Chrestomathy-The Poetry Issue, Fall 2021 by The Calhoun School

CHRESTOMATHY Chrestomathy (from the Greek words krestos, useful, and mathein, to know) is a collection of choice literary passages. In the study of literature, it is a type of reader or anthology that presents a sequence of example texts, selected to demonstrate the development of language or literary style

The Seventh Grade Writing Magazine The Calhoun Middle School

The Poetry Issue

Opening

Individuals in the 2020-21 seventh grade worked on a Poetry Project over the course of six weeks. They experimented and thought and wondered and ranted and expressed and emoted and … well, you get the idea. These are their voices, wholly owned by them and offered to you for contemplation and reflection. As you read, if you are moved by the poems, please reach out to the poet and let them know they made you think. Poetry is the art of the mind and heart coalescing and integrating. These pages are for you.

Achilles Bedouet Inspired by “Harlem,” Langston Hughes If I try very hard and fail Does that mean I am a failure? Does that mean I will never recover? Does that mean everything I do And however hard I try It will never work?

Does this mean I will never do anything good? Does this mean everything I do will not pan out Does this mean I should give up? Or does this mean I should keep going and work even harder? Maybe Maybe I will die tomorrow Maybe I will live a long life Maybe tomorrow will be a good day

Maybe tomorrow will be a lost cause Maybe I'm supposed to know how tomorrow will be Maybe it's supposed to be a surprise Maybe tomorrow will cause an uprising Maybe tomorrow will bring me down Maybe tomorrow will fulfill my dreams Maybe it will leave me hanging with no more life to spare

Alexandra Pogyo I’m Sorry

Because if I pretend that you’re alive and breathing Visiting a land, a distant, far land Facing peace and tranquility somewhere in this wretched world And you’re simply enjoying life without those that you left behind With the vision of your last breath leaving your body being false Maybe, just maybe You never met the being called Death Because if I act as if you were never completely gone to begin with You won’t be dead, right? Maybe

I’m sorry that you can’t see my cries of sorrow and anguish That you can’t see the pain I feel every time I reminiscence Of the times we spent together, the times we spent apart The times in which we yelled, whether it be of laughter or horror Whether it be to protect one another, or cause harm to one another I’m sorry that you can’t see me collapsing at any moment of the day Wishing that I could feel your feeble hand against my skin once more Whether it be a light graze or your hand tightening around my own Wishing that your arms would surround my weak body, A body as weak as yours the moment the light left your eyes I’m sorry that I don’t feel this way at all Each tear that passes through the eyes of others isn’t mine, I can’t shed one for reasons that are unknown I witness people breaking under the agony of you being buried six feet under the Earth Yet in myself, I can’t even give the slightest thought I do not feel ecstasy at the mention of your passing I do not feel as if celebrating the fact that you can’t enjoy this thing called “Life” But rather, I feel an emptiness I’m sorry that I never gave a care in the world That I never made an effort to show my feelings They all said I can cry, let it all out But I have nothing to let out I can’t share my feelings at your grave because I have none It looks as if, to me, you never were someone I cared for But that's not the truth I’m sorry that I can’t accept your passing I continue my life as it always was I make futile attempts to understand that you’re not coming back

Maybe I come from a place where music blasts day and night and people dance no matter the occasion Dominicans restlessly playing dominoes Mexicans drinking their cool Coronas pack after pack Maybe I thought this was normal Maybe people perched on the steps Taking sip after sip, puff after puff Of tobacco neatly wrapped by this tiny little piece of paper An orange fuse of light being the one thing on their mind Maybe I grew up Thinking that this was a world where I needed to stay in Thinking that all around the country there were people Of dark pigments Black, tan, brown Different shades of a creamy chocolate Even those who were “blanquitos” were afflicted with this shade Maybe if I had paid attention to my sister Coming home each day devastated That she couldn’t afford expensive bags or luxury jackets That all her friends came to school in Louis Vuitton high heels And Chanel bags While she trudged through the cracked concrete in 3year old sneakers And a drabby and dingy sack overfilled with textbooks Maybe if I had noticed sooner That we weren’t all equal That there were people who didn’t have to move a finger That those people were already better off thanand me That we can barely afford rent without working ourselves to the ground I would’ve understood that I was gifted Maybe I would’ve understood why my parents made school our first priority Why my sister worked herself endlessly

Immersing herself in essays and workbook pages Why she worked through the constant ignorance of her peers Why she wanted to go far away from home Maybe I was meant to understand That we weren’t all equal That there were people who didn’t have to move a finger That those people were already better off thanand me That we can barely afford rent without working ourselves to the ground But also that with applying myself and working as hard as the people before them I could create a better future for myself, my family, and my legacies That I don’t have to live stay where I am now Maybe I was meant to be a part of the change The Concrete That the Bouquet Grew From Inspired by Tupak Shakur Did you hear about the cracks in the concrete? They say there are little rose buds in them I’ve never noticed that! Is it because we keep stepping on them? Or because we don’t provide them enough to keep them thriving? Surely if they were meant to live, They would’ve survived, Right? Correct And we did survive And we did thrive You just never seemed to notice We provided ourselves on our own When you stepped on us we managed to stay alive It took time, but from the crushed petals we turned into beautiful roses Roses of different colors, different sizes, even different types! Now, we’ve all been plucked and put into different bouquets Now, we’ve all left new flowers to grow Now, while we’re not all together, we’ve grown from the same roots We’re seen together, we’re seen as the same But our type doesn’t matter, Our size doesn’t matter Our color doesn’t matter What matters is that we grew from the concrete That we grew from the forsaken cracks The cracks that you overlooked your whole life

When I don’t see color, When I don’t see gender, When I make calls for change when I’m sure that others are watching, Will you witness me? Will you witness me, When I call you out for using our struggles to elevate your status, When I call out your ignorance in a time of need When I tell you that being anti-racist is not enough When I tell you that racism isn’t our only problem When I tell you that discrimination and prejudice are not the same When I tell you that futile attempts of having the token black friend doesn’t make the world any better When I tell you that our struggle doesn’t need to be a part of every conversation, Only when you unknowingly decide it to be Will you witness me, When what I’m saying is that you’re a performative activist seeking the approval of all the other witnesses as a way to not only have their acceptance but acceptance of your own so that you’ll never have to confront the fact that your “concern” does more harm than good at the cost of the people you try to “support”?

Death We see death walking with a scythe, hand in hand with time and ending A luminary among all mortals, young and old As each is induced by the nefarious and malicious image of the hooded figure Corroded by the morbidity and fear of the end Our minds shrouded by darkness once the word reaches our ears, And we begin to think of the deep lacerations made by Death’s sweet blade But what happens when we’re healed? Healed by the figure of time, the figure of death’s

Will You Witness Me? Will you witness me, When I praise the media, When I post a small black box to fill your feed,

amiable nature We pity ourselves when we enter the afterlife, yet we learn that Death’s hand takes our own

Allowing us to one day detach ourselves from our past life And look from the beyond with a new warmth

If I was a little older, If my parents met a little sooner, If you had survived a little longer If you were just a little stronger, Maybe, just maybe I wouldn’t be writing about you like this

Anevy Gonzalez-Vasquez

Abuelito I heard you died on a couch surrounded by family members Or maybe it was a bed At this point who knows All that matters is your name Stomach cancer That’s all I know That’s what drove you to your final breath A breath which my mother was never there to witness A breath that marked the calm before the storm A breath that took place only two years before I was born I wish I was there to see that breath I only would’ve been a little older I wish I was there to be able to call after you Abuelo Nico! Papa! Or my personal favorite, Abuelito! Abuelita curses you for leaving her all alone Mi Mami praises you for being a good father to her Mis Tias fight for the attention of their only living parent Mi Hermana has reminiscences of you chasing her around and calling her sweet names But me? All I have are images, photographs Memories that that don’t belong to me Memories that change every single year as they are forgotten little by little Questions that can never be answered porque es demasiado doloroso recordar All I have are different narratives and “ifs” backed by pity “If he met you he would love you” “If he was alive he would take you to El Campo” “If he was alive Abuelita wouldn’t suffer” “If he were here this family wouldn’t be torn apart” At this point, I don’t know what to believe about you So many people tell me so many things, I don’t know who to trust Maybe, just maybe

Color Personification A Slytherin inspired poem Dark Green Dark green hides in silence behind the whispers of students deepest darkest secrets He infiltrates the great halls walls and ceilings banners when the house cup has been acquired by the students that sit with pride and cheer in their matching colored robes Dark green spends most of his time resting in the familiar common room Whiffing at the expensive cologne of Slytherins passing in and out He lies on the bodies of the students while they make up mischief with their cunning ways Attends each class with every one of his students Watching them grow as they experience all of their happiest moments or saddest moments Stares so intently that it could kill viewing the less fortunate of all Fresh ink rubs against the cloth he lays on while feeling the regrets and sorrow of the owner Dark green sits through it all while no one knows he is there Experiencing it all whilst he says nothing

Metamorphosis Many experiences I have had this year have taught me to look at things in different ways Every experience showing me a new and different perspective There is a lesson you can get from each one if you just look hard enough And there will always be Many of the experiences I have had come from books because everyone has a different perspective Of course, this will open up new viewings of everything around you, changing the way you think grow, and learn Reasoning the way life goes about with yourself Prosperous future paths open up How everyone views everything affects your being and defines how you grow every day Observing everything around me is how I have spent most of my time in quarantine Senses have matured as well as my emotions I will continue to grow as years pass on Some things will always stay the same

Ode An Imagination inspired poem The brain starts to beat and glisten Meanwhile, the veins throb, pondering something new The thoughts of emotions your brain conjures gets produced by your heart and overflow your body Your thoughts block the real world out Concealing your new images and new reality you have created The images crack through your skull and onto your surroundings Now seeing them with your eyes You now touch, feel, smell, taste, see the inside of your mind Living in the better place you have created for yourself Away from the world And in your imagination

Here Poem Here The grass grows trim and straight, almost perfectly Here The sun glazes over everything Little parts of shades in isolation Here Wind flows freely, plants swaying in a rhythmic motion Here Flowers grow in groups, as if they were family lying peacefully together Here A girl, flowing dress and blonde flowy hair, dances in the grass Prancing around in the wind, graceful like a fairy Here She doesn’t know it, but the butterflies, bees, rabbits, and deer all watch her Here The animals create a song for her to dance to of their own Bees humming and buzzing while gathering honey Here The butterflies flap their wings against the air while roaming the sky Here The rabbits crunch the grass while hopping around Here The small doe in the distance chews the grass while gazing at the girl Here The girl hums her own song in her beautiful world, patting her feel against the ground, world spinning around Here Is where the world stops but life lives on, making music of its own

Freedom I ran through the field Running from everything but no one was behind me My legs carrying my body as fast as they could I feel the itching grass under my feet, scraping my legs as I go The wind pushes against my face, flushing my cheeks I twirl, my spring dress flowing against the wind The world spins under me as I tumble to the ground I look toward the sky, sun splashing my face I turn my head Looking over to where the daisies grow I sit up getting a closer look I spot a butterfly cross my path flying gracefully toward the sky Free to go where it likes Away where it wants At this moment in time I am the butterfly Away from everything and everyone Even if it is only for a couple of minutes I am free

Asha Lewis Elegy So close but too far to touch I never really knew you, you were gone I wish I could have known you earlier, or could have done something to help Lost. Me and you both I want to meet you again I wanted you to remember me but it seemed you were gone too far off even though I was standing right in front of you We were so close yet so distant

I thought maybe one day you’d come back to me

Shadow

I miss you but i'll meet you once more

Asha the second

One day I will truly meet you again but this time you’ll know me, rest well and know that i'm still with you Forever.

