RSVP by Ranney School

R.S.V.P. Ranney School Verse & Prose Literary Magazine Spring 2009 Issue 32, Volume 3 Ranney School 235 Hope Road Tinton Falls, New Jersey 07724 (732) 542542-4777 (732) 935935-1602 (fax)

The editorial staff uses Microsoft Word, Publisher, and Adobe Photoshop programs to complete their layout work. The cover is printed on 80 pound White Cover Stock. The pages are printed on 60 pound Skytone Parchment White Text. Papyrus font is used to reflect style and content. Omega Graphics of Shrewsbury, New Jersey is the printer used for the final production of this publication. Both written work and artwork are voluntarily submitted to the R.S.V.P. staff during the school year. The staff critiques all submissions and selects the best for publication. The front and back covers were submitted by Ben Weakley and selected by the staff of the magazine. The publication is provided to every student in the Upper School as well as each member of the faculty and administration. Copies printed: 350. RSVP Spring 2009

R.S.V.P. STAFF EDITORS Jill Giunco and Mary Breton

ART EDITOR Alyson Halpern

PRODUCTION EDITORS Molly Wilgucki and Sara Jane Berman

LAYOUT EDITORS Max Knopf and Linda Dayan

COPY EDITORS Dan Burstiner and Nicole Maguire

STAFF Caroline Chitty Emily DeFelice Jaclyn Famiglietti Adam Nickel Katherine Rodriguez Dan Turtel Ben Weakley Katherine Weinstein

ADVISOR Mrs. Joan Fernandez 2 RSVP Spring 2009

FOREWORD When summertime is around the corner, there is a spirit that arises within the students. This spirit creates a sense of rejuvenation that can be seen in the works published in this edition of the RSVP. As the school year approaches closure, the students evidently were able to finish strong by writing poetry and prose centered on the theme of spring awakening. We would like to take a moment to thank Mrs. Fernandez, our advisor. Throughout the entire year she has supported us unconditionally, and we know she will continue for many years to come. The staff has also done a great job creating writing prompts and doing all the other tasks which help make our magazine better each time. Lastly, we ask you writers to continue doing what you do best over the summer so we can have an awesome fall edition. Although Jill and the rest of the senior staff members will not be with us next year, we wish them good luck with all their future literary endeavors. Enjoy your summer and see you in the fall! Sincerely, Your Editors, Jill Giunco and Mary Breton

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TABLE OF CONTENTS ~ VERSE ~ Cartographer by Charlotte Fleming …………………………………………………………………………….. Page 9 Change by Michelle Yau ………………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 10 Clare by Mike Morrongiello …………………………………..………………………………………………………..Page 11 Gray by Jane Bamberger …………………………………………………………….………………………………….Page 11 My Paper Raincoat by Jeremy Lessing ………………………………………………………………………...Page 12 High School Nightmare by Olivia Boser ………………………………………………………………… …Page 13 One Day by Krishna Patel ……………………………………………………………………………………………..Page 14 Fallible by Alice Lubic ………………………………………………………………………………………………………Page 15 Summer by Rachel Brodsky ……………………………………………………………………………………………Page 15 War by Rose Pallone ………………………………………………………………………………………………………...Page 16 When We Were Younger by Grace Farren …………………………………………………………………Page 18 When I Black Out… by Sophia Chrysanthou …………………………………………………………….Page 19 She Floats Away by Marielle Cartagena …………………………………………………………………….Page 20 Kept by Linda Dayan ………………………………………………………………………………………………………Page 20 The Light by John Zipp ………………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 21 My Inspiration by Christa Dalmazio ………………………………………………………………………………Page 22 And He Panics by Matthew Simpson …………………………………………………………………………..Page 22 the ambiguous bringer of hope by Sophia Lee …………………………………………………………….Page 23 Lost Man’s Melody by Tor Miller ………………………………………………………………………………...Page 24 Home by Mariel Pearl ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 24 Today… by Jack Scilla …………………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 25 Me, The Doorknob by Michelle Drappi ……………………………………………………………………...Page 26 I Feel Like… by Alice Lubic …………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 27 What If? by Chris Johnson ……………………………………………………………………………………………..Page 28 Airport by Olivia Boser …………………………………………………………………………………………………..Page 29 I Cannot Understand by Charlotte Fleming ………………………………………………………………..Page 30 GoodGood-Bye by Alyssa Staats ……………………………………………………….……………………………….Page 31 Alone by Krishna Patel ……………………………………………………………………….…………………………...Page 32

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Quite Simply by Zach Marc ……………………………………………………………….………………………….Page 32 the world by Sophia Lee ………………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 33 Water by Sydney Shapiro ……………………………………………………………………………………………..Page 33 What is Love? by Stephanie Moser ……………………………………………………………………………...Page 35 Sylvia by Elizabeth Betesh …………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 35 Sunset on the Horizon by Munna Uppal …………………………………………………………………….Page 36 Spring by Zach Elkwood ………………………………………………………………………………………………..Page 36 Still and Silent by Stephanie Tierney ………………………………………………………………………...Page 37 The Beginnings of Music by Christa Dalmazio ………………………………………………………….Page 39 Johnny’s Hairy Escapade by Annie Kineavy and Manu Sharma …………………………..Page 40 Spring by Raaga Agraharam …………………………………………………………………………………………..Page 40 Ode to Voldemont by Hannah Skolnik ………………………………………………………………………..Page 41 My Wish by Anna McGinty …………………………………………………………………………………………...Page 41 All I Really Needed by Will Miller ………………………………………………………………………………….Page 42 Pedestrian by Max Knopf ………………………………………………………………………………………………..Page 42 Wishing for a Summer Day by Andrea Wong ……………………………………………………………..Page 44 Smiles by Dan Turtel……………………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 44

~ PROSE ~ Visitation by an Elephant by Peter Giovine …………………………………………………………………Page 47 Duck? by Alyssa Staats ………………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 48 Recreated Diaries from The Adventures of Huck Finn by Sara Kleinman …………..Page 50 Remembered by Caitlin Klein ……………………………………………………………………….………………...Page 53 A Humble Victory by Chris Johnson …………………………………………………………………………...Page 55 The Worst Present Ever by Samantha Marc ……………………………………………………………..Page 57 Driving Test by Jason Lopyan ……………………………………………………………………………………...Page 57 A Light in a Darkened Day by Omar Sarhan ……………………………………………………………Page 58 Fluff N’ Nutter by Victoria Triolo ………………………………………………………………………………...Page 60 Officially a Driver by Natalie Cantave ………………………………………………………………………...Page 62 Letters of a Soldier by Sophia Chrysanthou …………………………………………………………….Page 64 FURIOUS! by Veronica Maccia ……………………………………………………………………………….Page 66 RSVP Spring 2009

The Tears of Death by Sophia Lee …………………………………………………………………………...Page 67 A Sequel to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Lauren Waters ………………..Page 68 Expendable by Matthew Haines …………………………………………………………………………………...Page 71

~ ARTWORK ~ Flower by Mariel Pearl ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 8 Distorted by Ross Bernstein ………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 17 Footsteps by Allison Lyttle ………………..…………………………………………………………………………..Page 18 Man Alone by Joanna Simon………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 23 Hat and Scarf by Ben Weakley ……………………………………………………………………………………Page 25 Bank Vault Door by Alyson Halpern…………………………………………………………………..……….Page 26 Froggy by Linda Dayan …………………………………………………………………………………………………..Page 34 Wind by Mariel Pearl ………………………………………………………………………………………………………...Page 38 Girl in Newspaper by Stephen D’Onofrio ………………………………………………………………….Page 43 Desert Frog by Taylor Swanner …………………………………………………………………………………..Page 46 Woman by Danny Egan………………...…..…………………………………………………………………………….Page 52 Monterosso by Jesse Feldmus………………………….……………………………………………..……………..Page 54 Taking A Break by Dana Cohen…………..……………….…………………………………………………….Page 56 Never Alone by Alyssa Stavola……………………………………….……………………………………………Page 59 Pigs by Margaux D’Onofrio ……………….……………………………..…………………………………………..Page 66

rn n e o lp isi V Ha ly A y B

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VERSE

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Flower By Mariel Pearl

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Cartographer By Charlotte Fleming Gnarled and grey, Mottled by its own discoloration And flecks of fresh ink stains, It cracks and ached like a branch Being struck by lightning. Mountains of veins and rivulets of wrinkles Snake across Its frail landscape. Yellowed nails act as camouflage Among the archaic scrolls of parchment. A sigh is emitted As clouded eyes squint towards the bright, dusty window. The simultaneous scratching noises of the pen and A hungry pet claws on door harmonize into the tune Of the cartographers daily life. Gnarled and grey, The hands of a wizened man turn the tarnished doorknob As the cat scuttles out of the room. A momentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pause, The creature waits for its master. His silver locks sway from side to side. Mutual understanding beckons them to part ways. Callused fingers relax as they gasp their familiar pen. Even in the weathered years of old age, Work is never over.

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Change By Michelle Yau People generally change whether it is for better or for worse Once a new personality sets in, it would be great if our past dispersed Because it is frustrating for people to still refer to what you no longer are And the idea of someone changing to them is completely bizarre

I do not believe that people cannot change I believe living through time gives us range Just because someone was one way before Does not mean they are that way anymore

Appearances are not everything Grazing the surface does not suggest that is everything a person could bring The surface does not tell it all Some people act a certain way to put up a wall Distracting people with their nonsense So that no one would cross their emotional fence

You cannot know unless you know It does take a long time for a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life story to be told Many people take the easy way out Without realizing that is when misjudging comes about

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Clare By Mike Morrongiello A shiver breaks across my back as I first hear that piercing wailPerfect rapture just caught on tape I hold the feeling closer…

let it flood my brain

Get lost in the sound of this woman…

this human

As she pours out her every torment and joy I think GOD!

