7th graders wrote poems inspired by Emily Dickinson’s poem “If I can stop one heart from breaking”
Stop by Cole
If I could stop the world from turning
I could stop time in its tracks
If I could stop the world from hurting
I could stop pain in its path
If could stop the world from burning
I’d be a hero at that
If I could do all that I’d be a super hero,
But I can’t
But maybe on day I’ll be able to say
I can
If I can stop one axe from swinging,
One lake from becoming a drinking water source,
One tree from falling,
One forest from shrinking,
One drought from drying,
A tornado from tearing,
I may be admired.
If I can stop waves from surging,
I could stop great pain;
If I can stop the earth from shaking,
it would not be in vain,
Or control the storms,
from flooding the plains,
I shall not live in vain.
One’s life won’t live in vain,
They will love each other long,
and never break apart.
Their love will last a century,
and never turn to pain.
If I Can by Tom
If I can save one wolf from dying
then I shall not live with guilt.
If I can stop one tree from sighing
from all the building being built.
If I can save one horse’s life
from his colonel’s gun or knife,
then I shall not live in vain.
If I Can………by Brian
If I can stop the woodcutters’ cutting,
I shall not live in pain.
If I can ease the deforesting,
I will save the homes of jackdaws.
I will turn off the destroying machines,
And the forest will regrow.
If I can stop the woodcutters’ cutting,
We shall not live in pain!
A Tree by Xavier
If I can plant a tree
It will grow long and tall
Then it will be free
The earth will flow through the tree
From trunk to branch
From branch to leaf
The tree will grow
From head to toe
Then the world thank me
For this poem
If I could stop on war from killing by Angelina
If I could stop one war from killing,
I will be remembered.
If I can stop one gun from shooting,
Or stop one child from dying,
Or save one dog from starving,
Only then
Will I finally rest in peace.
My poem by Danielle
If I can stop my beating heart
I shall not live in pain
If I can’t change my life from aching
There will be nothing for me to gain
I will stop myself from shaking and from growing old
If I can stop the clock from moving
I will do all the things I want to do
Now I close my eyes
If I can stop the warming of life,
I will not live in vain,
If I can keep the polar bears from strife,
I can help their pain,
If I can stop the rain from the icebergs’ dripping,
The penguins will be content,
If I can cool the earth,
The world will be at ease.