Best of Creative Writing 2013-2014

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Creative Writing

West Covina High School 2013­2014


We must continue to be open and trust in our own voice and process. Ultimately, if the process is good, the end will be good. You will get good writing. Natalie Goldberg Writing Down the Bones

Creative Writing students each chose a favorite piece of their writing to submit for this collection. They typed their own pieces and they are printed as submitted to uphold the artistic integrity of the work. Creative Writing Teacher: Ms. Whitten


Seize the day Seize the moment Moment of truth Moment of love Love that last forever Love that can conquer all All the special memories All the special kind in the world World of bravery and fear World that can be united as one One day One special day we stand together Together forever Together hand and hand Hand of unity Hand of friendship Friendship that can last a lifetime Friendship is one of the most beautiful thing Thing can be anything Thing of emotions or how you feel Feel of sadness Feel of happiness Happiness leads to a big smile Happiness is what everyone is wanting Wanting materialistic things Wanting the same thing as others Others can be happy Others can cry Cry of fears Cry of tears Tears run down my face Tears of happiness or frustration


Frustration that can lead to madness Frustration can bring pain Pain that you could relieve Pain that can break your heart Heart full of sorrow Heart full of emptiness Emptiness is all you feel Emptiness you won't be able to cure Cure of heartache Cure of heartbreak Heartbreak that leads to tears Heartbreak that can be fixed Fixed with love Fixed with compassion Compassion is what the heart wants Compassion of finding true love Love is all we want Love is all we need Rachelle Salazar


The Cold Day Everyone gathered around The cold wind blowing making no sound A prayer for the lost soul 19 doves let free People crying, making it hard for them to see Another body laid to rest Remembering you were blessed Broken hearted, you could see everyone depressed As days pass by People still question why Why you had to die Everyone still thinks about you and begin to cry Hoping everything was a lie Left so young, you were full of life But i know you smiling down Watching us while we pray for you Till the day we meet again In my heart i will keep you friend Rest In Paradise Daniel Lopez 1-24-95 - 1-12-14 Vanessa Medina


Some Days Some days, the world is alive and bursting with vivid cries All things are new and beautiful and when I am out, I bleed curiosity and confidence instead of redness that seeps and crusts over ugly on my skin. My newborn eyes can see and are crossed ever so slightly fascinated with the smallness of my toes in comparison to the bigness of the world around me. And on other days, my eyes are closed and my feet are hidden from me, underneath legs that are not strong enough to hold me up. I will not rotate, I will not crown. The softness of my head will not dare surface from where I am hiding. Nothing can be safer than the comfort and warmth of my bedroom, A womb for my anxieties. And on these days, I am afraid. Cimone Dailey


I Thought Wrong I feel so dumb, I feel so angry,, Lets make this better, Lets start over I’m not leaving without you, So if you decide to die Then I’ll die with you, You’re not alone I feel I feel when so it’s

so dumb, so angry i’m with you, over

I guess I lied, So i’m leaving, I’m not going to die, Not with you at least

Matthew Marquez


listen. One day I sat in the back room of my house. I was typing on the computer, and putting down my thoughts about a new story I was beginning to write. The writing mood is my favorite mood to be in. It had been a good day that day. The usual Saturday; waking up late, walking around sleepily, and doing no homework. My hair was beautifully crafted, as always...not. And I had on my best clothes...again, a lie. I had on my comfortable pajamas, and I was sipping some cranberry-raspberry juice. Through the window, I could see the sky was a dark gray. There were no clouds, because the sky itself had turned into one. The trees swayed slightly as the wind blew by. I could just feel the rain that was about to pour in my bones. This weather was my favorite. This day, similar to very few other afternoons in my life, I was home alone. I loved being home alone during the day. I could do anything, within reason, and I would be fine and I would not disturb anyone. Most of the time, on these days alone, I would end up on the computer watching a lot of Youtube videos about fashion and listening to great music. The relief of having no obligations and being able to let my mind completely unleash itself into words, was sitting beside me, like a friend who does not visit often enough. As usual, I was listening to Mumford and Sons. They are a great band, but I had been listening to their album for a month. I needed something different. The feel of their music is what I wanted to keep, I just needed to mix it up. So, I typed into the search engine ‘bands like Mumford and Sons’. And I found them. The best band I have heard in all of my life. Noah and the Whale. They were the first band that I felt fully and completely gave me moments that fed my soul. So often I have found now, their songs make me want to cry. But the best kind of cry. Their songs told of my life. They expressed thoughts I had so often had. And for once, I knew that someone else was thinking the same thing. You did not sing or write songs like that if you did not know what you were talking about. The first song I heard by them was the song ‘Blue Skies’. I thought it was pretty ironic, seeing as the sky outside was anything but. The main line of the song is that “Blue skies are coming” and even though I would much rather have gray skies than blue, it related to me. And not only that, but the song was not merely about the weather but life in its entirety. I could not believe it. Here was a song I knew would be playing if my life had a movie. This would definitely be part of the soundtrack.