I Don't Know I don't know maybe I was born broken I don't know why I doubt myself I don't know why I feel disconnected

I just know Asha the first hates me I follow her everywhere and even surprise her when the sun catches up to her Because of me she despises summers, i’m everywhere Whenever she plays sports at summer camp I get tired because she runs so fast Never has she taken me into consideration Although I show my dark figure I’m also invisible sometimes Of course I still exist and follow her She just has no idea A hobby of mine when i'm out of sight would have to be spying on her I get a little moody when she can’t see me so all I really do is spill all my energy out on her She’ll never know that i'm the culprit for all her sorrow

I don't know what the point of overthinking is I also don't know why I do it I don't know why I stress myself out I don't know why i’m so worried about my future I don't know the route back home I don't know these streets like I used to

You

I don't know why I don't know you anymore

You love our music

I don't know much at all

You love our features

I don't know why i've turned out this way but I do know that one day i'll know much more than I do now

You love our food You love our hair You love our fashion You love our dialect and how we speak

Saying Goodbye to My Stuffed Animal Bo An unhappy separation, which had happened multiple times Until your last life came around and you were gone forever I remember the first day you got here, and from then on Until you were away you held me through my early childhood years I held you too I brought you everywhere He brought me replicas of you after you went missing I was too attached, but hopefully someone found you I thank you for all the joy you brought me, Bo

You love our dance moves You love where we live You love and steal what we have You love our humor But you hate our skin, yet you tan out in the boiling sun where your complexion is close to ours You say “oo chile, finna, peridot” but don't take into consideration the privilege you have when you use it You take our hairstyles but don't know the history behind them

You wear your hair natural all the time and complain but when we have our hair out it’s perceived as “messy”

For the Ones Who Raised Me (parents)

You gentrify our neighborhoods You also feel okay when seeing an officer but when I get pulled over with my mom my heart sinks We get the talk which consists of “keep your hands visible, move slowly, call mom or dad, don't talk back, don't move unless you are asked, and make sure you tell them that everything is being recorded” You love us so much but fully drown out what we ask from you You post on Instagram your favorite basketball or football player but forget to post about how our life matters I hate having to tell my dad to try not to wear all black or a hood on his head when going out at night I hate having to worry if the last time I see my him is before he goes out to buy some dinner at 9:00pm If he's gone for more than 20 minutes then I’m worried he's just gone You need to love our culture respectfully and stand up for us We define popular culture and hold this country on our backs It's your turn to help us too

Morron. Morron is calm and humble She is fierce and subtle Morron is the type to walk in to a party with a vibrant red dress You’d expect her to be talkative and popular amongst others Instead she delivers class, she chooses her friends closely She's close with her opacities not so much of her own shade Except shades like wine, or shades close to him Morron carries herself well and is introverted She always has a distinct look Almost like she knows something we don't Morron is admirable and most want to be just like her

Hard times happened Difficulties emerged from the surface You've both helped me a lot Even when harsh words come bursting out my mouth You forgave even when I thought things were at their last I'm so proud of you and what you've become All the things you teach me You care even when there were times I swore you didn't Just so loving and i'm happy whenever I see you happy Even when i'm sad or have fallen you manage to pick me up And work so hard at the same time You mean everything to me, couldn't ask for anyone better

Asher Nicoletto My name is Asher and that’s what I prefer You can give me a nickname because I find that fun I almost feel like a monkey I want to always play around Be with my friends and family And always be enthusiastic I basically have a football in my heart I’ll watch it I’ll play about it And I will always think about it You cannot do anything to keep me away from what is in my heart You would see nothing on my forehead, my hair would probably be covering it up I love to see the Vikings win and my favorite players happy But I hate seeing the Vikings lose And it is difficult to see someone cry after something they worked hard on My favorite time of the day That would have to be a nice springtime evening The sun is still out but there is shade on the grass as it is about to turn night time I have time to have fun It isn’t too hot, it isn’t too cold If my hands could speak, they would constantly by yelling “Stop!” As I bite my nails and allow them to be smacked as I’m catching a football I will always and forever remember my summer day camp days Those were the happiest days and a reason to look forward towards the morning A phrase that my whole family loves to tell me is that they love me I say “I know, you tell me all the time” And they say that they just wanted to let me know

My favorite animal has always been zebras, they are so beautiful I would say it's the animal inside me. A music note is the object inside my heart, it couldn’t be anything else It’s like I’m full of music, I talk music, I eat music, I breathe music If there was a word on my forehead, it would be family Family is so important, most families support and love each other Happy It was my birthday The first time I saw my friends in months due to coronavirus But it felt as if we saw each other just yesterday Feeling happiness the entire time I stayed up all night I played football I went on bike rides We all played so many games in the backyard Then we went home and tried to “shotgun” a seltzer water I smelled the grass I heard birds chirping I saw the sun I also felt the sun on my body But I felt happiness inside I tasted the seltzer water as it was burning my throat because I was drinking so much at once Never felt so happy My Escape From Reality My trampoline My escape from reality Covered in a net I feel on top of the world when I’m inside the net No stress and no worries Almost like you are on another planet with no one else on it Imagination can take you anywhere inside of this net You don’t only have to jump on this trampoline I can be the greatest sports player in the world I can be lying down at the beach You can be saving the world I don’t think of the real life inside of my trampoline Because it is my escape from reality

I love seeing sunsets, I love seeing old photos of my family, I love seeing butterflies I don’t hate anything, but I don’t like the sight of myself getting a shot at the doctor’s office My favorite time of the day is early in the morning Mornings are like the refresh button on your phone, it's a new start to a new day. Mornings can make or break your day Mornings can bring people together Mornings are a new beginning. If my hands had the ability to speak, they would tell me to moisturize them and cut my nails. In fact, they would probably beg me to moisturize them, they are so dry most of the time My earliest childhood memory is of a man being irresponsible. I was about three years old when I saw a man walking in the street with a stroller He was a black man, with brown dreadlocks that went down his back. I remember wondering why he didn’t just walk on the sidewalk, especially with a small child. Prose Poem

Assefash Spearman My name is Assefash, and I wouldn’t trade my name for the world. Here's some things about me

Looking at the sun through the leaves of the trees. I have to squint my eyes a little in order to see clearly. Watching little ants crawl next to me. I watch them as they bring food to their ant hills, it reminds me of a small community. Smelling the soil as a walk through the field. It smells like when you step out in the grass after it rains. Watching the sun glistening on the cool

water. I notice small fish swimming around. It reminds me of the time I went fishing. Small logs are around, slightly mossy. I look around, everything is green. The air is pure and clean, high quality. The leaves are crispy, perfect to step on. The dirt is slightly moist. Everything seems perfect, it’s like a fairytale. Inspired by Maya Angelou You can beat me down You can push me back You can stomp on me But I’ll always get back up again You can smash my things You can discourage me You can tell me I’ll never succeed But I’ll always prove you wrong You can tell me lies You can spread rumors You can make drama But I won’t let that get to me You can beat me down You can push me back You can stomp on me But I’ll always get back up again

Ben Selz I Am I am fast and a gamer I wonder what will happen to me when I grow up I hear subtle ocean waves in the Bahamas I see a huge rainforest I want to be a professional sports player with the perfect life I am fast and a gamer I pretend to be a YouTuber I feel water splashing on my face while tubing I touch wet slippery moss on a rock on the side of a river I worry what’s going to happen to me when I’m older I cry thinking about what will happen to me after I will die I am fast and a gamer I understand that no matter how bad my day is somebody else’s is worse I say all people should be treated equally I dream of becoming a superhero I try to be a good student I hope that some people do have superpowers I am fast and a gamer I Don’t Know I don’t know if I will be successful or not. I don’t know If I will be happy or not. I don’t know where I will go to college. I don’t know if I will play sports.

I don’t know if I will be the CEO of a really good company. I don’t know if I will have my own family. I don’t know what will happen to me when I am older. But I do know that I have a pretty good life right now and I will live it.

Brian Stone Scout Black fur like misty midnight Cold looking, but inside still warm with life Quiet yet bold Snowy chilly dark night in which he would sit on a shelf, close his eyes, and dream Crow like demeanor Mystical and majestic The type of animal you would sit down and try to find out what realm they came from because they couldn’t come from yours No no, they are too magical to be in your non magical realm How did they get here? Could it have been a portal? Or is there something else? Though he is somewhere else now Back in his magical realm greeted by his mother and father At least that is what I would like to imagine We Stumbled Upon a Journal of Hatred The world is flawed, and deeply unorganized Dangerously deep in our problems, and unharmonized We cratered a treacherous hole we call racism Stumbled upon the journal of hatred Yet every day we wake up a yawn like our passion for better has been confiscated The earth is much more complicated than simple geography But something we amend till our deathbed and demise We must realize and devise a blueprint for the earth A plan that's for the better, and the planets rebirth Silence, and shushing are different than peace and tranquility The thing with that is you can’t have both You must choose one or the other, the “polite” or the fight At the end it is your choice, so move toward the light The Forest and You You see long frozen lakes, and frosty tree lines Honed, but cracking alpine mountains with icy hats Pines from trees laying on the ground with their cousins, brothers, and sisters Powdery snow on the ground that crunches beneath you Nothing else around, but you, the snow, and the trees swaying in the slight breeze “This is pretty nice” you say, which echoes through the whole forest

Your voice sounds crisp, and the air is the same You are a statue among silence The forest is silent Dead silent Hibernating for the winter You take ten steps forward to the edge of the frozen lake You say “Is there anyone out there” “No” the forest responds “Then how did you say that” you say “I am not anyone” forest says “I am you” The “you” stuck with you for the rest of your life When you left the forest, you were still pondering its meaning Ten years later you were still pondering its meaning It wasn’t until your deathbed that you found its meaning The Frosty Winter (Inspired by Robert Frost) The chilly air winter bestowed Winding down a frosty road Footsteps loud upon the ice Trees are the snow’s lofty abode Breathing out nature’s cloud Jingling of horse bells calming but loud Darkness with white snow everything contrasting Snow sticking together forming a crowd Sitting in his chair, throne like a king Looming table he uses with string Hot kettle tea and warmth for he Black cat on his lap, happily smiling House looks orange with all the lights One’s hand looming the other one writes The slip of paper he writes on is a map Planning his next journey will he go on it, he might The One That Wasn’t Supposed to Survive (Inspired by Tupac Shakur) Walking Trees watching him, while he does the same to the birds Trails are marked, but he didn’t want them to be He wanted to run into the woods and become a bird He wanted to fly He was sad, but didn’t know why He wasn’t depressed, and he knew that, but he was unhappy The crunch of the red pine needles below his feet were loud Climbing two mountains, one was for the view, and the other was his life. Twenty steps to the top Ten steps Five There he was, at the peak older than he was at the bottom

There was a twig snap behind him, then a tackle with some scratches Blood on his cheek, growls and a singular yell Face down on the ground he turned and saw a man hovering over him Wait, not a man, he rubbed his eyes and saw a bear The bear was on his hinds like a human But then the bear got down, and sat The man, still stunned reached into his backpack slowly, pulled out two halves of a PB&J and shared a half They sat there for a while eating until the bear left

Caden Kim Blue Blue looks down upon you, clothed in clouds. When night comes, Blue turns dark and tells you good night. But not without stars lighting up the darkness. Blue can envelop you, as you swirl and swim. When Blue freezes over, you can glide along his surface. When Blue is angry, he thrashes boats, and crashes against the shore. But when Blue is calm, he sustains life.

Maybe Maybe I was meant to have scoliosis. Maybe it's so that I can learn to persevere and overcome obstacles standing in my way. Maybe it can teach me to live in uncertainty, or maybe it is to teach me to feel more compassion and empathy. Maybe it was so I can be less self-reliant, or maybe I am meant to discover the answer, little by little Ode The clouds rolled in, like a marching army, emerging from the sky. Awe inspiring, stopping you in your tracks, making you wonder who the artist could be. Dwarfing you in their colossal size, it was almost as if time slowed down. Soon to come, were torrential downpours, and the water washed everything away. It felt but a short moment and soon after the sun shone through the clouds Hatred Like a cancer, hatred grows.

It will begin as a seed, planted deep within you. Consuming you, slowly at first, but then accelerating. Overtaking each blood vessel, each vein, it will spread from your heart to your brain. It will become part of you and invade your soul. It will rob you of kindness and love. It festers inside like an infected wound, In you, it will create bitterness, and it will bar your ability to forgive.

