Chrestomathy 2018-19

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

Fall, 2019

Seventh Grade Writing Arts Magazine

The writing contained on these pages comes from the minds and hearts of the seventh grade of 2018-19.

The contents are:

Art by YunSeo Nam

 To This Day (writing inspired by Shane Koyczan’s poem about the experience of bullying in his life)  Vignettes (inspired by students’ reading of The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros)  Poetry Anthology (writing from the seventh graders’ Poetry Portfolio Project)  DC Museum Reflections (based on students’ visits to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the National Museum of African History and Culture)

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To This Day Bella Vaccaro To This Day… I used to think that friends were friends Together forever They never leave They never will To this day I thought it would be the same It isn’t Things come and go They see you and leave But some friends put up with you and they stay They stay with you They are there for you You build a relationship throughout the years Making jokes Understanding Learning from each other They are just there To this day I still have some of those friends Along the journey of highs and lows Mountains and oceans Only surviving with a can of hope and canteen of persistence Constantly trying to climb without the harness that keeps me attached to the part of my mind that is sane Trying to keep my eyes open because I think everyone dies in their dreams To this day I still have bad dreams Bad dreams of me trying to escape that horrible place The place That place Where friends were “friends”

To this day I still feel the anger The sadness The fear The fear that I wouldn’t make it home alive to tell my parents I love them Because I did To this day I still see their hands on my friends Pressing Making marks Marks that will go away but mentally stay forever Because the world is an ink pen Tattooing your memories into your brain Bad tattoos Bad memories You think the ink never runs out That dark ink poisoning your mind Slowly taking you away But one day the ink will dry The tattoos will fade The poison will subside And you'll grow Grow into the fitted clothing of the life you were given The return receipts thrown away Because we don’t get a second choice We don’t get to pick another size Or color We fit into the skin That we live in We show it off Learning every fold and mark Treating every trait like glass Protected Warm Cause when you decide to return your clothing Return your life You regret ever doing so You regret You think people won’t remember you Remember your name

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But they will Everyone will Someone will I will __________________________________ __________________________________ _____________ Bella Vaccaro Stockholm Syndrome We wait for each other Others open Others crack And some just break These puzzles we have to figure out in our minds They have rules But does anyone follow them?

No outside tools No force Patience Time Dedication Blah blah blah We just want it now To open up To see what we’re hiding inside the chamber that has no key It takes time they say You have to wait they say But you can’t wait You want it to be done already Because it hurts It hurts not knowing the fact that your steel walls are becoming so high That you don’t even remember what you really look like anymore Because when you look in the mirror You only see what you want to see You can stare for hours just thinking about the things you can say to tear yourself into pieces Because it’s not like you are already torn into shreds already

You try to put yourself back together but nothing is working The pills The treatments The clinics The hospitals The places that feel more like home than your own bedroom Because you think the first name on their record is yours Because everything is worse in your head Because every day you struggle to even get up Because from the second you wake up You have no energy You feel like you just ran a mile Your heart is racing because your dreams seemed so real Your nightmares Your hallucinations Those not fever fever dream The fact that you are being kidnapped by yourself That it’s becoming a case of classic Stockholm syndrome Stockholm syndrome The words that you struggle to understand The words that describe the life that you are living Being held hostage for so long that you’ve gotten used to it That you have been trapped for the years you’ll never get back Because you say it's been only a couple minutes down But it’s actually been a couple years now Of you You trying to explain to people that there is a way out of the cage you are trapped in When there isn’t Of you trying to explain that you have the key

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But you lost it years ago So you gave up But no one knows Because your walls have become so high that the sunlight doesn’t even find it’s way in anymore Your walls have become so high that not even your close friends have seen you smile genuinely And If you were to knock it all down It would come crashing onto you like some rolling boulder on a hill Because everything seems so big When you are so small And everyone is growing and climbing And you are stuck to the ground Like hot melted tar wrapping around your legs keeping you stuck And you try everything you can do to break Break yourself so you don’t have to be awake while everyone is dreaming You think that if you break People won’t be cut by your shattered pieces That they won’t even shed a eighth of the tears that you have cried throughout one week But shattered people Can cut like glass You can be cut just by trying to pick up the pieces Just trying to help Trying to put everything back together But if you can’t put yourself together first No one can Because that’s the reality We live in Kept away __________________________________ __________________________________ ______________ Tomas Michelangeli

To This Day The first recorded war happened in Mesopotamia in the year 2700 BCE it was fought by the Sumer and Elam.

But still to this day 4719 years later we still fight and kill each other. We still go to war. We have colonized the whole planet, developed a written language, we have made metal birds and robotic fish, we have created medicine that can stop people from dying, but we can’t stop fighting each other. We can’t stop going to war.

Surely it is a hard task but we made boxes that allow us to talk to people thousands of miles away. We made computers that use contraptions spinning around the earth to create their display. Ending war is a hard task but we put a man on the moon. We could use that will power to end war.

Because almost 1.29 million people are in the US military. Because their families don’t know if they’re coming back. To this day people continue to die. So now it’s time to try. __________________________________ __________________________________ ______________ YunSeo Nam To This Day Our Earth is sick With junk and pollution floating on the water Melting down the ice burgs Polar bears slipping off ice Drowning to death Our winters are getting colder and our summers are getting hotter We blame each other for the damage we all did to the Earth We are making ourselves leave this planet

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To This Day People hide things behind our backs Spilling rumors Seeps into people’s head Shut us behind the door Giving less and less hope Squeezing out our identities Color fades out of our world We are the mistakes If you think you have to fight this all alone The one who has to be devastated for other people’s happiness Don’t You’re beautiful, you’re unique Shed off the past Difference is a gift If you fall a hundred times Stand up a thousand times Do we always need to devastate somebody to achieve power?

Do we always need to see the pain to make us happy?

Do we always want the spotlight alone on the stage?

Leaving everybody in the shadows We are living in such a competitive world People are craving for more pride and forgetting what is most important Some have authority of rights and some don’t Some can be ruined and cannot be turn into a perfect piece Humans love to categorize and determine things Creating boxes for people to go into When wobble and crash down to the ground Don’t stay in the dark I know that the suffer we receive burns us like toxic

Traps our heart in a cage Locking yourself in the road of safety If you see yourself as a failure Seek yourself as a success Take challenges to reach your success Success is the greatest revenge and weapon to fight them back To This Day, Anonymous Some people think equality is already made in our society But if you see the parts of the world that I see, nothing has changed in a century People died off because of their appearances Gun shots firing every second of our lives Color, shape, gender What determine us to be the ones to die and suffer We couldn’t reach opportunities Immigrants aren’t stealing your jobs We have worked efficiently and hard just like anyone else Sometimes twice for us for the people to see as who we are We are always the last ones to be picked United of States was made of immigrants Now the government is trying to kick them out Only the rich whites can be welcomed “Illegal immigrants” were always the bad ones Money is the power of our society The poor can only lie on the bottom Staring at the top The people at the top controls the limits We are living in a endless loop Repeating days and days An invisible pyramid is building upon us What have we become?

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To This day Our people are suffering Tearing apart Hinges of Hope Innocence needs to be proven Someone can make a difference Damage can be restored A small amount of support You can do it __________________________________ __________________________________ ______________ Baelee Glasgow 1.We don’t have to be friends She was sitting all alone In the corner hidden behind the shelf Everyone else was sitting in the center Sitting with their friends Me, sitting with my friends Just laughing Is that a sniffle?

Is that a cry?

I have Science soon, I say Gtg � I make a turn when I get to the door I find a space behind the shelf Tissue?

She takes it with a smile I say, “We don’t have to be friends, but I’m here if you need me.”

To This Day Sarah Harmon To this day we fear tomorrow.

To this day we hope for change.

To this day we are forced to be something we are not.

To this day we are categorized by our popularity level.

To this day we are stereotyped because of our figures.

To this day we are pushed down by those who are insecure about themselves.

To this day some people think that being popular means being mean.

To this day we are forced to choose who we are in schools.

To this day some people fear schools because of bullies.

To this day we try to hide in the shadows so people can not hurt us mentally or physically.

To this day we bring the pain of the past with us wherever we go.

To this day we wonder if thing have changed.

To this day years, months, days, weeks Shayne's life has turned into ours. __________________________________ __________________________________ ______________ Owen Llodra A hurt mind, a bruised eye, a broken heart, how much more can a damaged soul take? The only place he feels safe are with his parents and he feels embarrassed to tell them. He waits late after school so he won’t be spit at with hateful words. His friend, his only friend, could not handle the pain, he could not take the constant thought of words that get him closer and closer to shattering at once. He is homeschooled now. Just another clown at the circus forgotten. She. She was the subject of people’s conversations. She sat all alone during lunch, too depressed to

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even go to the cafeteria. Another victim of the endless war that cannot be won. By her thirteenth lone birthday, she had no choice, but to believe that this was it. Her loss of hope in happiness. Their loss of hope.

The only thing that kept them going were the few people who loved them, who believed in them. Maybe the people who at least gave a chance to know them were the people who loved them, the people who saw through more than just their weight or face.

Maybe the people who loved them saw beauty in them because beauty is in everyone. Beauty is in everyone. __________________________________ __________________________________ ______________ To This Day Dear Mr. President Joye Wingard To this day, people still aren't getting treated equally.

To this day, the earth isn't healthy enough.

To this day, we bully each other to make ourselves feel better.

To this day, we trash the earth because we're too lazy to throw it away To this day, we divide people based on their daily income.

To this day, we have to drop out of school to support the family.

To this day, we treat women lesser than.

To this day, we have people living on the street because they weren't good enough for a job To this day, our president, can't fulfill our needs To this day, people have easy access to guns

These things aren't right I just don't understand why at night I lay awake Wondering Why To this day our earth isn’t up to my expectations Humans have been on this earth for almost 6 million years But still can't seem to understand that Whites aren’t better than blacks Men aren’t better than women The government can't just control us like slaves You can't bully someone just because you’re hurting deep down inside A wall won't fix all our problems People are dying on the street But yet all you’re worried about is the military?

So, Dear Mr. President, I write this letter to you Even though I’m only 13 years old I know more about what this world needs than you know about the wall All you seem to care about is a wall that won't even fix all our problems All I seem to care about is that you’re not doing anything to make this country better.

Your people beg you every day to make a change And all you can do is buy some more guns?

Or keep increasing the amount in your bank account?

So please, Mr. President, Take this into consideration Make our world better, not worse. __________________________________ __________________________________ ______________ Dashiell Pitts

These things aren't fair

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To This Day To this day, I have the same routine to get to school and back. I take the one or two to 96th Street, then transfer to the two or three train.

To this day I anticipate recess where I can throw a ball.

I come to school and my friends welcome me with a high five or hello.

To this day I come home to a loving nice family.

I walk into my house and greeted with “how was your day Dashiell.”

To this day I have food to feed me and my family.

I never go hungry we have enough food for everybody.

To this day I go to a great special school.

My school cares about my education.

My school lets me choose my path in life.

To this day I have family that care about me.

When I am hurt physically or emotionally they are always there to comfort me.

To this day I have many opportunities to do better.

I always get second chances even when I might not deserve them.

To this day I am still trying very hard to focus.

I know I can be interruptive but I am trying so hard.

Sometimes I am talking before I even know it.

To this day I help people in need.

I ask people if they need help.

To this day I still dream of childish things.

I still dream of flying with dragons and taking over kingdoms.

__________________________________ __________________________________ ______________ Stronger Through Pain Benjamin M. Karpatkin I don’t know how to describe the feelings I have.

When they say I will become stronger through my pain, It makes me feel more empowered and determined.

Determined to make it to tomorrow, Because tomorrow will be different from today.

A different day to laugh, to cry, to make mistakes.

Each day includes others throwing slurs as they would a ball, Slurs that those throwing them don’t even know the definition of.

As someone trying to live a life as if nothing was wrong, In a world that is next to tearing itself apart.

All the people that inspire me and help me through, Who tell me that we need to make it through, I want to tell them thank you. __________________________________ __________________________________ ______________ Rory Ganz I wish you could've gone to Calhoun when you were a kid. In Calhoun, people don’t make fun of your differences, but instead, they make fun of people who make fun of your differences. I wish you were accepted as much us we are at Calhoun. It’s okay to be gay, okay to be straight, okay to be black, white, Asian, Latina,

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whatever you are is okay with me.

Whatever you want to be, feel free, it’s okay with me. Chubby, skinny, short or tall, it's not okay to make kids weep and bawl about their differences. __________________________________ __________________________________ ______________ What is Bullying?

Barney Smith

Would that be bullying Its ok for a overweight kid call me a twig Why is it ok for some people to bully others but not get in trouble? __________________________________ __________________________________ ______________ To This Day Zena Almeida

When you think of bullying what do you see?

To me it used to mean a kid getting a swirly But lately I have been wondering what is bullying?

Is giving a nickname bullying?

I have been called an anorexic kid in the lunch line...

Is that bullying?

I have been called racist names at school because I'm white which I feel I have to accept without complaint, but if I was a different race or gender would it be Bullying?

I never thought before I was really being bullied but now this project has kind of opened my eyes and made me question This all has brought up the fact that if I was different (gender/race/body) Would what happens to me suddenly be not ok?

If I was overweight and someone called me obese or fat

To this day society has imprisoned me in my self-consciousness. We are taught to be ourselves but also are graded in our ability to be organized, to be standard. To this day I have felt the bullets that slowly bleed in my wounds with each syllable of an unpleasant word. To this day girls like myself are criticized to dress more appropriately, “cover up”, but somewhere else a woman is raped by someone hoping for anything but clothing. To this day my lungs have been drowned in stories of sorrow. We swim desperately for happy thoughts. To this day power holds its throne like buckets of gold, society is hypnotized. Money, Power, Money, Power. To this day the government is full of secrets. Sometimes I hear their 9

voices, their secret plots to someday take over. To this day alone is like a sickness, where the single result of it can cause the end of a life or the fear of losing one. I am afraid of strangers.

To this day imperfection drugs me.

“Fixed mindset”, I’m not good enough.

To this day I miss my grandma, I miss her warm voice, I miss her presence. To this day the world is treated like play dough, we play and play and never really think about it until it’s dirty.

Henry Dorr Who Are You? Who are you?

You might not know that yet You might know If you do know who you are you should be proud of who you are Just because you don’t fit into a clique or you’re not the best at anything Does not mean you are not good enough Every time you think you are lame, not good enough, weird, awkward, stupid, clumsy, a screw-up, a failure Just know you are special and great just the way you are Do not let anyone tell you otherwise Because if you try and become another person that you are not You are like a hermit crab trying to go into a shell that doesn’t fit them Never You might think, “I’m never going to change!”

“I’ll stay strong and never let anyone hurt me!”

That’s what I thought Until something changed I felt… Ignored sometimes

I felt that I was in the background I felt I knew nothing, that I understood nothing I thought I needed to change Some of my friends got distracted in class and I felt to I had to be a part of them, I must be distracted as well This made me change, in a negative way People noticed, I noticed before anyone else One night I told myself, “I’m changing, aren’t I?” But I just told myself it was for the best.

Me? So I kept on trying and trying and trying to get attention When my friends were laughing at a joke, even if I did not understand it I would laugh I knew my laugh was fake, it sounded hollow to me But no one noticed anyway Eventually someone came up to me and basically said, “Henry you have changed in a distracted way.”

When they said that to me my eyes opened And tears immediately fell out of them I felt hollow, like a tree that had been rotting from within I felt that I had betrayed my true self and let it down I knew that I need to go back to myself Once I did I felt better, but I still have scars Scars Sure, I’m me now but I’ll always be a little different I know what it feels like to be neglected That gives me knowledge

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But, with great knowledge comes great pain To this day, I sometimes feel neglected I always remember that I am special and I am ME Even if I feel unappreciated Or if I feel that I am being ignored I will always think back to the day I snapped, and changed forever Forever, never and always I will forever remember who I am I will never forget that I changed I will always keep my goals in sight Christobelle Rudes To This Day When I was a little kid, I thought life was so easy I thought drama was made up I never imagined that I would become an adult one day My life was easy To this day, drama is the one thing everyone is worried about Drama stresses me out Drama is like a pimple you can never pop A nightmare you can never get rid of At one point, the only thing in my head was buying the newest toy To this day, the only thing in my head is stress and raw life Life is hard And I didn’t know that when I was young

I think more about thinking than I ever have I used to ask my mom if I could watch another episode of Sponge Bob I would ask my mom anything and everything “Can I play with my toys?”

“Can I go to my room?’

“Can I have a snack?”

“Can I have some more chocolate?”

And the crazy thing is Is that when she would say no I wouldn’t get mad Life is a crazy thing, you know And when you think too much about it You start going crazy Trying to figure everything out You’re brain gets overwhelmed Trying to understand How? Why? No To this day, I want my life to be easier I want life to not be such a challenge I want life to be a place where we don’t have to think about every single thing in the world I want life To be a place where our brains don’t have to be working 24/7 I want life to be a place where our bodies aren’t so complex I want life…..to be a place where we can live in peace

I want to go back in time And be the perfect girl I was And be this person who didn’t know what anything was But I can’t To this day, I rethink everything Thoughts keep bursting in my mind 11

To This Day Quin Stiller To this day a kid is getting bullied just because of the color of her skin Kids call her names They taunt her She feels as if she’s not human She wants to disappear into thin air To this day another kid is getting bullied just because he struggles in school They call him names such as stupid and dumb He feels he is those exact words He doesn’t want to go to school anymore To this day someone else is getting bullied because he is shorter than most people When he tries to reach for a book on a high shelf The kids notice and start to call him midget He doesn’t want to try anymore because of their words Bullying makes people feel less about themselves Because words can hurt More than a punch We need to stop those words from coming the way of kids

Samantha Ball

TO THIS DAY WE NEED TO STAND UP TO BULLYING __________________________________ __________________________________ ______________

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audacity to treat it like it is her fault and that she serves no purpose.

Ben Silvan Somewhere there’s a bully, who although it’s not his fault, made someone feel that even with so many loving people and things to love he couldn’t find anything deep down about himself to push through and want to lose.

Somewhere there’s a bully, who although it’s not her fault when she was younger someone made her feel like she’s not worth anything and attempted dehumanization which made her so angry and confused. She had nobody to turn to. Thus, leading her to make somebody else feel like that and the cycle continued.

Somewhere there’s someone, who although it’s not his fault, deals with stress every day because along with him having a mom with cancer and an addicted dad as an adolescent he has to help look out for his family and on top of that he goes to school and gets made fun of for being poor and always being sad but nobody will go what he goes through or care if they do.

Somewhere there’s someone, who although it’s not her fault, deals with Down Syndrome and due to her disability can’t do everything in school that “normal” kids can do. If she could escape her life, she would do so because even with these struggles that aren’t in her control, people have the

Everywhere in 20 years, people will be accepted for who they are and not have to look deep in that mirror to love themselves. They will be loved and have things to love resulting in love in yourself. We won’t have people praying on your downfall. Nobody will want you to fail and have their success fueled by your failure. They will see your success as their motivation to get better. __________________________________ __________________________________ _____________ Olivia Yau There was once a girl of bravery and strength. She never cared about what others thought, or what they would tell her. People would call her names. Ugly, stupid, fat, pig. She never paid any notice. People even went far enough to send her notes. She was still her same old self. She was getting ready for the new year. She was doing fantastic in school, until people started again. She got even worse notes. Notes telling her how worthless she was. Notes telling her how she should just kill herself and the world would be so much happier.

These notes were appearing in her bag.

No one noticed how she felt, because she decided to hide it. She thought that her feelings didn’t really matter. She had been acting distant to her friends and none of them knew what to do.

They tried giving her advice, but she shut them out. She would no longer walk home with her friends, or even acknowledge their presence. Many people wondered what happened to the girl that was once bright and filled with energy. People ask her what happened.

She replies with this is the new me.

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You just have to accept it. Sometimes people wonder about how she is doing.

They call her for a friendly talk. She doesn’t answer. She texts people the wrong messages. Someone has once received a message that was meant for someone else. The messages were telling whoever she meant to send it to, how they were ruining her life and how she can’t do this anymore. To this day, things like this are still happening all around the world. Many of the victims of bullying wonder why they were the outcast. They wonder why God had created such a hideous creature. But what they thought they knew had been totally wrong. What they didn’t know was that they were all beautiful inside out. All of them. __________________________________ __________________________________ ______________

Every time I think about your story I wonder why and how a human being, just like you, could ever be so unspeakably mean.

Why can't we all be equal no matter how we dress look act or talk?

When I hear of stories where people get bullied, I think to myself Why don’t you stand up for yourself?

But then I realize how hard and scary it must be.

Jade Kleinberg To this day, I'm grateful for everything I have.

I couldn't imagine how hard it was for you to get bullied and hurt so badly.

People who can relate to your experiences are probably so grateful that you shared your story with the world so they wouldn't feel alone and could one day share theirs too.

It's amazing how you stayed strong after all you've been through.

I hope all people who are bullied can learn from you and eventually stand up to bullies.

Noelle Biehle Sometimes parents think They’re just kids They don’t look like bullies From preschool through high school bullies exist And it may be those you wouldn’t expect No matter how old they are Even four years old You can be bullied and depressed In fact, bullying is greatest when you’re a kid or a teenager To This Day 14

All over the world there are kids who believe they are less than everyone That they don’t shine brightly like the others They lose their confidence and forget who they really are They believe they don’t belong They are all walking a tightrope to get through The next class The day The week The school year Put one foot in front of the other Try very hard Try not to let the words make you fall With each step, you’re taking a risk That the rope will wobble and you will lose your balance Each word or nickname you get called shakes the rope Those words are more powerful than a fist Because even if you make it across the rope You will never forget the times the rope wobbled The names you were called To This Day The words still hurt To This Day Anonymous Words are powerful They can break a heart, each letter causing A greater tear than the last, greater pain They can shatter one’s reality To the extent that they can’t tell the difference Between the taunts and the truth And they lose The ability to show the world any true personality

Within themselves Because even if you build the tallest walls Everything will eventually cave in And destroy you And you’d think that overtime People would start to empathize a little more with others So why is it that to this day Amy has to come to school Every day to hear a painful reminder Of the fact that her eyes don’t work too well Because one is slightly more to the left than the other The skin around it all twisted And she knows she is human But they call her a fish And why is it that to this day Bob has to endure The endless rumors About why he is in a wheelchair Dumb and a little blind but not deaf With no control of which way his body moves And deep down inside his mind Where no one can hear but him He is pleading for words of his own

VIGNETTES Ben Silvan Why Not? Why not you, why not me. Anybody can do what they want, because why not.

Many say if you put enough work into something you can achieve it. Yes, that is true, but if you are not putting enough work into something that it takes to achieve, Do you really want that for yourself? This is totally fine. I do not mean that you don’t want anything bad enough, I mean that you feel the work you are going to have to 15

put in is not worth the reward. This has happened to me before. Why can it not be you to achieve something nobody else has. If you do not want to, or you are not up for it that is okay.

Personally, I do not want anything to come rewarding to come easy. That is just me. Now ask yourself why can't it be you.

Matthew Donziger Life In New York City I am a New Yorker. I know the subways, the buses and how to find the best bagels in the city. Growing up in the city there are advantages like seeing professional sports game down the street, walking by a celebrity in your neighborhood and having any type of food delivered to your door. I know the ins and outs Chinatown and where to get the best dumplings for $1.

At times, New York can be overwhelming, crowded and hectic. Somedays all I want to do is shoot hoops and wish I had a driveway with a basketball net. It’s a give and take living here, but I realize how lucky I am.

Kyle Millington My name is Kyle Richard Millington, which is now interesting to me, but used to be really normal. Ever since I realized my background and my ethnicity, I’ve realized it’s not really a South American name, and when I just say it out loud it makes me embarrassed. My middle name is really Ricardo, which is my grandfather’s name but I’m basically stuck with Richard. Even when I play for a travel soccer team and we go to New Jersey

or other upstate locations, kids look at me weirdly and my name doesn't match the color of my skin. I wish it wasn’t like that; your ethnicity and assumed culture is what your whole life should be based around. However, since I was adopted and grew up with a Puerto Rican mom and a white dad now, I am still Colombian on the inside. I'm even weirdly awkward walking with my dad.

I don't know why. I’ve even asked when I get older if I can switch my last name to my mom’s name which is a Spanish name, Nieves, still not my biological name, but Kyle Nieves has a ring to it. __________________________ I have an interesting neighborhood because I live in between a nice neighborhood and the projects I’ve honestly grown up mostly in the projects because I’ve had to go in there to get to my school. After school and on the weekends, I’d always go to the soccer field right next to my house in the projects. It isn’t too bad. I just see a bunch of fights, but nothing deadly.

Once, right in front of my doorstep, there were about 20 teenage kids fighting and one of them smashed the other kid on the roof of a car. I honestly felt bad for the person's car.

Two weeks ago, a gang-related killing happened: a person, part of MS 13, a gang known for doing a lot of crimes like this near me, stabbed another gang member from some other gang.

Honestly, most of this stuff sounds worse than it is - it really isn’t a terrible neighborhood.

I really hope one day I’ll actually move.

We were so close of getting a new house last year, but were outbid on it, and now we are just waiting for a chance to have a house where my sister

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and I don’t have to basically share a room. _______________________________ I always remember when I was about 9/10 years old, I’d rush home after games and practices, and just play Fifa.

Fifa is a soccer video game that I loved so much, playing on my old Xbox 360. It literally made my day every time, after a bad game or practice or even school day, I’d just play Fifa 14 or 15. Some of my favorite memories involved running home with my friends after school and beating them all in Fifa. I actually got most of my skills and the form of playing actual soccer by playing the video game. I have always had the dream of one day playing Fifa and being the player I play with. It’s weird, but video games and memorable toys kind of build dreams, and they are inspirations that at the end of the day build your childhood. _________________________________ A time I got in trouble: My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time in December of 2016. The first time I was about two years old, so I didn’t even have the mental capacity of 2+2. I basically just saw all of this commotion around me, but there wasn’t that much for me to deal with. I still remember the day my family and I were just trying schools, and we got the call that she was diagnosed with it again. It is genetic, so my mom is always careful with everything because every moment could be her last. I was 10 years old turning 11, which meant I’m at the age of starting to take some initiative, and my sister and I were taken out of class for the surgery day.

Everything went smoothly, thank god, and the next day I came in with

everyone giving me hugs and even cards. I felt weird, though, because I was kind of taking my mom’s own sickness and making it about me. I turned that around and just asked people to make one big poster for my mom.

Sydney Phanord Color Fortunately for me, I am not color blind and for that I am grateful. Looking at the world is like looking at a bunch of rainbows except the rainbows broke and shattered, leaving color everywhere. I can see the red that drips down a cut almost like a tear. And as the cut cries it burns.

I can see the green that means life like a blade of grass. Green and lively before it grows old and wrinkled and is plucked from the ground. A weed unwanted. I can see the color blue in the sky when it’s a hot summer day and it means happy but I can also see it when it means sad. I can see the orange written all over my sister’s face when she opens presents on her birthday. Orange explosion of joy. I can see yellow, a funny color, but it means happy too.

I am not color blind but some are.

Some cannot see happiness or sadness or pain. Some cannot see color and are quick to judge. They don’t know that judgment hurts sometimes. My friend asked me if I was black one day. I lied and said I don’t know. You are color blind, I think. The world isn’t just black and white.

I Think 17

I think a lot, sometimes too much I think. I think I want to go to college. I think failing is a slap in the face. I think love can be confusing. I think of what it must feel like to be an angel behind bars. I think complete satisfaction can never be reached. I think my parents work hard. I think the nicest people can be mean. I think animals have feelings and words they cannot speak. I think every question has an answer waiting to be found. I think the full moon is the prettiest. I think that the garbage that the wind lifts off the concrete is like a stain on a clean shirt. I think I am a baby sometimes still learning to hold back her tears. I think a lot, sometimes too much I think.

Fading Mommy always wanted to go to school for her PHD and so when she finally got accepted into one it was as if all the best days of her life had been merged into one. Today she comes home back slouched, chin down, and the hug she gives me is not as full as it usually is.

It’s fine, I think. I just have to give a little more than I usually do and for a second she looks happy. I ask her what is wrong and she sighs. She tells me that she is in default in her student loans so she doesn’t qualify for financial aid. She will either have to go to a school she can’t afford without financial aid or not go at all. She is teary eyed now and we both know she can’t go. I thought that hard work will get you anything, get you anywhere but no matter how hard you work, you need money to succeed and looking at my mom I realize this. I am hurting too now because when the star you look up to at night starts to fade, even just a little, you do too.

Christobelle Rudes My Name Christobelle. My name is Christobelle. A name that means a lot to me. A name that expresses who I am. C is for complete; nothing further needed here. H is for hopeful; I see the bright side of things. R is for resourceful; I overcome challenges that come my way. I is for infinite; my possibilities are endless. S is for sensational; I know how to be amazing. T is for thankful; I always know how to appreciate things.

O is for openness; I’m willing to accept almost everything. B is for basic; I’m pretty simple. E is for efficient; that’s how I do my work. L is for life; I live it so well. L is for loving; that’s what I do. E is for elegant; I took ballet. My name means followers of Christ. Its origin is Greek and Latin. I don’t ever want to change my name. It’s the name that my parents gave me. So why in the world would I exchange it for a different name.

My Neighborhood Right there. That’s my house. Well, it’s an apartment. I live there. That’s home for me. I’ve lived there since I was 5 years old. It’s been there for me. When I get sad, I can sit down on my bed and feel comforted. When I get happy, my house knows. My house celebrates with me. My house knows everything. My house knows who I am and what I like.

I’m a good owner to it. It’s mine. I don’t care what others say about it. I love it. It’s my house. It’s where I live.

It’s home for me. And I wouldn’t want it any other way.

I live in a good neighborhood. At least, that’s what others say. I guess you 18

don’t really know what a good neighborhood is if you haven’t lived there before. I’m not saying it’s a bad neighborhood. For me, it’s perfect. I live right beside Riverside Park. The view makes me feel like I know who I am. Cars don’t usually pass by there so I can walk on the street. My house is right in the center of the two other houses. The one right next to Riverside Drive is Riverside. The one right next to West End Avenue is West End. Me? I’m right in between.

A Time I Got in Trouble I’m perfect. Or at least, that’s what other people say. I’m not. I make mistakes, just like every other human being out there. No one is perfect. If everyone was perfect, everyone would be the same. No one would grow. No one would have room for mistakes. Life would be boring. The fun part in life is the journey. The mistakes. The lessons you learn.

I get in trouble. Just like every human being. I don’t want my parents telling me what to do. I become a rebel. I talk back. And then I get in trouble. You’ve all heard the story. It doesn’t happen quite often. But people don’t know that it happens. It does. And I don’t really like how people think I’m “Little Miss Perfect”.

Once, I tried to get away with eating another homemade cupcake Mom made for me. She put them in the oven. I watched the batter rise. I drooled just a bit. She took them out. She just finished frosting them with sweet buttercream vanilla frosting. Dad called her on the phone. She went to her room and answered the call. All I could hear was a muffled voice. I stared at

the cupcakes with wide eyes. All finished and beautiful. She had told me to wait. I tried and tried to focus on something else. I just couldn’t. I remember it being so difficult. She came back and told me I could have one. I was so happy. I screamed! I grabbed one and shoved it into my face. The buttercream frosting all over.

The sweet vanilla cake melting in my mouth. She decided to save them for the party my parents were planning.

She went to get a nice box to put them in. I couldn’t resist. I grabbed another.

I stuffed it into my face yet again. Mom turned around and was shocked. I disappointed her. I didn’t want to be one to do that. She’s my mother, for God’s sake! I wanted her to be happy with me all the time. I wanted to be a little angel who never made mistakes.

Obviously, that isn’t possible. I knew she loved me at that moment. I had made the mistake. She had a right to be this way. She gave me a great big hug that any child would be happy to receive. But I remember the disappointment that I had felt at that moment. I hated myself. And yes, hate is a strong word. But it’s the only word that could explain my feelings.

Drama Drama. A five-letter word that seems so small yet is so big. When I was younger, I wanted to be a part of drama. That word was so unique and interesting to me. Now that I’m in middle school, drama is always happening. If I can be 100% honest, I hate it. It’s so annoying, and it bothers me. People gossip so much and word gets around so fast. Why does everyone need to know everything that is going on every second of the day? Some things have nothing to do with them.

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But guess what? They still want to know what it going on. There’s a lot of things that people don't want others to know about, but obviously that just isn’t possible.

And the worst part of it all is that people talk about others behind their backs. They say mean stuff and I hear it so many times. Even if it’s not about me, I don’t care. It’s rude and it makes me grossed out. The fact that people can just do that is so insane to me.

Drama. The one word that I honestly hate. Whenever I hear it. Drama.

Drama. A word that I wish never existed. A word that means so much. A word that separates the popular with the unpopular. A word that makes others feel bad. A word that burns right through the heart.

Quin Stiller My Name I got the name Quin because when I was born I had trouble breathing, so I got put in the intensive care unit. My parents were looking for names that would represent strength since they wanted me to fight to get well. My mom found the name Quin in an Irish book. I have Irish roots from my dad’s mother. Quin means strength, but it also means counsel and wise. This is a good name for me because I feel I give good advice. I like my name a lot because it is unique. The name Quin isn’t that common, especially with one n. Having an uncommon name makes me feel special. I also like the sound of my name because it is simple and has a nice tone to it. I’m glad to have the name Quin. I wouldn’t want it any other way.

A Positive Experience at School One positive experience at school had to do with a poem I wrote for an English project. I wrote a poem about my philosophy of life. Larry, my English teacher, told me he really liked my project, especially the poem. Larry decided to make a book with all the students’ best work. He put my poem in the book. The head of school, Steve, read it and told Larry he really enjoyed it. Then Larry told me that Steve enjoyed it a lot. This made me feel really happy because I worked so hard on that poem and the compliment made me feel like I did a good job.

After that, the eighth-grade math teacher, Ben, said that he also thought that my poem was really good. I felt very proud that my work was appreciated by other people.

A Special Family Member to Me My Uncle Brian has always been a special family member to me because he makes me laugh a lot and he is really good at comforting me when I am sad. I can really relate with my uncle because he is like a child on the inside.

I love it when he comes to Thanksgiving because he makes it fun. A lot of my relatives are older, so it’s nice to have someone I can relate to. He is from Pennsylvania and I don’t get to see him that often, but when I do it’s really special. He is a Philadelphia 76ers fan and I am a Knicks fan, so we have a fun rivalry going on. He does fun things like on Christmas he got me a 76ers hat. He makes my life a whole lot brighter.

A Happy Time for Me During this entire basketball season, all I have wanted was to make a shot in a game. Every game I would try, but it 20

would never go in. I would get really frustrated with myself, but still kept shooting. At the second to last game of the season against UNIS, I finally made my shot. It was the fourth quarter and my coach told us to run a play where the wings switch position constantly.

This freed me up in the corner. The point guard passed me the ball and I shot it and made it. I felt really, really proud that I made a shot in a game to get 2 points for my team. My team gave me high fives and congratulated me.

Even though we lost, in my mind we won.

Logan Whitney Morrison My Name I like my name so much! I have a a Scottish surname and it means small hollow. I like my name because it is unique! I do not hear it much, but now it is becoming a more common name.

People come up with some cool nicknames too! At school, sometimes all I hear is, “Hey Lo,� or LoLo and the last one, Logi Bear. Some people still keep Logi Bear going, but I heard it all the time in third grade. I mostly hear Lo at school. I think I am the only kid in Calhoun named Logan, but I am not sure.

Games or Favorite Toys from My Childhood My favorite game and toy from childhood are my awesome Legos and video game. My favorite video game is NBA2k17. It is a basketball game. Legos are awesome because you can build anything you want! I really like building huge colorful buildings that are the perfect size for my action figures. I always use my imagination when I play with Legos and action figures.

Sometimes I switch up my Lego figures bodies to make a person I saw on TV. I made Peter Parker, Indiana Jones, Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable, Punk Rock Dude, myself and Captain Jack Sparrow with using random body parts, not the sets. I also built a house with doors and windows without using instructions. My favorite is when I modified a Lego yellow car to make it look and work like a car on TV! I made the doors open, up instead of to the side, I made a face on the front, well actually the face are just eyes and I mixed up some Lego bodies and heads to make the two characters from the show. The car is yellow, but the one on TV is orange. I might color the Legos orange because I barely have any orange Legos which I have never noticed! Last, but not least I made the car talk by using my voice.

Right now, as I am telling this my Lego figures Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable are stopping crime in my Lego city. I made Kim Possible make it look like she is kicked the robber and Ron is off in the corner waiting for Kim to come a save him from the henchmen’s grasp.

At another section of my Lego city Spider-Man is in the middle of chasing Scorpion! Next to that chase is a police officer arresting someone and a man getting carried away into an ambulance. On the West side of my Lego city Punk Rock Dude is sitting in his throne which is actually just a chair and being safely guarded by his two twin brothers while their mom and dad is away on a camping trip in their trailer at the woods area of my Lego city. Which is actually just under a table. Next door from Punk Rock Dude is a boy sitting at a table outside with buttons that say to vote for him for class president. He is getting a lot of

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votes. Next to that is a crime scene with police surrounding it. Do not worry, the crime was only some stolen hot dogs. Nothing gruesome. One more thing! On the other side of my Lego city where Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable are fighting crime there is a shed all the way in the corner with a cool selftalking orange car with two girl Lego figures in there too!

Sometimes I wish I was a Lego figure.

Lego people seem to have really awesome lives! Playing with Legos makes me feel like I am the president of my Lego city! I actually am.

Remember when I said that I made myself a Lego figure, well that Lego figure lives in the Red House! Which is Located in Washington L.C.L.C.! Which stands for Logan’s Cool Lego City! I love Legos!

My Life in Middle School My life in Middle School is pretty good.

I have great friends and great classes.

