Cambia 2019 by The Cabin, a center for readers & writers

CAMBIA WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS 2019

CAMBIA

cambium \kam-bē-əm\ noun plural cambia, \-bē-ə\ The live, actively growing, layer of a tree. The cambium is one cell thick. It repeatedly divides itself to form new wood and causes the tree to grow and expand.

This is a Log Cabin Book, an imprint of THE CABIN 801 South Capitol Boulevard, Boise, Idaho 83702 (208) 331-8000 www.thecabinidaho.org (c) 2019 The Cabin All rights reserved. Book design by Jocelyn Robertson Printed and bound in the USA in an edition of 250 copies.

WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS AND PUBLICATION OF CAMBIA ARE MADE POSSIBLE BY GENEROUS SUPPORT FROM: Bank of the Cascades Boise Cascade, LLC First Interstate Bank Harvest Foundation Idaho Commission on the Arts Idaho Community Foundation Idaho Power J. R. Simplot Foundation Laura Moore Cunningham Foundation Mary Bradof Foundation Wells Fargo Foundation The Whittenberger Foundation

WE EXTEND SINCERE THANKS TO THE FACULTY AND ADMINISTRATION OF: Ada County Juvenile Court Services Frank Church High School Foothills School of Arts and Sciences Hawthorne Elementary School Hillsdale Elementary School Marian Pritchett High School Roosevelt Elementary School Rose Hill Montessori School Seven Oaks Elementary School Southwest Idaho Juvenile Detention Center White Pine Elementary School

CONTENTS Introduction • 1 WHITE PINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL • 5 HAWTHORNE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL • 11 HILLSDALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL • 21 ROSE HILL MONTESSORI SCHOOL • 29 ROOSEVELT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL • 33 FOOTHILLS SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES • 43 SEVEN OAKS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL • 89 MARIAN PRITCHETT HIGH SCHOOL • 125 FRANK CHURCH HIGH SCHOOL • 131 ADA COUNTY JUVENILE COURT SERVICES • 137 SOUTHWEST IDAHO JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER • 151 Teaching-Writer Biographies • 157 About the Cabin • 161 Index • 163

INTRODUCTION What an astonishing thing a book is. It’s a lat object made from a tree with lexible parts on which are imprinted lots of funny dark squiggles. But one glance at it and you’re inside the mind of another person, maybe somebody dead for thousands of years. Across the millennia, an author is speaking clearly and silently inside your head, directly to you. Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people who never knew each other, citizens of distant epochs. Books break the shackles of time. A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic. – Carl Sagan, Cosmos, Part 11: The Persistence of Memory (1980)

This quote reminds me of the power of the long conversation between writers and readers, and I found myself thinking about that dynamic again and again as I laid out this anthology. This book represents a lot of hard work, creative thinking, and magic making. During the 2018-2019 school year, The Cabin’s Writers in the Schools program engaged 700 students across 23 classrooms in 11 diferent schools to commit to a writing practice, ultimately culminating in over 372 hours spent focusing and celebrating the art of creative writing. This writing took many forms—poetry, iction, noniction, graphic novel, one act plays, and even brand-new genres imagined into existence during those hours spent building new worlds, identities, and connections. The ‘lat object’ you now hold is a testament to those students’ hard work and dedication to writing. A huge thanks to our donors, teaching-writers, classroom teachers, school administrators, and parents who made forging these new connections possible. Especially, thank you to our young writers. Thank you for writing down what you discovered in your practice and sharing it with us on these pages. As Carl Sagan wrote, in your creation you have bound yourselves to people you have never met, connecting you with 1

citizens of distant epochs. To honor this connection, I challenge you to open this book, and not only read your own piece, but the stories and poetry printed before and ater your own. See how these other pieces speak clearly and silently inside your head. Relish in the knowledge that you are now part of a larger community. Then, sit down at your computer, or grab a pen and a paper, and return to working magic. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Megan Ramey, Program Manager

CAMBIA WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS 2019

WHITE PINE Teaching- Writer Cassie Angley

WATER FOR LEMONADE

Paisley White Pine Elementary School When I had no food, Snow was my meal When I had no water, Sweet lemonade was my drink When I had no trees, Imagination was my air When I had no sleep Books were my sleep And words were my bed When I had no books I used my mouth to tell stories When I had no love, My heart was my life helping care When I had no friends Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d never know what to do

MY HEART

Conan White Pine Elementary School My heart is colorful and bursting though once dark and stormy. My heart is like a voice, Laughing so hard I can feel it My heart knows The taste of chocolate frosting Melting on my tongue. My heart feels sot And velvety like a comfortable sweater. My heart is colorful joyful, and kind.

MY NAME

Katelyn White Pine Elementary School My name is as ierce as a cat But as timid as a small mouse nibbling cheese My name is a sweet creamy cupcake, Sot on the inside My name is the sweet blue of the sky, Like clouds so lufy My name is the ballerina Dancing beautifully in the Nutcracker Dance My name is the song Sung to you every night With the hoots of owls and the howls of wolves My name is a picture like every sunset. 8

IF I HAD NOTHING

Charlotte White Pine Elementary School If I had no food, raindrops were my dinner. If I had no water, I drank the sky. If I had no shelter, trees were my home. If I had no sleep, comfort was my mattress. If I had no books, my thoughts were my words. If I had no happiness, chocolate made my sunny day. If I had no love, the universe was my heart. If I had no care, rainbows were my comfort. If I had no family, animals had fun with me. If I had no friends, a bed was my helper.

LOVE MY HEART

Juliet White Pine Elementary School My heart is the warm sadness of tears As they trickle down your cheek The laughter of a joke Used many times before But still joyful. My heart is like the warm fuzzy foamy carpet under your toes As you creep through the halls. But my heart can be the kick of the ball That sends it soaring. My heart is the light that shines In you room and wakes you up in the morning, My heart is that prickly feeling When your foot goes to sleep.

HAWTHORNE Teaching-Writer Emily Pittinos

CLOCK FOR SALE

Olivia Hawthorne Elementary School Hey, sir! Do you want a clock? I’ll make this quick, I’ll be sure! Keep track of time, without a leash, or time yourself eating a quiche. This clock is mine, but it could be yours for just a few dollars, maybe from your chores. This ol’ clock is simply yours! No contracts, just take it, give me the money, then shake it! Oh no -- is it broken? I’ll take it right back, I’ll write down what broke to keep on track, and yell at someone passing my shack. Do you want this clock? It has a discount, doc! For just one dollar, it’s yours, but if it breaks, sigh... Just holler! I’ll be here for sure! I will ix the spring or what broke, but please, oh please! Take this rusty old thing!

