6th Grade Mesopotamia Poems!

City States

by:Tom Ellsworth

In a place called Mesopotamia,

there were two rivers.

The place was a fertile crescent,

so the crops would never wither.

They broke up the land they had,

and made city-states,

each one had a ruler,

their job was to dictate.

One of the cities was Susa,

one of the cities was Kish

one of the cities was near the water,

so it was easy to get fish.

There was one city named Sumer,

the holiest of them all,

one holy king was named Gilgamesh,

and he ordered the city to build a wall.

The city-states were large

the climate was cold and hot,

in the middle of each city state,

there was a ziggurat.

They were big structures,

and they weren't at all alike

they built walls around them,

to prepare for things that would strike.

Each city-state had houses,

one for everyone there,

the houses were big for rich people,

and small for the poor and that's not fair.

City States Poem

by: Emily Lighthall

Mesopotamia was a far away place,

Removed from us both by time and space.

Many would tell you that it was just a bunch of sand,

But civilization started there, in that fertile land.

The kingdom was made up of city-states,

Each run independently from its mates.

Ur and Adab and Eridu,

are city-states, to name a few.

They were walled cities and surrounding lands,

Structures built out of clay by Mesopotamian hands.

There were ziggurats where priestly government sat,

And agoras where you could buy food (or a ball and a bat!)

Between Tigris and Euphrates Rivers this ancient world was,

Known to us today, not just because,

But from writings on tablets done long ago,

I think it was around 3500 BC or so.

City-State Poem

by: Lucy Bamford

The ancient city-states of Mesopotamia were very dry

Kish, was brittle but the Euphrates river was conviently nearby

It was fertile that's no lie

Kish was good but hard to come by

The city worshipped the god of the sky

Once ruled by the famous Gilgamesh, who was once a bad guy

But his brother came by

And helped him become a better man

Uruk was pretty parched too

But it was near where the Euphrates river ran

The other city called Lagash that was quite parched too

This city had no river that passed through

Before this poem ends I need to tell you

That you can always get a better world view!

City States Poem

by: Sara Larson

There are many city states,

Uruk is near the Euphrates River.

They have many beautiful gates,

And their neighbors are Ubaid and Ur.

Uruk has lush places,

because it's so close to the river,

They have fancy buildings and marketplaces

It is located in Sumer!

There are many city states,

Tell Asmar is one of them.

Khafajah is one of its mates

Diyala is a close-by river and it's as beautiful as a gem

Tell Asmar is in the province of Akkad,

It has lots of fancy temples and palaces.

They worship many a god,

But their favorite is Abu the god of the dog star

There are many city states,

This includes Nippur

The most sacred of the states!

Abu Salabikh is its neighbor

Nippur is very dry and sandy,

Even though it's near the Tigris river.

Their god is Enil

The storm god.

That is it,

I'm afraid to say.

Don't have a fit,

I'll come back another day!

Ode to Mesopotamia

by: Cailey Stockwell

There was once a city-state

In a fertile land of late

It had its own rules

And was protected by a gate

Kish was located between two rivers

The Tigris and the Euphrates

The cold water would make one shiver

And scare the horrified ladies

Down in Larsa, the people believed

In multiple gods for each city

Supernatural forces were perceived

To control their world, what a pity!

And last, the city of Ur

it seemed so small,

Just like a blur.

Would an animal dare crawl

To create such a stir

Located South of Babylonia

Within the Syrian Desert,

Ur is far from Avalon

Where it is too hot to wear a shirt!

City States Poem

by: Juliet Chehade

The city states,

Of Mesopotamia,

Are now in what’s called Iraq,

And although we can study these city states,

We can never truly go back.

Now, though,

Read this poem,

To hear about this really cool time,

When there were city states,

In which people lived,

Filled with love and hate.

First up comes Babylon,

Which is so dazzling and amazing,

A town whose beauty is widely sought,

There is so so much to see there,

Including the amazing ziggurat.

...Over 300 feet high,

It will make you gasp,

“Oh my,” “Oh my,”

There is also a palace,

A beauty of its own,

Surrounded by the luscious hanging gardens,

In which a king sits on his throne

There are also brick guardians,

Watching over the path,

That leads into this town,

They are all so silent,

And serious-looking,

Each one is anything but a clown.

This wonder,

This place,

Which is so truly neat,

Lies where the Tigris and Euphrates nearly meet.

Next up is Nineveh,

In which stands a library,

Where over 30,000 stories were stored,

As there were tons and tons from which to pick,

You could never,

Ever be bored.

These stories were written,

On tablets of clay,

That can be viewed in Nineveh,

Right now,

Today!

This city state lies in northern land,

Its wondrous library contains the past,

To help us better understand.

Next up is Ur,

A forgotten land,

Located down south by the Persian sand.

All water was lost,

When the Euphrates changed course,

So the town rode aways on oxen and horse.

Left behind,

Was the King’s royal tomb.

Big and fancy,

It had much room.

Inside it was weaponry,

Made out of pure gold,

Which was cleverly made,

In a blacksmith’s mold.

There was also jewelry,

With gemstones galore,

Wherever you looked,

There was more and more.

Now,

You have learned,

Of ancient Iraq.

And,

Feel the itch,

To travel in time,

Way back.