QUILL TALON & VOL II SPRING 2018
QUILL
&
TALON
VOLUME II Literary Arts Magazine South El Monte High School South El Monte, CA Spring 2018
ABOUT THE TITLE Mr. Richard Heilemann Invoking the image of gentle quill making subtle points and talons lifting the unsuspecting out of their
peaceful reality, this title makes use of the school mascot Eagle while hinting at the age-olde (and olde-timey) naming
tradition of two objects set together, still seen in pub names and the like. 2017
teachers. The magazine publishes the majority of submissions. Submissions may be denied publication if they are deemed inappopriate for a high school audience. Submissions may also be denied publication based on space. If an artist submits two pieces, the staff may select the one they feel
fits better with the content of the magazine. Quill & Talon is a poetic and artistic voice of South El Monte High School students. The ideas presented within do not represent those of the South El Monte High School faculty.
POLICY Quill & Talon is published by students at South El Monte High School. Any student who is interested may join the magazine staff. We begin meeting in January each year. Poetry, prose, and artwork are submitted by members of the student body, often on the recommendation of
COLOPHON Quill & Talon 2018 was printed by Tuong Ly and the print shop staff at the EMUHSD print shop. A run of 200 copies was printed. The magazine is also accessible online. The magazine was designed in Adobe InDesign CC 2018. Titles are in Seravek, light and regular, and
STAFF
body copy is in PT Serif, regular, italic, and bold. Images of student art work were contributed by SEMHS art teacher Ms. Maria Davila.
Samantha Moreno ‘21 Destiny Olivas ‘21 Nancy Castro ‘18 Yessenia Maldonado ‘21 Kelly Diep ‘21 Ms. Natasha Lelchuk, Advisor
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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50
WRITING
08 10 12 15 19 21 23 25 26 29 31 31
Wishes Destiny Olivas
Chocolate Chip Jorge Alvear Fatigue Gregory Velasco
32 34 35 37 37 39 40 43 44 47 48 48
Don’t Draw on Walls Daniela Alcazar Fifteen Years Timoteo Evora Anger is a Monster Natalie Kami Louder Than Words Samantha Moreno Often Times Galilea Ocampo Complication Suliema Flores Dashed Hopes Caren Escobar Saturday Olivia Guerrero Little Black Cat Kate Ramirez
Have You Ever? Briana Lopez Hopeless MT Million Thoughts Blanca Uriza I Wish Daysie Castellanos Temptations Jennifer Velasco Tale (Retold) of the Jabberwocky Rebecca Juarez Family is Everything Angel Garcia The Moon Giselle Ramirez I Kayla Hernds My Last Goodbye Azarel Hernandez Love Me for Now Daniel Cobos Losing You Daniela Miranda
51 53 55 56 58 60 63 64 67 68 71 71 73
42 Perfection At Its Finest Yessenia Maldonado Summer Has Arrived Daniela Alcazar Infatuation Angelica Avila Shine Anna Barragan The Clearance of All Feelings Kelly Diep Real Friends Brenda Ulloa Perez I See You Every Day Justin Velasco The Lost Singers Gavin Spillard Her Devan Carrillo My Angel Karla Ortega I Love Fiction Deserie Ruiz Farewell Juan Lucero Loving Metal Diego Pena Duenas
PG 53
ARTWORK
09 11 14 17 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 33
Drowning Jade Castillo
Three’s A Crowd Natelie Mendez I Don’t Carousel Damian Rodriguez What’s Real? Duy Hyunh Untitled Cielo Portillo Untitled Alex Barajas Actions Speak Louder Than Words Angelina Lopez Starlight Stage Katherine Bang Untitled Emily Rodriguez Untitled Cesar Juarez Untitled Daniela Alcazar Untitled Alex Palacios
34 36 38 41 42 45 46 49 50 52 54 57
61
Untitled Daniela Alcazar Untitled Elizabeth Aguirre Nature’s Tear Yailynn Corona Untitled Frankie Hernandez Untitled Gwendolyn Miranda Gonzalez Untitled Daniela Alcazar Yellow Spring Maritza Torres Untitled Lizbeth Pedraza
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59 61 62 65 66 69 70 72
Blue Building Maritza Torres Untitled Daniela Alcazar Look Homeward, Into The Unknown Samantha Gowin Through My Blue Eyes Marina Limon
Paper Man Joshua Montion Kurt Simon Caudillo Untitled Jakeline Esquivel Get Lost Rebecca Juarez Untitled Jakeline Esquivel Untitled Jasmin Galvan Reading Is An Adventure Fernando Espindola Untitled Melissa Campos
WISHES DESTINY OLIVAS I wish I could unwish of becoming a teenager I wish I threw pennies in the water believing my wishes would come true I wish the monsters were under my bed Instead I’m facing them I wish I was climbing trees now it’s climbing mountains I wish I had stuffed animals who cared now it’s no one I wish I can still pretend my hands are guns but it’s actual bullets now I wish I was in my stress free days but now my head no longer lays I supposed I’m welcomed to the real world.