Chailah Epperson Metamorphosis- poem! My life has changed a lot this past year Everything is different than it was before The house i live in is slowly becoming more empty And my family is much different My room is a lot cleaner Old things that i did are now gone Regardless of the school year People have taught me many things Having lived for enough years On every hour of every day Something will change I have gotten another year older Soon i will be older again :3 Family Photo -

I don’t know I don’t know why when you talk the room lights up I don’t know why when you walk people stop to watch you watch them watch I don’t know why in your hand mine feels so small I don’t know why in your land I feel so tall I don’t know why in this world we’re all the same I don’t know why some of us get cropped out of the frame I don’t know how you can look so happy when you’re dying inside I don’t know how I can feel so sleepy yet alive I don’t know how you look so effortless even when I try I look like a mess I don’t know how I feel so blue next to you when you are like sunlight and so true I don’t know why I love you On this earth or not Someone told me when I was young Good things aren’t here to stay They will always find a way To make you want to hide away And you feel you’re falling Deeper and deeper Not getting better Only getting worse And it felt so bad Now that you’re not here My world has disappeared You were my inspiration my dedication But now you’ve slipped away On this earth or not You’ll always be in my heart And forever Through my adventures That’s where you will stay

In this family photo There's a lot you don’t know My dad had just cut his hair And I had just cut mine My friend’s dad took this picture And My little brother was about to whine I hated the dress I was wearing It was too ugly, pink and caring I wanted to wear my shorts But my dad said those were for sports That’s the stuff that you should know And now it’s time for you to go

Clementine Borden 12

You always told me how I should be You always let me sing with you And even before I met you I knew that I should let you Be the one that tells me what to do But instead I let you slip away On this earth or not You’ll always be in my heart And forever Through my adventures That’s where you will stay

Clementine Clementine Or Clem often times it’s just Em do you own your name? or does your name own you i feel inside my heart something breaking free the urge to see the sun or the urge to see the sea “be perfect” they say almost as if it should be written on your forehead “be like the models” they say growing up is something i dread but when it’s summer and the worries slip away and i see the ocean i want to run and play almost the opposite of when i see clouds i want to stay away and when it’s night i feel awake staying up until it’s late when i go out to grab something i see it’s almost as if my hands are telling me to go as if they have a mind of their own (*French*) va courir et jouer (go run and play) reste au soleil (stay in the sun) so i did and now it’s almost as if my childhood’s gone even though it’s not half way done Purple luxurious yet calm like the sunset some have the fortune to feel the sense of tranquility that is watching the sun become replaced by a milky silver moon in the sky to soothe yet dominate like a warm blanket and a villain’s cape it’s the quiet between red and blue ice and fire it’s mysterious yet explains itself it’s the ambition that comes with confidence and the still that comes with reading a good book it’s the beach with a strong tide and soft waves artistic yet minimal like an abstract painting that is so much, though still so little a tone that can bring frustration and gloom as well as power and creativity it’s the level between a match and a flame Maybe

maybe when the world opens its arms maybe when people stop the harm maybe when we grow up our wounds will start to sew up our hats will be thrown up our lives will be loaded up and maybe we’ll be happy but what does happy mean maybe it means contentment maybe it means resentment but not showing it maybe it means lucky and fortunate maybe it means joy maybe those are just similar maybe happiness isn’t familiar maybe nothing is real but that’s too logical maybe we all need a break it’s been a year with all our lives at stake but is a break good maybe the break will break us maybe we are already broken maybe we were broken to begin with how do we know what fixed is and does something need to be broken in order to be fixed? maybe it’s just confusing maybe we don’t have the answer maybe life can return maybe it never will maybe things will change maybe change was inevitable Song in the style of: Christina Perri (“Human”) Female I can carry keys in between my nails it may seem funny a 12 year old should need to do this but it’s part of the 97% I can fake a smile I can force a laugh I can stay home at night so I won’t get hurt to protect the 3% I can do it I can do it I can do it But I'm only female And girls go missing at night I'm only female And it’s almost every time it’s not all men, but it’s enough they teach these rules so we’ll stay apart of the three percent I can text my friends once I’m home again little girls get taught this every day because that’s what we need to Protect the 3% I can do it I can do it we’ll get through it But I'm only female

And girls go missing at night I'm only female and it’s almost every time Your words in my head, things that get said they teach these rules so we’ll stay apart of the three percent I'm only female I'm only female Just a little female I can take so much 'Til I've had enough 'Cause I'm only female And I bleed when I fall down I'm only female it’s not all men but it’s enough Your words in my head, things that get said they teach these things so we stay apart of the three percent 'Cause I'm only female A woman named Sarah Everard was walking home. She did everything right, she wore bright clothing, she walked on a lit street; she held her keys in her hand, and she was texting and calling her boyfriend only a few minutes later, she was kidnapped and killed. A police officer, Wayne Couzens (who is married and has 2 kids) was charged with Sarah’s murder. I think women's rights, women’s inability to have voices, and injustices that happen to women are an extremely important subject, and some men use clothing, lack thereof, having a conversation with them, or them being friendly as an excuse. And because they are “asking for it”? Sarah, again, did EVERYTHING right, and yet she still was murdered. And no, it’s not all men, but it is ENOUGH men to make women fear police officers, men, strangers, and people in general, scared for their lives, rather than rely on them. So I took this opportunity to “rewrite” (in the same tune and some of the same lyrics” the song human into female about women and the events that have been happening recently, and over the past, for as long as we’ve (females) been around. Ninety. Seven. Percent. Of ALL women have been sexually harassed, which leaves only 3% that haven’t. That’s insane. And it’s not right. Even though we can’t do anything about the past, we can prevent things like this from happening in the future.

Derek Liberty Blue Blue hears the waves. It touches the clouds and sees hope. It inhales autumn and exhales the smell of cardboard. It tastes ice cream and smells freedom. It knows the knowledge of one million books. It remembers from the time it was made. It speaks soft words that roll perfectly of their tongue. It understands opinions and beliefs. It tells the right thing to do. It thinks about peace.

Blue I Don’t Know I don’t know the longest word in the world. I don’t know the hardest math equation. I don’t know the average time I wake up every day. I don’t know every language. I don’t know what it’s like to be someone else. I don’t know what it’s like to fly. I don’t know what it is like to be “normal” I don’t know who I will become. I don’t know if all stories truly have an ending I don’t see all side to the story, I only see the one that I hear. I don’t what it feels like to not be myself. Writing (inspired by Wislawa Szymborska) Poem Is it wrong if I write something sad in my writing? Is it right if I write something happy in my writing? Is it wrong if I say the truth in my writing? Is it wrong if I lie in my writing? If I sugarcoat my writing does it really have the same meaning? Some things are cruel and vulgar. Do I write about that? Some things are great and I should enlighten people with my writing. The writer has power. A power to share ideas, the writer can influence the human mind. Speaking and writing have such power to say something good or bad. Animals and people have different ways of life. Some things get treated less than others. People get treated less than others. But why? The happiness and power that writing gives the human. The power of writing.

Didi Phares To be me I know what it feels like To be me I know what it looks like To be me I even know what it smells like To be me. But I don’t know what it Means to be me I know who I am I don’t know who I need to be I know who I was I don’t know who I will be But I know I can control Being me Anger

You know the feeling where something takes over Where you seem disabled to take back your emotions Where you just sit there and seethe. There is also this feeling where you are like Lacerated glass Sharp at the end Enough so to cut someone if they touch the wrong side. Where you feel like you have the ability to Make someone weak to their knees If they touch you too much. It is the catalyst reaction. The vital reaction. It is the luminary of the human mind. It may also be the raucous end of the human mind. Dove � A silhouette passes overhead A rare sight of beauty with all the smoke plume and ash That coats the sky like thick paint And the lacerated glass that litters the street Its beauty seems to induce people To look and realize that yet In this form of depression, There is beauty and there is hope. The people’s gasps raucously rose into the stars That seemed to settle on the paint that was the sky Like glitter. Just barely visible, but still there. The paint that was the sky Seemed to make way for the white bird That was the dove. Symbol of life, love, and peace.

Choose your cellmate wisely The word on my forehead is “Confused” I have no idea what to do with my life. I have no idea what I WANT to do with my life. I love the sight of the horses across the street from our house. They stand there in all their elegance and beauty. I hate the sight of my brothers in the morning. They look like trolls coming out from Under their bridges after a year. My favorite time of the day is that time where it’s just in between Light and dark. Not sunset Later than that. The time of day where the sun dips Just so much that The mountains are but a silhouette on the horizon. And there is a glow that just barely pokes up From under the ground where it sleeps And leaves us all buried in darkness. My hands would probably scream whenever I touched something that wasn’t mine I remember being in the Dominican Republic, My brother (Charlie) Slipped on wet wood And fell into a split (haha) Then he came running and told my mom “I *sob*fell into *sob* the yoga move *gasp*” That made us crack up harder than an eggshell � My grandmother would always say to me “Carpe diem” (“seize the day”)

Poem Grey hair But I am not old Wise eyes But a youthful soul Anger with a touch of honey Playful with a touch of salt. Roses with thorns My name is Didi My friends call me Didi. That seems pretty self-explanatory. I think that my inner animal is some type of cat I love to sleep, I like to get in trouble and destroy things. There is a ring inside my heart. Not sure what it’s made of. Rings are known as the world’s smallest handcuffs.

Dominic Zow Green Green hears the warm breeze in the air, he touches the cold grass, he sees trees swaying to the wind, green inhales pollen and exhales a slight cough, he tastes a cherry blossom tree, he smells charcoal from people barbecuing in the park. Green knows he's probably gonna get bitten by a bug sooner or later, he remembers when he and his family went to the park to barbecue, he speaks about the season coming to an end, he eats the fruit from the trees, he understands that if we dont fix it, all of these wonderful things will perish into a memory, Green tells us that it's time for plants to start blooming, he thinks about all of the people who have supported him. How I Changed this Year - Metamorphosis M entally because, my brain matured a bit.

E motionally because, I don’t cry as much as before. T aller, I used to be 5 feet but now I'm 5 '2. A mazingly because I grew a lot. M ature, I don’t act like a small kid that much anymore. O lder, when it started I was 11and now I'm gonna be 13 years old. R esponsibility, over time I've become more responsible. P ossibilities, since I was home so long I had an opportunity to do different things, but at home. H ope, that we are able to go back to normal soon. O opportunity, because I'm able to do more things in the comfort of my home. S trong, not just mentally but I physically get stronger. I nterested, in a lot more things than I used to be. S illy, I used to be silly but now I'm super silly.

Mars Lopez I Am Blank I am boy-ish, I am artsy I wonder what is motivation? I hear the joy division, the irony. I see love. I want love. I am boy-ish, I am artsy I pretend to like “she/they” I feel a fear of vampires. I touch a scratchy softness. I worry I’m a nuisance. I cry that people fight over stupid things. I am boy-ish, I am artsy I understand I’ll need to grow up. I say love should not be illegal, no matter who it’s with. I dream of success. I try to try. I hope the world will be in a better place soon. I am boy-ish, I am artsy. Growth in Starvation To what extent does society take things too far? Let’s start with a big one: Body imagery It is implanted into our heads at a very young age that a happy life would require A: An hourglass body frame or B: A build like a football player. Society cares so much about A Meat Sack It quite literally has no other purpose Than carrying your head from room to room People are ridiculed for living their lives, Eating what they want to eat, And being happy with themselves.

The only reason someone should work out is that they are on the brink of death, From diabetes or anything caused by high sugar intake, Not because your trying to achieve the “Perfect Body Shape”.” “I would much rather be fat and happy, Than skinny and stressed.” My sister said that and it got me thinking: What do those white girls see When they look at people like us? You know the ones: Blonde hair, blue eyes, Always talks about hooking up with guys. Size 0, Louis Vuitton Think she’s in every song. Popular girl, hangs out with friends “Had all these talents when she was ten!” The perfect girl people want to be, But she isn’t so perfect, you see. Parents divorced when she was nine, Brother slit his wrists but he says “He’s fine.” Sister died in a car crash 2 years ago Her room’s the only warm place for when it snows. Let’s say her name is Emma, Give her a name, Every person on this planet deserves a personality, name, and a life to live So let’s make sure you know she’s a person. Emma has a rough life, That’s a given, But she still feels forced to look as perfect as possible, But in her mind, that means no food No water No anything. Emma Has Anorexia No one’s forcing her to not eat, Dang, I would buy her an entire buffet if I had the money, But she feels that to keep her popularity, Status, Friends, Lack of hatred, She needs to look like a toothpick, “Just suck it up and take a bite.” “So you want to disrespect my food, go to your room!” She cried herself to sleep that night. But before anything, She snuck herself into her brother’s room And stole his razor stash, “He practically gets high off of this, He’s still alive and breathing, Let’s see how it feels…” Emma Has Depression Months go by, Her addiction creeped more and more. Once a month became once every 2 weeks

