Special 2016 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 I saw 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. By Melody Wang W.S. Mount Elementary School Grade 5
Glynn Mercep
— LEAH S. DUNAIEF
and
Lawyers
Purcell,
LLP
A. Craig Purcell ~ Anthony W. Mercep ~ Timothy B. Glynn Jacqueline A. Fink ~ Scott MacLagan ~ Martin F. Simon, of Counsel North Country Road, Post Office Box 712, Stony Brook, New York 11790 • 631.751.5757
©148151
“Congratulations On Your Creativity”
By Emma Mannino Ward Melville High School grade 11
By Christian O’Brien Ward Melville High School grade 11
Summer is here By Danielle Pollina Nassakeag Elementary School grade 4
Warm summer days and the hot burning sun Soft cozy sand always tickling my feet Throwing a ball then catching another Dashing into the refreshing pool to cool off Riding my bike in the neighborhood Breathing in the fresh breezy air Taking another bite of my ice cream Wishing I could have summer all year
By Kelly Scalogna W.S. Mount Elementary School grade 5
Lighthouses
The tall massive building towering above you 180 steps to the top.
By Jack Zazzena Nassakeag Elementary School grade 4
Seeing out to sea from the very top.
If you’re not from New York, you don’t know the lighthouse
Wind blowing in your face. If you’re not from New York, you don’t know the lighthouse.
By Bella Ayer Ward Melville High School grade 11
Am I Rama? By Rama Lapidus P.J. Gelinas Jr. High School grade 8
My name is Rama But I do not always feel as though I am Rama Rama means mighty Rama means of high authority Rama is strong If I was a boy I would have been Ram But I don’t like that because it seems like the animal
By Catherine Betz Ward Melville High School grade 10
Ram Maybe Rama is like a ram As strong as one
I was little The way I looked at my newborn sister With bright, loving eyes
I am the strength of soil Sturdy at first look But secretly fragile I am the teeth of a roaring lion Restless and untamed
Maybe at times Rama is gentle Delicate and loving Is that me?
Am I strong? Am I worthy of my own name? I think my parents named me with expectations And now, those unspoken dreams, they follow me around
It’s strange to look inside yourself To wonder how the world sees you How can one truly analyze their own values and flaws? I am the curtain of held back words Hidden secrets
My mother told me that she remembers when
Is my voice of any worth?
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 North Country Road, Post Office Box 712, Stony Brook, New York 11790 • 631.751.5757
©148151
“Congratulations On Your Creativity”
Emotion Rainbow By Meghan Miller Nassakeag Elementary School grade 6
By Sydney Gerle W.S. Mount Elementary School Grade 3
in a name By Madeline Immerman P.J. Gelinas Jr. High School grade 8
who? and what? is to be magnificent? they say i am powerful, and they say i am enlightened what a wise little girl they say mary magdalene, cleaned and pure but mary, mary, how contrary you are for from the elevated towers, where my “wisdom” has been confined i have waited
waiting until someone may realize that magical magnificence is unreal madeline’s mandalas mandalas drawn out on the floor in a room where walls and ceilings are inspired by only the night sky mandals constructed of pebbles and satin scraps my pebbles, my stones may seem to be nothing against their bigger, stronger boulders. but they’re wrong my pebbles are powerful just like the me i am supposed to be
By Maddie Mastriano Ward Melville High School Grade 10
Most people think of red as an angry color I think of embarrassment The rosy red your face turns when you feel uneasy Orange is two faced It could be soft like a sunset Or bold like a neon glow stick Yellow is a mellow color Like the sun when it awakens from its past sleep Green is soft Like the grass of a freshly mowed lawn on a Summer day Blue is sad Like tears illuminated by dim light Indigo like lilacs in a field Swaying in a light breeze Violet like grapes At a summer picnic Oh you never know What color you Will be tomorrow
Where I’m From By Justin Martell Nassakeag Elementary School grade 6
I’m from the cutting board of my grandma’s kitchen I’m from the freshly cut grass of a damp lacrosse field I’m from a neighborhood of dark silent streets at night I’m from the majestic artwork hanging on the wall I’m from the squeaky glass floor of a basketball court I’m from Long Island New York
Night By Emily Greek Nassakeag Elementary School grade 6
Cool air Sky black like slick oil But stars light up like how flashlights lead your way So many things you can do at night Like Swimming Manhunt with your friends Camping under the glistening stars Fireflies come out to dance while They light up the night The moon comes out Bright Big White Guides the stars And if you’re lucky you can See a meteor shower And watch them fly through The oily sky All until it’s... Bright
Air By Shane Fuchs Nassakeag Elementary School grade 4
The moist air After the summer Rain Flowers and grass Are blooming Feel the wet grass on your bare feet Sliding around on the grass A rainbow shining in the sky A happy day has come After all
By Lila Dabrowski W.S. Mount Elementary School Grade 5
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 North Country Road, Post Office Box 712, Stony Brook, New York 11790 • 631.751.5757
©148151
“Congratulations On Your Creativity”
WHAT TO LIVE FOR By Fernanda Arévalo Ward Melville High School grade 11
We have only one life But at times we become lost. We get lured into living- not for ourselves But for those around us. Though we may ask what life is, It’s a question that cannot be answered. Life is what you say it is— It is not perfect. It is not glorious. We do not know how much time we will get, And we do not know what will come our way. What we do know is that we are here. Because we live not for the future But for this moment in time. Tomorrow is not guaranteed So live today: For beauty. For love. For life.
