Jimmy's Writing Portfolio

Current Publishing 

During our poetry unit, we had the privilege to collaborate with graphic design students from the University of Tennessee Knoxville. Each graphic designer set out to design forms and distribute our poems in unique ways that addressed the central message of each poem. Below you can see my poem’s design by Michael. Enjoy! 

Previous Publishings

As a class we recently finished reading the Gold Cadillac by Mildred D. Taylor. This book tells the story of a Black family during the 1950’s during the civil rights movement. These diaries were written by students from the perspective of one member of this family, either ‘lois, the youngest daughter, father, or mother as the family faces discrimination, segregation, and racism. 

I Almost Died! 

One morning, my family and I went on a trip to the lake. I was so excited to go swimming but little did I know that it was going to be the scariest day of my life! It was the most crazy day of my life because I almost drowned!

One day me and my friend went to the deep side of the lake because we wanted to get fish and look cool in the deep side. So we were trying to get fish for 20 minutes and I got a fish it was so hard to get a fish because  the water was so cold.

 So then we cooked the fish because we were  super hungry and my friend's piece of fish got burned so he got sad and said, “I wish this did not get burnt.” 

It was really good but we were still hungry because it was really small so we went for more fish but this time we wanted to get two big fish. The water was so deep it went to my chin and my friend said “you should go back.” We did not find another fish but we tried harder and harder. 

But nothing so my friend said, “let's go back and play in the soft smooth sand.”

I  said “ok.”

 So we found pool noodles and swam back with them because we wanted to make a house. But then my friend’s foot hit me and here's the worst part. I fell off the pool noodle into the deep side and I did not know how to swim at that time so I tried to swim up! So I was panicking for help! I tried to yell for help but it did not work. Now I  felt like I had 90% of oxygen and I was sinking fast so I tried to show my and out of the water so someone will help but I was too short  and nothing now I  felt like I had 75% of oxygen.So I tried to wave my goggles but that did not work either. Now I felt like I had 54% of oxygen. I was super  scared because I thought it was the end for me.I felt like I  had 29% of oxygen. I tried to throw toys but they were too heavy and nothing I felt like I  had 5% of oxygen. But then my friend saw I was not there and he saw me about to drown so swam and picked me up at the last second I felt like I died. 

I thanked him so much I started to cry because I was so happy that I did not die so I ran to the sand and prayed and said to god “I am so thankful that I did not die thank you god aman.”

Then I ran to my mom to say I love you to dear heart and I hugged her because I loved her so much. I said “love you love you love you so much.”

 She said “what's wrong?” 

I said, “I almost died!”

“‘Oh no” my mom said. “Well at least you are safe now.”

I said “yea at least I am safe now.”

My new ?

I remember when I got dropped off at my grandma's house by my mom and I kissed my  mom goodbye. And I was so happy to see my friends but I ran back outside because my grandma had a dog and it barked at me  I was so scared. I said to my grandma “what is that thing in your house  and my grandma said to me” a dog named Mickole. 2 months later I went to a random person's house and I was really sleepy and bored and  we were about to leave but my mom said “I have a surprise and I said “ok. At first I thought I was going to get a new toy. And we went outside and my mom told me to “close my eyes and follow me and I got a dog as well and we named him Chase. This dog was different from my Grandma’s dog, because he was just curled up into a ball. I was so happy to have a dog. I literally started to cry so much because I was so happy. He was so small that I could pick him up with one finger. He smelled like dog food but that does not matter but anyway he had blue eyes and was so cute.We brought him home and we bought a dog bed and he slept with music on. I also gave him a toy chicken. I loved him so much that I didn't even notice I was looking at him for 3 hours. I was a little scared if  Michael would be mean but to Chase when I saw Chase and Michael hugging and it was so cute. I threw a rubber chicken and they rolled the rubber chicken and it was so funny. Chase also ran into a random box; it  was so funny. I rolled a ball and Chase rolled like the ball. Chase loves rolling because he rolled to his food. But this is the saddest  thing in this story. My mom screamed “get  in the car fast! So I ran as fast as possible. I was in the car for 30 minutes and played games on my sister's phone and I saw someone who wanted Chase and Mickole. So  we gave  away  Chase and  Mickole. I felt heartbroken and I could barely breathe. I felt like I failed In life. I fell on my kneens. I was crying for so long I made a puddle and I could barley sleep. But the next day I came back from a birthday party and I said “best party ever but when I saw Mickole I said “is Chase here? I was so confused. So my mom called the new owner and she said “Chase and Mickole got in a fight so she put back mickole. And to this day I still miss Chase.