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DROWNING JADE CASTILLO INK
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CHOCOLATE CHIP JORGE ALVEAR I have personally never liked raisins and don’t know why. They are just dry and taste funny. I remember when I was younger I got a box of raisins for lunch, but when I ate one I just had to spit it out because I didn’t like it at all. I don’t really eat chocolate so I don’t don’t think I would enjoy chocolate covered raisins at all. Sometimes when I was younger I would confuse chocolate covered cookies for raisin cookies. I would get mad because I love chocolate chips cookies so when I would confuse them I would shove the whole thing in my mouth in a hurry to enjoy it, but I would get a nasty surprise which my mom thought was really funny, but I hated that. So from a couple of times of that happening to me I got tired of it and I went with my mom to make sure she got the right chookies. It’s funny because still to this day my mom gets them confused and I get an not so enjoyable surprise. Now and days I find it funny myself because im so quick to eat it that I don’t even check what it really is. I was told that they are really good for you so sometimes I was just not care and just eat them. The thing I hate is that they are good for you, but the thing is I just hate them so I will most likely hate chocolate covered raisins. Sometimes I feel that I should really just eat them a lot more since I don’t eat them at all not even a little bit which I thing is unhealthy of me to do. When at times it’s best to do things you don’t like i just hate them and will most likely not eat them. I personally think that the last time that I had a raisin was in the 5th grade with me willing to eat it. The last time I ate it by surprise was in 8th grade since then I always make sure that there are no raisins in my cookies. 10 | QUILL & TALON
THREE’S A CROWD NATALIE MENDEZ DIGITAL PAINTING
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FATIGUE GREGORY VELASCO Curtains rise and the setting is a park on Newton Ave. The two characters are conversing over the phone. The character at the park is holding a book, Dragon Ball Volumes 28, 29, 30, a three in one. Matthew: (displeased) What if you were to let me borrow a book from you and never return it. That would suck, wouldn’t it? Zach: I told you many times before. I will return it as soon as I’m done doing Biology homework. (in low volume) And as soon as I’m done reading it. Matthew: “Many times before”? So you finally accept that you had it for a while. Plus, I heard what you said at that last part. Zach: Yea ummm. You’re breaking up. KRRRR. I’m sorry I didn’t hear that, can you repeat that? (hangs up) Man, why can’t he just leave me alone? Doesn’t he know I have important things to do.( stares up in the sky) Ugh, fine. He stopped me from reading. Oh, and dong bio work hehe. The following is him walking towards his house. Keeping in mind that he hasn’t forgotten that he still needs to read it. On his way there, he opens up the book. Ignoring all other distractions, he sets forth to his house. Zach: Man I didn’t realize that Vegeta’s pride was so huge. He let Cell become Perfect. (murmur) Welp, I’m all done. I should probably speed up. (starting to run) Man, I’m out of shape. I should really consider running at the park instead of just going there to do my homework. (humming) Kanousei no doa wa, rokku sareta mama Yareyare, kondo mo, kabe wo buchiyaburu Ima da! Genkai x Toppa! Sakebe! Heno-Heno Kappa Muteki no, oira ga, soko de matteru Doragon Bouru Suupaa, Zen-Oh sama mo ottamage. Man I love that song. Oh I’m here. (knocks) Matthew: (a few seconds later) Oh finally. Thanks for returning it. Hey. You want to watch some Dragon Ball Super? Zach: I’d love to but I have to finish some homework. I’ll get back to you on that. 12 | QUILL & TALON
Matthew: Oh, well come back any time. You’re always welcome here. Zach: Thanks, I appreciate that. I’ve gotta go now. (Sprints back hmm hm hm hm hm hm hm hm…. Meanwhile, Zach realizes that he left his stuff at the park in such a rush. Zach: Damn, I have to hurry. All the other books are in my backpack and if I lose those then, I’m officially f****d. Zach ran to the park as fast as he could with the little strength he had. Meanwhile, Matthew called his cell asking if he could help him on his homework after he was done. But nobody answered. Zach: hff hff hff…. Wait…...where’s…...the backpack…..Oh no.. Where is it?! Where is it?! Come on.. I can’t lose it now that I’m almost finished with the book!! Stranger: Umm excuse me, Are you the owner of this backpack. (turns around) I was going to turn it in, to the park ranger but, I can clearly see that this is probably yours. Zach: OMG thanks. Glad to see that people don’t steal. Well, most people, at the very least. (stranger walks away) Good, now I can do my homework. Zach intends to walk home.
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I DON’T CAROUSEL DAMIAN RODRIGUEZ DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPH
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DON’T DRAW ON WALLS DANIELA ALCAZAR
March sixth, he began his journey, Leaving me alone, Like an old dinosaur toy. Filling the void with familiar surroundings. The door slams, Chipping away at the lapis paint.
The walls are my amulet, And the pictures my curse, Crawling off the walls like Dr. Facilier’s friends They find my dreams and cut off the ends. Leaving me stranded and empty-handed. My cup is vacant and my map blank. Thrown away pens leave no ink.
The ogre on the wall has no smile. It’s tucked away behind a malicious mirror. Hit with fright, I flip to my right. Night lurks behind the curtain, Waiting for me to yield. The shadows are fifty feet high, Disappearing in the blink of an eye. Why did they laugh? And why did you cry?
Awake and alert, I turn on my side, The mirror is sealed away with paper. It isn’t much of a sight.
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THE TRACKS OF LOVE ELIZABETH AGUIRRE The sound is loud, like thunder As we held hands, we crossed the tracks He told me I was brave to do this with him To be honest I hated it I hated crossing this “Bridge” I hated him I wanted to be home and sleep, but he threatened me Every time I denied he would always tell me the same thing “I will go in front of a train if you don’t go.” Whenever I think back to it, I always tell myself, “God, I hate you, why did I listen to you?” Then i remembered “I loved you” I also loved the way he broke my heart when he left, And he loved the way I ripped his apart when I found someone else who was better.