AWAY By Andi Sauer Ward Melville High School grade 10
Heavy shoes tread Leaves don’t crinkle and pop Mind ambles hopelessly to realms that life forgot. Shoved in shadows, cobweb blankets cover ever-bleaker grin under dust on wooden shelves where life tossed her only one. In empty air, in empty space fantasy seems gruesome Kissing days, and laughing nights Spaghetti mouth, and butterfly eyes in the warm hug of a fire, ‘til the ashes turned to dust and blew away.
By Joseph Spaccarelli Ward Melville High School Grade 10
Soccer Goal By Paul Tommolino Nassakeag Elementary School grade 6
I place the ball on the hill I back up Ready I lift my arm the goalie’s eyes burn holes in my head
I’m ready; I jog Slowly Walk Now Run Shot I rocket The ball To the top post Curve Just under the crossbar GOAL
I AM NOT MY iPHONE By Allison Dana Ward Melville High School grade 11
By Steven Zhao Ward Melville High School Grade 12
SUMMER LIGHT SHINES ANEW
How thee danced and ran free from thyself Growth of spirit and of soul and of love. Secrets of life now kept within myself Forever remembered in heavens above
By Yoav Jacob Ward Melville High School grade 12
The cold approaches and days shrink to none Only thoughts keep the warmth of summer days How hard it is to resist the sun I am left lost deep within my mental haze
Memories of sun and moon in my mind All across the land we trekked and sang. Now each moment of time is so unkind, We wait to return like a boomerang
Look now, a light, it fills my horizon Perhaps this life has only yet begun.
Glynn Mercep
and
Lawyers
I am not my iPhone. People of older times seem to fear that since I use technology, I will become technologyfaceless, steely, limited only in areas of feeling, caring. I am in each careful message of comfort or derision typed deftly on fingers that fly against their home. I sympathize with characters that I watch on a tiny screen that mimics my world, but greater. I improve my knowledge, researching facts so unnecessary that I wouldn’t be bothered to learn them unless the information was right there to be found just beyond a few taps with relaxed thumbs. Did you know that the Pacific is 35,797 feet deep? I couldn’t exactly have gone and found that out for myself (I don’t have that many feet — do you?) but I could find it in my phone that extends the nature I can’t find outside to wherever I need it to be. There are fears that are spewed out like insults, of a time led by technology instead of experience. I ask the fearful to remember that I am not my iPhone and that even if I was, why would that be so bad?
Purcell,
LLP
A. Craig Purcell ~ Anthony W. Mercep ~ Timothy B. Glynn Jacqueline A. Fink ~ Scott MacLagan ~ Martin F. Simon, of Counsel North Country Road, Post Office Box 712, Stony Brook, New York 11790 • 631.751.5757
©148151
“Congratulations On Your Creativity”
Lego Friends By Trinity Vega W.S. Mount Elementary School grade 2
On a warm sunny day in Stony Brook, Trinity was at the barn. They were getting ready for a horse competition. All of Trinity’s friends came to visit her at the barn. Trinity was feeling sick and had a fever. She knew she was not feeling good enough to enter the competition. A person came along and asked if they could enter the competition for Trinity. Trinity said sure. She knew this person had horses. She was happy someone cared about her and wanted to help her. The competition went on. The person won a trophy for Trinity. It was a good day at the barn.
By Julia Coletti Ward Melville High School Grade 11
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 William Yao W.S. Mount Elementary School Grade 5
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 North Country Road, Post Office Box 712, Stony Brook, New York 11790 • 631.751.5757
©148151
“Congratulations On Your Creativity”