They could not have come up with a better name

The Great Gig in the Sky. Epic noise, helpless wonder and ecstasy Full of all the sorrow and joy that rages through out tiny livesAnd it didn’t even take 5 minutes But that voice. Entering with a scream and leaving on a whisper An entire life’s story, told without a word And it didn’t even take 5 minutes Sometimes it takes a soul singer’s death rattle Just to make true art

Gray Jane Bamberger Drab, Dull, and Distant The Sun is in Hiding Discomfort, Dust, and Darkness The World has stopped All the Colors have mixed We are not unique We consist of the same matter Gray Matter RSVP Spring 2009

My Paper Raincoat By Jeremy Lessing Scissors, glue sticks, and a bit of tape To make my paper raincoat. Hours of work and hours of sleep To make my paper raincoat. I made it out of newspaper I like to recycle you know. I make it out of unloved sheets I like to recycle you know. The coat is sturdy and stiff and strong Because it’s dangerous weather outside. Be careful not to get a paper cut Because it’s dangerous weather outside. There’s snow and sleet and sludge and smog So I’m glad I have my raincoat. There’s mean and nasty brutish and old So I’m glad I have my raincoat. My paper raincoat is always good So long as it doesn’t rain. It keeps the cold out and all the warm in So long as it doesn’t rain. But if it should start to rain And I hope that never happens. I’ll have to take my raincoat off And I hope that never happens. Some friends have gone through that ordeal So I know it isn’t pretty. I’ve seen my friends get caught in the rain So I know it isn’t pretty. For not I’ll cut and glue and tape And hope I’ll never see rain. For now I’ll talk and laugh and love And hope I’ll never see rain. 12 RSVP Spring 2009

High School Nightmare By Olivia Boser four years of nail biting chewed lips callused feet from that sport you so unenthusiastically joined a forestâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth of trees, hacked down split and sliced into a dozen SAT books a hundred crisp essays with red pen dancing through the margins a thousand tests with grades one point too low a million pencils with mangled erasers. four years of wear on the keys of your computer and so much less on your pillow a hundred sleepless nights only briefly stopping to wonder why an ocean of choked-back tears your teeth worn-down from grinding and your mind races through regret for every hour not spent studying. four years of bruised knees and ego averaging grades and feeling average six slim envelopes on the kitchen table with your name on the front and four years inside taunting you they say wake up. RSVP Spring 2009

One Day By Krishna Patel As we lie there in that eternal slumber All I hear is the constant murmur I don’t remember where we were All I knew was my heart was sore As a seven year old I was still quite young I couldn’t see that my dad was a grieving son The situation seemed so unreal I didn’t understand God’s deal One day we’re in Central Park I sat on your knee till it turned dark A week later I’m sitting in the hospital The doctor says surgery could be fatal Next thing I know Grandma comes crying How could my grandpa be dying? That day seemed like a terrible dream My innocence tired at the seams Life was not infinite everyone leaves This was something I could not believe After they took you away I wondered if I would see you some day? Now I know eight years later That life is short and doesn’t last So we have to enjoy every minute we have Cause it comes down to a simple thing I always wonder what we could have done If we had one more day as grandfather and grandson

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Fallible By Alice Lubic Would you love me any less if I were not a girl? Maybe if I were a question mark, but only just the curl. Maybe if I were a cell phone ring, the polyphonic type. Maybe if I were an incense stick, incapable of burning bright. Would you love my any more if I were just a boy? The kind that’s not very conscious of what he destroys. The kind that’s sort of simple, nothing profound. The kind that wants you to talk, claiming silence is a terrible sound. Would you hate to see me once I’ve grown up? When I’m too busy, but nothing’s enough. When I’m past mature, just old and wrinkled. When I’m speaking slowly because I’ve mentally dulled. Would you cry to see me in my grave? You can’t think of how to behave. You can’t let a tear drop on my cold face. You can’t forget that even though I’m not perfect, I can’t be replaced…

Summer By Rachel Brodsky Aviators on and flip flops in hand All summer long I lay in the sand Thinking nonsense thoughts and tanning away I wish this perfect season could forever stay No AP classes, worksheets, or tests Summer was made for students to rest I think of school and loudly sigh… When the year starts, surely I’ll cry.

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War By Rose Pallone

A girl looks up at the waning the moon Wondering if he will come homes soon Does he miss her too she wonders As the moon looks down upon both lovers The moon stares down at the brave young boy Who has changed too much from the day he was deployed He looks up at the vague moon with a tear in his eye Missing the girl he will love even after he dies He holds a letter to a bruised and beaten heart Only a few more minutes until he will part The moon looks back on the broken doll Though the window as she walks down the hall To a bedroom where her child lay awake She watches him sleep to cure her heartache But what if this baby that is her tiny daughter Never once gazes up at her father The moon looks on them for quite some time Until the sound of a clock does chime To tell the moon to look back And watch the boy as he packs With a proud smile on his face As he and the other head to an air base The on looking moon is pleased that they boy is coming home And when he returns he will not find one love alone A truck the boys take rocks about On the dusty Iraq road and they hear a great shout The moon returns to the scene of mother and daughter As the fire consuming the truck gets hotter and hotter The young baby girl wakes and cries 16 RSVP Spring 2009

As if she knows she lays there as her father dies Mother sings a hopeful old tune A wartime song of how father will come home soon The moon looks away from the window Where they baby rocks in the arms of the widow Te moon looks down on all the families Of all the wars hard times and tragedies On the broken heart of all effected And he finds something unexpected By some war or horror story of late or past Too many cannot win the battle to last The moon looks once more on the silent Earth Wondering why there must be so much hurt We all look up at the waning moon Wondering if they will come visit us soon

Distorted By Ross Bernstein

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When We Were Younger By Grace Farren When we were younger, Just kids playing in the sun, Did we ever think that when springtime came and the flowers bloomed, We would be growing and changing, too? We never thought the day would come, The day when we would have to face the people that we have become. We would have to take responsibility and fess up to what we had done, Understand that consequences come in hand in hand with freedom and fun. We never thought we would grow apart, Never though we would have to deal with feelings of the heart. We never thought time would pass so quickly, Now that we’re all grown up, the past ten years seem like a mystery. When we were younger, we took things for granted. Now that we’re older, we can look back and smile upon the seeds that we have planted. Our childhoods might be over, but our lives are just beginning. It’s time to live it up, take it in and create the next ten years of history.

Footsteps By Allison Lyttle

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When I Black Out I… By Sophia Chrysanthou Oh, but it was just a few words That slipped out of my mouth Back then I didn’t know what I was saying But these words bite my tongue And I’m buffering Stopping to think, Is what I’m thinking ok Oh but I’ll never know Trust me I was just fine With my road to follow Which became a thin line I have to walk over without falling Oh these thoughts are just pathetic Such foolishness should be shot down But the gun points at me I’m still in the spotlight I feel lost and lonely And when I’m lonely I scream And when I scream people hear me And then it gets crowded and I can’t breathe I terrified And when I’m scared I start to cry, and Then I fall asleep When I wake up I know it was just a bad dream Except when I step foot into class Everything came out to be real I get nauseous Then pass out again My thoughts leave me And everything starts to happen again

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She Floats Away By Marielle Cartagena She floats away and I don’t care. I pretend not to see her despair. I pretend to be unaware. I couldn’t ever show her face. I couldn’t imagine the disgrace. What would they say about the taste? It isn’t like they would approve. My secret thwarts her every move. She’ll never find me in this groove. She will simply be left to fall. There’s no way I can afford this brawl. I’ll leave her dying-let her crawl. I soon won’t have to see her eyes. I won’t have to see the way she dies. I won’t have to keep up my lies.

Kept By Linda Dayan I don’t have words anymore. I never used them, so they soured in the back of my mind. There was no expiration date but I think everyone knows when it’s too late and it was finally time to throw them out. I think I’m becoming a nostalgic type because I just poured the meaning down the sink but washed out the cartons so I could keep them on display on the back shelf. It doesn’t make me happy but I can’t bear to see them wasted when they could’ve done so much good. Not like they could now, all empty and old and such. But they weren’t useless once. And I can see my reflection in the white glossy paper.

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The Light By John Zipp I lay here in my once comfortable bed. My thoughts are nonexistent My emotions are beyond complexity The Sheets that once kept me warm and happy, No longer provide heat for my solemn body. The moments that we had now fall under the Catalogue of History that will never occur again. My nights are spend in a mixed ambivalence, Where I question. What if? What if I had said this? What if this never happened? But it did. It happened, so quickly, It could have slapped me in the face and I still wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have seen it. When it is cut and dry and it comes down to a pebble, A blade of grass, or leaf falling from the top of the tree, spiraling downward Upon the earths surface; only to be picked up by a gust of wind a moment later. To only discover that everything that happens upon this forsaken earth, Happens for a reason. Trust me when I say to you that a reason is there, It just may take a couple years to find but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s there. For me one reason still has not been found, but it will come. And that light at the end of the tunnel, it is not heaven my friend, It is the gust of wind picking you up again.

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My Inspiration By Christa Dalmazio You’re always there when I need you most; You never brag, you never boast. Through rough times and when I’m down, You’re always found to be around. You’re my faith, my love; you’re way above, What this world is reminiscent of. You’re the peace and joy and happiness, That human kind strives to possess. You’re kind and caring; sometimes daring, To aid me with your strength and unsparing. Never selfish, greedy, or corrupt, Though you’re bluntness at times is quite abrupt. That’s forgiven because loyalty to the truth, Should be more treasured than any youth. You bring confidence in all moment of doubt; To my formation you are devout. Through think and thin you will remain my friend, Forever and always, ‘till the worlds end.