How I feel about Noah and the Whale is best expressed in these two quotes: “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” ― Plato “Without music, life would be a mistake.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols, Or, How to Philosophize With the Hammer The discovery of music one loves is not a simple and meaningless thing. It is like a food critic discovering their favorite food. It is an athlete going to the Olympics. After that, you change forever. It may seem cheesy and quite empty to say, but it is the absolute truth. And people seem to not have experienced this moment enough. One hope I have for people of the world is for each person to feel what I felt in having someone to relate to. Even if they do not know that person, just as I do not know the members of Noah and the Whale. The world is a harsh place to be. Every time someone complains about something, there is the reprimand that someone somewhere else is less fortunate. The constant guilt that ‘your life really is not that bad’, does not help ease the pain, but instead, cuts it deeper. With a band like Noah and the Whale, in a way, they recognize those utterly misfortunate, and they also recognize the pain that is lesser in severity, but equally as valid. What I felt was different about Noah and the Whale was that it was not simply that I found music I really liked to listen to. They spoke words that I had never said out loud, and to hear that was magic. The End. Gabrielle Oates


Up in the Tree “I’m so sick of you,” said the red bird, angrily. “Get away from me,” said the blue bird, coldly. “You can’t be one of us,” said the yellow bird, proudly. “You don’t deserve anything,” said the green bird, enviously. “Who are you,” said the orange bird, ignorantly. And the black bird returned to its nonexistence.

Kristy Yeh


What did Hitler Ever do to you? Sure, Hitler killed several million people, and it’s no surprise that the majority of them were Jewish and other minorities, considering his belief in the superiority of the Aryan race. But in what way does that affect you? He was a wonderful fascist whose fashion and poise captured the hearts of the Germans. If only people could focus on his trendy juggernaut boots and his ultra­petite moustache, then maybe they could look past his mistakes and the prejudice against him will come to an end. We need to realize that Hitler has inspired the latest trends, from the military jacket to the army boots, but his efforts to enforce these fashions were unfortunately debunked. Adolf Hitler is being recognized for the wrong reasons. It should be known that Hitler is just being misconstrued. He began as an aspiring artist, hoping his paintings would one day be boldly displayed on the dignified walls of only the most prestigious museums. But his paintings were rejected and criticized by the Jewish. The poor, young Hitler felt vulnerable during those years, and he needed to recover his self­esteem. It’s not that he wanted to plan the mass extinction of minorities. He was trying to make a statement. It was called NAZI, which stands for New Artists’ Zeal Institution, to promote up­and­coming artists to not feel bad even when their art is criticized. By sending his art critics to the deadly concentration camps and subjecting them to gas chambers, painters could have the liberty of publicizing their works of art without the constant fear of


cold rejection. It also baffles me that people who don’t even know Hitler personally claim that he was an evil, authoritarian dictator for killing other people. Everyone holds different beliefs, so if you don’t believe in killing, don’t kill. It’s not my fault that Hitler does believe in killing. At least he was dedicated to what he believed in and took immediate action, whereas you criticize his beliefs instead of putting your ideas into practice. Besides, it’s not like you’re the one he’s killing. The other day I was chatting up a popular high school babe on The Facebook. I asked her if she thought killing was wrong. “Omg duh,” she replied. I continued by asking her if she ever killed anybody. She said, “Umm… no, what even is this?” Then she blocked me. The point is, nobody makes a big deal about the people she didn’t kill, but everyone makes a big deal about the people Hitler did kill. I can’t seem to make sense out of it. If Hitler didn’t kill you, don’t worry about it; smile and think that whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Hitler made you stronger. Embrace it. He will even strengthen your fashion. If you need a quick fix to your outfit, look up Hitler on google images and ideas will spark. So grab that military jacket, put on those Dr. Martens, and enlighten the world about the goodness of Hitler. Marilyn Martinez