Became once a week, Became every day. People could see her changing little by little. She started wearing more hoodies to school, She stops socializing all together, She was more irritated by little things, She would abruptly leave the room and come back, Chill, calm, collected, Like she just got off a high. But as any drug, She needed more, Her wrists were stained red, She was losing room by the hour, She wanted to do it. Her parents found the stash in her closet. She’s in therapy She’s not allowed to shave She can’t wash the dishes Emma Is Trying So back to point, After all of this, After Emma’s addict story, What does she see When she looks at Emmy? A round Afro-Dominican lesbian in a middle class household, An inferior? Probably not. An equal? Hopefully so. A higher? I’m not depressed, I don’t have anorexia (at least I don’t think), I don’t care about what people think about me when it comes to my body image, I have no dead siblings, I have no depressed siblings, I have no abusive parents, I’m the opposite of her, to put it bluntly. But do you see what I’m trying to get at? Something as simple as getting thinner can grow into anorexia, depression, self-harm, and even Attempted suicide. Society needs more round and curvy representation because if not, There will be millions of Emma’s Then none. Poem Without a Name I started this poem without a name Everything deserves a name, But every name deserves a meaning, But so far, this poem doesn’t have a meaning, So this poem Doesn’t have a name. That sounds kinda meta, But that’s the truth, A poem talking about a poem Like those response poems at the Get Lit performance

Talking to the reader Who am I, Lemony Snicket? What's the purpose of this poem? I need to figure that out myself I wonder if the reader has their own idea as to what this is? I would love to know, But I am just words on a computer Or a paper, This could be printed. There are many things I could write about, No, more like yell about, But I can’t decide… Misogyny or Bigotry? Homophobia or White Supremacy? Or what about the POV? The white man or the black man? The one beaten or the one giving the beating? The one killed or the one who called the police for a man Just having fun? Why am I overthinking? It’s just a poem. I’ve done this a hundred times before, This is no different, My brain… Shifting gears Sparking gears Broken gears Replacing gears Repeat. I have the perfect idea for what this poem is! I don’t want to tell you, I want it to be a surprise Just wait Wait Wait… We all need patience, The world needs patience, Patience Patience There are millions of patients from Covid-19 Millions of people dying Dying Dying When was the last time I did tie dye? I’d say this is a good time to tell you the purpose of this. There is none. Not everything needs to be so deep, So depressing, Sometimes you just need to breathe without Something breathing down your neck. I want to be that refresher, A reset button of emotions. Because I couldn’t find one. There Is No Wonderland

We all know the story A girl falls down a hole And is sent straight to a magical world of: Talking and disappearing cats, Humanoid playing cards, And a real life Queen of Hearts. But not everyone knows the actuality of how it came to be, The author wrote it in his point of view. Alice In Wonderland Syndrome, In your eyes, Things can shrink, Things can grow, You can hallucinate. These are a few, They happen in episodes, Lasting from a couple of minutes To days on end. Alice ran away from home. She thought she fell down a hole, She slipped on a mud puddle. She thought she met a smoking, talking caterpillar, She met a random man on the other side of town. She thought she met Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, She was attacked by crows. She thought she met a Mad Hatter and a bunny with a monocle and a pocket watch, She somehow broke into a house and sat at their dinner table. She thought she met a purple striped cat who could disappear and reappear anywhere. She stomped on a litter of kittens on the street. She thought she met and changed the heart of the Queen of Hearts, She murdered the CEO of a conglomerate and spoke to her corpse What she thought she said to her.

By the very same person she thought was her friend. But this is all irrelevant, We should be knowing how to calculate x, How to read a level Z book How to create our own timeline for the history final. We should be walking on the same ground millions of people stood for basic human rights But instead of making our own protest, go shopping for clothes We should learn how to protect our internet footprint instead of making a footprint on history We should learn about the Stonewall riot but not learn whether you want to join it. We should go to the counselor with our grievances but the only thing she knows how to say is "next question" Somewhere in America A white man is being choked for kissing his husband in public, But the husband will be punished for not coming to work on time A white woman is being looked at by an old man and pepper sprayed him, Even when he just wanted ask how many stops 'till 181 Street A black woman is being told to wash the dishes and being punished for not getting the grease off, yet her boss says he treats her well A black man is being cornered by 10 cop cars when he just wanted to grab a toy for his youngest born.

Somewhere in America A black boy is being arrested for grabbing a bag of chips he was going to pay for A white girl is being raped when she was just on her way to her part time job A black girl is being choked for standing up for her rights And now she will die where she stood for her people.

Then the president says this is the greatest country, That we have no problems and if anything, He Made It Greater. Oh yes, taking away the rights we rioted for after decades of hiding. Oh yes, telling to put chemicals in our bodies and suddenly every one's cured Oh yes, being actively racist and homophobic and sexist then saying I made it better. Somewhere in America, We are staying silent. We are told to skip specific topics because it'll make Little Billy here uncomfortable... Then how do you think we feel! Being oppressed for longer than you've been alive, then once I figure out who I am, you tell me to be quiet. Being told that you aren't human, and that you are just something to be sold off for hundreds of years then when we get basic rights we get killed. Being told that the one way you are happy is if you have an hourglass body frame that you paid for. Everywhere In America, Society is Sick.

A white boy is being thrown out for liking the same sex A black boy is there to comfort him but the media thinks he's using him for his money A white girl is crying in her room because she was fat shamed

NACAB to ACAB I try to stay positive, But it is becoming harder and harder. I know that not all cops are bad, But they are most definitely becoming The majority of them.

She walked back, Slipped on the same mud puddle, And came back to her house. “What’s that on your dress?” “Jam, me and the Queen of Hearts had tea and biscuits!”

I like to say that “One bad grape doesn’t spoil the bunch” But each day, The grapes get more and more Disgusting. There was a report That an Asian man was on a bridge With a gun, He wanted to die A stranger called the police to Help. He was shot dead, Seven bullets to the head Because the police lied and said, “He aimed at them instead.” There was a report That there was a girl, A Nine Year Old Girl, Who wanted to die A stranger heard the conversation she and her mom had and called the police to Help. The little girl was restrained, She was in so much pain, She tried to call to her dad to explain, But if she resisted, she’d be pepper sprayed. At a BLM protest, There was a black man giving out food to protesters and Supporting Cops. He was killed too, “The BBQ Man” you once knew, And we still have no clue, Why this cop drew His gun. I went from Not All Cops Are Bad, NACAB, To ACAB. Bubblegum Boy, Ghostly Girl Good little girl, Always picking a fight with me, You got me in a whirl, Thanks for spending the night with me, What do you want from my world, Such a good little girl, With her hair up in curls. Bad little boy, I’m clearer than you think, You make me so coy, With my thoughts down the kitchen sink, In two different worlds, I enjoy My time with bad little boy, His face makes me overjoyed. Hello again, As you can see, I dyed my hair, I think it’s getting thin, But its pink color is so bright and fair I’m so happy I could cry,

With something as simple as hair dye Anything new with you, girl? Yes in fact, I got to see my mom again, Her gravestone is so cracked, I think she’ll need to room with me again My dad came as well, but not for me, That dead girl over by the tree That’s older than the city. Good little boy, Looking with me at the stars, Aliens could look down, And see him from afar, What does he want from my world? This bubblegum boy from This ghostly girl? Good little girl, Looking at her with the stars, I know this sounds fake, Untruthful and bizarre, But I love her. I love her This Bubblegum boy to This Ghostly girl A Means Asian, Not All How do people stand around doing nothing?! They say “I’m not racist, I stand for Asian American rights”, But while they eat their dumplings and drink their boba, People of Asian descent are being killed. You can’t say you’re for one thing and not defend the rest, If you have time to take the perfect picture of you in front of a cherry blossom tree, You have time to educate yourself and others on what is going on to the same people Who run the park you’re standing in. “It’s the Chinese virus!” “It’s because of the Asians!” It’s stupid!!! Sure, one dude in the entire country of Asia ate a bat and that’s why But, Who actually took action when the same unknown virus was found on multiple persons? Who put on their masks first? Who made a vaccine first? Who took care of their sick better than we ever could? What. The. Actual. Hell? He. Had. A. Bad. Day. You don’t kill people, in genocide by the way, when you have a bad day! You hang out with friends, Eat comfort food, Watch a good movie, Have a good cry, Have a good scream,

Not murder 6 people, knowing that it was because they are women, Because they are Asian, Knowing they aren’t like you. When people who aren’t white, straight, cis, and male, Do the basic human activity everyone else does, We are painted as monsters, criminals, terrorists, While people who actually MURDER people, Are painted as troubled children, in need of therapy, having anger issues. Just because of basic genetics, some people get off from the Most disgusting, most inhumane actions anyone can do, While others who didn’t even do anything of the sort, Get killed For no reason. “He had a bad day,” I would love to get away with many things just because I had a bad day, But I don’t get that privilege! No one should! But they give it to them, The benefit of the doubt. George Floyd didn’t get the benefit of the doubt, Brianna Taylor didn’t get the benefit of the doubt, And look where they are now, 6 feet underground. While this monster gets off scot free with a slap on his wrist. People wonder why others say ACAB, Black Trans Lives Matter, Defund The Police, It’s because they do things like THIS! Defending a murderer, Then becoming one. America is a bunch, a piece of poop, I can’t curse but, Now would be a good time.

The Outlines Of “Talent” An instrumental, calming, For what is about to ensue A person on the internet, maybe Instagram, in love. But that is a mask they use to seem better, But they are in abuse not love. Better to be alone than to be abused. I’ll hide my hair To make you stare I’ll hide my chest and I’ll Figure out a way to get me out of here. His and hers say they accept, But it is a mask they use to seem loving.

All colors point to greys, not purple, not yellow, just grey They are so blank that it seems like they are dead, More dead than me. My eyes went dark I don’t know where My pupils are but I’ll Figure out a way to get me out of here. I’m painted as a monster, Unable to speak, Unable to think, But there will always be one person “Will everybody please give them a little bit of space?” Unable to action, Unable to care for myself, Unable to understand myself But. “Little do we know the stars welcome them with open arms.” Time is slowly tracing my face, but strangely, I feel at home in this place. Cavetown Simplified

The Murky Rainbow Black and blue, Bruises in connotations, I just like it. Black and white, Old in connotations, I just like it. Black and green, Slime, Monster™, Billie Eillish, Not a fan of anything of the sort. Funny how certain colors have connotations like that, When I just like it. Purple and black, Midnight, I do like the nighttime. Purple and yellow, I am nonbinary. Some pairs like that are nice, As they are correct. Not saying that they always will be, Just that when they are correct, It’s a nice feeling. Black, Chocolate, Dark purple, Navy blue, Forest green, Neon green,

Light blue, Lavender, Fall orange, Orangey yellow,

In my dreams you're such an angel You always keep me from the danger Every time you call my name, My heart goes up like flames. But in reality you have options That make me feel completely average Every time You call her name, my heart drops down like rain Every night I think about you There's this star outside my window That flashes to the thought of you

Home with Fear. I’ve been watching this fall apart. Can’t see where it ends or where it starts. Love them so much but this has to stop, He sees himself better than the top. This has to stop. No fair. If you leave this will be on me, I can’t handle this crazy, I’m scared. What will happen this time now that I have my voice, My body, and choice.

Every night I dream about you Cause in my dreams you're a brand new you That I always wish was the truth In my dreams you're such an angel You always keep me from the danger Every time you call my name, My heart goes up like flames. But in reality you have options That make me feel completely average Every time you call her name, my heart drops down like rain

I’ve been walking through a house gone blind, Can’t stop thinkin’ bout all the signs Telling me to do something different, fine. But if I get hurt by this jerk, You’ll pay in time. I am not fine.

The Power of Hate

No fair. If you leave this will be on me, I can’t handle this crazy, I’m scared. What will happen this time now that I have my voice, My body, and choice.

There is so much hate, that it's too hard to take, we keep a smile on our face, but inside there's nothing but weight.

If I get hurt by my father, you’ll pay in time, I am not fine.

Hannah Hormigo Wish Dreams Were Reality Every night I think about you There's this star outside my window That flashes to the thought of you Every night I dream about you Cause in my dreams you're a brand new you That I always wish was the truth

There is so much hate, that makes us debate, Are we really well-loved? Do we just overrate?

There is so much hate, that a boy starts to cry. It was so powerful that he ends up there dying. There is so much hate that a girl keeps on sighing. It was so powerful that she ends up there dying There is so much hate that it turns into a virus that spreads, from one person it starts then tomorrow there's eight. There is so much hate that we can't find a cure, even though it's so easy to stop people keep on hurting this world.