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WHAT’S REAL? DUY HYUNH PENCIL AND INK 2018 | 17
UNTITLED CIELO PORTILLO ACRYLIC 18 | QUILL & TALON
FIFTEEN YEARS TIMOTEO EVORA Fifteen years go by very quickly, And we take things for granted, When we don’t know what’s going to happen. I knew you personally for fifteen years, And throughout those years, I didn’t enjoy your presence the most I could. Fifteen years go by very quickly, And when we’re with the ones we love, They go by even faster. I spent the first fifteen years of my life With the one I loved most, And they were the best. Fifteen years go by very quickly, But when we lose someone, A single year feels like a century. I lost you, right after I turned fifteen, And every single day that’s followed, Has felt longer than fifteen years.
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UNTITLED ALEX BARAJAS ACRYLIC 20 | QUILL & TALON
ANGER IS A MONSTER NATALIE KAMI Red hot breath Coming out of my dragon Snout Glaring green eyes Wishing to hurt with my sharp Claws The dragon is furious Stomping around in the swamp That is it’s home Wishing to become Better than what it is Hoping to be something That it is not. But until the dragon Realizes that it can do it If it does it the right way And not be a monster For the rest of its life. It just takes time for It to change From the Green-eyed beast.
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ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS ANGELINA LOPEZ ACRYLIC
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LOUDER THAN WORDS SAMANTHA MORENO I kick hard Getting my anger out For i can not do it anywhere else I kick again and again but At times it doesn’t help Sadness comes over and i get weak It hurts to much I kick once again It’s not the same i scream internally I cry internally Kicking helps anger get out But Makes my sadness come out faster I give up for a while I talk to my dad And the anger rushes within me once again The bad thing is It doesn’t help and i’m still sad I use kicking as a temporary therapy session It works but now I’m just drowning in my own sadness For I can’t take my anger out anymore
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STARLIGHT STAGE KATHERINE BANG DIGITAL PAINTING
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OFTEN TIMES GALILEA OCAMPO Often times I think about the anger in me And how it boils up until it disappears But where does it go? How can someone feel that much anger And frustration until the point of near combustion And have it all disappear within the next moment? Especially someone like me, someone who can’t ever Just let things go, who’s exceptionally bad at letting things go. Maybe I let go too easily, too softly, maybe I’m so Busy holding on to other things, gripping onto them That things like just slide. Because they have to. Because what would someone as small as me do with all that anger.
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COMPLICATION SULEIMA FLORES
I always wanted a laptop, so I could use it for school and other things.
So I looked for jobs I decided to babysit I wasn’t old enough to apply for jobs. I told my neighbor if she need me to babysit her kids. I was very lucky she said yes. She said she would pay me 5 dollars an hour it wasn’t much but its the best she could do. I agreed because I was desperate. As I went back to my home I see my mom wobbling trying to go in the house.
I sigh “Mom!”
“What do you want?”
“I thought you were working”
“I was, but I got fired”
“ So you used up our money?”
“No! It’s not yours its mine!”
“How are you gonna pay rent?”
“I don’t know that is your fault”
“My fault? It’s your fault you got fired, you made dad leave you always
get drunk and expect me to always clean up your mess!”
I walk away I feel overwhelmed. I lay in my bed. I look under my pillow,
I always had a picture of me and my dad. I never gave up hope one day he will come back for me. Tomorrow is when i start babysitting.I lay in bed until i close my eyes. I wake up. Mom is sleeping. The house always smells like alcohol. All i want is to wake up and not smell alcohol, see my dad and maybe brother and sisters, have breakfast together laugh. I start cleaning the house. I start to pick up mom’s clothes until i see 50 dollars fall off the back pocket. I pick it up. And put it in my pocket. I’m hungry I look in the fridge we only have milk. My stomach grumbles I look at the 50 dollars. I walk out the house.
A“Mom! Im buying groceries see you later”
She didn’t say yes or no she was still sleeping.I walk to the grocery store
I look around for something I could cook I grab a 12 packet of ramen it’s only 5 dollars and I grab orange soda. As i was about to pay i look at the chocolate bars in display a sign says 2 for 1 I grab them and add it to my basket. I pay and go home. As i got closer to the house I see mom walking back home again wobbling.I walk to her.
“Why again?”
“Leave me alone”
She sees my bag, “where did you get the money?”
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“Oh my friend gave me 10 dollars”
She stares at me suspiciously.
“Well today i had 50 dollars they are gone.”
“Haven’t seen them, i’m gonna make cup of noodles i’m starving.”
I go in the house make my noodles weeks I put her money under
pillow.A year passed by I hid my money under my bed where I thought it was safe. Then one day after school I came home. I wanted to see my progress. I look under my bed it’s gone. So was my mom. Later that night she came back with a new dress and drunk.
“Mom! That was my money, I know you took it.”
“So you took mine.”
“Yeah so what if I did at least I didn’t spend all of it.i only spent 10 dol-
lars and I put it back under your pillow. That is why dad left us you had problems with gambling and drugs!”
“Whatever ever you brat leave me alone.”
Her face was disappointed I had a feeling of guilt, but my anger was
taking control of my body.
“Fine! I’m leaving I never want to see your face!”
I packed my bags and left I wanted to go away from her. I got on the bus
and left, I should’ve left since the beginning. I went to my grandparents. They let me stay. I will never forgive her.