What a Day Another day is here Sun shines everything around Leaves and trees and spring I’m really bored now Can I leave early as well Please don’t kill my day I’m really stressed ok I hate all this stress and work Research papers beep Give me spring break I want some French fries wait This is the wrong size Its April fools today Aw great why is it the seats I hate my life now Victor Borboa


Some Days Some days I’m really happy, Eyes beaming with sweet words said meant to be sappy, I’m a big ball of joyous energy, Taking life as it is and letting it be. All day I’m drowning in positive vibes, Forever thankful that I’m breathing and alive, I look at the world as a place of excitement and fun, Bright days with blue skies and the beautiful sun. But other days, I feel sad, Exhausted from everything, or simply just mad, I’m followed by this constant negativity, Feeling like I’m in this perpetual emotional misery. The whole day there is a frown on my face, I can’t stop feeling like I’m losing life’s race, I’m watching the world crumble and break, Tired of everything and everyone, there’s only so much I could take. I stand everyday trying to see how it’s going to be, Whether it’s going to be a good day – cool and sunny, Or would it be cloudy, Constant doubts and worry – all gloomy.

Nikka Binotapa


That’s life That’s lose love Love hurts Love kills Kills innocence Kills belief Belief heals Belief captures Captures hearts Capture passion Passion drives Passion creates Creates open doors Creates paths Paths to nowhere Paths to light Light is hope Light against darkness Darkness is peaceful Darkness hides the pain Pain is natural Pain proves the heart Heart beats to a steady rhythm Heart lives shortly Shortly is long Shortly is happiness Happiness can run a life


Happiness can be a life Life is long at five Life is short at eighty-five Eighty- five is bliss Eighty-five is gone Gone from youth Gone from you You left You broke Broke from the truth Broke from the memory Memory of us Memory of freedom Freedom to fall Freedom to be caught Caught in your arms Caught in your trap Trap my heart Trap my dreams Dreams of being loved Dreams of being Being Loved

Sarah LeGaspe


Happy with lies The Truth Hurts But So Do Secrets So don’t ask me for the Truth While praying for a Lie Your Lips tell me the Truth shall set me Free But your Eyes tell me it will Release me from You My safe haven, My lovely cage And I your willing prisoner So What Can I Do But choose the Lesser of two Evils If Lies will make you Happy I would gladly Lie to you for Eternity Though I know One Day You’ll find the Truth I Bide my Time with Bluffs Collecting Smiles each day And praying they’ll be Enough To catch your tears And make you smile The day you call my bluff Kayla Castillo


Everything in Sincerity Music is Life Music is everything Everything means something Everything is nothing Nothing really matters Nothing can ever last Last breath Last kiss Kiss of life Kiss for love Love is honesty Love is shared Shared smiles Shared laughter Laughter creates happiness Laughter cures all All the sadness All of you You matter most You can’t forget Forget all the pain Forget all the lies Lies quite unforgivable Lies to hide the truth Truth saves love Truth for the people People need prosperity People seek to thrive Thrive on good times Thrive on each other Other than you, Other people hate Hate is passionate Hate is strong Strong and intense Strong and imaginative Imaginative ideas Imaginative thoughts Thoughts of us Thoughts of what could be Be so beautiful


Be everlasting Everlasting feelings Everlasting sincerity Sincerity in every gaze SIncerity in every gesture Gesture of truth Gesture so intimate Intimate‌ Truth... Walter Flores