PATIENCE

Adrienne Hawthorne Elementary School Winter...a cold and solitary place. Petunia is forced to stay here for what will feel like years in wait for spring. Like a hamster running on a wheel, spring won’t arrive. She will never reach her destination. Alone in a blanket of snow, forever lost in the piercing silence. Listening to her own heartbeat, waiting for the spring dew.

TAFFY

Dani Hawthorne Elementary School Sitting in this room is scary. Mostly because, well, my room is... IN A ROOM. The furless things call me Tafy, but I call myself Karma. I like that name. All of the furless are so big compared to me. They also call my owner “Mrs. Randall.” I like to chew on my toys, and Mrs. Randall doesn’t care. I chew on them because they help with anxiety, and they taste good. Why would I NOT eat them? My favorite has short brown hair, freckles on her face, and she’s nice. I also like her name. She basically has a twin, so I get confused a lot. Her name is Melanie, and her “twin” is named Dani. I love Melanie! When her “twin” takes me to her home, I live on top of three rats. The rats live in a big cage. Once, the big creatures tried to eat me when the furless weren’t home. It was REALLY scary. But I don’t live in the room anymore. I miss everyone. 14

WHAT TO WRITE?

Andrew Hawthorne Elementary School I want my body to be comprised of origami, my family to be mushrooms in piles of bones. The visage of a unicorn and a Nintendo Entertainment System mixed. In the background, the Millennium Falcon with the hull littered with cannons. Cheese-drenched garlic potatoes play Fortnite on a snake-worm dabbing. The efect of dark green skies summons golden water bottles as remembrance of grade school. A mess of rainbows toots a tune. A crane is shot down by pandas of paper brandishing spears and spikeballs. Sign the name upon pure chaos.

BUTTERFLY WINGS

Sahasra Hawthorne Elementary School A butterly hovers in the air with a frown. She looks back at her friends lying together, minding their own business. She lands on a bluebell with a sigh of sad. Her wings skid to a stop on the sot and thin petals. That butterly hops from lower to lower with nobody to give company. Everyone doesn’t think highly of the lonely butterly that much. Watching all the other butterlies go in a big rainbow blob, the butterly wishes to be with them. “If only I could be with them.” She just wants to be in that big blob. Don’t you?

THE DUSTY CAVERN

Jiawei Hawthorne Elementary School driving on a dirt road in Idaho City with an end that I cannot see when we get there I hop out of my car the sun so bright that it hurts my scar so I run to the ladder with my little brother and father I climb down the ladder like I’m going to fall how dusty is that spray-painted wall we go on and on into the cave the outer layer of the grotto is concave when we get to the end we go back to my friend

EDDIE CANNON

Eddie Hawthorne Elementary School Eddie Cannon! Ready to ight the champion! Fire at your friends! Then you will have some friendship bends! Be Satan! Be a devil! Don’t change your name to Nevil ‘Cause yo’ not Civil! Go to your friend Asuna and show her who’s boss-una! Get trapped in a game! Have lots of FAME! The cannon goes *BOOM* BLOW UP A ROOM! CAUSE DOOM!!! (for only $666) (You can assume that something will go wrong!*) Play ping-pong with a cannon ball, just call 666-666-6666 (*may cause death and/or missing limbs) 16

PORTRAIT

Meadow Hawthorne Elementary School People in splits that I could never do, on top of a block of pixels written on by numbers and signs. Tornadoes swirling, trying to ind a purpose, luing pillows. Shoes with tap and bullet soles squishing into the paint that hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t quite dried. Socks, wet, being fanned by a notebook with all of my writing since Kindergarten. A pencil dancing with a date, that terrible yellow mechanical, mimicking its love. Electric guitar strings being plucked and thrown. Random song lyrics that you know but indeed donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what they came from. Glasses loating on top of a red afro. Wow, my mind is weird. Elmo crawling out, scaring me even more than he already did. Headphones making musical notes magically loat into the air. That hat, though you never understood why you liked it so much. The yellow Volkswagen Beetle that your mom and dad both hated, but you loved so. These are the ways to imagine me. They hint at what you are going to do.

LOST MEMORY

Scarlet Hawthorne Elementary School a fallen star from the moonlit night tapped against my window so light it is diicult to fall asleep i climb out of bed, embed my bare feet into my sot shoes, and head outside

in my pink nightgown a summer night breeze rules my hair, and i pull my coat tighter around myself. i extend my pale hand under the white sun 18

delicately picking it up as if it was a butterly wing a strong smell, like my grandmaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s laming candle a spice lower with seeds waiting waiting to emerge into the mysterious world if it could, waiting to hatch, my body would fall out of my skin, and run fast, like a wild horse-inally free

THE OCEAN

Carter Hawthorne Elementary School Blue liquid lowing around the ocean. Placid and lovely yet in constant motion. Little ish swimming along in the water, weather can’t afect them because of endless cover. But these little ish, they’re really so great. How could a shark seal their fate? Life is rough when you’re the prey, so there’s only one option, just runaway. But as you can imagine, this isn’t so easy, with sharks on the prowl you’ll need to be sneaky. So even as they go on in their journey, the only place where they can live is next to a ireplace. As their expedition comes to a close, their life resumes with no more woes.

HILLSDALE Teaching-Writer Heidi Kraay

NOTHING

Coco Cream Hillsdale Elementary As the girl sat there, her form began to change. She felt herself shrink, it seemed. It was diferent. She wasn’t tall with red hair anymore. She wasn’t a person with a freckly face and blue eyes, but rather nothing. She wasn’t anything. She had no form, no mass, no detail. She wasn’t a mist, nor an undiscovered species. Not even the smallest speck of dust. She had no weight, no size, no limitations. She wasn’t seen, heard, felt, smelled, or tasted. She wasn’t anything, but she was everything. She could do anything she pleased, but it would make no diference. She could create worlds beyond the imagination. But no one would know. No one would notice. No one would acknowledge the absence of a single girl. She dreamed of becoming something else, anything except the unimportant nothing she was. So she changed. First, something small. Crack! Fizzle! Pop! Little sounds began to resonate from the girl’s translucent form. She started to take the shape of something queer. Something odd. Something diferent. She could be seen, but could not be felt alone. She was useless without another form. She was a color. Not a dark, evil black, and not a bright, jubilant red, but a sot, content yellow. She was a child’s banana peel, a father’s bright sunrise as he drives to work, a young mother’s jar of honey as she spreads it on bread for school lunches. An infant’s comforting blanket, the gentle shade of yellow pastel.

A SLOTH LIKE ME Quirk Humor Hillsdale Elementary

I feel my frustration, my boiling frustration, I want to speed up but I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t as the sloth, I am slow See the mountains, the trees, unable to move A dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s journey up a tree much too long for a sloth like me feel the bark beneath my hands, moving slow, feeling much too hot for a sloth like me Slowly crawling, laying down Munching fruit, a banana, an orange, much too slow for a sloth like me I feel my small head thinking of what I used to do, stuf too hard for a sloth like me Reading books, Swimming, Dancing, Playing games, All now in my dear sloth dreams Parties, school, 24

friendship, a boiling hot friendship Family hugs, messy tables, all too much for a sloth like me I wish I were there, in somewhere called Jade, where I could do as I pleased Climb trees, I could RUN!!!

