The Palette 2019
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Volume VIII
St. Luke’s School 377 North Wilton Road New Canaan, CT 06840 203.966.5612 www.stlukesct.org Cover Artwork by Ava Mortamais
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Foreword Children as individuals, children in a group of children -- as distinctive as the colors of the rainbow. Add their artistic and literary expressions to that perspective. Now you are into the universe of possibilities. Perhaps there are stories with plot twists you never saw coming, or poems that ride the current of deep feeling toward the ocean of meaning. And there are shapes -- sculptures -- that have never been created ever before, ever in the history of humankind; and there is computer art that boggles the eye; or photographs whose images say as much about the artist as they do about what they capture. There are abstract and realistic representations and renderings, in pencil, ink, watercolors, acrylics, and collage. A palette is a thin board or slab on which an artist lays and mixes colors. This Palette, the Middle School Arts Magazine, captures the creativity, vision, and invention that exists within our students. We are extremely proud of our middle school artists and writers, and we know you will be, too. Congratulations to all students whose work is included in these pages. Thank you for expressing yourselves. Mr. Henson
Jack Chuhta
Middle School English Teacher
Laurel Aronian
Vignette Ana Meyer I sat on the damp leaves, while rubbing my swollen eyes from crying all morning. I heard many birds chirping around me, and the sun was shining on my dirt-covered overalls and white shirt. The weather was bright and pleasant, but I felt more like it was raining. Just yesterday morning, my father and I were driving 103 miles to a camping 4
site, but his truck broke down at mile 47, and wouldn’t start up again. He brought his cellphone, but when he was talking on it while driving, the phone slipped out of his hand and fell out the window. To add to our luck, his old Ford was so old that there was no hope in it starting up again. Because the sky was darkening, and it was getting closer to night, we decided to set up our tent in the woods next to the truck
until the morning when we could look for a passing car. We set up the tent, and then went straight to bed. When I slipped into my sleeping bag, I felt rough twigs and rocks underneath me. To add to my
and plants, and scattered rocks and boulders. I called out for my dad, but all I heard were the chirps of birds that had woken me up only a few minutes ago. I slowly trudged around the forest,
struggles, I felt as if I was a boiling potato, getting hotter and hotter by the minute. My eyes were wide open, and I didn’t see any hope in falling asleep anytime soon. Eventually, after almost five hours, I finally dozed off to sleep.
scrunching up my carrot colored eyebrows, as I felt my heart sinking in worry. I called his name again and again, only hearing my soft echo in return. I felt agony and despair, having the panicky feeling that I was abandoned by my own father.
I was peacefully awoken by birds and crickets chirping. It smelled like a warm summer day with newly bloomed flowers and freshly cut grass the color of fresh limes. I turned my head to the corner of the tent, expecting to see my father, but his sleeping bag was folded open, and his dark muddy Hunter boots were missing from the tent. I figured he had already gone to look for cars to hitchhike with, so I slipped on my white shirt and overalls, tied up my stained white converse, and departed from the tent.
I slowly sat down on the ground, rubbing my eyes as I felt the waterfall of tears start to creep down my cheeks. Then I started to feel the anger coming through me, kicking my feet on the hard ground, so mad at my dad for leaving me alone in the woods, with no food or water to survive. The birds no longer sounded peaceful. The grass no longer smelled good. Though there was sunshine all around, I felt like it was raining, and I was getting poured on. I was abandoned, having no place to go but sit on the ground and wait, hoping someone would come find me, or take me home.
I turned around 360 degrees, but all I saw were twigs, trees, small weeds
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Ocean Patrick Gunn Water slapping, swooshing, leaping, and crashing. Seagulls crying, circling over the water. The tide always comes in but never stays for long like dreams at night. The ocean is a mystery holding secrets underneath it’s surface.