By Leaving Me Seasons tend to change Seasons fly by By giving another chance By breaking the shielded walls Walls that are built so high Walls that haven’t broken even once Once to make a difference Once may not be enough Enough to be satisfied Enough to pass time Time that does not heal Time that is wasted Wasted by the second Wasted every night Night as dark as the sky Night so sad and gloomy Gloomy like the shadows Gloomy vision of what is lost Lost by the palm of the hand Lost within the mind Mind of the delusional Mind of those who wait Wait endlessly Wait for darkness to pass Pass beside the howling wind Pass through the storm Storm that rises Storm that cries Cries for the loss Cries because of sadness Sadness that is imprinted


Sadness beyond the dead Dead that does not wake Dead as silence Silence louder than a cry Silence without peace Peace that once existed Peace that made once happy Happy like a young child Happy as if there’s no tomorrow Tomorrow that is expected Tomorrow where dreams exist Exist in a mere fantasy Exist in only a reflection Reflection of what we used to be Reflection of you and me Me who is now broken Me where you left alone Alone… Broken… Dianne Cruz


Notice Your Actions Stop and smell the roses Stop and just Notice Notice your surroundings Notice time is passing Passing you by Passing quietly Quietly tiptoeing Quietly counting down Down you go Down that road Road of independence Road of wonders Wonders running through you Wonders taking over Over everyone Over everything Everything growing quickly Everything controlling Controlling you Controlling your life Life is too short Life is to be embraced Embraced every second Embraced every day Day shines bright Day fades away Away you go Away from home Home is old Home is missed Missed your chance Missed is meant to be Be optimistic Be positive Positive mindset Positive dreams Dreams in the sky Dreams leading your way Way to go Way to show Show your determination Show you are capable Capable of it all


Capable of the impossible Impossible bumblebees buzzing Impossible actions Actions showing who you are Actions and flowers speaking to you You Are

Jazmine De la torre


The Neverland Phase It was a Friday night and I was bored out of mind. I was laying down on my bed watching Rush Hour 3 when my ringtone, “Hold on Till May”, went off. I looked at the screen and saw that it was my friend Jenny. Having not talked to her in a while, I decided to answer. “Hey !” she said when I answered “Hey.” I said. “Whats up?” she replied. “Nothing just watching our favorite movie” I said with a chuckle “Oh Well…you wanna come with me and Nicole to a basketball game at my school?” she asked. I told her I’d ask and when my mother said yes I was more than happy to just get out the house for the night. I met her on the hill a little bit passed Chowder’s house another one of my close friends. I got in the car and we drove to Nicole’s house. We pulled up in front of her house blasting the most vulgar or “rachet” music ever. I don’t like the music but it gets me kinda hyper and excited. Jenny for being the whitest person I know with red natural curly hair listening to this music always made me laugh. We honked a few times and then out came Nicole in her rockabilly attire. Nicole was a freshman which made her two years younger than me and three years younger than Jenny. She was wearing red lipstick her hair in a bun kinda updo along with a red bandanna around her head. Nicole was always the innocent shy awkward one out of our group. Not seeing her in a long time put a smile on my face when she opened the door and she fell into the car as Jenny began to yell at her for I quote “taking a long ass time”. I laughed as we sped off to the exit of our little community. We turned right on Temple, and drove to Nogales still bumping the same kind of music. I rolled my window down to let the cool winter breeze fill the warm air in the car. Then Jenny started to yell at a car that was driving to slow, then Nicole did the same and they went back and forth yelling at each other on who can yell in the car. I doubled over in fits of laughter at the sight. I never thought I would miss their bickering so much. As we parked in the student parking lot of the school Jenny turned up the music higher than before and we stood in the car dancing and being stupid for a couple minutes till we realized the car next to us was occupied by someone Jenny knew. Nicole and I waved at the stranger and giggled. We quickly got out the car and made our way to the gym where the game was being held. We went in and sat down watching as the players from the other school filed in. I began to tell Jenny how things have been and what has been going on since we haven’t talked in a month or so. When her friends sat next to us she became engrossed in their conversation and then Nicole went to go talk to her friend who was in band. So I plugged in my earphones and decided to look up and blast Dance Gavin Dance songs. Usually I’d feel annoyed or unwanted when this happened but to my surprise I was content. Watching the game and the cheerleaders with their awkward face making


