Inkblots 2014 by Abington Friends School

Inkblots k 2014

Abington Friends Middle School Jenkintown, PA

k Staff Class of 2021 Maeve Callaghan, Emily Otto, Sophie Peterson, Shannon Remolde, Anna Sperger Class of 2020 Asha Fluellen Class of 2019 Daniel Berman, Jazzmin Cox-Caceres, Collin Getz, Devon Gratson, Libby Marciano, Isabelle Newman, Grant Shuter, Lily Silverman, Miles Patton-Jones, Prajeev Robinson, Skye Urbach Class of 2018 Kiryna Cotroneo, Jubi Dugdale, Emily Fishman, Seri Fleming, Shane Steinberg, Sophie Waldman, Jessica Weisman

Faculty Advisors

Anu Holloman & Catalina Rios

Special Thanks

Donna Haines & Samantha Matlock

Cover Art

Celine Demir â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;19

Table of Contents k

My First Loss Joshua Johnson ‘19 15

Writing k

Aunt Kim Aviva Gordon ‘19 15

I Am From Sam Gerlach ‘17 6

Calling Mom Beti Fisher ‘19 17

My Passion Raina Cohen ‘20 7

Bee Beti Fisher ‘19 17

Words Carly Shanken ‘17 7

Leaving My Mom Brittany Price-Baxter ‘19

The “If ” Prophecy Isabelle Newman ‘19

Lost Mother Kamiah Gray ‘17 19

You’ll be Surprised at What You Find Sierra Granata ‘18 8 Imperfection Mia Panzak ‘17 10 The Girl Shane Steinberg ‘18 11 The Best Present Evan Steinberg ‘17 14

In My Place Kamiah Gray ‘17 19 Truth or Dare? Margaret Silbaugh ‘19

20-21

My Name is Bob Isabelle Newman ‘19

Nothing Colin Getz ‘19 23

The Cliff Josiah Campbell ‘19 24-25 Release Me Samer Al-Saleem ‘17

Dear Springtime Rebecca Pitcairn ‘20 35 Bamboo Noah Rosenfeld ‘17 39

Mickey the Lion Seri Fleming ‘18 27

Life Mia Tomeo ‘20 41

VFW Jacob Myers ‘17 28 Jackie Aidan McCord-Amasis ‘19

Dear Foot Rebecca Pitcairn ‘20 42

29 Tie-Dye Lily Silverman ‘19 43

Fish Lily Silverman ‘19 30

Staying Hidden Jess Weisman ‘18 47

Hawk Ivy Greene ‘20 31

The Clementine Aidan McCord-Amasis ‘19

Night Kevin Xu ‘17 31 World of Instruments Ivy Greene ‘20 32 Weather Merrie Schorsch ‘20 34

Artwork k

Andrew Sage ‘17

36 36

Bela Soriano ‘19 9

Jayne Pardys ‘17 Owen Davies ‘17

Miles Jones-Patton ‘19

Ashanti Greene ‘20

Ariel Hooks ‘18

6 & 40

Colin Getz ‘19 9

Jazzmin Cox-Caceres ‘19

9 & 22

36 36

Josh Rios ‘20 37

Alyssa Malerman ‘18

Seri Fleming ‘18

12 & 45

Jimiah Davis ‘20

Catherine Dzlieri ‘18

Joseph Rotella ‘20 37 Laura Silvers ‘20 37 Jared Bauer ‘17 40

Ayla Malefakis ‘19

Aniya Cager ‘19 12 Skye Urbach ‘19 12 Cathy Stone ‘20 12 Ben Kaplan ‘19 12 Ella Pokrifka ‘17

Kaiya Case ‘18 44 Lauryn James ‘18 45

Jordan Smelcer ‘17

Tommy Yick ‘18 45

Noah Shanken ‘20

Jubilee Dugdale ‘18

Margaret Silbaugh ‘19

Michael Carpenter ‘18

Lena Pieretti ‘17 16 Ivy Greene ‘20 16 Carly Shanken ‘17

Jillian Wray ‘17

17, 33, & 38

Summer & Winter k The lights blinding, glittering with bells and ornaments that make it seem almost magical. Not just the looks but the feeling as well.

My Garden k

It’s as if you can’t be unhappy around it. Then the red-and-gold, shiny ornament falls down to the ground, shatters, crash, trinkle trinkle.

Don’t look after earth Come to my garden Where there is wind and rain and sun all day When it becomes dark Join the circle and spin around Sleep hard and stir only when the sun is bright

Ruins the silence.