Juliet Geraci
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Patrick Gunn
IT Thomas Skinner It chases but cannot be outrun It follows but cannot be seen You cannot escape its intervention It hides but cannot be hidden from It is both in you and around you, Spectating and silently shifting the story It is life, death, and everything in between, moving fluidly, flowing forward, but never back We watch it through the impenetrable glass that is psychological limitation We can always count on it to make our day Though it is immensely impactful, it is unaware of its very own presence There never seems to be enough of it though we know full well it is plentiful ... It is time 7
Ballad of Titania Ella Konrad In the woods tall trees, green leaves Magical enchanted, glittering magic Roaming around the fairy queen’s bed Helpful fairies lightly flying above ground Going from place to place searching around Peachblossom, Mustardseed, Moth, Cobweb fetching her needs Bright enchanting sun goes down As fairy queen’s bed is let down Being held up, all day by the tangling green ivy The softest bed that holds the fairy queen’s head The sun is almost down, beautiful colors in the sky The bed is resting right above the ground Titania gently gets in the bed And rests her gentle head.
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Josephine DeMarco
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Alexa Crawford
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Isabella Gaumer
Reese Kubick
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Ana Meyer
Keep Going James Adams I stood there on those brittle brown sticks below me, not knowing where I was. Trees surrounded me, almost obscuring my view of the shining golden sun staring down at me. My trousers were muddy and wet. I was too weak to move forward, my body not wanting to move on. I collapsed on the ground not wanting to get up. I started to cry; trying to stop, but tears kept finding their way down my face. I finally started to get up using all my energy to walk on, the sticks hard and rough on my feet, but I kept going. 12
I made it to a brook. The water shone like a million crystals, thousands of glittering fish all different colors and sizes made their way down the long brook. I took one step into the water; it’s cold temperature soothed my body. Then I cupped my hands and filled them with water and dumped the water into my mouth and drank it. The water tasted fresh, but I could not tell. I tried to start a fire by the brook, but it started to rain. It rained hard, and then it started to thunder. The clouds seemed to be crying like I had be-
fore. I ran for shelter under the army of trees, but their protection from the rain did not satisfy me. I started to look for a cave. But all I saw were more trees and the brook which was losing its glimmer due to the dampening, dark rain, charging down the sky like a stampede of wild bulls. Then I saw an obscure crevice on the side of a monstrous boulder calling me closer. I walked closer to the crevice and saw a deer curled up in a ball inside. I slowly moved into the tall crevice. The deer looked as if it were sleeping, its horns shined from the rain. I lied down and leaned my back on the deer’s body, its rough, wet fur against my back. After all that happened, I finally fell asleep. When I woke up, I saw the deer staring right into my eyes; it’s as if his stare was looking
into my soul. The deer’s eyes were black and misty, and had a warm glow to them. I finally looked at myself, the rain had washed away the mud and dirt, but my clothes smelled putrid, like rotten eggs covered in mud. Then I noticed the sun was shining and the rain had stopped. A couple of trees had fallen, all scattered around, the woods like fallen soldiers to the storm. The clouds floated peacefully in the sky, but it still felt damp and moist. It started to fog up, covering the towering trees one by one. I looked for the deer, but it was not in sight, probably lost to the fog, I start to panic. The fog closed in, like it wanted to consume me. I backed away slowly, then fell against the back of the rocky crevice. With my heart beating like crazy, the fog covered me as I screamed for help.
Juliet Geraci and Avery Zakowich
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Grafton Ely
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Brendan Casey
Pencil Patrick Gunn Hand slides across the page leaving a trail of smeared graphite behind. Hand a bit sore from gripping too hard, marks your life and thoughts. Words crawl across the page like turtles, one word after another, sometimes words gallop across the page like horses. However, it’s just a pencil, just wood and graphite, full of ideas,pictures, words and stories.