In middle school, I finally get to join a sports team! I always wanted to. When I was in lower school I could not wait to get to middle school so I could join the basketball team. I achieved that goal, but not the way I wanted to. I joined the soccer team and did great! Next year I am not sure if I want to join the soccer team or the volleyball team.

The only thing that is stopping me from joining the volleyball team is the short shorts, but I think I can get passed that. Middle school is pretty hard and I need to work on my time management with homework. I only have three favorite classes. Those classes are very lucky to have made it into my top three. My top three in order are Social Studies, English and Photography! I really like Social Studies because we

learn about really amazing history which we can use later in life. I learned about the Neolithic Period, Middle Ages, different stories about how the Earth came to be, different Empires, Tribes, Politics and many more. I like English because we read interesting books as a class, there are fun assignments, inspiring videos, independent work periods and having the best seat in the class! I like Photography because I really like taking pictures and seeing what you can read from the picture without knowing what was going on. I love school!

Advice from an Adult The best advice I get is from my mommy! She always believes in me and tells me to never give up. She convinces me to try new things and work hard to get what you want.

Sometimes when I am scared that I will do something wrong I always hear her voice in my head telling me to push through and keep going. It helps most of the time. Sometimes if I do not want to do something like brush my teeth, she tells me what could happen to my teeth if I did not which always makes me want to brush my teeth. I learn from her every day and she learns from me every day! We always have good teamwork when we are trying to accomplish anything especially a video game. One time we came in second on the leaderboard of a pirate video game. I can accomplish anything when she believes in me.

What I Thought When I was Little When I was little I thought teachers lived in school and did not have parents. I don't even think I thought they were human. One time I saw a person that the teacher claimed to be 22

their mom and I thought that that was impossible. I actually became scared of them for a bit and when I saw my teacher in a restaurant, I was shocked because all I was thinking was how did they get out of school! I also used the think when the TV was on the news that the news people could see me because they were looking in my direction. I would always try to hide from them. I used to think that back then in the olden days (I think any time before the 2000’s are olden days, even 1999) that the world was black and white because of the black and white old shows on TV. One time I asked my mommy what was it like living in black and white. She had no idea what I was talking about. I would always say to myself that I was glad to be living in color because I would not like to live in black and white. I also thought that TV was just looking at people’s actually lives. I did not know that they were actors, I thought they were actually related. I am sure glad I know more now!

Cameron Brightfield Little Me When I was little around 3-6 years old I would ride my scooter everywhere I go.

I would also ride my bike too. I only cared about football, I would run around all the time, all of those little kid things. I would just be outside doing anything active back in the days when life was simple...back when I enjoyed life every day of my life. It was easy being young. I had my parents do everything for me. All I worried about is when was I going to go to park and

when was my next playdate and when am I going to play Mario Kart on the Wii with my dad. That’s all I cared about, nothing else, life was good.

My Early School Experience In my early days of school, I would play. Just play and play. Build things.

But then we actually started to work on things, actually started to learn things.

I started to hate school, it started to be boring. I started to learn things but I didn’t enjoy school, I thought “why do we have to be doing this when we could be laying with blocks and cars?” I didn’t understand why we had to stop playing. I didn’t understand that not everything in life was play time. It sucked transitioning to actually learning and doing work. I hated it. But one thing I remember from 3rd grade is I would say to my parents I was super stressed about easy homework that was due in a week.

My Sports Life I had an addiction for football. It was really in 3rd grade. All I thought about was playing football, getting better at it, and making it to the NFL. That’s all I wanted to do, I didn’t care about anything else. I wanted it bad, I was small but I used that as a motivation to the people that said I was to small, I wanted it bad, really bad. I didn’t let people say that I was to small to play sports, maybe I was, maybe everyone is bigger than me. You think I care? I play on the basketball team and everyone’s a whole foot taller for me but I’m still able to get rebounds, still able to compete, still able to play. I won’t give up, not until the very last second of my life, not until my last breath, I won’t. I won’t ever give up.

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Sarah Harmon My Name Sarah was the name given to me. I was named Sarah after my great-great grandmother. Her name was Sarah Elizabeth Slieger. In America, it means pure and happy. In Hebrew, Sarah means princess. The name Sarah is spelled with an h because that is how it was in the bible. People kept off the h because the h is silent. It also means lady and noblewoman. It is the most popular name in the Netherlands. It used to be very popular in Ireland, Australia, Bosnia and Belgium. In France, the name Sarah is celebrated on October 4th. I want to carry on the name and continue the name in my family.

Who Said Growing Up is Easy?

Who said growing up is easy? You always get moody and have a lot of growing pains. You start judging yourself more on how you look. You are always searching for the nicest clothes and want to start wearing makeup. Your life gets filled up with drama. People start taking their pain out on you. You start getting a lot of homework and you don’t really have time for yourself. Your friends start getting into relationships. Then you feel you’re left out and alone. Each hour starts feeling like a whole day.

You start becoming rebellious and you might not mean to. Why isn’t growing up easier?

Bullying People used to tell me I was not smart.

They judged me on my appearance. Some people say things about my clothes. There is someone that says, “What kind of clothes are

those?” in a mean voice. I don’t say anything about it, because it only hurts me. If I tell who they are it only hurts me in the end. I don’t like talking about it because I don’t like telling on people. They also told me I was fat. It made me feel sad and angry all at the same time. They made me feel demoted to something less than human.

I Matter In my family, they always seem to push me to the side. I’m usually the last thought. I’ve felt this way since I was five. I only find comfort and equality when I am with my friends and at school. My parents pay more attention to my brother and give him everything that he wants. I remember when I was between four and six, I wanted to learn to roller skate. My parents wouldn’t come downstairs to help me because they were doing work and stuff with my brother. To this day, they still choose everything over me. I wish the knew how I felt and that I matter too.

YunSeo Nam My Name A name made in a breeze. Chosen in destiny, not carelessly. Her name sounded beautiful in my sister’s eyes, maybe her younger sister would fit in that name just right.

Yun Prosperity To be wealthier in my life in order to pay back the debt I received from my family. The privilege I have more than other people. Having better education and the freedom of study without being

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financially sidetracked, but sometimes I ask myself, “Am I worthy enough?”

Seo Wisdom My mom said to be wise in order for you to not make a stupid mistake or decision you’ll regret on. Wisdom gives a better understanding of life and people. Sometimes when I feel empty, I stare out the window and create situations to escape from the reality I am in.

Nam South Doesn’t really mean anything. Just south, hitting the rocky bottom. It can also mean stranger or male. If you flip my last name it writes “man.” Pretty strange, right? But meaning, pronunciation, everything about my last name seemed distant from me. My last name never reflected on who I am.

A Loss Death People run away by hearing this word.

Death leaves the living behind with memories. Everyone lives as they are being chased by the Death, scared if they caught, they’ll be the blind one this time. Death is an ineluctable destiny.

When I first came to America, I stayed at my mom’s side of great-uncle and great-aunt’s house in Brooklyn. When my grand-uncle would go downstairs to run his shoe store business, my mom followed him to help him with his job.

My sister would be at school, and I

would be left with my great-aunt. My great-aunt was a gentle and warmhearted person. When I talked to her, she would reply with a weak smile and some broken words. Her wrinkled face showed all the toils she lived with. Her memories in the present slipped by every day. She had dementia.

One darkest night on March 4th, 2019 my great-aunt died. Even though, I barely knew her, her death was a shock to us. Maybe because of the stories that my mom told me about her life.

Now I realize that death does make people overwhelmed and scared. It feels like death is one step closer to us.

Flower Bear The white snow lightened up the darkness of the night. The windows were covered with icicles. The airplanes were covered with thickened and hardened snow making harder for airplanes to depart. I was walking with my parents around the duty- free shops. Then, I saw a toy shop with lined up dolls and stuffed animals. A gush of joy filled my body and ended the boring time I was waiting to pass by.

Warm brown button eyes, body splattered with patterns of watercolor blue flowers and a lacy ribbon around the stuffed bear’s neck. The stuffed bear was simple, but yet looked refined. No matter how all the toys looked the same on the display stand, they weren’t the same.

The flower bear became a comfort like family sometimes. I would whisper my worries or nightmares away.

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Transition I wasn’t supposed to study in America.

Maybe I stayed for a month or two, not for 4 and a half years. I came to visit for one month, but while I was there, New York wasn’t saying goodbye to me.

It was pulling me back to here. Maybe it was the mystical snow falling in Central Park I saw. Maybe it was the fluffy and satisfying sound of the pure and white snow when I stepped on it.

Maybe it was the squirrel who got taken by an eagle and later came back with only one eye. New York looked like a fairytale.

New York was different. Americans seemed to be full of independence and confidence. America was a land of communication, and Korea was the opposite. Relearning habits were like reconstructing myself. Mentally and physically the cultures were different between these two countries, so I had to rely on the rules of the place where I lived longer.

Two quotes about downside of lives in New York; “Success comes with many tries” and “Happiness comes along with pain.” As my family and I came from a distant country, people feared our differences and got advantage of us.

We were the ones who had to work extra harder to be at the same level as a white man. We speak about social justice and anti-racism, but what have we actually done as a society?

People act too sarcastically in a racist way to bother us on the streets; sometimes ignored because of our skin, but I said nothing. We fear them as much as they do.

Continued Journey

When I think of journey, it means to search something endlessly until the end. In everybody’s life, we search for an identity to label ourselves. We believe in our labels and hold them forever. Other people fear to share our opinions about something to the public because we are afraid of other people’s opinions. Even though, we are scared, somewhere deep down in our hearts, we have a passion for our voice to be heard. I am not afraid anymore.

I do not know what will bring in my continued journey, but I’ll wait and build my way up to the end of my journey. Never hide your story. Share it around.

Baelee Glasgow My Name My name is Baelee. The first part of my name Bae, is a Korean word and it means inspiration. The second part of my name Lee is my grandmother's maiden name. My middle name is Rose.

Rose is my aunt’s name. It is also the name of my godmother, my great aunt, a second cousin and many other Italian relatives that came before me. My last name Glasgow is a city in Scotland and it means “green hollow” in Gaelic. I like my name. I like that wherever I go, I get to take a part of my grandmother with me; my aunt and others, and my Korean, Italian and Scottish heritage, too. Family is very important to me and always will be. Even if we don't always get along well, we still care about each other. My name is only one way that I feel I am connected to my family.

My Family

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I live with my two brothers, J.T and Julian, and my mom and dad. I am the middle child which can be hard, but really fun. I get to act like an adult with my little brother and I get to be a kid with my older brother. My mom is so amazing. I couldn’t do what she does even if I tried my hardest. Before my older brother was born she was a physical therapist. She now works at home. Some people might think that it’s an easy job, but I think it’s one of the hardest. My dad is a really hard worker. He is a businessman and even though he leaves early in the morning and comes at night, he still makes sure that he spends time with us. My brothers have a lot of things in common like playing baseball and listening to the same music. Unfortunately, they also both like to make fun of me, but I know that they still love me. I also consider my friends my family; whether it’s at school or at gymnastics, I feel like I always belong.

Don’t Stop I love gymnastics. It’s what I like to do.

I guess others call it a hobby, but I call it my passion. This is how it all started…

My parents signed me up for a “parent and child” class at Chelsea Piers when I was two. It was fun to jump and sing with my mom, dad or nanny Lilian. As I got older, the class turned into a drop off and my parents would watch from the top of the mezzanine. I kept going and learned more and got stronger. My favorite part was Parents’ Week when I got to show my mom, dad, and Lilian what I had been working on. My parents and babysitter were always so proud of me.

Then I got asked to join pre-team. This is when it started to get more difficult.

I didn't always want to go to practice. I would sometimes cry on the bus ride to gymnastics. My mom and dad would always ask me if I still wanted to do gymnastics. I never said I wanted to quit, even though it wasn’t always fun.

I kept going, even on the days I didn’t feel like it. After pre-team things got better. I got to move up a level with my friends.

After I did level four and five, the coaches decided it would be better for me to skip level six and go straight to level seven. It started off well, but I missed my girls from the last season because they had a different practice schedule. Early in the season my shin started hurting. I went to the doctor and after I got an MRI, I was told I had a stress fracture. I was going to be out for five weeks. I was sad, but I made a promise to myself- “When I come back, I'm going to come back healthier and stronger than I've ever been.” And I did. I was able to get all of my skills back and qualified for States my first meet back. I was really excited, but unfortunately my back started to hurt.

I got another MRI and I had a stress reaction. I couldn't do any physical activity for six weeks. I was out for the season; no States. I told myself, “I’ve done it once, I can do it again”.

Sometimes life doesn’t go the way you plan. Sometimes life tells you to slow down, be appreciative for what you have and what you’ve already achieved. Sometimes all you can or should do is listen.

Accident

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My brothers and I love to play inside, no matter what game we played or made up we found a way to make it fun. When I was younger, I was playing tag with my brothers inside our home. I looked behind to see if they were catching up to me and I ran into a door handle. Face first. I was really scared because it was bleeding a lot. My mom took a picture and sent it to my doctor, Dr. Ward, to ask her if we should go to the office. She recommended we go to the emergency room. She didn’t want to take any chances with my face in case a plastic surgeon had to see me. I was worried that I was going to need surgery. Luckily, I didn’t I didn’t need surgery and they sent me home. I was really scared, but with my mom I felt safe. I remember being so shy, that it was hard for me to out in public with my face like because everyone was asking me what happened to my face. I hated having to answer their questions.

Eventually I got used to it and my cut healed. I can still see a tiny scar where it used to be.

A New Friend When I was in fourth grade, I was shy. I still am today. One of the first days of school that year, my teacher Lisa told me that there was a new girl in my class. They wanted to introduce her to me. She had come from Korea. I was thinking, “I’m Korean, too, so we already had something in common.

Right?” The teacher sat us at the same table during class. It was awkward for a few minutes because neither one of us said anything. I realized she was just as shy as I was. I decided that it would be better if I said something first because I wasn’t the one that just moved from Korea.

I really didn’t know what to say, so I said, “Hi! I’m Baelee and my grandmother is from Korea too.” I thought saying something we have in common would be a good place to start. Of course, because I was nervous I said it ten times in my head before I said anything out loud. I realized saying it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be and that reaching out to her made me feel good. I liked that I could make someone feel welcome and make them feel like moving and starting a new school in a new country might not be that scary. She told me her name and we started to talk more. We quickly became very good friends. It was the first time I remember making a choice to reach out to someone in friendship without much guidance from the adults around me. To this day Amanda and I are still friends. And, I’ve made many new friends since then.

I Matter I have been placed on the grounds of this Earth for a reason. So, anyone who tells me that I don't matter is someone I should not listen to. I matter. I know I do. I have always stayed true to myself and I still will.

Whatever I do makes an impact on this planet. Whatever I say makes an impact on someone. So, I matter.

Anyone can do the slightest little thing and that can create a small change. So, they matter.

I matter. And I always will. Even when the day comes for me to pass away. I will still leave a mark on this planet.

And I will and did matter.

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Ella Law My Name I got my name from my great grandma.

The moment my mom knew I was a girl she knew that she wanted to name me Eleanor. For the longest time, I didn’t like the name, Eleanor. I learned that it was a truly special name. I got used to hearing it and I really appreciated it because Eleanor is a name passed down from generation to generation in my family. It is my mom's middle name, my grandma’s middle name, and some other of my family member’s name. I know that it will be a name that I am going to pass down, no matter what it takes.

Be Yourself Everyone always tells you to be yourself. They say don’t change yourself to impress someone else. Yet every day the adults and some kids put on makeup for that exact reason. They try to impress people at their office, college, or school. Some people get plastic surgery just to make themselves look “prettier”. They say don’t change yourself but they do it themselves. Sometimes people put on so much makeup they don’t look like themselves anymore. What do they think is wrong with being themselves?

Maybe it is all the models or the fact that everyone else does it. There is always that one person that points out everyone else's insecurities because they are the ones that are insecure.

Froggy My Froggy is one of my most cherished items I’m pretty sure I've had it since I was born. My mom and dad gave it to me. They say that I had two so they

could wash one and I could play with the other one. They say I always knew the real one. I named him Froggy because he is a little frog head with a blanket body and two arms. I love him with all my heart. To this day I still can't sleep without him. I think I now have three of the same frogs but I still can tell them apart (to be fair one looks way more worn down and loved that the other three but still ;P )

Nachos Nachos play an important role in my life. My dad taught me how to make the best nachos. Whenever I am out to dinner with my dad and we see nachos on the menu we always have to get them. For every New Year’s Eve, I make nachos whether I am with my mom or my dad for New Year’s I always make them. I love getting feedback about my nachos because I always want to make them the best I possibly can make them. If they don’t have every single ingredient then I can’t make

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them. They have to be perfect. (they usually are). I love nachos so much I named my Wifi NachoWifi.

because than I get upset because I can’t make it as good.

Lyla Changar My Name

Cooking Both my mom and my dad taught me how to cook. I love cooking. I make all the things you can imagine and try my best to make it perfect. When I cook, it calms me down. For some people cooking is stressful but for me cooking is relaxing. Cooking is my happy place.

I have gotten recipes from my grandma, my mom, my dad, and everyone else that I care about. I want to continue cooking for the rest of my life. I like cooking and even though it doesn’t always turn out as perfect as I would like. For the most part, the taste makes up for the looks (my cooking usually looks delicious though). Going out to dinner can sometimes be worse than making dinner at home because if I get something that I can make and it doesn’t taste as good as I make it I won’t eat it because it is not as good as I would like. If the food is better than I make it at home it can be annoying

My name doesn’t have a meaning in English. It isn’t spelled how most people would. That’s why everyone pronounces it wrong. Only a few of the counselors at camp pronounce my name right. Only the Australian counselors. In Arabic and Persian, it means born at night. I wasn’t born at night. I was born in the morning. My name is Lyla. I wasn’t named after anyone. My parents thought about naming me Channa which means chickpea in Hindi. My grandfather was Hindu and he would call me that. My parents used to call me Channa. Now they don’t. I don’t know why.

Misery is a Choice When I was little I would miss my parents at school. Every day I would go to school and just as my mom was about to leave I would start crying. I was very shy at first. I didn’t talk to many people. Then I made friends and I wouldn’t cry as much. When I would cry my teacher would tell me that being miserable is a choice. I eventually stopped crying. It took a while. One time I took a picture to school of my family. You would think that looking at the picture would make me not cry. I still cried.

When I See the World from Up High I have always had crowd-phobia. My mom has the same thing. However, I was more crowd-phobic when I was younger. When I was shyer. When I was five I went to Rome for Spring Break 30

with my family. When I was six I went to Venice. I’ve always had a fear that goes along with crowd-phobia about getting lost in a big crowd in a foreign country. So, to cope with this my dad carried me on his shoulders in Venice and Rome. I saw both cities from atop my father’s shoulders. I saw the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps from up high.

A Special Family Member I always go to my grandparent's house to see them for dinner after my piano lesson. My grandmother and I had a kind of race to see how long I would stay shorter than her. My grandparents would make my tall brother get stuff down from the high shelves. I started to become uninterested in the games that we would play when we would come. When I got into reading I would always bring a book with me. I would ignore the conversations that the adults and read. I started to be apathetic in what they had to say to me. I just buried my nose in a book. I started to drift away.

I remember the day my grandfather taught me and my brother how to read faster. He said, “Move your finger along the page with the line you are reading.

Your eyes follow your finger and the faster your finger moves, the faster you read. Eventually, you can read without following along with your finger.” At the time, my brother had to do a lot of reading for school. I just listened in. I then picked up a book and tried it. I felt like I was getting through the pages quicker. Then the chapters. Then the entire book.

A Regret and A Lesson

You never know how important people are until you lose them. I lost my grandfather. We weren’t expecting it.

We were at the hospital. I went into the room and tried to stop myself from crying. I whispered to his dying body that I loved him. I went home with my mom. My brother and dad stayed at the hospital all night. In the morning, we went back. I saw my grandfather laying there helpless. I couldn’t help but wonder why this happens to people.

When we were all saying goodbye, my grandmother said that he owed her a card game. Then, the heart monitor stopped beeping.

We exited the claustrophobic room.

One of the doctors or nurses, I don’t remember which, said that they were sorry for our loss. Like they actually cared. They say that all the time. Each time sounding more stone cold than the last. I can’t remember anyone sounding sincere when they say that.

I think I was supposed to go to a birthday party later that day but never did. I spent the rest of the day crying my eyes out. I couldn’t sleep well for a matter of months. Every time I closed my eyes I saw him. Lying in the hospital bed, the only audible noises being the monitor beeping and our unstoppable crying. I cried and cried and cried every night until I had no tears left. I emailed my friends after school ended to see if they had any advice. I lost them too over the summer. At my most vulnerable time, I felt like I had nobody left.

I still regret not spending more time with him. Instead of reading 24/7, I could have been appreciating those who care about me. Now I know. The people I love are one day going to move

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on to a better place. The people I love are going to be with the people they lost. My grandfather is with his family now.

Alice Denny Home I don’t remember much of my life before I moved. I can only recall faint images of the small Tribeca apartment that are still lingering in the back of my mind. On one of our first days in the new apartment, I remember running around my new home, so full of excitement and curiosity that I bonked into a wall. It left a small bruise on my forehead, and my first memory of 305 Riverside Drive. It is the home I wake up in every day, and the home I come back to after school. It is the home that I love and will always remember.

We know each other very well. We understand each other. We do so much together. Every now and then we argue as siblings do, but those times don’t last long. I can never be lonely when John and Jane are around. I don’t know what I would do without them, where my life would be if I didn’t have them.

GG My great-grandma Vivian. GG is what we called her. She was my father’s grandmother. I remember visiting the nursing home where she lived in Cleveland, Ohio. Many of the times we visited were also with my cousins. I never knew her when she didn’t live in that nursing home. I remember walking into her room and seeing GG, sitting in her chair, usually looking out the window. She was always so happy when we came to visit. That made me happy too.

John and Jane The three of us, siblings. I have known both of them for their whole lives, and I can barely remember my life before them. I was two years old when John was born, and even though I was too young to remember how I felt, I’ve been told that I was so excited to be a big sister. I was four, almost five years old when Jane was born. I was old enough to remember that day. I remember waking up and seeing my Aunt Laura in the living room. I was confused why she was there. My dad was sitting on the couch and he told me, “The baby is being born today!” for that entire day, my excitement for my new baby sister was hard to contain.

One time, my parents, siblings, cousins, aunt and uncle and I were going to visit the nursing home. I made a card for GG, and on it I drew a picture of me standing next to her, the two of us holding hands. When I handed her the card later that day, she began to cry. I was amazed at how something that small could give her such joy. There was another time when we all brought lunch to the nursing home. We got to sit round a big table and eat lunch together. My parents, siblings, cousins, aunt and uncle, grandparents, GG, and me. Most of the times we went to visit were during the holidays. I remember walking through the door next to the plaque with the name “Vivian Denny” inscribed on it. This time was just with my parents and siblings. After we said

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hello and gently hugged her, my mother and father sat down on the small sofa across from GG’s chair. My siblings and I quickly spotted some candy canes in a bowl on the counter.

GG told us we could take some. The candy turned out to taste like old chocolate, but every time I taste a candy cane like that (besides disliking the flavor), it reminds me of that visit with GG. Then one night, my father came home from work looking very sad. GG had passed away earlier that day. I could not believe that I would never be able to see her again. I was only nine years old, and I still wish that I could have had more time knowing her. But I will always keep my memories of GG close, and will always know that a part of her is still with me.

We got off the bus, got in line to check in, then got in another line for lice checks.

After that, a counselor showed me to my bunk, where a bunch of other girls were already unpacking their bags. I met my bunk counselors, and they were all very nice. After we all finished unpacking we did a few name-learning activities with our whole age group, and then headed to dinner. It was spaghetti and meatballs with these delicious garlic bread sticks, which is what they always serve the first night of camp. I felt a little bit scared and out of place, because I did not know anyone in my bunk. But at the evening program that night, I met a girl named Delaney. We became friends pretty much instantly. When I went to bed that night, I was glad that I had already made one friend, and couldn’t wait to see what tomorrow would bring.

Summer Camp It was a July morning when I stepped onto the bus to Fernwood Cove. I was incredibly excited, and just a tiny bit nervous. I hugged and waved goodbye to my parents, knowing I wouldn’t see them for almost four weeks. I got on the bus and walked to the back. I wasn’t alone, though. My good friend Eleanor was going to the same camp.

We sat next to each other, across the aisle from two nice girls whom we’d met at a Fernwood Cove reunion a few months before. They had told us all about camp; the daily schedule, the fun activities, and what to expect. For the entire six-hour bus ride, I could hardly wait to get to camp. When we finally drove past the sign that said “Welcome to Fernwood Cove”, everyone on the bus started cheering.

Eleanor only went to Fernwood Cove for one year, but I made so many new friends there. Delaney is still my best friend at camp. When I am there, it feels like home. Camp is one of my favorite places in the world, and I am always so sad to leave at the end of the session. Then I just think about next summer when I will return to Fernwood Cove.

Change Eleanor and I have known each other since we were three years old. We met in preschool. We are very close friends and do a lot together. In fourth, fifth, and sixth grade, Eleanor, me, Samantha and Molly were all very intimate friends. We had so many inside jokes and were really silly when

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we were together. We still are, but things have changed. One time, towards the end of sixth grade, Eleanor and I were having a sleepover, which is something we do a lot. She told me that she was switching schools. The thought of not seeing her at school every day made me sad. But I knew that this would be an exciting new experience for her and I was happy about that.

We still live just ten blocks away from each other. We see each other most weekends. 7th grade is different, though, because Eleanor isn’t there.

But I have so many other amazing friends who I get to see every day, and I know that Eleanor likes her new school and she’s made a lot of new friends there. I miss seeing her every day, but the fact that she changed schools doesn’t change the fact that we will always be friends.

Owen Llodra My Name Owen. A simple name that I have always thought fit me perfectly, even though everyone really thinks their name fits them. My name is Welsh, but my family is not Welsh. My parents chose the name randomly, I think, although it may be based on the name of my brother, Oscar, who is four years older than me. Double O. People always get our names messed up; mostly our parents, which seems surprising to me knowing that I have been living with them for 13 years, but what do you expect? I always think it is

weird, that whenever I read something that describes the person who would have the name Owen or even a Chinese New Year animal, it always seems to actually describe me. It’s freaky.

The Big Game In 5th grade two students named Christian and Savilla joined the grade. I was already a fan of football and I had fun playing it. Savilla came in to what was once an all- boys football game at park and was super- fast and catching the ball pretty well. Christian was very big and strong so he was good as well.

Later in the year Christian and Savilla decided to play tackle football on a team called the Yorkville Eagles. I was told about it and I wanted to play as well. It was a big commitment, but I decided to do it. Other than some short practices, our first real football thing was our sleep away camp with the team. It definitely was not a normal sleep away camp though. It was suffering. It was something that all three of us had a hard time staying at.

There was 7 hours of practice a day, which is hard considering half of the time we were doing bear crawls across the entire field because someone on the team got in trouble. I was small for the team too and I was easy to tackle, but I was very fast. I earned the position of cornerback and backup receiver. When the first game finally came I was so nervous I almost passed out. Every part of it kept rattling my stomach, especially when the opposing team walked on. The game started and I was on defense. I had been several plays and no one on the other team came at me yet. Little did I know that the next play would be my moment. I

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got ready and I saw that a really tall running back, probably twice my size was running my way. I prepared myself and then rammed his legs and he fell out of bounds. My first and only play of the game got me so many cheers. My team went crazy when I made that play. That was the first game I have ever played myself and it was one of the biggest games of my life. That is my big game and that led to my successful season earning defensive MVP at the end.

Life in New York City I love New York City. It’s definitely the kind of place that only certain people can live in. The kind of people that rush to get to work and are not into relaxing. The city has many advantages though. Any store you could think of would be here. You can walk two blocks and find a hardware store.

Across the street might be a food market. Three blocks could have a bank. You can find almost anything you need here. There are also tons of restaurant choices. There are restaurants that range from all across the world: Chinese, Indian, Italian, we have everything. All of these shows that you don’t have to go very far to get things and because of that my family basically bikes everywhere. We have biked to school every day almost my whole life. Even after all of these, I still found beauty in other places. I really like places like Arizona and Utah and I would love to live out in the west someday. One thing that sucks about the city is my parents won’t let me get a dog. They say that it is not a good place for a dog to live, but so many people have dogs. I love New York and I will always think of it as my home.

Samantha Ball New York Because the snow on the ground stays white for a while, before the footprints and car tracks come.

Because you keep me awake at night with your loud horns, which eventually quite down.

Because when I walk out in the night there is always someone awake, many people.

Because the lights in times square always shine brightly.

Because when I want pizza at 1am there is always someplace open.

Because your shimmering lights shine through the night, lighting the way.

Because music rings through the subways, streets, and the air.

You hear that?

Music, let’s dance.

My Name My name is unique, Samantha.

I don’t understand it.

What do people hear?

When I say someone else’s name you hear, Emma, Ava, Mia, Amelia， I don’t understand why I have to share my name with someone else.

The name Samantha, it doesn’t describe me.

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Just me.

It describes the girl on the ride at Disneyland trying to catch her breath, It describes the girl not understanding why teachers scold her trying to catch up with the others, It describes the girl tirelessly working the night shift trying to support her family It describes every girl who shares my name, But not me.

Confidence When I was little I feared the dark. But it wasn’t being alone in the dark that I was afraid of, it was that I was not alone. I didn’t know that what I was imagining was not real, all I knew was that there were monsters under my bed and is should be afraid. To this day I have one question, where did I get this idea? And why do so many other children have the same fear? Could it be a lack of confidence? As I grew up I gained more confidence and soon the monsters went away. Why? Tomas Michelangeli Tomás Tomás. Tomás that is my name. I am proud of my name for what it means to my past. “Why Tomás” people ask me.

“Tomás. That's a beautiful name” they say. Tomás means chief, and if fits me to. I like to be in control of things, not always but most of the time. When my parents were naming me, they had a hard time finding a name. When they came across the name Tomás they instantly knew I was going to have that name. They chose Tomás because it is

a name that fits my heritage. Tomás is a Celtic and Spanish name.

Heritage I identify as multicultural, multiethnic, multiracial. My mom grew up in the suburbs of Illinois. She is Irish American so now so am I. her ancestor migrated here because of the Irish famine and ended up staying. My dad is an immigrant from Venezuela. He came here for an education in grad school.

He met my mother there. He was the rugby coach and my mom was one of the players. His ancestors came to Venezuela from Spain and Corsica.

They came to Venezuela because of poverty in Corsica. This is my background and I am proud of it.

People say that I can’t be Venezuelan because I’m white. People are surprised that I speak Spanish. I used to not understand that. I still don’t understand why they judge me because of what I look like. Is my word not enough? Why do they get to defying who I am. I am me does it change you vision of me depending on where I am from. If so why. If I like reading but I am Irish or Venezuelan you think that will change. It won’t it is my personality that doesn't change depending on where I’m from.

Personality changes with past experience is not past relatives.

Family My immediate family has four people in it, my brother Mattias, my mom Shannon, my papi Fabian, and I. My family likes to do things together. We spend days in the park together, we eat dinner as a whole family. We like to play thing too, we play games like 36

Monopoly (I am a Monopoly champion), Exploding kittens, and 4- Square. I love my family and love to be with them although some time I need alone time.

My whole family is huge. My dad has 54 cousins, and his dad has 15 siblings. My dad only has four siblings: my aunts, Maria Teresa and Amanda, and my uncle Juancho. Even though in my family we call all our parents cousins, just normal cousins, I have 12 first cousins. On my dad’s side, I have: Martin, Sebastian, Elisa, Samuel, Amelia, and Sebastian # 2. On my mom’s side, I have: Grace, Claire, Romy (Rose Mary), Emma, Hudson, Sean J.R., and Philip. My mom has 3 siblings as well: my uncles Patrick, Sean, and Brendan.

My family is crazy and I love them.

Tortillas One of my earliest memories was finding out my brother’s name. I was brushing my teeth in the bathroom when my mom walked in. “Tomás what if we name your baby brother Mattias” she said. Immediately I spit out my toothpaste and I stared at my mom, “TORTILLAS I EAT TORTILLAS. Why would you name someone Tortillas?” I was shocked by the idea of naming someone after a food. I worried that since his name wan tortillas and I eat tortillas that I might eat him. I know it sounds crazy but I was two, so what can you do.

When I met my brother, I loved him instantly. Now we play all sorts of things together. I love him and I don’t know why I was so worried I never ended up eating him.

The Terrace Before Harlem, I lived in Inwood. I remember our apartment. We were on the eighth floor in the back, right corner. Not the one at the end but the one before it. Park Terrace west that was our street. Or apartment was small. It had two bathrooms and one bedroom. The kitchen was left of the entrance. The dining room looked right into the living room with a one foot drop before it. Off of the dining room there was a hallway. Off the hallway was a bathroom. At the end of the hallway there was a bedroom. My bedroom. Me and my brother. My parents slept in the upstairs attic. In the end, my favorite part of our apartment was the small sliver of Terrace. Our small sliver of terrace. It ran around the entire building each 8th floor apartment had their own but ours was special. We grew our own tomatoes, blueberries and spices there.

I loved the blueberries when they were ripe we just picked them of and ate them. The view from our terrace looked right at the Columbia College rugby field. I had a pretend grill that I used to “cook” food on. We bought an inflatable pool once, I played in it every day. From our terrace, I could see the whole world. I use to play with neighbor up there. My next store neighbor had a Buddhist garden. Her father was the creator of name that tune and she live of the proceeds of the show. Our other next-door neighbor was an actor and playwright who has gone on to be famous, His shows sold out. We knew them well, we still do.

My Terrace, our Terrace was a place for me to be free, for us to be free. I hope the people who own it now take

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care of it. I hope they love it as much as we did. The one thing I know is that we will never forget that place never.

helped. I got some of what I wanted. I didn't co-plane because, that's the way my room was.

A Cracked Skull and a Broken Arm

Not Only a New House

My brother is a very cautious person.

Maybe because he got hurt a lot when he was young. But I don’t think that's the case because he was cautious even before he got hurt. He doesn't want to do things until he is sure he can.

However, along with being super cautious he is one of the toughest kid I know. He always comes home with bruises. Like the time he was running in the rain and slipped on a subway grate.

Then he got up and kept running. Later that night he was taking a bath and a huge bubble of blood started coming out of his head. He went to the hospital and it turns out that when he fell he split his head open. One other time he was jumping from couch to chair in our living room. We all told him to stop before he hurt himself. When he fell, he hit his arm. Three days later, his arm hurt so much he went to the hospital and he had a broken arm. Now he comes home every day with bruises. but is afraid of mucus.

Our new house was on a small hidden street off of 141st. Little did I know when I was moving in that the house was old. Old, old, old. Around 125 years old. You could see that some rooms purposes changed over the years. The bath room was a bedroom (a small, small, small bedroom) and the office was a bathroom. Just looking at my house you see a piece of history. As if each era’s history was plaster on to our house by the people who lived there.

Moving When I learned that we were moving I was devastated. I loved our house and our neighborhood. I did not want to leave our perfect little apartment. It was my home too they can just take it away from me. But they did. So, we did.

When we were moving in I offered to help. My mom said yes so, I did. This was part of my plan. See I sort of knew what I wanted my room to look like so I

The community on our block is amazing. Once a mother there had a barbeque, where all the neighbors come by and have a good time.

Birthday parties are celebrated as a block. We have water fights in the streets. We go caroling together. We ride bikes together. Play games together. That's why we moved here.

That's why we're not going anywhere.

Our house is big. We thought that our grandparents would come and live with us. They did for a few months. But then they went to visit my aunt in Florida.

Next thing we know they buy a house there. They stayed because most of our family from Venezuela moved there with them. So now we have extra room in our house. We use the room for all the guests that come to our house.

Family, friends, coworkers, they stay at our house from time to time.

Now we live here. We get our plaster ready. We make food for the next block

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party. And we make the bed for our next guest.

Chess Near my house there is a YMCA. My mom would take me there even before we moved. We would go to swim there, and my mom would go there to run on the treadmill. While my mom ran my brother and I would go in to an area where they would watch little kids.

One day when our mom was dropping us off before she went to go run I saw a kid sitting by a chess board. Instead of going inside the kids’ room I sat in the chair across from him. “You know how to play” he said. I looked at him confused. He looked back and said “no, well that’s okay I will teach you.” He started to teach me bit by bit. Now I play chess every week. It is a way to calm my- self. I see the board and focus on that, not my stress. He helped me think ahead. He helped me learn not only that there are consequences for your actions, but that your consequences lead to action. It was easier to learn from him that it would be for me to learn it from an adult.

This is because everything he said to me made sense. No big words or concepts. And when I did not understand instead of saying it in a more complicated way he repeated himself while showing me what he meant. He was kind and made funny analogies about the game. By the end of the day I played my first chess game.

My first step into a world. A world of made for me.

Old Grandpa and Other Names Yup that’s what they called me. Old Grandpa Tomás. How I got the name?

Well that's simple. I get stuffy in the winter. When I would blow my nose, it was a marching band of snot mist in with an orchestra of trumpets. So, Harrison started it. Old Grandpa.

It's not the worst. Old Grandpa was funny even. I consider myself to be an old soul so I was fine with it. The kids at my old school called me all sorts of names.

The Hulk. They call me that because I when I was stressed or mad, I broke my stress balls completely. Ripped them apart. The Hulk is cool, but not when it’s a name that makes fun of the fact and is a constant reminder that I had stress issues.

Thomas the tank engine. I hated that one because it was disrespectful to my name and to my family. My Name meant a lot and to see it tossed aside hurt.

Some names are funny depending on how I feel. If I am having a really bad day. The name is just stupid and offensive. If am having a good day it is a joke. Once someone misplaced my name. They said It like this Tom-ass.

Now people tease me about it. More in a playful way.

I have many names. Tomás, teddy bear, To To (Tow) and Old Grandpa to my friends. Tomás, Tomásy, Tommy boy, and T-bone to family.

A Garden, a Church, Loneliness, and Some Nets There is a garden on my block. The garden was attached to a church. It is a community garden. Or at least it was.