DEAR PEARL WHITEâ&#x20AC;Ś Kookie Bear Hillsdale Elementary

Dear Pearl White, Oh how you smell like the ocean. How you look like a precious gem. How you wave at the sun. You feel like a bed ater running the Olympics. You taste like fudge when it melts in your mouth. You sound like a bell in the distance. Oh how I love you Pearl White. You are as colorful as the Northern Lights. Compared to black, you are gold. I know you are only one color, but to me, you are all.

MR. PIG COMES TO TOWN: THE PORCINE BUSINESSMAN FROM EXUMA The Emperor Hillsdale Elementary

It was a perfectly normal day in Meridian, Idaho. People were at work and school. Some were even going through fast food drive thrus to get an unhealthy lunch. Everybody was startled when they heard a horn blast twice and saw white smoke ill the sky. Was there a ire? One man, Isaiah, wondered if the smoke was from the new plastic factory. Approaching the railroad track, Isaiah clearly saw the new factory, but it was obscured by a train, a passenger steam train. A passenger train hadn’t passed by in years, let alone a steam train. Isaiah cautiously opened the metal door of the nicest train car. As he slightly opened it, the door came slamming open. Two it looking pigs with dark sunglasses came out and stood on two legs in a guard position. Then he came out, a large pig with a top hat and suit on. He walked very proudly down the black, steel steps of the green train car. Isaiah stepped back nervously. “Who is this pig?” he thought, “Why does he have secret swine service next to him?” “Good day, ine sir, I’m a businessman from Pig Beach, Exuma,” Mr. Pig said. Isaiah, who had never seen a talking pig before, stepped back nervously. “Who is in charge of the town?” Mr. Pig asked in a somewhat British accent. “Ummm,” Isaiah stuttered, “The mayor!” “Yes, but who is this mayor?” the swine continued. “Well, I’ll take you there, but why do you want to go?” “To buy the town,” Mr. Pig said proudly. Isaiah drove with the pig in his passenger’s seat to the town hall. There, Mr. Pig slammed the mayor’s door open. “I’d like to buy the town, starting ofer 500 billion.” Shocked, the mayor said, “Why is there a talking pig who wants to buy Meridian?” “I have traveled a long way,” Mr. Pig explained, “searching the towns of America, and this one is perfect.” “Well,” the mayor said, “if you’re that wealthy, then maybe you could buy a company.” 26

“Which one is the largest?” “Amazon!” Isaiah and the mayor both yelled. “Take me back to my train. I’m going to travel to Amazon…where is that?” “Washington,” Isaiah said calmly. Ater the short drive, Isaiah, watched as Mr. Pig looked out the train window and yelled, “I’ll be back,” just as the big black locomotive steamed of.

THE START OF THE END OF THE UNIVERSE Eternal Darkness Hillsdale Elementary

I am a black hole annihilating galaxy by galaxy. Some of them have smaller black holes in them but I swallow them as if they’re nothing. I’ve almost eaten half of the universe, and I’ve just started eating another galaxy. This one has a nice little sun that I can’t wait to eat up. Suns are like dessert for me. I’ve eaten 5,000,000 galaxies and this particular one looks delicious. The sun is in a solar system that has something I’ve never seen on a terrestrial planet. Life, tons of species, of creatures, including very interesting civilized creatures that call themselves humans. And I would assume a planet with life is delicious. Even more delicious than a sun. But out of 5,000,000 galaxies I’ve never seen a planet with life on it. So for the irst time in my 7,000,000,000,000-year life, I get to eat the ultimate dessert called Earth! Once I inally make it to the planet, they start using particle colliders to try to break apart each and every particle in me. So I go out of their range to make a plan, so I don’t die because I’ve made it too far and I’m too powerful to die. They can’t just kill me because I’m The End. I inish planning out complete particle annihilation to the planet. This is why this universe is so delicious: it’s all of the particle colliders. Even better than anything I’ve ever eaten. And plus it would take them years to destroy me anyway, but I still haven’t even eaten it. But I can’t wait to. Now it’s time to eat so I slowly suck the planet in. I immediately love the taste. Like the plants tasting like a colorful salad, the lava from the volcanoes tasting like hot chocolate, and all of the particle colliders tasting like pure dessert, even 10,000,000,00 27

0,000,000,000,000,000 times better than a sun. I have no idea what number that is. And the humans tasting like fresh steak. When I inish eating, I see an even bigger, juicier galaxy heading toward me and I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help but smile.

ROSE HILL Teaching-Writer Elizabeth Lester Barnes

FORTNITE

Colter Rose Hill Montessori School My sot green jacket moving in the wind. The sweat on my hand. The pursuer crushing me into the sot green grass. The sound of my laugh long forgotten. The joy taken out of me, like a lower having no water. The fall of an endless abyss. All I could do was watch. I closed my eyes and jumped.

METAL TO RUST, RUST TO DUST. Daniel Rose Hill Montessori School

I once had a mainland of peace and serenity but slowly it crumbled. Metal to rust, rust to dust. Until I only had a sea of chaos and lost memories that was threatened Overwhelmed. Flooded. Slowly it was corrupted. Piece by piece. Slowly washing away memories Slowly forgetting Slowly dying So close to almost touch, Metal to rust, rust to dust. An ocean away.

ANXIOUS

Justice Rose Hill Montessori School She looked at the clock. Three hours and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll all be over with. Time moved too fast. Her forehead was beaded with sweat. Her legs felt like jelly. It seemed like she forgot what normal felt like. It came in waves, nauseating, anxious waves. Two hours. She drew a shaky breath. She knew she had to climb back into reality bust she just wanted to curl up on a couch. She felt like a tin roof during a rainstorm was living in her heart. One hour let. She willed time to stop, not wanting to face what was ahead of her.

REMEMBER

Jackson Rose Hill Montessori School Remember your irst sunset, the light and colors trickling down the distant snowcapped mountains Remember that in the darkest times the joy will return. Remember your birth as you climb the cold marble stairway of your age. Remember the birdsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; sweet song of the morning, The beautiful lullaby rushing through your ears. Remember always Remember forever Remember.