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Laurel Aronian
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Lauren Schultz
My Little Secret Cessa Lewis
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I hold my breath waiting for the bright white
emotion
light
With deceit and heartbreak
That Ignites the flush in my face leading me
Melodies and rhythms
to center stage
Immortal imagination
Where the eager eyes lay longingly
But do not be fooled
One breathless step on the well-worn wood
Your time is fleeting
and then another
The music fades to a stop
Each action deliberate and meaningful
The blur of unknown faces lift with exuber-
Painted perfectly into another persona
ance out of their chairs
I have practiced, I know what lies ahead
Their thundering clapping revs me
I know the ending, therefore, I am not afraid
The curtain closes
I have mastered the notes and steps
Darkness encompasses
I know where I belong
And in her place is me
I know who I must become
And the world you thought you saw has
It is not me that steps to center stage
vanished
Not me that says the words
And you wonder how it is that I transformed
Nor me that sings the lyrics
How you became lost in my illusion
Time fades and reality is swept away
I smile
You are captured in a world of laughter and
That is the secret I will never tell
Goat Thomas Connell
Calum Regan
Galloping through the waves On a unicorn His horn breaking the waves As my gaze sees a goat On top of a boat His horns pearly white His tongue like velvet His fur as soft as a pillow His ruby eyes And soft nose So I jump off the unicorn And swim as fast as I can to the goat The goat jumps off the boat and swims to me Just as a human loves a dog I love my goat
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Ava Waldman
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The Fox Kate West I was walking through the woods trying to catch the most fascinating fox ever. He was bright orange and so cute. It was spotted when I went outside in the morning. I had a desire to take him home. Suddenly, as I was chasing the fox, the sun went entirely black. All black. I was very frightened. Because I was scared, I sat down in a clearing. It wasn’t really a clearing, because it was still as dark as the forest. Every tree was rotted and dark. How did this happen? Just a few moments ago, all the trees and bushes were lively and bright green. How would I ever get back home? Would I ever get food? Where did all the fruit bushes go? How did everything disappear? What happened? Then, across the way, I spotted a lively tree that was huge. I remembered seeing it in my crazy chase for the fox. About twenty paces to the left of the tree, I found a glorious blueberry bush. It was covered in berries that were dripping with juice. I grabbed them so quickly, it was as if I was the fox. As I walked back to the clearing, I ate all of the juicy blueberries. I felt the juice dripping down my chin. They were so tasty. I couldn’t remember the last time I had them. My mom never
buys them and I don’t know why. It was still as dark as before, but my eyes were adjusting to the darkness. In the center of the clearing, I sat down and waited for the sun to start shining again. When it did, I realized I had been sitting in a bunch of poison oak. My mom was going to kill me. I ran past the tree and in the direction of home. As I came up to the house, the cars were not in the driveway. “ YES!!” Dad was at work till 8, and Mom had just left for wherever. I found the cream for poison oak, applied it, and took a long bath. The poison oak was slowly disappearing from sight on my legs and hands. I went downstairs, and grabbed some pizza from the fridge as quick as a fox. Then, I remembered what caused everything. The fox. I ran out into the woods to find him. I was searching and searching for the most amazing fox I had ever seen. I ran around until I knew where I was. Again, I was by the blueberry bush. I saw the fox in the clearing. He was eating fresh blueberries like I just had. 21
Katherine Howe
Lauren Schultz
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Katherine Howe
Katherine Howe
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Eloise Pakman
I Am From Abby Thomas I am from superheroes Supergirl, The Flash, Captain America, my family From firepits and golf carts I am from the granite pillars at Nanny’s Smooth and cold From charades and laser tag I am from bedtime songs, and Sunny’s Barbeque I’m from Gator games and tailgates From We are The Boys and Tom Petty From touchdowns and gator chomps Orange and blue I’m From Mimi and the typical six From basketballs to waterslides 24
