Scribe
BROOKLYN FRIENDS MIDDLE SCHOOL 2014
Scribe
Contents
We also wish to thank the English faculty for their continued support of creative writing in and out of the classroom: Mike Roth, Nina Coates-Koncicki, Ticia Vreeland, Tony Soll, Erin Mansur, and Sarah Schlein.
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Rachel Mazor, Scribe faculty advisor Tina Piccolo, Scribe art advisor Barry Davis, Head of Middle School
*** Gold Key, Scholastic Writing Awards ** Silver Key, Scholastic Writing Awards * Honorable Mention, Scholastic Writing Awards
Cover: Claire Stohlman, grade 8
Scribe © 2014, Brooklyn Friends School
Every year, the Brooklyn Friends Middle School celebrates writing and the creative arts through the publication of Scribe. We encourage students in all classes to submit their writing for publication, and works from every grade are represented. Many of our seventh and eighth graders submitted their work to the Scholastic Writing Awards competition; pieces by the students selected for recognition are included in Scribe as well. We encourage all students to continue writing and creating, and we look forward to your submissions next year.
Hope is Poem Is Good Enough, Patrick Dote Just the First Page, Asca Akiyama * e Jergedy Days, Minerva Macarrulla e Real Story of Hansel and Gretel, Tessa Marker Charlotte Owns Opinions, Annika Heegaard Untitled, Annabel Forward ** Raggedy Man, Maxine Simons Why It Snows in Winter, Tyson Boynton Who I Am, Jivan Calderone “I Am” Poem, Hana Yoshikawa Stay, Kali Hough ** e Place Where the Subway Sleeps, Michaela Guy Feelings, Kennedy White Witness; Found Poem, Lucy Smith As We Walk, Mekai Gilmer 76: e Diary of Mario Giovanni, Ben Barrett Football, Daniel Altschuler * ose Woods by the Farm, Daniel Dorticos *** Montauk at Sunset, Rowan Ives
minerva macarrulla, grade 7
Hope This Poem Is Good Enough Patrick Dote, grade 7 i’m sorry, that i couldn’t put much effort, into my poem. You told me to write, 20 to 100 lines, but are my lines too short? i promise that i will try better next time, because i have nothing on my mind, right now. is will be the only thing that is effortless, for the year, and my new Year’s resolution would be to make better poems, and hope they are good enough.
amina washington, grade 7
Just the First Page inspired bY “this is just to saY” bY william carlos williams
Asca Akiyama, grade 7 we have all tried writing on the first page of a notebook as neatly as we possibly can but it never lasts in no time it’s a total mess as we turn the pages the words get
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The Jergedy Days inspired bY lewis carroll’s “jabberwockY” and e.e. cummings’ “in just”
Minerva Macarrulla, grade 7 it was jergedy season, just when all our fellow so-sos were saying, i’ll tell the teacheronyou and our lunch boxes became friends and do you wanna have a playdate? and look, mommy, no hands! it was jergedy season, when the days, weeks and months seemed to stretch on and on and on, like a piece of our bumblegum pulled to the point where it was about to snap. it was jergedy season, and life was simple, life was good. although not much was understood, we were happy and free and all at jazz. jergedy season was...
jabulani chipembere, grade 7
it was our jergedy season. our roles were reversed, as if we wanted to grow up sooner, be... older. if only we had known! en it was first grade, second, then... a minute seemed quicker, we understood more, an hour, a day, it was all a bore... and suddenly, more than ever before, it wasn’t our jergedy season anymore.