UNTITLED EMILY RODRIGUEZ MIXED MEDIA 2018 | 27
UNTITLED CESAR JUAREZ INK AND MARKER 28 | QUILL & TALON
DASHED HOPES CAREN ESCOBAR Dashed hopes The thought of you coming back Dashed hopes “Everything will be okay” When everything is falling apart The summer sun will soon come Right when the storm is about to start “Everything will be okay” I say one day The next “This will never end” Dashed hopes Like you and I The sun might come But it will never stay Emptiness fills me Sadness owns me Dashed hopes are all I get All I deserve You broke me but you try to cure me Hope is just a phase Reality is the truth You are not coming back The memories will forever stay
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SAN FRANCISCO DANIELA ALCAZAR DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPH
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SATURDAY OLIVIA GUERRERO My eyes open to sound of crackling and the smell of bacon from the kitchen. I swing my feet to the side of the bed and shuffle towards my mother. As usual she has Grey’s Anatomy on while cooking and my sister yells at the computer to stop it from freezing. I stop at the couch and put on some Netflix. This goes on for an hour till my mother calls us to breakfast. The food is gone almost as if I never even picked up my fork. My mother announces us staying at home all day. Victorious I lay down in bed again and sleep to tomorrow.
LITTLE BLACK CAT KATE RAMIREZ The Little Black Cat In the middle of the street There it stayed Hungry and afraid Cars passing every so often Until one car passed with caution She parked on the right And with the speed of light She picked it up To see if it was alright She looked into its eyes And saw that they were The color of the sky.
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HAVE YOU EVER? BRIANA LOPEZ I have never read a poem about cheese or the greasy pizza disease I have never read a poem about babies or big fat ladies I have never read a poem about a person i know or people making yellow snow I have never read a poem about social media blogs or ugly looking dogs I have never read a poem about birthdays or earth days I have never read a poem about gay pride or scary rides Don’t get me wrong, I do love poetry, but the only poetry I read is what Ms. Lelchuk gives to me
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UNTITLED ALEX PALACIOS INK AND MARKER 2018 | 33
ALCAZAR ELECTRIC TOWERS DANIELA DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPH
HOPELESS MT My memories of his youthful, deceitful, glinted eyes That’s one thing I won’t forget The sweet fling that never flourished We slipped away There’s nothing left to say Now I have a footprint on my heart Your eyes gleamed Now they’re dull It’d be cruel to say I hope that that gleam in your eyes is still hiding there somewhere for me I know deep down we’ll never be.
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UNTITLED BLANCA URIZA As time goes on, I forget about you more You hardly ever cross my mind We were once so close, together as one I ask now, what happened to us ? We thought of a forever that now doesn’t exist Our whole life’s planned ahead of us Now nothing exists I wonder, do I cross your mind ? Even just a little flicker of a thought? I think not, I doubt it We took our separate ways and parted Never to hear from each other again Truly, I thought we’d make it Now I see that it was all fake We’re nothing now just like before Maybe one day, long from now You’ll look back and think of what could’ve been We almost had it all
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UNTITLED ELIZABETH AGUIRRE PENCIL
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I WISH DAYSIE CASTELLANOS I wish she could just see what I see This happy with others I could never be. I see the pain in her shining eyes She says she’s fine but I know her lies. I see the gratefulness of having me in her smile And I want her to know, for her, I’ll go an extra mile.
TEMPTATIONS JENNIFER VELASCO You want to go back To that time, the place, with specifically that person Wanting the same thing as before Longing for him and all the good times you shared But, you stop and think, Was he really mine? No, nothing happened between us I, overwhelmed by my love for him Not being able to erase him from my mind It would be tempting if he wanted me So, very tempting It just wouldn’t ever happen 2018 | 37
NATURE’S TEARS YAILYNN CORONA OIL PASTEL
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TALE (RETOLD) OF THE JABBERWOCKY REBECCA JUAREZ “The vorpal blade went snicker-snack! He left it dead, with its head he went galumphing back,” the man spoke enthusiastically. His eyes the size of saucers, arms swinging as he retold the story of the Jabberwocky. His salt and pepper hair caught the light as he jumped around. His emerald eyes met with those of a petite boy sat in the tall grass. The boys blue eyes just as wide as the storyteller, his expression frozen with amazement. The man’s heart swelled, for the first time a single soul found his story worthy of their attention. The man now hovered around the boy, directing his story to him and him only. “Come to my arms, my beamish boy! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!” The tale can to an end and a single pair of hands applauded the man for his mesmerizing work.
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FAMILY IS EVERYTHING ANGEL GARCIA When I was just a little kid I began to figure out I had a special family Who is always there for me A family that stands by you No matter what you’ve done But always know youre thought of In a very special way We have a lot to be thankful for, The memories through the years The many times together Full of laughter and full of tears Mothers and Fathers, And Sisters and Brothers, Grandpas and Grandmas, And so many others Families are people Who care about you My family is special Your family is too.