attempting to be cute and trying to ignore the gross smelling body odor flowing from the players. Then as I sat there I turned to look at Jen and wasn’t surprised she was not paying attention to the game at all. I faced forward again and my mind started to wonder. Things have changed between us, all of us. Jenny wasn’t so stuck up and so full of worry anymore now she was laid back and calm and didn’t care what her family thought as much. And Nicole wasn’t as shy and awkward, she was growing to be a bold confident girl. Even I’ve changed from being quiet, caring what others thought, and letting people walk all over me to gradually getting loud and speaking up and not giving a second thought to other people’s opinions who did not matter to me. My eyes were open to how much we’ve grown from the kids we once were. Hence, the Neverland phase. We were so naïve and thought things were so simple and didn’t have a care in the world. Once we entered high school those things kind of just flew out the window. We had to grow up and make mistakes and grow from them. We had to leave Neverland and grow up to face the real world, where we worried about school, family, grades, and friends. After the game we went to go eat with two of her friends. After dropping them off we went to my house where they spent the night and watched movies and talked. It was fun and I haven’t laughed so hard in a good long while that it almost felt like old times. Almost like we were back in time before the Neverland phase ever happened to us. A Memoir By Erica Grajeda


Death iN Black Life is unpredictable Life brings death Death brings nothing Death leaves sorrow Sorrow to friends Sorrow to family Family loves Family is noble Noble to their own Noble toward beliefs Beliefs in heaven Beliefs in hell Hell controls behavior Hell full of demons Demons spread their evilness Demons of the underworld Underworld beneath Underworld, home of darkness Darkness beautiful as can be Darkness of the night Nightmares overcome Night lit with stars Stars brighter than ever Stars out in space Space everywhere Space, a mysterious place Place to be Place to own Own yourself Own the present


Present in a box Present at home Home is where you choose Home is a feeling Feeling warm Feeling cold Cold heart Cold blood Blood runs Bloody hands Hands that work Hands that create Create a dream Create art Art is in everything Art with black Black love Black soul Soul... Love‌ Veronica Nunez-Galvan


Disney…Corporation or Corruption? Disney has been one of the highest ranking amusement parks in the whole world. It is one of the biggest family entertainment places where children and adults can roam the park spending their money on Mickey Mouse ears, eat an assortment of food, or meet their Disney character heroes in person from old and new Disney movies. It is nothing but family enjoyment and innocent fun. Or so we think. Disney since the 1920’s, has had a soul purpose to make entertaining cartoons, movies, and shows for the enjoyment of the people. However, there is more behind the Disney Corporation than we had ever thought. Writer of “10 Disturbing Life Lessons Disney Movies Teaches You”, Michael Thompson states, “a new notion has swept through the field of psychology that Disney films are not good for children, but in fact damaging, misleading, and in some cases even disturbing”. In many movies such as any princess movie, these movies portray many things such as always depending on a man, nothing changes without magic or fairies, or how girls are expected to be princess perfect. This leads to young girls around the world to think this way, leading to high expectations to depression. In other movies like The Lion King, it shows quote Michael Thompson, “while attempting to set clear examples of both good and evil, do almost too good a job of displaying how effective evil can be. By this I mean that in most Disney films the villain seeks to kill whoever stands in their way usually by means of assassination”. Disney movies had been making these sorts of symbolisms that make children think that it’s ok and accept it as it is.


Not only are Disney movies corrupted but the way they advertise their Disney products are truly despicable. At Disneyland or Disneyworld, they do not fail to put a Mickey Mouse heads everywhere. However, Disney has incorporated Mickey Mouse heads in almost everything but we just don’t realize. This is what is called a subliminal message that almost seeps into the minds of Disney fans that make them zombies of Disney, thinking everything Disney is wonderful. This is how Disney makes its business by using mind games like such evil tactics. Disney is now breeding Disney babies and children. In recent shows like the family oriented show “Good Luck Charlie”, there are two real babies that come on to the show not even knowing they are on this show. They are basically born into Disney not even asked if they even want to do this. They did not ask to be in Disney but are simply forced. Disney is producing these babies to make their sick corporation grow and grow making them stronger. Although Disney is portrayed as a happy and innocent corporation, it is not but a manipulating and sick corruption that continues to grow everyday with people spending their money at Disney parks and watching countless hours of the Disney channel. Disney will continue to grow more powerful with doing anything to reel in its popular demand. Deanna Cruz