Whoop and cheer as we go Around and find out who is who In our tiny neighborhood

No need for gloves Just dig easily on

It’s always summer on this glass island. The maples grow tall here, green and black on the sill. The butterflies slowly walk across the maples. The island shines with light from an unreachable outside world.

Less stripes and more holes How to take a course in this art I do not know

Noah Pearce k

Sophie Peterson k

Swallow Tail Butterfly k A Swallowtail butterfly, her neon fringe, the world calls wings, but water coats them like a shadow, again and again, she tries to fly away and the water droplets fly off as if fireworks.

Hummingbird k

Finally, she lays down her wings so the gusting wind might blow away the unending substance, the world calls water.

Colors from another world catching/my eye Buzzing sounds A little bird so magnificent Flapping its wings faster than light

Kirsten Lee k

Moving so fast from here to there Tiny beak eating nectar Wild colors emerald ruby, amethyst As red as a ruby As green as an emerald As purple as an amethyst Not a big black crow Not vicious falcon Such a small bird Just the right kind Lucas Garcia k

The Button Eyed Moon k A parallel world that vanishes at dawn The blur of your eyes looking at the sea as it shimmers at the horizon dreaming of sleep of rest as the world starts to fade away you soon wake up from your deep dark sleep Gabrielle Kazianis k

Noah Shanken k

The Starry Night k The star’s light reflects on the ocean like the moon broken up into a million peices. The water is a deep blue like the sky. It almost looks like they are connected. “The sea comes up to kiss the shore.” There are three wooden boats ready to sail away into the night. Noah Mass k

Maeve Callahan k

Her Name Was Winter k her name was winter skin like the snow pale and beautiful when left untouched, but now blemished by what people have done to it. eyes like icicles, a crisp, piercing gray. staring at them directly was hazardous for your health, but from a distance they seemed beautiful. hair like the snow falling from the sky. delicate and whimsical. flowing on and on to no end. simple, but perfect. this was her. all of her. but no one liked it. they whined and wished for her to go away. cooped up inside avoiding her until the summer came along and pushed winter to the wind.

Jessica Weisman k

Maeve Callahan k

The Roller Coaster k

“Are you excited to ride?” asked Michelle. No. I had no interest at all in riding the Moon Star roller coaster at Hershey Park. I would much rather be in the car, reading a good book. But, I said yes anyway, I couldn’t look like a wimp. No way. “Yeah!” I said, trying to sound as enthusiastic as I could. Michelle, Charlotte and I all ran to the coaster. As soon as I got there, I wanted to leave. There were about fifty kids, big and small, standing in line, running and screaming, pushing and punching. My heart did a frontflip into my throat. “This looks fun,” I croaked. Yeah right. We all walked to the end of the line, and stood, waiting. Charlotte turned to Michelle and started talking. I just looked up in horror at the ride. It had about 4 or five big bumps in total. The track winded around, turning unusually to one side at times, looping around and diving towards the ground, looking more scary than fun. I watched as another group walked onto the ride. I saw the ride start, and heard all the cheers and screams as the roller coaster went on. The sky was turning dark, it was getting humid and it would be night by the time the three of us got on. So we waited. A girl who looked about 13 or so was standing behind us in line. She sauntered over to us. “Any of you guys ever been on this thing before?” she asked. “Nope.” We all shook our heads. The girl raised an eyebrow but turned away. Michelle tapped her on the shoulder and the two began to speak to one another again. It was our turn to ride.Our group stepped near the platform. I was getting too anxious. I couldn’t take it anymore. The heat. The intenseness of the ride. The yelling and screaming coming from little kids. I racked my brain to find some reason why I had made myself get on this ride other than to not look like a baby, but found nothing. That was good enough for me.

“BYE YOU GUYS!” I yelled. I pushed past Michelle and Charly, their expressions confused, and sprinted down the ramp, away from that dreaded roller coaster. I ran past the gift shop, past the food court and bumper cars, past Space Mountain, past the ice cream place, and towards the exit, where my dad stood, his expression probably more confused then Michelle’s or Charly’s. “You didn’t get on the ride?” he asked. I just shook my head and buried my face into his shirt and began to cry. I told him what had happened. He didn’t seem upset that I didn’t ride, just startled that I was crying. “It’s really fine, Ava,” he said. “There’s really nothing to cry about.” He put his arm around me and said, “There’ll be other opportunities for you to ride a roller coaster, I’m sure.” That made my heart jump. “Yeah… no thanks,” I stifled a fake laugh. “I’m good.”