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UNTITLED FRANKIE HERNANDEZ INK AND MARKER 2018 | 41
UNTITLED GWENDOLYN MIRANDA-GONZALEZ ACRYLIC 42 | QUILL & TALON
THE MOON GISELLE RAMIREZ PEREZ The moon comes alive every night It shines so bright I love the way it brightens the darkness And when I’m alone I’m never really alone cause the moon is there It is my best friend and I love it so very much It’s always there when i fall into pitch black She picks me up And she brings me light The moon is like my best friend Caring, supportive moon who brings light
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HOME KAYLA HERNDS I try to be the best I wish to make you happy I don’t know if I will exceed Your expectations I will try, believe me I’m going to try my best But will you do the same? Please be here Please listen to me I have wants and needs Just like you Take my feelings into consideration I try to make you see that I wish you could see how I’m Affected by it I don’t know if things will change I will try to make it happen, believe me I’m going to try my best But will you do the same?
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FLOWER DANIELA ALCAZAR DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPH
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YELLOW SPRING MARITZA TORRES DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPH 46 | QUILL & TALON
MY LAST GOODBYE AZAREL HERNANDEZ-MORENO I hear your voice in my head. Listening to you made me think, and cry. You were cold like ice, But you wouldn’t know. Ba-dum, ba-dum Goes the beat of my heart. This rollercoaster of emotions, I can’t help it. You can’t “Say Something” like A Great Big World You made me feel like I was being used, like Thin Lizzy said, “I must confess that in my quest I felt depressed and restless.” Writing this about you hurts, But drawing the semicolon helps me forget. It reminds me of why I am here in the first place. We were hopelessly helpless, But we comforted each other. The word flustered broke me, But you wouldn’t care. We were so close, but now we are so far away. At first you rescued me from my depression, But why did you put me back? I used to be so happy when we were together, But we weren’t really together, Which still hurts to this day. I guess now, I say goodbye to you And all of the memories we shared.
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LOVE ME FOR NOW DANIEL COBOS pretend and imagine in every dream that we’re together as the night sees us love or wonder with me where we went whisper to the water not magic but my thoughts glow faster climb higher fly further are you happy for now?
LOSING YOU DANIELA MIRANDA
I’m afraid of losing you And seeing you all brand new Walking through the hallway with that one new girl Like if I had just been a swirl Someone who had no importance in your life And now that girl is your wife I’m afraid of just being another girl in your life That you hurt with your knife Even though you know you’re deeply in love with me You’ll blow me off no matter what I’m afraid of never seeing you again And just be that girl that remains All because I am deeply in love with you 48 | QUILL & TALON
UNTITLED LIZBETH PEDRAZA PENCIL 2018 | 49
BLUE BUILDING MARITZA TORRES DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPH 50 | QUILL & TALON
PERFECTION AT ITS FINEST YESSENIA MALDONADO It’s horrible being perfect, At least trying to be is I’ve changed as fast as the speed of light, To fit into and exceed expectations Boom! Goes my heart with the faintest whisper, Instantly agonized about where I went wrong I’m drowning in a sea of fear I’m disconnecting, becoming afraid of everything Rejection has become my Achilles heel I’ve become a reflection of every girl It’s an endless, careless death. I look in the mirror and see my face, The bright white light no longer shines I gaze for a moment and stare at the truth An unbelievable uniform used ultimately to hide, Has lost its rock resorting to a boulder greater in size My dedication to stay ordinary has expired So as of now, I stand alone. I’m so tired I could just die right now. But if I chose to stay alive and carry my fight I win, don’t I?
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BIRDS DANIELA ALCAZAR DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPH
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SUMMER HAS ARRIVED DANIELA ALCAZAR Falling star snowflake Solidify the bright sky Ice cubes in my glass Melting ice cream cone June Beetles on the oak tree Mosquitoes killing Bird feathers floating Dance central waiting for me Scraped knees and feelings
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LOOK HOMEWARD, INTO THE UNKNOWN SAMANTHA GOWIN DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPH
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INFATUATION ANGELICA AVILA i’m living with a lump in my throat still every ounce of my being, to you i devote to live without you, my heart would break to die without you, my soul would ache i have suffered for your love and longed for your touch yet my infatuation will never be enough i engrave your name in my skin and release the beast within i have bled for you through thick and thin my love for you stings like a knife but i will cherish it for the rest of my life i’ve never felt so full yet hollow this pain, this emptiness is too hard to swallow
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SHINE ANNA BARRAGAN Life is something we all share, Just like oxygen in the air. The way we live it is up to us With a negative or with a plus. Life is something we should cherish, We never know when we’ll perish Live each and every single day. Smell the flowers, stop and play. Life is something we’ve been blessed. The choice is yours, choose your quest. Follow your passions, you’ll be fine With the right attitude you will shine.