And He Panics By Matthew Simpson dinner eaten, homework done, pajamas on his long day is near complete time to relax just in time for Facebook and maybe tv check the Ranney intranet just to be sure ... midnight a multiple choice test tomorrow? he can’t study now but didn’t she move the test to Monday? panic 22 RSVP Spring 2009

the ambiguous bringer of hope By Sophia Lee Happiness is fleeting it comes as an image an image that fades an image to be erased Happiness is light it floats away

Man Alone By Joanne Simon

airy in the wind away from the earth lost in space Happiness is heavy it sinks and drowns in the unreachable depths of the watery sorrow Happiness is forever it dies as it lives is born as it dies Happiness is joy it cannot be touched but felt and sensed like the wandering spirit of Hope

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Lost Man’s Melody Tor Miller Out in the streets, about quarter to three, Dark red eyes, the man was broken, out on his own. Sittin’ on the corner, just dust on his shoulders, All he wishes is that he could hold her but he’s lost all that he’s loved, His only faith was in God, God above. He drinks away the pain. He just drinks away the sorrow, It’s all the same, because the man is just hollow, I’d believe you’d know. There’s a hole in his heart where she used to go. Sweat rolling down his neck. Shivers down his spine, Body’s a wreck it’s aching all the time. He’s going crazy for her, He’s gonna get out of his hell cause that’s what he deserves. And it’s so easy to say, that he’s gonna change, He tries so hard he cannot stay away, From his drug, It’s the only thing he’s thinking of.

Home Mariel Pearl A thousand miles away from A place that is supposed to be welcoming When it’s just a house Holding five people That have nothing in common Except DNA Yet somehow I don’t escape Somehow I don’t complain The truth is I yearn to come home Since it is where I belong 24 RSVP Spring 2009

Today… By Jack Scilla I just remembered the most horrible event So torturous and vile, from hell it’s sent. Just thinking brings distraught and discontent. Yes, this must be the most horrible event. The circus could use another acrobat But I can’t flip, stretch or do any of that. I could just eat and grow morbidly fat. Get lost in a place where I could hide at. I wonder on all of the possibilities. All the preparation and things like necessities. And I find that in all my abilities. This one thing brings the most hostilities. And I find it unbearable, this word used best. Just the thought in my mind brings such distress. So here it is the event I detest. Tomorrow I have school, what’s worse a test.

Hat and Scarf By Ben Weakley

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Me, The Doorknob By Michelle Drappi Shiny or matte, Even old and new, I come in all sizes, Made just for you. I sit here all day, I’ll never move. Until someone knocks, And they are let through. I’m easy to keep, I’ll never complain. Unless someone breaks me, I’ll shatter in pain.

Bank Vault Door By Alyson Halpern

The door is my home, And I may have a key, To lock when you like For your own safety. Please don’t forget me, Because I’m forgotten a lot, Although, we doorknobs Play a pretty big part.

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I Feel Like... By Alice Lubic I feels like she’s dying, but she’s sitting right here. I feel like she’s dead now, because I can hardly see her. I wish I were optimistic, and dreamt of good times. Instead I lie awake at night, thinking that my sisters died. I feel insecure, like talking is not helping. I cant’ blame her anymore, and it’s passed “I’m not telling.” I wish I could be at peace with my mind, even pretend it’s not cancer. Instead I think of her as sick, hoping this illness doesn’t advance in her. I’m trying to prepare myself for what I don’t know is coming. I’m trying to omit that period of “why is this so stunning?” These thoughts are awful, but ones I can’t seem to ignore. Instead, don’t think down on me for being premature. She’s brave, I know, but what about when she’s asleep? Can the growing cells invade her dreams? And do they tell her that she’s almost free? Does she think about her end as much as me? I know we fight. I know she’s always right. So I don’t care if she’s not okay with me. Just stay with me.

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What If? By Chris Johnson WHAT IF I could end all war? Stop the fighting, kill no more. WHAT IF I could stop world hunger? All children could eat, starvation no longer. WHAT IF I could help the poor? Give them comfort, make them secure. WHAT IF I could cure the dying? Suffering would end, no more crying. WHAT IF I could unite all races? Stop discrimination, create harmony in all places. WHAT IF I could eradicate hate? Joy would flourish, faces would illuminate. WHAT IF I could end all crime? Violence would cease, peace all the time. WHAT IF these WHAT IFS would all come true? The world would be a heavenly place for me and you.

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Airport By Olivia Boser we are the boring family going on vacation and that is my day, already the quintessential tourist (click click click “LOOK OVER HERE!” click click click) and that is my mom, killing brain cells, reading people magazine (flip flip flip “Angelina is pregnant? Again? flip flip flip) and that is my brother bouncing on the luggage (thunk thunk thunk “I’m booored.” thunk thunk thunk) and this is me, trying to ignore them, my IPod barely audible to those who walk by (chh chh chh chh chh chh chh) but they could be moving to a new country, all alone or escaping the police or meeting their long-lost child or a celebrity in disguise or running to find their true love and keep him from leaving (like in the movies) or they could just be other boring families on vacation or people on business trips or coming home from college and maybe they’re just running (thwak thwak thwak) because they’re late for their plane. but you never know.

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I Cannot Understand By Charlotte Fleming I cannot understand A world like this. How do we survive? We fight and kill and swear and Live our lives, then die. Nature creates, Then humans ruin The cherished gifts of Earth. Mere mortals believe that they are gods, Overestimate their worth. Why do we despise tyrants so, When we reign in dictatorship fashion. We dig and drill and don’t conserve Simply following our passions. Each whim we daintily divulge in Claws at Nature’s crusted scabs. If we scratch too hard And scratch too long, The world will heal. There will be no remnant of disaster To scrape or rip or peal. Even now, the Band-aid’s wearing thin. The ozone disappearing. Moving to another planet May seem a bit appealing. Though we’re a world riddled with strife, Entangled in controversial opinions, There is some good in this world, People we can believe in. We cannot move back 30 RSVP Spring 2009

To erase our sins from aging historic records. There’s no resetting our clock The hand must tick on forward. There are many aspects I hate in humans, Many qualities I find wrong. Sometimes I find myself surrounded By an ignorant throng. But I know that I, too, am a part Of this mob blind incomprehension. I will change. As will humans. We skillfully can adapt. We’ll change for the better And make this world One that will always last.

GoodGood-Bye By Alyssa Staats The bus rumbles in anticipation Faces smeared by the dirty windowsMimic the weatherThe gray exhaustion of dawn. The evanescent tear catches in her eye, Gone in a second. Tries to smile and can’t. Their eyes say everything, Reinforced by a last embrace. The dark green of war looks alien to her, And the boy clinging to his shirt. Suddenly sensing the impatience, He turns away; They depart; Forever, good-bye. RSVP Spring 2009

Alone By Krishna Patel While I sit alone on this winter day I watch as my breath goes from my mouth and flies away I sit on my stoop as the cold sinks into my bones I feel like a drone doing what’s asked of me I follow rules and live accordingly Yet everything is not right and life is not great I wonder what I did to deserve this fate I know I always tried so hard to do what was right I used to try so hard that I would think about it all night Yet I still have no job and my wallet is empty I sit on the curb and my heart is the same I treated life just like a game Spend my money and broke people’s hearts That’s why no one is here sitting with me in the cold dark My life shows a lesson that needs to be learned All pleasures in life need to be earned Before we do what we know is wrong We must consider our future Because memories fade, but loneliness lasts forever

Quite Simply By Zach Marc Quite Simply, I was having a day from hell Up until I came across a wishing well. I need a change of luck but how, I wasn’t sure So I took some change out of my pocket and this is what I wished for: I wished for some money so my bills would go away I wished for the sun to go down so I could live another day. I wished for strength by religion so I could sit down and pray I wished for a decent education so I would always know exactly what to say. I wished for some color so my hair wouldn’t grey, And finally I wished for a large house down by the bay. Previously my luck had kept me feeling blue But this must have been a magical well. Because all my wishes came true. 32 RSVP Spring 2009

the world By Sophia Lee i wonder if there’s really a We in anything we do in everything we are if people are meant to be alone or together if they’re just supposed to fake complete cooperation or if illusion is the stuff that holds everything together unbreakable and invincible impossible to dig through to get to what’s real so maybe there isn’t Really a We or an I but just a choice a test to see which is more real together or alone

Water By Sydney Shapiro Cool and crisp when it hits your lips Wet and chilling as it trickles down your throat Refreshing when you jump in on a hot day Delicious when you feel thirst Plain and filling when you’re content Abundant Surrounds the world Everyone enjoys it Everyone needs it A substance that does these things for so many people A substance, as simple as, Water RSVP Spring 2009

Froggy By Linda Dayan

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What is Love? Stephanie Moser What is love? Is it new or old, forgotten, or told? Love is breaking new hearts every day, And mending old ones just the same It finds what you’re searching for, Cures what you’re dying for, Solves problems that you need answers for. It doesn’t care who it’s between. But often it’s unfair and mean. When it’s found it’s perfect. It’s always direct. Love is there all the time. Whether you like it or not. What is love?

Sylvia By Elizabeth Betesh Sylvia Plath was young and pure But at nine she became unsure. Her father left her here all alone And she was abandoned with the world unknown. She had a husband who couldn’t control He was poor and weak in mind and soul. Sylvia took anger out upon her father But the real person who is at fault would not bother. Her husband left her for another woman And had a child. Her husband was to blame, And would live life with an eternal stain. The one who killed Sylvia Plath By being mistaken that led her down the wrong path. When time is near, he will see That the child he had was not that of a human But that of a lie Which will live in this world until Sylvia would die. RSVP Spring 2009

Sunset on the Horizon By Munna Uppal As the sun slowly slid down the sky, I asked myself, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Why, oh Why?â&#x20AC;? This golden orb of beauty and life Was disappearing into the darkness of night. While the waves crashed onto the shore, I felt myself asking for more. Its radiance created sparkles in the sand. Overcome with the tears of sadness, I could not stand. Wind blew through my hair, Whispering the words I could not bear. The horizon slowly became obscure, And it was then that I realized out love would not endure.