SWAMP

Reid Rose Hill Montessori School Heartbreak is loss Hot pink to obsidian. Colors fade away Bright idea Disappearing Becoming Swamp

ROOSEVELT Teaching-Writer Laura Roghaar

THE BEAUTIFUL PINE TREE Mia Roosevelt Elementary School

Did you see it, swaying in the wind? Did you see it in the morning or even at dawn? Swaying as I’m waiting. Feel like it’s my best friend. As I’m laying under the tree I’m rubbing my hands up and down the jagged bark, thinking that I can hear its silent whispers. When I Smell a scent of a beautiful pine I am in a dream, loating up to the light lufy clouds and getting my own

THE BEAUTIFUL

Leah Roosevelt Elementary School Did you see it, the beautiful tree with such green Leaves the green tree as hard as a rock but as sot as Snow. Green tree did not lee but did fear the wind as it blew. Did you hear the wind as it beat the tree and how the rain rushed down the tree. The tree in the late winter already held the small buds. The buds so small and cute. When the spring hit the little buds opened up to be beautiful lowers. The strong tree survives all seasons even the cold winter barely alive but still lives the beautiful green tree.

NEEDLES

Sam Roosevelt Elementary School Did you see….The rocks stand still, nothing budged. Everything lay still as a stone. Except for the pines, the green spears of the forest. Hanging from the beautiful, scratched, brown, and orange tree trunk. The wind sways the needles back and forth. The tree trunk turns sticky as glue as the Yellow sap runs, and spurts, and drains Down the tree trunk. The rose petals And the lilies, and the Rocks, and the beautiful Majestic mountains Covered in green grass, Lay still as a dead mouse. As a jay lutters into sight, A little dark green needle lay aside it. The jay doesn’t move, it simply waits until more needles drop. But why does the jay just wait? The jay stayed still for almost half the long sunny Day. Until there were more than two dozen needles on the ground. Then the jay hops around, jump by jump, needle by needle, he picks up one just one needle, and he WAITS

MORNING BIRDS

Braleigh Roosevelt Elementary School It is morning no one is up The sun is coming up the birds are singing The trees are green The grass is nice and green it sounds like wild animals Like the lion king but the animals don’t talk People wish animals talk, me too It is snowing and people are building snowmen People are buying chocolate and cofee People are walking home from school and work there’s a lot of kids playing outside It is nice and snowy the snow is white People are drinking hot chocolate and having cookies Some people are inside having a hot chocolate beside a ire pit

THE MOUNTAIN GOAT

Sammy Roosevelt Elementary School Did you see it, rising its horns up into the big blue sky? Did you see it, running through the grass? Blending itself in with the all-dry grass? Waiting for its baby in a little pond to jump in too. Did you hear it as it ran through the grass with its mighty hooves? Did you see it, upon the mountain rising up through the strong wind ?

CANADA

Remmi Roosevelt Elementary School The milkweed blew in the wind the clouds moved slowly. The white fox led it’s younglings across the ield. The sun shined like a diamond, blinding the poor grasshopper. In Canada the moose run wild. The maple wood Standing tall and strong. The black bird’s beautiful nest in the maple wood grove. The ish jump as the isherman try to catch them. You can tell the isherman are anxious to catch them. Earth couldn’t even capture this perfect moment. Not even the water lilies could even capture it. I couldn’t even capture it with my camera.

IMAGINE

Lucy Roosevelt Elementary School Puins, Turtles, the sea Are you listening? Jellyish emerge from water resemblance of a metallic sword. The geometry of the gulf is electric like a lower deep, deep, in the ocean as it loats up wandering scientist

around

like a

trying to look at the bubbles in a formula that is taking a voyage around the bowl moving up not down from you almost as if it is afraid. from

You try to catch it, but it runs

A red winged bird swoops down like a captured bird Narnia being freed.

THE MISSING UTENSIL

Sabrina Roosevelt Elementary School The ridges are like the teeth of a lion. A net catching ish. Rapid waters leading out onto the calm river. Tastes like an ordinary plastic cup you may ind in your home. Clanging together they sound like a sword ight in the middle ages. The mix of two things trying to it in like a unicorn in a ield of horses. They all describe the mysterious….. spork.

THE FALLEN LEAF

Ronen Roosevelt Elementary School Did you see it? On the ground, all tattered up? It is beautiful in its own way. It has veins as brown as sticky mud. It feels as wrinkly as a grandmother. It is as sweet as chocolate syrup on pancakes. It is as solid as a diamond, yet fragile like a red lower petal. It smells like rained on grass. It sounds scratchy like chalk going across a chalkboard. It falls down with grace from a titan of wood laying on the ground, and cold clouds fall over covering it. Time passes and the clouds of cold melt away and a beauty emerges. Now do you understand how it was beautiful its own way? And now have you learned you can be beautiful in your own way.

GARDEN

Gabriela Roosevelt Elementary School Did you see her? The Garden of Wonders dead in almost every way? The beautiful trees, stripped of their leaves, The lowers, of their petals. Rocks littered the ground, Covering the once, Lush, sot, green grass. But although ugly animals Live there, they are kind, helpful But lost in their minds. The smell of sparkling, Bright lowers. Water streams through crystalline pebbles, Creating a shimmering Blue river. The creek now lies Empty, stones long since Faded to pearly black. The jagged edges could cut Through frozen butter like A hot knife. Everything is gone. The birds have departed, Scared away by the beast, A creature ugly and diferent. But inside, the same. Did you see how the leaves Crackled under my feet? How every plant was Turned to brown and grey 41

Ater the keepers let? Did you ever see her in Her glory? Green grass, Full trees, and blooming Flowers? The Garden of Wonders, Ripped apart by the hairless Fiends? And have you yet found The secret? The one that Applies to all beings? Beauty lies within, even In the darkest monster.

FOOTHILLS Teaching-Writers Guisela Penados Baldizรณn, Catherine Kyle, Tracy Sunderland

SILENCE

Cooper Foothills School of Arts and Sciences Silence Looks like a black sea Feels like a cage Sounds like bip, bip, bip Smells like dinosaur’s bones Tastes like salt and pepper Silence

THE SOUND OF THE WAVES

Devon Foothills School of Arts and Sciences When I hear waves I feel free I feel my body is loating I feel like my body is loating in the water I feel the cool air blowing on me, a gentle breeze I close my eyes and dream I’m under the water kingdom And I am a mermaid swimming to the deepest depth of the ocean Nothing is around me I open my eyes and feel calm I walk home

AS YOU TALK

Gus Foothills School of Arts and Sciences As you talk I travel to a beach Whales singing their song As dolphins are jumping with joy I was daydreaming The same dream over again Then I went to my house And found my dad’s dad was there 45

REST

Ash Foothills School of Arts and Sciences When I am full of silence I feel it’s bedtime but it is day I feel like it’s time to rest But is a time to play When I am full of silence I don’t want to scream or shout I sit or lay there With dreamy thoughts that I hear It’s no doubt that silence Is good day or night When I am full of silence I feel like nothing is wrong

ONLY SILENCE AND ME

Ali Foothills School of Arts and Sciences As we lay on the grass outside The trees around us The lowers, leaves Half green, half orange Or red or yellow It is my happy place Silence is awesome