I hope we can learn from others' mistakes, so that we can turn this world into a better place. No more hurt feelings, no sadness, just healing. Let’s stop this hate and keep this world on moving. Teen Generation When a kid turns thirteen, it's the start of a journey. A journey with sunshine, but also darkness and trying. When a kid turns thirteen, they start to see the truth of this real world. They start to see how it's not fun and games. This explains the problems that these teens can be having. You see, parents might say: “What is wrong with this kid!” “Always tired all day!” Their perfect excuse is “Oh, it’s probably because of that stupid phone they play on all day!” You see, teachers might teach us how important it is to not be stressed and to feel okay. But at the end of the day… we do what feels like a thousand assignments, all due at the end of today. You see, a bully might judge and say “Your passion is dumb, stop working it’s useless!” They just say it for attention, but they don't know the pain. It makes us want to punch them in the face. You see, a lover might say. “I Love You.” But then at the end, they break you inside. So you end up missing them, like the stars miss the moon in the daytime sky. All of these reasons explain why teens aren't living, they are surviving. You may thank me for this poem but, congratulate the teens for their bravery.

My Mind My mind is a place where reality turns into imagination. My mind is a place when wonders turn into dreams. My mind is a place where emotions rule the world. It's a place where airplanes in the night sky are shooting stars. It's a place where the sun is your spotlight, not just a light. It's a place where when it rains you become the skys tissue, so the land doesn't flood with tears.

It's a place where at the end of the day, you only have the moon to talk to. It's a place where your happiness makes you feel like the main character of the universe. It's a place where your sadness makes you feel like you’re the only person who understands. It's a place where your anger makes you feel like you're the fire in the disaster. It's a place where fear makes you feel like the victim of the enemy. It's a place where all your hopes turn into the things you dream at night. It's a place where all your problems turn into the nightmares waking you up. It's a place where all the music turns into you being in heaven. It's a place where all the people turn into the big parts of your life. A place that makes you forget about time. A place where you can live in peace without having fights. Wish I Could Blame You I just realized how much i now miss you Just how the stars miss being seen But i know you didn't deserve me But i still i want you more than me Gosh i thought we would be more than just friends Turns out that was only what I dreamed You’re probably with that skater girl Who always made me wanna be her I always doubted her scene But i'm sure that her selfies led you to meet her Gosh i thought we would be more than just friends Looks like that was only what I imagined And i know you were just a boy, but my feelings hit different around you And now i can't believe i ended up writing songs all about you Guess you weren't serious on that text you typed about me I wish i could blame you But you just don't feel the same way as me Just realized how long i've been waiting For you to finally love me back But i soon then learned a lesson That things don't come easy it takes more than that Gosh i thought we would be more than just friends Looks like that was only what I pleased And i know you were just a boy, but my feelings hit different around you And now i can't believe i ended up writing songs all about you Guess you weren't serious on that text you typed about me I wish i could blame you But you just don't feel the same way as me

I need you to be gentle with the next heart that you’re gonna be with I don't want you to break it just how you went and shattered mine. Thought we could end together Now I write to myself and fall asleep. Wish i could blame you But you just don't feel the same way as me. Can We Imagine Can we imagine a whole new world? Can we imagine a place where there's no pain? Can we imagine a mind with no judgments? Can we imagine a space where you could feel nothing but embrace? Can we imagine race is just skin? Can we imagine culture is just an identity? Can we imagine language is just a communication? Can we imagine religion just being an opinion? Can we imagine school as a gift not a prison? Can we imagine replacing the word “nerd” with a person studying hard to make their dreams come true? Can we imagine replacing the word “quiet kid” with a person who simply loves being alone? Can we imagine changing the meaning of “popular kids” into people who are nice and caring instead of having to be mean and superficial? Can we imagine changing the meaning of “teacher's pet” as someone who worked hard to be on top? Can we imagine time is a schedule controlling our lives so why have it? Can we imagine age is just a number and what really matters is the inside? Can we imagine weather being emotions our planet is having? Can we imagine there's no countries and everyone is together? Can we imagine appearance is a risk tricking us into thinking that appearance is the only thing that matters so why would we care? Can we imagine every time somebody looks in the mirror they see nothing but beauty? Can we imagine that being gay is as important and respected as being straight? Can we imagine that being a woman is as valuable as being a man? Can we imagine appearance is a risk tricking us into thinking that appearance is the only thing that matters? Can we imagine every time somebody looks in the mirror they feel their true selves?

Harper Conboy I Don’t Know

I don’t know why we are here, why we have life and what’s our purpose to live. I don’t know how the big bang was created, or if there was life before the big bang. I don’t know why pencils are called pencils, I mean they kinda have weird names. How did we create languages and culture? I don’t know any of these answers but I am sure there are answers I just haven’t found them yet. I don’t know why pigs don’t have wings, why don’t they - birds have wings! I don’t know why we live like we do. I Just Don’t Know Why. You Will Never Break Me Even if you try to cut me down with your words and your fists You will never break me Even if you try to make me doubt myself You will never break me Even if you break my heart I will never fully be broken I will rise up again So you will never break me Even if I die my soul will still live on You will never break my soul, it will keep fighting forever You Will Never Break Me!

I Am Harper My name is Harper. I like my name and it suits me I would never want to change it. The cheetah inside me makes me want to run. If I don’t it urges me too, it won’t stop till I get up and run. The urge to run keeps coming back, but when I’m running I feel like I’m a cheetah nothing can outrun me or stop me. The object inside my heart is a tank that never gets empty because I will never stop doing something until I succeed, my tank will never get empty so I will still have energy to do something until I finish it. The word written on my forehead is fast because I am fast, I like to run and I also like to run in soccer. The sight I love is nature, I love to see nature. I think that’s so beautiful, and I want to explore it. It’s just so wonderful and I love it. I like lunch time because you have a break, and you can talk and just enjoy your food. I also like it because the sun is usually shining more then and when the sun is shining I feel better. They would say ouch! Because I do rock climbing on Thursdays and I get blisters and they hurt my hands so they would say ouch!

I remember going to a kid named Sophie, I remember going to her house after I had swimming lessons. She was older than me and has dark brown hair, very dark almost black, it was also curly. Not tight curls but looser ones. I looked up to her a lot I wanted to do just what she did. We went on vacation to my grandpa’s house together. Her dad and my dad worked together and were friends. That’s all I can remember.

Hugo Duran Metamorphosis Mind develops and realizes different things in the world Everyone changes around you Traits that you had all life disappear Animals keep dying Memories are all that is left of the past Observing your changes and waiting for more change Rain of truth pours on top of you Problems are solved only for there to be more problems Happiness though is retained for all of your life Only waiting for more change Surprised after seeing all that has happened before Imagination is still used a lot Saving the planet is on my mind more than ever

Jack Keeler Blue Sad Tastes like cold soup in your mouth She hears the sobs and sorrows of everyone around her She touches everyone with her Sadness She inhales your feelings makes you cry She feels soft and Misunderstood She has lived through many a thing She has infected people From the beginning of time She tells a story of happy and sad things But blue Is always Sad

Everything We Need (inspired by Wislawa Szymborska)

Jaylan Fisch

Here we have the perfect temperature for life Not too cold but not too hot Here we have every food we need From meat to vegetables Here we have water to drink Enough for everyone Here we have everything we need And ever will need

Loneliness I told myself calling friends wouldn’t make me lonely Loneliness can’t catch me if I am speaking to friends If I forget about it that’s worse I can’t keep running from emotions I am a human during Covid, it’s ok to be lonely Especially during Covid when we can’t see each other We are allowed to be sad and lonely Soon we hope everything will be normal again

Here everything is in balance Every life entwined in the fabric of life Here every life has a purpose A reason to help the greater cause Here every life is loved by another life Even if it was never said Here everything is perfect If we work hard to keep it this way Nature Nature, such a powerful place. A place to escape all of the outside world with a single breath. You see trees sprout from the ground no matter where you are. You see animals perfectly attuned with nature, or maybe its nature attuned to them. It is where you see everything in balance, interlocked, like if it is a whole living creature. A place to think, to breathe, to find purpose, within yourself. A place to find the balance in a world where nothing is balanced. A place where you realize that there is always a purpose for everything, and that we are not interchangeable.

Snapshot of my family My siblings They are there for me They help me They are kind Always mean the best for me They make me laugh We take care of each other We try and convince our parents together about getting a dog (still hasn’t worked) We play sports together We go on Instagram live together We help each other through everything Most importantly

Julian Glasgow

Every night I hear the loud noises of the city Maybe I'm living and breathing the fresh air Wondering if I would be doing the same as I grow old Maybe I still look out the window and see a mix of gray and blue Blissful blue sky or sorrowful clouds filled without the slightest smile Maybe I’ll live in a small home with dreams crushed Or in a big home with dreams so big the world couldn’t contain Maybe I’ll be writing in a dark room, pouring emotion onto a page Or writing about the best of times that have and are yet to come

Now I feel like I need the noises to fall asleep It’s surprising, but quietness keeps me up Quietness fills my head, it almost forces me to think deep Everything that fills my head won’t leave Even when I fall asleep they fill my dreams Only a nightmare can wipe my head clean Though still filled with thoughts, I tell myself sleep is what I need I wake up, I’m still thinking My mind never sleeps There’s always something that peaks my curiosity It’s like my mind is constantly running, not knowing what it’ll see Change (Metamorphosis) Middle School to High School Every day comes with change Tackling opposition Alteration of body and mind More chances as if protruding from the walls of a box you’re cramped in Opportunities upon opportunities as you grow older Realization of adulthood like people yelling from every angle with no escape Perspectives change and ideas grow Hard times fall yet we struggle, persist and get better as people Amazed are your parents as they sit and watch, from a little baby to a mature adult Stopping old habits as they stop working Interactions become hard for some like a walk down an endless road of nothing Shackles carrying weight upon the wrists, some people push and some give up Maybe

Maybe I’ll walk the streets of emptiness waiting for a glimpse of hope I know won’t come Or I’ll walk down the street of opportunity with big flashing lights and a huge welcome sign Maybe I’ll be the one everyone hopes to be like, sitting on my own thrown Or someone filled with hatred and even the ones closest to him can’t say his name without feeling a gust of wind carried by repulsion and abhorrence Maybe, a word of uncertainty and demeaning nature Though uncertainty is something that can change someone for the better Here or There Here can mean a lot of things There can also mean a lot of things Here is simply defined as anywhere There can also be defined as anywhere Here, I imagine reality There, I imagine an endless supply of whatever I want Here, I’m faced with the cold and heartless truth There, I’m faced with no opposition and nothing holding me back Here, I listen to music, play sports and do homework There, I play 1v1s against Michael Jordan and hit against Randy Johnson Here, I play with friends and run around at the park There, I’m guarding Jerry Rice and talking to Albert Einstein Here is everything I could ever ask for There is even more The only differences is here I’m happy And There is just a faraway fantasy You listen to both of these sides and you’d want to be There But I’d rather be Here There probably sounds like this dream world where you wait for nothing Though Here is my world, something I would never change or give up for anything

Lost in A Book

I miss the subtle fondness of the dark For the simple reason that it never left me

A journey encountered by many people It may end short or continue throughout the rest of your life A book is like a getaway

A sense of discomfort Something never felt before I should feel sad, but I don’t I guess sadness became normal When will I reach home I feel I haven’t been back in years I’m wondering if it’s still there Though I don’t really want to find out I walk endlessly down a street What street, I couldn’t tell you It feels like I’ve been walking down this street for ages Though it’s only been a few minutes I know I’ll find my place Even if it takes an eternity Or I’ll just walk forever Like someone walking down a path of nothing

Laura Elsberg

Though sometimes people can get trapped in them A book has stories told with every word Where people’s start and end is different Getting lost in a book can really change perspectives It’s like each word wrote its own book that reach only the most sophisticated thinkers You could find yourself lost in a jungle of every animals imaginable Or in the tundras of a faraway land you rule Everything you want to happen goes Nothing to follow and no rules Books are like an owner, they guide you then let you run wild No matter what book you read you’ll find yourself thinking of an imaginary world Books are like an outlet Waiting to be picked up by someone else who shares a different experience

Where Am I I don’t feel the cold breeze I feel at home I miss the feeling of the pitch black over my eyes

i don’t know a lot of things i spend more time thinking about what i don’t know rather than what i do i don’t know what i don’t know, and honestly i can’t do anything about it no matter what i do i’ll always see things from my view with ignorance as an option of course, i know that but does that make me more aware or is it the bare minimum and if i ask someone else will they look down upon me for again the bare minimum or have they even considered anything i’m saying nobody is bound to tell me the truth almost everything i know is from other people which isn’t reliable a tangle of hearsays and who saids Scythe the scythe was shrouded in dim moonlight, coated with corroded blood unsavory to some, but unfair to suggest that everyone prefers their minerals confectionary this wasn’t an infamous blade, nowhere near King Arthur’s prestige however, this lethal piece of metal was worthy of more morbid tall tales than some monsters at one point capable of agonizing lacerations, if personified he would be deemed evil, nefarious even in its youth it dealt and induced distasteful doses of, well, dissatisfaction to say the least Vaguely reminding you of some far off vehicle, vehemently revving its engine for no one to hear except the driver