Some Days Some days I have it good Got everything under control No distractions No worries Seems like everyone around me is doing perfectly fine as I am Been going with the flow No stressing over anything But other days I have it all wrong Everything is a disaster Overthinking kills School and work take over my life No time for myself Seems as if I’m someones slave No longer feeling free Under someone’s control Live in a world with serenity Content with how I’m living Or let others have power over me In charge of my actions Diana Zamora


Every Day I Wonder If Every day I wonder what today holds for me Whether if I’m going to fail a test or pass it Wondering if I’m going to get to school safely or not, Today is full of surprises. Every day I wonder if I’m going to come home To proud parents and a happy family, Or if I’m going to come home And get kicked out as soon as I walk in the door Every day I wonder if I’m going to be a better student or athlete. People say school comes first but when I ask What their grades are, I notice I’m talking to a complete failure. Being an athlete is fun but being a straight A student helps your future. Every day I wonder what my future will be like. Whether if I’m a teacher or a professional athlete, It doesn’t matter to me as long as I enjoy what I do And so that I don’t have to wake up angry every morning. Every day I wonder what surprises today holds Not knowing what my future is like And trying to forget what the past has created Because today is a new day, and like a maze You have to go through it, to get to the end. Daniel Wright .


Some Days Some Days I’m walking with my chest up, knees as high as Mt. Everest, crossing the Sahara desert in 3 steps, my body has blood flow to my brain as fast as a 90 mph baseball pitch. All worries gone in a disposal, stress no where to be located, conversations flowing as smooth and as briskly as a river. But other days life does not match me, having to take a bus to get two feet, bed keeping me from getting up, unsure of what to come next. Troubles let out of a wind bag, out of control not able to be tamed, feet dragging the floor and taking everything in its path, staring straight ahead with your little plastic face? Jorge Ramos


You on Goals Control the outcome Control You You are the leader You are the boss Boss is annoying Boss can shut up Up is where to go Up is forward Forward moving Forward is positive Positive is optimistic Positive work Work hard Work everyday Everyday is a new day Everyday is life Life is challenging Life has obstacles Obstacles you create Obstacles you can overcome Overcome fear Overcome negativity Negativity isn’t necessary Negativity isn’t what you want Want more

Want success Success is key Success is the goal Goals achieve Goals to reach Reach for the sky Reach for the stars Stars isn’t the limit Star aren’t high enough Enough excuses Enough failure Failure is not acceptable Failure is just a restart Restart your progress Restart like tomorrow Tomorrow needs work Tomorrow is the deadline Deadline is needed Deadline is a due date Due date to reach Due date for goals Goals always working Goals changing constantly Constantly... Working…

Jonah Mendoza


The Perfect Goodbye The moon­lit sky was dreamy. We had spent every day of summer together but summer was almost over and this was the perfect goodbye. With unspoken words our bodies became one. His body heat penetrated into my soul. I pierced his heart three times with my knife and said goodbye. Jennifer Amezquita


End of Orange We’ve only just begun We’ve gotten closer to the beginning of the end End of our childhood End of all the hatred Hatred from bitter girls Hatred from the negative people People who aren’t happy People who are ready to graduate Graduate with honors Graduate and never come back Back to people you never talked to Back to all the bad memories and heartbreaks Heartbreaks that are unforgettable Heartbreaks that will be left in high school High school where you spend five days a week High school where four years flies by in a second A second of the important years of your life A second that will change everything Everything falls apart Everything comes together Together we begin high school beside one another Together we stand at the end End of the school spirit End of the familiar faces Faces that you look forward to seeing Faces you never want to see again


Again with rumors and lies Again with all the drama Drama that creates enemies Drama nobody will seem to forget Forget all of the unnecessary people Forget all of the negative people People, let’s not forget about the positives People, there are also good memories Memories of the last spirit rally Memories spent with your best friends Friends that never left your side Friends that love you for you You have made it and survived You controlled your high school experiences Experiences you’ll never forget Experiences you don’t want to remember, Remember, we are one family Remember, you’ll always be a bulldog A bulldog of West Covina High School A bulldog who wears the color orange Orange that every senior is forced to wear Orange that seniors wear with pride Wear… Pride… Samantha Luevano