Ava President k

Allie Mele k

Libby Marciano k

Joseph Rotella k

Isabelle Newman k

Piano With Great Grandma k

Morning With My Grandmother k

I Jog toward the piano excitement swimming through my fingers I reach out for the piano as a hand clasps my shoulder My head spins quickly the friendly face appears Great grandma smiles reaches down to play the piano sounds with joy My head is throbbing with wonder and I suddenly think How Great Grandma makes the chirping of birds How she makes the swaying of leaves when she plays She reads my mind and beckons me forward She gives me her tips like she mastered teaching them Feeling myself play with my wrists up my shoulders down my body relaxed I feel the birds chirping the swaying of leaves Great Grandma’s calm smile calms me it travels right to my cold heart Fire burns the ice, and i’m smiling

The sun peaking up on the horizon Streaking the sky with orange light I sit with my grandmother Her frizzy reddish hair bounces up and down My tea warms my hands We sip almost in unison “I Love Lucy” comes on TV Every morning we’ll watch this together Eventually feet come pitter patter down the stairs As the sun becomes full in the sky we all sit down for breakfast. Max Newman k

Noah Vinogradov k

The Visit k Every few days I get a knock on the door. The dogs explode off the couch like a bunch of cymbals being thrown at each other woofing like crazy. I open the door to find my grandmom in her crazy, dark, red poofy jacket holding her enormous brown handbag with its crazy patterns. with a winding, wobbling, tower of boxes, bags, coats, and clothes In her hands. This tower of stuff is a gallery of candy bars, sweatshirts, and freshly baked bread. One day it’s dog food and magazines, another day it’s cookies and coat hangers. She always knows how to get the best stuff, prices, and quality. Then she takes a check from mom, engulfs me in her jacket for a hug, and leaves as quick as she had come. ”Off to do some stuff,” she says. Daniel Amato k

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Jordan Kurt

Leaves k I hear the crackling of leaves. They come down in a swirl of orange, red and yellow. I feel the hard cold rain drops bounce on my neck as I look at the tower floor. It has a pattern of swirls and circles wrap around me and keep me warm. The cobwebs stick to the cold hard walls. Dirt and sticks cover the floor. I see green leaves swaying in the wind. A bit of light shines on half the wall as darkness falls on the other. Anna Sperger k

15 Ways to Deal with Your Mom k Are you a misunderstood teenager having trouble with your mom? Most likely. Not because you’re dysfunctional or anything, just because teenagers and moms always tend to clash. Here’s a guide to help you out when you need it. Chapter 1 Getting What You Want Rule 1. Cry If it’s something little like a phone or computer, obviously don’t cry. That will make you look pathetic and desperate, that you can’t take no as an answer for something that small. If it’s something that’s big and really important for you, you’re probably going to start crying anyway when she’s says no. I’m not telling you to fake tears, I’m just saying it get’s Mom’s attention. Rule 2. Ask for A Reason Why If they said no, they probably have a good reason behind it. Not saying it’s the right reason, but they do. If they say “just because” that means they’re stuck with a reason. Here’s a little place to try and validate your point. Most likely, they’ll make you explain why you need what you want and every reason you give, they have an excuse, yet when it come’s to their turn to explain, they simply don’t need one. When that happens explain even though they are the parent it just isn’t fair how you need a reason when they can just say ‘because I said so.’ Rule 3. Ask Yourself If It’s Worth It If all this nagging and crying is for something you know you’ll get over in a little while, you just don’t want to admit it, then you might want to rethink all this. All this arguing shouldn’t be wasted on something silly, and next time Mom will be fed up with all these fights that aren’t important, she’ll most likely not even give it a chance. Make sure you know what you are fighting for and are 100% sure you need it. Rule 4. Leave It Alone For A Bit Relax. If you keep bothering her and pushing to get your way, it won’t make her give in, it will just piss her off more. Stop talking about it for a while, maybe a week or so. The idea will sit in her brain and she’ll have more time to think about it. If you nag her every second of the day with asking her about it, later she won’t even wanna think of it. Let the subject drop for a bit and a little later just casually remind her so that it isn’t easily forgotten.