I’m from Isleworth and Gainesville Grace Church, Christmas and Easter I’m from the south Florida and Alabama From the big city New York and Tokyo From sweet tea and smoked brisket Pecan rolls to 18 layer cake I am from homemade eggnog and pizza From chai tea to baked brie I’m from peppermint pie and jambalaya Disney World and Universal Singing Merry Christmas from The Family And being together as one
Untitled Eloise Pakman I’m from Isleworth and Gainesville Grace Church, Christmas and Easter I’m from the south Florida and Alabama From the big city New York and Tokyo From sweet tea and smoked brisket Pecan rolls to 18 layer cake I am from homemade eggnog and pizza From chai tea to baked brie I’m from peppermint pie and jambalaya Disney World and Universal Singing Merry Christmas from The Family
And being together as one
Liam Monahan
I am from superheroes Supergirl, The Flash, Captain America, my family From firepits and golf carts I am from the granite pillars at Nanny’s Smooth and cold From charades and laser tag I am from bedtime songs, and Sunny’s Barbeque I’m from Gator games and tailgates From We are The Boys and Tom Petty From touchdowns and gator chomps Orange and blue I’m From Mimi and the typical six From basketballs to waterslides
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Life Is Hard Lucy Collins I wish that life was easier. I wish there was just an instant-add-water perfect life. But there never will be. Not in one year. Not in 5. Not in 10. Not in a million. The reality is, life will always be hard. It’s whether you get back up when you fall down. It’s whether you hold your head high when it is weighing you down, It’s whether you make a difference in the world every day that you wake up. It is whether you care enough to keep stepping forward. Life is a million choices that make up who you are. There are so many paths you can go. But you have to make the decision which one you want to go down. So everyday, I hope you wake up and make the world a better place.
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Eloise Pakman
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Marissa Kramer
Ethan Crawford
Matthew Seale
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Sarah Kate Alford
Grafton Ely
Ale Lewis
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Josephine DeMarco
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Seraphina Josephine DeMarco Her eyes are grassy meadows, dark trees besieging Her hair’s molten chocolate and cinnamon curls Her mouth is a stark stroke of crimson upon an ivory canvas Her dress is a waist-crimping corset Before a field of rose and marmalade, tendrils of flame flowing through
Leia Mitwalli
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Leia Mitwalli
Untitled Nailah Profit
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Her skin was a damp pool of mud,
and she was sitting beside Janette and Harriet
dipped in the gold of the earth. Her hair like
in the backseat of a coach. She held them in
the fur of a sheep. She was just a small child,
her arms as her shirt became a river soaked
and knew nothing of the spinning green and
with tears. She looked into the eyes of the
blue planet she walked upon. Her feet too
fire. Their father. She looked but he wouldn’t
pale to look real, her eyes to glossy to see
look back. The memory of her knees driven
into. She looked upon the wooden board
in the dirt, her hands lifted in the air, and her
as though it were her own death she were
voice drenched with the voice of a beggar
facing. But it was not. She was as guilty as her
drowned her mind. It wasn’t supposed to
mama, but she felt her face fall to the floor in
be her. It wasn’t supposed to be mama. But
a pool of tears as she heard the cracking of a
it was. As her feet hit the dirt, she guides
whip and nothing else. The pale of her bare
the girls inside and sings them to sleep. Her
feet turning muddy once again, she sat there
head hitting the bed like a pebble hitting the
in that pool until she felt the dust of the earth
surface of the water. She feels her heart speed
rest on her skin. It wasn’t long before her arm
faster as she’s filled with grief, she has one
was aching from the pull of a manly muscle,
thought, I hate them.
Ana Meyer
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Patrick Gunn
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Echo Lauren Schultz Empty. Four walls standing at attention. Blank, white floor. High ceiling. One coin drops. A sound so unimportant, but one that changes everything. There are still four walls. There is still a blank, white floor. The high ceiling still stares down. But the all of it has changed. The coin’s soft ping has charged the air. It’s echoes do not fade. But they get louder. With each ringing sound, the noise travels through the air Louder
Louder
Louder Still. All at once, the sound stops. There is no more ringing. No more charge. Silence. Not one more echo.
