Students vs. Learners

She puts on a mask, Without fail and no questions asked, And moves throughout her day, Always changing her faces.

Around her friends, She always smiles and makes fun. With her family, She is pleasant and bright. Out in public, She is quiet but confident.

But when she is with them, Her many faces crack. They get a glimpse of her, With her guard down and no walls up.

Then, when she is all alone, Her mask is fully removed. Her true face is shown. She is open. Vulnerable, Real.

All of the cracks and fragments That have been glued back together again and again,

She fixes then all at the end of her day When she no longer has to play.

Then, she goes to bed Without any thoughts in her head Drawing by: Abby Dlug And restlessly sleeps Until her alarm again beeps And her days move on to repeat.

Bedtime Sonnet – Lorenzo Carletti

The clock on the wall ticks at a steady pace, And the dull moonlight tell me time to rest, Though the thoughts in my mind swirl with great haste, The space between my ears is filled with jest.

I stay awake, wondering what to think, To soother the steady lightening in my head, A chain of thoughts connected link to link, A steady stream of questions end to end.

Why do stars twinkle and why do they shine? And how do great eagles swim through the sky? Why do Europeans make the best wine? And how does pumpkin turn into pie?

Till suddenly the noise decides to stop, And grants my eyelids a short time to drop.

The Human Mind – Autumn Granroth

The human mind is a scary place, It exposes you to things others never face My mind works at its own pace, Leaving me with thoughts, I’d rather erase A chemical imbalance I embrace, But therapy makes me feel like a disgrace It is hard to feel normal when anxiety puts you in a different headspace Down the rabbit hole I go, a cat and mouse chase I struggle to catch my breath - my diaphragm deflates, Insomnia leaves me with steps to retrace Why is my heart pounding? Why am I shaking? Questions never answered, the search still awaits I must prepare for tomorrow’s cat and mouse chase.