Spring Zach Elkwood The green grass is growing, Birds fly up the bright blue sky A warm breeze floats through the air Trees sway in the wind The sounds of bees buzzing is heard all around, As they hop from flower to flower Flowers are sprouting out all around you Everything is alive and flourishing All things are in bloom The trees are green again The days are long warm There is a definite change in season thanks to the Vernal Equinox It is the optimal climate for writing thematic poetry Though spring is known to have unstable weather patterns 36 RSVP Spring 2009

Still and Silent By Stephanie Tierney I grabbed onto the reins Not knowing what would happen As I began to trot around the field The cold, brisk air numbed my face I had lost feeling in my hands Needless to say, I ignored the temperature outside As I continued to ride The instructor told me to go faster I tightened my grip on the reins And began to go faster And faster and faster And bam! As I laid on the ground Intense pain filled my left side I saw the instructor rush towards me I could not move My body felt like it had been hit by a train I wanted to scream out But I was so overcome with pain That I just laid there Still and silent. RSVP Spring 2009

Wind By Mariel Pearl

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The Beginnings of Music By Christa Dalmazio In the beginning there was a rhythm. The cavemen took bones and a rat-a-tat-tatted them. On the cave walls they made a great sound; Then they beat them upon the hard ground. Next, they took some animal hide; They pulled it and stretched it, so taught and so wide. Buffeting hands and pounding bones; They began to discover new and varying tones. By tightening the hides they acquired pitches ever higher; Like timpani they were tuned to any tone they would desire. The cavemen began to dance and to grunt; In time and in tune until the time came to hunt. They did not yet desire to cease their play; So they took their instruments while they tracked down their prey. As they clumsily bounded through thick grass and brush, They grunted to one another that they must not rush. They beat their drums softer and slowed down their antics; Thereby developing the first tempos and dynamics! The cavemen soon made songs from what they had discovered; The beginnings of music had finally been uncovered!

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Johnny's Hairy Escapade By Annie Kineavy and Manu Sharma The sun shines through the window pane It's the start of a brand new day But aliens have invaded How little Johnny knows Then he wakes up from his nightmare And gets ready to hang out with his bros But Johnny's knowledge served him no more His bros were actually growing 'fros! Johnny decided to grow his hair out, too But his hair grew down instead of up And now it touches his nose! To fix this, up the mountain Johnny goes He will ask the gods for a million 'fros But the gods aren't home He has nowhere to go Looks like Johnny will never have a 'fro!

Spring Raaga Agraharam The yellow sun is shining in the sky, Colors are changing from dull ones to bright, Days are becoming longer and brighter, Nights are becoming shorter and warmer, Flowers are blooming like they are not shy, Trees are turning green and lively again, The different birds don’t stop the singing, Sit back and drink that chilling lemonade, Look at the changes that spring is bringing, On this bright day, you’ll need to find some shade, When it is warm you can go to the beach, Enjoy spring with the big, round, yellow sun, Summer is near so there is less to teach, It’s a nice day to go for a long run, Try that new, beautiful, tropical drink, And let spring shine with the color of pink.

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Ode to Voldemort By Hannah Skolnik Voldie, Voldemort, Snape and Bellatrix too All evil in their own right Evil to look at and quite a formidable fight The wanted to take over the wizarding world Their evil plot quickly unfurled Unfortunately they could not succeed Voldermort died and deatheaters would bleed I still think JK Rowling would have made a lot of money if succeed they did Horcruxes intact and continuously hid Harry would die, Hermione and Ron too And the Series would end with me very blue

My Wish By Anna McGinty I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe in magic or fairy tales Or princesses and the knight in shinning armor But it was a really really bad day and I decided that it could not hurt to try So there was a wishing well and a penny So I threw it in and I made a wish I could have wished for money, and present, More wishes, delicious food, or straight Aâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, But I wished for one thing, just one simple thing I knew that the wish would make my day much better I could tell you the wish but everyone knows If you tell a wish it will never come true So you will never know the wish I made that day

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All I Really Needed By Will Miller Subscribe to superstition Unknown What’s your position? Look both ways before you jump Off the edge into the summer sun Watch for the rising of the tide Let it sweep away the line Slightly panicked feelings going to pass Pick it up but don’t forget the past It’s the only thing that binds us, and reminds us of those days When we used to look up in the sky and sleep outside The stars would shine the and the moon could fly It was all I really needed

Pedestrian Max Knopf Is a pedestrian a thespian? The “I” and “Thesp” runin’ the fun again Is a rhinoceros an elephant? That’s anotha’ thing I’m wonderin’ The trunk is in the way, ruinin’ my day These things are so similar! Like a mermaid and a dolphin? I always see em fightin’ Mermaid….marmalade? I’m talkin’ alliteration, that’s my recreation Like a puppy on vacation Goin’ to the spa and on day trips I saw a platypus and a cactus One was Spiky, but the other one liked me That reminds me, I gotta pick up Mikey

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Chelsea By Stephen Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Onofrio

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Wishing for a Summer Day By Andrea Wong Wishing for a summer day With the top down I can drive away Escape all my problems and worries Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll do it in a hurry Summer is a time to relax and prepare For another year in school spent reading Jane Eyre No need to care About what to wear Or the frizz in my hair This is all that I ask for On this rainy day that I abhor Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nothing I would rather do Than sit on the warm beach and sip Mountain Dew Making memories and laughing with friends I wish this feeling would never end Wishing for a summer day

Smiles By Dan Turtel breathe, breathe, in and out harder you can laugh, charm your arms to push a path broke through the crowd like shattered glass or whispered word, unsaid aloud that microphone can kill and turn to stone, alone, alone encased in glass and brick that ancient guilt can stick like sweet people that you used to know forget, forget old smiles pose a threat. 44 RSVP Spring 2009

PROSE

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Desert Frog By Taylor Swanner

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Visitation by an Elephant By Peter Giovine There was a roly-poly elephant outside the circus tent. He entered with trunk extended in warm welcome as if to say, “How do you do?” This was his salutation. He was extending his extended, over-sized nose for a shake. This was his introduction. The man at the counter touched the trunk, and the nostrils flared, scanning the man for his scent. The blue smell of blueberry and red smell of raspberry pie, a birthday pastry, were wafting up the long elephant-tubes that were his nostrils. He stood waiting. The elephant was awaiting entrance to the birthday party. Her has been invited as the guest of honor that day and would not deny his followers an appearance.

Yet, when he made his grand entrance, heaving his heavy feet towards the onlookers, they were horrified. Instead of “Elmo,” in the yellow pages, the word “elephant” they had found. Accidentally they had found. Accidentally, they had ordered one “large, furry animal.” Their faces dropped when instead of red monster, gray mammoth shook the ground. The beast bounded forwards.

Boom boom

Crunch.

Elephant had cake for lunch

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Duck? By Alyssa Staats “I’m not feeling very hungry today; the pea soup sounds delicious, please.” “At seven, the duck is half-priced, miss.” I looked at the clock – 6:01 PM. How ridiculous, to be informing me. Who would wait an hour just to have cheap duck? Not even cheap, by any means, at this place, either. “No, thank you,” I sweetly replied, “I’m a vegetarian.” “Are you, now? Well, I suppose you won’t be having duck at seven, then. I’ll put your orders right in.” As soon as he had left, I remarked to Janet how peculiar his behavior was. Furthermore, I had been at La Sophia’s dozens of times before and had never seen this particular waiter.

“Well,” she responded, “this economy’s been rough. I’ve heard of dozens of people who have been forced to consider occupations that they recently considered beneath them. A lower paycheck’s better than no paycheck. Just last month, my cousin was laid off, and he’s been applying for jobs like a receptionist, a clerk, a salesman….” I tried to listen to the troubles of Janet’s cousin, but I soon found myself thinking about the remarkable waiter. And why did he seem so incredulous at my declaration of being vegetarian? I could certainly buy that he was new to the restaurant, because usually the waiter doesn’t tell you any specials, anyway. They’re all posted on the chalkboard on the side. I don’t usually even look at it, because it’s mostly meat dishes, but once in a while, they’ll have a nice appetizer or two. What was odd about today’s chalkboard was that there was no mention of any duck dish, let alone a half-priced one. Otherwise, though, the meal went as planned. The pea soup was, as always, delicious. Janet talked about her cousin, who, I’ve noticed, has always had trouble, but this economy is really hurting him poorly. It was entirely normal—that is, until Janet and I received the check.

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Scrawled on the bottom, in messy black ink, right under the total was “7:00 PM” and under that: “DUCK”. At this point, I was really confused. I was done with my meal—what more could that waiter want from me? I was already paying the check, for goodness sake! And, I told him explicitly that I was a vegetarian. I looked at the clock—it was 6:58 PM, attributed to Janet’s notoriously slow eating habits. It was unreasonable for the waiter to want me to wait fifty-nine minutes for a special, which led me to the conclusion that there had to be some other reason than to actually get me to wait for the duck in question—but what? Offering a special to a customer when it didn’t apply to him certainly didn’t bring in more money for the restaurant at that particular moment, but maybe it served for more publicity? I looked around—the place was positively packed. That couldn’t be it. It was 6:59 and the clock was ticking.

