the wind as it calls my name
I purr my discontent, so beware my mixed signal
I dream my spirit is the speed of light
I try to teach my young to be ruthless
and hope they understand compassion means weakness
I am strong and fast
by Emma Bednar
This was written by my 6th grade daughter - I helped her ever so slightly with showing her the wonders of dictionary.com and the thesaurus. I encouraged her to use the "and" line in all three paragraphs and I had a slight influence on having her take the sappy sweet lines out and making the overall tone a bit more foreboding... I had her read a few articles on the ruthlessness and toughness of this animal and what it takes to survive in the wild. A good mother is a tough mother as far as the Cheetah is concerned.
If you want to read a bit more on the Cheetah, please click HERE. It is a 2009 Scientific American article and is also where I got the photo.
I originally linked this to dVerse in 2011, but am linking it again for Imaginary Garden with Real Toads - Transforming Friday with Hannah. Cheetahs live in many climates, including the desert.
We are supposed to write something new for this challenge and I will still try and submit it on Monday if I find time. I just love this poem, though, and of course, wanted to share my daughter's work.
10 comments:
she did wonderfully!
Dear Miss Emma,
Your poem is wonderful ... good job.
Did you know the second fastest runner is the pronghorn I wrote about? The pronghorn may be second, however he can last much longer than the cheetah. Your lesson for the day.
"cry for my cubs when their survival is threatened"
Reminds me of the African Cats movie with Samuel L. Jackson...heartbreaking.
"I understand the wind as it calls my name:
this is beautifully poetic, Margaret. ♥
"I try to teach my young to be ruthless
and hope they understand compassion means weakness"
This I found striking in that it could also apply to the way we rear our human young. Wow.
I love the line you chose for repetition as well, Margaret...makes it feel as if this is a mother cheetah's chant...
Wonderful job...thank you for sharing with Transforming Friday!!
Your daughter is very talented !!!
It is wonderful to read how you encourage your daughter's creative writing.
Emma, this is lovely specially the refraining line of I am Strong and Fast ~
Thanks Margaret for sharing this lovely gem ~
Emma, I could hardly believe it when I read at the end that this was written by a grade six student. You did a FANTASTIC job! Here is advice from an Old Wise Woman: get a really special hard covered book with blank pages, and keep a copy of every single poem you write in there - years and years from now, when you look back, you will be amazed at how gifted you are at writing poetry.I LOVE this poem about the cheetahs. Bravo!
I'm so pleased to see this front and center again. It deserves it! :-)
What a great piece..I love the repetition of "I am strong and fast" What a great job Emma!!
OMG! Is there anything your family can't or doesn't do??!!
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