Rule 5. Actually Listen Don’t pretend to be listening when you’re really just thinking of how much you want it. Listen to her points so you know why she said no. If you really give her a chance, she will probably give you one. Don’t keep saying “I know but…” Agree with some of her points and disagree with others. Make her understand you get where she’s coming from, but you have your own opinions and thoughts too. Rule 6. Be Extra Nice Be on your best behavior. She’s not going to see you being rude and obnoxious, then give you what you want. Offer to help her with chores around the house. If she asks you to do something, do it right away, don’t make her ask another time. Keep doing this, if she says yes, still keep doing this after she agrees. You don’t want her to feel like you were only being nice to get what you wanted. Rule 7. Make A Deal A compromise is always great for getting what you want. If you can, make a proposition with her. Make a deal of some sort. If you get what you want, you’ll do this… Don’t go begging her though saying you’ll do anything for it. Go to her with a reasonable idea of what you will do for it. Maybe you’ll do more chores, or be nicer. It doesn’t matter what it is as long as you’ll stick to your promise. Chapter 2 Things To Not Do Rule 8. Do Not Bring It Up In Front Of Others A bad thing you can do, is try to casually bring it up in front of someone, even a sibling. Don’t try to place it in casual conversations. Example, if you wanted to dye your hair and a friend said “I like your haircut,” don’t say “It’d look better with it dyed,” just because you know your mom is in the room listening. That will make her annoyed and think you really are just trying to push her buttons. Rule 9. Do Not Yell Or Scream No mom is ever going to let a daughter who’s screaming at her, to get what they want. Try to talk calmly but seriously with your mom. If she’s the first to yell, ask her not to yell at you and that you just want to talk. If you’re the one to start having a tantrum because she said no, then quickly reel yourself in and start again with a conversation.

Rule 10. “Everyone Else Has It” No no no. Do not even think about going there. She will then get into the whole “you’re not them” speech and it will be a deep hole to try and dig yourself out of. She might even feel offended, taking it as you wish you were them and had their parents. If you want to add something Chapter 3 Sayings To Watch Out For Rule 11. “You’re Too Young To Understand” Uh oh. This most likely means that whatever her reasons are, she feels you’re too young to agree with her. Unfortunately, you cannot control your age. At the most, there’s only 365 days until your birthday. You might just be old enough then to “understand.” Wait until then, I know just be patient, and then try to get her to explain to you then. She can’t use this excuse forever since you will eventually be old enough to get what she’s saying. Rule 12. “It’s In Your Best Interest” Yeah right. If you wanted what was in my best interest, you’d let me get what I want! Sometimes… Remember, parents always have your best interest at heart; it’s their job! Try to reason with her and ask how she’s so certain about that. If she has really valid points, don’t push it. Explain to her how what you want is in your best interest. Chapter 4 When She’s Not Changing Her Mind Rule 13. Moving On When she’s really not budging, no matter what, I think it’s time for a change of plans. If you know there’s no way she’s going to say yes, you might just want to give up. It really sucks, I know, but it might be the only thing to do. You never know, you might even be able to try again later in life and she might just think differently then.

Rule 14. Don’t Be Stupid About It You can’t be mad at your mom the rest of your life for a decision she made when you were in your teens. Don’t give her the ‘silent treatment.’ That is stupid and childish. As much as you want to ignore her and pretend she doesn’t exist, doing that will make her think you aren’t mature enough to get what you want. Talk to her normally, but still letting her know you aren’t giving up easily. Rule 15. Write An Article About It If you’re as mad as I was, write a guide on how to deal with your mother. It worked for me and it really relieves stress. I hope this all helped you out! Libby Marciano k

Dear Daughter: Be independent. Not to the point that I am yelling to get your attention, with your arms crossed, and your face turned from mine, but be able to find your way through our harsh world, a balance between work and play. I wish for you to enjoy what you do, and do what you enjoy. Be prepared. I don’t hold back on life lessons, I give it as it is. That you will be battered, shaken, and bruised. People will abuse any power against you, and won’t hold back once they find a soft spot. Humans naturally want to be in control, but you control you. Don’t show them the tears, no matter how badly gravity is working against you to let them fall. The mysterious ‘they’ will walk all over you, and the discordant reality of humanity is that nobody is going to want to step back and let you do everything you want in your own life. You will be labeled as illogical, like a whisper in the wind that could have been something unique and stunning; but you’d be ready.

Leave your footprints behind. Not in the sand, which would be washed away by morning. Leave it in the concrete buried in the mind’s of your doubters. Inspire others, but most importantly, inspire yourself. You do have a voice, and never forget to let no one steal your joy, since joy is such a precious and scarce gift. Treasure it, for in most cases, it is short lived. Jazzmin Cox-Cáceres k