Think, think! What could it mean? The message was certainly meant for me—the waiter had made certain that I had gotten the check and not Janet, handing it to me from my left, and not between us, as is the traditional mode of handling the check for most waiters in order to give the two parties an equal chance to foot the bill. That he gave it to me was strange seeing as I was the vegetarian between the two of us—then I thought that maybe it didn’t mean a duck at all, but a different kind of duck, but what meaning of duck— I looked up at the clock; it read 7:00. Then all of the sudden, everything happened at once. I ducked my head under the table, Janet gasped, the window behind us shattered, a shot rang out as a bullet whizzed by where my head was not a moment before, a man shouted, the crowd shouted, the loud screeching of tires drowned out the screams for an instant. My own heart was pounding louder than any external noise, and I could barely comprehend Janet’s cries of confusion and concern. The police arrived just as I regained my bearings, and I realized I was still under the table. They asked me questions, and I showed them the check, but, to my surprise, the writing under the total said: “Thank you, come again!” in neat blue ink. Surprised as I was, I still told them about the waiter, and I tried to point him out, as well. “Yes, Officer, the waiter, it was…” And then, I saw he was gone. Just mysteriously as that waiter had come into my life, he left. Vanished. The police never could find him, either. I’ll never forget the waiter that saved my life, though I haven’t seen him at La Sophia’s since. As for Janet, well, she still blames it on this blasted economy. RSVP Spring 2009

ReRe-Created Diaries from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn By Sara Kleinman May 1st

Dear Diary,

I’m scared. In all my days of being a slave, I have never had a day where I have felt this horrible. I ran away yesterday. I knew it was wrong but I had to! Miss Watson would have sold me off to New Orleans if I didn’t. I hate being a slave here, but I hear being a slave down there is a whole lot worse. Those slaves down there aren’t even allowed to have families. Oh, how I miss my family. I didn’t even get a chance to give them all a kiss before I left. I just know they will hate me for leaving. I feel terrible leaving them and not telling them where I’m going or when I’ll come back. I promise that as soon as I am free I am coming back here to free them. The only person that knows where I am now is Huck. It looks like it’s just me and Huck for awhile. Thank the Lord for Huck. It was like an angel sent him down to keep me company when he found me today on the island. Oh, how I was happy. He showed me his raft, and let me eat a real meal. It felt so good to eat something other than berries for a change. I’m glad that rumor about Huck’s death was false. Huck is my last chance now. If it weren’t for him I would have probably been half crazy by now. We talked a lot today, and he told me about his plans to sail down the river. That’s the best plan I have ever heard in my entire life. I want freedom, almost as much as Huck wants to escape from his father. He told me how he escaped and I was shocked. That boy is really smart for coming up with a plan that hard and intelligent. I wish I could be as smart as that boy. We set out on the Mississippi River tomorrow. I don’t know how far we are going to travel or if I am ever going to be free, and that just makes me more scared. I just hope that Huck can maybe save me. ~ Jim Dear Diary,

May 25th

Oh boy, am I lucky man or what? Just two weeks ago I was running from the law, and now I’m sailing away on a nice comfy raft, as rich as can be, with another man, a boy and a slave. I met the man who calls himself a “duke” just before I saw the raft. We talked about our situations, and both saw the raft in the river as an easy escape route and jumped on. This little raft just about saved both our lives. The boy and slave that sail this raft told us some story about how they were sailing down the river for some reason. I didn’t bother to

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listen; I just assumed everything they told me was a lie. I bet that boy stole that slave, and is going to sell it for lots of money. I reckon if I ever get the chance, I will sell the slave first. We all started talking the first night we were on the raft, and the “duke” gave some stupid spiel about how he was actually a real royal Duke. It was so stupid I almost threw up. But, I have to applaud him because he convinced others, and turned the slave and the boy into his own personal servants. That revolted me, and made me so mad. I couldn’t just sit there and watch him get all this attention, so I made up some stupid story about how I was actually a King. And ever since then, the “duke” and I have been living the high life with our servants. I’m so thankful for how ignorant that boy and his slave are, those stupid fools. Lately the “duke” and I have been thinking of ways to get rich quick. We had one success two days ago. We put on some phony show for three days in some weird town. We made so much money from ripping those people off, it almost made me cry. I can’t wait to do it again. But, I don’t really trust that “duke” anymore. I swear that “duke” was going to leave me that last show. And it didn’t look like that foolish boy was going to say with me either. Good thing I didn’t show up, or I reckon I would have been in trouble. I know I can’t trust anybody on this raft, but as long as I keep making money, I’ll stay aboard. ~ (My new name)

King

June 10th

Dear Diary,

Oh Diary, I am just thrilled! Both Tom and Sid showed up last week. I was so happy when Tom showed up that I hugged and kissed him so many times. I was so scared that his boat had sunk or something terrible had happened. But that’s just me, neurotic as usual. And now I am just extra thrilled that Sid is here, too! Sid tricked me when he came by acting to be a stranger. I was appalled and quite embarrassed when he kissed me, but once I found out that it was actually him instead of some stranger, I couldn’t have been happier. Since then, things have been going great. Tom and Sid are finding things to occupy themselves during the day and I have been busy too. I visit the runaway slave we caught, frequently, to talk with him about all sorts of different stuff. Tom and Sid seem to like the slave, too. Twice already, I have seen them walk into the little cottage with the slave who feeds the runaway. It always amazes me how slaves just run away. I guess it shows how stupid they can be. They should know that they always get caught. Well, it’s almost dinner and I better get going. I’m looking for a spoon that I must have misplaced, because I can’t seem to find it. ~ Aunt Sally RSVP Spring 2009

Woman By Danny Egan

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Remembered By Caitlin Klein It was Liam’s birthday. As customary on her grandfather’s birthday, Fionne woke up early and slipped out of the house. It was a beautiful spring day – the first day of spring. It was a brisk mile walk to the cemetery. Unlike most people who get depressed when visiting a loved one’s grace, Fionne saw it as an opportunity to remember her grandfather. In her hand, she had a bouquet of pink roses that she planned to place on Liam’s grave. For the past six years since Fionne had gone to the cemetery, she had never seen flowers on any of the other graves. She walked to the grave and after a closer look, she saw the flowers were white roses. The grave was dusty. Fionne reached out to brush the dust away. An image flashed in her mind – a mother embracing her daughter. Both had smiles on their faces and adoration in their eyes. Captain Espere took a final look at the picture before putting it in his pocket. He pulled out of his packet of cigarettes. He took one out of the packet and lit it up. He had been trying to quit, but it was so hard during these stressful times. He breathed out a puff of smoke. “Captain Espere!” one of his subordinates yelled. “Enemy lines are moving in.” Captain Espere took one more puff before putting out his cigarette. How long had this war lasted? How soon was it going to end? He had been thinking these things more recently, but he continued fighting for the love of his country. He walked out of the cabin and onto the battlefield. Boom. A cannon had just gone off. Captain Espere hurried behind the stonewalls they had set up. He grabbed a grenade and pulled the pin while he causally threw it over his shoulder. Bang. It wasn’t enough. The enemy was still moving closer. Captain Espere peered over the wall. Dink. A bullet hit the stonewall he was behind. “I have to be more careful,” thought Captain Espere. Boom, Bang, the war raged on. What felt like an eternity had only been a couple of minutes. Captain Espere grabbed several grenades and ran into enemy fire. He let loose the grenades one after the other. Bang. He destroyed the last enemy tank. Enemy soldiers retreated while his side cheered. A feeling of happiness washed over him and then a feeling of pain. His chest hurt. He looked down and realized he’d been hit. He sank to his knees. He then landed on his stomach. “Captain Espere!” his team shouted. Four soldiers ran out onto the battlefield. One of them turned him over. Captain Espere looked up into the eyes of his four worried soldiers. He smiled. “We’ve been through some tough times. I’ve taught you everything I know. I don’t know what more a captain can ask for.” A tear dropped onto Captain Espere’s blood soaked vest. He looked into his soldier’s faces and saw pain and sadness. “Can a man have a last cigarette before he dies?” asked Captain Espere. One of the soldiers grabbed a cigarette out of the packet from Captain Espere’s pocket. He put it in his mouth and lit it. Captain Espere breathed in and blew out. The cigarette dropped from his lips. A soldier closed Captain Fionne removed the dust from the grave to reveal: Captain Espere 1923-1945. Fionne took one of the pink roses from her bouquet and laid it on Captain Espere’s grave. The wind blew a warm breeze that rustled the tree branches. Fionne moved onto her grandfather’s grave to place the rest of the flowers. The following years Fionne started to bring two bouquets to the cemetery.

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Monterosso By Jesse Feldmus

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The Worst Present Ever By Samantha Marc It’s not so much that the present impacted my life in a negative way, but rather I got absolutely nothing out of it all. I can’t even begin to tell you what the gift was. That’s not because it was so awful that I can’t talk about it, but because I honestly have no idea what it was. The gift came from one my best friends when I turned fifteen. It was really sweet because she had made it herself. I hadn’t seen her in a while since we’d started new schools so that made this gift extra special. I had been so excited to see what she’d made for me! I opened the gift and lo and behold, I pull out this thing. It was cream colored and had been crocheted by my friend. It was something like a scarf except instead of one long piece of cloth with two ends, the pieces had been attached somewhere in the middle. Now I’m not sure if it was an accident or that was supposed to happen, but either war I had no idea what to do with it. I t was a shame since I was really expecting something special from my best friend. Whenever she asks about it, I say of course I still have it, but that’s really all I can say since I’m still not sure what it actually was.