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We would go there on the weekends for hours. We would play, run, build, and garden. We planted all sorts of things.

We would take the fresh vegetables home in the spring, they would soon become our diner. The flowers were, art on the canvas of earth. The kids worked together and built a fort out of “broken” flower beds and “garbage”.

That's how the other people saw it. We saw temples of forgotten wisdom and rusted gold. We never got bored there.

There was always something to do.

Even nothing is something there. The garden was safety. It was warmth. It was an escape.

Happiness is fragile. It can break and become sadness very fast; that’s what happened to the garden.

We needed to make the money to save it. We sold flowers. But no. in didn’t work. I think the city bought it. But it doesn't matter. At first. we thought it might turn out to be a good thing. The church ceiling was crumbling. We hoped that the people would fix it. And that they might let us keep the garden.

We hoped.

Hoped.

Now the church is loneliness. It is sadness and shattered happiness. It is covered in scaffolding. It whereas a cloak of nets to stop the bricks from falling. The garden is junk yard. Not officially. But people throw their trash and unwanted things over the fence and into the garden. The canvas calls for help under all the trash.

Sometimes we talk about what we would do if we owned the church.

None of us say the same thing. We say it will become joy again. But we all know the same thing. We don’t own it.

Henry Dorr Henry James Dorr My first name, Henry is a pretty simple and nice name. It is not a name that feels very complex but it is not too simple. My name feels like a beautiful rainy day when the rain is falling and you’re happy to see it and the droplets get stuck on your eyelashes as you point your face to the sky. I looked it up on Google and it said that Henry is the SI unit for inductance. My last name is a name I really love. My last name is Dorr. I know, it might seem likes it’s spelled wrong and it should be door but my last name is not something you open and close. I have searched far and wide on Google and have found a result. Some sources say it is the German word for dear. For me Dorr is a strong, bold and powerful last name. At the same time my last name is silly because it sounds like door. My middle name sounds sweet to me, it is James.

It sounds like a breezy day when you are standing right next to the Hudson river and the sun is just setting and nobody is around. All of these names make my whole name, Henry James Dorr.

The Upper West Side I live on the Upper West Side. I consider most of the Upper West Side my neighborhood because I have lived there most of my life. There are some

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areas of the UWS (Upper West Side) that I am very familiar with. Such as the streets 60-90 and all avenues on the UWS. I can name all of the avenues in order, Riverside, West End, Broadway, Amsterdam, Columbus, and Central Park West. In the area around my building and in my building, there are a lot of older people. It is not a problem, but it is just something I noticed. All of the older people are very nice and respectful and will talk to me in the elevator. I live close to Broadway so if I ever get hungry, there are a lot of restaurants to go to. My neighborhood is great and when I eventually have to leave to college, I will be sad to the leave UWS.

year, when my cousins came over again.

The City That (Supposedly) Never Sleeps New York is a great place. There are so many places to go and so many things to do. Growing up in New York I got used to business very quickly, because it is a way of life. I have gone to a lot of places in New York. They are all great because each time I go somewhere it is different. New York is a loud place so I got used to the noise and it is very comforting to me. When I went to the Hamptons for the first time, I got nervous because it seemed so quiet to me.

Christmas with My Cousins I love Christmas, it is a time when there is no school and you can go enjoy lots of time with your Xbox. Oops, I meant family. Well on one special Christmas, my cousins from California, that I only see two weeks a year came to NYC for Christmas. It was very fun.

Our cousins and our family explored NYC and went to places even I had not been to. We went to the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the Train museum. We went and got some delicious food at some of my family's favorite restaurants in NYC. Of course, the best 24 hours were Christmas eve to Christmas day. On Christmas Eve I was a “bartender” in a mini makeshift bar. It was made out of a storage compartments for toys. Not only did my cousins from California join my family for dinner, so did my cousins and grandparents from NYC! That was one of the best Christmases I have ever had, tied with the Christmas I had this

Growing up in New York made me more comfortable when I wanted to talk to people. This is because I was used to being around people and making eye contact with them. I am sure that many kids that grow up in New York have trouble making eye contact. Growing up in New York helped me learn to talk to people. New York is a place where you never get bored, I never did. There was always something to look forward to. While I grew up in New York I learned about a lot of different cultures. If you go in a taxi or take a car service some of the people who drive the cars are from different countries and it is so fun to talk about their country’s culture with them.

The River This summer when I went to California to see my cousins we did not only stay in California like usual. For the first week of our trip to California, my cousins and I went to Arizona. My

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cousins went to their grandfather’s house and it was amazing because it was right next to a river, hence the name, “The River”. On our first day, there we just swam around in the river and went into the kayak and the paddle board they had. The next day, in the morning, I went on something called a Razor.

A Razor is similar to a go-cart, except that it can go ninety miles an hour and it is twice the size of a go-cart. After my cousin and I got back from the Razor trip, we went back into the river but this time we went tubing. Tubing was crazy, it was really bumpy and it was very thrilling (I never fell off). For the next few days we kept on doing the same thing every day, one time I went on the Razor I even got to drive. On one of our last days at The River, it was night time and there was a meteor shower! At first, I thought that the world was going to end and that it might be a nuke, but it did not and it was beautiful.

Olivia Yau My Name My name is Olivia Yau. People also mainly call me Liv. The reason why my parents chose this name for me is because they thought it was a beautiful name and they love the letter O. My parents were going to name me Layla. I prefer Olivia way more. I have always liked my name, but I also wish that I could have a more unique name. I have always wondered what my name means and what is special about it. Sometimes when I’m lost in my thoughts, I will google my name and see what the

meaning of it is. All of the results that I have gotten were positive definitions and there were no negative ones. Even though I wish that I had a more unique name, I think that everything happens for a reason, and there is a stronger meaning behind the meaning of my name. Names are very strong because they are something that your parents have given to you, and it can be passed down throughout.

My Neighborhood I grew up and I am still living in a good neighborhood. It isn’t any fancy neighborhood, where there are huge houses that cost millions, and huge brand name stores that are crowded with people. This is the neighborhood where I’ve met all the people that I have ever known. My parents are eager to pack their bags and leave it all. I would love to leave to a better house as well, but I also don’t want to leave all the friendships that I have made. My parents are looking for a house with a big yard and the dream house that we have all been waiting for. Somewhere in the Suburbs, they always say where there could be less people and less noise. In my neighborhood, I have started many friendships, and I have ended many friendships as well.

Calhoun is a blessing from God. My parents always say. They have been wanting to move for years and ever since Calhoun came in the picture, we finally have a reason to move.

Mother’s Advice My mother has always been here for me when I thought that my life was going to end, when in reality, it was nothing important. It was that one day when I 42

thought that my life was going to end.

People were making fun of me, and I didn’t want to go to school the next day. When someone hurts me, I take it to heart. My mother was there for me through that. She taught me a lesson for life. There are always people that are going to be mean to you. Not everyone on this world is nice. There are always going to be people that are mean to you. You can’t stop that. But, if you dwell on it, then you are just wasting your time. There are so much other beautiful things that a person could be focusing on. Appreciate what you have now. People always focus on the negatives instead of the positives, and it shows. Be happy for what you have. You might be upset that you don’t have the best shoes, and designer clothes. But you should be happy for what you do have. My mother always told me that this is just a phase, and that when I grow up, go to college I won’t remember anything that happened. If I do, it won’t be significant to me.

Good Times at School To have a good time at school didn’t really take much for me. I just needed to have my friends to support me, and for us to have a fun time. But sometimes, I can have an even better day if something big happens to me.

One of the best days at school, I joined a program for after school, and I met some of the best friends that people could have. They were always there for me, they were funny, and they were always trying to make everyone have a better day. I don’t have a best day that I have at school, but I have great memories and I think people should really cherish all those amazing

memories that you have. People never realize all of the amazing days at school, and I think that many people should remember these moments before they’re gone.

Life in New York Life in New York is bustling, big and loud. New York is truly the city that never sleeps. Every second of the day, there is a car on the street getting ready to go. Even though people might not like the noise, New York is one of the most amazing places to be. With all of the buildings, homes, stores, and people from all over, New York is beautiful. No matter how much I love New York, sometimes I need time alone. I love being with people that I care about, but sometimes I need to be in a quiet space to think about things for myself. One of the places that I love going to is the Poconos. My family has a house there and it really gives me time to think. Sometimes I will go outside for fresh air, and listen to music. I love having alone time for myself, but I don’t think that I would be able to live in such a secluded area for so long.

Drama Drama can be fun, but drama can be hurtful. Many people think that drama is just for fun and that it doesn’t really matter. However, that is not always the case. For example, if someone spreads rumors about someone, and that person confided in that person to keep it, it might cause a lot of problems. Even if some rumor that you want to spread doesn’t seem like a big deal to you, it might be a big deal to that person that it is happening to. If 43

someone was spreading rumors about someone’s loved one passing away, many people might not think that it is such a big deal, but that person might feel terrible because they didn’t want people to find out and use it against them. I have been through a lot of drama, and people have involved me in a lot of things that I don’t want to be involved in, so I know how people might feel about it. I have been hurt in a lot of those situations. I don’t want people to feel the same way that I felt.

So, for that, I want people to understand that drama can be hurtful.

Savilla Sword My Name My name is unique.

My name is not common.

My name is not the type you get first to try.

My name isn't me, I don't know the reason it's just not.

My name is Savilla Joy Innocente Niyonkuru Lewis Sword But when people ask for my name I avoid the middle, when asked I replace Innocente and Niyonkuru for "two other" or just don't say them at all. I feel my name isn't western enough for who I am.

But I'm proud of my name.

My name is my roots.

My first name comes from my great great grandmother, Savilla Fugett.

I don't really know anything about her only that she had quite a bit of child.

My first middle name is Joy, I don't know the reason for it but most think it fits. My second middle name is

Innocente means Innocent in French my brother wouldn't agree with that when it comes to the title. It was my first name before I was adopted. My last middle name is Niyonkuru is in Kinyarwanda.

Places and Memories I was adopted from Rwanda when I was just 6 months old. We lived in Naples, FL until I was about 3 that's when we went back to Rwanda for 3 months we were there for my 4th birthday and I remember it so clearly. Afterward, we moved to Vancouver for 2 years.

Vancouver was where I had my first best friend. Then we moved back to Florida until I was in the middle of 3rd grade where I made my first best friend who when we moved to New York. By this point in my life "we" was me, my mom and my brother. My dad and mom are divorced, my dad has another kid which is my half-sister and I'm upset about leaving all of my really good friends from Florida including my sister. I was not happy about it.

Nanay Nanay means mom in Tagalog; Tagalog is a common language in the Phillips; although Nanay isn't my mom she's my grandma. I always joke and call her my boujee grandma. She is very caring but stubborn but when someone is stubborn to me it means they are even more because even with the little things they will not be given up without a fight.

Sure, it is not always ideal but it's okay.

Nanay to me is someone who can be mad at me but we always laugh afterwards. I could sit around and tell her anything sure some she may not agree but she always has an opinion which can be really helpful sometimes.

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My favorite memories with her are when we just sit and watch modern family and laugh or I show her someone who on trending she tells me "Jesus, Mary, Joseph help me" although in Tagalog and if she's talking to me "Jesus, Mary, Joseph help me with this child.

She means so much to me, I have so much fun traveling with her and going places or just going to her apartment to spend time with her. She is one of the only people in my close family that I don't have to try and block out things about them other than my mom. She's maybe flawed but I have a hard time seeing that side of her which is why I think I like being around her so much.

Misplaced When I was with my dad's family in the summer the same thoughts kept going through my head making a story.

I'm not one of the kids who gets adopted that fit right into their family.

With my Mom and her dad's side of the family, my brother and I fit, with both sides of my dad's family we don't fit at all. My hair and my skin standout too much, but that's all I wanted to look like since that's what most of the people constantly around me. They were who I looked up to and when the people I look up to don't understand me it made me feel separate. In a way that I can feel sometimes less than them. It makes me very self-conscious around them which make me want to spend less time with them, which my dad doesn't like very much. Since we have different perspectives but it's vulnerable to talk about it not talked about. They all also live in places

where everyone looks like them so it’s not a problem. When it does get brought up my brother and I usually disagree and don't want to listen because we feel they're talking from listening to people with the same perspective as them.

For them, it started as looks and while my brother and I have been growing up it's now looks both ideas and beliefs, they are the same people my mom's dad side constantly complains about.

Now when I'm around them I just feel misplaced.

My Parents’ Divorce They brought us to a Chucky'Cheese. We were living in Florida at the time. They let my brothers bring his friends we played games for a bit then they waved me and my brother over. Him, 8 me 7 they said we wanted to talk to you about something important. Us still smiling thinking about prizes agree to sit down and listen. They explain to us that they still love each other very much but not in that way and how they don't get along. Not getting along was clear to me. They told us that they were getting divorced, the word was familiar to my brother and I many of our friends had the same thing happening or happened to already. I wasn't upset I just thought "oh the same thing with ----- and ----parents." just another thing that I had in common with others.

Later on, my dad moved into a new house with his girlfriend, I still didn't feel bothered and my brother I think he felt the same way. Everything was 45

going great I had a new half-sister, I had really good friendships and I could bike to my dad's house in under a minute and then my mom said as I was coming in, "we're moving to New York!"

I told her how I didn't want to I liked how things were, next thing I know it's my last class at my old school and I'm in my grandma's apartment it was very nice but not meant for kids. That's when the whole divorce thing started affecting me I wasn't seeing my sister enough and my dad and my old friends.

Had to make new ones and I knew my mom was really happy so I would just keep those feeling to myself. The ones that made me wish I could just feel happy not happy and upset just happy.

Ella Dorhout Dedicated to all of the people that have been hurt emotionally or physically Do I Matter?

Do you ever feel like you’re stuck underwater just about to reach the surface but then you get knocked down by a wave? Do you ever feel like a chapter that will never end? Like a color we never learned? Like you got knocked down but can’t get back up?

This is how I felt, time after time, I kept getting knocked down, but never had enough energy to get back up. I thought the rest of my life would be like that. I listened to all the horrible things people told me and started to believe the words and think them about myself. I started telling myself I was not pretty or smart, I started saying I

deserved my life to go like this and even started growing into the person I thought I was.

Even my friends got tired of me being sad all the time so they started to ignore that part of me and just focus on the person I was when I was wearing a smile. Only I knew what was going through my head every day, I knew no one cared and I knew that I was so used to feeling that I wasn’t enough that I didn’t care anymore. I would ask myself everyday “do I matter.”

Happiness I had been feeling sad for a while, feeling bad about myself and doubting everything I did or said. I felt this way about myself because of a person, myself. I made myself feel bad because I thought I wasn’t good enough. I thought I was a joke, no one would ever like me. I felt bad for myself every single day, until it all changed. Every day I had something to look forward to.

I had something to believe in, something to help me. At the moment, I knew what real happiness felt like.

Like a burst of something in your chest that makes you smile even when you don’t want to, a feeling that will come after your worst days, and make you happy to live, happiness.

Feelings Feelings are a big part of my life.

Sometimes they are there for a short time, and sometimes they stay for a while. Sometimes I make mistakes sometimes I don’t. If there was one brick for every feeling I have felt, I would have a city made of bricks.

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Sometimes the feelings come in big waves and drown you as a whole, sometimes they come as wind blowing past me. My feelings have a life of their own, sometimes they grow up faster than you, and sometimes they stay immature just a little too long. But some people never realize how feelings can take over your whole body.

Sometimes feelings come as a shock, sometimes they don’t, sometimes they come as a big slap in the face, sometimes they come as a friendly fist bump. Feelings can be at cloud nine one second and rock bottom the next.

Listen “Listen to me”. Don’t tell me what to feel, don’t tell me how I should feel. I have my own thoughts just listen. Some people don’t think about the other person, they think about themselves.

Put yourself in my shoes, how do I feel?

Don’t put yourself in their head, just step into their shoes, maybe even walk a mile. I make mistakes, can we just move on. Don’t dwell on something that happened, focus on the future.

Don’t ask me if I’m ok, stop feeling bad for me, I’ll be ok. Leave them alone when they ask for it, you may not understand but you have to listen.

Leave me alone, stop asking questions, I’ll be ok. I might not want to see the light at the end of the tunnel, I might need to sit in that tunnel for a while, even if it’s dark.

Hope Hope is the one and only thing that keeps me going in the worst times imaginable. Hope will always be there to provide never ending support that lasts a lifetime. Hope may be part of

your imagination or only show up in your dreams but it will still be there.

For me, hope is the first thing I see when I wake up and the last thing I see when I go to bed. Hope has enough power to fight out all the depression and anxiety that lives inside a person.

Hope has enough power to change a community if only they listen. Hope has enough power to change the world if only they believe.

The Power of Words Words are so amazing. The power of words are invincible and they are always being put to the test. Words are so crazy there is no way to explain. But I can tell you what the power of words have done for me.

At first, I didn’t have a way to express myself, and that didn’t go well. I made some of the biggest mistakes I could have made, and it will never happen again. The power of words is so strong because you can always take words the wrong way. But they have been there for me because after I made that big mistake, I started writing and using the power of words, and that taught me a powerful life lesson I will never forget.

A Little Advice from Ella There may be a smiley, happy and cheery person in your life, but never assume that's how they feel on the inside, it is always nice to check in once in a while. That happy person may be fighting their own battle, and there is nothing wrong with that, but sometimes they need an extra knight in shining armor.

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Sydney Singleton

your life so you can experience the difference between good and bad.

Sydney My name is a place. A place in Australia. Australia, Sydney. It’s a beautiful place. Though I have not been there, I have seen many pictures of it. I believe my parents named me Sydney partly because Sydney Australia is such a beautiful place and they wanted their daughter to be beautiful inside and out.

People say that the name Sydney is for girls that are spontaneous and I believe I am very spontaneous so my name goes perfect with my personality. I hate when people try to compare me to other Sydneys. I am different and I am special in my own way just like everyone else is. I find myself to be humorous. I take joy in making others happy in a world where there isn’t much happiness if I can just do the littlest thing as to put a smile on someone else’s face, it makes me happy.

One of my traits are independence and I think I’m independent because I like to do things on my own and I don’t like to ask for help. I try to figure out most things myself. I don’t know why I do that but I just don’t feel comfortable asking many questions.

Friends in Middle School My life in middle school. Classes, drama, friends, enemies. Middle is school is like a roller coaster, there are some good days and some good days.

But then again not every day of your life is good. There has to be downs in

One experience I had was in 5th grade when I got in trouble for doing something I didn’t even do. I felt depressed and desolate. I never felt worse in my life. It was like I was being punished for something I didn't even do. People always assume that I have something to do with the situation just because of the people I hang out with because there a bad influence on me.

They say, “You’re a bright kid, you just can do better with who you hang out with” But what if I don’t want to hang out with other people? I love my friends.

They have helped me through times where I thought I wasn’t going to wake up the next morning. The times where I felt like nothing could make me feel better. They were there and they will always be there. What’s the world like without having other people? Silence?

Loneliness? I don’t want to be punished because of who I hang out with. I can decide for myself. I have a voice too.

Aunt Shirley My Aunt Shirley was a very special woman in my life. She still is. She brought joy in my life. She was like a ray of sunshine and when they day seemed cloudy she made it sunny.

Always very positive and happy. She was like my best friend. We would talk about the most random things. And there were times where we would also talk about important things. She was always there for me. When I came home from school she would be right 48

there ready to talk to me for hours. I miss those times.

My aunt had cancer. The cancer was terrible. She had pancreatic, breast and liver cancer. The doctors said she had a year or two to live but she only lasted 8 months. The day she died. My world was in circles. I didn’t know how I would survive without her. She was basically my world. And now my world wouldn’t be here. Who’s gonna pick me up when I fall? Who’s gonna help me when I can’t help myself? Who’s gonna love me unconditionally? Who’s gonna be there to understand me? Who’s gonna be there to listen to me?

The day she died really made me realize the point of life. The point of life is to live freely and to never look back. It’s to make mistakes and learn from them. Most of all it’s to love one another no matter our differences. I realized even though she wasn’t here physically. She’s here spiritually and I will never let her be forgotten. Her memory will live forever. I know when I do good, she’s looking down proud of me. I do most things for her. She makes me want to do better for myself. And she makes me want to always be my best self. She taught me how to be a fighter because when she had cancer she had to fight and even though she didn't conquer that she still made her mark on many different people and I admire that.

At her funeral, I tried my best not to cry because I knew she would want me to be strong for her. She didn’t want me to be sad and to cry, she wanted me to be happy that she didn’t have to suffer anymore. To live by the moment and not by the future.

Aunt Shirley, gone, but never forgotten.

June 25, 2017 In the summer, I go to my grandma’s house where there's a lot of kids in her neighborhood. She didn’t want me to be in the house all day with no one to hang out with. She took me to her friend’s house where they had a son and two daughters. I met one of the daughters Madison, 10, which was my age at the time. I was so excited to have someone to play with. Every day we hung out and would go to the park or go mini golfing or just hang out and play video games. We would do so much together.

We got so close over these two years. I feel like I have known her forever.

She’s smart, pretty and kind hearted. It was amazing getting to know her and it was amazing hanging out with her. It was amazing meeting someone who really was down to earth and cared about things other than herself. She made sure that I was good before she even checked in with herself. She is one of the most kind and selfless people I have ever met. And I am so grateful to have met her because not many of us get to meet such great people with kind hearts in the world.

Who Said Growing Up Is Easy?

I think that growing up can be either the best or worst part of someone's life. It’s one of the most important times in someone’s life because that’s when you become a woman/man. It’s a prime time because we make most 49

mistakes because we are learning how to be our best selves. It’s a time where we find ourselves. Where we find who we are and what we believe in. it’s the time where people expect a lot from us.

Sometimes people expect us to be “perfect” or to be “good”. When we all know that no one is perfect. We all know that we're not going to be “good” at all time. We all need to have times where we can let loose and have freedom. We all know that we have to make mistakes in order to learn and to do better the next time.

Adults put a big responsibility on us when some of us can’t handle it. I believe that’s why some people are “bad”. I think it's because at home they are expected to be perfect and to not make mistakes. When in reality no one is perfect. We all have flaws. But that’s what makes us, our own. We're not supposed to live like robots. We’re supposed to be able to live life with rules but also be free. When adults expect children to be perfect I feel like it’s unfair to the child because that is a big responsibility. And when you live life thinking you have to be perfect 24/7 it can make life worse because you live on egg shells thinking you can’t make mistakes. And no one should have to live like that.

Molly Fox My Style Fashion has always been a big part of my life. When I was younger my mom would take me to Ralph Lauren fashions shows and I loved it. I love styling outfits and making touches and details.

My friend and I Samantha went to

fashion camp together. We would laugh, we would make stitches in different cheetah prints. Jumping on trends is my thing, from boots, to coats, dresses, pants, shirts, even skirts. I want to become a fashion designer. I have since I was five.

Middle School is well…

School. A word that either makes your stomach turn on its side a is desperate for air or a shoulder shrug. We all have a story about middle school, I guess I haven’t had that yet, like a story.

School is a shoulder shrug. I never have HATED school but I sometimes feel lazy and don’t want to get out to bed though, in the morning. I am thankful though that I go to school with all my friend and get to meet amazing people and learn things I haven’t learned before.

Amelia & Lila It all started in 10th Avenue and W. 22nd Street aka Seal Park, aka Clement Clarke Moore Park. We all called it Seal Park because of these big seals that would sit on a small like concrete dip in the gravel, water would come out of their mouths. We would laugh as we were sprayed with water. That is where I met my childhood best friends. Amelia who is currently 13, we have always been so close, and her sister Lila who I am so close to too she is 12 too. We still all hang out, but currently they are remodeling the park, and the only thing still there are those concrete seals, but no water to be sprayed in.

Changes In my life, I think I have changed a lot.

To be honest I don’t notice it, until I 50

looked at pictures of myself as a kid.

There is this video that always makes me laugh, of me as a little girl. My family and I are in the Hamptons and I was wearing no shoes in the soft green grass. There are dear everywhere and I say “Look, look there's a dear, and it running.” I don’t know why it makes me laugh it just was so cute. There's another video of me and we’re still in the Hamptons and my dad says, “don’t touch the camera”. Then out of nowhere I take off my shoe and throw it right at the camera.

Sleepaway Camp I go to sleepaway camp. Things can be complicated because on one hand I really like the people in my bunk, but sometimes they can be mean. It teaches me life lessons and I love to waterski. Our bunk can be complicated.

Sometimes we all love each other and sometimes we get sick of each other.

Camp is really fun though, I always learn something new. I also love horseback riding, and taking care of the horses.

Liam Hitzig-Santamaria Slime Slime is the evilest thing in the world.

All that slime does is entertain you for 2 minutes and then ruins all of your clothes and furniture. Slime is deceiving and makes you think it will make you have fun, but when you touch it you need to wash your hands for 15 minutes to get it off. When I was younger, I always said I wanted slime, but I didn't actually like it. I only wanted it because everyone else wanted it or had it and when I got it, I hated it as it stuck to everything. Slime

is like attention; you always want it until you have it.

Animals Ever since I was a kid I have had a special connection with animals. I have always loved animals even before I had a pet, which I had been asking for around 7 years. Animals have always been my favorite thing in the world and I could sit with a dog for over an hour and do nothing but stroke the dogs back. Many people argue with me when I say that all lives are equal, in which I didn't really believe until I got that connection with animals but not many other people have the same connection I do, and I think that they would agree with me if they did. Many people think that human lives matter more than animals lives but the reason for that is because they have never had a bond with an animal, which is something that lasts a lifetime.

Life in New York City Everybody asks me how I survive living in New York City. Little do they know that it's not crazy like they say. Maybe I've been born listening to the noise or maybe I've just gotten used to it but all I know is that life isn't so bad here.

Maybe there are some ambulances and sometimes people yell at you on the street but sound will never kill me and people think that all of New York is super loud and insane but they have only ever been to Times Square. They visit and think how weird I must be to be able to sleep when it is so loud but nobody who visits New York goes to the Upper West side nor do they go anywhere within a ½ mile radius around their hotel. In truth, New York 51

is a good book but Times Square is the cover.

My Laziness Sometimes I will have a lot of homework to do and completely ignore it as if it doesn't exist. Homework is something that I never liked and probably won't like anytime soon. I am a master of procrastination and the king of sleeping when I'm not supposed to. I sleep in class, doing homework and even when I'm not tired. I never want to start working but when I do I work well and efficiently even when I'm feeling lazy or tired. People don't normally think of me as “productive” but that's only because they have never seen me work for real and if I really wanted to, I could work as well as anyone else can. I am tired always no matter how much sleep I get and it makes me seem like I cannot do any good work even though I can, I just don't want to.

My Name A lot of people ask me if my name is short for “William.” I always tell them “no” but they always get confused as if I'm an alien. Liam means “strong willed warrior” but that does not describe me well. I'd think I'd be more like a side character to the warrior because I'm not usually anyone's first choice in anything. There are a lot of Liams, but not more than many other names and I'm always chosen second and third for everything. I'm never first on anyone’s “Best Friends List,” but I'm always there like a side character. I have had many nicknames in the past and present that have used to differentiate me from the other Liam's at school. I

have been called: Lambchops, Little Liam and basically any other name starting with “L” you can come up with. The nicknames never bothered me, in fact I have enjoyed them, but I do sometimes find it weird that no one called me by my name.

Ines Cortina The Regina School I went to a school called The Regina School. My first day at that school was in third grade, and at that point I loved that school. But moving in to fifth grade, I had a really tough time. I kind of got made fun of by some people that I thought were my friends, but they were obviously fake friends.

There was this one girl named Ana that I really did not like, at all. Because she was one of the girls that most bothered me. In Mexico, almost everyone goes to school by a school bus. And she was on my bus, that was when it all started. At first, we were friends but then she started being mean to me. I didn’t tell anyone because it kind of started off as a game, like as a joke. I didn’t care, it was a little fun. But then she really started calling me bad things and I stopped taking it as joke, I took it seriously. And school was not that fun anymore. I just didn’t enjoy it like I used to. A month later, I told my parents that she was being really mean and making fun of me a lot and I didn’t like it. That was when my mom told hers and she all of a sudden started being nice. And we weren’t friends but we weren’t enemies. So further into the year she started again but I kind of didn’t tell anyone and my parents had the idea for me to switch schools and I

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liked it. But not only because of her I also felt that I couldn’t be myself. I had a hard time making friends and I did have friends but like I said they were fake. I was really shy, I didn’t talk a lot and Ii just didn’t like it, it was not my type of school.

So, I decided to switch to a school named Colegio Del Bosque.

My Broken Arm I was at school going to dance class, and me and my friends were all going like in a group. And the floor was cement. So I tripped on my friend’s foot and landed on my arm, it hurt so bad. I turned pale and the only thing I could see was black. My sister took me to the nurse, the nurse thought it was nothing so she just gave me a cookie and lotion. I was like what the heck how is this going to help. But she told me to go back to class and the principal was luckily there. The principle told me that my arm looked really bad and that I should go home. I went to the teacher’s lounge and told the secretary that the principal told me that I should go home. She called my mom and she picked me up and I came out crying because it hurt so bad. I went to the doctor and I got an X-ray and It turned out my arm was broken. I got a cast an everything. And I got used to it and everything but I was also sad, because I couldn’t swim and my friend invited me to go to her ranch for the weekend and I couldn’t go. But the time past by really fast.

Switching Schools My mom scheduled a day for me to go visit and see the school. I also had to take like an exam to see if I got in. I was excited and really nervous. After

like 3 months I heard really good news that I got in and I was really excited.

But I didn’t tell anyone that I was changing schools except like my teacher and the principle, I didn’t even tell my friends. But one of my lasts days Ana came and said she’s sorry and everything, and I forgave her. That didn’t mean I was not going to change schools even though she stopped.

The first day of school at that school was in 6th grade I was extremely nervous. I only knew two people and I was super shy, so I didn’t talk. But I made really good friends and I miss them so much; I text them every day and I am so sad that I don’t see them as much as I did. But I really did everything with them and I could be myself around them, I wasn’t shy. I loved them and I still do, I made really good friends in only one year.

When we were like in the lasts weeks of school they planned a goodbye party. One of my friends invited me to her house while the others went to my other friend’s house and planned everything. I went to the other friends house they decorated everything it was so cool and fun. And I noticed that they really cared about me. They were real friends.

The last day of school was really sad.

At first it was really happy and I even forgot that I was leaving and I wouldn’t see them in a long time. Like two hours before we got to leave school all my friends started crying because I was leaving. And the sadness like really didn’t hit me at that moment. Until like all of the sudden I started crying I was so sad. And everyone started hugging me and I started hugging them

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but I couldn’t stop crying. We all cried for like two hours and the teachers were trying to stop us but I just couldn’t. On the bus ride home, and when I got home, I kept crying I was so sad. But everything got better even though sometimes I really miss them.

Valle de Bravo Once a friend named Luciana invited me and my whole group of friends to a place called Valle de Bravo, It was super fun, even the car ride there. We laughed all the way. When we got there we all went to our rooms, unpacked and changed to go to the lake or pool.

First, we went to the pool, ate some chips and relaxed. After that we went to the lake and there was a water trampoline and it was super cool we jumped and played truth or dare. We would also go inside the trampoline because there was like a whole inside and we would go in and some girls stayed out. The girls that stayed outside would jump so that made waves inside of the trampoline and it was really fun if you were inside. We called it the tsunami game. The next day we went to the Pueblo and ate dinner there and we also went to little stores that there were and we all bought the same bracelets. At night, it was really fun because we would stay up super late and play and jump from bed to bed. It was really fun.

Summer with My Grandparents My grandparents, whenever you turn 12 or 13, take you on a trip to a place you want to go in the summer. It was our turn to go on a trip with my grandparents me, my sister Federica, and my cousin Marina chose to go to

Berlin, London, France, and Copenhagen. First my grandpa and grandma came to New York for some days and from there we flew to France, were we met with my cousin. That night, when we met with Marina we went to an amusement park and it was super fun. We went on a game that was like a cloud that you went on and it went in circles and you could see all Paris. But it was scary. Because you had like no seatbelt it was like a metal bar that didn’t even work you literally flew. It went really fast and I was super scared and was yelling the whole ride because every time it went around it went faster. I came down from the ride pale, that is how scared I was. But fun.

Federica Cortina Chapter 1 It all started one day when we were in the car with my mom and she told us wouldn't it be nice to live in New York, and I said yea it would be a fun experience but she only told us that because my dad already had been told in his work that maybe we would have to move. One day I was in a Christmas party in Mexico and that day my dad was going to tell us if we were moving to New York or not. We were eating he told us that we are going to move and didn't know how to feel, like I was excited and I wanted to go because it is a new experience, but I was going to miss my friends and family if I went.

The next day I told my friends that I was moving to New York and they were sad because they were going to miss me.

One week before we left, we had like a goodbye party and it was really fun

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because it was like if we were in a cooking show. All of my friends came and it was in teams of two and since my sister Ines went to another school it was Ines’s school vs my school and she won.

Weeks later it was the last day of school and after last period we were outside waiting to go home on the school bus and me and my friends were all crying and talking, when I got home I told my mom that I thought that my friends were going to forget about me so I was really sad and I was crying and she told me that I can call them and text them. After around three months of living in New York it was our first day of school and I was really nervous because I didn't know anybody there, I didn't know what i had to take to class and who I would sit with at lunch. Now I feel like I’ve been here all my life, i feel like I'm happier here. Also, I have made a lot of friends that I love and trust, I don't know what I would do without them.

Chapter 2 One day, about three years ago my parents were in the kitchen and me, my sister and my brother were watching T.V. My parents got a call and started crying. We didn’t know why and they came up to us and told us, you know why we are crying right? And we said no. They told us my grandfather was in the hospital but in reality, he died because they didn't want us to know but we started crying. The worst thing about it is that he died the day that he was celebrating that my cousin didn't have cancer anymore. My dad bought a ticket to Mexico that night he

didn't even pack he just went to the airport. My mom and us got tickets to go to Mexico the next day. We got to Mexico and stayed at my grandparents’ house, at night I cried until i feel asleep because I kept thinking of my grandfather. We went to church the next day and we made him a letter that said that we loved him and we’re going to miss him, we put that card were his body was. We had to go to church for three days. After about a week we went back to New York, but sometimes I just remembered and started crying.

Chapter 3 When I was in fifth grade I was riding the school bus home and I was sitting with my cousin, we were doing are homework. When we were doing are homework her pen broke and the ink got a stain on the buss wall, we tried to cover it so we didn't get in trouble but it made more of a mess. The next day we were called to the principal's office and we were really nervous of what was going to happen. In my school if you got into trouble you had to go to the principal's office and there were three kinds of reports it was like low, medium and high depending on what you did. When we got called there the principle asked us what happened and we told her. But she said something really mean to us, she said do you want me to call your parents and tell them to check your brain because you look dumb and we started to cry. Even though it wasn't on purpose she gave us a low report but I didn't really care about it.

Chapter 4

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One day my best friend called Zita invited me to a beach called Ixtapa. I was very excited to go because I had never been there but I was also nervous because i had never gone on a plane without my parents. My other best friend came to, her name is Lucia. Zita has a house there so we stayed there and when we got there we went to our room and changed into a bathing suit. We went swimming in the pool and the sea it was so much fun. The next day at night we went to the beach and made ‘smores, hot dogs and played Frisbee. The third day we swam for a little bit but then it was time to leave, we went on the plane and got there like at ten pm. That vacation has been one of my favorites I had so much fun and being there with my best friends was so cool.

we got to the hotel we went on a bike ride and went to museums. We thought that there was a ghost in the room and we got really scared but it was so funny, we stayed in Berlin for five days.

After Berlin we went to Copenhagen, it's so pretty and clean place. The first day we stayed there we went to an amusement park called Tivoli and I rode a super scary ride that went upside down it was so fun. We stayed there for four days and the fifth day we went back to New York, I was sad it ended but also excited to see my family again. I also was excited because the day I got back to New York was the day i got to see my apartment with all our stuff.

Emmett Miller Friends and Neighbors

Chapter 5 In summer, my sister, my cousin and I went to Europe with my grandparents because every time one of my grandparents’ grandchildren turn 12 or around that age, they take you on vacation. First, we went to Paris only me and my sister for three days, we went to a lot of museums, we went shopping and we had crepes. The third day we picked up our cousin that was in Paris with her family and went to have dinner. After we had dinner we went to an amusement park. We went on a lot of games, it was so much fun. The next day we took a train to London when we got to the hotel we got to the room, unpacked and we went to tea time. We had scones and tea and it was so good.

Then we went to museums and we went to see the play “Aladdin”. We stayed in London around four days.

After London we went to Berlin, after

I lived in a house on a curb and It was a suitable house. I lived near nice neighbors and most of my best friends Samantha, Ben, and the twins.

Samantha was very creative and made many things such as duct tape flowers and even once her costume for Halloween. Ben was my friend who would come to my house and would play games with me such as Mario Kart and Tag. The twins would come over through our yard, we had a weird space with a fence between our yards so in the summer I would come over to swim in their pool and in the winter, they came over to my house and we jumped on a trampoline. One of our favorite things to do together was to play popcorn on the trampoline, I can still remember flying as we all bounced together. We all went to school together and talked with each other.

After school, I would do my reading and 56

my homework to go and bike with my brother my sister was too young to go biking. I did not know much about my neighbors except this one who I would visit often and would talk while we looked into a pond full of frogs.

Reputation My reputation was a fun and friendly person. When I was growing up I was influenced a lot by my kindergarten teacher named Angela Sanders. She taught me how to write, read, and the thing that makes my personality my creativity. I still remember how she helped me create some of my most prized writings. While I grew up I would always support my fellow classmates and help them achieve their fellow goals. One of my favorite memories was when I brought my hermit crabs to school for show and tell and everyone had told me about their pets. My Grandmother Sandra or Sandy for short owned a dog named Alexandria or Alex for short. We would always go outside and run after each other. With that said I have found that somethings can be invisible like fun or air but if you look harder you might find some secrets under a whole text of writing.

