See VBlog Poem of Personal Credos as Poetry to Open the School Year - Please Use Student Samples As Models . . .

VBlog link is down the page - in the fourth paragraph after the words: "Just One Day"

This year teachers are faced with many troubling current event issues that will be difficult to avoid.  In many ways teachers are looking for ways to help students find "safe" ways to express some very toxic emotions. In many ways writing can be the start of a healing process. Students may often feel powerless, fearful and voiceless in many situations. Never have the words: "The pen is mightier than the sword." been true.  

If you'd like the reference for the phrase - never fear - wikipedia has the answer: Assyrian sage Ahiqar, who reputedly lived during the early 7th century BC, coined the first known version of this phrase. One copy of the Teachings of Ahiqar, dating to about 500 BC, states that "The word is mightier than the sword."^{[8] The actual phrase coined by:} Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1839 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_pen_is_mightier_than_the_sword (accessed 8/18/14)

When I worked with students and modeled writing poetry - I often heard that it could be difficult for students to relate to the modeling because: sure it was easy for me, the teacher to have the words flow onto the paper - I was the "teacher"!

That's why I'm sharing Kenneth H.'s powerful poem: "Just One Day" as a VBlog example of the type of student writing that any student can create given the right moment and encouragement.

Here is the text of his poem:   

Just One Day

There are two days in every week about which we need not worry.

Two days which need to be keep free from worry and apprehension.

One of these days in YESTERDAY, with its mistakes and cares, its faults and blunders.

All the money in the world cannot bring back YESTERDAY!

The other day about which we need not worry is TOMORROW, its large promise and poor performance.

TOMORROW is also beyond our immediate control.

TOMORROW's sun will rise either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds, but it will rise.

Until it does, we have no stake in Tomorrow, for it is unborn.

That only leaves us one day - TODAY - anyone can fight the battles of just one day.

It is only when you & I add the burdens of these two awful eternities: 

YESTERDAY & TOMORROW that we break down.

It is not the experience of TODAY that drives us mad.

 It is the remorse or bitterness of something that happened YESTERDAY and the dread of what TOMORROW might bring.

Let us therefore journey,

But only one day at a time!

Written by Kenneth H.

Good luck helping your students find a powerful Credo or statement of Personal Power so that they can realize they are not puppets to be controlled by someone else, but strong individuals with bright futures living each day - one at a time.