Driving Test By Jason Lopyan I woke up on a Monday morning. My day had finally come. I had been waiting for this day for 17 years. I was finally going to get my driver’s license. I went to the MVC with my driving instructor bright and early. When I got to the MVC, I saw a long line of cars with kids my age also trying to obtain a driver’s license. I could feel the tension in the air. I, myself, was very nervous and gripped the wheel as tight as I could. Unfortunately, many of the kids that went before me failed. I could feel my stomach churn at the thought of me not passing the test. Finally, it was my turn. I waited for a person to get in my car and instruct me as to what I had to do. I then drove through the course to remembering everything I had learned, especially how to parallel park. As soon as I pulled out of the course, I knew I had passed. It was the best feeling in the world. I went to get my picture taken and with my new license in hand, drove alone for the first time in my life.

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Taking A Break By Dana Cohen

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A Light in a Darkened Day By Omar Sarhan I have just had one the worst days of my entire fifteen- year old life. I had just gotten into a fight with my parents, while trying to save a friendship that I have had since birth. Also I had just failed a test that would have changed my grade from failing to passing. This had meant that I had to spend the summer that I was waiting for, since the first day of school. It had seemed at school that everyone was trying to avoid for I was said to have a bad vibe, because I am one of the unluckiest boys that a human can ever meet. This is not anyone would want to have as a label as they enter the new world known as, “High School”. It is said by the upper classmen that high school can either be a walk in the park or it could break you. Me, being the gullible and negative person that I was at the time believed them and had a mindset that high school was planning to push my mental strength beyond its limits. This day above all other 365 days of the calendar was the absolute most life-draining and longest day of them all. At the end of one school day, all the possible events that a teenager would not want was happening to me, not only were they happening they were coming at me like water from the Niagara Falls. When I got home, I had eaten one of my most favorite foods spaghetti and meatballs, but for some odd reason my most loved food did not agree with my stomach. This added to my grueling day. After the spaghetti and meatballs left my system, I had decided to get some fresh air and take a walk to our local park. There I had saw the upper classmen that had told me about the high school “philosophy” and bursting in laughter as I had walked by. It was obvious that they were laughing at me for they had screamed out a nickname that was given to me by these upper classmen, which I would rather not mention due to my “falling disease” as said by Shakespeare in “Julius Caesar”. As I passed, I spotted a fountain. I am not usually the superstitious type, but at this very day, at this very moment, I was prepared to attempt anything that would possibly change the direction of my lifestyle. While I approaching the fountain I was thinking, “What the heck, it couldn’t hurt.” As I tossed my penny, that I had found in the pocket of my jeans covered in flint, my life did not change. It was as if I had thrown a penny to sleeping bull that would power the plow in the field of my life. As disappointed as I was I went home, ate dinner, and went to bed. Not knowing what was about to happen to me the very next morning.

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The next morning, I was awakened by my alarm, which was set to 7 oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;clock, I felt something was odd about the way I thought and saw the world. As I looked out the window on this Friday morning I saw a pretty girl, running listening to her ipod, that I had never seen before in my entire life. I looked at her and I was caught staring, but suddenly she winked at me. This was never heard of some freshmen in high school that was a dork to most of the students, being winked at by some gorgeous woman. As the day, passed my classes were as usual easy, but people that I had talked to never talked to before were acting as if I was food in a land of famine. Upper classmen girls to my left and to my right were acting as if I was the only guy worthy of their attention. Teachers were asking me for my opinion, on school matters even though I was a freshmen. At lunch time, I was the man to sit with. There was a schedule that would rotate the people that wanted to sit with me. Of course I was not able to get to sit with everyone. My friends who were with me when I was said to have a bad vibe did not get to sit with me like they do every lunch. When I had gone home, my parents were happy with my school work for it was far better than my usual grade. Life as teenager could have been smoother. I guess the upper classmen had the philosophy correct. Unlike Caesar I am loved by everyone and know who my true friends are.

Never Alone By Alyssa Stavola

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Fluff N’ Nutter By Victoria Triolo

In retrospect, I wouldn’t say it was my best idea. I was sitting in the hospital; all of my body was in pain, especially my nose. I was thinking that I should have known that leaving the gas station would come right back to bite me. I mean, I’ve heard about karma and stuff, but I never really thought that all of it was true! I thought that what I was doing was a good thing. At first, I was just on a class trip to a historical museum, but on the way we stopped at a gas station to use the bathroom, stretch our legs, or buy a snack. We had one, single rule to follow, do not, under any circumstances, leave the gas station area! I was walking around next to the bus, stretching my legs, when I saw a little brown rabbit, with its ears and neck tangled in sharp wire. I felt so bad for the poor rabbit; it looked like it was in serious pain, so I went up to it. As I began to approach it, it started hopping away, and so I followed, completely forgetting about the rule not to wander outside of the gas station area. As I followed it, it hopped right on to the road, avoiding the dozens of cars rushing by at extreme speeds, and I still wanted to help it, so I followed, nearly being pummeled by a gigantic Coca-Cola truck and a not-so-large-in-comparison (but still big) blue van with a soccer-mom screaming at me in the process. After what seemed like a terrifying horrific lifetime, the little rabbit and I made it across the long, LONG road to a very steep hill, which the rabbit gracefully made it down, even while coiled in wire. I, unlike the rabbit, am a complete klutz, but half way down I accidentally struck my foot in a little indent in the hill, which sent me tumbling and sliding down the other half of the hill. I stood up after the dizzy feelings seemed to fade and realized that the ankle of the foot I stepped in the indent with was beginning to swell, the arm that I landed on after my last full roll wasn’t looking so good either, and my head, which I hit on a lot of things on the way down, was feeling kind of heavy and everything was spinning a little bit. I was trying to assess the damages, when I saw the little rabbit, which I had now grown stupidly attached to and named Fluff N’ Nutter Bunny, Fluff for short.

He had his head cocked to one side and looking at me, and when I looked back at him he suddenly started to move without actually moving his legs, back and forth. Then I realized 60 RSVP Spring 2009

that I must have hit my head harder than I thought because it looked like fluff was talking to me, but then Fluff started hopping away and I dumbly followed, dragging my ankle that didn’t hurt quite as bad as it looked. After walking for a while, Fluff stopped at a huge hole in the ground and a large round boulder. Then, all of a sudden, Fluff jumped right into the pitch black hole. I couldn’t leave him to die from the wire wrapped around him, even though it didn’t seem to restrict his movement much, so I stuck my non-harmed hand into the hole, but I didn’t feel anything. So after a while of feeling around in the dark hole, I decided to do something no sane person would ever do in a million years, I stuck my head in the large hole only t get it stuck. I started screaming and flailing my arms and legs around wildly. While flailing around, my injured leg hit, at full force, into the boulder, and then I started crying. After a minute, I stopped crying, and realize that I was having trouble breathing in the dark, deep, and dusty hole. I was starting to panic, when suddenly a cool, little, moist, and extremely soft nose touched my nose, and I calmed down realizing that it was Fluff. Unfortunately, I have allergies to dust, pollen, and some animals and all of a sudden I sneezed, which caused Fluff to go into frenzy and he bit my nose. After that happened, I passed out only to wake up in the hospital, a day and a half after, with all of my family and everyone from school starring at me. At first I was shocked to see everyone, but then the pain-killers started to ware off and the pain kicked in. My whole entire body was screaming, especially my arm, nose and ankle, and most of it was covered in a cast or bandage. I later found out that my sprained ankle would have been fine if I didn’t accidentally kick it into the boulder, which wasn’t exactly my fault, it was a result of panic! All of my friends from school said they couldn’t help but laugh when they saw my head stuck in a hole. I felt so embarrassed, just before I left the hospital someone from the animal clinic came with Fluff, who jumped on the bed and sat next to me like a pet. The lady said that if it weren’t for me Fluff would have died from the tight wire, and when she saw how special he was to me Fluff, I suffered extreme pain and two months of extra chores and being grounded. Thankfully, the school took into consideration how much pain I was in, and decided not to put me through detention. Even though I had to go through al of that, it was worth it to help Fluff, and that’s how I attempted to make the world a better place. RSVP Spring 2009

Officially A Driver By Natalie Cantave I couldn’t sleep the night before my driver’s test. I stayed up all night looking up at the ceiling of my bedroom. I could hear my sister, Missy, sleeping soundly from my room. I watched the clock tick like a slug, waiting for 7 o’clock to arrive. Finally, 7 o’clock arrived with my alarm clock singing “Alvin and Chipmunks’ Funkytown” from my cell phone. I could tell it was going to be a great day. After getting ready and eating a breakfast of three Eggo Cinnamon toast waffles with maple syrup and orange juice, my sister and I got into the car and headed out to Driver’s ED Driving School in Oceanport. The entire 20 minute drive was the slowest 20 minutes of my life. We eventually pulled in the driveway and had entered the biggest lifechanging moment of my life. Missy leaped out of the car and ran for the door, excited and prepared to pass; I, however, sluggishly walked in, full of anxiety. Missy and I checked in with the lean, brown-haired, middle-aged, professional secretary Linda, and she said to wait a few minutes before we begin the test. Thankfully, Linda said the writing portion of the test was first; I quickly overcame my anxiety and entered my testing room with confidence. I zoomed through the writing test and when I returned my test to Linda, she informed me that I passed the first half of the test, and that I was almost officially a driver. Waiting for my sister to finish, my stomach sank in to the bottom of the chair; I was not looking forward to the driving portion. I was frightened of the old lady, Gretchen, with the short wrinkled shriveled face, round clear bifocals, and her enormous hunch on her back screaming at me about my horrible left turns and despicable, poor parallel-parking abilities. It seemed like a while hour went by, until my sister finally entered the lounge, still smiling. Waiting 10 minutes for the driving portion, my confidence had already drilled through my chair, the floor of the building, and went to hide in the corner of the universe. 62 RSVP Spring 2009