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The Peppermint Fiasco Eddie Panian As I was eating the peppermint I got at the tile store, I felt it start to slip down my throat, and it got lodged right in my airway. I started to freak out. I put my hands into a ‘x’ across my throat to signal my mom. She didn’t see me at first, but then she did. She freaked out as well. She swerved into the nearest parking lot which was a Wells Fargo, and it smelled like skunk had just been there. My mom pulled me out of the car and started to pat my back to get the peppermint out of my throat. She couldn’t get it out, so she started to cry and pat harder. I felt like I was going to faint because of how little air I had. This made me completely freak out and feel just as scared as my mom. I was worried that I was going to die! Then I felt the peppermint moving up and out of my throat. Suddenly, I could breathe again! I was relieved as I saw the peppermint fall onto the concrete. I had just been scared to death, almost literally. It turned out the peppermint had melted in my throat, so it was smaller and able to come out. I didn’t go to school that day because I was so freaked out that I had just been choking on a peppermint and death had been knocking on my doorstep.
Chris Briggs
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Sienna Pilla
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Kiara Copeland
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Marissa Kramer
Georgia Saxe
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Lauren Schultz
Vignette Quinn Scanlan “Let’s dance,” said Liz.
“Really?” she asked.
“I love this dance!” I replied.
“Yes, definitely,” I said.
“Woohoo, wow, you’re doing spins! This is so
Then she said, “Could I dance as well?”
fun!” Liz said. “I wish we could do this all the time.”
“Yes, sure,” I said. So we went back out to join Liz. When Liz saw the girl, she gave
“Can, I play?” asked a small girl.
me that look like “You go, girl.” Then we all danced together and had so much fun.
“Absolutely,” Liz said. When it was time to go, I asked the girl, “Can But I disagreed. So I responded, “Nope! Not
you come back tomorrow? And by the way,
happening today, girlfriend,.” And then she
what’s your name?”
started to cry. I wanted to take back my words, but I couldn’t. I yelled, “Sorry!” as the
She said, “Bella.”
little girl ran into the diner. “What are you doing tomorrow?” asked Liz. Liz gave me a grim, heart-piercing stare, as I looked back to where the crying girl
Bella said, “I’m playing soccer against New-
had disappeared. I start to cry as Liz made
town.”
me feel worse. “Nice,” said Liz. “Wow, nice job. Now she thinks you are a jerk,” Liz said.
“Could we come and watch?” I said.
I wished I could make the girl feel better. I
“Sure,” said Bella, “I will try to score a goal
went to the diner to try to make her feel
for you guys.”
better, but it was no use at first. When I offered her my beautiful shoes, she looked at
“I can’t wait! We’ll see you tomorrow. Bye,
the shoes and stopped crying.
Bella.”
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Josephine DeMarco
Ali DeFilippo
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Faith Creary
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Elexa Brady
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Hats Nate Samelson Hats are exciting They all tell a story So cozy and warm I wear them everywhere There are many styles Ski hats Baseball caps Wool hats And beanies Brown, green, yellow, pink I like all of them But I picked just one The color Black as night The wool so smooth So soft My favorite hat Is... 