The world marches further up the ridge than down Splitting up As the storm gathers. But there will be No cabin No tent No dry wood for a fire No time for werewolf games The world will be Winnie Billie Eilish style poem ]Titan Leto Stripped of her power to birth children in the sky, water and land rooted to the earth Found the singular floating island Found her power To birth twin gods Apollo and Artemis. Artemis found yet more power Starting a hunt Under rules of protection Only women allowed No men No marrying or having children with men No dating men Untitled Greta Thunberg begs governments and companies But they don’t listen Pretending that Mother Nature can be ignored Even though everybody has felt the force of nature It had been raining all day on a hike with my camp friends. We sat under a rock jutting out over the ground Hours later, the rain stopped, and we kept moving Farther up the ridge than down Our group split up because one was moving faster than the other. It started raining again and we heard thunder. We sprinted, trying to find a safe place. We couldn’t see five feet in front of us. Our counselors thought we were going to get struck by lightning, So, they told us to run 30 feet down the ridge and do lighting pose, so we hopefully wouldn’t die. Eventually, two kids found a cabin and the counselors yelled, “YES GET INTO THE CABIN!!” after we tried to get their attention for two minutes over the thunder and screaming So, we all ran, soaking wet into the vandalized house. Jacob and I scavenged for dry wood for a fire. Winnie was having a panic attack and not eating. The other girls set up a tent, because Winnie didn’t want to sleep in the small cabin with everyone else. They stayed in there for the rest of the night. i played werewolf with the boys and the counselors. Ignoring Greta

She wore the crown Hunted with the women that chose sanctuary Not just animals But men Who given the chance Would marry a woman Who didn’t want it And would say it is his right.

Lena Brayshaw Goodbye Hold on I still need you Hold on Please don’t leave me What about love What about us I can’t imagine a world with you gone Hold on I still want you Come back I still need you I need you in Maine to walk me to the beach I need you to watch me while I swim and play tennis I need you to come back You will always be yourself I am born a girl I don’t know what it's like to be born a boy I am the youngest child I don't know what it's like to be an only child, the oldest, nor the middle child I am growing up in America I don’t know what it’s like to grow up in Russia I am white, with blonde hair and blue eyes I don’t know what it’s like to look any other way I celebrate Christmas I don’t know what it’s like to be a different religion

I am me I don’t know what it’s like to be anyone else

Above and Beyond Bestest is the best of the best Funnest is the most fun Amazingest is the most amazing thing All of these are just more They are the bestest They are the funnest They are the amazingest They reach for the stars Above and beyond they are normal words just with more They say more They mean more They are Above and beyond

Leo Keeler Magenta Magenta is a queen She wears a long, silk dress She is very kind Her best friend is Red They go on picnics together Her king is White He is less kind than Magenta He is much stricter with his servants, Maroon and Tank Green Magenta is a queen Maybe Maybe I am from somewhere else Maybe my parents are communist spies Maybe my parents aren’t my parents Maybe they are descendants of Vladimir Lenin After all, my mom’s ancestors are Russian Maybe I’m not from somewhere else Maybe I’m from here Maybe my parents are actually my parents Maybe everything that I assumed before was true It does seem believable Maybe I’m from nowhere Maybe I don’t exist Maybe I’m just watching life Maybe all my friends are in the watching party with me Maybe I’m wrong I Don’t Know I don’t know what goes on while I’m asleep I don’t know what goes on while I’m not looking I don’t know if the world is flat I don’t know if what we’re told is true

I don’t know what other people think about me I don’t know what other people think at all I don’t know if other people think I don’t know if I think Maybe I’m like a droid in Star Wars Maybe Star Wars was real I don’t know anything for sure It’s impossible to prove anything, but what do I know?

Max Rosenberg Personal Poem My name is Max, But I don’t feel like a “Max”, I feel like a turtle. A turtle hardly ever comes out of its shell But when it does, It is extraordinary. So rare and sweet. The Turtle is inside me, it drives me, Holds me, Makes me. My name is the Turtle, My spirit is the Turtle, My love is the Turtle. There is also a Treasure Chest inside me. When observed, it looks like no other thing. Full of dirt and soil. But when opened, It is full of wonders and treasure. There may be darkness, but the light is still there. As the cold wet darkness seeps in, The light always pushes it back. Until it can no longer. On my forehead there is a word. S I L E N C E. Silence. Silence can be good, bad or simply unknown. The Silence cuts the rope of the big brown bear. But also creates the Knight in shining armor protecting you. The snow-capped mountains are something I hold dear. The snow glistening and the mountains persisting gives me hope. A rare hope that is hard to find. One that comes out when we find something amazing. Hope that one day we can all come together and be 1. But what stops us is hate and fighting, A sight that deepens my sorrow when I see. A sight that ruins all that I love. All that is great. Like putting too much salt on your pasta. or pouring poison into a sweet drink. I love the sunset. When the sky turns a tangy orange and you can feel the breath of the wild on your cheek. It gives me the sense of love and warmth.

In New York City you hardly ever get that sunset. But when you see it, It's like when you find the missing puzzle piece. It's that thing that fixes you up when you are broken. If my hands could speak they would be asking questions. How are you? What time is it? What is that? The most powerful and useful things, Always ask questions. Just like hands, They are used all the time and they are very powerful. Even the greats need a hand. Remember that no one is perfect and it’s okay to feel. My childhood is full to the brim of stories and moments that were just amazing. Once upon a time, My friends and I were running away from a babysitter around a fountain. I do feel bad for the babysitter but that’s beside the point. For some reason, I had the urge to jump into the fountain. So I did. Those were the times I really had fun, The times I didn’t care about what anyone thought. I was just me, An ordinary kid. A kid who was not brought down by the world just yet. Something my mom used to say to me was, “Just Breathe.” I always used to get nervous for school and to leave my mom. She used to calm me in those moments. I can use this phrase in anything else. When life is beating you down, And you are trapped against the corner, Always remember that you are not alone. “Just Breathe.”

A Free Deer (Poem based on “A Caged Bird” by Maya Angelou) A free deer dances in the sunlight, Tail held high, Trotting down the path with its life in its hands. Innocent little deer, Ready to take on the world, Ready to find what’s next. Head to be put on the wall, The deer is slain, A free deer is no longer a calling of the wild. Instead it is the calling of the dead. Antlers stripped, Body eaten, Fur used. A free deer is caged. Stretches out her legs to dance, But there is no use, A free deer can no longer dance. Grass sitting there, Waiting to be eaten, But no deer comes. As the tides change, The days go on, And something emerges from the depths. A new deer dances in the sunlight.

Here I can cry here, I can die here, I can live here. My home is here, My life is here, My spirit is here. My loves are here, My memories are here, My emotions are here. History is here, Ancestry is here, Heritage is here. Here is a place full of life, A place with an endless story, A box full of pictures. Here is where we rest from a long day's work. Here is where we find our way. Here Is Our Time.

Melesha Mirabal

The person I chose to use her writing as inspiration to write this poem was Wislawa Szymborska.

Past, Present, and Future I wake up in the present, or maybe I would call it the future of my past. I go to feed the hunger of my past and present, for this could also be called making my future no longer hungry. The microwave beeps indicating a timer for 2 minutes, would this finish in the future or my soon to be present? Then comes the beep of my finished food, I grab it to eat my past’s future and my future’s past breakfast. As I grab the hot plate I realize the thought of being in my future’s past present, the words take a second for my head to collect and understand. I bet it would be the same for you too. A glance at the time only to see that I’m late, grabbing my car keys I rush to the car. Could a car understand the confusion of a future being in the past at the same time making a present that is the future to a past. I mean...could you even understand it? As I pass the many cars along the road I think the same thought, but for the people driving the cars. Would they ever think this? Could they ever think this? Would they remember thinking it?... Each person has their own period of past present and future, it’s just what they decide it to be. I’m in the past at the moment, 9 along with being in the present, and technically in the future too. When you and I think about it, they don’t actually exist. Well it’s not that they don’t exist. It is more like they are irrelevant, and have no meaning to your life. The experiences that you make in the “so-called” past, present, and future are the most important things ever because you get to live them in the real or not real past, present and future.

Oliver Miller If I Owned a Word

If I owned a word I would want to own metaphor I’d walk around acting like I owned the world When in actuality it's probably only a hassle to English teachers They would have to ask my permission to use my word And if I declined, their entire class would have to be rescheduled Every school would have to hire specialized persuaders to help their teachers Doesn't matter though, I just like making people annoyed I would go around asking people if they’ve heard of the word metaphor And if they say yes I would remark saying “yeah, that's my word” Then walk away flaunting my ownership of a literal word I would totally think I'm better than everyone else And the better part is I heard the guy who owned Simile is a lot worse. Metamorphosis My life hasn't really changed at all in the grand scheme of things. Everything has stayed generally the same, Time goes by and my schedule never seems to change. Arrival at school, barely learning. Mornings to afternoon, I can predict everything that happens. Of course, nothing has really changed for me, I don't want it to. Repeating every day of the week like I'm stuck in some time loop hole. Purposefully wasting time, or what other people refer to as wasting time. Honestly it can go either way. On most days I just sit there being anxious about nothing, Some days I’m happy, actually something special happened to me. I’ve been happy for a while, I guess... Something has changed. Friends Everyone can relate, To the feeling of having friends. Whether you have friends at the moment or not, You have had friends. You may not have considered them your friends, But they were people. They were there for you if you needed them. They spent time and effort with you. They did what they could to make you comfortable, And they made your life just that much better. Even if you’re in a dark place now, They existed. And if you could make friends then, you can make friends now. All you have to do is put yourself out there, Live your life in a respectable way. The way you want to live it.

And along the way you will meet people, Who’ll be there for you. Who will be with you. People Change (inspired by Fleetwood Mac) Over time, people change. Through sickness, hardships, and pain. They eventually triumph over it. The memories may fade, But they will never leave your mind. Time will continue on, People will continue doing what they were doing. There may be minor adjustments to what happens, Calls will become easier and more sophisticated. Monkeys will learn how to speak fluent “chimplish.” Technology will evolve, People will probably devolve if we are being honest. But that’s pretty long term. In the meantime, we can focus on the next 20-40 years. Some people will become happier, some possibly sadder. Whether you are affected by the former or the ladder, You will change Eventually. For the worse or for the better, Life will go on. Life will change. An Ode to Dasani Water Bottle On the top of a heap of trash, Stands a Dasani Water Bottle. The dryness of 1000 suns. I like to think when seeing it That it fought to get to the top, That it struggled to climb the pile. I know, however, it didn’t struggle. It overpowered the other water bottles by a ton! Obviously, it prevailed. Until it has to fight to the top once more. An Elegy to Dasani Water Bottle A lone Dasani water bottle lays atop a heap of trash, Wondering if it will ever get any friends. It wonders why it was subjected to being on the top of the trash alone, No other Dasani water bottles to keep it company. At this point even take hanging out with Poland Spring, Even though it knows that it will never get any water bottle friends. No Smart Water, Poland Spring, Evian or Fiji. It will be alone until the trash people come, He wishes he could hear the truck now.