When You Have a Friend k When you think life is easy. Think about that again. There are bad things out there, just waiting for you to step out of your house so they can consume you. Death, Destruction, and Defeat. Learn those words well, because in this world you will never stop hearing them. Cheaters, liars, and those bullies who just bother you on the playground. They’ll still be there, but in more places than one. When you stare at someone and they stare back at you and you give them a compliment, they’ll spit out nothing but insults just to knock you over to scrape your knees and hit your head. People will judge you even when you’re not in the court room. They’ll hate your clothes and say, “What’s up with the Tom and Jerry shirt?” They’ll criticize your hair and say, “Why is your hair in braids all the time?” They’ll even laugh at your voice and say, “Why is your voice so high?” These things will make you cry, and after eating too many chocolates and too many tubs of ice cream you realize that Kristoph and Sven aren’t coming to take you to Arendelle where Elsa, Anna, and Olaf are waiting for you “In summer” Trust your friend Your friend that has been with you through thick and thin, through all these trials and tribulations. Your friend who knows everything you like, from your favorite color to what your deepest darkest secrets are. The friend who is always encouraging you by saying, “Why are you crying? You don’t get anything out of it. All you get is tear stains on your cheeks. Get back up and actually do something that helps your problem!” And when you have that type of friend, You can’t do anything But smile. Edna Cassell k

Eight Girls, More Like Sisters k Colorful. Friends. Fun. Eight People. These people are not friends, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not best friends. There more like six sisters. Piggy back rides. Beautiful spring night. Right outside of school. Pavement on the ground. Smiles all around. Screaming. Boys, girls. Running, while we smile. Everyone happy. Eight beautiful girls. What a fun night I say while standing on the ground, right in the middle. Eight girls, more like eight sisters. Isabelle David k

Sisters k Laughter fills the air. We look at each other with goofy smiles, laughing so hard our stomachs hurt. We all stare into the blue phone, looking at the picture we just took. Out crazy faces fill the screen but we were only focused on one. I can’t say it’s exactly a face, since it’s pulled into something much different. I look back again, and burst out in another fit of laughter. Then they join me in the laughter, forgetting about all the things that scare us or make us worry When we look back on this picture, we will laugh until our mouths start to hurt because we know in our hearts that this is real friendship, one that we will never forget. Bela Soriano k

SOAP-TASTROPHE k Like most big sisters 11 year old Hannah loved telling her younger sister what to do. Hannah mostly liked finding ways to get her sister to do her chores. Claira was happy to do things for her sister, but only if she got to have some of her sisterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s candy or something.

The afternoon before the spring concert Hannah was practicing her clarinet. She had barely gotten through the first page of the Minuet In G when her sister Claira skipped into their bedroom, plopped down on her bed, and started begging Hannah to let her try to play the clarinet. At first Hannah said NO, but that made the begging get louder and more constant. Finally she gave in but only if she promised to clean out the clarinet when she was done playing it so it would be all ready for the concert, after all she (Hannah) did have a solo in the final song and everything had to be perfect. Before Hannah went off to do her makeup she gave Claira a long set of instructions on how to clean out the inside of the clarinet, which was rather boring so Claira decided not to listen-after all she knew where the dish soap was! So with that, Hannah stomped off to the bathroom while Claira made loud squeaking sounds into the clarinet that were supposed to sound like the song Mary Had A Little Lamb. Claira was annoyed that she couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make pleasant sounds come out of the clarinet so she decided to go down to the kitchen and clean it out. She carefully laid the flute down on the kitchen counter by the sink, and got out the soap. She slowly poured the soap into the end of the clarinet because the biggest opening was at the end. Then she ran a trickle of water through the clarinet. Something didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t look the same inside the clarinet, so she decided to pour more soap in. She had almost finished the whole bottle -that used to be nearly full!-when her mom yelled at her to change into her dress and brush her hair. She quickly stuffed it into its case and ran up to get ready. Claira quickly slipped into her Flowery dress and skipped downstairs and out the door into their car. The drive was only five minutes long, so before they knew it they were sitting in the Blue chairs that filled the auditorium.

Meanwhile, Hannah was backstage getting out her clarinet. For a second she wondered why it was so wet but she was in the first group of instrumentalists that went on stage, so her attention was not focused on that. She could hear the audience clapping for the head band director, so she decided to get in the line of 5th and 6th grade students behind the curtain. After the band director took his bow and had turned around to face the deep red curtains, they slowly made their way on stage, bowed, and sat down. The first song that they played was called The Music Box. Hannah had rests for three measures, but after words she had a solo. She was really excited and proud so she played really loudly so everyone could hear her. But for some reason, when she played, it sounded all garbled and bubbly. Then, to her horror, when she looked at the mouth of her clarinet she saw that there were soapy bubbles coming out. She wanted to scream but she knew she had to keep playing, so on the bubbles went. When the song was over she started to get up, wondering whether she would be able to make a run for North Carolina, or if she should just dig a hole to China, when instead of laughing, the audience was clapping, even cheering, for her and her classmates. A little boy even tossed his hershey bar to her (that was a score) this was not the worst day of her life, it was the best! And all she wanted to do was HUG her crazy sister. Charly Avril k