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Kelly Neuner
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The Perfect Girl Grace Wearing
Hair as straight as a four lane highway All in long perfect rows Face covered with brown and white powders Lashes as long as a winding river Shoes as high as corn stalks in August Shirt too small hugging her like a bear Black V-neck plunging deep like a scuba-diver Waist as small and slim as a bangle bracelet Expectations high, limits low She screams but no one understands her fear She cries but no one understands her pain She runs but everyone follows A monster in the mirror People stop and stare “Whisper Whisper Whisper�
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Josephine DeMarco
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Theo Shields
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Sarah Kate Alford
My Love for Animals Thomas Connell I wake up in Boston knowing that we would go to the aquarium today, but I did not realize how special it would be. My sisters are still asleep. Sitting in my bed, the doughnut aromas blow into my nose: Boston cream, glazed, and strawberry with sprinkles. All great flavors. Finally it’s 10:00, time to go to the aquarium. First is the stingray touch tank with sharks. I touch the pretty blue ray blue with white spots. Each ray is different, but the blue one with the spots is my favorite. Next, it is time to go to the penguin exhibit. The stairs leading to the penguins are slanted in such a way that you can see all of them; some have big heads and yellow whiskers. The other ones have gray fur and white fur and swim super fast. 50
Now it is time for the river tanks. I see an electric eel. It’s pale gray and smaller than I thought it would be, but super wide. Then I see the tree frogs: red, yellow, green, and blue, and a big snake that can eat a pig. I do not like the snake. Then I see it the ocean tank and all the animals from the Caribbean. There are fish my dad calls permit fish. They are shiny fish that have big tails and are super fast swimmers. Then there is a fish that is like a bubble; it blows up and comes down up and down up and down. I think it is a puffer fish. I wave at a fish staring right at me, but it does not wave back. I think it is an ocean sunfish. it seems that it is showing off, always going past the glass so everybody can see him. Then I see something much bigger. It is like a shark ruling the whole tank, going around the perimeter as if it was rounding the other fish up like a cattle herder making sure no fish is out of place. Then on the bottom there is a ray, protecting the bottom so no unwanted visitors come in. The tank is like a big palace and the sharks and rays are like bodyguards. Now it is time to see the star fish tank. The starfish all are different; their skin is like a potato rind, bumpy and smooth. They do not move at all, they just sit there like celery in the grocery store. We learn that the starfish take out their stomach when they eat, and we actually saw it happen. They look like hippos that ate a big meal. Also in that room we see these tiny shrimp that are so small they remind me of lima beans because of the round shape and the soft shell. We are almost done, but there is still one tank that I have been looking forward to the whole day: the octopus tank. I look inside the dark, gloomy tank, but I can not see much of anything. All there is a little piece of fake coral that I guess is supposed to be the octopus’ home. Then I see a flash of orange, but it’s very dark. I do not think anyone else sees it, but then the octopus sticks its suction cups on the glass right where I am staring. I see the octopus: red, orange, and yellow with blue rings. Its eyes are as hollow as a squirrel’s eyes, it’s beak like a cardinal’s, and it’s the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. 51
Kate Hammer
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Ainsley Birmingham
Scarlett McRoberts
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Josephine DeMarco
Gooseberry Beach Hannah Gunn The salty smell of seaweed, Mixed with the sweet smell of the gooseberries Whose bushes line the path to the sandy paradise The exhilaration of climbing to the top of the massive hill shaped rock that overlooks the endless waters below, The familiarity of the scene Gives us the feeling as if we are kings and queens, Surveying our sacred kingdom below On the slippery raft, We are like monkeys in the circus, Flipping and flopping and pushing each other 54
Into the squiggles of seagrass of the ocean below Our tradition of crouching down over the blue, Bucket in one hand, net in the other As the others dig through the sand with both hands For the little hermit crabs Seagulls, like old friends Squawking and swooping To steal your sandwich The place that was always home, Gooseberry Beach
Untitled Claudia Heffern
To them I am property I am chattel I am a machine I am a tool I am nothing. My life’s purpose is not To laugh nor to feel joy But
To cut the wood Pick the cotton And plow the fields. All I know in this world Is the plantation. The tall white pillars The weeping willows The wrap around porch The beautifully tended gardens And then, The slave quarters. The tight, hot cabins that are more fit for animals than human beings The whipping post The sound of sobbing The smell of fear.
Maggie Lange
To be owned by another human being To not be considered a person, but a “thing” To be separated from your family To have no rights To be a slave.
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Jessica Heine
Tema Wagner
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Ana Meyer
Maggie Lange
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Teddy Broder
Vignette Nate Samelson
I ran away.