Oliver Moore Yes

The word “yes” It’s simple and positive There’s nothing wrong or negative about the word It’s just “yes” It’s short and plain-looking And there’s nothing special about it It’s a basic word It’s just “yes” It’s powerful and handsome And it’s very well known It’s taken for granted It’s just “yes” It can make you extremely happy Or extremely sad But it’s always truthful It’s just “yes” I Don’t Know What will happen in the future What it would look like What it would feel like What it would smell like How the people look, talk, and walk What things are new What things are gone What things are still here from the past? Is it like the movies? Or is it the same as the world we are in right now I guess we will never know Until the future comes My Poem, Billie Eilish Style I want you but I am scared This is my last straw Do not betray me I cannot let go All of my past I won’t hurt you If you don’t hurt my heart I’m scared Of what would happen when we are apart

Paula Valger Elegy I just wanted you to know: I miss your voice It trembled like leaves Your skin Wrinkled like the bark of a tree Your hands were so gentle and did so much over the years Every time I remember them my eyes fill with tears Your name meant wisdom and I wish you were still here I hope you know how much I care to be at least a little like you

Poem About a Feeling

You never left You’ve supported me since day 1 Thanks for giving it your best

So excited:

Everything We Need to Know I don’t know how to do taxes but it’s okay because I know how to explain y=mx+b I don’t know how to find an apartment but it’s okay because I know how to write an essay in an hour I don’t know how to raise a family but it’s okay because I can tell you all about the history of ancient Egypt I don’t know how to file for a mortgage but it’s okay because I can explain the Pythagorean Theorem I don’t know how to get insurance but it’s okay because I can tell you anything you want in Mandarin It’s okay don’t worry about us, we’ll figure it out I Don’t Know I don’t know:

I remember this moment so fondly My mom drove my sister, Daniel, Sophie, and me to Hershey park It was my first time ever going to an amusement park My heart was beating out of my chest I could hear it go boom, boom pow! Boom, boom pow! We made chocolates and candies galore The milk chocolates I adored This feeling was so incredible I couldn’t ask for anything more Here My room: Though you scare me and say there are monsters under my bed I always distract myself and forget You always comfort me and give me all your love That’s why I love you back, that’s why I don’t fall apart You’ve been there for me since the day I moved in And I can’t get over how nice you’ve been I hope I don’t leave you

I don’t know how to write poetry Yet I’m writing it now! I don’t know how to explain things Yet I try anyway I don’t know why people try so hard for things Yet they don’t get what they want I don’t know why I keep ranting Yet I do it anyway I don’t know what the goal of humanity is Yet I try to discover it ever waking moment I don’t know if there is meaning to life Yet I try to be a good person I don’t know who came up with god Yet I practice and believe in him I don’t know, and I don’t think I’ll ever Maybe Maybe we will find a way Maybe we can’t repair our history Maybe we can do better in the future Maybe we can be better people Maybe it will help Maybe we should try our best Maybe we will succeed Maybe if we fight for what we believe in then Maybe we can spread awareness

Quinten Oosterhuis

Untitled Many people face great obstacles, But only some push through They can only win by dreaming And that they do You have to face the odds that seem hopeless, And push till you’ve succeeded It doesn’t matter what the challenge is Belief and mindset is almost all that’s needed

Richie Warren-Fulcher White White is described as a blank colorless color. Filling the spaces no other color does. It’s smooth and unnoticeable. It is invisible to your eyes. It coats pixels on your computer screen and is the color of vanilla ice cream. It’s seen as tasteless, boring, just like nothing. Ever notice when you open a new digital picture or document it starts out white. If white is colorless then why is its opposite (black) not considered colorful. Possibly because white isn’t all empty after all. Maybe white is empty. Maybe it’s the opposite. (There is a picture below this, but it is white so you're not going to be able to see it. Elegy Poem (About my dead dog Wilson) The days were crisp back then, before things started to break, a day with Wilson. He rolled with punches, absorbed our anxiety,

and yet he never spoke a word. I loved him although he wasn’t any cuter than other dogs at the park, nor was he faster or stronger. Yet he was the best one there. No one ever noticed him, for he would blend in with all the other dogs, but inside he was something much different. Most dogs aim to get the most treats in their lifetime, but Wilson’s goal was much different. He knew that treats were only moments of satisfaction, and the real treat of life was friendship. To this day I still believe that he knew more about the world then we could imagine. He was definitely a “thinker,” like me. I could tell that every hour we were watching TV and goofing around he was thinking. The days with him were sweet, Maybe Maybe things aren’t how they should be. Maybe I wasn’t ever supposed to live. Maybe I was. Maybe people don’t understand. Maybe they do. Maybe somewhere in the universe, there is a key to happiness. Maybe there is someone who understands. Maybe if you jumped high enough you would hit your head on the sky. Maybe Brussel sprouts aren’t disgusting after all. Maybe you are not supposed to be reading this poem. Maybe this is the most important piece of writing you have ever read. Maybe things have fallen apart. Maybe they have reunited. Maybe wrongs outnumber rights. Maybe people like this poem. Maybe they hate it. Maybe this poem is too long. Maybe it’s too short. Maybe the sun is actually invisible. Maybe water is magical. Maybe every movie you watch actually happened somewhere in another galaxy. Maybe you are a movie. Maybe life is all planned out. Maybe it’s the opposite. Maybe this poem could go on forever. Maybe it would stop. Maybe you would read it again if it were any good. Maybe this poem shouldn’t exist. Maybe it should. Maybe this poem wasn’t written by me. Maybe it was. Maybe history never happened; rather it was a glimpse into the future. Maybe words are sharper than knives. Maybe more people should care that this poem ever was written. Maybe I am wrong. Maybe you were born in the clouds.

Maybe you weren’t. Maybe this poem is all craziness. Maybe it’s the truth. Maybe if I learned proper English I wouldn’t be saying “maybe” all the time. I Don’t Know I don’t know whether it will be worth it to write this poem. I might hurt my hand while writing it or my legs might fall asleep. I don’t know whether you're reading this while eating cookies or chewing gum, but you're definitely having a better time than I am. I don’t know how to write that fast so you're going to have to wait. I don't know whether I should start this poem now or whether I should wait until tomorrow or maybe next week or how about next month? I don’t know how to say this, but writing is a lot harder than eating cookies, while you read a poem instead of doing your homework. I don’t even know if this is my homework or it is just something I want to do. I don’t know whether I should believe this is my homework or whether I should believe you. I don’t know how to say this but I honestly don’t want to start this poem. I don’t know- fine, fine I will start. Saying Goodbye to My Childhood My hands are slipping right off the edge of a cliff. I didn’t have time to say goodbye to sweet childhood. I only have 20 days left until I am a teenager. That's not a lot of time if you have ever lived on Earth. I can feel the rough edge of the cliff piercing into my hands as blood seeps through my fingertips mixing with my salty sweat. Some say that being a teenager means you get new opportunities but I just think it's a filler for the real truth: you're closer to dying. Every day that passes I get closer to the next level. My nails are staked on the edge of the cliff. I am on the verge of falling. My nails are about to snap Oh no my nails snapped I am falling! Wait… How am I about to fall if I have 20 days left? Unless the cliff takes 20 days of falling to reach the bottom. How could this get worse? A Poem Inspired by Simon & Garfunkel: Dark Night When I look out the window, I see the white moon reflected on the wet road.

The old and rusted lamp post

Snaps of the Musician

Illuminates the darkness. The cars splash the curb throughout the night,

The musician played Happy Birthday for the beauty of the room

Like raindrops hitting my heart.

Yet she had not heard a single note

The sound of lonely birds chirping, Searching their way through the darkness.

Every string played peacefully of the bright soul

Stars are seeping through the clouds,

Yet, no recognition

And the thunder booms like a bomb.

No recognition needed from the musician

The bushes sway in the wind,

Only snaps for himself

Blowing leaves off now and then. While all of us are asleep,

Speaking My Mind

We miss the beauty of darkness.

While every day may not be sunshine,

Oliver Scholars Where do I begin A program that takes a bunch of diverse kids to join a program to get into high class middle schools and only chooses the students that are white to join I went into the fancy glass building to take over 5 test for judges to evaluate me I spent over 3 weeks studying for that test I ended up passing Interviewing was next My mom told me to make sure to be myself That’s exactly what I did But, ended up not being chosen It was like being myself wasn’t enough

Sanae Honore

I Am

The world is not clear anymore, rather it is a collage of blurriness. Most people never tell the truth, Because it is too harsh. In a world of corruption life goes stale, And it makes you feel like one big fail.

1983 If I had a time machine I’d go back to 1983 I would be chilling with basquiat Surf Boarding on the island of Haiti I’d travel the world Writing poetry on the plane not thinking of it But thinking of life I’d be free

I was visually given a ticket to feel this way Even if I didn’t take it It would stick with me until my very last breath Inhale without an exhale It was a literal invitation to the mindset of You know What we all are looking for You know It takes a long heartache to realize You will always be in your own skin Plant your own garden And decorate your own soul Instead of waiting for someone to bring you the flowers you deserve We moan for the love we are looking for I guess the moaning will just continue When you start healing Your broken skin You can find the light Poem Sanae Kerene Honore Honore meaning a high honor

But sometimes doesn’t feel that way Sometimes I feel stuck in a box The box that lets no air in Limited Seven letters And even the word has its own limits When I walk through a room The attention is on me Only on me When I straighten my hair and it’s hot It doesn’t end very well I have broken a hair band or two My hair might look different today but please don’t touch When people see me it’s like I’m glass It’s like your zip code determines your destiny Check the box that applies to you Black White Hispanic Asian I check two instead of one Fairytale Poem: Beauty and the Beast She is an old soul with young eyes A vintage heart and a beautiful mind Her heads in the clouds they say Mind having more knowledge than any book Finding what she wasn’t looking for in the begging Still giving love it’s chance She needed someone to teach her to live He needed someone to teach him to love One of the most purest things to do We only have one heart and she gave it over Still holding through the thick sorrows in life May the doves fly high While they dance through the night Mixed-ish What’s going on with your hair You did them in that Black Salon, Right? Not only the person who asked was white But they stood up-right Telling me That my hair wasn’t good enough for their standards Their standard And I stood up and gave them their answers To the stupidity of that question Being called Whitewashed is not a complement The pressure of changing your hair for only an interview is not impressive It’s being stuck in a maze One that has twist and turns That never stop And will never stop I have to sit up straight Not too straight though So that they don’t notice the only black person in the room The air filled with caucasian breath But mine Nowhere to be seen

Destionesia Destionesia Eleven letters A instance of forgetting your purpose Finding a new beginning A Journey of finding your purpose A journey of hills and valleys that go on I have a purpose It’s in the deepest part of my back pocket My vintage soul just lead the way Tears of sparkle in my eyes I’ve found my way I’ve found my light I’ve found my home Forelsket Hold on to someone who makes you feel like the stars Someone whose mind is unique as astrology Hold on to someone who makes you feel like Heliophilia At times to feel like Nyctophilia Someone who is Thalassophile Find someone who is Astrophile Be with someone who you feel wanderlust with Sage Green Sage green It breathes the smell of old books and exhales the same It breathes in history If the color were to speak it would very wise Someone young with an old soul Someone who’s seen the world Someone who has experienced life to its fullest Sage keeps of Sea Salt & Vanilla candles on throughout the day Sage’s eyes drizzled with caramel Speaking truth with her eyes She is always one step ahead Just Maybe Maybe my speech comes from the wise words of my grandmother Where every word comes out so elegantly Everything said is either resulting in crying or laughter Maybe I should be manifesting my dreams It could help to lead my path A path that has still yet to grow Maybe I’m scared to ask questions because it would make myself look bad I should just figure out everything on my own Without the wise words of another my world would only feel so small Maybe And just maybe I might have my shot to reach for the stars

Or have the stars reach for me The Shaken I shall be shaken But never pushed to the ground My Eyes shall be shattered But I will always see the light My mouth shall be shut But I will speak with my mind I shall be taken But always find my way I shall be shaken But never pushed to the ground The Brown-Eyed Girl (Inspired by “Caged Bird,” by Maya Angelou) Blue-eyed girls fingertips touched the stars No tippy-toes or anything The stars are always waiting for her Without any judgment The Brown-eyed girl tries to jump for the stars Every jump shifts the stars over She needs a boost There is absolutely nobody for that boost She tends to do it herself anyhow By creating her own step stool The brown -eyed girl claims her own

Sasha Turok I Am I am tired and stressed out I wonder when I will be able to rest I hear nothing, complete silence I see faces of approval and trust I want to be peacefully sitting in my room with a book I am tired and stressed out I pretend to be alone when I’m not I feel rested and content, I got sleep I touch the warm air in front of the fireplace I worry that may just be a dream I cry about my long nights gone, wasted time I am tired and stressed out I understand that the world can’t listen to your needs I say that feeling numb doesn’t mean you’re numb I dream of waking up with no more troubles in the world I try to be successful, no success in that I hope to one day find myself doing what my fifth line of this poem stated I am tired and stressed out Ode (The Lost Peanut) I went to the zoo today And I found an elephant. He was in a cage, tucked away And I felt bad for him. Though he looked so happy he was clearly lost in his own thought

But the audience awaits, it was time he should have bought. I look at him and wonder how it feels to be in a cage so small, With an imagination so big. How it feels to have everybody watching you, But still feeling lonely as ever. The elephant was looking and looking, All over his cage. And he found it, He found his lost peanut. Anger It’s back, I mean it’s always there but it just came back This feeling, I can’t control Sometimes losing myself in it. If I put it away far enough will it not show? It’s like for the audience when the rabbit pops out of the hat, This feeling pops out of nowhere too, unexpected. It ruins me, I will just leave it at that, It's fading feeling of trust, detected. That feeling, yes, I think I know what it is, That feeling, yes, it’s anger. Maybe Poem (Contemplating) Maybe a cucumber is a fruit, But should be a vegetable. Maybe it’s correct to say “in the 5th grade,” But should be “in 5th grade.” Maybe a computer can type, But how? Maybe cats do lick themselves when they’re embarrassed, But why? Maybe breakfast should be eaten before lunch, But, also, after dinner. Maybe a towel can dry you off, But then it would get wet. Maybe me thinking these things is a waste of time, Or am I engaging my brain. Maybe considering these things should be a crime, Or is it a skill to obtain. My poem on the subject of Caged Bird by Maya Angelou: Free at Last? One day I know that I shall go and set myself free. For I fear that if I stay here it will be worse for the both of us and he does indeed agree. I must be gone before someone

thinks I’m not wanted here. But this journey was a journey that we were on together, and I hope that you get happier my dear. This is what I would’ve thought And, yes, that was past tense, this is what I would’ve thought if I could just disappear.

