Special 2017 pullout section
A message from the publisher When I was 8 years old, my family went on a summer vacation to a small town about an hour north of New York City called Central Valley. One night we went downtown for ice cream at the drugstore and were surprised to find the streets empty. When we walked to the firehouse, we saw the dispatcher sitting outside on a chair that was leaning against the building. “Where is everyone?” I asked. “Over at the Joneses,” he replied, indicating a house with a tilt of his head. “They just got one of them new television sets. Whole town’s watching Milton Berle.” The idea of an empty town sparked my imagination, so I wrote an article about it and submitted it to the community newspaper. How thrilled I was when the story appeared on the front page! Imagine, then, how thrilled I am years later to be able to make it possible for other students to be published. I hope you enjoy seeing your words (and art) in print as much as I did. And still do. — LEAH S. DUNAIEF By BREENA HARRIgan minnesauke elementary school Grade 4
and
Lawyers
Purcell,
LLP
A. Craig Purcell ~ Anthony W. Mercep ~ Timothy B. Glynn Jacqueline A. Fink ~ Scott MacLagan ~ Martin F. Simon, of Counsel
“Congratulations On Your Creativity”
North Country Road, Post Office Box 712, Stony Brook, New York 11790 • 631.751.5757
©150058
Glynn Mercep
Series of short poems By sophia kornreich R.C. Murphy Jr. High School grade 7
There’s life in the air, April showers bring flowers, Beauty everywhere. The green, grassy lawn, Is calling me to do some, One-handed cartwheels. The temperature, Is rising without stopping, Blue pools to cool off in. Falling graceful leaves, Gray squirrels hopping around, Trying to find nuts. Leaf piles for jumping, Fall leaves are swirling around, It’s time for raking!
By hailey zoldak Minnesauke elementary school grade 6
Football
Spring
By peyton phillips minnesauke elementary school grade 4
Sound of sweet singing birds Perfect happy children on a nice day Red roses swaying with the wind Imagine the day when summer will come No more cold days Gardens getting greener Full of fun, fun, fun Umbrellas are needed be on guard No more snow
By Jack slavin minnesauke elementary school grade 4
Football is my favorite sport. I play it every day. I play it when I’m bored And when it’s a nice day. My favorite player is Sterling Shepard On the Giants. I really like football.
Luminosity
By John culloton R.C. Murphy Jr. High School grade 7
A surge of power Crashing on the frigid earth A flash of great light
By jack slavin Minnesauke elementary school grade 4
Invisibility By olivia robitsek minnesauke elementary school grade 4
I see them, but do they see me? Every time I speak to them they ignore me, As if I am invisible. When they speak to me they treat me with malice, As if they had a grudge against me. Am I there or just a figure of my imagination. One day they spoke to me with kindness and care. And then I realized that I am there. And I am me and I am not afraid to be seen. And then I realize it matters not what someone is born, But what they grow to be.
By hailey mause Minnesauke elementary school grade 1
Recipe for an echo By kyla anderson W.s. mount elementary School grade 6
Glynn Mercep
and
Lawyers
Purcell,
LLP
A. Craig Purcell ~ Anthony W. Mercep ~ Timothy B. Glynn Jacqueline A. Fink ~ Scott MacLagan ~ Martin F. Simon, of Counsel
“Congratulations On Your Creativity”
North Country Road, Post Office Box 712, Stony Brook, New York 11790 • 631.751.5757
©150058
By cassie dellaporta w.s. mount elementary School grade 6
Take a damaged soul and slice it right in half Add the magic of life and the finest of mimicry In a bowl made from hope forged in a fire of desperation Blend well with a whisk studded with shards of dreams Until the mix has evened out and can be heard very faintly Pour syrup containing both memory and confusion Put the mixture in a broken heart on the verge of giving up Bake with denial and disbelief Let the heat seep in through the cracks Allow it to cool until a distorted voice can be heard Garnish with never-ending internal strife Serve the dish when you hear a cry for help Alter the recipe as you like to suit the consumer.