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Brooklyn Friends School
The Real Story of Hansel and Gretel by Beatrice S. Witch Retold by Tessa Marker, grade 5
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veryone knows the story of hansel and gretel, even you. You probably think this is the story where two little children are captured by an evil witch – me, beatrice – but it’s not. is is the real story of hansel and gretel. a few years ago, i was looking aer my boss’s house. my boss is the head witch of the candy mountain region, an area in northwest colorado. her house is gorgeous and it is entirely made out of candy. i wanted to make the most of my beautiful stay, so i went on a walk. i was out all day, and had a lovely picnic in the woods. as i started walking home i began to hear a loud crunching noise. when i came closer to the house, the noise got louder, and louder! i saw two little blond brats eating the house! at that moment i started to hyperventilate – i remembered what my boss had said just before she le to go on a trip, “by the way beatrice, if even a crumb of my house is gone, you will be on the unemployment list in seconds, bye-bye!” once i remembered what a cruel boss i had, i ran to the house as fast as i could, which is as fast as a turtle, because i’m one thousand and twenty-seven years old, to stop those little brats from eating the house! “You little blond beasts get away from the house,” i screamed. “now!” “You can’t tell us what to do – tell her hansel!” replied the little blond girl in a very sassy way. “okay gretel,” groaned hansel. “You can’t tell us what to do, because...we are awesome!” “we’ll make you a deal, you let us stay here in this house of treats, and we….we will just be cute, and do really easy jobs. if you don’t accept our deal, gretel and i will just demolish your house.” when i first heard hansel and gretel’s deal, i didn’t like it, but then i realized that if
i didn’t accept the deal, those kids would get me in really big trouble. i replied, “okay, i’ll accept your deal. i will give you some cake that i made yesterday. in return you will help me make repairs for the house.” “okay, but we want the cake now,” demanded gretel with an annoying attitude. “whatever you say, my little honey pie,” i muttered sarcastically. “Follow me.” so, i showed those two little brats into the house. i cut up the delicious chocolate truffle cake with whipped cream, and gave it to those not so lovely children. ey ate the whole cake! but they kept asking for more. i had to take out all of the extra candy supplies! aer i gave those brats all my food they whined, “we want more food.”
rowan ives, grade 7
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sage gordon, grade 6
“i don’t have more food, you ate all of my extra food supplies!” i exclaimed, starting to get stressed out. “well, you’re a witch, right? You have a big pointy hat, all witches have big pointy hats. can’t you just conjure up some food?” stated hansel. “well… it’s harder than that,” i stammered, “i can’t just make food out of thin air, it takes time, and energy!” “well we don’t care,” replied hansel. “we just want food.” i really like using magic, but i’m old, even for a witch. when you get older it is hard to use magic. i try to make stuff the human way as much as possible, no magic. even if i were to use magic i couldn’t make a cake out of thin air! i could barely make things out of 4 Brooklyn Friends School
thin air when i was young, and i only did that kind of magic when it was an emergency, again, not to make cake! but, i had no other choice, because if i didn’t do what those little brats told me to do, i would be unemployed. i tried to make a cake, but nothing appeared out of thin air. i tried again, but still nothing! i tried, and tried, but i couldn’t make a cake. i was getting stressed out, and hansel was making so much noise! “hansel!” i growled through gritted teeth. “go over there to the chicken pen and be quiet! if you don’t, i’m going to have to eat you!” when i said “eat you” hansel instantly became quiet, and ran to the chicken pen. ose children are so gullible. “come over here gretel!” i demanded. “we’re going to bake some desserts.” a few hours later gretel and i were done with the first batch of cookies. i told her to give a few to her brother, so he wouldn’t start complaining again. i also told her to get a fire burning in the oven so we could bake repairs for the house. a few minutes later gretel came back with crumbs all over her face and a devious smile. i didn’t want to know why she was smiling so i told her to get in the oven and tell me if she thought it was hot. Five seconds later she whined, “how am i supposed to get in the oven? can you show me?” “how hard is it to get in an oven?” i replied. “but, if it is so hard i’ll show you.” i walked over to the oven and explained to gretel how to get in a oven. “First, you open the oven door. en you climb in the oven, ahhhhhhhh! You little rascal!” at little brat shut the door on the oven, and i was stuck! “haha!” yelled gretel. “see ya later witch!” when gretel shut that oven door, i knew my life was over. my only regret was that i hadn’t killed those two brats, but since i’m a witch, i turned into a ghost, and i lived happily ever aer.
Charlotte Owns Opinions Annika Heegaard, grade 7 î ˘e first bloom has come showing its luscious redpinkgreens the hushful street is no longer dead Yet neither so redpinkgreen momanddad say to leave them alone. no. they are all mine they are petals everywhere and momanddad say no but i say Yes. but charlotteisgone she would have wanted the redpinkgreens but momanddad say no and i say Yes. and go along the deadredpinkgreen streets.
