For All You Dreamers--during the holidays

This poem by Langston Hughes has inspired poets, especially young ones, by the dozens. If you go to my October post on The Basketball Poets in Supply, NC, you will find Alyssa Miller’s poem inspired by this particular piece. I suggested students take this poem as a model and see what they themselves could bring to their own poetry. Liz Cronan’s 5th Graders at Sugar Loaf Elementary School in Taylorsville accepted the invitation and soon I received 48 poems in response. Here as one long post are their poems, preceded by Hughes’ poem.

Bring me all of your dreams,
You dreamer,
Bring me all your
Heart melodies
That I may wrap them
In a blue cloud-cloth
Away from the too-rough fingers
Of the world.

--by Langston Hughes

"


Thought keeper
Bring me all your thoughts,
you thinkers.
Bring me all your brain storms,
that I can put them in a safe.
Only for you to see. -SD


Moon keeper
Bring me all your craters.
Keep away all the cold memories
So I can be free of nightmares,
That haunt me at midnight. -AB


Bring me all your happiness,
you happy people.
All your happiness will come to me.
I will wrap it in a green cloth,
So I can keep it away from the hands of the sad. -LS


Bring me all of your beliefs
Bring me everything you believe in.
So I may wrap them up in a green cloud cloth,
Away from the bad minds of the world. -ES


Bring me all your madness.
Bring me all your bad memories.
So I can lock them in a dark jail cell.
So you can carry on with your life. --DS


Faithkeeper
Bring me your faith,
You religious people.
So I can put them in a box.
Where only God can see. -MW


The Laughkeeper
Bring me all of your warm laughs,
You laughers.
Bring me all of your feelings,
So I may wrap them in a soft yellow cloth
Where only hearts who see happiness may see. -LW

Bring me your happy thoughts,
Bring me the fun times.
So that I may wrap them in cool feelings
and be in peace from the world. -PT


Bring me all your faithfulness,
Bring me all your warm memories,
I may take them away to a
World of freedom so you may keep all. -MC


Bring me all your beliefs,
you believers.
Bring me all your desires,
so that I can soak them up with a gentle touch of feeling
and no enemies will lay eyes on these faithful gifts. -KC

Bring me all your braveness,
Bring me all your good times,
So I may wrap them in a brown cloth
and keep them away from the darkness. -ZD


Bring me all your hopes,
you hopers.
Bring me all your heart beats of hope.
That I may wrap them in a deep red cloth,
Away from the rejecting souls of the world. -CB


Bring me your courage,
The fall of your faith,
The wish of your commands,
however the small act of kindness.
I shall wrap them up in the crystal cloth
And they shall stay mine. -KL


Bring me all your thoughts,
Bring me all your ideas,
So I can put them in a box
Away from the evil world. -SW


The Wishkeeper
Bring me all of your wishes,
Bring me all of your hopes,
So I may pack them in a small brown box,
Where only the person who seeks them may see. -HF


Bring me all your wisdom,
Bring me all you know.
So that I may hide them from the world,
so no one else can see. -LO



Bring me all your courage,
Bring me all of your braveness,
that I can cover them,
away from evil. -NR


Bring me all your knowledge
Bring me all your wisdom,
So I may wrap them up in bly sky cloth
Away from those untrusted. -TS



Bring me all your worries,
Bring me all the bad ones,
So I may wrap them up in a light blue cloth and replace
Them with good thoughts. -AB


Bring me all your warm memories of your hearts’ desire.
Bring me all the sweet melodies
That I may wrap them in all the hearts’ love
Where no one will see. -AM



Couragetaker
Bring me all your courage,
Bring me all your bravery
So you can have it when you need it,
To climb a tree. -MC


Bring me all your love,
Bring me all your sadness,
Bring me all your hopes,
Bring me all your failures,
So I can lock them all away,
From the negative world around. -KB

Bring me all your beliefs in politics,
So that I may fix them to be right
And cast the wrong ones in fiery depths
So the world can be fresh with Republicans. -CGN


Bring me all your knowledge
Bring me all your wisdom
So I can wrap them in a cloud cloth,
Away from the hands of the world. -CR
November 12, 2008 11:54 AM





Bring me all your happiness,
Bring me all your laughter,
So I may wrap it in peacock feathers,
Where good people can see it. -JF

Bring me all your love,
Bring me all your kindness,
So I may wrap it in soft black and white cloth,
Where only people that deserve it can see. -JC

Bring me your beliefs,
Bring me your faith,
So I may keep them in my heart,
Where only I can see them. -TD


Bring me all your secrets,
Bring me all your thoughts,
So I may lay them in a pink blanket,
Where only worthy ears can hear them. -KB

Bring me all your happiness,
Bring me all your joy,
So I may keep it safe,
Where I can listen to them. -JL

Bring me all your respect,
Bring me your honor,
So I may respect other people,
Where I can be respected too. -DD


Bring me all your memories,
Bring me the best memories you've ever had,
So I may keep them in a little box,
Where no one will ever see them. -KC



Bring me your memories,
Bring me your thoughts,
So I may wrap them up
Where I can keep them safe. -MF


Bring me the memories of your heart,
Bring me all your happiness and all your sadness,
So I amy wrap them up in a red cloth,
Where I will keep them for all my hearts desire. -MF


Bring me all your hopes,
Bring me all the things you are dreaming of doing,
So I may lock them away in my heart,
Where only I can see them. -JeF


Bring me all your angry feelings,
Bring me all you madness,
So I may wrap them in a black cloth,
Where no one can touch them. -HD


Bring me all of your sweet love,
Bring me all of your lost love,
So I may spread it throughout the world,
Where everyone can experience it. -KE


Bring me all your feelings,
Bring me all your happiness and sadness,
So I may wrap them up in a purple silky cloth,
Where others can't get to them. -CB



Bring me your feelings,
Bring me your sadness, happiness and love,
SO I may wrap them in soft yellow sun,
Where only you may seee. -AC



Bring me all your happy thoughts,
Bring me all your memories,
So I may keep them warm and safe,
Where anyone can't see them. -MM


Bring me all your sadness,
Bring me all your bad feelings,
So i may make them into great feelings,
Where only happiness can grow. -JacB


Bring me all your love,
Bring me your heart,
So I may respect you,
Where ever you are. -CD



Bring me happiness,
Bring me all your joy,
So I may wrap them in an orange cloth,
Where I can give it to Jesus. -HB


Bring me all of your sunlight,
Bring me all of your warmth,
So I may keep it
Where I like best, in a blanket of safeness and warmth. -DB