Feeling like time was in slow motion and three hours went by, Linda finally told us to head outside to the driving test. Missy and I were greeted by my arch-nemesis: Gretchen herself. In her old and raspy voice, she read us the instructions and safety guidelines; after she finished, I felt like I was about to cry because I was about to fail my driving test. Gretchen then asked who wanted to drive first; before finishing her question, Missy instantly raised her hand and said, “MEEEE!” I watched Missy drive with ease, making it look like a piece of cake. After what seemed like ten seconds went by, Missy leaped out of the car, holding her driving records and screamed while dancing, “I PASSED!!!!” Two minutes later, Gretchen called my name, and I fearfully entered the silver 3seater and all 4-wheel drive Toyota Camry. I sat in the driver’s seat, and saw a different instructor whom I have never met or seen before in the passenger seat; he was tall, handsome, young, lean, and he had long blond hair tied back in a pony-tail. He shook my hand and said his name was Pete. I introduced myself, and Good-Looking Pete said good luck. I began to feel a sense of relief when I started the car since Gretchen wasn’t yelling at me to start the car already; I actually felt overjoyed and elated to be driving. I found myself perfecting my left turns and mastering the parallel parking. Ten minutes later, Pete had told me I passed the test. I screamed in the car and hugged my handsome proctor, jumped out of the car, and held my driving paperwork in the sky and said with a sigh of relief, “I PASSED!” Little did I know, unfortunately, I didn’t put the breaks on before leaving, and as I entered the lounge, I heard a large crash; I turned around and saw the rear bumper of the Toyota and the front bumper of the red Jeep Wrangler behind it totaled. I quickly ran to get my picture taken and receive my license. Just as I entered the car, Pete ran out the front door, with his face red as a stop sign, screaming, “NATALIEEEEE!!! GET BACK HERE, RIGHT NOW!!!” I just faintly heard his angry exclamation, as Missy pulled out of the driveway of the Driver’s ED Driving School. I was relieved and sank in the passenger seat, staring at my license. I was officially a driver.

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Letters of A Soldier By Sophia Chrysanthou Letter 1: My dearest Anne, I hope you will find some comfort In these letters, I attempt to write To you everyday so that you know That I am with you at all times. Don’t worry about me, I’m just Beginning a new life filled with Unexpected situations and adventures. We’re on our war to our camps. I see the palm trees and the beaches. You’d love it down here if it weren’t For the military camps of course. From the other military divisions I Hear we’re doing well. Victory will Be ours, and ill be finding my way Back home to you soon. I promise. I Love You! With great passion, -Jack Letter 67: Oh Anne, You don’t know how Much I long for you. It’s bleak And miserable here. We’ve been Holding back the enemy line, but They don’t seem to budge. I’m Cold all over my body and I’m Just recovering from my fever. I Took one bullet in the chest and My forehead is wounded deeply. 64 RSVP Spring 2009

I don’t mean to frighten you, but We will have our victory. I’ll be Coming home soon like I promised. I Love You! Yours always, -Jack Letter 88: Victory. Anne I always wanted that day to come Where I call you my wife and me your Husband. That vision has been long Gone since I send you my 67th letter. Who was I kidding? I suffered from That bullet and that fever almost killed Me. I realized I can’t make a promise And kept it or tell you the truth without Hurting you. That is why this may be The last rose you’ll ever receive from Me today. The last time I dip my pen In the ink, the last time my letters can give you comfort. My thoughts keep running back in time when I first saw you in your gentle curls and swirling golden dress. That memory Seems fade away as I do. Leave me Behind as your father wouldn’t have Wanted me to marry you. Marry Dave, He was right for you all along. Isn’t that Why fate kept us apart. Let me rest in my Grave. Don’t scream my name out. You must Go your way, so don’t wait for me. I Love You. Goodbye Anne. -Jack RSVP Spring 2009

FURIOUS! By Veronica Maccia My best friend and I were at our favorite restaurant, P.F Chang’s, when we received a message on our check from the waiter. The message said “I think the two of you are really pretty! My best friend and I would love to take you two on a romantic date! Call me 335-583-8982.” My best friend and I thought this was extremely funny and obviously we were going to actually call the guy. But, then, he came to our table to take our money when he asked for our numbers. We told him that we were only sixteen and that we both had boyfriends. Well, that answer didn’t quite please him. He stood there, in front of the whole restaurant, begging us to go out with him and his friend. We felt sorry for him and asked him his age assuming that he would say twenty something and we would tell him, again, that we were sixteen, he continued to bother us and beg us to go out with him. After we told him it wouldn’t be a good idea since he was twenty-five and we were sixteen he continued to bother us and beg us to go out with him. At this point, my friend and I started to get a little scared. We tried to get out of our booth, but the waiter wouldn’t let us. He began blocking both sides of the booth and locked us in. This harassment began to cause a scene. The people around us started yelling at the waiter to leave us alone, and let us leave. But the waiter continued begging us and we continued refusing. My friend and I looked at each other in sheer amazement and shock, wondering what to do when a big guy who looked like he just hopped off a motorcycle began giving the waiter trouble. The waiter started talking back to this guy and the motorcycle guy looked FURIOUS. The motorcycle guy then asked the waiter if he wanted to take it outside and the waiter finally felt scared and left us alone. He even paid the bill for us!

Pigs By Margaux D’Onofrio

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The Tears of Death By Sophia Lee The sky was dark It was dark blue, a midnight blue diffused with grey water Lots of water It was raining. The water shot down over my head, on the concrete road, on the grass, like cold metal bullets I remembered standing in the rain, watching him stand in the rain He was standing in the center, in the middle of the field, between the two goalposts, dark in the circle of turf I waited for him to move That’s why I didn’t move I was waiting for him to move I stood under the stone hood of the cold brick building I got wet anyway I inched forward, slowly so that I didn’t even realize what I was doing until I felt the iciness in my hair, on my neck, in the palms that held my frozen fingers I was still waiting, waiting for movement His body was dark and blurry in the rain from afar, thin and intangible behind the daggers of rain that separated us I waited, I saw something, No it’s just the rain Wait He moves He kneels down He’s falling I run My feet push themselves in front of each other The stony road goes past in two steps, two frantic leaps Past the yellow fence, past the faded black pavement of the track, past that cursed goalpost in my way, Move fast move faster move faster run run run My wet sneakers, they slipped a little on the slick plastic grass, pushing up little beads of black rubber into the soles and ankle parts of my shoes But that didn’t matter, nothing mattered except— I reach the center of the field, the center of the earth He’s on the ground, with his head slumped in the puddles of rain, his body a weak thing now. I try to wake him up, but he won’t listen I try to lift him up, but I can’t I move him He falls on his back, his neck on my arm He is heavy, he is pale, he is dark, he is soaked, he is cold, he is icy, he is still, he is silent, he is mirthless He does not move He is gone.

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A Sequel to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn By Lauren Waters I reckon it’d been around two weeks er so since I’d been back home with the widow, and I’ll tell ya I was missin Jim. Few days after Tom Sawyer, Jim, and me all came back from our latest adventures, Jim said he was outta here and offta get his family back. I remember him sayin’ “I’ma do whatever it takes to be happy, Huck, and I needa hear you promisin’ that yer gunna do the same thing.” And I reckon I made sure I promised just like he wanted me to. So when I promised Jim says “Don’t you worry, ‘cause I’ll be gittin’ my family and we’ll be movin’ back here with you. All you gotsta do is stay right here where I can find ya.” And that sure was comfortin to hear but I knew right when I heard him that I never coulda done everythin he was askin of me. He wanted me to make sure I was doin whatever it took to be happy, and he wanted me to stay put. But if I knew one thing ‘bout Huckleberry Finn it was that bein happy and stayin put weren’t gonna work together, speshally since the Widow Douglas was plannin on sivilizing me again. So, the only logical thing to do was the same thing ‘ol Jim did, and that was up and leave in pursuit of happiness. That was after all what one of them official American documents said I got to have. I learned all about that stuff in school the past two weeks. But now I knew layin in my bed at three o’clock in the mornin that I couldn’t go to school no more. I had to go. So I put on my shoes, and I hopped outta my bed and climbed out my window. I jumped down into the flowerbed outside with a louder “THUD” than I had anticipated. I froze in my footsteps, prayin’ no one’d heard. And when I didn’t hear nobody I started walkin’; tryin’ to let the leaves underneath my feet crackle as little as possible. So I walked down for fifteen minutes or so ‘til I saw that big ‘ol oak tree I’d told Tom Sawyer I’d meet him at. But not to my surprise, Tom Sawyer wasn’t there. So I decided rather than go out lookin’ for him or walk over to his house or sumthin, I would just sit down at the foot of the old oak tree and wait. I did tell Tom I’d meet him there at three thirty anyway, so he still had some time. Next thing I knew I was hearin’ “Huck! Huck!” bein yelled from far away. I musta fallen asleep, and when I woke up I saw the moonlight hittin’ Tom Sawyer runnin’ as fast as his legs could carry him. “Huck! That you, boy?” Tom said sprinting closer and pantin’. “It’s me. What’s all the trouble?” I asked, standin’ up slowly. Then I realized Tom didn’t have any of the stuff he said he’d bring. Ya see, Tom and I were plannin’ on runnin’ away 68 RSVP Spring 2009