Regret k

Skye Urbach k

Regret is like a knife stabbing into your heart. I feel regret when I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do something, or regret that I do something. And every time I feel regret, it stabs through my gut. All I want to do is scream, let all the energy from my throat out, and let tears stream down my face. But I know I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. Regret always comes back to me, flying through the air then hitting me, knocking the wind out of me. It seems like everything I do comes with a little or a lot of regret. It never goes away. Regret is a bullet that is now forever stuck inside of me. I feel regret in things that I say to my friends, every time I raise my voice, every time a teacher glares at me, or when I know I am in trouble. Regret wells up inside of me, flowing in like a waterfall into a small pond, the pond that overflows. And I know that that pond of regret will never come back to its original size. Asha Fluellen k

Learning k When I was younger, I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know much. All I knew Was what my parents told me. Not much. Then something happened. Someone in the family died, And all the sudden, I knew everything. I knew real sadness. I knew what it felt like to be empty, To have pain. From then on, I always knew, And I kept learning, Even when I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to. But not everything you learn is pain. Like the feeling of true joy, That you cannot feel Until you know. Becca Pitcairn k

Maeve Callahan k

A New Beginning k

“I’m not coming out.” I hiss between clenched teeth. “I wouldn’t come out if One Direction was performing, and I got back stage tickets.” “C’mon, I’m sure it’s not that bad.” “MOM! For the last time I am not coming out.” I say trying not to scream. “Fine. Then I’ll just have to go in.” She says sounding annoyed. Yea. She’s the one who’s annoyed. I unlock the door and open it just enough so she can slip in. I stare at myself in the mirror reflection, and so does she. She chose a blue and purple dress with ruffles from the top of the straps down to the hem of the dress at the very bottom. “It doesn’t fit right. It’s too bunchy at the waist, and the leggings are cutting off the circulation to my thighs.” “Oh, stop complaining. Fashion hurts.” It shouldn’t hurt this much, I think to myself, but dare not say out loud. “Fine. You can take it off, but be quick. I have to get to the post office quickly before it closes. I need to mail your application for the new school.” Yes. A new school, like a fresh start. I could be a whole new person. No more being called “solar eclipse” or “cow” or worst of all “wide load.” I’ll be free. Goodbye RoseWood High, and hello McLean Academy. Tomorrow will be the day I can finally have a fresh start. Until then, I need to get out of this horror people call a dress.

After we stopped at the post office, I went straight up to my room to decide the kind of impression I wanted to make. I decided to have a nice cheery start. Tomorrow I would go in and show the world who I really am. I decided to wear my blue t-shirt and my jeans (even if they show a little too much.) I sigh. My older sister Tiffany never has to worry if she is showing too much, or if she needs to lose weight, or anything. She has just the right amount of everything. She is athletic, tall, beautiful, never needs to hide her face behind makeup, and she is in the honor role. I on the other hand am short with stubby legs that are not good for any sport, and I am very round. I have dark brown skin with breakouts everywhere, and my hair isn’t even long enough to go into a ponytail. “Eighth grade here I come,” I say, sounding less confident than I was before. I hobble over to my bed and try to make it so my thighs don’t clack together every time I take a step. “Tomorrow is the day,” I say, sounding a little more confident. I snuggle in bed, hoping that by some miracle when I wake up I’ll look like Salma Hayek, or Beyonce, But I know as much as you do that that will not happen. Alani Cox-Caceres k

I am Fine k

“I’m fine really, it’s no big deal.” She knows “Are you sure?” he knows he broke her. “Yeah.” Like a promise. Who knew So casually cruel such a big lie in the name of being honest could be told in just one word. But she tried so hard. But it works. The black liner, And she knows it. that once perfectly outlined She knows they believe it, her eyes and thats why she says it. drip onto her cheeks. She doesn’t want them to know. As if it were ink, She hates ripped from a story, how they try and pry her open her story. like a can of peaches. But she tried so hard. But she is now. Her smile, A simple can of peaches. hurting her cheeks, Hard and solid but never once on the outside. wrinkling her eyes. Fragile, broken As if it were fake. on the inside. It was fake. She cried, It was all fake. so much that now the tears that pour down her face, leave valleys, etched, Isabelle Newman k as if in stone.