Sophie Komiss If I owned a word Serenity the state of being calm, peaceful, and untroubled Heaven We spend our days worrying and stressing about everything in our lives Wishing we could spend one perfect day in serenity Give up an arm or an identity for one day in serenity A day of peace and bouquets of happiness just being given out The feeling of nothing Yet everything at the same time Serenity A Latin word Most beautiful words come from Latin A language that has the feel of touching satin A silky, shiny, soft elastic fabric Just like a silky, shiny, soft elastic language Serenity My chosen word I didn’t want to find a word that no one has ever heard of I didn’t want to use a word that we use daily, either So I went in the middle, a word that is not overused but not undervalued A rare bird A beautiful bird Like a blue jay Elegant and occasional Basically Violet Violet watched the waves pass by as she sat up on the roof at 6 AM She inhaled the smell of saltwater and baked croissants She saw the sky change from purple to orange to blue Hearing her friends wake up and the shower water start She was reminiscing about when they sat at the bonfire and sang their favorite songs while eating smores and telling scary stories “The last day of Summer,” she thought as she was sitting on top of her suitcase, debating whether to zip it up or not “I should have not left my hair tie at the house,” she thought after unloading her bag from the taxi “I should not have eaten those fries,” she thought as her flight took off

Violet watched the clouds pass by as she sat in her window seat She inhaled the smell of armpit odor from the man sitting in front of her and the satisfaction of being able to read a good book She saw the sky change from Maya blue to navy blue to jet black Violet was happy Snapshot My great-grandpa. I remember going to visit him Grandma telling us to be careful and conscious if we wanted to play him slowly getting weaker and more tired Laying down a lot I remember worried faces I didn’t know why my face was worried too I remember my mom crying I asked why She didn’t tell me I was rushed off to play with my dolls I remember being sad I don’t remember about what though I remember passing his apartment on the way to Grandmas and knocking on the door there was no answer to our knock I remember crying I Don’t Know I don’t know What I’m having for breakfast tomorrow What my major will be in college When I will get my Invisalign off I don’t know a lot of things This is fine. I have time to learn about them I have time to concern I have time to grow I have time to know Sarah Everard She did everything right She wore bright colors She called a friend She told them her location She took all the precautions And who hurt her? A man who is there to protect A man who is there for her safety We have now lost an innocent life And more were about to be taken the lives of people who were there to honor Sarah’s Inspired by “Three Oddest Words” by Wislawa Szymborska When I pronounce the word Future, the first syllable already belongs to the past. When I pronounce the word Silence, I destroy it.

When I pronounce the word Nothing, I make something no non-being can hold. My poem based on this poem: Waking up this morning Stuck on yesterday The whole night’s repeating I try to stray away Memories are fleeting back A hard thing to understand It keeps repeating in my head

Stella Gerstenblatt I Am

I am funny and enthusiastic I wonder how far space actually goes I hear people screaming at the sight of a normal life I see a perfect world with perfect people I want something to eat I am funny and enthusiastic I pretend with my cousins that we have billions I feel something I can’t explain I touch the thing in me that motivates me to do what I can I worry that I will have an allergic reaction I cry about not seeing people who I can’t I am funny and enthusiastic I understand that life is not always fair I say that things will get better I dream about what will be next I try to take the little amount of light we have left and use it I hope that I have made the right decisions

I am funny and enthusiastic. Acrostic Poem (Metamorphosis)

My, my, how I have changed, Each example in a different range. To being more grateful And watching what I do Meeting new people Or finding what I really like to do. Reading is what I like to do Putting my eyes on the words How I appreciate each word more and more. Outside is a beautiful thing Seeing friends It feels so good So, so, good. I Don’t Know

I don’t know if there are aliens on another planet And I don’t know why I can’t tell if my brother is one. I don’t know why my dogs like bagels so much Or how they like so much. I don’t know why my parents are the way they are Or if they're even my real parents. I don’t know why the sky is blue And why it’s not pink. I don’t know why the sun is yellow And why it’s not brown. I don’t know why though is spelled the way it is And why it’s not spelled differently I don’t know who came up with the definitions for words Or why they did.

I don’t know why thing are sweet And why some things are sour. I don’t know why some songs are better than others And why some songs are just so popular and others aren’t. I don’t know why I’m doing homework on a Saturday Instead of saving it all for Sunday night. Family Photos

As I look out my window, I see a happy family walking on a nice spring day. The light breeze moving their hair from side to side. They look like a picture perfect family, as the little boy swings between his parents. I think about how much I want a family and How much I need a family. I want a kid to beg me to go down the slide with them, I wonder, What can I do? What do I have to do to have a picture perfect family? As I look at the family, It seems that everyone has a place, Everyone feels that they belong, What can I do? What do I have to be, to feel like I belong? The poor pieces of pizza in the picture, They are being devoured, like the humans in that picture haven’t eaten for a month. But I can assure you we have. I wish I could say that I’m sorry for eating too much of it, Or eating it in under a minute, But I can’t. My brother on the other hand eats like he’s at a tea party with the queen. Pointing his pinky and taking little bites at a time. Almost as if he was being “lady-like.” I hope the pizza didn’t die in pain, Because he eats in the same amount of time as a line for security in the airport.

When I look at the parents of the family, I think about how proud they look, It’s worn on their face like a mask. So what do I have to do to have that look? Where can I buy that mask? And when I look at the children, I see something that I want and need. I think it’s love. Can I buy it at a store? If not, where do I have to go to find it?

My dad hasn’t even started eating his pizza yet. He’s loading it up with things that I don’t even dare try to eat. He’s just plain happy because he’s doing his favorite things: Eating and being with his kids.

Inspired by Maya Angelou You can try to chop me up,

Or cut me down, But just like the begging of an airplane ride, Still I’ll rise. Do you want the bounce in my step? Or the way I just don’t care what other people say? Because every time you try to tear me down, Just like a gymnast on a trampoline, I will still rise. Does my confidence upset you? Or the way I sneak up from behind? I promise every time you try to break me down, Just like bread baking in the oven, I will rise. Does the fact that I have friends who support me frighten you? Or the fact that I could cut you short? If it does, then I would be scared, Just like a growing kid, Still I will rise.

Art is by takato yamamoto

Victoria Rivera

A Poem About Feeling/Emotion (This art piece doesn’t have a name I am aware of and I could not find the meaning of this painting, at least, not in English. This whole poem will be my interpretation of it.)

Missing

motherhood and departure

You are missing Your eyes are missing Your mouth is missing Your hair is missing Your arms are missing You are missing

A child this child was no longer physically connected to their mother, the only thing that connected the two was the blood they shared and of course the label mother and daughter. This mother adored her first born child she bathed her she caressed her she held her she kissed her She loved her but yet that child left her embrace leaving the young women broken Her blood ran bittersweet while her tears stained Her daughter did no longer need her so she didn’t either.

But… You have been replaced. What was once your eyes are now dark claustrophobic holes filled with maggots and worms fighting to eat the last of your sockets first. What was once your mouth is now torn apart flesh with a rotting tongue. What was once your hair is now thin strains What was once your arms legs now replaced with thin bones with a lack of flesh When you were sad I would give you hugs, but can’t hug a dead person.

Will You Witness Me? Will you witness me Can you witness me You can see my tears You can hear my cries You can taste my sweat You can feel my pain But yet you still refuse… Why do you ignore me? Why do you push my people away? Why do you hate Is it because you cannot understand? But yet you don’t allow me to explain You push us away You hit and abuse us Let me rephrase

Why won’t you witness me? Goodbye Grandma sorrow and dread used to fill my heart to talk about you I only met you when you when i was a small baby but yet I still know so much about you Maybe the reason for my feeling of anger towards you was you not being able to protect my mother from the wrath of my grandfather You had nine children and didn’t protect one Maybe you were scared Maybe you didn’t have the strength For that I can understand Therefore, you are a victim and I feel sorry for you I never got to really meet you but wherever you are I hope you're happy And my mother forgives you they all forgive you You are the sun in your childrens’ eyes So, rest in paradise Grandma

Zack Roven I Am I am caring and I am funny to some people I wonder if I will ever meet a celebrity. I hear music playing in my mind when I am bored at school or at home. I see things I remember playing in my mind when I miss a memory from a long time ago I want to be a professional Basketball player on the Knicks I am caring and I am funny to some people I pretend to like going to school I feel happy when I think about watching my favorite sports team I touch dunking on a basketball hoop in front of thousands of fans I worry about missing something that is important to me I cry about my family members that aren’t alive anymore I am caring and I am funny to some people I understand that family is very important to me I say that the Knicks are a good team in the NBA I dream about going on vacation to a warm place I try to make my mom happy I hope for COVID to go away so we can live normally again I am caring and I am funny to some people My life is fun and amazing Everyone in my life supports me except the people that don’t like me The people that support me should know that I am thankful for them A person that doesn’t support me thinks they matter to me, they don’t My family are the biggest supporters I know

Other people that support me are my friends and my Mom’s friends and others Responsibility for me is very important, if my mom or brother gets the flu, I help them feel better People that love me is my family and of course my 2 dogs Happiness is the most important feeling to me in life and being happy comes at a cost Other people that I care about are my friends and my babysitter Spaghetti is my favorite food besides mac and cheese I love to eat food and I love to play video games So many people try to say I am bad at the things I do but I don’t let them get into my head Here Here at my house we have specific rules, you can’t hurt each other and you can’t purposely yell at each other, if you try to damage something or someone then you get in trouble, you can’t just leave the house without saying where you're going. In our family we always have to do Shabbat on Friday nights You always have to go to the temple for Jewish holidays We always have to tell each other that we love each other before we go to sleep If you get bad grades in school then you won’t get in trouble but the next time you have to do much better in grades then the last time All of the little things matter in our family You always have to try your best in everything you do or else someone else will be disappointed

Zoe Moncrieff I am a wonderer and a thinker I wonder what happens when you leave this Earth I hear people’s joy I see hope for this country I want to be reunited with my family in other countries I am a wonderer and a thinker I pretend that I can be somewhere else I feel my father hugging me I touch the door of life I worry about what will happen in the future I cry for those who have lost their family I am a wonderer and a thinker I understand that there are some things you cannot change I say that there is a higher power watching over me I dream that we can fix ourselves I try to learn as much as I can I hope we can become whole again I am a wonderer and a thinker Elegy

I wish I had gotten to know you I wish I had gotten to know you You seemed very cool and treated everyone right I don’t have a lot of information about you from Dad I wish you were still here with us It feels sad without you and not knowing you I wish I had gotten to know you You left us as I was young I didn’t get a chance to remember you I don’t see many pictures, but the ones I do I cherish I value the memory of you I wish I had gotten to know you My dad rarely says anything about you to me My mom doesn’t really know anything about you either I wish you and your significant other were still here for me to meet You guys left before I was here to remember you My dad was crushed at both of you leaving I wish I had gotten to know you Ode

The light that came from the dark Did you see the news about the vaccine? We are finally leaving this dark period of disease and death We can be whole again We can be united and healthy again It’s funny we got here, after so long The time was worth it though We did finally make it I mourn the loss of those who passed on They won’t be forgotten They will always be remembered I Don’t Know I don’t know why the world is so messed up I don’t know why we can’t accept change I don’t know why people can’t accept that there is a new leader and be okay with that I don’t know why our state of the country can’t get better I don’t know why some countries are so infected, they have to shut down I don’t know why we all can’t collectively get better I don’t know why we are taking so long to heal