Ok, I know that sounds crazy, but
it’s all because mom slapped me. She said I stepped on her favorite glass. First of all, her favorite glass is clear. This glass was green. Second was that she blamed me for stuff all the time, and this time, I had enough. So I packed up my stuff and ran away. I ended up at the diner on the corner of Main and Ninth Street. I went in, and the man at the counter looked straight at me and asked, “Where are your parents junior?” I quickly thought up an excuse. “Um, I.. my parents sent me in here to get some food. We’re going on a long trip.” He gave me a suspicious look, “Ok.” I was relieved . “What do you need?” “Can I have a glass of water to start?” I asked nervously.
right now.” He turned around and scrambled to the back. A few minutes later, I saw a policeman walk up to the door. Oh no. The counterman called the police! I thought. I nervously walked over to the bathroom. He can’t get me if I’m in the bathroom. That would be illegal. I tried to keep calm. After a few minutes, my hunger overcame my fear, and I went outside. “Sit down kid. We need to talk,” the policeman said. Oh no, he found me. I’m toast. My face turned pale. “Ok. This nice man called me and told me you might be a runaway. Is that true?”
“Yes sir,” I said feeling really bad.
“Here’s the deal,” the counterman said. “I’ll feed you an entire meal for free if you go with the officers. Deal?” “Ok.”
“OK. Wait right there; I’ll get it
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Carys Gardner
Vignette Bobby Somaya I am four years old and I love my life. It is just amazing, since I am having fun almost all the time. My name is Chao-Bao, it means “excellent gem.” I am Chinese, and I love all our traditions and our food. The Chinese New Year is almost here, and my whole family is very excited. Some of our Chinese New Year traditions are cleaning our house and decorating it with things such as lanterns, paper cuttings, Kumquat trees, and New Year paintings. The lanterns are meant to drive 60
away bad luck; paper cuttings are meant for good luck and happiness Kumquat trees are meant for wealth; and New Year paintings are just to show a symbol of New Year’s greetings. We also give gifts to others in red envelopes. I think red is a special color to wear during our New Year, since everybody wears it. Also my family says it is the most popular color in China because it represents fire, happiness, and good luck, or fortune. We also go to watch dragon dances, lion dances, and fireworks. We also go to temples to pray for God’s blessings.
Samantha Gerber
The food we eat during the New Year is also very delicious. We eat mandarin oranges, dumplings, and Nian Gao, a New Year’s cake made out of glutinous rice flour and water. We also eat fish, noodles, wantons, and spring rolls. I was born in 2015. According to the Chinese calendar, I was born on the year of the sheep. Though this New Year is the year of the pig. The Chinese New Year is celebrated by everyone who is Chinese, but people who were born on the year of the pig, well, happy early birthday to you!
My family and I have gone outside to shop for more decorations and food, since we are having a New Year party. I see a box full of cherry flavored lollipops on top of the shop’s stand, and ask my mom if I can have one. She agrees, and gives me one. It is delicious! Behind me is the river where people in rowboats are fishing. I wonder why, and then I find out. They are catching more fish to cook for our New Year! We buy some and take them back home to prepare for our New Year’s party.
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A List of the Person Liv Woodruff Love, Heart shaped leaves littering the lawn of the mind, Hate, Fire, burning a trail of tears down the spine of the soul, Sadness, Overtaking us, rivers of opals, drawings lines in powdered cheeks, Joy, Puppies, kittens, giddy giggling girls, bits of white cotton falling from the sky after the first diamonds and glass cover the grass, Frustration, Unsolvable puzzles scream at us, highlighted words burning the cornea, becoming charlatans of chivalry and choices, War, A way in which us humans, use fighting as an excuse, when words fail the best of us, in ourselves and others Peace, The silent euphoria, when we know that all is good, just for a moment, even in the darkest of minds and moments, or in the heated heels of heartbreak, heartthrob, This list is of the us people see, of what we learn and learned, and what I see, each person has every single one of these, and finds them in the split-seconded moment, of the unexpected emotion and caution.