RUNNING LIKE A WOLF

Harper Foothills School of Arts and Sciences The breeze passing by Whistling through the night The smile on my face The memory that was made

THE FALLING TREE

Grace Foothills School of Arts and Sciences I am a tree A tree in the woods A very old tree Falling down I am a tree I tree in the woods A very old tree Down on the ground

ALMOST OVER

Indy Foothills School of Arts and Sciences Almost over, death beware Almost over, pure despair Don’t be late It will seal your fate Almost over, almost over Don’t be weary, don’t be late Almost over, almost over

AFTER A LONG DAY

Bridget Foothills School of Arts and Sciences Ater a long day, I open the door I have nothing but dismay I’m cold, I feel bare I still have a pencil stuck in my hair I walk to my room I trip over of broom right when I think I’m going to fall What happened? My mom brings me fresh scones And makes better of all 47

BROKEN

Sam Foothills School of Arts and Sciences 48

CAROUSEL

Lilly Foothills School of Arts and Sciences

THE SECOND CHANCE

Tobias Foothills School of Arts and Sciences

IMAGINE

Violet Foothills School of Arts and Sciences

DREAM

Dylan Foothills School of Arts and Sciences

THE PRANK

Evan Foothills School of Arts and Sciences It was a Saturday a few summers ago. My brother and I got some clear plastic wrap. We decided to prank our dad. My mom was out of town and we knew our dad would laugh. So, we decided to put plastic wrap on the doorway to his room so when he went in, he would trip and fall. “My friend is coming over but wait until dad leaves and Elliott is here” I told my brother. “Fine,” said Thomas. So, we waited until he came to do the prank. When Elliott came, I asked, “Elliot, do you want to prank my dad? I asked. “Sure,” said Elliott. When my dad let, we prepared the prank. I unwrapped the plastic to make it long so my dad wouldn’t see it and trip. We were watching a movie when our dad got home. We just waited and then we heard a crash. We felt the room shake. We felt excited. We also felt happy because our trap worked. And then we heard my dad laughing. We went to see him. He was on the ground with the plastic on his legs. “Who put this here?” My dad said. “All of us.” Said Thomas. “I can’t believe you actually fell for it.” I said. Then we started laughing.

FIELD TRIP

Alina Foothills School of Arts and Sciences The play thus far….A group of students plot to make sure they are the ones chosen to go on a mysterious school ield trip…. Scene Three The Teacher sits at her desk doing work. The door opens and kids scramble to sit down. Mackenzie drops a piece of paper into the hat as she passes, the teacher doesn’t notice. TEACHER: You are all very early today. The kids sit in silence. TEACHER: Well I guess it’s time to pull names then. She grabs the hat from her desk and shakes it. She reaches in and pulls out a name. TEACHER: Thomas! Thomas and Riley high ive. The girls look at each other, worried. Kids start to talks. Teacher reaches hand into hat again and everything goes dead silent. TEACHER: Izzy! Kids clap for Izzy. Mackenzie sits glaring. The teacher reaches into the hat for the third time. TEACHER: Alice! Kids clap again for Alice. Mackenzie crosses her arms and mumbles to herself, she’s angry. The teacher reaches into the hat. TEACHER: Riley! Mackenzie keeps getting angrier. Kids clap. TEACHER: Ok and inally, the last space in the car… Mackenzie! Mackenzie brightens, stands and bows. Kids clap. MAY: WAIT! May stands. Clapping stops.

TEACHER: (annoyed) What is it, May? MAY: She cheated! Mackenzie cheated. TEACHER: How could she possibly cheat she had just as much of a chance as everyone. MAY: No she didn’t, because she put another piece of paper with her name on it in that hat. She’s been talking about doing it since Tuesday. I saw her put it in right before we sat down today, so I know she wasn’t lying. I promise, I tried to tell her not to, but she just wouldn’t listen, so I told her that I would have to tell if she did it. So I am. I am telling you that Mackenzie cheated. So I thinkMACKENZIE: Miss, she is lying, I never put my name in that hat. The idea never even crossed my mind. I’m surprised May thought of it, though. MAY: I swear I’m not lying, I saw her put the piece of paper in earlier! MACKENZIE: (to May) You’re just jealous that you don’t get to go on the trip. (to the teacher) I think if you looked through the hat you would ind May’s name twice. It’s just a hunch, but it’s not unlikely ater all these accusations she’s made. THOMAS: Yea, I think you should check the extra names. ALICE: Yea, you should. She probably tried to cheat. Kids start to repeat these lines encouraging teacher to look the through the hat. TEACHER: OK, I’ll look through the hat if you just all calm down for a second. Teacher starts to pull out extra names. The class is silent. She reads through the names then beckons for May to follow her. Blackout. Scene Four The ive kids (Thomas, Riley, Alice, Izzy, and Mackenzie) sit center stage on a bench. Some sort of car is stage let. The Teacher walks onstage in a jungle explorer outit. The kids watch, embarrassed, as she walks slowly across the stage. THOMAS: (bored) Maybe we are going to the jungle. MACKENZIE: I hope not. ALICE: Wait, she never told us where we were going last Friday. THOMAS: I guess with all the craziness last week she forgot. MACKENZIE: May deserved it. The Teacher reaches the car. 56

TEACHER: Come on kids, get up, Albertsons is waiting. The kids don’t move. ALICE: Wait, did she just say Albertsons? THOMAS: Like the grocery store? TEACHER: Guys, stop being lazy. The watermelons can’t wait another minute. The kids look at each other. ALL: Oh no…. Blackout

7:37

Frannie Foothills School of Arts and Sciences Scene One Woman in a red coat enters. Her coat matches her lips and heels. Her hair has been paid close attention to, and she walks conidently. She walks to the homeless man on street corner. Next to him is a second place to sit. From the pocket of her coat, she puts a $1 bill in his small paper cup, in a way that suggests habit. There’s a cofee cup in her hand, she takes small sips throughout scene. She sits down on the second seat and pulls out a black notebook, opening it with one hand, the notebook propped against her leg. PENELOPE: I found the problem. The second line. It wasn’t raw enough. And it was too long: ‘you extract pleasure from the limbs of aching souls’. Man smiles and lets his head rest against telephone box. MAN: Much better. But now the third one doesn’t work. Keep trying. Have you inished the book? PENELOPE: Wuthering Heights? No, not yet. But I’m close. 20 pages. It’ll be done tonight. Man nods, a slight smile playing across his lips, suppressing a laugh. PENELOPE: Oh stop that! I promise I’ll inish! MAN: You tell me that every morning. PENELOPE: You’re right. I probably won’t. But have you been 57