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Some Days Some days are bright flashing colors Where laughter and anger and sadness Flow like drifting water, loud and fast Bubbling with the warmth of light People and things each add their own color Creating a swirl of blues and yellows and blacks Changing the rippling waters to something messy Messy, but unquestionably alive But other days there is nothing No flashing colors or flowing water Silence where there once was noise No coldness or warmth to be felt The colors that once mixed the waters Seem gaudy and quickly fade away Until eternal gray colors what once Had been alive People remember the river and its life And some days they are forced to pretend That it still exists or let it die But other days, they hear bubbling waters Karen Gamas


Some Days Some days you live the book, Getting lost in each page, Falling in love, or sighing at the stupidity, And you sink deeper into the bindings. All afternoon, forgetting your worries, Reading of romance and murder, Feeling the pain the characters feel, Perfectly satisfied, Perfectly at peace. But other days, you read the book, Skimming over the neverending lines, Never feeling, never having emotions. Towards the characters. Or the plot. Frustrating, How can it be that one day, You feel so much emotion, Sailing through the pages Engulfing yourself in an adventure, While others it just disappears, All emotions gone and feelings gone, As you sit staring at the once enticing book? Melissa Wright


Some days Some days, the nights get cold and lonely. And life begs to breathe once again. Hearts begin to bleed and crumple. The voices begin to scream for pain. The rest of the day feels numb. and the feeling of being let down withers away the soul. But other days, Everything feels clear. Sorrow fades and disappears. And empty hearts move on. Sounds funny. Reality fades away from the normal mind and blisters the corneas of young eyes A cocktail of emotions in turn, destroy inner feelings for one another. You walk around like a fake deity and pretend you exist but you’re someone no one missed. Feel free to burn. Feel free to be missed.

Noah Moreno


Summer in Seattle Summer breezes through Like the pitter patter of rain On the top of Mt. Rainer There is a family reunion Cousins reuniting, barbeques in place The next day, a wedding to be held Girls with Starbucks and shopping bags in downtown The beach with the clear blue ocean Sounds satisfying as the rushing sound of the waterfall Summer breezes through like the trip to Seattle Melissa Tan


Palace of Happiness Pass the first gate Reveals the Red Doorway The creaks of the floor board Are disregarded when entering People that share the same blood Assist and disrupt And leave a trail of mess But nonetheless, it is comfortable In this Palace of Happiness Wellson pan


Walking down the street in my 64, When me and the homies used to wait for the ice cream man, We were young vato locos, A Bb gun and scooters, we were young but at least we had fun, Escaping from the problems surrounding us, Hot California weather eating elote, But soon we drifted all of those times were forgotten, We split close friends now strangers, He was younger but his only role models were not so good, Last I heard he was messing up not going into too much details, it’s just another Chicano story that will never be heard

Jeremie Fraire


Some Days Some days I'm a game changer jumble the cords in my hands As a constant reminded, society stares into oblivion in the face men and women placed in gender roles social rules and social norms quintessential embodiment, quintessential manifestations But other days, I am the one who is following the interpersonal duties recoiling back to what is expected to be done It's quite amusing if you think about it are you in control of your own? Ashley Huynh Â


The Five W’s Who, what, where, when, and why. The basic questions of life with many answers. Who was it that did it? Who told the others about it? What is it exactly? What caused it to happen? Where did it happen? Where can I go to get away from it? When will it all go away? When will I finally be done with it? Why did it have to happen? Why can’t it all just go away? Everyday we try to answer with definite answers. But it is better to leave an open mind. Questions,though we try to answer them, are better left unanswered. Antonio Martinez


It was such a pretty feeling The gentle aroma of two very familiar personalities caressing fingertips embracing the neglect for separation index to index slowly calling for the most satisfied of breaths one head upon a chest, one hand upon a leg the silence soothing any previous wounds the touch melting away every inflicted pain the inexplicable comfort every second brought to my very mind never to be proven wrong because this was it and it was such a pretty feeling Irene Luna