Unfulfilled By karen xie R.C. Murphy junior high school grade 9
By lauren casey minnesauke elementary school kindergarten
By Emily mills minnesauke elementary school grade 4
You’re one without a story. Any topic regarding yourself, you avoid. Unlike the self-absorbed around you, spinning lies with their words, and creating pity centered communities. Watching from afar, but doing nothing. You seem not that pathetic, but alone. You’re full of riddles. Just like the over-passionate, the abandoned, and the lone wolf, born and raised. A shuffler between the cities — a traveler without a destination. “Where are you going?” Nowhere, because you don’t belong. It’s just a hit and run. You’ve been running for so long. The responsibility of knowing others is a burden on your thin shoulders. You’re saying, “It’s all tiring, rushing towards the person you belong with.” “Before I was occupied by anyone, I could not recognize anyone I’ve met.” For you, the story wouldn’t even start when you had the temperance of being. What a strange way you live, where things start and end without meaning at all. The road is long. For what it’s worth, you work alone, you walk alone. No one surrounds you, and no one will. Ups and downs among the crowds. With the sunrise and sunset, you’re freedom. It seems like you don’t live in this world. You are attached to nothing, no one. “To be frank, you’re suffering towards them, aren’t you?” The insistence of silence makes you troubled, to be continued with the speechlessness and nothing more to share. There’s nothing for you to say to respond. No conversation could make you close to anyone around you, because you’re just alone. It’s better that way. “You have to learn about me before you know how we fit together.” Maybe the growth of mentality is to repeat the tests of living; A fine line of endurance to a cold heart and all the apologies. You’ve always been apologizing, but what for? We’re talking about the strength it takes, sometimes not even mature enough to be about the insecurity, the past, and all of their pain. It’s about the people without stories, the ones who don’t belong, and the ones who go nowhere. They’re all fighting and worrying, every day, like you are. The fight against an unfulfilled life.
Land of the free By abigail mcVicker r.c. Murphy junior high school grade 7
Land of the free, Home of the brave, Red, white and blue, All is true. The U.S.A. is all, To play, with the War within us, We will protect the ones we Love and care for And the ones who we might not know, But all together We are one nation united, The land of the free, And home of the brave.
By Jordan conrad minnesauke elementary school grade 4
Haiku By Juliana Realmuto arrowhead elementary school grade 3
Cherry blossom love It will be a sight to see Come and join me now By Leah Hoefler arrowhead elementary school grade 3
Cherry blossoms fall They are so pretty to see Pick up a flower
By kiara anderson w.S. Mount elementary School grade 6
and
Lawyers
Purcell,
LLP
A. Craig Purcell ~ Anthony W. Mercep ~ Timothy B. Glynn Jacqueline A. Fink ~ Scott MacLagan ~ Martin F. Simon, of Counsel
“Congratulations On Your Creativity”
North Country Road, Post Office Box 712, Stony Brook, New York 11790 • 631.751.5757
©150058
Glynn Mercep
Unshackled By meghana karanth r.c.murphy junior high school grade 9
Chains, shackles, darkness, Is what I’m accustomed to, Like snakes, the chains coil around me getting tighter and tighter, while I cry out in agony, Like the rattle of the snake, the shackle gives my hiding spot away, Like the venom in its teeth, the darkness pierces into my soul, feeding on my sorrow, Chains shackles, darkness, Reminds me of my bondage, White, green, blue, And an array of pastel colors that an artist may have in possession, were present in my dream, White, I imagine, Must be the color of light, must have the ability to fill my soul with life, For it is the opposite of darkness, Green, I imagine, Must be the color of life and freedom, no need to hide from the cruel beast-like master, Must have the ability to grant me freedom, For it is the opposite of shackles, Blue, I imagine, Must be color of happiness, must have the ability to ease my pain, if not eradicate it, White green, blue, Dissolves into nothingness, Chains, shackles, darkness, My time is up, Like a snake my mistress slithers unnoticed at night, Like the rattle of the snake, the shackles give my hiding spot away, Like the venom in its teeth, she goes for the kill, And finishes me off, Chains, shackles, darkness, Is not present anymore, I think I can see, the white, the green and the blue, I realize that I am free
Didn’t see your submission? If your submission did not appear in Pens and Pencils, look for it in the Kids’ Times corner in an upcoming edition of the Arts and Lifestyles section of The Village Times Herald.