anna polo, grade 7
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Annabel Forward, grade 8 i have layers beneath me that will forever go undiscovered hidden emotions in the depth of my soul they hide because they are afraid they are afraid of nothing except themselves
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Raggedy Man Maxine Simons, grade 7 e raggedy man in the big blue box full of mystery time and thoughts he has more than one face 13 to be exact, but this specific face the one with the little red bow tie the one with the lively face hannah schorr, grade 7
the one with stars in his eyes he is something different he is something light he is something dark he has met so many people the girl who waited the impossible girl and the girl who knew so much
annika heegaard, grade 7
he is the raggedy man he is the doctor so, “run you clever boy and remember”
amanda reid, grade 8
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Why It Snows in Winter Tyson Boynton, grade 5
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nce upon a time, a time in the heavens, there was a sneaky tiger named winter. winter was a burglar who was planning to sneak into the golden palace to steal the great king’s great treasures. winter snuck through a golden window into the grand hallway and slipped through the corridors. ey were filled with pieces of art, statues, and tapestries of the great king. winter thought to himself, “it will be easier if i poison the great king so i can sneak in without sounding the alarm!” so he snuck into the royal throne room, filled a glass of water with six drops of poison, and crept quietly out of the room. when the great king woke up, he reached for his glass of water. as soon as he drank it, he collapsed to the floor, unconscious. one of the royal guards found him and called the doctor. e doctor came just in time and poured six drops of antidote into a glass of water. meanwhile, winter found the secret treasure room behind a golden statue of a three-headed dog. what a sight! ere were mountains of gold, silver, jewels, diamonds, priceless art, and more! winter piled all of the treasure into his magic bag. he was about to sneak out when he heard footsteps coming down the corridor. winter ran out a window. he hid the treasure far, far away in the dark pits of sorrow. when he realized what was lost, the great king commanded, “i shall send a great army to hunt down this winter! general gebu! You shall leave immediately!” winter hunted for his dinner. suddenly, a delicious scent made him he freeze in mid air. what an amazing smell! e smell of fresh cooked fish and fresh baked rice cakes waed through the air. one part of winter’s brain warned for him to be cautious, but his nose betrayed him. he was about three feet away when—bam!!! he was caught in a net! winter screamed and howled of frustration but, it was no use. back at the great king’s palace, as winter stepped slowly into the throne room, the great
genta akiYama, grade 5
king screamed in outrage at his presence. “how dare you get away with my treasures! i should kill you! now where are mY treasures?” but the great king could not get the information out of winter. Finally, winter challenged the great king to a game of blackjack. e great king accepted the challenge and they began the game. e game was difficult. ey played for hours, and hours, then soon days and soon years. winter almost won but the great king made a comeback. e great king played the king card. winter could not stand this attack. e king had won. e great king cried in joy and relief and winter cried in despair. “now that our little game is finished, let’s reward the winner and punish the loser! You, winter, shall be turned into the sleeping winter river in the coldest part of the heavens that has rained down to the world for as long as time itself! now be gone!” so the great king turned winter into the winter river. at is why in every cold season, when the weather is right, the winter river falls down on to the earth and creates snow. From that day on, winter has been in peaceful sleep. Scribe 7
Who I Am Jivan Calderone, grade 6 i am from a dj the vibration under my feet from a plane a traveling little boy i am from the crashing waves i am from the hard street a surfer’s life the scars on my body i am from the massive mountains flying down i am from “don’t do that” a mischievous tween a trickster i am from a stylish mom that turns into a stylish son i am jivan calderone
daniel dorticos, grade 7
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ruthie lipskar, grade 6
“I Am” Poem Hana Yoshikawa, grade 6 i am hana i look like me i come from new York my home is warm and cozy my family is simple and unique i feel happy i know that i am special when people see me they smile and say “hi” when i see myself i am usually looking into a mirror i am true to myself Scribe 9
Stay Kali Hough, grade 8 i saw him kneeling the blinding white walls the scratchy fabric the murmuring of equipment
Glass – that was all I saw as the windows shattered He shouted my name as he reached for my hand
i saw him place one hand in mine as though i were made of fine china
He willed me to open my eyes and look at him from the passenger seat
he sighed and slowly closed his eyes
I had just done that a moment ago
i closed mine and shiî‚?ed so i was standing right next to him
the pain i felt that day runs through him as if a wire runs from the tips of my fingertips to the hand he was grasping them with i opened my eyes and he did too i felt the panic of the flashback slip away only to be replaced with emptiness i saw myself on the hospital bed eyes still closed, mind still open he spun on his heels and slammed his fist into the white wall the shelves shook he trembled with them at that moment he cracked i had to stay for him
galen jessop, grade 7
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or he would shatter just like the windows of his car
Fiona beswick, grade 8
The Place Where the Subway Sleeps Michaela Guy, grade 8 big metal caterpillars wheezing, whining on rusty wheels and dirty tracks cool poles and shiny silver racks. squeaking, squealing we all know the sound of those big metal caterpillars coming around. when day turns to night and we’re all counting sheep. have you ever wondered where the subway sleeps? perhaps a grand station is where they all park to rest their wheels in the cold winter dark. Scribe 11
Feelings Kennedy White, grade 6
a feeling so deep inside me i want to put my hand inside and pull it out or i can always just scream letting all the anger and silence out a feeling people are being mean judging you calling you bad gossiping what is “bad”? hatred is what i feel right now i just want to fit in the crowd anger something i can’t control my picF someone who comforts me asca akiYama, grade 7
someone who is there Friendship and love happiness a feeling how i feel right now
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Witness; Found Poem Lucy Smith, grade 8
witness the blood run along the field. children pleading for the privilege of joy and allowed no more to cry. witness how severely he regards his slaves singing. witness the tales, songs, tones, prayers, complaints, testimonies, and notes. witness the ben barrett, grade 8
woe, bitterness, anguish, depression, and sadness. witness the deepest cruelty
As We Walk
of the presence of the
Mekai Gilmer, grade 7
blasphemy. witness the determination of the dead.