to the museum yet? There’s a new exhibit. I know you’d like it. MAN: Of course I’ve been. I have all day you know. He says this lightly--homelessness doesn’t bother him. PENELOPE: Right. So what did you think? I love the way he expressed resistance through the hands of his subjects. It was so poetic. MAN: Yes, yes, it was very poetic. Hands. Expression. Resistance. He sees her glance at her watch, and his face sags, but she doesn’t notice. He’s smiling again when she looks up. PENELOPE: Yeah. It’s 7:37. See you tomorrow? MAN: Of course. Penelope exits scene. MAN: She reminds me of cherry pie. The redness of her coat and her lips are like fresh cherries--so fresh they still have drops of morning dew and smell like sunshine. She walks tall, and when she talks it tastes like butter. Every morning I get to keep some lakes of her intelligence and energy. She’s beautiful, but that’s not why I’m drawn to her. She’s far too young. It’s the way she laughs. Her perspective. To her, I’m not scum. Lazy. Incompetent. To her, I’m a friend. Picks up his coat, and stands up, slowly and carefully. His back hurts. MAN: I need to go to the museum! Man exits scene. Scene Two Lighting signiies change in time. Tree changes seasons. Penelope looking older, sadder. The Man’s stuf is gone--It looks like he was never there, except for a few stray pieces of trash, and some cardboard fragments. PENELOPE: It has been months. I stand here at this corner every morning because I cannot bear to move on. For 13 years, I have been here with you, unpacking my passions between bustling cars and neglected storefronts. I stand here because I can’t face the fact that you’re gone. You must be ok, but I can’t imagine that you would be. You would have told me if 58

you were leaving. Please, I beg of you, don’t let me stand here forever. I don’t know how to move on. What will I do with my mornings? Where will I share scraps of cofee shop poetry? Or talk about art? What motivation do I have to inish Wuthering Heights? I found comfort in our morning talks. But more than that, I found family. I let my family a long time ago, but I never had true family until I met you. My watch is growing tired. To click to 7:37 without your voice has made it fail. You know that a watch is what pumps my blood and feeds my brain. Don’t let me die. Her watch clicks to 7:37 and she exits, a single tear rolling down her face. End scene

I M LAZY

Levi Foothills School of Arts and Sciences Scene 1 NARRATOR: Once upon a time, in a far of wormhole, there lived a space-prince with the name of I M Lazy. I M LAZY struts in. I M LAZY: Hi, my name is I M Lazy. I search for my princess I M productive, she runs from me and I obligingly search for her. I M PRODUCTIVE waves from SR and exits at a run. NARRATOR: everyday I M Lazy forces his royal servant Billy to search for the space maiden, while he eats pizza and Ben and Jerry’s. I M LAZY: Now, it is time to face the monster in the fridge! I have way too much letover broccoli I don’t know how old that is. Years probably. I have not had broccoli in over a decade. I need some biohazard gear to get rid of that. I M LAZY: Its taco time! Time to head to my favorite space mobile in the universe……..the Taco Time space cruiser truck thingy! Yay, Tacos! NARRATOR: So I M Lazy made his way to Taco Time. on the way, he met a gluten-free kid. GLUTEN-FREE KID: I’m so sad I cannot eat 59

Taco Time because all their tacos have gluten. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I M LAZY: gosh I’m so sorry kid I would never wish that on anybody! Not being able to eat Taco Time? What a horror! I’m so sorry kid. NARRATOR: Suddenly, as I M Lazy walked into Taco Time, the walls turned to water and the room looded. I M LAZY: Oh no! What shall I do? Wait for just a second, my tacos are soggy! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO! NARRATOR: Ater the soggy taco incident, I M Lazy wrung out his clothes and started to walk back to his spaceship the TACO when he suddenly encountered a man crying against the wall I M LAZY: What’s wrong dude? CRYING DUDE: I am obsessed with Lazarbeam, but I got banned from the interweb because I was too crazy about my obsession. I was so obsessed that I killed a man when I saw that a new video was uploaded. I have always been afraid of the day that Lazarbeam shall upload no more, just thinking of that makes me cry! I M LAZY: Whoa dude shouldn’t you be in jail? Because if so I will report you to the police right now. CRYING DUDE: Whoa dude, chill! I was supposed to be in jail, but the guvment’ let me out. I M LAZY: Oh. NARRATOR: I M Lazy saw his royal servant Billy running to an elevator. BILLY runs to a door on stage let. I M LAZY: Halt, what are you doing. Billy? BILLY: I saw the princess, sir! I M LAZY: Oh! Well, then we must capture her! Billy and I M Lazy step through the door which has opened. I M Lazy (in Elevator) : Whoo, man that princess. She is like a lollipop, I love her and she is super sweet, but she is super bad for me. BILLY: In what way sir? she loves you! I M LAZY: She inluences me to be productive. I am supposed to be lazy, it is my birthright, it is my destiny! Heck, it’s even in my name! 60

BILLY: Ah, I see! BILLY winks to the audience and mouths: ‘No I don’t’ The door opens, and they see I M Productive running to the door leading to Spacys (space Macys). I M PRODUCTIVE: Betcha can’t catch me, suckas! I M LAZY: Oh, this is so, on! BILLY: We will so catch you, girl! NARRATOR: And so with the princess in sight, I M Lazy and Billy chased I M Productive across the galaxy until the inally caught her. Characters chase each other around the stage until I M Lazy catches I M productive by the shoulder. NARRATOR: As I M lazy caught AaAchch grger! Bleh. A person in a black ski mask creeps on stage in a crouch. The person jumps up, stabs the narrator and runs of stage. The characters look on in disgust, as the narrator exaggeratingly falls and squirts a ketchup bottle. I M LAZY: Aw, I kinda liked that guy. End

RONALD

Alex Foothills School of Arts and Sciences Scene 1 A nice street. It is end of summer, beginning of fall. Maybe mid-September We see a street. It is fairly busy today. People are rustling around and quickly walking. We see a man RON (short for Ronald) sitting on the curb of the street. His clothes are ragged and torn at the bottom. They are stained a bit by dirt. His eyes, a stormy gray, have sorrow and sadness in them. His hair, once a brilliant brown, is now streaked with dirt. He holds out a box, trying to get people to give him some money, but nobody does. They just hustles by in a hurry without even giving him a glance. RON starts to get up to try and move. We now see how skinny he is. He has all of his belongings in one bag. He swings it over his shoulder. He starts to walk towards another street. Every let step he takes, he seems to walk lopsided. Scene 2 Time has clearly passed. It is now mid-December. Snow has began to lake down. Snowlakes touch down on RON’s face, melting into his skin. He has nothing to cover him, nothing. Nothing. His eyes begin to look more droopy., his face tired with every blink of his eyes. A small young girl, about four years old, walks up to RON. She studies him closely. He lits up his head, hopeless. The girl’s smile is big and friendly. RON: Hello, little girl. How are you doing today? His voice sounds raspy, as though he hasn’t used it for a long time. LITTLE GIRL: I’m doing good. I just wanted to give you this, She holds out a small potato. RON takes it, nodding his head. RON: Thank you so very much. LITTLE GIRL: You’re welcoThe little girl gets interrupted by her mother grabbing her, picking her up. She looks at her daughter, concerned. MOTHER: Don’t go talking to strangers. They can be danger62