Like when I first learned how to speak I can't see it but I can hear it.

Cousins At the time, I only had two cousins.

One named Wyatt who is my age and loved soccer. Wyatt loved soccer he would practice every day and have games during the weekend. Rylan was my second cousin 2 - 3 years older than

me and she loved to create. I remember the last time I saw them we made a movie together with Wyatt, Oliver, Maggie, and me. Rylan was the editor and film maker. Now I don’t see them anymore but I will always remember these moments and prize them just like my other memories.

A LETTER TO ….

Bianca Ulrich Letter to the Girl in Nightmares I used to be your battery Used to charge up your ego Just so you could smash the battery and leave it to die I was that girl The one you could always use to look better than you were To lift your status To put all the blame I was your throne The one you used to be the queen The one you sat upon forcefully every day I used to be the canvas The face you drew problems on The face you drew meanness on The canvas you could put anything you didn’t want on Each imperfect thing I was You never stopped to stick another label on the frozen in place fridge I was There was no line No block to how far you could go Even by the time when every girl’s bathroom had felt my teardrops fall upon it You still had more blank stickers that needed placing Each class was your alarm

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There to remind you of the day that needed living Me I was the only one The only day you lived by punching and kicking through it No wall of mine could withstand the hurricane you brought upon it It still wasn’t the end after the wall came down There were still bricks to throw Bricks from my very own wall Whatever you say can and will be used against you I was your criminal There for you to punish To hurt To chain up But I’ve broken from that battery From the girl you used From the throne you sat upon From the canvas you painted against From the frozen fridge you put labels on From the day you lived From the criminal you put away Now I’m free from your labels Slowly repainting me In a way I approve of Living exactly how I want to be

Do you still hear Evan singing at 1:40 in the morning?

Have you started playing guitar yet?

Are you still adventurous with learning new instruments?

Lyla Changar

All in all, I hope you’re happy with yourself. I hope you know that you’re enough.

I’m still working on it.

I’m getting better though.

My friends tell me that they’re here for me.

I know that, but I still feel so alone.

I hope you’re doing okay.

A Letter to My Older Self I wonder where you are now.

I wonder if you’re happy.

I wonder what school you’re at.

Maybe you love yourself, Maybe you’re still working on it.

Is Fall Out Boy still your favorite band?

Do you still cry when you listen to The Beatles?

What college is Evan at?

Are you in college? Maybe you’re applying for college.

What’s your favorite book? What books are you currently reading?

Have you gone back to Greece or Croatia yet? Maybe you’ve visited Iceland.

Have you fulfilled your dream of bungee jumping in New Zealand?

What job do you have?

Are you still self-conscious?

Is purple still your favorite color?

Is your eyesight improving?

How many hours a day do you read?

Maybe you still read five books at the same time.

Is the #MeToo movement still a thing?

How many times have you been bullied?

I wonder though, do you still hate going outside?

Do you still hate group projects?

Do you still prefer to be alone and read than talk with people?

Sincerely, 12-year-old you Ella Dorhout

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A Letter to My Fears You do not define me, You do not break me, And you do not build me, I have built my own walls, To protect myself, From all the things that worry me.

You may frighten me, You may show up in my nightmares, You may make me do things I don’t want to do, But you don't control me.

One of my worst fears, Is fear itself, It always shows up, When I least expect it, You tell me the things I’m too afraid to admit, You show me the things I’m too afraid to look at, But that doesn’t mean, You get to tell me how I should feel.

18.1% of the adults in this world struggle with anxiety, GAD effects 3.1% of the adult population just in the U.S, 6.7% of adults suffer with major depression,

You have not helped me, You have not helped my friends, You have not helped my family, But I still have to say thank you, Because, Without you, I wouldn’t be me.

Ella D. Don’t tell me things, That will not last, Don’t tell other people's secrets, They trusted the person they thought you were, Not the real you.

Don’t pretend to be someone else, Because people will only, Fall for the illusion you set for yourself.

Don’t say things you don’t mean, It will hurt them more Than telling the truth.

Don’t hurt the people you love, They won’t come back, Don’t change yourself for someone you like, It won’t help, Be yourself, Keep the important people, If someone wants to go, Let them, Go.

And all of that, Is based off of fear.

Rocco Fonseca You case, Mental sickness, Worry, Bad memories, PTSD, And so much more.

A Letter to Antarctica Why do you have to melt?

We started it and now we can’t stop We try and try again but we just can’t undo what we’ve done

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So, as you keep on melting and we can’t stop you from melting We will try to stop the heat we’ve created of this world And although there is no undoing it, we can stop, one day, maybe I know there is no stopping you from melting But the fire that spreads inside of me Disagrees with the evolution of mankind And the horrors that we brought upon ourselves You, like a rainbow on a wet sunny day, have done nothing wrong But created something amazing that we don’t care much for and on another planet like earth, you won’t melt and humans are different Yours truly, Rocco

We are still together And will always love each other Thank you For everything you have done for me And for making me into the person I am today Some people tell me that I am Kind, sweet, and helpful But there is someone else who is like that too You could say, Like mother like daughter Thank you for everything you have done for me I couldn’t imagine what the world would be like without you in it You are a great role model Happy Birthday to a wonderful mom!

Love, Noelle Ines Cortina

Noelle Biehle Dear Mom, Thank you, For being there for me When I took my first steps Or when I have my bad days Thank you For keeping me in your arms And for showing me the world Thank you For helping me find my passion For giving me advice when I’m stuck And of course, for being my free therapist Even though we have mini fights

“A Letter to Ana Muñoz” Dear Ana, Hello Ana I know you already said sorry, but I also know that you didn’t mean it.

You said sorry first at the half of the school year, but only because your mom told you to. I know you didn’t mean it because you kept bothering me for the rest of the year.

We started making fun of each other as a game on the bus, it wasn’t mean or anything. But then I started feeling like it wasn’t a game and I really got hurt. I changed schools, and it wasn’t

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only because of you, but still I had to make a hard decision. I am actually happy I made the right one because I was very happy, and I didn’t have to hide my feelings and be scared of you making fun of me.

You also said sorry at the end of the year, but you also said that because you knew it was my last day at that school and you didn’t want to end the year badly. And I get it, but that doesn’t mean you have to say sorry when you did not mean it. Because I really, really got hurt. And I know you probably have changed and maybe you wouldn’t want to bother me or anyone right now.

I hope you have learned something and that you realized you hurt me and that you did something wrong. And I hope that someday you say sorry and mean it, because if you did maybe I would forgive you. I wouldn’t want to stay mad at you forever.

Sincerely, Ines Cortina Molly Fox A Letter to my Future Generation Will everything be okay?

Will the world be drifting away, from safety?

Can I be assured my future is protected?

Some people don’t worry, about the future.

That's something that I always worry about.

Everything we do, everything we waste, every gas, it will all add up in the future.

California, a fire, icecaps, completely melted, and other terrible things and that's not even half of it. Who will fix it, who can make it better?

That's not my only question. Can you just promise me you will help change it? For me?

That's my only request. Just try. I’m scared, I worry every day. Only ten years to do try to turn around global warming, and we need to start trying to turn it around, right now.

Sincerely, Molly ♡ Christobelle Rudes A Letter to Darkness You tried and tried to get to me my whole life, But you never succeeded.

You wanted to, But you never could.

‘Cause I’m strong, Stronger than you think.

I know people who let their positivity speak out, Who inspire others to do the same, Who make the best out of their lives You could never ruin that, Not in a million years.

The way you live, That isn’t life.

In fact, it’s nowhere close to life.

You spread negativity, And cause people to do the same.

Why? 61

Why would you do that when you could live life to the fullest?

My joy and kindness is more powerful than your negativity and sadness, And you could never beat that.

Not in a lifetime.

I used to be scared of your wrath, The fire you exhaled, But it never reached me.

It could never even come close to my beneficial self.

Our lives...

Are polar opposites.

I hope I never see your face again; Not in my imagination, Not in my dreams, Not in my soul, Not In My Life.

Yours truly, Christobelle Rudes

Ben Silvan Dear My 16-Year-Old Self Wow! Time flies.

We have come so far, through all our tears that have shed and all the pain, we still made it.

I know you are a cranky teenager by now, and you probably believe I was an idiot.

Like waves washing away, as I get older, and as I come across new problems you have to promise to remember this.

You must continue to be an upstanding activist, who fights for the ability to feel free.

Freedom is the ability to feel safe and have choices.

Everyone deserves that right.

As much as you may want to shove away your emotions, you have to promise you must keep Caring.

You also must be there for your friends.

Throughout the next four years I will continue to be a better me, who is an upstanding activist, who is also a great basketball player.

When I finally meet you, I hope you build on this.

Strive for your goals, even if it means sacrificing something you love, be yourself.

Yes, I hope you still love basketball, and you take my skill and build on it.

If you do not have a burning passion for the sport anymore, then that is your choice.

With this being said, I need you to be an upstander, and stand up for your rights.

Hey, whatever you want to do, that doesn’t hurt others, I am with you.

Yes, I may not agree, but, I may not even keep my same hobbies before I meet you.

When I meet you, I hope you can make a change to the world and be a rolemodel.

Care about others, and care about yourself.

You don’t realize that you have you, to love you.

You have millions of cells working for you and cheering you on.

Just think about then, now whenever you are sad you still always have at least someone caring for you.

I love you, never forget.

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Sincerely, My 12-year-old self Ben Silvan Federica Cortina

Something important Life lessons Or maybe we’re meant to learn nothing Were expected to go there Wake up early every morning Spend 6 hours in class

Dear Mom, Thank you For everything For helping me become a better person For giving me advice when I need it For cheering me up when I’m sad For believing in me For letting me talk to you

I know you can learn things in school Like math, English, science So many classes we take And we still don’t learn valuable life lessons Like how to get a job Or how to pay your taxes

Thank you For taking care of me Loving me For making the right decisions

That is important for later on Instead of learning what the square root of 5 is We should learn how to maintain yourself when your living in your own house

Even though Sometimes i get mad at you I never mean it Because you are the best And you are so nice I could never get mad at you forever

Don’t get me wrong Some of the things school teaches us is important Like nutrition or history

Thank you For always being there for me For always being happy For being funny and caring

Sometimes we’re expected to act like robots Always have our work in time Never act crazy Never socialize

Thank you.

Were expected to always be on our best behavior But every kid isn’t perfect We make mistakes too We deserve to be able to act crazy Because then we can learn from it

Sydney Singleton

Sometimes adults need to realize That we aren’t perfect Were allowed to make mistakes And instead of being punished for making a mistake

Dear School, Maybe we're meant to learn something

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We should be taught how to progress positively next time No one’s perfect That’s unrealistic We all have a mind of our own Were all different in many ways Good and bad And if teachers realize that Maybe school could be more enjoyable for some

Have you ever dreamed about someone?

The way you forced them to dream about you?

Young blue-eyed boy Who had everything to lose but loses nothing Who had no pain to trick Like malefic clowns who dance on tightropes

Sincerely, A Kid That Makes Mistakes

But you don’t dance You sat in others passion Then ordered a new chair

Zena Almeida-Warwin

One by one by every little one

A Letter to a Blue-Eyed Boy

Your courtesy was like melted popsicles I tried to be happy But you didn’t care Like sheer blankets and plastic shields

Maybe the color blue isn’t sadness or kindness Maybe tears are like soft splinters that grow on your skin I wonder if you ever have thought about your actions The day at the park when your words slithered past everyone else and only bit me Lonely me whom wanted to love you like everyone else, but didn’t I wonder if you’ve ever felt the stain of detriment It paints yourself with sharp bristles Have you felt it?

Have you ever seen the pale sun plead you to run? To jump? To cry?

You never cared for anyone.

Where everyone saw perfection, your egotism hid But not from me

I thought you were loyal I thought you would hold my secret so tight your arms would fall off and when they did Then I would love you Foolish me staring Crying Do you remember?

Do you remember that day?

That excitement to divulge me Daring me to fall apart I was a boulder, a wounded dragon, a crying young girl That you had to break apart You broke me apart like tender chicken Do you remember?

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You had torn me apart and digested me First my mind Then my heart Then my patience to live To have tolerance To thrive to dream To want, to need Innocent blue-eyed boy So smart, so clean Like smooth pottery that every teacher admired Was I jealous?

Of a young, privileged, smart, blonde, loved, blue eyed boy?

Was I jealous that you had no secret to hate so much That you wish you could cut it apart like a thousand helicopters propellers You probably still live in that perfect house With the stupid grass and walls and stupid little family What have you ever faced?

The fear of getting a 92 on your Spanish test?

The sadness of losing your great grandma that you never thought of?

The pain of only being admired by 247 out of the 279 girls in the grade?

No. You will feel the pain of this letter It will whisper you secrets at night Secrets that will have to hold Hold close like steady tears That you wish you could cry Disgusting blue-eyed boy Such dishonesty

Such privilege Such lack of life and emotion One day you will say sorry, do you forgive me?

And I’ll say No Alice Denny A Letter to Miss Yvonne At first, I thought you were plain mean I’d never really had a strict teacher before After that first Thursday night class I cried when I got home I was terrified of you I said I wanted to quit dance My parents said that I should give it Another chance They told me it would get better They were right On Saturday morning I was scared I didn’t want to go into studio 4 Where I would spend the next hour and a half Playing my castanets and stamping my feet With you yelling every time I messed up or stopped No matter how tired my arms and legs were But the truth was that I had a much better time Than I did on the first day You were still strict But it was your style of teaching You just wanted us to learn To build strength By the time ballet class came,

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I was exhausted But I had learned more in that past hour and a half Than I had in all of last year And I knew that the rest of the year In your class Wouldn’t be nearly as bad as I thought

Your probably less tongue tied about your past I hope you don’t trip over the lump in your throat when that situation doesn’t come up again Because it definitely doesn’t define you now and it didn’t back then but you should know this by now too

You may be strict But you’re the funniest teacher I’ve had in my life You say things that make all of us laugh Sometimes intentionally, sometimes not

You’ve probably learned how to control your anger better Taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture Analyze the situation before everything goes down You’ve learned how to control yourself in general Because you know anything is better than hurting the people around you or yourself

You make sure we don’t slack off Reminding us to hold our backs up And keep our stomachs in Sometimes you make us hold our arms up Until the blood drains down and my hands turn white like a ghost Saying “Arms rounded! Get your shoulders back!”

But I am stronger than I’ve ever been Your choreography is beautiful And you’ve made me love flamenco In a way, I never knew I could You’ve made me appreciate that feeling When I do a hard step correctly Even more than I did before You have taught me so much Thank you Sincerely, Alice Denny

Andrea Heredia Dear Future Self,

You’re probably surer of yourself But very paranoid so you list pros and cons for almost every situation You most likely turn to god still even though you are still confused about him and having faith in him Again because of being paranoid But you’ve set things in your life to enjoy to always have faith in And you of course still stick with it because you love it It’s what keeps you going and you know that now because right now I even see how it does My father who wasn’t the best person in my life but wasn’t horrible told me once I need to have a conversation with myself I hope you still remember that day I hope you still check in with yourself For yourself Not for the pride of your family because you’ll probably always be hungry for more pride Not for what others think of you My father once said I’m going to have to start being a little selfish 66

And future you most likely remember that too I hope you gradually stopped dwelling on the negative Because you are tough but you act tougher to cover your emotions Because you’ve created barriers now And it’s not your fault But you’re a leader Your stronger than before Wiser than before I’ve changed From way back to now, from here to future me Love, Andrea Tomas Michelangeli A Letter to Words There is a certain wildness about you that I cannot easily explain. Strange that we would create something so contradictory. Or maybe not, because you’re only as contradictory as the ones who use you. You are used to soothe and to calm. But you can also lay waste to entire civilizations.

I am using you now to write a letter to you. So, in a way, this is a letter to yourself. Do you not have a choice or do you just do what you are told? You fight with yourself all the time. Man, sometimes it gets old. If I think in words, then you see my thoughts. I don't know why I am even writing this letter. Of course, you already knew that.

Why must you twist and manipulate people? Can’t they use you to fight back? Maybe because you just overpower yourself. Does this mean

that we are all part of your little selfconflict? No, no, that's not right. You are just a part of ours.

If we all think in words then how did we think before words? Sorry you would not know that you weren't born yet. We have control over you. But yet you really control us. Like a dog and “its owner”.

Maybe that's the wrong way of thinking about it. Maybe it is symbiotic, or just a relationship that is.

Do you ever get tired of working? If so, why can’t you just stop for a day. It’s because you care too much about us, isn't it? Or maybe it is because your only existence is to serve us. To be manipulated by humans. If so, I pity you.

However, I appreciate and hate you too. You have done horrible things but you have also been the one to fixes them. Maybe you’re not so bad after all. Maybe it is us who has to go away.

Tell me what you think Sincerely, The Human Race.

Matthew Donziger Dear Big Oil Companies Please stop thinking that you’re more important and better than other people. Please Don’t just go to little communities and just destroy them with pollution and your company. Stop paying off politicians just to be in favor of your industry. There are many

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people in the world that are struggling just to put food on the table and you guys just care about the next oil refinery is going to be. People from the towns and countries you had polluted in the past have still not recovered from what you have done. They don’t have clean water, clean homes and clean surroundings just because you don’t care enough to clean the oil up. When people fight and try to get you to clean up their communities, you just shut them down so quickly because you don’t want to help anyone. The only person you're thinking about is yourself and there are other people in the world that have just as important lives as you do. Please stop just only caring about money and yourself and please help the people that are struggling from your pollution.

Sincerely, Matthew Donziger Winter Henderson Robinson

think I look good, but then you come and crack the mirror and my selfesteem. You loved me… but you didn't show me that you love me. I never loved you. Did you never notice that you hurt me? I won’t miss the salty tears that run down my face. I can’t keep you in my life. You are like an anchor that’s tied to my ankle.

Whenever I wanna do something you bring me down. I’m sorry for you because I don’t know why you felt like you have to hurt people. Does hurting people give you satisfaction? I know I don’t owe you an apology but … I’m sorry, I’m sorry that you can't get satisfaction out of me anymore. It’s like my life is a game and you are playing, I’m your pawn. I finally have the guts to say this game is over, you lose. Even though you did me wrong, I feel everyone doesn’t deserve what I had to deal with not even you. Have a good life. Goodbye depression Sincerely, your pawn Winter Henderson Robinson

Dear Depression, Arabella Vaccaro Goodbye. It’s time for us to go our own ways. I don’t want to lie to you, I really won’t miss you. I learned that we aren’t good for each other. You never made me smile. It’s like you wanted to ruin my life. I hate when you are with me. I’m never happy when you are with me and I wanna be happy, so you gotta go. You were very clingy and I’m sick of it. I can never leave my house without you having to come. You distract me so much. I can barely get any work done.

You made me so self-conscious. You made me hurt physically. Whenever I woke up I would see you standing over me. Whenever I look in the mirror I

Dear Imagination, How do you make things more real than they need to be?

Taking an image of fiction into a dream to a memory.

I didn’t ask to hallucinate like I have schizophrenia Even though I am clear from the fire A healthy breathing human Making me see the water as red and thick and the clouds like stone Layering me under a thick blanket of disbelief and suspense

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Making the air so thin that I think I’m suffocating But it’s there, twisting me into different shapes and sizes Making the abyss look real, thinking if I step forward all I’m going to do is drop to my death Only finding myself to violently wake up from a dream And then going back to sleep because we never get enough Where the world is only through a small lens and I have to turn my head to get a full view Trying to look at the Grand Canyon through a small keyhole I don’t have the energy to find the key for Where the lock is made out of the same metal I find in my blood The taste of pennies and cold shiny copper The smell of being in a small metal shell where it’s not armor but my skin Bullet holes won't hurt if they don’t go through Am I hurt? Yes Does it hurt? No Will it hurt one day? Eventually, Will I be able to take the build-up that I am numb to?

The anesthesia will wear off one day and the operation won’t fully be done Leaving a cut open body on the surgery table with doctors surrounding it Medical language escaping their lips The murmurs and whispers above the water Until another shot is taken Another event Making the dream not a dream but a wish but a vision Reality

The other half of the world painted on the inside of my eyelids where the colors are darker and dispersed To scared of the unknown but to scared of knowing the past, present and future Where time doesn’t exist but it's only a concept someone made up one day Second in between second in between little lines of time A rip in between space in conception The oblivion of my stability Lines and waves of color with sound and sight streaking the sky I see everything I think I see everything But I’m staring at a blank wall trying to convince myself there are colors If there are colors I don’t see them But my mind is so strong that one day I will see the red and blue coming from the white walls I start to wonder when things will stop moving When the clock will stop running around my room with its feet When the lights will stop dancing to the music When the carpet will stop flying And when the moon stops walking along the riverside watching the fish skip with their legs The moon with the dark side hiding its secrets even from the stars Where people’s wishes land far away And get burnt by the fire that the heat gives off Burning every chance of hope that the little child sitting on their windowsill once had Waiting patiently for the day their dreams will come true

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To only see that they aren’t sleeping well anymore And the comforting darkness of their room has turned into a voice that tries to convince them that there are monsters hiding under their bed Waiting for the exact moment to grab their feet and pull them away where it’s fiery and hot But not from the stars I want to imagine a world where I can see through the glass And breathe in the water Sincerely, A girl who's wondering when her mind will stop running wild Where her dreams stop uncontrollably becoming a reality And where when she closes her eyes She doesn’t have to see the colors to know they’re there With her By her side __________________________________ __________________________________ ___________ Dear You You You don’t see the way I struggle through your intelligent ways. You build hills of hot charcoal stone and oceans of nothing but the feeling of suspense. When am I going to finally fall you make me ask myself. You control my mind as if I were on puppet strings. My strings are made of metal and my shell is make of broken glass.

Dancing me along a stage of colors and thoughts, jumping over the sun and landing in the sky. Not among the stars

though, being that all my stars have gone out or have just grown legs and walked away. Right out of the life that is lifeless we call space. My space. My mind. My stars. You. You pull me through the water full on nothing but monsters waiting to come out from behind the corner. They grab my legs but you don’t fight them off. You pull them with me as if they were dead weight but my foot is going numb and my legs are starting to hurt. The world is spinning like my head spinning in little circles, never slowing down or even taking a break to stop and breathe. Opening its eyes to see the world in motion and everything’s blurry and only shapes can be seen. It’s hard to read your intentions like it’s hard to read without my glasses. Words mushed together into blurs. You push me together. You pull me apart. You. You take me down to the depths of hell and call it heaven. Painting the red walls white and putting the fire behind closed doors. Trying to convince me the heat is just from the warm weather, and the smell isn’t the distressed bodies of the burning people, but the air choosing a unfitting scent. A couple sizes too small. Too tight around my skin.

You are painful. You are trying. You are frightening.

You are me.

Sincerely, A girl who can hear the colors Swim in the sky But still can’t see the stars __________________________________ __________________________________ ____________

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Insane (I decided to talk through what it might be like in the eyes of someone who is uncontrollably falling into insanity)

__________________________________ __________________________________ ______________ Diagnosed

Is this insanity Is this instability Is this the dark Is this hopelessness Is this me Am I okay Am I moving forward Am I laughing Am I crying Where will I go Where am I going Where will I live Where will I wander What will it be like What will it cost me?

What will it do to me I don’t want to fall Am I even falling Who are you I see you I don’t understand Am I working Did my batteries die I can’t see Can you see Where am I Where is this What is this What is happening to my skin I can’t tell anymore Am I breathing Am I blinking Am I living Am I dead Am I gone Have I gone Will I go Insane?

Words after words of a language I don’t understand You’re going on and on I don’t understand Everything is just a flutter of letters and sentences I’m sitting there nodding my head It’s all I can do You lost me when you started I don’t really know where I am right now Medical You’re speaking medical I can make out only the shapes of your expressions It’s not bad you say You’ll grow out of it Grow out of what?

What about now?

What’s going to happen now?

What’s happening What’s going on I don’t understand you I want to leave My head is spinning now You say it’s not bad But you don’t have to live years and years on end With whatever you diagnosed me with Please explain what’s happening I can only make out your sounds I’m underwater It’s sounds like I’m underwater My heart is beating I can’t get up Is that what it is?

My heart is beating fast My shirt is throbbing like my pulse Like my head I can’t really think right now

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You’re smiling Why are you smiling You keep glancing at me You’re not asking to examine me You’re not asking to draw blood Where are the wires?

The heart monitors?

Where are the needles? The serious expressions?

Is it just me or does no one else know what’s happening?

Why don’t I know this?

I should know this Words They’re just words right Letters forming words forming sentences with meaning after meaning I’m blank with you I can’t think of anything to say to you Who are you You aren’t one of my doctors I guess now you are Why am I even here I’m fine right I’m getting better right You’re looking at a screen now My blood test results My vitals Nothing new You want to test me?

Walk over here?

Okay What are you doing?

That light hurts my eyes Yes, I can feel your tapping Thoughts are racing I’m trying to read your lips Anemia Orthostatic Hypotension Syndrome What?

Me? Split I am multiple

You see me one way I see the other The moon sees another And the dark sees some more Split into pieces Neon lights in the dark Standing still and silent Standing out Different Each is different A different color I take the mask from the wall To prepare myself for what I show And what is kept away behind the worn- out disguise At the end of the day the mask is off Sitting with the others My bare skin against the air behind the closed door of my room It’s fresh I like the feeling But I don’t like the outside air Memorizing the cracks and bumps of the soft plastic Of each different face Measuring the string like the lines of my palms The strings fit me perfectly I don’t hide behind the face I chose to put on I hide behind the door at the end of the day I like the feeling of the cool sensation against my skin Each day it feels new At the end of the day it’s torn to shreds The night is a time to repair Stitching in the new thread Paining a new story over every eye Every inch I don’t want to live like this But without my mask Underneath my skin is split My skin is scarred It’s bruised

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It’s mine And only mine Emmett Miller Dear Wyatt, I remember when we were young and innocent.

We had so much fun But now I know nothing about you so i'll start from the beginning.

I remember how much you loved sports and played soccer all the time And we used to play tag outside.

We would Face time for hours a day but then you got too busy.

I remember the time we made that movie together and I still watch it today.

I used to see you every summer and had so much fun.

I remember the times we would tube together And we would find eggs together.

I have a picture of us when we were young and I remember it every day.

I think the best way to know each other again is if we re meet each other So I'll start.

I’m Emmett Miller I love music and hats.

I have a dog named Finley.

I play the piano, the saxophone, the clarinet, the flute, and am learning the violin.

I I I I

live in New York. go to the Calhoun School. have a brother, and a sister. am learning mandarin

And I started to play baseball I still love to play games of all sorts.

I got into a card game called yu-gi-oh and one named magic the gathering.

I play D&D at my school.

I do good in science and supposedly mandarin.

I have many friends who protect me.

I laugh a lot.

I play a game called League of Legends, Overwatch and Rainbow 6 Siege all the time.

I do archery and always have time for people.

My favorite books are The Giver and The Book Thief.

I listen to old time bands like The Beatles and Green Day. I write good poems and some good news articles.

I have secrets that I’m not afraid to tell.

My favorite topic is time and creation.

My favorite color is blue I once played in the high school music band But the most important thing is that I want to see you and your family.

Now it's your turn So please write back to me.

Sincerely Emmett Perasall Miller

Owen Llodra A Letter to The Universe Maybe it’s up to us

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Maybe we are the only ones here in this vast universe of stars and planets, but very little life.

Why is 96% of the matter in the universe dark energy?

Why do you lack life, the stuff that will make a difference?

Maybe you create black holes to clean the galaxy here and there Or Maybe they are there because they just are, I don’t know.

So mysterious and unknown.

The future is meant to be left unknown, but somehow science still shows most of it.

It is the best thing you’ll do.

Fears like when you fear them but if you don’t give them that pleasure they will actually get happy, Because fears hope for the day you don’t fear them anymore, That’s when your fears retire because they trained you to no longer fear them.

Because then you get stronger and can do more things you may not have been able to do a while ago.

Fears want you to live free with fearlessness.

Even though they seem like they hate you they are just trying to make you stronger.

Anika Shah Dear Fears, I fear many things, They scare me But I keep doing them, Because once you push through them they don’t scare you anymore.

You just have to keep going and one day they won’t scare you If you are scared you learn from it.

Even if you are scared just know it’s not forever.

They are just fears they want you to fear them, But if you don’t fear them you win, And they want you to lose because then they win.

Fears are deadly things, They live of you fearing them, It is like their food.

But if you starve them you can no longer fear them.

Even though they are the scariest things to fight or confront, You will face your fears.

It is the hardest thing to do but when you do it,

Sincerely Yours, Anika

Quin Stiller Dear Darkness, Hello Darkness my old friend, we haven’t talked in a while. Every night you would fill my mind with fear and terror, thinking you were superior to me in every way. Everyone has their inner demons but yours were powerful and would always be seen. There was a raging fire in you that couldn’t be stopped by any amount of water. You took bright sunny days in turned them into a raging cloud of darkness coming after me from every angle.

Even the covers in my bed couldn’t stop you from breaking in. I would peek over and see the horrors that lied before me. I talked to my parents about you, but that angered you even

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more. There had to be a way for you to stop coming at my door, but one day that all changed. One night I shut my eyes and tried to block you out of my mind. You came but this time you were less powerful. You came closer and closer but you were blocked out almost like an invisible force field.

When I woke up, the thought of you was not terrorizing my mind. It almost was an exciting feeling, you know why?

Because I stopped you from filling my mind with fear, you were gone and I was going to make sure you were never ever were coming back. So, I just want to say if you ever come back, this time I will be the one making you hide under the covers.

Sincerely, The little kid you used to terrorize.

Quin Ella Law A Letter to Girls

You don’t need to keep up with the trends to be cool You don’t need to be the typical “girlygirl” to fit in You have to love yourself for who you are If you don’t you have to change it Even if that means that you will be “weird” __________________________________ __________________________________ ______________ A Letter to Grandma Dear Grandma, I love you Even though you aren’t here I know that you are still with me I know that you make sure that I am OK You watch over me from wherever you are You care for me You are my mother in the sky I know that you will be waiting for me

Dear Girls, You think that you have to wear makeup to impress boys You wear fancy clothes just to make an impression.

You basically reset yourself to impress people You have to be yourself I know that everyone says that 24/7 But I mean it I'm not going to redo myself to impress someone You don’t need to starve yourself to be “normal”

You love me for who I am and you always will You try to make sure that I stay myself Even though I may not always see you are still right by myself Even though I wasn't there to hear your last words they were probably “I love you.”

Cameron Brightfield Dear Doubters, Thanks for doubting me, it’s making me do more. Making me want to do more.

To prove you wrong. So keep doubting

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me, it’ll help! Say I’m too small, see where it’ll get you. I really want you to see. Doubt me. Please. I’m begging you. I can’t wait to prove you wrong. If I don’t the first time, just know, I always will. Doesn’t matter what. I will. So doubt me, I want you to, I encourage you, too. I want you to see where doubting someone gets you. I really do. So doubt me. Doubt others.

Doubt. I want you to see. Where it will get you. Let me just give you the answer. Nowhere. In fact, every time you doubt me it helps me. Makes me work harder. Do more. So please keep doing it. I want you to. I really want you too. Do it. I like it when you doubt me so I can prove you wrong and show you everything you thought of me was incorrect.

Sincerely, Cameron Arabella Vaccaro Dear Broken Angel, I haven’t seen you in a while. Maybe it’s for the best. Maybe I needed to rest my mind from the constant punches you threw directly where it hurts most.

You thought it would bruise but it scarred without drawing any blood. You cut us open and filled us with rocks making it obvious and apparent that you weren’t going to stitch us back up.

Leaving the wounded bodies in the forest for everyone to find. To them they are asleep. Untouched and unwounded. Silent and breathing like a newborn. To you, to me, to her, we’re dead. Gone. Have been gone for hours and hours. No air coming into the path of our lips. Gone cold in the warmth of the air that surrounded us. Ice with

color slowly melting from our faces leaving a puddle on the ground. The crime scene. Beautiful to some. A place to watch the sunset, a place to collect your thoughts and put them into boxes without them running away into the deep waters. Not to be gone and forgotten. Not to feel the abandonment within them. To everyone else, everyone who’s ghost lives within the trees, a scene of a nightmare. A movie screen on repeat projecting it on the back of our eyelids. There is no sunset.

There is so beautiful trees and water.

It’s dark and cold. Permanently suck in the night. The stars didn’t want to watch, they turned their backs to the hooded treetops. The moon hid under the blanket of a cloud. They want to sleep in peace. They don’t need to, don’t have to, see those two little children’s dead bodies lying on the carpet of leaves and grass.

You’re in pain, aren’t you? Sinking deeper and deeper into the pills and the smoke that comes out of your mouth. Too used to the second-hand smoking so you needed some of your own. The pain wasn’t that bad for you considering you were just an image. No conception involved with the making of your personality. Kindness with a bomb about to blow. Hidden in the depths of your fake compliments, followed up with a threat, or a disappearance.

Stability with a stake stabbed through almost making it to the other side. You can’t take it out. It doesn’t hurt enough. No Advil taken. No energy to reach the bottle, right? The scent of blood is your perfume. You aren’t afraid of the thick red liquid that comes from your veins. Forced out from the friction of the metal you found. Sharp and pointed to get

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through the now thinning layer of your skin. You used to have a shell, now you’re just falling apart. You’re hungry. Enough to eat a human but not enough to eat a grape. Drink some water. You sound pale. Your eyes taste red, you smell shaky, your texture feels dizzy. I can’t understand you. What are you saying? Speak up. I can’t tell if you walk the Earth without looking back on the days you were a criminal. On the run, in plain sight. Heading towards the spotlight because you knew that to everyone else you were in the clear.

Hiding behind a mask that you didn’t even try to make look nice. Expensive bags under your eyes and wrinkles like clothing. You’re only fourteen. Or fifteen. I don’t remember. Or maybe you aren’t here at all. All contact cut.

Physical. Emotional. The connections we had are gone but never forgotten.

You held a knife in your hand that night and you stabbed away at the silhouettes. The fidgeting bodies losing their breath slowly. The weight of your hands on their chest. Crushing lungs like soda cans. Stopping their hearts in rhythm. I wonder if your mind went liquid. I wonder if your hands broke off.

I wonder if someone was pulling you through. Convincing you that no one would ever remember that night. The night. I’m not scared of the dark. I’m scared of when the sun goes down. I’m scared to go into the woods. I’m scared to sleep in the sleepless night where I’m nowhere. Where I’m not used to my surrounding enough to walk blinded in the dark. The feeling of your presents behind my back. Breathing endlessly down my neck leaving my burt off hairs standing up. The scars from your kicks on my legs. The red dot on my wrist because you said the one I was born

with wasn’t enough. The permanent feeling of my limbs being tied together even you never used a rope or a chain.

You walked away and didn’t look back.

We floated down while looking up. The world kept spinning endlessly. The stars kept hiding away. The night went on forever. There’s no monsters under my bed. They’re walking on this Earth hiding behind their skin and name. My name, her name, your name, in your mind still. Floating around in the hollowness. Can you breathe? Cause I can’t. Ghosts haunt. But sometimes from afar. I can hear you from miles away. A typical mystery story without an ending. Because the ending was in the introduction and the story was ripped straight from the book. I know you remember me. We are back now.

Demons in little girl bodies. I have claws and horns. I’m not afraid of you anymore.

I think I can walk again. It doesn’t matter if it’s cold. It’s okay if my feet fall onto the hard ice turning into a block of blood and skin. Falling into the icy water disappearing forever without a trace of existence. I can find a way to walk without them. The feeling on the ground never felt again. I’d rather choose to feel the feeling of the air pressing up against the top of my head.

To fill the hole of where my head cracked and all of my energy leaked and drained out slowly. If I were a piece of technology I'm a ghost, she’s a ghost But you claim to still be alive Above ground, walking

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One day you'll drop your weapon and we’ll be there to catch it Watch us I’ll take you down with me Without a scratch, without a sound

You won’t even know you’re here Sincerely, The little girls who are friends with the Devil Because their enemy claimed to be an angel

Does she pity me or do I pity her?

I want to be that little girl again I am hesitant and mellow I pretend that I have everything under control I feel a warm embrace from Samuel, telling me everything is going to be ok Like an older brother should I touch my face, trying to change it I worry I will never be good enough I cry when I see that people don’t need me I am hesitant and mellow I understand that I am a human with flaws I say my best isn’t good enough I dream I can satisfy the expectations of others I try to do it for myself I hope to be happier in the future I am hesitant and mellow Brilliant Darkness

SEVENTH GRADE POETRY ANTHOLOGY Maia Hoffman I Am I am hesitant and mellow I wonder what my life will be like in the near future I hear my grandfather speaking to me I do not know if he is proud or disappointed I see my younger self

Black encases you in her arms when you try to sleep Leaving a sliver of space for the color of your dreams But sometimes Sometimes she’s inpatient She snaps the sliver shut Leaving you in her complete darkness Never to see light again When she’s in a good mood she will plaster herself on the night sky Her vibrant character may fade to a gray And clouds will shroud her brilliant darkness Before there was something there was nothing Before there nothing there was only her When in contact you can only hear silence Torturing silence Regret 78

Sins Death Is what she embodies She’s the bad guy And she loves it The Unsaid Words I miss you I miss the way you told riddles at the dinner table I could never understand them anyways I miss how you would proudly smile when we asked you a tough question You always had the answers no matter what we asked I miss how careful you were with your hands when you were typing Especially when you taught me how to read EKGs I miss your war stories or your Harvard stories I miss your hugs I miss your words The way you put words together to make a sentence It was savory almost Every word you chose was perfect And I, I say enough I used to be scared of you because of your wrinkles or your veiny hands For the first couple years of my life I refused to touch you I wish I hugged you more I wish I talked to you more I didn’t know that hug would be the last I didn’t know that word would be the last I would get to say I have so much more to say to you To ask But I can’t you’re gone for good In the ground with a tombstone identical to all the others around you You deserve so much more I miss you grandpa

I miss everything about you I never got to say goodbye A Dumb Little Prince The little mermaid As we all know it Is a cute redhead With her guppy friend But the original is quite gory Unlike the meric makeover And somewhat a different story Altogether Little Ariel is unhappy with her life Being a princess In an underwater kingdom Poor her She’s fascinated with humans But especially this one Prince Eric, how dreamy She’s sure he’s the one Wrecked by a storm Thrown overboard Little prince is unconscious By the shore Ariel saves her prince Who doesn’t know who she is And sings to him As if it will help So apparently singing helps Little prince is now intrigued And wants to find who this voice belongs to He’s in for a pleasant surprise Little mermaid wants to escape herself Grow some legs Be someone else And here comes the antagonist

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Ursula An ugly octopus thing Nobody really knows what she is Nobody really cares

And our little mermaid is overcome with sorrow Until she can’t take it anymore She’ll never get her prince

A deal is made For three days Ariel can hide from herself Behind her legs And be with her “true love”

She stands on the edge of a ship And jumps Dissolving into sea foam Our little mermaid is no more

It felt like she was being stabbed With swords Wait I not in the meric version But there’s a catch There’s always a catch She would be stripped of her voice The only way her prince could recognize her If she wants to stay a human She must kiss her prince Otherwise, she’ll be back to where she was With a tail When she walks It’s like she walking on knives Her feet always bleed Oops wrong version Little prince and little mermaid almost lock lips But Meric Being a villain and all Messes everything up She dresses up as something she’s not A beautiful woman She steals Ariel’s voice And deceives the prince Little prince and Meric will be married by tomorrow

But of course I just the original With the help of her sea friends Ariel saves the day!

