This Sixth Grader is a Published Poet

Many middle schoolers dream of travel, but Joseph Rocco Goldberg put his dreams down in a poem that was so good it got published in a local magazine. 

Joseph, a George Fischer Middle School sixth grader, had his poem “To Travel” published in Chronogram Magazine, a monthly journal of arts and culture in the Hudson Valley.    

Joseph wrote the poem last year, when he was in Michelle Lynch’s fifth grade English class.   

“I started writing poetry in fifth grade,” Joseph said. “Writing didn’t always come easy to me, but I found poetry super fun. We were able to speak or write about anything we wanted.” 

Joseph’s poem begins with this stanza:  

To travel  
Is to find a home. 
Or complete a goal. 
Maybe just for fun 
Because traveling is for everyone.  

“Poetry seems to be a favorite of a lot of the kids,” said Lynch, who noted that the school’s Core Knowledge Language Arts curriculum has a good poetry unit. “It allows them to think outside the box.” 

Joseph’s grandparents, Susan and Rocky Riccardelli, saw the poetry section in the magazine and suggested that he submit his poem. 

“Joseph is very creative,” Guidance Counselor Lisa Jackson said. “I’ve been at George Fischer for 28 years and to the best of my knowledge this is our first published poem.”