Hidden in Plain Sight k The sun is carrying fire. A heavy burden, of burning desire. The desire for the brightness of a star. Glistening, glowing, like the moon, and being surrounded by all the stars. Her eyes look up, with hope, that maybe one day, the stars will turn to her.

Her name will be mentioned everyday, everywhere. Stares in awe of her never ending beauty. But she thinks that she is alone. The realization smacks herin the face. A cold wind coming from all directions. She is hidden in plain sight,drifting away, like nobody cares. And becoming too close for comfort. The meaning of comfort is lost. There never is, or going to be an in between, a warm center, like the nice spring breeze, sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never feel. The heat will always be radiating off her skin, like hot stove nobody wants to touch. But while she glows, she is never truly alone. She has her own glow. Because her eyes will always look up, with hope. Because her fire will always be seen from miles away. Because her burden, her desires will become a piece of her. She just needs to keep on glowing. Celine Demir k

Libby Marciano k

I am From k I come from a stage filled with bright lights shining down on me, Along with what seemed like hundreds of eyes staring up at me, But as a I grew older, my interests changing, My old dreams faded away taking place with new ones, I became more confident knowing that I knew what I was doing, The swings, the movements and the plays became more precise, I watched that soccer ball slide smoothly down that net, That least leap, that last step, that last poseâ&#x20AC;Ś And that last bounce of that tennis ball, When that last cherished note was played, With the audience staring back at me, Waiting for me to make my first move towards my hopes, goals, and dreams toward my victory. Alex Kiernan k

I am from… I am from… I am from… I am from… I am from… I am from.. I am from… I am from… I am from… I am from… I am from… I am from… I am from…

A movie that never ends. Making duct tape sculptures and rubber band bracelets. A snowy tree that I will always climb, no matter what. Putting on chapsticks and lotions everyday. A family that only wears slippers and house shoes. A room made of posters, books and scattered things. Wanting a new locket every time I see one, then growing out of it. Writing in journals and then forgetting them almost each year. A brother that always has his nose in his phone. A dad that always has his nose in the bible. A mom that always has her nose in her quilts. Me, that always has my nose in life. Ella Lloyd k

Matthew Walker k

Sierra Granata k

Gus Born k

Thomas Podulka k

Rainbow Socks k Cracked blue pressed against green,then yellow, next orange, after that red, then pink, then finally, purple. All these colors are separated by thick black lines that go on forever. They are infinite. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why she likes them, they go on forever just like her thoughts. All the colors are wrapped around her legs, which she likes to call long poles, and stop just below her knees. Today she will need them. Today is a very special day. She is going to a new place, a new school. She wants to show everyone thats she isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like them, but she is still a very important and special girl. New friends, new people, new enemies, a whole new life. Brittany Price-Baxter k

Selfie k

There I stood, deserted, in a Starbucks, surrounded by ghosts. Ghosts equipped with yoga pants, and the latest ugg boot. Ghosts, equipped with Iphones, and blank stares. I can’t help but scream out: FOLLOW ME!!! They all face me, and observe my presence. Or naw, They repeat, or naw, or naw, or naw. They continue to float, Day by day, hashtag by hashtag. I’m awoken by the date, every morning, Twinning Tuesday, Woman Crush Wednesday, Throwback Thursday, Flashback Friday, Sassy Saturday, Selfie Sunday, and finally, Man Crush Monday, the day, I’m photographed, to death. Chase Balick k

Kaiya Case k

The Quiet Car. k Tis hard to sit silently, ready quietly, think wildly, in the quiet car. The train pushes us forward slowly. Calming, though boring. Tis hard to sit silently, read quietly, think wildly, in the quiet car. No noise. Just tiny worries about getting to the destination late. Maybe early, hopefully. Tis hard to sit silently, read quietly, think wildly, in the quiet car. Emily Otto k

Memories k Memories Flowing like a river Churning with my anger Softly dancing with my love Racing like wild dogs with my energy Rippling with my disconnected thoughts Through my mind Joseph Rotella k

Lost k The drums in your ear all at once, Turning your brain to scrambled eggs, All thoughts are lost, And you end up somewhere unfamiliar. Seri Fleming k

City of Waffles k What if there was a city made out out of waffles What if the sun was a giant golden waffle giving a golden tan while the you are relaxing near syrup beach water and cinnamon flavored sand What if the your pillow was a giant fluffy waffle that you can eat off whenever you get hungry at night your waffle will be on the rescue. What if you lived in a city of waffles What if every plate you had was made out of butter so all you have to do spread your waffle on the plate. What if you lived in a city of waffles Dylan Burney k