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THROUGH MY BLUE EYES MARINA LIMON ACRYLIC 2018 | 57
THE CLEARANCE OF ALL FEELINGS KELLY DIEP Waiting to be found The feelings of all emotions The suspense of darkness just as intimidating as you I’ve done enough work today PLOP! Would watching another episode be a sin? I really should be studying, I know Watching another can not bring the time wasted And it’s never just one more time Dam you Reed Hasting and Marc Randolph You check up on me ever so often, just to be clear I’m still here Foresee the expectations of mellow wedding bells How they ring out their delight Oh, what man gapes out at us I try to leave you behind but you bring me back in Stumble upon a suspect of stand-up comedians Said I’m all up in my feelings Until the talking of wildlives, trolls, and cars brought me out I have alternatives to take the boredom away I tell myself a million times to stop But I want to be transported into another place and time Hey, what can one more episode hurt? I don’t intend to stay up late with you, it just happens My eyes are drooping while my head is heavy Again you wonder if I’m here Let’s throw in the towel and call it a night 58 | QUILL & TALON
PAPERMAN JOSHUA MONTION PENCIL
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REAL FRIENDS BRENDA ULLOA PEREZ Memories remain in our hearts Although with time we will seem to forget Keeping the good ones to never forget as strong as a bond In this heart there is a space for those who I will always remember However lies are what make some people fade away and go gone, never seen again I can’t seem to maintain calm through the situation Im crazy yet not a psychopath We will have to learn to live without those ones we really needed The only thing left is to fly farther away than Superman to keep those ‘friends’ away Time is what will heal all the imperfections although it can not Some days they’ll stay the other days they’ll go away far away It’s not the same for all others will truly stay though majority may not You won’t even realize how fast time goes when you read all those false words Hoping they were once true words from heart As they say real eyes will realize real lies Enjoy all the moments with those you believe are the right ones Beware some lies could dress up as beautiful times We don’t want to miss something we could of done with the real ones Beware for a million will claim to be your bestest friend Claiming to describe all the fun times that will never end Will all those promises a friend makes come all true? Or will they simply be hooks to catch your attention All I need is someone to trust But will we truly be able to find someone with loyal trust?
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KURT SIMON CAUDILLO PENCIL AND INK 2018 | 61
UNTITLED JACQUELINE ESQUIVEL ACRYLIC
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I SEE YOU EVERY DAY JUSTIN VELASCO I see you every day. The one who cooks food and breakfast for us is my mom. The one who works a lot is my dad. The one who makes a mess around the house is my sister. The one who follows you around everywhere in his walker is my youngest brother the one who plays A ton of xbox is the second oldest sibling my brother. When I argue with you it’s doesn’t mean that I don’t love you anymore, I still do. We have good times and bad times and funny moments. I don’t only see him as my brother, I also see him as my best friend. I pretty sure he could say the same thing. That doesn’t mean I going to take it easy when we play games together. I always say I love, when I go somewhere you’re not or before I go to bed at night I say love you mom because I’m scared, because It could be my last time saying I love you. Well that’s not the only reason why I say I love you. I say it because you would take me a bath when I didn’t know how, you would take care of me when I was sick, You would wake up in the middle of the night to give me a bottle. There’s a ton of reasons why I say I love you but I would be here forever. You taught me how to kick a soccer ball how to shoot a basketball how to throw and catch a baseball how to ride a bike, And pretty soon you’re going to teach me how to drive. You’ve disciplined me You work all the time because you want us to have the things you didn’t have growing up. When ever we tell you to take a day off, you don’t because if you miss a day you feel guilty because you feel like you’ve missed out on money you could have supported us with. I love you dad. When I say I love you Jaylah you respond by saying “lahve you Sasin” When i go outside to put my clothes into the washing machine most of the time you say “bye bye Sasin” even though i’m not going anywhere. You make a mess around the house and your little brother Jayden can’t even walk by himself yet, that’s not going to stop him from following you around everywhere in his little walker.
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THE LOST SINGERS GAVIN SPILLARD The twisting tree falls back and forth. The wind, cold blade, not soft, but sharp. Cuts down with force, the bark is coarse. The tree is slowly falling down. The sky up high shines down on day, But wind and sound soon bring dismay. The birds and ducks and chipmunks run. The ones who come will soon be done. The falling leaves slow each day. They change their color, green to gray. That day to night, the tree is gone. The sky no longer hears their song.
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GET LOST REBECCA JUAREZ ACRYLIC 2018 | 65
UNTITLED #2 JAKELINE ESQUIVEL ACRYLIC 66 | QUILL & TALON
HER DEVAN CARRILLO She sits in her dark room She asks not to be bothered She’s as quiet as the wind on a wednesday night She rarely even talks BOOM BOOM goes her earphones I sit there and watch her happiness fade away Such a happy girl turning darker than midnight You never ask how she’s doing or if she’s okay Her personality sank deeper than the titanic but you don’t notice Little do you know she’s been through more than a 12 year old should Her laughter became as dry as a cold fry The hurtful kids at school make her days seem long As she sits in her room she sees crossbones as her next stop She thinks about different ways to avoid these kids But no matter where she is they always yap yap yap over and over She depends on books and netflix too keep her happy The books are her best friend I try to comfort her and tell her that i’ll always be here She feels as if she is drowning day by day she loses breath She just nods and says okay Bullying plays a huge part in growing up But that does not make it right Will it ever stop???
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MY ANGEL KARLA ORTEGA I tell you everything From what I drank in the morning To what bugs me about the front door neighbor when they barely shut the door And about who it was that completely destroyed my heart You sit in your robe, coffee in one hand While the other is running through my hair You tell me it’ll be ok And that I’m not alone So you hug me and your aroma of flowers and marshmallows Overwhelms me with an invisible cloak of safety And I think, I love you
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UNTITLED JASMIN GALVAN SCRATCHBOARD 2018 | 69
READING IS AN ADVENTURE FERNANDO ESPINDOLA PENCIL
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I LOVE FICTION DESERIE RUIZ I love fiction, it’s really cool. It helps me get through the boring days of school. It takes my mind to different places, I meet new friends with different faces. I read books about swinging through trees, and princesses with peas. I love fiction. You could be flying through the air without a care to exploring the sea. So many things to see! I don’t wanna grow up, I wanna stay here. There are so many adventures, so have no fear. If a perfect fantasy is what you wish Then hop on a broom and fly like a witch. When you read fiction, there’s nowhere to hide, from the Mississippi river to a lion’s pride. It points pictures with words. I really love fiction.