By melina montgomery Minnesauke elementary School grade 4
Spring By andrea mosca R.C. murphy Junior high school grade 9
Trees are budding and flowers are blossoming. I can hear the birds sing and the bees buzz. The butterflies float in the sunny sky. A warm breeze hugs the leaves on the trees. The hummingbirds hum their sweet sweet songs. The songs of all the singing birds, Create the perfect melody for this time of year. The squirrels and chipmunks are climbing the trees. The kids are out playing at the park. The cold is gone and the sun is here to stay. The smell of honeysuckle is ravishing. Bike riding, flower picking, kite flying. Daytime walks and evening strolls fill the streets. Spring is finally here
The Modern Majesty By meghana karanth R.C. Murphy Junior high School grade 9
Look at me, I’m the Modern Majesty! I live like a Czar, Most of these luxuries come from afar, I drink the finest of wine, Only the tastiest of meats I dine, What meat you ask? Ahh...procuring it is the task, Which animal can match my intelligence, enough to make me tense? Which creature dreams of riches, But most of them die in ditches? Oh goody! You have the answer! Why must you look at me as if I have cancer? How rude of you to call me demonic, Would a demon listen to opera this harmonic? My, what a mid-Victorian view-point you possess, Your thought is quite silly, I must confess, I am the hunter, and they are they huntee, so their death by me is an absolute guarantee, Come to my luxurious chateau! There is so much to show, You can sleep on the most softest of beds, And I’ll show you my collection of heads! Look at me, I’m the Modern Majesty, I live like a Czar, Most of these luxuries come from afar, I drink the finest of wine, Would you like to try the meat I dine?
By alexandria Becker minnesauke elementary school grade 4
Friends By Angelina savarese minnesauke elementary school grade 4
Fun Running Incredible Exciting Nice Daydreamers Super
and
Lawyers
Purcell,
LLP
A. Craig Purcell ~ Anthony W. Mercep ~ Timothy B. Glynn Jacqueline A. Fink ~ Scott MacLagan ~ Martin F. Simon, of Counsel
“Congratulations On Your Creativity”
North Country Road, Post Office Box 712, Stony Brook, New York 11790 • 631.751.5757
©150058
Glynn Mercep
Equals By sophia rongo r.c. murphy junior high school grade 9
As I close my eyes I see a whole country holding hands. No one spoke malevolent words or gave terrible looks. Everyone was at peace with each other. I dream of equality. I dream of a day when people are colorblind to race and don’t see just a gender or lack thereof. I dream of a day when people climb into each other’s skin, regardless of what color it is. I dream of a day when people wake, rise, And see just human beings. I pray for bridges, not walls. I pray for open minds and hearts. I pray for love in this world.
By josslyn appell minnesauke elementary school grade 4
Butterfly
By jennifer deblasilo minnesauke elementary school grade 4
Butterfly, butterfly, I only see you in the summertime. You can be red, orange, yellow, And even multiple colors. But never black and white like a mime. Goodbye butterfly.
Glynn Mercep
and
Lawyers
Didn’t see your submission? If your submission did not appear in Pens and Pencils, look for it in the Kids’ Times corner in an upcoming edition of the Arts and Lifestyles section of The Village Times Herald.
Purcell,
LLP
A. Craig Purcell ~ Anthony W. Mercep ~ Timothy B. Glynn Jacqueline A. Fink ~ Scott MacLagan ~ Martin F. Simon, of Counsel
“Congratulations On Your Creativity”
North Country Road, Post Office Box 712, Stony Brook, New York 11790 • 631.751.5757
©150058
By elliot brockman minnesauke elementary school grade 4