the woods just like the old days. Tom had said he’d bring his books, so we’d learn all about survivin’ on our own the professional way. It was all his idea, but I agreed to it. I’d follow all his books just as long as he didn’t bring that Robin Hood stuff again. He’d been tellin’ me all about it and how it was from England back in the 1400s. I guess I liked the story just fine, but it was all about stealin’ other people’s stuff. I gotta tell ya, I didn’t like the idea of us runnin’ off to do that. It reminded me too much of the duke and the dolphin. I didn’t want Tom and me to end up anythin’ like those two. But none of that mattered much now, ‘cause Tom hadn’t brought none of the stuff we needed. “Where are the books, Tom? Where’s all the stuff?” I says when he finally reached me. He was doubled over with his hands on his knees, pantin’ and winded. “Listen, Huck” Tom says from in between his heavy breaths. “This is real important. I run here all the way from my house. There’s some girl goin’ up and down our street door to door. She says she’s lookin’ for you.” For me? What girl could be lookin’ for me. The first person I thought of was...no...it couldn’t a’ been. “What are you yappin’ about, Tom? There’s some girl? I can’t hear you with all that heavy breathin’. It was a white lie. I heard what he says. I just didn’t want him to explain anymore. My heart was poundin’ pretty fast, and I just wanted to keep pretendin’ that maybe...just maybe, Mary Jane had come lookin’ for me, just like I’d imagined it. “I don’t know Huck. Some girl’s here. She’s our age, but she looks real hungry, and she’s got a good scrape on her face. She looks tired and hurtin’, Huck. She says her name’s Jane or...” “What?” I yelled, interrupting him. “She says her name’s Mary...uhhh Jane, I think. Does that sound ‘bout right?” And that was it. I was off runnin’. I didn’t say another word to Tom, but I heard him yellin’ behind me. “Huck! Huck! Huck! I thought we were leavin’ tonight. It’s probably four by now. Sun’s gonna start risin’ soon! We’re runnin’ outta time.” And then I stopped in my tracks . I was far away from him by now, but I turned to face him. “Runnin’ outta time for what, Tom? Where are we goin’?” I says. I was kinda mad now. I was sicka’ Tom always bossin’ me around and always steerin’ me wrong. I obviously needed to get back to Mary Jane. I’d been waitin’ for her to come lookin’ for me. Then Tom starts yellin’ “ I don’t know. We’re off to be bandits. You know, Huck. We talked about it. You were the one who wanted to leave so much. I told ya we’d be on our own, livin’ life just like Robin Hood, just like in the books.” “But we’re not in the books, Tom. We’re not little kids no more. We’re adults. Sometimes people are gunna make us promise to stay put so that they can find us. And other times people are gunna come lookin’ for us when they need us most. And where’re they gunna look, Tom? The Most Wanted? RSVP Spring 2009

The newspapers? They gunna ask around to find where innocent folks have been stolen from or mugged or held for ransom, whatever that is? Or worse, Tom, are they gunna come lookin’ for us in jail? No. We ain’t little kids no more, and sometimes people are gunna need us and I don’t know about you, but I’m gonna be here. I’m gonna be here for Mary Jane, and I’m gonna be here for Jim.” By the time I stopped talkin’ I had tears in my eyes, ‘cause I was pretty sorry I’d been so hard on Tom after all he’d done for me, but I felt right about all that I was sayin’. I turned around and started walkin’ away ‘til I heard Tom’s voice again. “Jim’s not here Huck. He ran away from you. He ran away from you just like your Pap and your Ma and everybody else in your life. Everybody’s run away from you, ‘cept me. So why would you ever stay here?” By now I was really cryin’, and I didn’t do that real often, but I didn’t feel too embarrassed about doin’ it, cause it was close enough to dawn to tell that Tom was cryin’ too, even though we’d gotten farther apart. “ You’re wrong, Tom. The Widow Douglas never left me. Mary Jane never left me. And, he may be gone now but I promise you Jim didn’t leave me. He let me have his hairball. I bet you didn’t know that. So I know he’s comin’ back. And Tom, they never left me, so I ain’t leavin’ them!” I started walking backwards now as I kept on talkin’. “You’re right, Tom. I hate those people who left me for what they did, but I’d never do it to someone else who doesn’t deserve it. I ain’t leavin’, Tom. I ain’t leavin’.” And I started runnin’, and I kept runnin’ farther and farther from Tom as fast as I could to the street where Mary Jane was, and I saw a group of people on the street. First I realized Widow Douglas was there. Then I saw in the middle was Mary Jane, just like I remembered her. Her arm was bleedin’ and I looked up to see who was cleanin’ the cut with a towel. It was Jim! Mary Jane hopped up off the ground and ran over to hug me. “Huck! I missed you” she says smilin’ and laughin’ the whole while. Then Widow Douglas started walkin’ over tellin’ me she was disappointed that I’d left in the middle of the night and how she noticed right away that I was missin’. They was all talkin’ at once, but I was lookin’ over at the other people who weren’t talkin’. I went over and Jim introduced me to his family, who he said had escaped, but were all lookin’ forward to meetin’ me. And I was real happy. ‘Cause everybody was there. I knew I’d made the right decision to stay. Couple days later I heard that Tom Sawyer had run away alone with his Robin Hood books. And I hoped that he was gonna get everything he wanted. ‘Cause I was sorta gettin’ everythin’ I wanted. All I had to do to be happy was stay put. I was livin’ with Mary Jane and Jim and his family and the Widow. I don’t know I guess I was just feelin’ kinda...sivilized. And that was okay.

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Expendable By Matthew Haines “Welcome to the end of the world, Gentlemen,” the gruff Sergeant stated. The tension and despair could be tasted in the air that grim day. Those that were about to die were saluted and their country thanked them, and there was a great big parade. Not one soldier saw it. It’s not like they cared, these men were devoid of emotion, and anyone with a shred of compassion would’ve died in an instant. It was kill or to be killed, that was for sure, and there wasn’t a Nazi or Jap alive that gave a damn who you were, where you were from, whether or not you had a family. They wanted you to die, a miserable death, and that’s all you needed to know. No one replied to the Sergeant, no one knew what to say. The beach was approaching rapidly. Those bold men that peeked out to see the carnage immediately regretted it. They watched as the men were cut down. Not even the strongest of men could stay standing after a bullet pierced his chest. Some men vomited from the nerves, most just stared straight ahead, petrified, vacant, whatever made them feel human, or for some people, whatever made them forget what was about to happen. Private Jones sat in the back corner of the boat, his stomach was sick, and he gripped his rifle tightly in order to keep himself from shaking like a sapling. He didn’t pay attention to anything around him. He heard his breathing, and that was it. The artillery strikes, the bullets, they were all muffled. He tried to shut his eyes to dream, but he couldn’t think of one thing that might make him happy. He hadn’t given up though, he was determined to survive. He was horrified, but he would live. Heavy machine gun fire opened on their boat and everybody snapped back to reality. They all ducked their heads for cover. They were closing in fast on the shore. Jones peeked up to see another boat reach the shore. The doors were lowered and ever single man was shot to death, they didn’t even get to step on the sand, or fire a shot. That would not be his fate. Their door started to lower, and Jones jumped overboard. The freezing water kicked his adrenaline into affect. Never in his life did he want to live more. He dove down a bit to avoid the bullets trying to get the swimmers. He was amazed at how long he held his breath. He made it all the way to the other side of the beach, and finally surfaced. He looked across the way to see that his whole platoon had been slaughtered. A lucky few managed to get up to the crude cover farther up the beach. Jones shook off his fear and sprinted toward cover. He heard the bullets kick into the sand inches behind him as he slid into cover. He kept his head down and fired over his cover. It was futile of course; his bullets would barely even reach those damn Nazis. RSVP Spring 2009

“Jones! Good to see ya.” A strong, big, Hispanic man patted him on the shoulder with his free hand. He was smiling. “What the hell are you smiling about, Carter?” Jones screamed over the machine fire. “It’s a great day to die.” Carter said and sprinted out to get farther up the beach. Jones cursed and sat on the ground behind his cover. He was stuck as far as he was concerned how he would get out of there. It would get worse. Planes could be heard coming. Jones’s eyes went wide and his stomach sank, “No, no, no.” He shook his head. He screamed, he cursed, stay here and get torn apart by the planes or run out there and take his chances. Jones jumped out from his cover and ran straight for the bunkers. He heard nothing, he felt nothing. He barely felt his legs moving. The planes almost hit him, but the bullets just missed him. The machine guns were too preoccupied with other soldiers to focus on him. Jones leapt right over the barbed wire into the mine field in front of the tall bunkers and just sprinted straight through. Angels must have lifted his feet over every single mine, because he got out unharmed. Within moments, five other brave soldiers were right behind him. They were now in front of the door to the bunker. Jones stared at each one of them, and then bashed the door open with a shout. He fired blindly, he fired frustrated, he fired angrily, he fired for his country, for his family, for God, for himself, for his survival, for everyone that told him he couldn’t, for Satan, for Germany, for children, for mankind. Three men fell in front of him and he reloaded faster than he knew he could. He was a killing machine now. He knew it. He sent the other men to clear out the other rooms while he mad a straight line toward the machine gun nest. He was sprinting down the hallway, alone. His footsteps echoed, he was the first hero to tread those halls. He took the grenades off his belt and busted the door down; he threw the grenades forward and dove out of the room. The enemy didn’t have a chance. The men fell from the bang, and Jones rushed in. He was soon joined by his men. One of the higher ranking officers walked next to him, patted him on the back, and set a smoke grenade up to indicate they had taken the bunker. Jones looked over at the adjacent bunker after a quick nod to the officer and saw Carter on the other side with his squadron. They had taken both bunkers. Jones smiled as he watched that green smoke rise into the air. Their jets flew over triumphantly and the men regrouped downstairs by the beach while the lower ranking officers looted the bunker. Carter and Jones met up, and the two embraced each other. They knew not why, they knew not where they were, nor who was watching. They knew they had survived, for now, and that was enough. “Maybe today was a better day to live.” Carter said, and let go of Jones finally after a firm pat on the back. Jones smiled and took his helmet off. It was time to rest.

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