She and her prince get married It’s a happily ever after Like it always is Like it always is A Quick Timeline The past present and future We decide our timeline I think it’s true that We can’t affect what happens to us I believe We are able to change our future Some people say Things just happen Its fate I think that The future depends on our actions Its untrue that We have no control It’s the cold hard truth when I say Our decisions matter It’s crazy to think We just follow our fate like lamb to a slaughter Everybody knows We have free will Its false that I have no control I had to accept that 80

The universe Time It’s complicated Past present and future Floating Here in the sky there’s nothing to disturb me Just me In my thoughts In the clouds Above the sea Above the ground Above it all I might fall And maybe there’s no one to catch me down there But it doesn’t matter It’s just me and the clouds Here in the sky You don’t need to hide There’s nothing to hide from nonetheless There’s nothing to hide behind either You’re completely exposed in your own vulnerability Here in the sky You don’t make a sound It’s a given rule It doesn’t really matter anyways Even if you scream and cry No one can hear you If a person screams and no one’s there to hear it Did they really say anything?

Here in the sky You can be who you are You can do what you want You can cry your eyes out You can scream your lungs out But here in the sky No one will be there

To catch you Could Hear a Pin Drop She wants to cry She needs to scream Her words are drowned out by her thoughts Her thoughts drowned out by the sound That torturing sound The sound That comes out When all your worlds are lumped up in your throat When your whole world is just lumped up in your throat They’re saying something I drowned out too Everything's Everything’s just Drowning You’re drowning In your thoughts Your words Your tears You’re drowning in That sound It’s that sound again It’s always the sound Swarming her In the warm comfort it brings And the disaster that unfolds around you But you don’t notice that It’s only the silence And as the silence holds you it its arms It grows So strong You can’t break it You can’t get out of its grasp This feels awfully familiar But still You try You have to accept the fact that You can’t win against the inevitable She tried 81

She tried so hard to speak To breath To live She tried so hard to try But nothing came out of it Out of all her efforts Nothing but the silence Conclusion I am hesitant and mellow Who knows what that means I’m sure I don’t Couldn’t even find two good adjectives to describe me So, I guess I don’t know myself Or something like that Well I still imagine what you would have looked like, Samuel I would’ve loved to talk to you about Whatever an older brother talks about You left us alone How depressing Especially this kid who wrote about The color black.

What depressed kid will write about the color black?

Out of any color in the world The one you can describe most Is the darkest one Like when you are so close to death Just almost Almost there This is an endless race Endless time Endless hiding Hiding my emotions Hiding my sadness As a tear rolls down my cheek I think of this Or rather, him My grandpa The guilt The pain I miss him

But I miss you were the words that were never said Like the little mermaid when she got her wish And the one thing that defined her was stripped And they rewrite the story as a happy ever after Just so they can make money off of children’s laughter Just so they don’t have to see what came of the little redhead Who jumped of a ship and who “dropped dead” Who cares It’s all in the past She couldn’t control it Happiness doesn’t last We can’t control what happens anyways The past present and future It’s all sideways Everything’s wrong It’s not supposed to be like this In my own thoughts over and over I just reminisce Here in the sky You can’t tell what’s real You scream and shout And nothing comes out And there’s nobody to help So, what’s that all about You’re stuck in the silence The haunting sound So, I’m going to ask you again Mom, Dad, are you still proud?

Ella Dorhout Sadness Sadness overcomes like a tsunami Sadness doesn't jog it sprints

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Sadness doesn’t take it’s time, sometimes it’s there a little early Sadness is not beautiful, but not ugly Sadness is not nice, but not mean Sadness throws rocks not kisses Sadness buries you with dirt, not love Sadness has no boundaries Sadness has no cost, it is priceless Sadness will be forever lonely.

I am doubtful but hopeful, I understand life is not fair, I say I don’t care when I really do, I dream that one day I will be free to think my own thoughts, I try to help, I hope you understand, I am doubtful but hopeful.

Elegy Come and go Some people come and go, Some people leave a mark, Some people come and go, Some people stay awhile, Some people don’t care what you think, Some people come and go, Some people will be with you forever Some people will leave after they get what they want, Some people come and go, Some people will come, Some people will go.

I Am I I I I I I I I I I

am doubtful but hopeful, wonder if I will ever truly imagine, hear the sound of silence, want to change myself, am doubtful but hopeful, pretend I am ok, but am I really, feel the soft touch of hope, touch the deepest pit imaginable, worry it will all end to fast, cry to feel free of the painful trap,

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Until forever ended.

Feelings/Emotion

The Truth

Her Poem She is not a story, She is a never-ending novel, Not an object, She is a person, Not a thought, She is a vision, She thinks like a poem, Not a mind, The poem no one wants to listen to, Her poem was her world, The world people were too afraid to travel to, Her world was to many light years away, Her poem, The one no one had time for, The one that could never escape her head, Was there forever,

The truth is huge and hard to handle, But it’s there and it haunts a person just like a ghost and a haunted house, The truth is that there is such thing as depression and anxiety, They are always fighting against your better judgement, It is an ongoing battle that never ends, It never comes and goes, It is there for a lifetime, But you cannot give up, You can ask for help, You can take the help, You can never give up, Anxiety makes you think of the worst, But the worst will not be on time, The truth hurts, But you will get through it.

Good luck with the truth.

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Anxiety Paralyzing fear, Legs, arms, they're still there, They don’t move.

Where is the floor, Not under me, What walls?

Am I seeing right?

Do you see the same tornado?

Or is that just my eyes, Darting back and forth, Looking for what?

Do you hear those questions?

What if...

What if.

Did the room just explode with heat?

Sorry I’m not paying attention, I can’t focus, Too much is on my mind.

Sorry, were you talking?

I can’t listen, My mind takes it the wrong way.

Triggered, Not like a gun, Like a mind, It goes off like a bomb, It doesn't settle till’ late at night.

Night, When the monsters are worst, Invisible monsters, Not hidden under the bed.

No distractions, Just thoughts, Pure deep thoughts, Thoughts that will stay awake longer than me.

I can’t breathe right, My chest feels tight, No, the nurse can’t fix this, Don’t feel bad for me, Don’t try to help me, Don’t even ask if I’m ok, I get that enough already.

Did it just get cold?

Don’t tell me I’m overreacting, You have no idea how I feel, Don’t tell me not to worry, You have no idea what real worry feels like.

Anxiety, The thing that will haunt me forever.

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That bad mistake, The one that changed everything, Squeaky chair, Ahh, that bad mistake, Never forget that.

My mind, Will.

Never.

Let. Me. Forget.

Flashback That moment, Everything changed, Not for the better, It's so scary, I'm scared, I can't think about this anymore, It keeps me awake.

Bad mistake, Scary...

I'm scared, Why did I do that?

I regret everything.

I'm overthinking again, I can't do this, Why do I do this to myself, It's too much pressure, I'm still scared, Paper ripping, Ah I remember,

Social Anxiety I used to ask what's wrong with me?

Why can’t I just say hi?

Why do I think I’m going to be judged by the people that love me?

Why do I overthink things so much?

Why can’t I let the embarrassment go and just understand that people aren’t thinking about me?

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Why do I worry so much?

Why can’t I ask for a piece of paper?

Why can’t I tell you, you spelled my name wrong?

What’s wrong with me?

Why can’t I ask you a simple question?

Why is it so hard for me to talk?

I know what I should say but I can’t force it out of my mouth.

Why can’t I tell you how I feel?

When you ask me if I’m okay, Why can’t I tell the truth?

Why does no one understand how hard it is?

It’s worse than it sounds.

It can’t be fixed by lessons, It can’t be fixed by time.

Why can’t I ask for help?

Why am I so scared of being judged?

Why do I overthink everything, including a simple text?

Why does everything have to be so complicated in my mind?

Why do I care so much while everyone else can just live their life?

I have an answer now.

Maybe Maybe if I cared less all of this wouldn’t have happened, Maybe if I had less feelings I would be better than just okay, Maybe if I hadn't listened to the invisible voices I would be ok, Maybe all of this happened for a reason, Maybe this shouldn’t have happened at all, Maybe I will be better than ok one day, Maybe I will feel like my outsides one day, Maybe I give too much for people that will leave in the end, Maybe I should give more, Maybe if I give more I will get judged, Maybe my poems are small cries for help, Maybe if I had more freedom I could explore my feelings, Maybe happiness comes in small pieces not big waves, Maybe my life starts here.

The Giving Person The person that gives me a reason to live, 87

The person that shows me true happiness, The person who would give everything for someone else, The person who would break down for someone to build up, The person who gives so much and gets little in return, The person that cares so much, The person that gives without being asked to give.

And he can feel the slight breeze when I open the door Orange only sees the excitement in the room He remembers nothing for there is no reason to He often thinks about where he came from and what he can do next Orange inhales the bright future of all things I Am

Rocco Fonseca

I do not respect You, the tree I have not seen I now give respect

I am wondrous and respectful I wonder why this world came to be I hear the voices telling me to try harder I see the possibility that I might fail I want my dreams to come out on an Ipad pro I am wondrous and respectful I pretend to try it over again to see what I did differently I feel freedom at my fingertips I touch deep into the Earth for something new I worry about what might happen to the world we know I cry for the mistakes I made as a baby I am wondrous and respectful I understand others as best I can I say the world could have been better I dream of others fighting over each other to be better I try to be the best I can always I hope I can find purpose in life I am wondrous and respectful

Orange

Katie

Orange tastes salty He eats the raw sunshine that beams through the window He smells the warm sunshine through the window

Katie was my dog and I didn’t really know her that well My parents got her before I was born I was young and I can barely remember the time I spent with Katie

The World The World is not mine No one can own its beauty It’s for all, not one The Forest They came from the ground But, where did the ground come from?

Will, we ever know?

The Stream I Call a River It seemed endless Rolling past me in the wind Fast rushing water I Have Not Seen You

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Katie was my dog and she got mad at me sometimes She didn’t like me very much Probably because I came so late in her life Katie was my dog and I didn’t ever take care of her I couldn’t walk her for I was too young I didn’t feed her for my parents never asked me to Katie was my dog and I didn’t like her much I was too young to care about her I truly regret not ever being there for her Katie was my dog and my parents allowed her to have human food She mostly ate human food and it wasn’t good for her My family and I could’ve done better Involved in a Store During the day people go to the store to get what they need Others do the same to get what they need And people are desperate and impatient to wait for others to get what they need There is now a system to help people stay ‘orderly’ But what is orderly to the people Getting what they want, everyone being patient for others’ needs I’ve seen many people and most of them are in a rush to get somewhere I want to ask why but the answer will always be different All I can do now is wait for the people to change their ways

From what I’ve seen things don’t usually turn out right Because there is a different right that people don’t see Baelee Glasgow I Am I am determined and kind I wonder if one day we all will get along I hear the sound of the sky I see curiosity I want the world to be safe for everyone I am determined and kind I pretend to be fearless I feel the joy in everyone I touch the hearts of everyone I worry that people will forget who they are I cry for people who are never safe I am determined and kind I understand no one is perfect I say never give up I dream that everyone is happy I try to be there for people I hope we will can see past ourselves I am determined and kind

Running from Life Once I was happy What happened I feel Desperate Confused Hopeless One foot, then the other It’s going to get you Don’t stop 89

Run If it gets you You’re finished Run Hope Don’t give up, so close Almost made it Failed Maybe slow down Stop running Get help Run with life Not away from it Family

Just me You can learn who you are You can learn to love yourself You don’t need to pretend you are someone you’re not Just me But I am here for myself Listening to myself Laughing with myself Doing everything with myself Just me, Just me Yes, You Are

People to support you People who love you People who care about you A safe space where you can be yourself You have family forever They will always protect you You will always have a friend You like to be around each other Your family helps you grow Your family teaches you how to become who you want to be In Restless Dreams, I Walked Alone I say something but no one hears me No one to listen There's no one to say you’re going to be okay No one to go to No one to talk to Just me No one to care about me No one for me to care for Just me

I will tell you you’re beautiful until you believe me.

Why do you stop me from telling you that you are hilarious?

People don’t surround you because of how you look.

People want to be near you because you are kind.

Being alone doesn’t mean you’re lonely.

You can be lonely in a group of friends.

Funny girls cry, and sad girls can be funny.

You have the power to be what you want to be.

Until then, I will believe enough in you and enough for you.

Henry Dorr Just Me

I can’t say thank you for listening I can’t thank you for caring about me I can’t thank you for being here for me

My name is Henry but sometimes I feel like a James.

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And sometimes I feel like an Eagle spreading my wings.

Inside my heart there is an eternal flame, Which will always and forever burn for change It will never burn out or be suppressed For it burns eternally within my chest It burns for peace Not for hatred This is why my eternal flame is sacred Atop my head is a powerful word That represent my whole world It is powerful as it is strong and always helps me move along The word is change It is simple as it is strange Change is new and unexpected And it will make you greater than you ever expected When I look over the ocean blue In the morning fresh with dew When the sun is up and the day is new I feel renewed and happy The ocean breeze calm and comforting And the new day full of change and enlightening When I look at a person heart Shattered and crumbling I think, why oh, why do they deserve this They don’t For their sake, I help But that tis a sight I wish not to see Unlike the breezy sea When I was young I remember Getting a present that made my heart bubble and pop It was a stuffed cat Whose name was Misty They were pretty nifty!

I have slept with them since and will love them forever My dad has said For as long as I can remember

“Do what you have to do before you do what you want to do” So when I go to play games My dad says, “Did you do what you have to do?”

Sometimes my answer is no And back to work I go Light Light can inflict pain Light heals, comforts and protects Light sometimes takes dark School School is where you learn Math, English, History, skills And you learn your dream Just Purple?

Purple is a kind color And lets many others into its shades.

For there is purple, violet, mauve and plum, Periwinkle, amethyst, lilac and jam.

There are so many other different purples Some purples have dark skin, almost black as the night, Other purples skins are bursting with light!

Some might not look like they fit in But they all are the same if you look within Purple is special color They are dark and drink up all the other colors But they are also bright and the help the others colors When purples joins hands with another color You will get the definition of beautiful

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Now, there are other kinds of purples But your average purple is wise Some people like pink Some people like blue But purples my guy He is strong and wise and peaceful But he never gets mad Purple never flares up and gets to bright Neither does purple get to dark Most color mean something Like how red can represent fire, prosperity, good luck How orange can also represent fire Yellow can represent royalty Blue can represent the oceans Green can represent nature But Purple…

It does not represent any specific thing A Silent Elegy Silence invades words and cuts them down It pops up and drowns them out You might look around and find yourself alone With no one but your own And you might look around and start speaking But everyone else is fading In utter silence Silence can always be repelled But if not it can be spread And once it spreads it can be deafening And break your words until there is nothing But silence When silence spreads it can destroy Peoples hope of joy And if you smile, no one will see What has happened to you and me

Because all they will see Is silence Silence will shut the door On any hope you had before And as you try and let you hopes free The silence will make you will forget about thee And you will become consumed With silence Maybe?

Maybe pain is life, And life is pain.

Maybe that, when you are born, You sign a contract with life, and death, Saying that you will accept pain if it means life and death.

Maybe, since love creates life, love is pain.

That makes sense.

Because many of us devote time and energy to people, just to see them smile, and talk to you.

But they don’t like you in “that way” Which is fine, because life is pain and love is life.

Maybe god is real.

Maybe they aren’t.

Maybe people made god, So, people do not have to stare right down death’s beady eyes knowing they will never see, breath, think, listen, learn, feel.

Maybe people made god to give hope.

So, people could be brave and know help will come.

Maybe god is real and people did not create him.

He is just not powerful enough to change our lives.

Maybe god doesn't want to.

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Maybe people should not fear death.

Maybe death is not so bad after all.

And when you die you go to some nice place and die happily ever after Maybe you don’t.

Maybe when you die, you are plunged into eternal unthinking darkness.

Where you are nothing and there is nothing.

Maybe we should not worry about this until we are about to die.

Maybe death might be a new adventure But not full of joy Full of pain and hate Maybe you die and look over your life And see what you could have done better Maybe you are allowed to hate a wallow it you own sorrow for millennia Maybe death is like heaven It is a relaxing place without worry No hate or anger Only peace and love Maybe in this peaceful death you get to see all of your dead family and rejoice with them that you are together again

Where stalagmites shoot up from the ground But if you go way, way down low Darkness consumes from all sides Where some ancient history might just lie Far beneath the sun and sky Nothing lives way, way down low Just like nothing lives way, way up high But there are some places where a balance is reached Between the sky the sea the land and below And that place is a mountain High above the sea but it starts at that level But connected straight to the ground It touches the sky And it last as long as ten million years

On A Mountain

On a mountain peak where the sun shines bright And in the night the moon always glows Because you are far above the ground If you woke up there one day Not knowing where you were you might think it was heaven

On a mountain, you can see The sky and the deep blue sea But if you go very high You will go beyond the sky If you can reach so high You can clearly see the stars in the sky Where space is near and the ground is far

Andrea Heredia

And if you go way down low Crystals shine brighter than the sun Where there is no rain or snow Where caverns deep down below Where rumbles and shakes break the ground

I Am

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I don’t want to be stuck on that mindset I’ve promised to someone that I won’t let that happen I guess a promise for myself is that I won’t give up anymore For them and for me

I am the light and the dark I wonder when life won’t be so ruff When I can stop worrying about things or struggling with things I want to live to my family's expectations and succeed everything I am the light and the dark I want to be what I have ever dreamt to succeed and be I pretend sometimes that I have no regrets, that I have never made mistakes that crumbled me to pieces It’s fun sometimes because it lets off stress It slightly puts me back together I feel uneasy Sometimes I feel happy Sometimes it’s hard because I want to feel happy but there's always something that gets to me I touch the distant gleam of light that seems within reach But it’s hard to get to I touch the hard concrete of life as it strikes against me making me stronger and work harder Sometimes I worry if I’ll never get to my goals That something, someone will knock me down so hard that I’ll never get back up again

I cry about a lot Sometimes I over think things and in my head life seems so depressing but when you really think about it my life is just tuff I cry that I’ll always have high hopes for something and think my hopes are right but when I see reality I’ll break down again I cry that I have damaged family relationships so much they can’t look at me the same without remembering Like my mistakes are a stain that no matter what they do they can’t wash away I understand that things don’t just come to me I have to strive to be successful Yes, I can pray for faith, maybe go to church sometimes But I know that god isn’t going to come down from the sky and hand me my wishes I say to myself that life has to get better if easier is not coming soon That life is a rollercoaster and right now I’m at a low point that might rise soon I’ve had dreams where I wasn’t in trouble anymore and everything was how it used to be Where I never over thought about the wrong things that everyone said to me Then when I woke up I would think how I used to live was a dream, at least a dream in my eyes 94

But I took advantage of it and now It’s a nightmare or my myself, my mind is a nightmare I try not to think like that believe it or not but it’s hard, but why would adults understand I hope you can make some sense about how I feel, especially my family, my mom I hope you know that yes at times I can feel depressed but on the outside, I will seem fine because I don’t want you to think otherwise I want you to just see my light so my darkness doesn’t clog you anymore than it already has I am the light and the dark

Black is empty and she can be found in the feelings of someone who used to be whole Black can see her label being used with race, feelings She listens to the world around her while she hides in the corners and creases of buildings She may be black and seem like someone depressing but on the inside She is whole, she just doesn’t know it yet Metamorphosis Mature into better person Except the mistakes I made and move on Turn my losses into lessons A lack of having depressing thoughts Make an effort to give myself credit Optimistic Reach for higher goals Prepare for the difference of middle school to high school Have more confidence on the inside On top of homework like all of this year and not lack Sustain a clean reputation by staying out of trouble Impact great things for my future Serenity

Black Black devours itself into a corner where you can’t see nothing

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Maybe Poem

Maybe I’m the troublemaker in my household Even though nobody says it in those plain words Maybe I wasn’t meant to be a part of this family Since I am the only child that doesn’t have the same dad as my siblings Except I am a part of it Maybe I haven’t always done the right thing But I’m not a horrible person, right Maybe I do look really confident on the outside But I also have insecurities on the inside just like you We are all maybe a lot of things But we all have the same emotions Not maybe, Exactly

She was old but didn’t look old She had soft light brown skin that matched well with her maroon lipstick She was an understanding nonjudgmental person And slowly she drifted away from the family and was trying to reach back but it was hard being stuck in a hospital Seeing her again, laughing again made me feel a release of worry inside I can see through her eyes how she feels lonely But I wasn’t allowed to hug her, she left me, all of us and she didn’t get one last hug But she left me her jewelry And we hold her memories and we’ll never have a one last memory It’s unlimited Haiku

Snapshot of my Auntie

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Snow drops falling down My feet sloshing the wet snow Wind striking my face Prose Poetry

Words The pain of words shaped into an imaginary blade that you think you’re cutting deep into me I may be young and naive But I’m strong And I’ll get stronger and you’ll fall harder You struck me with your lightning far to much You will no longer corrupt me Because as a weapon I’ll shed no tears This was temporary But now I will escape Because as a weapon I’ll shed no tears

Vulnerability is tough to decide whether it’s a weakness or a strength.

Maybe it’s pessimistic to think like that but you need to understand the weakness. When you’re vulnerable to someone you're giving telling them important parts about me. You’re sharing your feelings, thoughts, opinions, weaknesses and strengths and it’s not always a deep thing but when it is that’s when it has the chance of becoming a weakness. That’s when your vulnerability can be used against you, abused, and you can end up hurt in the end. If you think about strengths you have from being vulnerable it’s not a lot to me. If you’re vulnerable maybe you’ll be seen as a open person and people will feel like they can be open with you and that’s how you meet new people. When you’re open you take risks and you don’t stop until something stops you. That's how I was, I was open and I still am but not as much. Other people were always not open and knew the outcomes, sometimes I wish I was like that. But it wouldn’t make me the person I am today.

I need someone I can trust and promise not to tell my secrets, hope to die I need to go before it’s to late You’ve given me a bitter sweet taste But as a weapon I’ll shed no tears

Liam Hitzig-Santamaria I Am I am not perfect and confused I wonder when I will find my place in life I hear myself telling me that nobody is perfect and neither am I I see myself in a perfect world I want to change the world I am not perfect and confused I pretend that I follow along I feel angry at myself for not understanding things I touch my mind hoping I could grab my worries and throw them away I worry that I won't ever find my place I cry because nobody understands me as well as myself I am not perfect and confused I understand that nobody else is perfect

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I say that everybody is the same on the inside I dream that I will do something to help the world I try my best but it's never enough I hope that I will be remembered I am not perfect and confused Metamorphosis My uneasiness disappearing as the days go on Everyone finding new, real friends The original stress changing to relaxation All my worries going from first priority to last More confidence Others finding their comfortable place just as I am Real friends stayed, fake friends left Peacefulness, from annoyance Happiness rising above the frustration that was 6th grade Of the worries I had, few remain Starting to find where I belong I have had fewer problems because I had less pressure on myself So much change, one poem cannot list it all White White is a perfect canvas.

White speaks like the soft echo of whispers.

White walks with grace but when she's angry, she bursts in a rage of light.

White’s mind is blank yet it has everything she needs.

White is calm yet her eyes are always filled with empty fury.

White is restless and has power over every other color, But people see her as colorless and boring.

Here (Home)

Here, there is nothing needed that we don't have There are people and a seemingly infinite supply of everything Here there are infinite possibilities because home is anywhere There is no need for anything here yet everyone says that there is Home is perfect, as it seems Here there is no war Here there is no crime Here is somewhere where you can control Here you have other people, you have all you need Home protects people from the outside world Here, there is no hate Snapshot (My Grandmother) Upstanding blonde hair Always wearing a slight smile Full British accent Always reading and into a book Loose Librarian glasses Others talking to her even though she isn't listening Sly laughter Bright and cheery eyes Distant She is the beginning of a soon to be long line of American generation

Arabella Vaccaro I am the people within me. He is red and She is blue yet Our friend is gone.

Causing the pain of an Anxiety attack.

Maybe I’m Here taking my own

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Snapshot of me getting Lost in the Water.

Maybe I Am Blank I Am I am trapped but free I wonder what would happen if the word would spin like my head I hear the rivers flowing like the blood through my veins I see emotions, I see their face I want to smile without force I am trapped but free I pretend to feel the things others do I touch the handle to the door of moving on I worry that I will need a key I cry war cries I am trapped but free I understand life in ways others don’t I say things as if they were written for me I dream very little because I know sometimes they don’t come true I try to get people to understand without making them run away I hope that one day they will see that I am trapped but

free

He Is Blue He takes you away to a place where they can’t bring you back He covers you in a heavy blanket, waiting for you to fight Getting stronger Smarter When he gets mad he strikes down your face in the form of hot water Leaving the glistening salty liquid along your cheeks Making its way down From your eyes To your chin It’s warm But he loves the cold The image of frozen fear He awaits in the back of your mind watching you gleam Shine like a star He can take it all away Take you away He can keep you in the dark where no one can find you Covering your mouth so you don’t make a sound Taking away your light so people can’t find you in the darkness he made for you Filling your eyes so you can’t find your own way out Blurry Rasping your voice so no one can understand you Filling your nose so you can’t breathe Trapped Enclosing his arms around your aching body holding you there The comfort of emotions He keeps his secrets hidden He makes your secrets unspeakable Forgotten memories placed with him He speaks to you in a low whispered voice awaiting your reply

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Tearing you apart Making you feel better by letting himself out of the windows to your soul He waits He comes back He has eyes just like you Without his eyes, he can’t cry with you Playing with your emotions like a blue rubber ball Bouncing it up and down He takes your hand and places the ball in it Making you think you are responsible for the aching pain He looks like the person you see in the night Standing in the corner of your room Watching you Always there You can only treat the symptoms for so long Until he comes back Placing weights on your head Holding you down Trying to keep you there with him Because he is lonely too He wants you to feel his pain He looks you in the eye with his hollow sockets His face is pale His hair is hidden His touch is cold just like his blood His mouth stitched shut Yet he whispers He fills your body with shivers Shaking from crying The shades of blue She Is Red Her eyes stare into you Her hair flowing into the sky like the wind The strands of her hair scattered like the balls of light we see when we look up at night

Her skin glowing lighting up the darkness of the cold night Her eyes are hollow yet filled with light of the sun Her mouth place in order with her nose perfectly in line Smooth like a flame See through like a glass window Warm Her feet are blue Burning hotter than the rest of her existence Lighting the wood of the fireplace Her sparks flying against the stone walls Leaving black soot marks For you to take care of The feeling of airy lightness on your skin Reaching a hand out Feeling her warmth Put your hand to deep into the springing color Wrapping her hand around you Leaving her hand marks along your skin Swollen and red Leaving her color with you She lives with blue Sitting there with him Maybe he isn’t lonely after all But they both are Using you as a place of comfort Sacrificing yourself for them A shell Red and blue Living together Sometimes expressing themselves in hot water in your eyes Water Fire The sky mixing its colors Putting paints on a pallet Brushing the color into the sky Leaving streaks of colors An evening on a mountainside Coming together

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For a moment of peace Only to wait for the next train of outrage Where is isn’t just red and blue It’s all of us The colors of the creatures within us Hiding away

Our Friend Is Gone Hidden away within the thin walls Swaying in the wind Two little girls Mixed in with the trees and the leaves deep in the woods No where Light coming from the top of the triangle Spreading down into the cold soil The wind howling like the wolves in the distance The heat of the closed walls melting us like ice Sticky like honey Sweet Playful Traveling up the hill with bags on our backs Little bugs making their way through the grass Stopping every once and a while to catch the breath that almost escaped our presents

Night falls like thin ice breaking Revealing the water glistening underneath The moon coming through the clouds of grey Late night Very early morning Going from honey To lemons From little girls To stolen souls Our friend is gone Kidnapped Waiting to be rescued But I don’t want to come back for her I don’t want her back Innocence To get her back I would have to go back too Back into the darkness of the night Under the breaking ice But who knows If I will ever See her again

Anxiety Attack It starts with the freezing 101

Stuck The feeling of suffocation Yet breathing so heavily That my heart weighs six pounds more Sitting in the bottom of my stomach Beating to the pattern of my breath Rapid Like the tide of a river after it rained Blood rushing so fast that my veins might pop Leaving me in a pool of my own blood Then the eyes Eyes stapled open Burning within the back of my sockets filling with hot water Not being able to blink it away The feeling of needles holding my eyes in place Going further and further in Holding me hostage to the sight of being lost Next the numbness Losing all feeling in my face my arms my legs Collapsing on the floor Not being able to get up and run Sitting there in my lost feeling Slowly melting into the floor Encasing myself with the air around me Enveloping me into the discomfort of the environment Losing the feeling in my mouth My tongue resting Swelling up Pressing harshly against my teeth The tightness of my taste buds wandering away Now the pain My lungs breaking Like a soda can being crushed Like cutting shapes out with scissors Like open surgery Without the anesthesia

My ribs stabbing me from the inside out The bones pressing into my weak muscles Tearing them apart Stabbing through my chest Exposed wounds My happiness leaving my body Feeling it seep through the hair follicles on my skin Dripping onto the floor Mixing with the blood The smell of fear Next the temperature Sweating Yet teeth chattering Shivering at the heat Closing my eyes tightly To generate the heat I can’t It’s too cold But it’s too hot I can’t hold myself I can’t cool down Next, it’s the feeling of doubt The feeling that if I speak I’ll be forced to stay silent That if I dare to move I’ll cause a scene I don’t want the attention Why are you looking at me?

I’m fine I said I’m fine I’m suffocating I’m numb It’s all in my head I am sitting in class Silently Feeling all of this The pain The numbness Can’t feel Then

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It’s gone Maybe Maybe I to wasn’t meant get those years back Skipping years to make room for what I didn’t know I didn’t know what was coming 5 years of my life Gone Just like that Maybe I was meant to remember Remember what I had forgotten The missing pieces that filled up those now gone years Forgotten Then dug up from hell All the way into what was heaven And now we are back here Maybe I was meant to lose everything All my feelings All my innocents All my hope All of me Maybe life wasn’t meant to be easy Having its hills Going into the valleys The water flowing smoothly Until the storm came Until it comes again The clouds covering the warmth of the sun Leaving me in the cold Grey Maybe I was meant to fight

The persistence of my patience Keeping my heart beating Going in with shiny metal armor Coming out with nothing And some bullet holes Only going in with the knowledge of the unknown Only going in with my hands and my teeth Leaving with my phantom hands And blood in my mouth Maybe it was meant to be real The nightmares I hear and see It was all real Maybe I was meant to be torn into shreds Maybe I was meant to have a home in the darkness Maybe I was meant to know the difference between heaven and hell Maybe it wasn’t a mistake Maybe it was just the way it was written But I still think to this day Maybe it was all a dream

Here 103

A place where you feel surrounded by your own Enveloped in the arms of warmth Encasing yourself in a glass box where the walls keep you collected and calm A place that isn’t just one destination It’s everywhere The wave of emotion can’t come in The glass is so thick that the others are miles away The comforting walls and floor Welcoming each step you take with consideration Taking your breath and turning into something better The air holding up your heart so that it isn’t heavy anymore Making sure your red blood is moving smoothly throughout your whole body Oxygen making its way to your head so you don’t collapse Your legs are sturdy They don’t fold when you laugh too hard Your energy isn’t gone from breathing to hard A place where you can cry without grabbing your stomach and covering your mouth to keep quiet Where you can say your mind without getting yelled out Not having to smile to show people you’re okay Being able to be yourself without others thinking you’re mental Being able to walk around without wondering if the person behind you is trying to take you away from the place you call home But they try to convince you is hell And at some point, you believe them A place where you can see the blue sky through the fire And the clouds through the rain

A place where your mind doesn’t spin in little circles Where the world isn’t going hundreds of miles per hour That’s here But I’m somewhere else Trying to get here

Snapshot Ten minutes before Sitting on a spinning chair Belting the lyrics to some song Wearing your wool hat and green sweater I’m sitting there enjoying the sound of your off-tone voice Laughing so hard we can’t breathe anymore We don’t need too This is better than breathing The day we spent together Doing stupid things That don’t seem stupid anymore No regrets Until you leave A public disturbance That's what we are But what are we going to do Sitting in my cold room Me in the corner Slowly taking my Polaroid camera I take a picture 104

We wait Laughing and wheezing in unison In harmony The Polaroid never developed And I had no more film left But we don’t need to prove That memories stay with us Like we stay with each other That our life is split into each other’s That our minds are intertwined That our thoughts plan the others Writing the words to each other’s story That our lives were ruined Together

Lost I didn’t want you to leave I didn’t ask for the feeling of abandonment I didn’t ask to say goodbye Because I didn’t know I didn’t know that one day I wouldn’t be able to have the freedom To look into your eyes Even though I was so young Even though you thought my mind wouldn’t be able To comprehend a loss of a life Or the loss of the emotion that came with it The first event That started a rolling ball Doing down hill Getting bigger and bigger The pain of the loss that you wish to lose

The hopes in that the pain you feel with get lost within the darkness Of forgotten Suppressed feelings That become pain That goes from emotional to physical All of it gone I miss you I don’t know exactly where you are I wish I did I want to tell you goodbye I want to close the open door to our relationship But never our connection I never want to lose the feeling of your presents The feeling of you watching me grow up To fit into the life that used to be so big on me It still is But I’m working my way through You fought your battles And I’m still battling mine You got to the end of your pathway And I am still trying to figure out what path to take You were in the light And you put me there you Then you left And I sank Away into the dark I know you did not want me there I know you think I would be better off In the light With you But I’m fighting so strong I wish you could see me I hope you can I want you to see that You’re living in your peace And I’m living in your pain

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The feeling of pressure ripping waves through my body. Scattering into the cracks of the broken pieces. Veins flowing through pathways digging and engraving its way through my skin.

Leaving marks. Memories. Memories flowing through my brain. Pooling up.

Fogging my mind. Compressing me into complete darkness. Under water. Head filled with water. I’m treading hard.

I’m trying to keep my head above the ocean of thoughts. Gasping and grasping the air in my mouth. Trying to replace the water with the air. My arms are getting tired and my legs are numb.

My head feels like it’s floating away.

Leaving my body here to drown. Let me find the land. Let me clear my head.

Get the water out of my head. I can’t hear you anymore. I can’t see you anymore. I’m enclosed in the dark.

Filling with water. Filling with all my insecurities. Pain. Nightmares. I see the monsters that promised would leave if I woke up. I’m awake. They’re still here.

Go away. Leave me alone. Stop pouring the water in the fish bowl. Stop trying to grab my legs and drag me down with you. I don’t want to be here with you.

Leave me. If I’m going to drown I don’t want to drown with my demons. I thought I would lose them here. In the water. I thought that if I brought myself back to reality it would all be

okay again. I made myself wake up from the day dreams, only to live a nightmare. I decided to take it all away from myself. It was taken away. I’m small and weak, but my mind is made of stone and steel. Bullet holes piercing through my brain. Hollowness consuming my thoughts. My thoughts are empty. In a threatening moment, I suppress myself in the water. I force myself to hold my breath. Forcing me into the pressure of the silence in my ears. Suppressing myself into the dark.

Throwing the flashlight on the shore. In a threatening moment, I am somewhere else. I’m away. I’m gone.

My demons are swimming. They are swimming, too.

