What Does “Home” Mean?

What does “home” mean to you? Is it a place? A person? A feeling? What would it be like to be homeless?

Send me your thoughts, poems, stories and artwork and I will post them on this page.

Lily and the Paper Man Quilt by Ms. Simpson's grade 1 & 2 class

Mapleridge Public School

Powassan, ON.

Acrostic Poem

Lily and the Paper Man
Is the title of our book!
Lily was a little girl,
Yes, little, but fearless!
Along came a Paper Man
Named Ray
"Dollar for the paper?" he asked.
Then, Lily was frightened.
He was poor.
Everybody in Lily's family pitched in.
Paper Man received gifts.
And a scarf and a sweater.
Presents came in a big, big bag.
Everyone was excited because...
Ray was warm.
Moral of the story:
Always remember, giving to those in need is helpful.
Now Lily can smile because Ray is Happy.

By 2/3M class
Gordon McGregor Public School,
Windsor, ON.

Home means...

... good family feelings.
By artist/illustrator Richard Rudnicki.

Home is...

By SK & Grade 1
St. John the Baptist Catholic School,
Bolton, ON.
See more here

Kindness Quilt

By Grade 1 & 2
Ranchdale Public School,
North York, ON.

Home

It sounds like video games.
It tastes like ice cream.
It smells like dessert.
It looks like a lot of colours.
It is the colour blue.
It makes me feel safe.

By Grades 2 & 3
Mother Teresa Catholic School,
Bradford, ON.

Home

is the sight of a clean place
is the taste of cookies
is the smell of cake
is the sound of a quiet place
is the colour beige
makes me feel safe.

By grades 1, 2 and 3
William Burgess Public School,
Toronto, ON.

Vincent Massey Public School, North Bay, ON

Home

Cinquain Poems Mrs. Hebert's grade 2/3 class
Homeless,
Alone on the street,
Please help them they are sad,
Working really hard to get a house,
Poor men.
--- Christian view all here

Houses by Mrs. Boyer's JK Class

If I was Lily I would...

by Grade 1

view pages

A Home Is...

A Home Is... poems by Mrs. Attema's grade 1 class
A home is…

a nice place.
a warm place.
a safe place.
a place to make crafts.
a place with smells.
a place where we can sleep.

--- Keyanna view all here

Smile

I recognized the writing on your sign
    Purple crayon on cardboard
pleading money for antibiotics
    dropped beside
the payphone.

I know exactly what happened
      what made you forget it there.

Do you think I could ever forget
the first time I saw you smile?

      --- Harlan, age 16, Vancouver

Read more of Harlan's poems Here.

Home

Home is a place to warm my feet.
To read and play, to play and eat.
It gives me strength to sit up tall
and grow from small to tall.
I eat my supper in the house.
For there I see a little mouse.
I go upstairs and climb into bed
and say goodnight to home.

--- Erika, age 9, Toronto

More from Vincent Massey

More Houses from the JK Class

Mrs. Wallace's Grade 1 & 2 Class

Letter to the Author illustrations by Mrs. Wallace's Grade 1 & 2 Class

view all here

Home

Home is a place
with love all around,
from the top of the roof
to the bottom of the ground,
where each heart is bound
by a warm calming light
the fire crackling,
the moon shining bright,
the promise that everything
is going to be all right.

Linnéa, age 11, Harrisville, NH. USA