ous, especially the ones sitting on the sidewalks. Both mother and daughter walk away. The little girl looks behind as she is walking, her mother’s hand in hers. It makes RON smile. Something like this has never happened before. Just this simple act of kindness has made his day. He turns the potato around in his hands. RON wipes the dirt of of the potato with his shirt. This does nothing though, because his shirt is also just as dirty as the potato, if not, dirtier. He takes a giant bite out of the potato. We hear him chewing. Small potato chunks stick onto his shirt. His stomach, for the irst time in a long time, feels more happy. A wide grin now on his face. He takes another bite of the potato. It is gone in a matter of seconds. Scene 3 A couple weeks have passed. It is now a new year. RON hasn’t seen the little girl again. He thinks of that little girl. The one who had a lot of kindness in her heart even when nobody else would approach him. We see him smile one last time as he looks happy now. Curtains close/lights go out.

TWO STRANGERS

Annabel Foothills School of Arts and Sciences It is a warm spring day in Kyoto, Japan. Birds chirp in a celebration of spring. The Holland garden comes into view. It is bustling with tourists. One in particular. Rosemary Davis is sweating and tired and she holds a huge camera around her neck. ROSEMARY: Excuse me, sorry. RANDOM MAN: Watch out! ROSEMARY: I’m so sorry! (pauses, mutters to herself) I need to get out of here. Rosemary works her way through the crowd, breathing heavily. She notices somewhat of a trail, but there isn’t a sign. She goes through anyway. It is quiet. The hustle of people is faint now. A stone bench with Terracotta warriors on the side comes into view. An elderly man sits upon it, he is staring of into the distance. His name is Benjiro. He doesn’t notice Rosemary approaching. 63

ROSEMARY: (hesitates) Hello. BENJIRO: (surprised) Oh, hello. ROSEMARY: Could I sit here? BENJIRO: I suppose. ROSEMARY: Thank you so much! It is so busy out there! Rosemary gulps down water, loudly. ROSEMARY: Are you from here? BENJIRO: I’ve lived here all my life. ROSEMARY: Wow, that must be a bit boring. BENJIRO: (taken aback) It is actually wonderful here. All the family I’ve ever known has come from this city. ROSEMARY: My parents would kill me if I stayed in the same place as them. BENJIRO: Why would they do that? ROSEMARY: They would…just get tired of me, that’s all. More silence. ROSEMARY: So what do like to do around here? What are the local hotspots? BENJIRO: (Clearly annoyed) I like anywhere peaceful. ROSEMARY: We are very diferent people. BENJIRO: Yes. (Muttering) I’m glad. ROSEMARY: Are you upset with me or something? Because as I recall I have done nothing rude to you, mister grumpy. BENJIRO: It’s just, this is my spot. I don’t like tourists just traipsing around here. ROSEMARY: (Sarcastic) Oh, I’m sorry. This your spot. (upset now) This park is open to the public! BENJIRO: (timid and quiet) This was our spot. ROSEMARY: What? BENJIRO: This was my wife’s and my spot. (silence) She passed away 3 weeks ago. ROSEMARY: Oh my god. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know… I’m sorry… I’ll go. Rosemary begins gathering her stuf. She grabs her water bottle that she set next to Benjiro. BENJIRO: You have cuts on your wrist. Rosemary slaps her wrist, in an attempt to cover the cuts. 64

ROSEMARY: The makeup! It must have come of in the heat! BENJIRO: It’s okay, I’m sure nobody else has noticed them. (beat) Why would you cut yourself’? What is the point? ROSEMARY: I….I…. Don’t you think that is a little bit of a personal question? BENJIRO: Well that didn’t stop you from pestering me. ROSEMARY: Well… Well now you’ve made me feel guilty. BENJIRO: Are you going to tell me or not? ROSEMARY: I.. I don’t think… well, I guess it doesn’t matter, I’ll never see you again. BENJIRO: That’s true, and I don’t have anyone to tell. ROSEMARY: (deep breath) I was 17. I was young. I was so incredibly stupid. I felt like nobody understood me. I felt like my friends were the only people in the world who mattered. My parents were overprotective. They worried too much. I was never home. My brother was my best friend. He knew everything about me. He knew when I irst kissed someone. He knew when I smoked my irst cigarette. There was nothing I kept a secret from him. And one day I was driving with him. We were laughing. We were talking about my mother’s hissy it earlier that day. (smiling) I think she was mad that I was going on a road trip the following weekend. My friends invited me, and I had forgotten to tell her. You should have seen her face. Her eyes were practically out of her head. (her face falls) I don’t know what was wrong with me then. I didn’t care about what anyone thought of me. Except for my brother. (long silence) We were laughing. I looked over to see his smiling face. His olive skin and his Mediterranean eyes. And I let my hand shit on that leather wheel. When I think about it now I feel like I can remember it. As if I can remember the split second that our car’s metal touched another’s. As if I can remember my brother being swallowed by a monster made of metal and oil. But I can’t. The only thing I can really remember is the time he was here with me. I remember the baths. How we would give ourselves Santa Claus beards. I remember when we went camping, and he told me the scariest story, but I couldn’t scream because then Mom and Dad would know we were awake. I remember him. His olive skin and his Mediterranean eyes. The air becomes cool. Night ambles across the sky. All is calm. Benjiro takes Rosemary to one of his favorite local spots. They talk for hours. And everything seems as if it will be okay. Because two strangers found each other on a warm spring day. The End 65

THE NEW GAME

Tanner Foothills School of Arts and Sciences Part 1 MAC: Hey thiccums. TANNER: Howdy papi. MAC: Where are you going? TANNER: I’m going to ind Mud Ball. MAC: Can I come with you?” TANNER: Sure! One long walk later. TANNER: Yo… is that MUD?! MAC: I think it is. TANNER: What’s goodie my guy! MAC: Let’s catch this dub! MAZ: I’m telling you Mac’s a monster fortnite player.

Walking to Mac’s house there’s a pickaxe on some cathedral steps. MAZ: Ayeeeee that’s the Fortnite pickaxe! TANNER: Litty my dude, it is. MAC: TANNER DID YOU FORGET THE HOT DOGS!? TANNER: Uhhh I don’t remember. MAZ & MAC: You’re soo stupid.

At MAZ’s house, playing fortnite, lightning strikes the close to MAZ’s player.