Inspired by Billie Eilish Don’t make me force you To understand me

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That’s not what I want And probably neither do you Don’t make me force my life into you Wide open arms You can’t hold it You’ll drop it Leaving me empty handed Don’t make me force you To leave me alone I want your company I want you here But if you can’t take me I’ll wait I’m heavy I’m fragile But treat me right And I’m unbroken And understandable Show me a place of forgiving So, I can forgive you Even though you left me here To drown in the tears you cried, When I left you first, I’m not saying goodbye Because you never said hello You never opened up to me So, I will lock the door to my hidden catastrophes Because I’ll be the umbrella to my own rainstorm To hide you away from the lightning Even though you already warned me with your thunder That it’s not enough To hold you back Pouring yourself on to me like ice water Freezing me in place so I can’t fight back I love the way you confuse me I want you to understand me I want you to see that I’m not who I say I am I warned you You warned me harder Don’t look at me that way When I tell you otherwise,

Don’t tell me that you want to leave Even though I have already taken that path My territory Lie to me Cover me from the rain Hide me from the fire Hide me from myself Sound of Silence Sticks and stones may break your bones But words will never hurt you The words will never hurt you You say your words weren’t meant to hurt me But they did They do Those rocks and sticks go through us Like we want them to Like we wished they did Rocks hitting metal The sound isn’t quiet Tracking down every trigger in my body Taking a grasp of it with your vocabulary Carefully selecting which string of words You will put in your needle And sew away at me Sticking my mouth shut Closing my eyes Forcing me in the quiet darkness Forcing me into the noise of silence The quiet ringing in my ears The pressure building up so high Filling every part of my body with silence I can’t break it Too fragile I can’t put it back together Too hard The words you speak I finally can’t hear But I’m in here instead

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My breath is silent Holding it 1...2….3 Forcing me to feel like I’m falling Falling down to somewhere called nowhere A place where the only sound is the quiet And the quiet is filled with the sound The air is filled water And the water is air Drowning in nothing but my breath In the silence Trying to see through the glass cage you made for me Each word’s creating walls Closing me in I’m losing my voice I’m losing you I’m losing it Sticks and stones may break your bones But words are the ones That kill us

I I I I

dream about a better world try to be nice to everyone hope life will be great am curious and brave

Ines Cortina I Am I am curious and brave I wonder what will happen next I hear the sound of music calling my name I see sadness going away I want happiness in my life I am curious and brave I pretend everything is always alright I feel loved by everyone I touch a flowing river passing by I worry I will be alone some day I cry about people going out of my life I am curious and brave I understand that life goes on I say believe in yourself

Maybe the world already has a path for us, And we need to learn to follow it.

Maybe whatever goes wrong isn’t a mistake, It’s just a way to learn.

Black Black colors the night sky While watching everyone underneath him Taking care and loving all of them, He is sarcastic but optimistic, But when he is sad, His tears fall all over the sky Passing through the clouds.

Maybe Maybe this world isn’t meant for us Or any creature that is living in it.

Maybe life was a mistake Because it’s eventually going to end.

Maybe all of this happened for a reason, Why would we be here.

Maybe everything we do is on purpose So we can learn what is wrong and right.

Maybe none of those thoughts are correct, But we need to learn to love were we live.

Maybe someday we'll know why we're here, Or maybe not but life is a journey.

So live it.

Elegy

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Bolo was how I called him, My grandpa.

He made me happy when I was sad, He made me laugh all day.

And even if I didn’t know him that much, I still miss him a lot.

I wish I could see him right now And just hug him.

I loved him And always will.

I will never forget him.

Inspired by Billie Eilish I don’t want to lose you, I wish I had you forever, But I already stopped loving you A long time ago.

I need you to leave, Get out of my life.

Your making me miserable, I need you to stop.

But I want you to stay, Promise you will never leave.

I wish you were here with me, But you already broke a promise.

different feelings and is strong but emotional at the same time.

Basketball is inside my heart because it is one of the things I can be with and relate with. It’s really important to me because it has helped get through a lot.

If there was a word written on my forehead is awareness. I feel like I can read other people's feelings and how they feel in different situations One thing I love are sports stadiums, all sports stadium they all tell a story. I hate pollution, all types of pollution garbage on the streets, noise pollution and political pollution.

I like the mornings on the weekends because it is a new day where I can recharge and just do fun stuff If my hands could speak, I think they would say hello, and be welcoming and caring.

I have lots of childhood memories, my greatest one would be the time I first went on an A380 (double decker plane) we flew to France, I watch movies, slept on the plane - it was amazing, I love planes and it was a great experience.

My Dad told me “it is not the critic who counts; Not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better”. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.

Whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood.

Matthew Donziger Personal Poem My name is Matthew I love the name Tobias because it’s a different name that you don’t hear a lot Sometimes, I feel like the animal inside is a dog because a dog has a lot of

Haikus A new year arrives Cold winds from hot air are blowing Where are we going?

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While we pray in warmth A man freezes on the street Without an address Turquoise Turquoise She is a blend of the color blue and the color green When you look at her she is cool and calming like the Caribbean Sea Turquoise is also a mineral that jewelers love to use, a symbol in ancient cultures of wealth and prosperity Turquoise she has an open mind and she is friendly and happy Turquoise is universally loved Metamorphosis Middle school, midway through my education Education, a turning point for me.

Tall, I think I grew 4 inches this year!

Adventure, every day, seems to be a new one.

Math, still not my favorite subject.

Overtime, something we never experienced playing basketball this season.

Recess, still my favorite subject.

Politics, can’t escape it, might as well join it.

Hungry, school still does not serve us enough food.

Opportunities, Model UN made my year.

Silly, never not going to be.

Intense, lots of changes Seventh grade, not too bad.

Elegy for Oliver

He was always there when I opened the door, his tail wagging and his little legs jumping up and down. He would follow me to my room, the kitchen, the living room, he knew my routine.

He was there the day I came home from the hospital, for years we sat side by side watching Thomas videos, playing with a ball and eating cookies together (his were cookie bones).

He would jump on the couch and wiggle is way on to my lap, he just wanted to be with us.

When he died, the house was quiet, and empty, nobody ever said “Who’s walking Oliver tonight.” He is hard to replace.

Bianca Luz Pink He was named pink He tries to remember a time when he wasn’t tied to a gender He sees the pink dresses, skirts, tiaras, unicorns, fairy wands, and makeup He hears the balloon pop and cheering as the pink confetti slowly falls to the ground He feels sad when the boys wearing his name are made fun of and bullied He is ashamed of what has become of his name, wishes it were different He inhales the sweet scents that come with the burden of what he is called He exhales to find that nothing has changed The burden is still with him today Like a ball and chain following wherever he goes He hopes things will change For his patience is not always at its best He is always watching from behind the scenes 110

He sees little girls in their blue dresses, dancing And a spark of hope flutters inside him like a butterfly For his patience might not have to wait so very long

You start thinking How long do I have to do this?

You keep thinking I can’t keep it in for long You still choose the sound of silence

Silence A choice

Silence A preference

Seeing a moment Letting it happen

You thought it would be better But now you know it wasn’t

As if the moment was a diseased animal You wouldn’t even think about touching it

You think as you drive Down to the police station

It bubbles inside you Not letting you forget what you saw You still choose the sound of silence Silence A decision The memory comes back whenever you fail to fall asleep at night Eating you up as your happiness goes down Trying to push it away Like it was never there at all But as your mind tells you It’s not as easy as you think You still choose the sound of silence Silence An option You hold it in and that’s all you do It sticks to you, reminding you at all times

Knowing you won’t keep it in again Knowing the relief you will feel Knowing You will no longer choose the sound of silence I am I am human just like you I wonder if you see me for who I really am I hear the stereotypes people label me as I see the differences from me to everyone else I want to be accepted I am human just like you I pretend there’s nothing wrong I feel the wrong inside I touch a time when I’ll know who to trust I worry that time will never come I cry thinking about the times I trusted the wrong people I am human just like you I understand that you think I’m different 111

I say I’m fine I dream of different endings to the many stories of my life I try to make them happen to no avail I hope one day things will change I am human just like you Metamorphosis Mostly sad Except that’s only what it used to be like Today it’s different Always seems like it’s coming back Misery, melting over me like tar Only the happy days are when I truly smile Realize that there are few of these days Painful words don’t always bounce off me Help might not always be an option Often, I trust the wrong people Saying I’m fine In reality, I’m not Screaming, but no one hears me Many times, it hurts Eating at me like a bear Tethered to me At times I never can, only can’t Magic couldn’t save me from this hell Only maybe, other things could Reaching for help, once it becomes an option Pouring out the tar that used to cover my vision Hurting no more as I start to truly see Obeying the darkness sounds crazy now Sad tears are gone as happy ones appear It’s never impossible Saving yourself from the darkness comes with work, but believe, and you can do anything

Ode That Feeling That feeling No not that one Go deeper Deeper It’s always there You just have to look in the right direction That feeling Felt for many Felt for most But each stronger than the last That Feeling Can take you to the wrong people If you don’t know the feeling right That feeling Will make your heart run faster than ever That feeling Will make your heart break like it never has before That feeling Deceiving Exciting Terrifying Amazing Blind Breathtaking Hurtful Phenomenal That feeling Know it well Know when it’s taking you in wrong directions That feeling Love

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Rebellious A Rebel Strikes

Below laws Below regulations Below orders

Each loud shriek as someone wins the jackpot Each ball’s loud fall in Skeeball Each familiar sound making me smile wider than before

Here there is nothing And everything

Each deep breath of popcorn Each sniff of cotton candy Every smell making me calmer than ever

Here there is sadness And happiness

Each sight of a happy kid winning the jackpot Each time I watch my friend get a high score Every view increasing my excitement Each time I touch a new games button Each time I feel another ticket in my hand Every smooth surface adrenalineinducing Each taste of warm pretzel Each lick of my ticket bought ring pop Every bite better than before Each thought of what I’m missing in school, gone Each memory of me choosing not to come here, gone But I know when I’m asked if I want to come again what my answer will be “Yes.”

Here there is darkness And brightness

Sinking Flowing Rising Here you are free Cold yet hot Bored yet excited Falling yet floating Wishing for more breath as you start to surface Don’t take me back Don’t take me back Don’t take me back Knowing once you surface you won’t be below again Don’t take me back Don’t take me back Don’t take me back You surface when your family calls you back to the pool chairs

Here Under Water in the Unknown

You look one last time at the glowing blue water Missing the unknown

Below rules Below limits Below restrictions

Never

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Running Never fast enough Jumping Never high enough Hiding Never hidden enough Screaming Never loud enough Punching Never hard enough Looking Never far enough Left alone In a world of nothingness At least that’s what I thought My right hand held My left hand held Nothing to something People Suddenly everywhere Surrounding Supporting Cheering on Trying Is enough.

Cameron Brightfield I Am I am an athlete.

I wonder what it would be like for me to be taller.

I see me in the MLB. I want to be the best I can.

I am an athlete.

I pretend to be someone I’m not.

I feel the need to be better.

I touch all the things I want to do.

I worry I will not make it.

I cry I did something wrong.

I am an athlete.

I understand I have a disadvantage at height.

I say I will do it, I will not fail.

Success My word: Success Success means accomplishment.

The accomplishment of your goal.

Something that you want and you succeeded to get.

Success.

Success is something that we all chase.

But not everyone reaches it.

Not everyone can have success.

Even if you work hard.

It won’t always come.

If you don’t work hard.

It will definitely not come.

If you don’t try.

Success.

Will only be.

Another dream of yours.

How I’ve Changed I have changed from grade school to middle school.

I have matured.

Experiences I had in grade school.

I carried them into middle school.

Experiences I had in 6th grade.

Changed me.

From being hurt.

To being joyful.

To failing a test.

To acing a test.

To not turn in homework.

To do well on homework.

From doing things last minute.

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To doing things on time.

From being late to school.

To being early.

The happy times.

The sad times.

All these things.

Made me.

Who I am.

Sports Life I’m short.

I have a disadvantage.

All of the kids have hit their growth spurt.

They’re all taller than me.

And because they’re taller.

They’re stronger.

Maybe not faster.

But definitely stronger.

But that’s not going to stop me.

Because I want to make it big.

I want to go to the MLB. And show everyone it doesn’t matter how small you are.

It just matters how much work you put into it.

Inspired by Robert Frost I choose one path for my life.

You can’t decide which path I take.

I take one path and that's that.

You can’t decide which path I want to take.

If I go down that way, you must respect it.

If you don’t respect it.

That’s ok.

Just don’t get in the way.

For this is my life.

Not yours.

I make my decisions.

Not yours.

Emmett Miller

I Am I am creative and fun I wonder what it is like to grow up I see the happiness people share I want to change the world I am creative and fun I pretend to not grow up I feel the time running down my fingers I touch a memory to feel happy I worry that everything will change in the blink of an eye I cry when i'm alone I am creative and fun I understand that everything ends I say to not be afraid I dream about being in school I try to be my best self I hope that I can be better I am creative and fun

Flying but Dying and Hiding by Young Emmett Miller My soul is to the ground, My faith is all around, my belief Is flying, even though I’m dying, and my truth is always hiding, not being revealed to any of my crying, but that doesn’t mean I’m down, because when I touch the ground, I start flying, but also dying so when I go to find my peace inside of me.

I start to fly straight up into the sky above me.

The snapshot of my brother The sky was clear as the new midnight sky As the clock was turning its hand tick tock And the faint cold was barging in The black fabric case was

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being opened to play
The silver glittering like a newborn star The saxophone being opened to soon be played.

Blue The color of the sky as it unfolds The way the water moves with the wind How with every poison a new change, From aqua to navy Blue is all around For it can be made with every color but not from every color.

Blue my favorite color since I was 1 How many blues I loved I can’t count From light to dark even the type of music Blue will always be the color within my heart.

Metamorphosis My life changes everyday Even when you feel like there is nothing left to change To this moment and from the past to future A nice feeling comes for everything I did good More bad feelings when I mess up Or special feeling from the things that change Really, I have changed a lot People I love I might not anymore Heroes I followed I might lead Ore that shined its jewels in my eyes might have faded away So, I changed a lot I really have So, the things I might have saw might not be seen anymore.

Ode to Gears Do gears really turn Because my mind turns around and round

Each gear turns to keep me working If one stops I might get side tracked A day dreamer has rusty gears A hard worker has the newest gears A believer has no gears Because a believer has no gears it has no limits.

Gears can work in many ways Gears will turn (of course) Gears will break Gears will disappear The more thoughts you have the more gears The more beliefs the less gears.

A believer does not use gears because they find other ways to think From moving water to flying.

Gears do turn.

Tommy Denaro This is Me My name is Tommy Denaro.

I am proud of my name; my name represents who I am.

I am a boy who works hard to, Do well in school, Play basketball, Make others happy, And be the best that I can.

This is me.

I have a dream inside of me, I dream that everyone will be happy, and work hard, When someone is happy they work hard, When they work hard, unbelievable things happen, When they work hard, they make others happy, When others are happy they work hard, When they work hard, unbelievable things happen.

Humans flew to the moon.

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Humans traveled across the entire ocean.

Humans created medicine to save billions.

Humans created the internet.

I could really go on forever but, the point is, Imagine what more can happen when humans work hard as a team.

I have satisfaction written on my forehead, I am satisfied with who I am I am happy with who I am, I want to be more, I want to be better, I need to be better.

The Sound of Silence “In restless dreams, I walked alone/Narrow streets of cobblestone” Someone, somewhere, Does not know if he will wake up, Ever again.

Does not know if he wants to wake up, Ever again.

He questions his life, He does not know why he is here.

He feels alone, but, he is not alone.

People care for him, he does not know, He does not know People care for him.

He doesn’t let people in, for he fears exposure.

He lies, but can’t admit it to himself, When he sleeps, “In restless dreams, he walks alone, on Narrow streets of cobblestone,” But, He can’t.

He can’t walk alone in Narrow streets of cobblestone, It’s not possible, He needs to walk with someone.

He does not dream alone, For others wants to walk with him He tries to let someone in.

They help him.

He feels “free,” No, not that kind of free, The kind of free you feel when you are happy, He feels that kind of free.

They need help too They don’t know if they will wake up, Ever again.

They Don’t know if they want to wake up, Ever again.

They helped someone.

It makes a difference, And they know it.

They are scared.

They don’t know how, But they want help.

They want more than help, They want someone to be there for them They try what he tried, They ask him for help He helps in a way they did not.

Not only is he there for them, He makes them feel accepted.

In a way that no one else did, In a way that no one else could.

Why Us

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Why are we here?

It could have been anyone.

It could have been anything.

It could have been anywhere, why here?

But it’s more than that, How could it not be?

We are here for a reason.

A reason no one has found yet.

We are not alone.

Here’s one way of thinking of it, Just one.

We are here because we make change.

Not good change, Not bad change, Just change.

Humans have been making change ever since the beginning We have made good change, and bad change.

The good change has balanced out the bad change.

Once bad change overrules good change humans will cease to exist But who put us here?

There is no way of knowing, We can’t even know if someone put us here.

It could have been anything or anyone. here is what I think Well, more of what I don’t think I do not believe in god, Or anything like god.

However, I do not think we just randomly appeared.

This is something I will never know, I’m not sure I want to know It seems like a huge responsibility.

Why us and not something else?

With hundreds upon hundreds of solar systems.

With billions upon billions of planets.

We can’t be alone, We just can’t.

How can there only be 75 billion tons of living things There must be something Metamorphosis Many things happened to me this year.

Even though I felt as if I was on top of the world at times, I struggled to be responsible at points.

This year has taught me to do what I want, not what others think I should do.

Among the best things I did was going to sleepaway camp.

Maybe it was so great because I gained independence and met new people.

One other thing that happened to me was going to the Dominican Republic with my family friends, Realizing how important it is to spend time with people you love because you might never see them again.

Prodigious impactful events influenced me this year.

However, not all the events were good.

One bad event is my parents not letting me have snapchat, Snapchat is a social media platform that everyone has, well, except for me

It could be luck of the draw,

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I am happy with how this year has turned out and how I have changed.

So, this year went great, but I’m going to make next year better.

I want a peaceful world

White White, White penetrates the dark, Even the deepest amount of dark can be penetrated with one beam of white.

He surrounds you like your covers on a freezing night He hates to be interrupted, He is so fragile; the tiniest amount of emotion ruins him.

When white blushes, he becomes red.

White does not like the night He breaks the night, He breaks the night with their own sword.

Joye Wingard I Am I am a girl and I am strong I wonder if there is another species alive besides humans I hear the sound of the ocean waves crashing I see a peaceful world

I am a girl and I am strong I pretend that everything will be alright I feel like I will never be treated equally I touch the soft sand on a beautiful summer day.

I worry we will all go extinct one day I cry that there is someone on this earth in pain I am a girl and I am strong I understand that life isn’t always easy I say everything will be fine I dream we will all be equal I try to make everyone feel welcome I hope I can travel the world one day I am a girl and I am strong

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Pink!

This is Pink!

She is 13 years old.

Pink learns that one day we will all be equal One day everything will make sense.

She understands that it may take a long time to happen.

One day, she sees bare skinny trees, barely escaping the winter time.

It’s about to turn spring and they keep on fighting for their lives.

Pink wants to be like those trees fighting for their lives.

Metamorphosis

Mature to a teen Excited to learn new things Tired of everything Adventures Many new memories

Older Ready to learn new things Preparing for high school Happy to be alive Officially a teenager Sad to leave childhood behind Imagine what life has to offer Settling down Samantha Ball I am broken not beautiful So, you’ll never hear me say I am happy, I know in my heart that I’m not good enough So, don’t try to convince me That I am beautiful I believe Light Can be turned into darkness Broken Not Beautiful Illuminati Orange Orange peeps through your windows The rays of the sun see before you do Opening your eyes to the orange The orange that shines through your eyelids The orange that somewhere is waking up someone else Orange that makes your Halloween special Orange penny’s that make someone’s day The orange of Cheeto dust on your finger tips The orange that somewhere else in the world is painting the sunset The sunset saying Goodnight.

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I Am a Dream of Nature I am adventurous and grateful I wonder what would happen if I left home I hear butterflies flutter as they take flight I see busy bees as they fly from flower to flower I want to be where the lighting crackles and rumbles I am adventurous and grateful I pretend to sing with the birds I feel the rain pitter patter on the leaves I touch the waterfall as it pounds against a silent river I worry that one day all the ice will melt I cry for the people that can’t find their way back home I am adventurous and grateful I understand that everything can’t be perfect I say I don’t care about those around me I dream I try to speak for those who can’t I hope that one day I’ll make a difference I am adventurous and grateful Elegy Today I saw three things I saw a young girl, A young girl who was brutally pushed to the streets of a country she saw a brighter future in.

She screamed in her homeland language The men laughed.

Today I saw a child,

A child who was shoved by another child A child who was punched by another child One who bled at the hands of the other.

One cried One bled.

Today I saw two men.

A man who’s love for his family beamed through is face.

A man whose loyalty to his county shined through his uniform.

I saw both men reach in their pockets.

One pulled out his keys.

One pulled out his gun.

Both hands flew up.

A shot was fired.

A life was taken.

Sleeping Beauty Aurora You know the blonde girl that slept for a century.

The girl that wasted her youth waiting for a price to come and save her.

Aurora, waited in a decaying castle Slowly being covered in a blanket of vines, a hidden paradise.

The girl that was awoken by the kiss of a prince she’d never met.

The girl that pricked her finger on a needle, changing her life, Forever.

Once a dragon magically appeared, Nearly stopping the prince.

You’ve heard of him, right?

The story’s called sleeping beauty, Not the brave prince, It’s funny how the story is about the girl who spent her life asleep.

The Sound of Silence 121

The dragging silence of the crowded field, before the ball hits the bat.

The creeping silence of the rain, before it hits the lonely streets.

The shaking silence of the child, before it reaches its final cries.

The inching silence of the morning sun, before it wakes your eyes up wide.

The shuffling silence of the music box, while the dancer takes her break.

The silence that you will hear now, as this story comes right to an end I hope this silence sends a message, a message of the silent dead.

Molly Fox I am curious and adoring.

I wonder what the future holds, I hear the world calling for help, a hand reaching to be grasped.

I see summer ahead and days passing fast by my eyes.

I want peace.

I am curious and adoring.

I pretend to not see the hate.

I feel the soft petals of the roses in a small field.

I worry about people being mad at me for things that I can’t control.

I cry for the people who need a voice and aren’t being heard.

I am curious and adoring.

I understand nothing's perfect.

I say equality for everyone.

I dream to be someone in the future with big accomplishments and the people who doubted me regret their decision.

I try my best.

I hope for the best.

I am curious and adoring Elegy Alone, all alone.

No one there, nothing and no one to talk to. In darkness, I sit. I wonder about when it will be over. The rain is thundering down. Harder and harder, until lightning strikes. The storm can’t be controlled and it won’t. The feeling of ache comes and pulls my heart further.

Pink Pink always has daisies in her hair, and a painted smile on her face. As her shiny golden locks lay on her shoulders she wonders what it would be like to be blue. She wonders what tears taste like, or being locked away in your room the only noise is silence, when it’s one of those days. She exhales but inside she's insecure. Doesn’t know where she's going. Where the heck this road leads to, but everyone smiles and acts like she does. She knows everyone treats her this way, she kind of doesn’t mind it. Whenever she talks about her feelings people say, “Oh Pink, you’re too young, just to know”. What is it she doesn’t know, what is she looking for, what keeps her up at night wondering?

Periwinkle Soft, kept quiet. Reads books when bored. The kind of rainy day that is almost happy. Doesn’t like a space with to many people. Waits until you're done speaking when having an argument.

Earbuds implanted in ears. Head dreaming in the clouds, will he ever come down? A sigh at a birthday party, popped balloons, cake on the floor. A pale color, too soft to scream. Not a dark blue not the one that hurts your eyes because it’s too bright, no, no, no, this is a soft blue a little bit purple.

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Will never say no, okay with anything you want to do.

Metamorphosis Minority Excluding friend groups Trying hard, depends if you succeed Almost trying to be perfect My brain, dizzy from all the fast motion Original you Reflecting cautiously Pretending things aren’t stressful How can I destress Optimistic Starting to learn how to be responsible Imagining the weekend Soon it's over and you will miss it.

Camp As I slowly exit the bus the towing trees welcome you back.

It seems crazy this is a reality.

You think it's so far away until the day is here.

I lug my bag over to the grass.

This is where I’m going to be, at least for a while.

I smile at all my friends from my bunk, but a sickly feeling comes over me.

Should have thought this through more?

What’s tomorrow?

I guess I have figure that out.

Maybe Maybe some things aren’t perfect.

Maybe that's okay too.

I know I can’t always win.

I can except that.

Maybe one day things will be perfect.

But maybe I don’t want everything perfect.

Andrew Vidrevich Andrew It makes me feel special, It has its own ring to it I am like a dog Sometimes crazy, sometimes calm And I think I am smart The love of sports and family and friends is what I live for It’s my purpose One word people will see on my forehead is smart, but immature and goofy.

I love the sight of my guitar and a soccer field before the game But I hate my music class I love the mornings because it the beginning to the future If my hands could speak they would say stop biting your nails I am a child, in the literal way to My dad once told me “The more you put in the more you get out” I will remember that forever Blue Blue is the sky It changes the mood It makes the day better When the day is slow Blue reminds you of being a child It makes you forget your worries It makes you feel like you are looking at nice water in a Mountain stream Blue makes you think It makes you question If something is right? Blue is my color My favorite color Blue Here Here in my house 123

It is space It is free It has my family It has my things It has memories It’s the place I go when I am tired I go there when I am sad Where my family makes me feel better It makes me feel great I enjoy my time there I want always have that place in my heart Whenever we move it stays In my Heart as a memory When You Lose Someone Close to You You feel as if something has been literally out pulled out of your heart You feel sad Upset Lonely It feels that anything is hurtful It feels as if no one understands how you feel Everything is wrong everything is weird No one cares for you Things are messed up It feels like that will never end Sometimes you just want to scream and wake up From a dream that never ends But it doesn’t happen you stay asleep You go through the 5 stages of grief Denial Anger Bargaining Depression Acceptance But sometime they repeat Logan Whitney-Morrison Here Here at the park down the street from my house

the kids come after school in the Spring.

There is a baseball field, basketball court, swing set, jungle gym, a large field of grass in the middle and a Jewish School right next to it.

I see kids riding their bikes, Playing baseball Kids twelve to eighteen playing basketball Kids five to thirteen on the jungle gym, playing Mummy or Tag Kids all ages on the swing set Mothers with their children walking on the grassy area The Jewish boys playing tennis in the tennis court.

I hear the boys in the basketball court cursing and arguing about if it was a foul or not and their rap music coming from their speaker I hear the metal bat hitting a ball in the baseball field I hear kids laughing when they get tagged on the jungle gym I hear the swings squeaking when kids swing on them I hear the Jewish kids speaking another language Everyone comes here at sunset When it starts to get dark, kids grab their bikes from the rack and ride off The Jewish kids get called back to school when the bell rings The baseball field clears up as the kids shake hands and say “good game” The rap music stops in the basketball court when the boys start to leave with their balls and bags When it hits nighttime everyone is gone, but one boy who always stays behind to shoot some more baskets in the dark.

Orange

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Orange is loud, never listens to rules, annoying and sometimes very naughty.

He loves to annoy his teachers and parents.

He is a very mischievous child.

He is always doing shenanigans He gets very good grades and gets his work in on time.

When someone is mean to him, he gets very sensitive.

His babysitter ran out of the house screaming She says he was telling stories about demons She claims he conjured them Orange never admitted it He just said that she was crazy His parents sent him to a therapist The therapist became terrified of him She claims he breaks things And tells stories about demons After a while people believed he was crazy Orange will never stop shouting Kids stay away from him Orange is a wild one.

They do not make eye contact Or say hi When they look at Blue It is like they are staring right through Blue It is like Blue is not even there.

Blue Blue is a shy kid Always alone Not sad Just alone You always see Blue wandering the school halls at night Blue is very sensitive And always nervous For no reason Blue is never noticed by anyone It is like Blue does not exist No one talks to Blue No one knows Blue’s story Blue always sits in the same spot in the classroom And just studies people Big groups of kids sit at the same table But don’t pay any attention to Blue

Afraid

Maybe Maybe I am better than I think I am Maybe I am horrible at everything Maybe I should give up Maybe I should not try What happens if I do something wrong Will everyone hate me?

Maybe I will fail And no one will want me Maybe I am scared Maybe I am angry Maybe I am confused Maybe I can’t I think I am going to give up Just be free of the pressure But then I will feel bad in the end That will be a whole new pressure Maybe I can do it Maybe I will try.

The court The noise The fast movement I am so overwhelmed Scared What happens if I do something wrong My teammates are relying on me I have to push myself No I can’t It is no use Aw man Three second violation Because of me I freeze up I beat myself down I need to cry 125

But I suck it in so no one will notice I am a failure I want to play so badly I am good I am just Scared.

Sydney Singleton I Am I Am Lonely and Ambitious I Wonder Why People Will Never Be Equal I See Beautiful Blue Skies with White Clouds I Want People to Understand Me I Am Lonely and Ambitious I Pretend I Am Ok I Feel Like Everyone Hates Me I Touch the Butterflies in The Sky I Worry I Will Always Be Alone I Cry at Night When I Can’t Fall Asleep I Am Lonely and Ambitious I Understand Not Everyone Is Going to Like Me I Say Everyone Is Entitled to Their Own Opinion I Dream That I Can One Day Be Stress Free I Try Not to Be In Pain I Hope People Like Me I Am Lonely and Ambitious Who I Am My name is Sydney Some call me Syd or Slime or Mango or Goofy The animal inside me is a lion because I can be really feisty and mean sometimes but I can also be really calm and nice There’s a knife in my heart because I feel like people like to break me down

a lot. They try to make me sad but it never happens I make a lot of jokes and sometimes people hang out with me because I am funny I love the sunset. It reminds me of peace because of the beautiful colors and it gives me good vibes when I need to think about the things I know I can look outside and feel safe My favorite time of the day is in the night, when I go to sleep I can forget about the bad in the day and hope for a better day tomorrow. I can dream about things and have fantasies and be taken away from reality. I can say the day is over and if it was a bad day I know I can start over tomorrow.

My hands would express myself more because sometimes I hold back my emotions so that I don’t hurt other people Parties. The parties I went to made me feel alive. Made me feel amazing. Made me feel vibrant.

Here The park The beautiful park We run We play We talk The park The sunset at 6 The clouds The water from the sprinkler Hanging out with my friends The park is a place for friends Also, a place where you can find yourself A place where you can be yourself

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A place where I can feel safe Where I don’t have to worry about anyone else Alone from the outside world Breath in and out Take in the fresh air Because in some places we can barely breathe From all the negative energy The park My home, away from home The Hate You Give The hate you give, has an impact on how others feel. We all give hate, but do we actually have to hate each other? People like to hate on certain races and certain religions and they feel like there’s something wrong with people that are different than them.

When will everyone be equal to each other? Why aren’t we all equal? We’re all human beings. We all have flaws.

We all are different. We all are special.

We all have things that make us the human beings we are. We all are beautiful humans and we all need to realize hate gets us nowhere. But living a life of regret and sorrow.

Four Haikus Meditate the soul Flowers and hot tea, calms me I’ll take you with me I love you so much Love you more than anything You show me the light Death takes us all in Scars on my body from you Jesus save my soul Stuck in a maze, oh The confusion in my mind

Demons and angels Black and Red Black The color of death My soul Is gone You can’t see me I can’t see you It’s the end Loved by many but gone forever Red The color of blood You kill me Not by words By the weapon in your hand You take the gun You shoot Not once, not twice, but three times I’m gone My body bleeds out Blood over the floor Drowning in my own blood Drowning in my sorrows Drowning in my mistakes Sound of Silence Within the Sound of Silence Peace trapped in closed walls that nobody hears, some don’t understand, some do We tell our story The one that fills our souls We’re not waiting for an audience We just don’t know where to start Being fake Being someone you’re not We cut ourselves from the pain The pain of not being heard The pain of being heart broken Avoid our peers Avoid the people who don’t care Just sit in the sound of silence The one where there is peace The one where we are heard 127

The one where we feel free And the one where we can be ourselves Maybe Maybe I wasn’t meant for this Maybe My heart is to big Maybe I’m not supposed to be broken Maybe I’m supposed to be perfect Maybe I’m supposed to be happy all the time Maybe One day I will live life Without the worries Of being hurt Of being broken into pieces Like a piece of broken glass Maybe I will forever be happy Alice Denny I Am ….

I am careful and kind I wonder what a silent world would be like I see opportunities waiting for me to grab them I am careful and kind I pretend that I am dancing and leaping across a stage I feel happy for each new day that I get I touch the sun as I walk outside I worry about other people being hurt I cry for others who are hurt I am careful and kind I understand that the world is not perfect

I say what I really think inside my head I dream that everyone could be happy I try to be the best person I can be I hope that someday I can make a difference I am careful and kind

Haikus Rain Falling through the air Washing over the city A whisper of calm The Forest Do not make a sound Stand still, breath in the fresh air Enjoy the silence Four Leaf Clover They say it’s lucky Just find one and make a wish But will it come true?

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The Countryside Rolling hills and grass Feel the calm, cool breeze blowing Nature all around

Backwards/Forwards Poem

Ode to Dance

Today will be just another boring day So, don’t try to tell me It is full of new opportunities A day that holds excitement A great day to be alive Because I see it as Another day to drag myself along It will never be A new day to enjoy

Gliding and sweeping Across the room With grace With beauty There is pain Breath through the pain Embrace the pain Rise from the pain When you fall Get back up and try again Progress Move with the music Feel the music Leap, fly, soar Dance

A New Day

Fairy Tale Poem Little Red Riding Hood Little Red Riding Hood You know, the little girl in the red hood Who brings lunch to her grandmother’s house And decides to walk through the woods What could go wrong?

Let’s start at the beginning Her mother tells her to bring lunch to her grandmother, who is sick Apparently, the quickest way there is through the woods Well, she puts on her red riding hood And is on her way Little does she know, That a Big Bad Wolf is lurking in the woods But she just whistles a tune, and leisurely walks along Well as you might have guessed, Now’s when she encounters the Wolf Lucky for Little Red Riding Hood, She didn’t get eaten this time

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She continues on her way to grandmother’s house She thinks she is free of the wolf But boy was she wrong She finally arrives at her destination And makes her way to her granny’s room To find grandmother lying in bed (spoiler alert! It’s the wolf, who beat Red Riding Hood To grandmother’s house, ate her, and then dressed up in her nightgown and cap) Well, Red Riding Hood can’t tell the difference Between a wolf face and her grandmother’s face Yet she notices the details, and starts commenting “My, Granny, what big ears you have!”

The disguised wolf replies, “All the better to hear you with, my dear!”

Anyway, later that day an axe man passes grandmother’s house He goes inside and sees the wolf As you might have guessed, it tries to eat him, too He has an axe, so he kills the wolf Then he cuts open the wolf’s stomach, and what a surprise he gets Clearly, the wolf doesn’t use those “big teeth” of his to chew So, Grandmother and Red Riding Hood escape, still intact And they all live Happily ever after Because what fairytale doesn’t end that way?

This same exchange happens with every other facial feature And the sense that goes with it Eventually, Little Red remarks on “Granny’s” big teeth To which the wolf replies, “All the better to eat you with!” and jumps out of bed He catches Red Riding Hood and invites her to tea. (Just kidding, the wolf eats her) Ok, pause the story for a minute This must be a highly intelligent wolf He beats a little girl to her grandmother’s house Then eats the grandmother and puts on her clothes as a disguise And, of course, he can speak, too

Blue Blue is a calm soul Singing tunes with the wind And painting the sky But sometimes she feels light 130

And sometimes she feels dark Blue hears the birds chirping, But remembers cries of sorrow She touches the cool, gentle stream But wipes the tear from her own face She sees beauty But understands pain She inhales the sweet breeze And exhales smoke She eats a delightful ice cream cone And knows how it feels to drop it on the ground She tastes refreshing water And smells sour, polluted water She speaks with uplifting cheer But feels an anchor weighing her down She tells stories of happiness But thinks of sadness Blue does not have just one shade And she does not know just one side of life

stumble, it will turn into a plummet through a dark hole with no bottom.

You will just keep falling, and falling, and falling. If you don’t learn. And you can learn. You can rise. Life will be full of many stumbles, and whether you rise or keep falling is up to you.

A Field of Flowers

Prose Poetry Rise The night is like a sheet of darkness covering the city. But the sun always rises, and so must you. Don’t fall too far or you’ll lose yourself. Life won’t wait for you, and it would be a shame to miss it. When you stumble, get back up. If you don’t learn from a small

A huge, open meadow Where the silence is plentiful And beauty is of abundance Little green stems poke up From the soft soil They emerge through the grass And open up to a masterpiece An artwork of the earth All kinds of flowers Each with their own personality, Their own reason for being The roses enchant you with their fragrance And make you fall in love with them The daisies dance and twirl in the breeze As they smile to the sky The buttercups are small and shy But the brightness of their yellow

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Outshines the blinding sun above The poppies grab your attention And cheer you up with their brilliant color All the flowers are living in harmony Without a care Sharing their beauty with the world

Memories can haunt you And leave you stranded The time when you fell on the playground The other kids laughed And you felt something inside you Shatter into a million pieces But memories can save you They can show you who you are A time when you found love And the emptiness inside you Wasn’t so empty anymore

Memories The moments that you hold on to That remind you of yourself On the nights I lie awake Sometimes I think of memories Memories are captured forever In a series of snapshots They can’t forget you And you can’t forget them They are tied to you like a shiny new bow Memories are like a dream And sometimes a nightmare They want to be heard They want you to wake up one day And realize what your past is made of They want you to listen In the uninterruptible silence When you can only feel yourself And when the world seems cruel

The day somebody lets go And you are left falling, trying to scream But unable to make a sound Memories will catch you They will set you down and show you the way Their promise to always be there Will be unbreakable Ella Law Blue In cloudy skies, blue eats the clouds In the darkness, you see the blue trying to survive the night Blue is the ocean Blue is the water Blue stays calm through tough situations When blue can’t stay calm Blue falls from the sky When you want to see blue he appears in a person’s eyes Blue is there to keep you calm Blue Blue Blue Blue

is in the milky way is in all paintings is the star wants to be appreciated

Grandmother

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Hard to breathe They say she’s fragile Tryin’ to survive just one more day Miss the traveling The worst things in life come free to us We keep her close to us She would want us to be strong for her If we hurt over her she will get hurt They say she’s in a better place But still…

Hard to breathe They say she’s fragile Tryin’ to survive just one more day Miss the traveling The worst things in life come free to us We keep her close to us Longing to see her again Lovin’ the dogs for us Missin’ you Missin’ me Wanting to be whole again Hard to breathe They say she’s fragile Tryin’ to survive just one more day Miss the traveling The worst things in life come free to us We keep her close to us We need her as much as she needs us Wanting her to come back to us Knowing that’s never going to happen Hearing her voice on repeat Waiting for her to come home Hard to breathe They say she’s fragile Tryin’ to survive just one more day Miss the traveling The worst things in life come free to us The worst things in life come free to us The worst things in life come free to us The worst things in life come free to us

I Am I am loved and caring I wonder why I hear my grandma telling me “you got this” I see my grandma watching over me I want a camera I am loved and caring I pretend my favorite babysitter is alive and still telling me “clean your room!”