CREATIVITY JUAN LUCERO Creativity is a good asset to have if you are a writer or want to become one. You have to have the imagination and give different outlooks toward something. Creativity will help your writing be more entertaining so your readers will be more interested. The way to be creative is to have many ideas and put them to the fullest and make something great. Most great writers have the tool of creativity and that’s why they are so good at what they do.
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UNTITLED MELISSA CAMPOS PENCIL 72 | QUILL & TALON
LOVING METAL DIEGO PENA DUENAS
In the year 2043, a man named Marko Zaror was found dead in his home
but his face was completely disfigured. At first neighbors complained about an awful smell in the house. Eventually, cops busted open the door and they found Marko’s rotting carcass.
At first, people speculated of a killer or an accident, but they accused
the robot Caesar for murder. Society refused to accept a killer robot although there was plenty of evidence of Caesar commiting the crime. Most of these robot models, the RSP-2 have a build in life monitor, if the robot is active it has a blue glow on their chest and if they aren’t there is no glow. One neighbor noticed a red glow which she claimed suspicious. This robot Caesar has gone missing but he went on a rampage but everytime he would escape.
After, Marko’s death, he went straight after Arya, they found her with
a broken neck. Some claimed that they have seen Caesar with a red glow on his chest, he was never seen again.
In the freezing cold, Adrian took a sip of his cup of tea, he was by him-
self looking around, it wasn’t to long ago since his family moved to Los Angeles.
A robotic waiter walked to him and asked, “May I serve you again, sir.”
“No, thank you, Adrian said, what has this world come to be,” he mum-
bled to himself.
Adrian looked around and he made eye contact with another man
across of the coffee shop, locked eyes intent. His man wasn’t very old, he must of been forty five, all of his hair was grey as well as his mustache. He must of been hispanic but he did have nice eyes, they were a light brown color. He still kept looking at Adrian, he started to feel uncomfortable and he looked away.
This man was sitting by himself, he got out of his chair and walked
towards Adrian, he was now right in front of Adrian, made eye contact again and asked Adrian, “May I join you Adrian?”
Adrian was shook, who was this man, he had never seen before he just
kept looking at this individual. This man finally pulled the chair and sat down. The first thing that Adrian asked was “Who are you and how do you know my name?”
The man responded, “Who doesn’t know your name, your a very suc-
cessful businessman in the south of California.”
“Anyways didn’t your family move here to LA?” he asked.
“How do you now all this?” Adrian asked.
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“Word spreads, by the way my name is George Franco.”
“You, and your family will love it here,” he added.
Adrian thought to himself besides the number of junkies and hobos it
won’t be much different than back in El Monte.
Franco said, “by the way it been a pleasure meeting you,’’ then he
extended his hand. Adrian shook Franco’s hand but he wasn’t very sure of him. After that Franco walked away, never to be seen again by Mr.Neville. Adrian was quite cautious whenever he walked out by himself on the streets. One day, there wasn’t much food in the fridge, his wife, Angie Neville and his two daughters Daniela and Maggie were both asleep. He decided go by himself it was about 10:00 o’clock he walked down the stairs of the apartment his family was currently staying in.
It was now 12:00 o’clock it has been two hours since his departure,
he had bought a couple of things and the city was quite empty. A woman was standing in front of Adrian, buying oranges from a street vendor, she dropped an orange, Adrian was kind enough to pick it up and hand it her. When she turned, her pupils dilated and she ran away, screaming.
Adrian yelled out,” Your orange!” Then everyone started to run away,
the only ones left was the street vendor and Adrian. They just looked at each other and shrugged. Then there was the metal clamping, Adrian looked over his shoulder to see an army of robots.
They were all RSP-2’s which were made to serve and protect, but they
all had a red glow on their chest. In front of them was a huge S.W.A.T team, all with batons and riot shields. Then started the gunfire from the robots knocking officers by the dozens. Some would charge in but to no avail, only for robots to break the shield like they were glass. The officers stood no chance, they were being killed, brutalized, and crushed by these bots.
The street vendor ran away, Adrian just hid,watching the action, he
would hear the bone-chilling screams of the men, the breaking of bones. One bot just killed an officer, and from where it was, it spotted Adrian. It leapt at a great length and height to land in front of Adrian.
An officer from behind, cracked the robot with his baton, and to have
another two officers tackle it down. Adrian ran off at great speeds, saying well that escalated quickly, but he knew he was only seconds away from death. Back at the fight, the robot fought off the three officers and looked around for the man he spotted but not to be found anywhere.
Adrian started to breath heavily, and break a sweat, he ended up finding
a body, it was an officer face first towards the ground, he was bleeding from the back of his head, he was pretty sure the officer was dead.
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Then, more commotion started but it wasn’t behind him, it was in front
of him. It seemed like someone was yelling,” please stop, no, no, please.”
He took a few more steps, but he hid behind a building, he could see
another army of robots but they were in a circle in front of a tall building. Two robots pulled a man out from the building, the same man who was screaming, they threw him onto the ground. Adrian had to be really careful, he couldn’t get very close although he could not hear what the robot was asking the man. He was only able to make out some of it.
The man pleaded, “please don’t do this, please don’t do this.”
The robot answered, “It’s my job, we will invade and raid all of Los An-
geles and crown Caesar as our rightful leader.” The man stood there on his knees with his head facing the ground with a tear in his eye. The robot continued to speak,”Don’t worry every dog has his day, and today is yours!”