Death iN Black  Â

Life is unpredictable Life brings death Death brings nothing Death leaves sorrow Sorrow to friends Sorrow to family Family loves Family is noble Noble to their own Noble toward beliefs Beliefs in heaven Beliefs in hell Hell controls behavior Hell full of demons Demons spread their evilness Demons of the underworld Underworld beneath Underworld, home of darkness Darkness beautiful as can be Darkness of the night Nightmares overcome Night lit with stars Stars brighter than ever Stars out in space Space everywhere Space, a mysterious place Place to be Place to own Own yourself Own the present Present in a box Present at home Home is where you choose Home is a feeling


Feeling warm Feeling cold Cold heart Cold blood Blood runs Bloody hands Hands that work Hands that create Create a dream Create art Art is in everything Art with black Black love Black soul Soul... Love…

Veronica Nunez-Galvan


Mmmmmemoir When I was a wee lad at the age of seventeen I had my thigh bruised up. It wasn’t too bad because I healed up quickly. Let’s just say I’m like Wolverine when it comes down to injuries. It wasn’t the only thing I got, but it hurt the most. It all started on a Saturday in the middle of September. I was talking to my old friend on the phone. We were talking about music and our bands. He told me that he had a show coming up soon and invited me to come see his band play. I always wanted to see his band live but I never had the chance due to school and other committed events. I didn’t have anything planned that weekend so I told him I would go. He was excited to hear me say yes. The gig started at nine so I decided to get to the house at eight. My friend met me outside the house and led me to the backyard. I had to pay my three first. I hung out with some of the people that were already there and pretty much became best buds. They offered some alcoholic beverages to me, but like the straight edge kid I am, I rejected it. They respected my decision and didn’t offer again. The real fun started when the bands arrived. I don’t really remember who else performed that night. There were some ska and punk bands. When the ska bands played I didn’t do anything except nod my head and such. Every time a punk band came on, I would go directly to the pit and push everyone. I was kind of easily pushed because I’m pretty skinny, but so were some of the other guys and gals in there. It was really fun being in there even though if it involved a little bit of pain. Nobody really takes the punches and shoves seriously because that’s what you’re supposed to do. When one of the songs ended one time and the moshing stopped, there were still two guys punching each other. I thought they were just messing around but when I saw their faces they looked pretty mad. Three people


including my friend broke them up and pulled them to the side. These dumb guys took it too seriously. I don’t know what was going on in their minds. Maybe one of them yelled a yo mama joke during the song. After everything settled down, the next band came on and everyone forgot about the incident. The whole group of kids got together again and joined in as always. I was having a great time and making new friends. Some of the kids there weren’t even kids. Some were just a little bit older. Throughout the whole night I kept getting this weird pain on my leg. It was more of a tingly sensation than a pain so I didn’t really pay too much attention to it. It kind of felt like the feeling when your leg falls asleep. Everyone kept bumping into me and somehow kept getting me either in the area below the abdominal region, or that spot on my thigh. I didn’t get mad at them for hitting me because I knew they weren’t doing it on purpose. So instead I laughed for two reasons. One because I thought it was funny. Never mind, that’s pretty much the only reason. I remember some girl was in the middle of a pit because she was trying to get to the other side to get to her friends. She was having a little trouble trying to pass through all the big guys shoving each other so I helped her. I led her around the group and got her to her destination. I got a couple of punches thrown at my shoulder in the process but it was worth it. We reached her friends and I recognized one of them. It was Daniel. I had a couple of classes with him last year. We looked at each other and we were both surprised. I hadn’t seen him since he graduated. We ended up hanging out for the rest of the night and making jokes about those two guys that were fighting for no reason. We also played tricks on the bands that were preparing for their set. We would do fart noises whenever someone would bend over. They didn’t know where it came from at first but when they found out that it


was us they started laughing. One guy said “I thought I was farting without even knowing.” The last band was my friend’s band. I tried jumping along with the songs but my right leg kept giving out so I just enjoyed the rest of the gig standing. When I got home after saying my farewells, I went straight to my room and checked my leg to find a pretty big, nasty bruise. It was purple and gross but cool looking. It was hands down the coolest bruise I got. Talk about a rad night. Eddie (“Edgar”) Araujo


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