Banana k Peel. Peel the yellow peel of the banana. The yellow city is under the protection of the armor. Its yellow defences are no match for my intense fingers. Snap the command center at the top and peel the metal to the bottom. The little wires are like pieces of string. Finally to the core of this yellow base. Eat the yellow softness. The softness mashes in between my tongue and the roof of your mouth. The city lays in ruin. The civilization did not survive except the armor, the skin of the city now only a souvenir. Aidan McCord-Amasis k

The Dare k “Don’t do it!” said Davis. I said “a dare is a dare,” and I climbed in. I crawled through the sewer pipe the was in the back of my house. The pipe was grimey with cobwebs dangling from the top. The cool water flowed through my fingers as I kept crawling, farther and farther. As the last light faded, I looked back. The hole was a small marble of light in the stinging darkness. I yelled back, “You guys still there,” but there was nothing but the dripping of water and the scurry of mice. I switched my flashlight on. The white light flashed and filled up the small pipe. I screamed and dropped my flashlight in the flowing water. I tried to grab at my flashlight but it was rolling down the pipe to quickly for me to crawl backwards. I turned and crawled as fast as I could for the spinning light. I finally grabbed it and spun around. I saw at least 10 pairs of small eyes staring at me from the darkness. I held my breath, then suddenly, all the eyes disappeared at once. I sighed and said to myself, “they are only mice, only mice”. I kept crawling down the sewer pipe. I was staring down as I crawled, occasionally looking up. Suddenly, I almost ran into a pipe wall. There was a fork in the pipes. I could either go right or go left. I took the right path, because right is always right, right? As I continued down the pipe, I looked up. There was a faint orange glow farther down the pipe. I started to go faster. I fell a few times and got myself all wet. As I got closer, the orange light got more pronounced. I finally reached the orange light. There was a small area that looked like a tiny room to the side of the pipe. It was stone and there was a slab of marble that looked somewhat like a bed. I climbed into the room. It was high enough for me to stand. I stood up and stretched my back.

The source of the orange light was an old fashioned lamp. Next to it was a book and a bottle of water. The book looked like an old fashioned journal. I opened it but it was empty. I put the book down and looked at the water bottle. It was like it was calling to me. I was thirsty… I picked the water bottle up. I looked at the contents. Inside the water was crystal clear. nothing seemed wrong with it. I opened the cap, and smelled it. I didn’t smell anything, so I took a big gulp and downed the bottle. I decided to take a rest, the sewer could wait. I turned off my flashlight, now unneeded. I laid down on the marble slab, and covered myself with the blankets. As I drifted off, I noticed little creatures scurrying around, climbing my marble slab, they had red glowing eyes, then I fell into a deep sleep. When I awoke, I was very stiff. I stretched out and stood up. I heard a crunch and froze. I looked down and lifted my feet. I stared at the small smashed skull under my foot. As I looked around there were dozens of them. I grabbed my flashlight and ran to the entrance of the room. I climbed out and crawled down the pipe. I needed to get out of there. I eventually slowed down and grabbed my flashlight. It felt gravelly in my hand. I looked at it. It was covered in rust. The battery compartment was filled with white battery juice. I threw it down and kept crawling. I Eventually reached a manhole cover. I used all my strength and lifted it up. I crawled out of the manhole. The yellow sun blinded me. I ran off the street. I knew where I was, I had gone in a big circle. I was standing in front of Davis’ house. I walked up to his house. I noticed how much different the neighborhood was. I knocked on the fancy door. A man opened the door. He looked like he was in his thirties. He said “Ethan?” and I said “do you have my money?” Ethan West k

Cole Lewis k

Dexter Dugdale k

I’m the One k I’m the one who closes the door when you think it’s the wind. I’m the one who moves your keys, but you think you’ve misplaced them. I’m the one who gives you the someone’s watching me feeling. I’m the shadow outside of your window at night. I’m the footsteps in hall. I’m the creaking of the floor. I’m the scratching at the window. I’m always with you And always will be I’m the one behind you while you read this poem. Colin Getz k

Happy k Happy is a word. That word can mean many things. Some people think the word is for when you are rejoicing, others say that it is for when you finally do something that you have waited for; Though most of the time it is just a word that people use in everyday life,

Sleep k

and they say that happy is a word for when you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel sad, they are the people that live a truly happy in life.

Here I am.

Daniel Berman k

In a bed that has a pillow. A pillow that is soft enough to make me fall asleep. And dream about dark secrets, or maybe about families or friends. The air flowing in the room. Soothing me, calming me down. You fall asleep with a wish, a wish which will bring safeness in the night sky. Hoping to fall asleep. Laura G. Bradley k