I feel sad and happy at the same time I touch a unicorn I worry “is there something wrong with me” I cry because I miss my grandma I am loved and caring I understand that I have a lot of people that care about me I say people should be more supportive I dream about a world without bullying I try to do my best I hope to continue traveling as I get older I am loved and caring Ben Silvan What I Am I am an upstanding basketball player.

I wonder what death is like.

I see my future as an upstanding basketball player.

I want to be an upstanding basketball player.

I am an upstanding basketball player.

I pretend my dreams are real.

I feel relaxed while floating in the air.

I touch the clouds I worry that I won’t achieve my dreams.

I cry when I don’t achieve my goals I am an upstanding basketball player I understand all my goals may not become reality

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I say At least I will have the satisfaction I did everything I could.

I dream I will become a basketball player.

I try to do everything I can to be an upstander I hope to always be a basketball player I am an upstanding basketball player Pink Pink is nice and caring They aren’t too smart But they are always there for you No matter what they care They will never leave you in the dirt Pink is nice and caring They are upstanders They share differences with blue but they complement each other well Pink dedicates their life to helping others

Here Basketball court The basketball court makes me feel at home When I am there I can do what I want and it is somewhere I am always happy to be I have many friends there that I bond with and I am always there for them and vice versa We are brothers, and especially on my team we have a family atmosphere We push each other to get better and we are each other’s inspirations When we fall or fail whatever the case everyone helps them get back on their two feet.

The court is home to two of my favorite objects, being the rim and having the ball be used on it.

I have a love for it that nobody can even fathom

The court gives me feelings of comfort and freedom It has such a welcoming and caring community every court you go The hours I have spent there have made my life all the more enjoyable, on and off the court because of everything I have learned there The basketball court is irreplaceable.

Quin Stiller I Am I am funny and athletic I wonder what I will be when I grow up?

I hear a basketball dribbling I see a basketball going through the net I want to get better at basketball I am funny and athletic I pretend to be in the NBA I feel excited and amazed I touch the sky I worry that people judge me I cry when someone I love passes away I am funny and athletic I understand life is hard I say it’s important to follow your dreams I dream of making more shots on the basketball team Next year I try to play my hardest I hope I can make the world a better place I am funny and athletic If I Owned a Word Anonymous Anonymous is mostly Valentine cards Anonymous is authors hiding Anonymous is originally Greek Anonymous is an onoma

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An means without Onoma means name Anonymous is no name Anonymous became an English word in the 16th century Anonymous makes me feel mysterious Anonymous matters because it makes people ask I have never used it but I have seen kids use it On their Valentines Anonymous should be respected because it asks for privacy Blue Blue hears the ocean breeze Blue touches the sky and fills it with its colors Blue sees the whole world spinning Blue inhales the shining light He exhales the wind Blue tastes the rain and plants He smells the pollution Blue feels sad about the planet He knows that people can be hurtful to him Blue remembers the sunny days and clean air He speaks to black at night Blue eats sadness He understands emotions Blue tells stories He thinks about how he can change the world Fun I feel the soft snow under my board as I ride I am in the mountains with my friends We stop to take a picture So, this will last forever My friends and I are having fun Because we are doing what we love

My blue coat reminds me of this trip always The air is windy and cold But I don’t care, because I am with my Friends The sun is shining And so am I on the inside Our bodies form shadows on the Soft white snow Our shadows look like our Own statues My friend stands up because he is about To go down the hill I will follow him The trees stand behind us as if They are posing for the photo as well Maybe Maybe I was destined to be a nice person From the time I was born, Maybe basketball was always the sport for me Maybe I am quiet sometimes because I get nervous Maybe I am nervous but that doesn’t stop Me from speaking up Maybe my friends don’t know everything about Me and that’s okay Maybe I struggle with math And that’s ok Maybe poetry is my favorite form of writing Because I can express my emotions through it Fairytale Poem The Wolf’s Story I saw her walking through the woods In her little red riding hood 135

Not a care in the world And I asked her where she was headed She told me “I am off to my grandma’s” I hadn’t eaten for a while And this looked like the perfect opportunity I followed the girl And I saw where she was headed A house with an old lady In it The next day I approached the house and broke in And ate that old woman In one bite she was delicious I decided to put on the old woman’s clothes to trick the girl Then she walked in so innocent And she said, “Oh grandma what big ears you have!

I responded, “The better to hear you with my dear” I was really trying to sell it She kept asking me these boring questions I had to put an end to it I jumped out and tried to eat her But she was fast and ran Everyone says that then a woodsman came, but that’s not true I tripped and knocked against a table And spat out the old lady Then I wasn’t finished and I tried to grab the girl But she ducked and I ran right in the face of a tree And then I was dizzy and then I passed out Now I give up eating humans and have become a vegetarian poetry Writer It’s much healthier for you Just saying Winter Henderson Robinson

I Am I am confused and tranquil I wonder where the future will bring me I hear comments that are hateful I want people to see me for who i am I am confused and tranquil I pretend to understand friends I hear my old thoughts running through my head I feel bad for my younger self I touch my younger selves shoulder and apologize I worry that I’m not good enough I cry when I don’t feel good enough I am confused and tranquil I understand not everyone is perfect I say I’m ok I dream of clouds and silence I try to think positively I hope I will be happy when I’m older I am confused and tranquil

Baby Blue Baby Blue Baby Blue’s cry is like the Niagara Falls but silent as a feather falling off a shelf.

Baby Blue lives in the clouds where it is soft as a fluffy blanket you get at Christmas.

He remembers when his mother sang a lullaby, the lullaby was quiet and soft.

Baby Blue is like the ocean when the water is clear and the waves are soft.

When Baby Blue is happy he shines like a pool in the summertime.

His eyes, Like pearls,

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Straight from the ocean.

Metamorphosis

walk away because you are scared of the

Major change in friend groups Emotionally not stable Too much time wasted And wasted on the wrong things More responsibility Overcoming Reputation Painfull Hospital Opportunity to try harder Sadness all night long Improvement Sensitive to comments

Fake People They are great actors. They distract her.

Fake people.

Maybe they like her.

But inside her she is hurt.

She acts like she doesn’t care.

They tell you that they

thought of not having them in your life.

You want to let go of them but it’s hard.

You know they don’t care about you but you still care about them. You like having their company but they hate having yours. They hate when you text them or call them. And your know that but you still text and call them.

When will you understand that they aren’t good for you. You can make better friends. I know it’s hard but life is hard so, if you aren’t going to do it know when are you going to do it

are always gonna be there for you. Than you hear them

They played with your feelings and now

talking trash about you. In a

they are playing with your mind. This is

flash they will

not a game if you keep

drop you. You can’t 137

letting this happen you get hurt not them. You don’t deserve This . Walk away when W hen you still can

Tired She is tired Tired of thinking Tired of trying Tired of crying Tired of school Tired of fake friends Tired of not being Heard Tired of living in this society She just wants to go to bed and never wake up.

I Am - Forwards/Backwards Poem I am stupid Nobody can ever convince me that I have talent in me I know that I won’t make it in life No one can tell me I was meant to be great Because they would be lying I’m a failure People can't say I’m smart

It’s hard for me to catch up with my thoughts It’s like my thoughts are running on Tracks that are up in the sky.

Here There is a part in my mind that I go to when I need to calm down It has palm trees and beaches.

I am the only person there.

Here in my head I have to be careful When doing things because here There is a tank of tears the tank is made out Of glass, very thin glass that can be broken With just a touch.

Maybe Maybe my smile is covering up The fact that I am not always happy Maybe I am supposed to grow up And have a family of my own Maybe I have to find My own purpose in life Maybe I’m scared of growing up Maybe I don’t have the best relationship With my parents Maybe I will have to take care of My parents when I’m older Maybe I’m always running from The thought of being ok Maybe I feel like being ok Is bad

Here

Tomas Michelangeli

Here in my head it's like a maze Every decision I make is being Questioned and stomped on I get distracted easily by my Imaginary perfect life I can’t remember things that I learn in school

Me,Myself, and I I am Tomas,Tija,and Le hai ran.

I am a sea otter, wild, free, fun, smart and clever.

Or maybe a panther, cunning, keen, intelligent, tough.

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There Is a fire in my heart. Not the bad kind, the kind that feels alive, the kind that warms you from the inside. The you eat ‘smores by.

The word Written in on my forehead if Nature. I love nature, it is where things are truly. It is where things can be themselves. That's why they say act Natural.

I love the sight of trees and lakes.

I hate the sight of elephant tusks alone, or of a chainsaw by a tree.

I love the evening, all is calm and still inside.

If my hands could speak they'd talk too much. They’d talk about all the things they have seen. They would say “help” in the winter, and “I am coming” in the summer.

I remember a jungle filled with birds in a land that now is deceased by crimes of Socialism.

Calmate, they say calm. I can't always be calm, there is just so much to do.

Some people say they're afraid to take that leap. A leap into something new.

That's a lie. They’re afraid of the fall.

Some people dream to fly. But you can't fly if you don't fall first.

Some people say it’s because they feel that they want to fly.

The people that do fly. The birds that is. Know that they have to leap away from their safety so that they can fall.

Then so that they can fly Flying and falling are the same thing you know.

To fly you must know how to fall.

You have to know how to get back up People say they’re afraid of falling.

That's a lie. They’re afraid that they won't get back up.

The Poet Green Green comforts the eyes like a blanket.

Green is the color of life. When green gets mad he conjures a wind able to rip the sole. Green likes to help the creatures of earth with kindness and wisdom. Green breathes in death and exhales life. Green is poison when he’s mad, and a summer breeze when he's happy. Green spreads like spilt water.

Green is the wisest of the colors. If you stay a while he'll tell you the secrets of the universe and the mystery of life.

Green is like the poet that's never done writing. There is always more to say, to those who listen.

The Fall

Elegy to Paul

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They told me he was sick. He was my great uncle. Brain cancer they said. We went to his house. It was hard to see him like that. Sick. My heart was being held by sadness. Every knight we prayed for him. We counted the days until he got better. One day we stopped counting. Not because he got better. But because he didn’t.

Only until you learn are you stuck with us.

Unless there is nothing wrong with being misspelled.

Then we’re just as strong as you.

Until someone makes us weak.

By correcting us.

We're all misspelled in the end.

If You Ever Need a Friend You made me when you were little. Out of dreams, hopes, creativity, and imagination. We are different, my kind I mean. We are unique to every person who makes us. Little do they know we made a part of them. But then grew up and walked away. Away from the grounds in which we used to play. But now you sit there alone. The same way as yesterday. A man alone in the middle of a field, his face in his hands wishing he was in a better land. No one knew it would happen to you. But now you need a friend whom which to play.

So, I come bobbing down in a childish way.

But you say “No my friend. Not today” Oh, The Words I look down the library halls.

Thousands of books.

Millions of words.

Trillions of letters.

Not a single one for me.

In a world of words, we are the misspelled ones.

The one no one understands.

Waiting to be corrected.

Some do and others don't.

The words have infinity power.

Only to the ones that understand them.

Only to the ones who know them.

That makes us immune.

But powerless.

Art Art is the manifestation of human creativity.

Art can take us far away.

Or it could bring you to the problems at your door.

Art can inspire people to be better.

Art can hurt.

Art can insult.

Art can be kind and loving Art can be ruthless and mean.

So Why do we make art in the first Place?

Because art can tell you more about the world you live in than living can.

Because art can speak for millions.

Because art can speak to one.

Art changes the world.

Art has true power in every sense.

So, use it wisely.

Because with great power comes great accountability.

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The Story of a Tree I am shaken by the wind of many others. They pluck and pull my leaves.

They scratch and scratch my skin with sharpened rooks. I like the ones who climb into my arms so that I can cradle them and keep them safe from the ground. A tell stories in my bark. If you listen you will hear them. I reach a mile high. And grow a mile low. My rots trap knowledge. And my wood keeps the stories. I know the story of all life that I touch. So, what is your story?

I’m ready to listen.

Lyla Changar I Am I am individualistic and introverted.

I wonder when it will become okay to be ourselves.

I hear a voice being quieted by the negative thoughts judging me.

I see myself when I am older and know how to be okay.

I want the world to be equal.

I am individualistic and introverted.

I pretend to be happy when I’m not.

I feel like I shouldn’t feel this way but I do.

I touch a place of “okayness.”

I worry that I will always feel this way about myself.

I cry that other people view themselves in the same light as myself.

I am individualistic and introverted.

I understand I am not alone but sometimes it feels that way.

I say I’m okay when I am fighting an internal battle with myself.

I dream of a world where we accept ourselves whole-heartedly.

I try to erase the negative thoughts in my head.

I hope for equity.

I am individualistic and introverted.

My Choice Voice your thoughts.

Unsafe is never the way to go.

Let go of your fears.

Never let people see the broken side of you.

Everyone knows you’re happy all the time, give them what they want.

Rarely show tears, if you cry people will know your weaknesses.

Always smile, nobody wants you feeling sad.

Bottle up your emotions, you don’t want them.

It’s easier to hide what you feel than to accept it.

Let people know that you are happy, so they don’t ask how you really feel.

It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Tell people you’re fine even though you’re not.

You can’t be vulnerable.

Peter Pan There was a boy who would never grow up, a boy who despised adulthood.

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A boy who wanted to live as a child forever.

He would take boys to this place to stay young evermore.

A place with mermaids and fairies.

It was heaven, but this place has a name.

Peter Pan took the Lost Boys to Neverland.

Peter let the lost boys play all day He let them have sword fights and go on escapades.

But the lost boys soon yearned for their mothers.

So, Peter would take the lost boys back to their parents.

Peter didn’t like that he uniformly had to find new lost boys.

He wanted them to stay with him evermore.

So, he found a mother for the boys.

And when their mother was deemed too old Peter would find a new one.

Peter too missed his mother But she had already replaced him So, their mother would stay in Neverland as long as she could And her daughter would become their mother

So, their mother always forgot Neverland before the lost boys They always grow up too fast.

Elegy I once was joyous I once was content But then the darkness Began to torment.

It started small But then grew big.

It all could have stopped, oh how I wish.

It only got worse and worse I wore a smile every day Then I began to rehearse What to say.

I wish I could say it’s all better now But I know it’s not.

Peter didn’t understand the adult concept of treating people like people however To him, the lost boys were game pieces So just for fun, Peter would get rid of them When he felt it was time.

Peter did try to convince their mother to stay young forever But she knew her family worried for her

Out of Fear

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It was never good enough, was it? We could never be ourselves. Always wondering if someone was silently judging. Always thinking you're not good enough. We're told we have to fit in. That we can’t stand out. And when someone does? That doesn’t always end well. We’re always told that you can’t show tears. If you cry they’ll know your weakness. We just go with it. We don’t think that maybe shedding a tear is healthy. So instead we bottle up our emotions which is even worse for us.

How do we not bottle up our emotions but not cry? It’s impossible. We have to cry sometimes. But instead we just don't show emotion and then you randomly wake up at night and start crying. Why is it so hard to fight against taboo and be who we want to be? We think if we don’t talk about these things it doesn’t exist. That if we don’t talk, it’s not a problem anymore. If we don’t talk, how does it change? So out of fear, we don’t be ourselves. Out of fear we put on a mask, we change who we are. Then when we get home at night, we put the spotlight on what we really feel. Why do we do this? Out of fear. Out of fear, we do these things.

Untitled When I smiled, I laughed When I cried, I sobbed.

I smiled so they wouldn’t see me cry.

I pretended I was alright.

I hoped they wouldn’t see through my shield.

But I couldn’t keep my guard up.

I couldn’t keep going like that. I couldn’t keep lying when people asked me if I was okay.

So, I told them.

I told them how I really felt.

And even if I wasn’t okay, I would be okay so they could be okay.

I might not be able to help myself, But I can help them.

Maybe one day, I can learn to help myself.

I know I will always put others first.

That’s how I got into this mess.

But now I have to go against my syllabus.

I have to put myself first, even for just a minute.

The Little Mermaid There was a mermaid with the most mesmerizing voice.

She longed to find her true love.

But the little mermaid had a fascination with the world above water.

So she took to the sea witch, Banned from the kingdom.

She asked the sea witch for a life on land.

The little mermaid had saved a prince, you see.

When she saw him, it was love at first sight.

The sea witch warns her, “Every step will feel like walking on knives.

If you don’t get the prince to fall in love with you, The morning after he marries another woman you will turn to seafoam.”

The little mermaid drinks the potion and meets the prince on land.

But when the prince met the mermaid, He didn’t see the woman who saved him.

His heart was already taken by another woman.

The prince's father wants him to marry a princess from a neighboring kingdom, But he doesn’t.

“I do not love her!” the prince says.

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The prince’s heart already belonged to the girl who he believes saved him, Not the little mermaid.

So, when the prince marries the girl he loves, The little mermaid is left heartbroken.

The sea witch tells her if she kills the prince she will keep her life.

The little mermaid couldn’t bear to see him die, So, she jumped into the waves, crashing into the rocks.

Heartbroken, now sea foam.

Ben Karpatkin Who Who is this person that I know a lot about?

You know next to nothing about me.

Who is this person that has ludicrous ideas?

My ideas aren’t ludicrous, you just don’t believe me.

Who is this person that seems to be tentative?

I am anything but tentative, I just don’t feel like being affront all the time.

Who is this person that seems a bit awry?

I don’t feel like fitting in all the time.

Who is this person that is always so caustic?

I thought you would rather a tirade over a black eye.

Who is this person that seems to emulate keenness?

I am definitely not the sharpest, but I am not dumb.

Who is this seemingly innocuous person?

Oh, trust me, I am not harmless.

Love

The only thing stronger than hate.

Love may seem overzealous, But it isn’t ever.

Never pivot and walk away from love.

Love can be a little flippant, Sometimes more than others.

Love may seem ominous at first, But it’s the most important thing, So, get used to it fast.

Love may seem very apparent, It may not always be.

Love may not always be adhering To the rules you or your other made.

Love can be fervent and unconditional.

To love anyone or anything, Will always be more rewarding Than hate.

Hate is a grotesque thing, It twists good things into monstrosities.

Hate can always be defined, Reasoned out.

Love on the other hand, Everyone has their own definition.

Love is a proverbial thing, Always defined and undefined.

The definition I think works best is Love is love.

Love who you want.

Love yourself.

Love.

Me I am Benjamin M. Karpatkin I’d rather Ben I am a wolf, undyingly loyal I spend most of my time with friends and family I will defend friends and family with an immense ferocity There is only one item in my heart, it’s love I only will give my love to who I deem worthy of it If you disregard for it, it will be extraordinarily hard to regain

Love is the crux of my life,

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If there is one word written on my forehead, it would be ‘kind’ I have deemed it my job to hold the door open for people I will always try to help when I can, if I can My most favored sight is seeing a loved one’s face My most hated sight is when a loved one is angry with me My favorite time of day is sun set I favor it because it is the most peaceful and beautiful time of day If my hands could speak, they would say “Why the [cut] would you slam us into everything?!”

My most vivid memory of my childhood is; When I found my first true love The most famous phrase from my family was; c’est la vie, which is meric for “it’s life.”

Purple Purple, he is the most peaceful of colors He listens to the awakening The bird-song and dew on the grass He watches over the sleeping things Shines a pleasant light onto the ground Throughout the night, he regulates the light When he gets angry, a bolt splits the sky With a huge explosion of light and noise Then his friend, Celeste, takes over Displaying a show of colors, arching across the sky

The Bullet I will save a life To do so, I take a life The balance is hard

Dragons Dragons are real, but Only if believed in Otherwise, they aren’t real Trying Fish know how to swim Eagles know how to fly, but We humans just try Weights Getting dragged down Going slowly, but surely Down, down, down farther Darkness Each dream is a light Breaking through, no matter what To light skies again The Sky Race the wind and go To the world above the sky, That magical world Gambles Every choice we make, Everything we do in life, They are all gambles Reality What is really real?

What isn’t actually real?

Hell, if I know that The Sound of Silence Have you ever heard the deafening sound of the void?

Have you ever heard the banshee screeches of emptiness?

Have you ever heard the immense cacophony of nothingness?

If you have, my friend, then some will say “you have heard the impossible.”

If you have, my friend, then some will say “you have heard something that doesn’t exist.”

If you have, my friend, then some will say “you have heard no such thing.”

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But I believe you, and I would like to know more about what it sounded like.

But I believe you, and I would like to know more about how you heard it.

But I believe you, and I would like to know more about if you can hear it now.

For I would like to know what it sounds like.

Creation Creation marches to its song A song too complex for us to understand A song so beautiful and unpredictable We as humans have tried to control it, Yet we manage to never learn that It’s impossible to control creation If we succeed, we are doomed Because we would have to control The uncontrollable.

Bird’s Eye View Don’t look back, Awake the stars.

Chase your dreams, And follow your own North star.

With a starry brush, Paint your own universe.

When you return to your own world, You’ll never believe the view.

But living close to the ground, It’s a form of Heaven because There are angels all around.

If only we could send Our sad days away for a time.

The Sound of Silence At night

A house sat Inside Everyone was Asleep Even the house mouse Not a sound was heard Just darkness And silence So relaxing So peaceful So cozy Nothing moved The dust rested on the tables And chairs Every once in a while, a light would enter the room from the window When a car passes by No wind Or noisy heater And air conditioner Just silence All you could hear is the clock ticking Noelle Biehle I Am I am kind and sympathetic I wonder what the world will be in 100 years I hear mean voices I see people bullying one another I want people to change I am kind and sympathetic I pretend the world is kinder than it is I feel that people do have kindness in them I touch the world’s heart I worry it will take too long for people to open their eyes I cry out of sympathy for others I am kind and sympathetic I understand it will take time I say people will change I dream everyone has a kind heart I try to spread kindness I hope others will do the same I am kind and sympathetic

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To the frozen icicles and snowflakes.

Into the Woods Trees Flower petals fly Spy on humans for gossip They whisper to trees Trees are listening As the girl walks through the woods The flowers gossip Nature can get bored Humans have all the drama Keeps woods entertained Nature’s listening What humans don’t realize is It hears everything Blue Blue inhales crisp, cold air and exhales a snow storm around the world, spreading blue snowflakes everywhere.

When Blue gets angry she makes a light blue blizzard in the sky.

Her ocean eyes look over the earth, She sees a planet with a white blanket When she gets sad she cries over the earth, Letting her tears be the rain on the beautiful blue planet The blue water, Goes over the world The frozen icebergs and blue ice, Over the deep blue ocean, The fish and dolphins swimming with pride, Blue lets go delicate snowflakes, each one different spreading joy for a different person.

The blue sky she controls with her emotions Blue She makes the world have its beauty From the blue flowers

The trees listen They love the gossip the forest spreads They also like to listen to humans’ stories Their friends are animals and some humans Tree friends love the trees because they are good listeners People should have more sympathy for trees because It can be painful for the trees when humans climb on them Especially when the trees lose one of their arms When the humans make their way down Trees Come in many Sizes Shapes And colors They also Are very wise From watching the world Perfect (Forwards/Backwards Poem) You don’t have to change yourself People are perfect in their own way And I’m convinced that We don’t have to be perfect in the way our society wants us to be If the world would realize that Being imperfect and unique makes you perfect in your own way Everyone has something they don’t like about themselves But those things make you unique People have their flaws Perfect is defined as you Everyone should realize that

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Frozen I saw my friend’s eyes turn the lightest blue The coldness in her eyes made her angry Her hands came together A blue lightning bolt was formed I saw the power in her eyes She moved one hand away from the other A big flash of blue light hit the ground A patch of the floor was frozen and it was spreading I saw electricity flash in the frozen ice This was powerful When I went close to it I got cold and weak My friend loved this power I was scared of what was yet to come My friend saw this concern in me She touched my arm trying to comfort me The frost bite sensation in my arm was unbearable I quickly jumped She looked at me Looked at her hands Then back to me It looked like she was going to cry Her eyes turned lighter They were now almost white Her hands came together again The blue lightning bolt was larger than before and had snow mixed with it I slowly walked back from my friend telling her not to do it But she did A huge explosion of snow and ice A big flash of electricity in the ice The place was crisp with freezing air I told my friend to get out of here But she gave me an unexpected look

One that I won’t forget A smirk with evil in her eyes That was the moment I realized She liked turning things cold and frozen She might be after me next I started running as fast as I could on the ice But she was after me I got out of the house I kept running and running I lost her I started to get weak and tired I blinked and woke up cold In my bed at home I never told anyone what I saw that night Never a soul.

The Unknown Here Here, a place where you’re not human You fly into the colorful waters and touch the stars You soar through gleaming air The place is an atmosphere of unknown The ones around you Different creatures flying about You follow one into the ocean with stars You breathe in fresh water You feel freedom in the unknown The sky is a mix of colorful lights and water The ground has creamy sunset clouds creatures walk on Creatures feel free here Here is a different place that others may not discover A Chance to Change the World Every breath you take is a chance Everyone has a reason to live Some may discover it when they are young

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Others might discover it when they are very old Every soul has a passion and a chance to change the world for the better Whether that is rescuing animals around the world or finding a cure for cancer Everyone can inspire others From their passions to make a change A change that defines you as a person Every breath Is a chance to make that change Because you are living for a reason Every life that lived changed the world in some way You should make yours count for the good Because You’re next

Photos Inspired by Ed Sheeran’s Song “Photograph” Photographs are where love is stored From a split second in a day The time is frozen still Until you remember The memory The smile The happiness Photos hold the memories of people growing up They hold the memories of life changing events They hold the emotions from Time A moment A split second frozen still Owen Llodra I Am I am curious and shy I wonder if there are extraterrestrials somewhere out there.

I hear a sound that I cannot recognize, still, waiting.

I see little dots of light littering through the darkness.

I want to know what we don’t know I am curious and shy I pretend to feel powerful, but I know the world is much bigger than me I feel the warmth of unicorns galloping through a field I touch something that I can’t comprehend, something so broad that it basically swallows me I worry about my future just because I don’t know what it is going to be I cry about the beautiful elephants that get closer and closer to extinction everyday I am curious and shy I understand that my brother is going to move to California for college, but I don’t want to it to be true I say that I am not religious I dream that I will be successful and happy I try to think about what I want to be, but it is impossible I hope that someday everyone will be happy I am curious and shy Incognito Both an adjective and adverb A Latin word like many Started as cognoscere, meaning know Then he transferred into cognitus His more common meaning came in when he was combined with in-.

That made him incognitus and then into incognito which used to mean unknown.

Now he means someone’s identity hidden.

Incognito was used a lot from 1800 to the 1850s.

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Incognito has gotten less used over time, sadly.

I chose this word because it seems so mysterious to me, Like a hidden personality, Which is weirdly what it means Incognito makes me feel think of spies and such This word should be respected because This word has done so well with keeping itself hidden Eburnean Eburnean sunbathes with calmness, soft and quiet In a pile of flowers Fresh, beautiful arms Wrap around us with warmth Soft like a peach Milky sweetness giving comfort like a blanket, coating the world with happiness Letting even the despairing feel hope Metamorphosis Mastering everything I can is a goal Everything counts.

Try my best on everything Always leave room for free stuff Mean what you say Originality is good, but slowly fading away in school preferences Read Play other stuff on the side too Help friends and students Organize my locker or I am doomed Set goals Interact with people on projects Sadness is not allowed (Be Happy) Insects (Forwards/Backwards Poem) Insects are gross I will never think Of them as animals

I will always think Of them like rats I will never think They are cute I will always think About all the stuff people say about them I don’t care About a spider or wasp’s life I always think Cockroaches just walk around in garbage I hate those people that say Those creatures are good Doubt (inspired by Emily Dickinson) “Doubt” is the thing with weightsIt takes over the mindAnd ties chains on your thoughtsAnd doesn’t let go- Not for a whileThe bad side- is always shown- no matter whatNever will it be defeated- or distinguishedNot by the sight- Of an angelThe chains will never liftI’ve seen it- even where the mermaids roamMuch of hope bashedNot even letting- The single flight of wings ignite A spark insideDavid Kelly I Am I am a Black American boy who has self-love.

I am David fighting the Goliath’s society has set before I was even born.

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I am a mirror, wondering what I look like from another person's eye.

I see a bittersweet world whose goal is to sabotage my life and others.

But I am second chances.

I want to give the world a second chance to fix its destructive mistakes against me and my people.

I want a second chance to fix all of my mistakes.

I am a pretender, like everything's okay but it isn't.

I am lonely most times‌ feeling like I am the only one in the world.

I am the toucher of my own soul, trying to unruffle the grim and light moments in my life to make something new.

I am worrying that I will never be at peace with myself.

I cry internally that I will never correct those mistakes and that makes me feel gloomy. That some people will never forgive me and TRUST me because I never corrected-truthful those mistakes.

The beastly color surrounds you Then it overcomes you Red. But the devil can love.

Elegy Grandma Grandma was the kindest most warmhearted person I have ever meet She always had a smile on her face when I showed up And I did as well I always had fun with her She used to play games with me And gave me a big hug after the games The one thing I will always cherish in her memory is her kisses Those big wet ones that you hate But when I think about it now I loved them She died October 2013 It was too early for her to leave me I wasn't ready I never will be Feeling/Emotion I was born at dawn on July, 25, 2006.

More importantly I am passionate about life and am hopeful I will one day live in my truest form.

Red He drips from victims wound, depriving them of their life Red drips from hell and destroys everything around him He is an evil and burning sensation of death The volcano spewing the red, burning lava and landing on the poor soul's homes

My mother told me that when she saw me she knew that loved me so much and would die for me any day. My mother has ran threw fire and swam in the most dangerous seas for me‌..hypothetically speaking.

I have had many bumps in the road but I can’t tell you how many times my mother was by my side.

She picked me up when I fell down. She cried for me. She loves me.

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She is a part of me and I am a part of her.

I am my mother’s child.

She is at the center of my feelings and emotions.

Maybe Maybe I am looked upon every day because of my race.

Every day I walk these streets having these feelings in my head.

People tell me different but I know what the truth is Maybe I'm not normal.

But being normal sucks.

Maybe I will never fit into this school as a normal person.

Every day at school I feel like I am spectating my ways through life and want to be seen because of it. It makes me feel like I missed so much in my life.

Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t.

Maybe I will have to do things to help myself fit in.

My father tells me “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind.”

I now walk the hallways with confidence.

Maybe I’m not normal here.

Because I was born to stand out.

That, I will always be sure about.

Here Here I stand. Watching the world going thru pain and destruction. Families torn apart because of the law. People dying like its a regular consequence. Children being raped and molested. Police

officers killing every black man they see. Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner. The list could go on for years. I don’t have the privilege of forgetting.

Here I stand watching these moments happening. Still trying to figure out what to do. We do nothing. We have speeches and marches. But has anything drastically change yet (image). No. People are still dying and I am still watching. Learning. Hoping.

People say Black Lives matter but I say why don't we do something. Racism can’t go away just by being nice.

Kyle Millington Me Kyle Ricardo Millington, that’s my name ☺ I wish I had a more Latino name. Even though I’m adopted, my non-biological mom is also Latino and she has a Spanish last name. I’d take her last name, and probably keep my first name. Kyle Nieves would be my name. Jesus would be a nice first name though.

This is weird, but I kind of always been like a turtle. I’m kind of small, but I can protect myself with my shell if needed. As well, I don’t really make too much commotion, but make as much as needed at times when needed.

Honestly, love is the object that keeps me going. Sometimes it may be love in people, other objects, or even activities. Whenever I’m down to prevent myself from escalating and making stuff worse instead of beating myself, I just think of what I love or do what I love and it refreshes my mental attitude.

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Not Mexican. Surprisingly I get assumed I am Mexican due to having darker skin than others. I’ve had multiple people I’ve met just assume I’m Mexican.

Mexico is obviously not the only South American country and I don’t know why people affiliate all brown skinned kids with Mexico, when most of us already have that label of Mexican or different than the norm.

I love it when what I do makes others feel happy, like after s soccer game I have kids and fans both complimenting me for my play of the game, and that just makes my day when others take what I love and enjoy it. I really hate when others are put down. I don’t enjoy seeing others in pain.

Like most people I like the end of the day because I can go home and rest, but the thing is when I get home I hate it most of the time. Usually I try to block the fighting tears and anger and just play video games. I just like the time of the day when I have absolute silence in my house with no one here.

I Am I am I’m concerned and sensitive I wonder what inspires people to make bad decisions that will affect the others around them. I hear the tears and anger out of the outcome of what I wonder I see the light I want to encounter, but I won’t give up I want a reason not to feel bad for other mistakes I am concerned and sensitive I pretend to be fine at home when deep down inside I want to speak my truths I feel like I have to rise to the occasion and accomplish the best I can

I touch the blood on my hands when I’m done punching my walls I worry that I won’t accomplish my goals I cry that no one cares I am concerned and sensitive I understand people who struggle the worst or if you struggle with something bad there are always people who have it even worse I say that things get better when sometimes they feel like they won’t I dream my sister will stop the drugs I hope there’s light at the end of every darkness I am I’m concerned and sensitive Elegy Do you ever feel lost? Not just lost but non-existent. In a way that’s hard to describe. In a way where you feel like life is just passing by and not in ways you’d like it to pass by. It’s like the worst thing about it is that everything repeats; there are no changes, there are no exciting moments. It’s just life and unchangeable. You feel like I exist for no reason because even your parents and siblings don’t mind you and just ignore you. But then, out of nowhere, something eventful happens, totally unexpected, and you find one of the things that matter to you most.

It’s your sister unconscious on your doorstep while that morning you were telling her how much you hated her.

Life is one of the fastest things that is mostly uncontrollable. At one time, you could be the happiest human being on earth, then the next you can find yourself crying yourself to sleep.

Something I have learned from all of this is if no one’s going to really be there for you, you have to take things into your own hands and tell yourself

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you matter and you and everyone have a reason on this planet. You just have to find it.

Maybe 1 Maybe love is an endless train wreck that you can’t control, and controls your mind.

Maybe the people who you care about the most don’t realize it They’re too caught up into themselves that they don’t realize the consequences of their actions that will affect the people who surround and care about them Maybe to find love you have to find hatred and endless pain first Maybe life is just a game And your years of life there are just levels But then when it ends and you’re on the last level what have you completed Maybe the meaning of life isn’t really a meaning But is a realization of a lifestyle Some people deserve less than others But everyone at least deserves some kind of love Maybe people come and go But those that stay with you to the end Are the ones to hold on too Because some people have no one Maybe 2 Maybe people just pretend to ignore your internal screams and cries Maybe sadness isn’t just an emotion But also an epidemic

Maybe those who are selfish Are secretly crying for help that only selfish people would understand And they just want you to step into their Shoes to see how it’s like Maybe fewer people would take their lives If everyone wouldn’t look at different people cross-eyed And make full judgments while everyone is human And if we’re not there for each other who will be Pain Pain that goes deep than a knife: You know that love with your family is probably one of the toughest things, because you build the feelings for the people closest to you that you didn’t control. With your siblings, you were just put with them and you have to learn to love and care for each other.

The thing is when you get that assigned to you, you, as well, get all the pain, tears, mistakes, and anger anointed to you as well. The worst pain is that at an age they stop listening to you and don’t realize that the stuff they’re doing and talking about isn’t just affecting one person but the others who surround them. Because anything tears, drugs, pain, anger, alcohol it all affects you physically and mentally as well as the ones who see you ruining yourself and what I do doesn’t seem to help at all, so I’ll just give up. As well, if I give up on someone who I was closest to my whole life, then why don’t I just give up on myself?

Sydney Phanord

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I Am I am humble and proud Accepting defeat with my head held high I wonder what makes perfection If even the term itself has flaws I hear my dog’s words Creeping into my dreams I see death When least expecting confrontation I want success So badly but it’s hard sometimes I am humble and proud Accepting defeat with my head held high I pretend to be carefree To keep my mind off of reality I feel the feathers of the hardwood floors of our apartment When I am tired and there is nothing left to carry me I touch the clouds The ones I can’t reach I worry that my best isn’t enough And then what’s the point of trying anymore I cry for loss That of myself and others I am humble and proud Accepting defeat with my head held high I understand nothing is perfect But some things come close I say work hard today and tomorrow will be easier But then you’re working hard everyday I dream the evil side in everyone As their only side I try to empathize as much as I can It is the only way to understand I hope life is infinite But I know its not I am humble and proud Accepting defeat with my head held high

Haikus Star Cryptic nocturnal A white, quiet star walking Above the cement

Quicksand No one wants to be A victim, constantly robbed, Swallowed by quicksand

Sunrise Sunshiny dawning A beautiful warmth rising While watching the wind Lightning Violent is lightning But it brings joy and hope too Wait for the rainbow Blue Blue hears the raven’s cry early in the morning It is a sad song but she likes to carry the grief Sometimes when she is bored, she scratches her long fingernails against the clouds, hoping for a storm Looking through her window she sees her flowers withering, crouching closer towards the ground There is mold all over the house but She’s gotten used to breathing in the decay She eats the dying earth and it tastes like the ghostly embers of her tortured heart Never ask her why she is this way or she will bare Her fangs as she turns Red The Sky Gets Stressed Too

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When everything’s a burden Or when it seems as though the only path laid out for me Is made of broken glass I look up And my burdens are lifted For a moment And I am given the strength to climb up further I keep climbing up Even though I know There will always be something else to look up at Today as I’m watching the clouds fly by I notice the darkness of the sky It has a grayish tint And I can tell it is struggling To keep so many burdens from pouring down I know stress can be cruel For once I give the sky a break Selfish Love (Forwards/Backwards Poem) I am a selfish person I know it’s not true that Sharing is caring Some would disagree but “Only by giving are you able to receive more than what you already have” Is a lie Snatching what you want is the only way to have I am sure that This is true because Greed Is more important than Love Maybe Maybe not every story has a happy ending Maybe we are destined for pain, for heartbreak Maybe none of us are unique or special, we just like to think we are

Maybe life is a distraction from something bigger but Maybe we should live life anyway Maybe we should laugh and love while we can Maybe we write our own stories Maybe not every story has an ending Here I like it here Although I’ve never been I would very much like to go one day When I can find the time Come with me I’ll lead you through The meadows Where pillows of dandelions lie And past the clear blue sky I’ll lead you past the rocky rivers raging ridges I’ll lead you past the cold white floors Sinking as we step I’ll lead you past the sandy hills for days Except we’re never thirsty I’ll lead you through And into gentle arms Here at last Mother to Daughter Honey Sit up straight with your head held high A woman who slouches ain’t a woman and You best speak right too Because ain’t nobody gonna take you seriously if you don’t And Darling remember to keep learning You better work twice as hard as the next person Else you ain’t working hard enough Don’t you ever cower away in fear ‘Cuz honey we ain’t cowards But baby girl 156

I’m afraid I can’t teach you The reason for hate That you’ll have to figure out On your own The Sound of Silence The piercing taunts in an empty room Empty except for you The waiting after ringing a doorbell Endless waiting The voice of shadows in the dark of night Your only comfort Suspension points appearing and disappearing on your screen Losing patience in small increments The sound of silence has divorced you Now that you are completely Alone Anika Shah I Am I am funny and strong.