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Jessica Heine
Josephine DeMarco
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Eloise Pakman
Anna Katherine Yavenditti
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Tubing Accident Jared Gordon I was water tubing with my friends at camp. The boat pulling us was driving at very high speeds: up to 60 mph. We had just gotten back from a nice round during which, I fell off a lot. But I never experienced anything this bad. While we were tubing on the next round, the tube started to sink. We did not notice it, and neither did the driver. Our tube flipped, but I was still holding on. My life jacket was stuck on the tube and I couldn’t breathe. We were getting pushed under the lake. I could not get to the surface because the tube was above my head. I couldn’t see anything. The water was rushing all around me, and I felt like I was drowning. I was slowly creeping
Claiborne Beurle
66
backward as the boat continued to pull us. I could not hear anything. I thought that I was going to drown. My life jacket was attached, but I was not holding on. The driver still had not noticed we had flipped. I tried to get my head up, but I still could not. The boat was still moving fast. I lifted my head up but only partly, then it was quickly pushed down again. It thought it had been two minutes by now. The boat was still going fast. Finally, the boat stopped and the boat driver jumped in and grabbed me and took me out of the water. I asked him how long I was under there, and he said like 30 seconds, but it felt like an hour.
Michael Yeboah
McLain Boege
McLain Boege
67
Annie O’Connor
Vignette Whit O’Reilly
68
Why did she have to say that? No
am about to die. Maybe I should go back.
wonder they always treated me badly.
But I don’t know the way back.
Well, now I am on my own. I real-
How did I not realize, “Yawn”, that
ly don’t think I should be here right now.
I am so tired? I will try to sleep. “Ow!
I wish that I was in my big comfy bed
Stupid stick.” I need to find a better spot
sound asleep. But instead, I am lying in
without any annoying sticks to jab me in
the woods scratched up and feeling like I
the back. Maybe I could sleep in a tree
so that I won’t get eaten by a bear in my sleep. Why not try that? Snap. Shoot, the
It felt so bad when they said that to
dumb tree branch snapped. Keep climb-
me. But now I understand how little that
ing. Thump. “Ow!” That’s the second tree
pain actually was compared to the pain
branch that has snapped. I think my leg is
and agony that I have to go through now.
possibly broken. I am all scratched up, and
I really should not have run away. Now
I can’t walk, so now there is no chance that
I realize it, but it was a really stupid idea,
I am going to get home. But I have to try.
because there are no people for at least a
“Ow!” That’s too painful. There is no way
couple of miles. And with the broken leg,
that I am going to walk all the way home
there is no chance that I am going to get
with a leg that now I think it is definitely
back to my house.
broken. “Great! Just great!” Now I feel so Snap. What was that? Oh no! Is
bad that it it’s like the world is caving in on
me.
that my mom? She is going to kill me. Well, I can try to hide. What did Fred say My vision blurs and I fall asleep. I
was the best place to hide for hide and
dream of falling out of a tree. Whoa, that
seek? Up high. Nobody ever looks up. They
just happened like three times before I fell
always look in the bushes and other plac-
asleep only five hours ago. That’s weird.
es down low. But never up high. I find a
Whatever. Now that I am well rested, I
tree and climb up until I find a good place
should at least find a space where I could
where I can stay until whoever is looking
stop and sleep more comfortably than last
for me leaves. I look down at the base of
night. I shudder.
the tree and see a black bear staring back
up at me. Oh no! I thought that I would
It felt so bad to sleep on the ground
with like 18 sticks jabbing into my back.
be safe in this tree. Is the bear climbing the tree? Oh no, I’m in trouble.
Well, let’s not think about the pain and agony that I had to go through.
69
Eric Millar
70
Claiborne Beurle
71
Thank you to all of the artists and authors who contributed to The Palette !
Quinn Scanlan