as we go into battle marching in unity i wonder why we run in the sun full of flames maybe i should quit run just run run from the battle run like a coward but still able to run Scribe 13
76: The Diary of Mario Giovanni Ben Barrett, grade 8 1st day in battle: it was horrific. my friends died right in front of my eyes. my squad was ambushed and my closest friend in the world, antonio deotestro, had his throat slit right in front of my eyes. i was forced to join a new squad along with three men from my old squad and we hope this squad will be bigger and hopefully more of us will survive. my life will never be the same. when i think about it, it kind of makes me want to join the dead ones. 2nd day in battle: my new squad is two times bigger but there are many “kids” that are too young to die. i survived this day, but three of us didn’t, and one of them died a painful, slow death. tonight, i was pondering how i could end the appalling war life i now live in. luckily, i convinced myself to tough it out and at least try another day. 3rd day in battle: my squad went out into the trenches today. e trenches are repugnant and they are not a place you want to be living in. e enemy charged at our trench and tried to kill all of us. ey killed five men and many were le with injuries. i was shot on my right leg and was unable to walk. i got out easy and didn’t have to participate in any other parts of the action that were happening in and around the trench. when we le, we had to run out because we were being shot at. when the new group came in, i saw many old men being shot at and killed. war is no way to live a life.
oscar dorr, grade 6
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7th day in battle: is is the end. eleven men in my squad were shot; six of them were shot down and three died of infection. i don’t want to leave this world in pain or because someone else took a nice shot at my face. no. i will leave this world in my own hands. ese are my entries, this is my life, and this is me saying goodbye forever.
Football Daniel Altschuler, grade 7 loving a sport is not called for, e mistake of playing it is not right, it is the mistake of not playing putting a hand on the ball is not the responsibility it is to pick it up and to run and see the end, it is the courage to continue on, aer you’ve been slammed down if you fight, e discouraging thought hits you and haunts forever so play well and have fun
george boulukos, grade 5
Those Woods by the Farm Daniel Dorticos, grade 7 me and eddie can do one thing we can walk through the creepy woods the ones that are staggering with mold rotten woods that none could imagine to cross ones that deeply display the darkness of life the loneliness of some that don’t understand the world that are outsiders that get rejected we can cross that forest and can carry their world on our shoulders.
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anthonY hohn grade 8
Montauk at Sunset Rowan Ives, grade 7 e sky was red but the sun had set e sound of the waves crashing e wind flying past my ears and the rocks moving with the current was all i heard e air had a chill at touched my wet body i sat on a rock and stared into the distance e wind was picking up and the waves became choppy the beach was empty and the tide was high 16 Brooklyn Friends School
my board was packed on the roof of the car but i was not ready to leave something held me back i wanted to stay just one more minute staring into the distance
joy freund grade 8
Brooklyn Friends School Mission Statement Guided by the Quaker belief that there is a Divine Light in everyone, Brooklyn Friends School cultivates an intellectually ambitious and diverse community that celebrates each individual’s gifts. We challenge our students to value and embrace difference as they develop critical thinking skills and apply their knowledge and intelligence both in and out of the classroom. In this rich learning environment, we inspire all members of our community to voice their convictions, to discover and pursue their passions, and to seek truth. Our graduates are compassionate, curious, and confident global citizens who let their lives speak in the spirit of leadership and service.
kali hough grade 8
BROOKLYN FRIENDS SCHOOL 375 Pearl Street Brooklyn, New York 11201 718.852.1029 www.brooklynfriends.org