I wonder what I’ll be when I grow up I see the ocean waving away I want to be in the Olympics I am funny and strong.

I pretend to be a grown up I feel excited I touch lavender raindrops I worry that I’ll get a bad grade I cry about sexism and racism I am funny and strong I understand uniqueness I say I’m smart I dream to be in the Olympics Blue Blue breathes a fresh breath of air.

Blue exhales like the wind.

Blue smells fresh.

Blue tastes like cotton candy.

Blue always feels energetic and ready for an adventure.

Blue knows to always be a good girl.

Blue remembers the figures in the clouds.

Blue speaks Merica crisply and has a wide dictionary.

Blue eats blueberries.

Blue understand her friends.

Blue tells people to always be kind.

Blue thinks happy thoughts.

Blue walks very confidently.

Blue waves like the ocean.

Blue puts out fires.

Blue is a listener.

Blue is calm like the sky. ` Blue lights up the sky with her kind personality.

Metamorphosis Growing up means More work and stress.

Growing up means Excitement for new experiences.

Growing up means Tragedy from bad experiences.

Growing up means Amazement from great times and memories Growing up means More craziness.

Growing up means Old. Growing up means Radical times.

Growing up means Phones.

Growing up means Happy times.

Growing up means Obstacles to get through.

Growing up means Sad times Growing up means Incredible times.

Growing up means Scary times.

Maybe Maybe I’ll become an activist.

Maybe I’ll be a professional squash player.

Maybe I’ll become a lawyer.

Maybe I’ll become a journalist.

Maybe I’ll become a teacher.

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Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe

I’ll become a doctor.

I’ll become a feminist.

I’ll become a cellist.

I’ll be an artist.

I’ll write books.

I’ll become a businesswoman.

I’ll be all these things.

The Power of Words Words can be grey like a stormy day.

Words can be as bright as the sunlight.

Words can make you dance like a butterfly.

Words can make you fly high in the sky.

Words can drown you in your sorrows.

Words can bring you joy like a box of chocolates or sushi.

Words can cut sharp like a knife.

Words can sting.

Words can be as tough as a mountain.

Words can fire like a gun.

Words can blow you away like the wind.

Words can be heavy like a lead brick.

Words can be like an elephant in a room.

Words can paint dreams.

Words are the strongest weapon alive.

I worry if other people restrict me from thinking about other organisms that are not humans.

I cry when human is all I see.

I am a person.

I understand there are not only humans in the universe.

I say I am a person.

I dream about aliens and we cooperate with them.

I try to look for footprints of other species.

I hope that there are aliens in the world that are nice.

I am a person.

Ode to Sadness Sadness may be a discomfort, Sadness may be a pain.

Sadness is when you experience discomfort, sorrow, Solemnity, or mournfulness.

Sadness makes you rethink, and rethink again, about how not to be sad.

Sadness may be a problem, Sadness may be a woe.

Sadness, however, is something you simply have to deal with.

Jade Kleinberg

Xuenyang Sheng I Am I Am I am a person.

I wonder how I become a person.

I see people every day.

I want to see more organisms that are not people.

I am a person.

I pretend sometimes to not be a person.

I feel like there are not only people living in the universe.

I touch the air breathed out of my fellow human’s breath.

I am curious and caring I wonder why the world is so complicated these days and why we can’t just live simply I hear music I can fall asleep to and music I can wake to I see everything that moves around me I want everyone to be happy and peaceful

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even though I know it’s Not possible I am curious and caring I pretend to be the same I feel scared sometimes I touch Dead Bodies Because They’re everywhere I Worry I’ll lose the people I love I cry for the ones who aren’t as lucky as me I am curious and caring I understand history I say stand up for yourself I dream for things I want but do not need I try to be considerate I hope for the world to become a better place I am curious and caring

Aqua doesn’t get scared, but worries The days pass her by Then weeks, months and years until the color in her face fades

Aqua

Elegy

Aqua is brave She stands out among the rest She is welcoming and bright, but she teases Aqua makes me think about her past She wants contrast in her life because every day is the same for her Sometimes she sits while others stand and vice versa She knows when she has taken things to far, and when she can take another step She is balanced I can trust her because she trusts me I know this because she tells me just by looking at her

Susan Her name was Susan.

She was my grandma’s best friend and knew me my whole life Her poor husband David I wish he were happier because it makes me sad to be around him I can see in his eyes how much he misses her She’s been dead for 4 years Will he ever be happy again?

When I visit my grandparents, we see him a lot and my grandma talks on the phone with him when we don’t I feel so bad

Haikus Water drips from leaves In a humid rainforest The smell of flowers The dark night sky glows Enough for those who don’t see, The less fortunate.

The scared, lonely cub Wandering through the cold woods He can’t find mama The lose branches fall Into the air we live in They keep falling down.

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Does it make me selfish to feel depressed when I’m around him?

I remember Susan so clearly The sound of her voice, and her laugh I feel like she is still alive I just haven’t seen her in four years I think it was sudden too It happened during the summer while I was at camp My grandparents didn’t tell me until after camp because they didn’t want to make me sad on my first year I still remember licking my sweet vanilla ice cream cone on a picnic table with Susan Dad Dad smells like coffee And tells me stories at night when I can’t sleep Dad’s salt and pepper beard scrapes my cheek when he kisses me goodnight He cooks the best food We laugh our hearts out Dad gives me the best hugs He comforts and cares for me Dad’s laugh is special and makes me feel the same way Dad is stubborn but he is mine I want dad to live forever I know his spirit will Dad, Please Don’t Ever Leave me The Sound of Silence Still Quiet Scared

The sound of silence People without names Without bones Without roots Silence within yourself even when the whole word is yelling out Some say silence is peaceful Others say it’s lonely and sympathetic The sound of silence feels like sitting in a warm pocket of sand on the beach and watching the sea go by When the silence breaks we go back to reality We don’t get to escape anymore It’s not an option It’s not quiet Inspired by Carole King

When you’re standing on the last step But can’t seem to reach the top, You look up and there’s a hand reaching to pull you the rest of the way It’s your friend, Your help, and the person you can trust Sometimes you need a push to make it to the top of the stairs Sometimes we get tired It feels like you get stuck in molasses And you just want to stop But finish at the same time I can do it I can make it I will finish

When I just can’t handle anything or anyone I close the door and think Just think I call a friend Why can’t people just be quiet?

Stop talking Stop judging Why can’t we all be equal?

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Stop ruining things for other people You understand me We’re alike You know what to say We agree You’re always there for me I am too YunSeo Nam I Am I am creative and insightful I wonder if the world is as it seems I hear the unknown screams of agony I see the rotating days of life I want the burning of stereotypes to stop I am creative and insightful I pretend to be something to be grouped somewhere I feel the seeking of sensation I touch the souls of hope I worry that nothing is improving I cry because nobody realizes the truth I am creative and insightful I understand that everything can’t be perfect I say “We have the right to use words to express ourselves” I dream about the past and the future that is changing I try to be a better person I hope all of us can be treated equally I am creative and insightful Spring The season of life Rings the start of a new year Blooming dreams and hopes Summer Arid and fine sand Waves flowing of the broad ocean Warm rays of the sun

Autumn Colors of Autumn Sounds of delightful harvest Fade into the trees Winter Falling frozen flakes The cold hand reached out to us Leaves footsteps below Red Red Red sees the lovely lovebirds ahead Softly tickles their hearts in ecstasy Red bleaches our body Inhales the last second of our breath Pulling a life to its death She remembers all the pain that she has given Her touch brings love or death She cries in sorrow for her uncontrollable choices But that’s life after all Metamorphosis Meanwhile, Everybody sleeps at night. We Tactfully escapes their beginning of life Army of creatures Marching across the roads in the sky Over the dreamers below Rising signals of changes Parade of colors finds the difference Hesitated a moment Often catch a sight of your past. But Sacrifice your childhood in order to move forward Inevitable future is coming Shift your wings into a form of a butterfly Maybe

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Maybe I come from a place where rays of light would lead our ways Maybe this world is the edge of space Maybe the sky holds all the answers to all the theories Maybe the sky wrings out the rain to pour its indescribable memories out The words too harsh or unbelievable to explain Maybe we concern more about the future rather than now Maybe the time exists to make us occupied So we wouldn’t question more Maybe as time goes by, we run into the repeating cycle of days and nights Maybe day and night only be a fixed concept Maybe us as humans fear to think beyond Maybe I was designated to spread my young voice out Somehow, somewhere, someday Maybe my flower hasn’t bloomed yet Maybe waiting for my poems to affect others Maybe one person carries one and another’s hopes for the public Maybe the speaker is here today Maybe everybody is hiding something Running away from crawling guilt Throw the guilt to normalize the world for the worse all they have to do is to listen next to the unspoken words Maybe these words will get to you Or not

Flows to Here Here240

Nowhere I can’t think of Growling rocks and earthy ground opens the path Under the cement tunnel Dripping water makes quiet echoes My footsteps covering the sound A line of pigeons looks at me with their vacant eyes Next to where I stand, the city moves by Rushing cars and heavy load trucks crossing highways Ignoring the beauty it hides The abandoned plaza; smooth and white Leaves scraps of plastic chairs behind The lively vines tangled on the fence Leads to the start of the place that I call here The sky so blue like it’s reflecting on the clear water Squinting my eyes to avoid the bright sunshine Scrambled boats line up next to the docks Rusty wood planks barely hold onto the ropes When we walk through the roads New Jersey gleams across the horizon Seagulls flies between the two “New” states The pedaling of the bikers, swifts its way through I tap on my sister’s shoulder for a game of tag Huffing and puffing Adrenaline flows through my body Here Calms the exposed stress and anger I put my hand in front of me Feeling the waves of the wind

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The sounds of nature surround my body Everything flows down here Unraveling Truths Hear the words that were shouted across the surface Waves of endless marching Appearing from the smoke like heroes of the modern days We spoke with pride and rights Of the misspoken words of prejudice and hate “One day’s” hope of change But only firing gunshots returns Leaving dead faces on the pavement grounds Opened eyes, staring at the unknown sorrow they hide Last memo of sentence of love and care Never came back with smiling faces Only the memories remain, but they slip away Buried and masked somewhere in the deep jungle of the forgotten Limited from the “Great America” we live in Never returned to their families The words blaze through the voices that were repeated The truth makes the reality more horrendous Lies and excuses; use them another way Don’t avoid it; accept and admit the problem Injustice is not a myth or a theory It hasn’t become history Snapping lights, blinks the night A perfect night to steal the show We stand by the cue of the sound

Breaks the silence we have always feared of Clips of broken pieces of the world Needs to be put together as a whole Sound of Silence The sound of silence that I persist in Keeping my headphones onto myself Ignoring the bluff I hear All the grounds of life Looked as if they left the weak for the power to swallow Resenting my hope That existed in my past I fell off the cliff Giving myself into the foggy night But the girl next to me saw the damages in me With the eyes of a dream Opposite of me She mouthed the words “Take my arms that I might reach you” Sounds pieced together When I was next to her Drawing the shining stars in the sky Brightening the darkness Along the moon While the darkest times visited me again Her back was only shown above crowd Her footsteps stomping like them I reached out my arms as she did But my words, like silent raindrops fell Only answered by the silent nightmares Softly fading into the voice inside Hello darkness, my old friend I’m seeing you again Near the question of light I’ve come here again Alone and wandering in the damp brick road Walking endlessly to the silence 163

Wishing again, one will bring the lantern filled with light That would blind me to overcome the night But no one dared Disturb the sound of silence Brave Inspired by Christina Perri Falling towards the end I guess this is the end We’ve seen the light out of darkness Accepted the curse banned out of this world You placed me where I could not live Mismatching times I have given to you Shaped me as a part of you You never thought I was human The criminal who stole my heart Who put my arms around me, But now I’m not looking back at you again Brave A thousand years might past, but you will be the same Only left with stubborn old grass grounds Fallen twinkles in your eyes were mistakes Broken promises were meant to be I was the dream your ecstasy Now you seem only fake to me Find my voice, find my journey, find my hope Search for belief in the murky waters I am free, I am enlightened and I am alone Why haven’t known that soon enough That this was my path Brave warrior

I’m a warrior Zena Almeida Her name was Zena The type of name that tasted bitter to the tongue She was like a grasshopper Social yet alone at the same time There were bombs in her heart Light them and she might just explode She yelled “come” and “go away” Zena liked the sadness of others That way hers could hide away Her hands grew soft with each touch But looked rough from a far I remember when she used To place sticks in the ant holes Her laughter loud in the warm sun One day her parents said “We’re leaving” “Far away,” I never saw her again Haikus -The impatient sea Waiting for angry waters Sand between my toes -Whispers cling to air travel close to your ear Then you decide -Her whiskers twisting Her tail, always wondering Which way should I turn?

-The days get shorter I am tired of being What am I here for?

Emerald She waits in the dark watching from a vivid place, noticing.

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When you look at her she just sits and flounces.

But when you look away she lingers in your impatience.

Emerald will cause you to underestimate her.

You see a common green, just a color.

But when you least expect it.

She’ll blow up with all her stored anger.

And shed broken parts amid the deep earth soil.

Metamorphosis Meeting a new environment Everything’s changed Together with others different than you Attempting to learn More things than before Or continue to notice; continue to explore Relationships forming: some good, some bad Perhaps a close friendship: someone to add Hoping for a future, a direct direction Or in simple words: see a reflection See success and joy and cheer In this time of constant fear Searching for a better place

Prose Lights on. Breathing and go. Each word like a bucket. Pour it out on the crowd.

Out on the stage, the world that just happened to fit in a single room.

Adrenalin. It grows like weeds wrapping around your legs and if you stay still for long enough you might not ever move again. Lights. Like beams of energy warm your skin. You are present. And soon enough you won’t be. Until your next show.

Curiosity Like a virus lives in all of us Some show, some hide And we all move along Knowing some Wondering more And that’s that When a child peers Through a window shade One can imagine the curiosity Of what’s on the other side Perhaps a tree Perhaps a dream Perhaps a camera Staring back at her Wondering as well

Maybe Maybe the world is supposed to be unfair So that we learn how to fix issues in the future Maybe the sky is supposed to be far So that you can dream that one day you’ll reach it Maybe the wars need to be bad So that the recovery reminds us of its negative effects Maybe the holes need to be deep So that’s climbing out can feel like an achievement Maybe the word is supposed to be unfair So a young child can express her despair

The Sound of Silence In the night between a child’s ear and a crinkled pillow Lives the sound of silence Where your consciousness is ignored and all seems empty

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Within the sound of silence lives a forgotten sight Perhaps a memory, perhaps a fright And no one seems to understand The purpose of this silent land

Sarah Harmon I Am I am loving and loyal I wonder what my life would be like if I lived with my biological mother I hear the sound of a smile I see the wings of a butterfly I want loyal friends I am loving and loyal I pretend to be perfect I feel wind by the ocean I touch the waves on the sea I worry about people discovering my dark side I cry for love I am loving and loyal I understand that I don’t always make the best choices I say that the world needs to change I dream of a place where I feel free I try to make people happy I hope to become a better friend I am loving and loyal Baby Blue Baby Blue devours the sky in her heavenly glow.

Baby blue is soft like the new baby wrapped in its blanket.

When baby blue gets angry, she gets softer to make way for the scorching yellow of the sun.

Baby blue shoots across the sky, turning night into day.

Metamorphosis

Music turned into more of a way to express myself Expectations got a lot higher Terrified kids waiting for their test scores Aging Much more independent O.M.G homework!

Reputation Playing basketball Happy On social media Studying Inspired Sarah

Friendships Friendships and other relationships shape you into who you are and how you act in different times of your life. Each moment with your loved ones will make you feel better and will keep you happy and motivated to do your best. If you do your best and know that you Did you will feel more satisfied with you and your life. Each time that you spend being happy will reflect in your life and relationships. If you have a very strong relationship No matter a short time or a long time you will find purity and kindness within yourself and others that you love and care for. Live, love, make friends and be happy.

Love your friend 166

Sarah.

Elegy Uncle Frank Uncle Frank, you made me laugh, You made me smile, You made me so happy for a very long while.

You were daddy’s best friend, you were kind and sweet, but one day you were diagnosed with something that you could not beat.

It made you feel sick and you stayed home for many days.

Each day you were home we thought you would get better.

We knew you were strong and could live a long life, But cancer came in as sharp as a knife.

You were fast asleep counting your days, You knew it was bad but acted okay.

We miss you a lot and hope you are well, But deep inside our hearts always swell.

Eleven Years Old This year I am all alone Waiting for a friend It’s been two weeks And I am feeling sad walking to lunch and find a friend Christobelle!!!

We talk about life and hope we’re forever Now I’m twelve and……

We are still friends together The Sound of Silence The sound of silence The silent call of the sea

The whisper of the wind on a cold winter day The sound of silence The first breath of a new born child The friendship between two that are said to be too different The sound of silence The laughter of your family The sound of joy The sound of silence Peace

Christian Sword I Am I am tall, but I’m small I wonder how the world would be without me I see important people I want to feel important I am tall, but I’m small I pretend that I fit in I feel misunderstood I touch the feel of sadness I worry if I’ll ever be normal I cry at the thought of being different I am tall, but I’m small I understand other people around me I say that I’m happy I dream about how my life will be in the future I try to fit in I hope I can change how I think about myself I am tall, but I’m small White

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He hears the silence that we can’t He touches everyone but they don’t notice him He sees beyond space and time He inhales all of his surroundings He exhales emotionless thoughts He tastes fear and happiness but doesn’t understand He knows that he is unheard He remembers the faces of the people who do notice him He speaks quietly and softly He understands that he is not understood Maybe Maybe I’m important Maybe someone needs me more than I think they do Maybe I’m everything to someone Maybe they struggle without me be they’re side Maybe someone trusts me Maybe I’m the person they turn to when they have issues Maybe they only feel comfortable talking to me Maybe Just maybe I’m important I Am I I I I I I I I I I I I

am adopted and brave wonder how the world works see a peaceful world want friends to be there for me am adopted and brave pretend to fit in feel there is always a tomorrow touch feelings worry no one likes me cry when a loved one is lost am adopted and brave understand life is not a straight line

I I I I I

say we can make a change dream of a better world try to be honest hope I will never be alone am adopted and brave

Blue The color of sadness and water It spreads as fast as light It puts out the flames of anger The sky gets absorbed by blue You can feel blue but not anything else It has the power to absorb all emotions It can be described as the saddest color.

It takes over this world and can’t be stopped That’s why the earth is known as the blue planet.

Maybe Maybe we are here for a reason to help make the world a better place Maybe I can change the future by standing up for other people Maybe there is more to the world than friends and family Maybe there is another planet like ours Maybe there is more to a box then meets the eye. It could be a car or a plane Maybe I won’t be creative and never think of how the world works.

Maybe I can make a new invention that will change the world. To help the world.

Maybe there is no answer to what the meaning of life is. Or how life moves fast.

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Maybe friends will move on and forget about me. I will never see them again.

Maybe friends will stick by my side. Be there when times are tough.

Maybe I could do so much more with my life. To live life to the fullest.

Maybe you can really teach an old dog new tricks.

If You Really Know Me If you really knew me you would know I am adopted. If you really knew me you would know I am sensitive and friendly. If you really knew me you would know my name. If you knew me you would know I am creative. I like meeting new people and trying my best.

There is nothing that can stop me from helping others. There is never a dull moment with friends.

But if you really knew me you would know I can’t do my best without friends. There is so much about me that I can tell you in this one poem but no one is the same as me. I am your friend and is there for you. I am the one who will stand up for what is right. I see the potential in the world and What we can do to help. I see what is helping and not harming. There is always help in this world and we take it for granted. I see that if we work together this is a better world.

There is nothing that can stop people from changing the world

Words Can Make a Difference.

There are some people in the world who don’t believe in the power of words.

They think that they have no words to say or use.

But this year I have learned that words can make a difference.

I learned there is so much that one poem can do to change the world.

Never give up hope if kids are being mean to you because it’s your words that really count.

Your words should be heard and you should always have a voice.

Because Words can make a difference Think about your words before you say them because they can really change a man’s life.

You want to help them not hurt.

Your voice can and will make a difference.

There is too much you can do with your words so use them and be proud of them.

You can stop people from marching but you can’t stop them from speaking.

Words are your most powerful weapons because Words can make a difference Christobelle Rudes I Am I am thoughtful and caring I wonder why I am made to be who I am I hear voices saying I’m perfect 169

I see faces filled with jealousy I want them to think of me differently I am thoughtful and caring I pretend to ignore them I feel everyone surrounding me and expecting me to be the perfect person they want me to be I touch my destiny and ask it to help me I worry that everyone will laugh when I make a mistake I cry about my mother who cares for me I am thoughtful and caring I understand why people think this way I say that I’m not perfect I dream that I will be successful in life I try to show them that I’m not the person they believe I am I hope to make a change I am thoughtful and caring Grey Grey fills the night sky like a witch casting a spell And makes stars appear like a magician makes rabbits appear.

Grey throws the sun to the other side of the world, While grabbing the moon and pushing it into the sky.

She hears the sun screaming, begging for help, But as the selfish person she is, She doesn’t care.

Grey tastes the bitterness of the dark sky and smiles with pride.

She says a final farewell And always manages to come back the next night.

Blue

Blue paints the sky And announces morning, While listening to birds chirping.

Blue dyes the ocean and sparks happiness.

He creates different shades every day And makes creativity possible.

As the kind person he is, He breaks stereotypes of blue being a boy color.

Blue doesn’t care what people think of him.

Instead, he expresses his inner nerd.

He studies formulas on how to make the sky have clouds, And tries his hardest to say it aloud.

Forwards/Backwards Poem Love’s Mystery Love is a sacred word that no one can replace.

It makes you get chills every time you hear it.

Love is a feeling that makes your insides burn.

Sometimes, you would jump off the top of the Empire State building for love.

Love is powerful.

Love isn’t always happy.

Sometimes, it makes you sob to death.

Oh, that love.

Maybe Maybe.

Maybe that little girl you pass by on the street Has a story to tell.

Maybe her world isn’t the same as yours.

Maybe she hides all the sadness Behind her beautiful ocean blue eyes 170

That can never see joy.

Maybe she has her tongue tied From all the words she has to think twice about Before saying aloud.

Maybe every time she looks in the mirror, She sees a girl who tries to escape.

But fails Every Single Time.

Maybe she has all the problems in the world.

But how could you ever know?

Here, you float gracefully and don’t have to worry about gravity.

New discoveries every single minute.

Your world is turned upside down.

Purple, Blue, Pink, And black.

Millions and millions of stars all around you.

Different substances created by Mother Nature.

The world In a whole new point of view.

Daniel Seferi Haikus

Here: The World of Imagination The world of imagination, isn’t it such a grand place?

Here, dreams come true.

Unicorns and Pegasi spring from one place to the next.

Anything you want to happen Happens here in this wonderful place Want cookies and cream ice cream covered in rainbows And topped off with clouds?

Snap a finger and your wish is granted.

Here, you get lost in giant lollipops And hi-chews.

Who wouldn’t want to be from here Where dreams come true And fairy tales Are Real.

Here: Galaxy Here, beautiful whimsical things appear.

Spurts of colors, Meteors and stars.

While I sleep, the rain pours out on the earth’s surface.

Spring is on the way.

White tip reef sharks hunt in packs where coral reefs grow.

In spring sharks hunt more.

Hawks are beautiful.

The hawk lands atop the mouse.

The hawk eats the mouse.

Cyan Blue: the color normally associated with loneliness and gloominess.

Cyan, my favorite color, the exact polar opposite, due to how bright the color is.

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Cyan, the brightest possible version of blue.

Leaving just the sun to stay.

So everything is always passing away To leave something else to stay.

Cyan captures my personality perfectly.

It remembers blue happy times when having fun.

Cyan is blue’s happy cousin.

It despises sadness.

Snapshot: My Father The sky is blue.

He stands on the beach in his blue bathing suit in the morning holding a snorkel ready to set foot into the ocean.

He calls to me “Take a photo!”

I call back “I don’t have a camera.” and then he goes into the ocean.

Refuge Take refuge in sleep. Take refuge in the comfort of your home. Take refuge in your bed. Take refuge in your pillows. Take refuge in your family knowing that no matter what work you have to do nothing will be accomplished while sleeping. Take refuge like a log in a forest, like a bear in a cave, like a bird in a nest, like a human in its bed.

Olivia Yau Olivia. That’s my name.

The name of my grandmother, Herminia. It makes me feel connected to her even though we have never met.

A wolf. It is the animal to my soul.

Fearless, strong, brave all the things that I desire to be.

The object in my heart is blood.

The word written on my forehead is strong. Even when people try to bring me down, I don’t let them.

The sight that I love to see is my family. They are always so cheery and willing to take a risk.

The sight that I hate seeing is people without a family. They don’t know how it feels to be without the people that love you most.

My favorite time of day is between the afternoon and the evening, the time where it is not to dark, and not too bright, where I could have time to think for myself.

If my hands could speak, they’d be scolding me.

One thing that i remember from my childhood is always being loved.

El diablo sabe no porque es el diablo pero porque es viejo. (The devil knows not because he is the devil, but because he is old.)

Rain Once the hour has passed All the snow is washed away Leaving the rain left to stay.

And an hour after that The rain will pass away

I Am I am fearless. I am brave I wonder if people actually mean what they say to me. I hear the sound of people judging.

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I see the souls of people who regret what they haven’t done.

I want people to hear their own words.

I am fearless. I am brave.

I pretend not to care.

I feel the pain of others.

I touch the bottoms of their hearts.

I worry for the people who do care.

I cry for the people who are shamed for what is right.

I am fearless. I am brave.

I understand that we all can’t get what we want.

I try to understand it can’t be done.

I hope everyone can come to an understanding.

I am fearless. I am brave.

Blue Bue is calm.

Blue lingers in the sky when you look up.

Blue is there, on your darkest days to give you company.

Blue can be your best friend, and your greatest enemy.

Blue, the color of waves on a nice day for a beach walk.

Her eyes are filled with sorrow, but filled with wisdom.

She is home to all animals and is home to all.

Metamorphosis Making my way to becoming a teenager.

Early mornings I wake up, Talking to my past self.

Areas of trust that I need to give.

Morphing into another person.

Outstanding amount of work that needs to be done.

Reading the words of my life.

Photographing the fun times.

Holding on to my past, Or wishing I could go back.

Singing the songs of my family.

Islands of destruction Saying to myself, ‘this is how we grow up.’

Untitled Someone once told me, you’ll never fit in.

I’m just another one of the seven billion people on Earth.

Nothing special.

If there is seven billion people in this world, surely no one will notice if I’m gone?

So many thoughts had crossed my mind.

I’ve always wondered why am I here?

Why me?

One thing that I didn’t know was that we are all special.

We all have our own unique traits that makes us different from everyone else.

Maybe Maybe I am scared.

Maybe the reason for not wanting to participate in school activities alone is because I am scared.

Maybe the reason for acting so distant is because I don’t want to get myself so attached.

Maybe I don’t want people to notice how I’m feeling.

Maybe I can be annoying and selfish.

Maybe the reason that people don’t want to let people see their true colors, is because they don’t want to be abandoned for showing who they truly are.

Maybe I am scared.

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REFLECTIONS ON VISITS TO WASHINGTON D.C. MUSEUMS Ben Silvan D.C. Museum Reflections As I walked through the museum, after joking with my friends on the bus, and having interesting conversations, all of a sudden something clicked in my head.

I was definitely not going to be looking at something funny or beautiful, but rather what a genocide or human labor looks like. I could have stayed in these museums for days, learning something new every few minutes. I saw things that flat out did not add up. I walked to a newspaper, and saw a white man was paid $600 to rape a white woman, and then when I walked across the room I saw something. I was shocked.

People would go to lynchings of black people and treat it as if it was a sports game, cheering on this act of hate.

Jews were also penalized for Nazis protesting the religion Judaism. Then again, these people were not given human qualities and rights for slave owners.

What exhibit(s) will stay with you?

Where all the Jews clothes was lined up. This will always stay with me, because they took all their personal belongings and clothing, and in some cases burned them and sold them to make money. I also, was really shocked after seeing the train and the “white section” and the “colored section.” It is insane that less than 100 years ago we still did this. You could tell the “white” side was much nicer and more expensive to make, while they treated

people of color like they did not have feelings.

When I got to these museums, I thought I would learn stats and acts of hate I already know such as, how many people died in the holocaust, or how slave owners whipping their slaves and lived in horrible conditions, but no I in for something very different. So much I was in much disbelief, I did not think this was reel. It felt like a literal dream. The things they did is unspoken of and cannot EVER happen again.

When I left I was silent for another 30 minutes which doesn’t happen very often. I needed to take this all in and I still can’t.

Museum Reflections Zena Almeida My ears hurt Like clouds, words linger in the air Their voices Such innocence Such maturity I feel alone Like them I imagine the acid The detrimental acid that did more than pain It did more than sadness It stole Stole lives Stole peace Stole ideas They were alone I don’t want to be here But I stay Like anger It spread It begged for your attention Their soles are alone And some may be alive

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But are they really?

When their lives were expressed with such hatred Such lack of humanity Such malignity The stories Like cursed water pipes It poisons the water that you drink everyday That you know Where are they now?

Working the fields of slavery that was inflicted upon them from their birth?

From their existence?

Are they free?

From the endless days And restless nights From their dehumanized selves Tested Enslaved Tortured Killed Labored Taken Ripped apart Sick Tired Distressed Alone

Cameron Brightfield DC Museum Reflection When I walked through the African American Museum I thought about it interesting their history, and how they handled the slavery, how they suffered and how they survived, it was really interesting.

When I walked through the Holocaust museum I thought “how can someone be this cruel? How can someone just not care? All these innocent people, and he doesn’t even feel bad.”

From the Holocaust museum, I think the shoes will stick with me the most, all those shoes, of so many dead Jews, all different sizes, kids, women, men, everyone.

Alice Denny Museum of African American History and Culture As I walked into the museum, the image of many people being taken from their homeland got stuck in my head.

The exhibits helped me see so clearly what these people actually went through, how the Europeans came and took them, just like that. I couldn’t even imagine how scared they must have been. As I continued to walk through the museum, I felt upset by what I saw. At the same time though, I felt that I had learned more about African American History and Culture that I ever had before.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Walking out of the elevator into the first exhibit, I felt sick to my stomach.

A wave of silence washed over me.

There was a feeling of not being able to continue walking, but I took a deep breath and kept going. I was stunned, and couldn’t think of any words to describe what I saw. My friend cried, and I wanted to comfort her but didn’t know what to say. What is there to say about something like this? Even though it was such a horribly terrible event in history, I am very glad that I was able to go and gain so much knowledge about the Holocaust. That visit will stay with me for the rest of my life.

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One specific exhibit that will stay with me was the room with all the shoes at the Holocaust Museum. It was a reminder of how many suffered. So many people had their belongings and loved ones ripped away from them, and would never get those things back.

When I was at the Museums, I felt upset. At the same time, I was able to really be in my own mind and think deeply about what I saw. I was very much in contact with myself and my thoughts. When I left the Museums, I kept thinking about the sad things that I had seen, but I also felt refreshed. I had learned so much in both Museums that I almost felt like a new person when I walked out.

Museum Reflection Winter Henderson When I was walking through the museum I was pretty overwhelmed and somewhat scared. I felt uncomfortable especially when I walked through the transport. The museum was very busy and I didn’t know where to go first. The Holocaust Museum was one of my favorite places we went to.

The transport will stay with me. When I was in the transport I heard voices but there was this one voice that was clear.

The voice sounded like a kid. The kid had a scared tone. This exhibit made me cry. I don’t know what I would do if I was in the transport, especially at a young age.

I felt uncomfortable, overwhelmed, and scared. After the museum, I was just shocked and dead silent. I had so

much to say but the words just couldn’t come out of my mouth.

In the museums, just seeing the faces around me mattered the most. Seeing everyone have different expressions/reactions made me feel what they felt. Both museums had big impacts on me. Both left me shaken and sad.

DC Reflection Andrea Heredia When I was walking through the museums and seeing all the exhibits I felt mixed emotions for everything.

Some made me feel sad (especially the Emmett Till exhibit), interested, or made me think more about life and its meaning. In the Holocaust Museum, I was walking slowly and I was silent and my face had no expression. I wanted to be respectable because I knew around me were people who were Jewish and some of them had gotten emotional. I stopped to look at everything and took everything into consideration. Same with the African American museum, but I will never forget how quickly my mood changed when I saw Emmett Till’s face. It made me think about how quickly you can lose someone and it made me remember that they’re people that will have such assumptions about someone even when we’re still all human. That mattered most to me when I visited the African American museum. What mattered to me about the Holocaust Musuem was that everyone was being humble and

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respectable because I was ready to see people crying.

I wonder how long did it take to collect all the shoes/hair that were put in an exhibit in the holocaust museum? When I left the museum, I felt blessed that I’m so fortunate to experience a trip to D.C and a lot of other kids are not able to do that at all. I felt blessed for everything I have.

Ella Law Holocaust Memorial Museum Reflection The exhibit that will stay with me is the one with all the clothes and hair. I think that this one will because I know that there are many more Holocaust museums and I think that all of them have hair and clothes so that really shows how many thousands of people it affected and how many people Hitler killed.

I didn’t even take more than three steps out of the elevator leading into the main exhibit without bursting into tears. I had some of my closest friends with me while I was walking through so that helped a lot. Harrison was by my side since the beginning and I don’t know how I would have survived the museum without him.

Bella Vaccaro I take deep steps into the cold floor Each step sends a shock of anticipation through my now shivering body Thoughts and expectations rush through my hollow brain, a river of blood

Trying to feel the best, while expecting the worst My face stays neutral and my body is confused It’s raining outside Each drop falling like a body hitting the ground and melting into a puddle of tears from above I don’t even notice the glass ceiling The open stairs And the many, many people A maze of open hallways with people in groups None are smiling but none are crying They’re so silent Their mouths are full with respect And saliva in the flavor of patience It’s hard to swallow The air is so thick that you could take a piece and throw it out of anger I didn’t dare to ask why the room was so cold Why the light was so dim I pushed away the fact that my feet were aching That it was crowded with souls Not all in the shell of a body The feeling of unexpected movement flooded the space Words on top of words on top of panels filled with things you can read but can’t picture Because it doesn't have a picture It can’t be pictured There aren’t enough colors to paint the unknown And there aren’t any colors to fill in the spaces that are meant to be colorless Walking through a model of a child’s room My feet feel swollen and pressed up against my shoes My lungs feel two pounds heavier And my heart is deciding whether it’s a good time to stop or to run

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I feel the child sitting on the wooden bed I wish I could ask if they can see the stars Because everyone deserves to imagine themselves along the airless atmosphere Sleeping peacefully The smell of clouds I wish I could say take my hands I promise I will pull you out of the hole your stuck in That I can find you a new pair of shoes That I can rap you in a blanket and give you water But at least you’re at rest And all I can do is wonder Where they are And if they can see me Looking for them In between the stars And among the clouds In a place called elsewhere

Daniel Seferi As I walked into the museum, I found myself upset. I thought about all the history the museum holds inside of its walls, thinking about how people were able to cause this much sadness and how people still do this stuff today.

The things inside the museum aren't just history; they are the present as well.

From the Holocaust museum, the room with all the shoes will definitely stay with me forever. This room will stay with me because it shows that you have that in common with the people in the Holocaust. Sometimes when talking

about the Holocaust, we just say ... amount of people died, not going off the individuals that suffered because of this horrifying event. But seeing a room of shows just puts you into perspective.

"That could have been you" because you have that in common with the people in the Holocaust and it doesn't become a number anymore, it becomes a group of people that have a lot in common with everyone and not just numbers on a chalkboard and seeing this room shows me that, that number told to me, that's so hard to visualize is just ordinary people. From the African American Museum, the most moving place in the museum is the room with all the boards that tell a story. This room is moving to me because it just shows the long history need to get the freedom that should've been there from the start.

Seeing these events matter most to me. I find it crucial to learn about these terrible events because not learning about them could allow them to happen again. I also felt that this people that believe horrible things never got to go to these places and actually learn about the facts and not just lies.

D.C Museum Reflection Dashiell Pitts When I walked into the African Museum I was very interested in learning everything I can about racism and discrimination against African American people. When I entered the museum all my thoughts about everything else left and I was focused. When I entered the museum, I told myself that I would not be disrespectful or rude to anybody or anything. Seeing MAGA hat kids being

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disrespectful and saying rude things made me very mad and upset. I was told not to start a fight with them and to move on but it was so hard.

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