He stood behind the man and put a bullet in his head, the robot yelled,
“Now, throw away his carcass!”
Adrian stood terrified at the events,he went back running as fast as he
could to the apartment where his family was staying. He makes it back to the apartment but he could believe what just transpired, he couldn’t believe his eyes. He ran up the stairs, to the room and started knocking rapidly, yelling out, “Angie,Angie please open up!”
She finally opened up the door, relieved to see Adrian back she worried
because he had a frightful look in his eyes and was sweating. He asked, “where are the girls?”
“Daniela is with me, Maggie is outside bird watching,” she said.
“Keep Daniela with you, I’ll get Maggie,” Adrian said.
“Wait what happened?” Angie asked,”What did you see out there.”
“Look listen, if we don’t get out, we are going to die!!”
Then, Adrian took off, he ran down the hall, and down the stairs, look-
ing for Maggie. He found Maggie on the lying on the grass, looking toward the sky, but as soon as he found her he immediately picked her off the ground and started running.
Maggie looked at him, confused “What happened dad?”
Adrian didn’t answer, he just kept running but he stopped, when he
heard the screams in the lobby. He looked over his shoulder to see robot invading, starting with the lobby. He was able to get to the room, Angie opened the door and let them in.
Panic started, robots were also climbing the walls and getting through
the windows killing anyone in sight. The whole family was inside they had to come up with a plan. They were going to open the door when Adrian saw a robot
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on the other side through the peephole. He started to push the door.
He whispered,”Don’t make a sound.”
Another robot came forward, it was trying to knock down the door,
Adrian’s back was against the door he never lost eye contact with Angie and his two daughters. Angie started to hug the girls, they were scared tears were forming in their eyes.
Then, another robot came in and said that this floor is clear. Adrian
sighed in relief but they just waited in silence until the robots were gone. They opened the door slowly to see if any robots were close, they slowly crept out in hopes of escaping.
They all slowly walked down they made it through several floors with-
out being spotted, until the robot that spotted Adrian on the battlefield spotted him and his family. It jumped on Adrian’s back and knocked him down. Angie pulled the girls back towards her. A stranger came from behind and hit the robot with a wooden bat.Adrian turned to look at who it was, George Franco.
Another robot heard the commotion, it started shooting but only was
able to hit the robot and a bullet hit Franco. Franco was wounded, he yelled “Get your family the hell out of here!!”
The robot ran towards him but Franco was able to get a swing,robot
stood dazed but it came back running taking Franco through a window and itself. It was Neville’s chance to escape they found an emergency exit and were able to escape before more robots came.
It was dark now, dead bodies everywhere that awful smell of rotting
bodies robots were everywhere now looking for humans to exterminate. In the dark it was quite easy hiding from them because the red glow on their chest gives it away.
The Neville family needed to hide somewhere but there wasn’t much it
was either destroyed or burned but they eventually came across a clothes store which was in pretty good condition.
First they looted the store looking for anything that may be to use to
them. They didn’t find much only some people’s belongings like purses or wallets and some money in the cash register, but they didn’t need money in a time like this, they just needed to survive.
They stood there all alone, stealing food at first in groups of two but as
time past it became too risky so for several days the Neville family starved for days on end. It soon became to much for the youngest daughter Maggie who started to cry. Adrian told her to shut up but she continued crying. That’s when something or someone crashed through the window onto some clothing racks.
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This thing had glowing eyes and a mouth, seemed to be made of metal it
looked old and rusty, it turned around facing the Neville family. Adrian charged towards it but it manhandled him like a child. Angie covered Maggie’s mouth with her hand and pulled her back in hopes of not being spotted. Daniela took a few steps back blending in with the dark.
The thing spotted Angie and Maggie and was slowly walking towards
them, Angie tried to slap it, but it threw her aside. It was known standing in front of Maggie and she would cry even louder.
It looked down on Maggie and asked her,”Oh, please don’t cry I mean
you no harm.”
It would now slowly brush Maggie’s hair as it continued brushing she
would slowly calm down. Adrian was now bleeding from the top of his head but he noticed that the thing that attacked him was an old school model 17 and the only reason why it attacked him was because it was defending itself.
Days past and Model 17 which we named Candy became Maggie’s best-
friend, he would go out and find them food without raising any suspicions. One day he came with some food and he said that we will have to move because food is slowly disappearing with other survivors or looters.
Candy then mentioned that if it was wise to go back to El Monte, but
Adrian rejected the idea because the Neville family will lose everything and will have to start from zero.
It has been about a month and Candy and Adrian go out looking for food
one day and candy mentions he has to be the last model 17 in existence. They eventually found food but then several sky RSP-2’s land and go running towards somewhere. Candy and Adrian decided to follow them and they saw the last of the model 17 being torn piece by piece by a number of RSP-2’s.
Adrian is lucky he isn’t in that position but he turns to look at candy
and he has a tear running down his face? Candy’s attention was elsewhere when a model 17 robot which is had its legs torn off grabs Candy’s foot and says “run!” That’s when Adrian ran off and Candy was never seen again.
When Candy returned Adrian told him off and to never return and that’s
what exactly happened, until the RSP-2’s finally found the Neville family they were ready to shoot a missile but thats when Candy rammed into it which torn him in half. Adrian promised Candy that the robots would not take over after Candy’s death but he did not keep this promise because the Neville family was eventually killed, but George was still alive.
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