Part 2 MAZ: GAHHHHH DAHMMMM!! MAC: Dude this kids such a BOT! TANNER: Mac you’re so bad! MAC: Shut up! MAZ: Mac I think Tanner’s right and you’re wrong. MAC: Let’s hit some fat yoinkes!! MAZ & TANNER: Oike doike.

Ater dinner Mac goes back to his house. End

WAKING WINGLESS: GROWING AWAY FROM YOU Riley Foothills School of Arts and Sciences

Scene 1 CHARLES is writing a letter to his mother. The house is dark except for one lantern he is using to write by. CHARLES: Dear Mother, February 16, 1776. I can sees the smoke rising from their campires. Their tents point up from our ields. They lack any reserve. For heaven’s sakes they are dressed in bright red and clearly assume nobody is watching them. They be treating us like skum, sendin’ us like rats scurrying for their water or for our own preserves. And they don’t pays any attention to the ields. They rolled their carts in and made themselves at home. But it’s our home. I want them to pack up their wooden carts and drive them of into the Delawares river, if God should be showin’ mercy then maybe they cross in some boats and return to the King’s land. If God should see any unworthy I should hope they do not return home. You would tell me not to say this mother. You would give me your gaze and tell me not to wish violence on others. But you have not seen what they have done to us, to our land, to our house. They help themselves to everything but the one thing they do not have is my memories of you. They will never have my memories of you. Yours son forever and truly, Charles 67

CHARLES stamps the letter and addresses the envelope, he adds it to a pile of other letters on the table. Scene 2 CHARLES exits through the front door, he has a potato in his hand and sits on the front porch watching the moon. A girl enters. Her outit is in tatters. She looks hungry and scared. CHARLES sits on his front porch peeling his potato simply for something to do. CHARLES looks up from his work, he is surprised to see not a soldier but a young girl. It is night time, the moon is bright. It is around midnight. CHARLES: What might you be doing out here at this hour, miss? ANNA has a British accent. She is worried CHARLES will turn her in to the nearby British encampment for a reward. However, she cannot mask the formality of her speech. ANNA: Just taking a stroll. The moon is so lovely tonight. CHARLES: The moon looks like this every night in the summer, this ain’t nothing special. Unless you ain’t from here, that might make the moon sumthin special. Sometimes it reminds me of my mother’s silver spoons. She used to lay them out on the table when the British boys would come by for a meal. She always said we must keep our heads bowed, we must not be causing any trouble because they might send us away. Unfortunately, they got to her; they got to so many of them. CHARLES pauses, apparently deep in thought. Realizes ANNA is still standing in front of him. CHARLES: My apologies miss, you probably don’t care about my mother’s spoon or any of my troubles. My apologies. ANNA: No it’s quite alright, sir. I am not one to avoid a good story. Say, what are doing to that poor potato? At this point CHARLES has fully peeled the potato and is beginning to carve out shapes into its exposed skin. CHARLES: Oh, just keeping my hands busy. Sometimes I can’t sleep at night ‘cause I’m scared them soldiers will come and take me away. Same way they took my mother. My father died a 68

while back, summer of ‘72, yellow fever. ANNA: Say you wouldn’t be able to tell me where the next town is? Somewhere I could rent a room for the night. Preferably not chartered to British soldiers. CHARLES: Well let’s see here we got Milferd about 10 miles thata way (CHARLES pointing in the general direction of down stage) … and we got Haringford about 3 miles thatta way. (CHARLES points of to stage right). Either one though you got soldiers crawling around like maggots on a rotten potato. ANNA: Oh. Well I guess I will just make my way toward... somewhere. CHARLES: I mean you could be stayin’ with me if you want. I have plenty of rooms, no charge. You look like you shouldn’t be walking another step. I promise I don’t got no soldiers hiding in my pantry stores or nothing like that. ANNA: Is it too much to ask that you tell no one I’m here? This is of paramount importance. No. One. Can. Know. CHARLES: Well ma’am I wouldn’t have anyone to tell anyway. I have some letover potato soup still sitting on the stove if you want some. You look as thin as a potato plant stalk. ANNA: That would be lovely, thank you. The next morning ANNA is watching as CHARLES works on the ield. She is standing in the kitchen looking through the window over the sink. ANNA: Charles was so nice to me. That soup was dreadful, but he was nice enough. And he doesn’t know what I did. No one knows. Last night I had a dream that I had to do it again. I dreamed of the way I held the knife over his heart. His red coat and white wig were hanging on the chair just as they had when I had entered his room. I hated him. With ire I hated him. Hated what he had done to me. He had made my life a living hell. I had to do it. I had no choice. He let me with no choice. I had to plunge the knife into his sleeping body. For the child I carry within me I had to leave him. Leave everything behind. And leave him with God. The End

IDENTICAL

Bloom Foothills School of Arts and Sciences Scene 1 CHARLOTTE GREY in her early forties wakes up her daughter EVELYN GREY who is the age of 14. It’s a Monday morning and it’s a gorgeous day in South Carolina. The daughter is very stubborn, it takes a while for her to get up. CHARLOTTE walks in EVELYN’S room. EVELYN is not up yet for school. CHARLOTTE: Evelyn, I thought you were up already up you’re going to be late to school. EVELYN: It’s Sunday the birds aren’t up and neither should I. CHARLOTTE: It’s Monday morning and you have school. The bus will be here soon, and I’m not driving you so get up and get dressed. EVELYN slowly gets up and out from under her covers. EVELYN: I think this is parent cruelty. CHARLOTTE: I think this is being a good mother and getting her daughter and education your looks won’t always be there. EVELYN: You mean one day I might look like you. CHARLOTTE: (mad now) Evelyn get ready for school now! Do you want me to get your father? EVELYN No… I’m going, I’m going. CHARLOTTE: Hurry then. Scene 2 EVELYN has let for school and CHARLOTTE doesn’t have a job, she married young and had EVELYN. She cleans the house and helps in some charities but her main priority is taking care of her daughter. CHARLOTTE: When I was a young girl my mama never had time for me I was one of six kids. I could never talk to her about how my day was or how I had no friends in the sixth grade. I was alone and when I had you Evelyn I knew I wasn’t going to do that to you. I was going to love you with all my heart, be there for your irst steps, your irst day at school, and your irst heartbreak I was going to be there for all of it. I tried to give you everything I never had. I’m trying baby I really am. I hope you know that. 70

CHARLOTTE now in EVELYN’s room, cleaning up the clothes on the ground, and making the bed tighty. Looking in her closet holding up the clothes to her body looking in the mirror putting on EVELYN’s makeup almost in a daze. With a beer in his hand and stumbling and not speaking clearly, WILL enters. WILL: Honey what are you doing in Evelyn’s room? CHARLOTTE: I was just cleaning up her room. She’s always making a mess. What are you doing home early? Are you drunk? WILL: No I’m not drunk. (says sternly) Make me a sandwich would ya. CHARLOTTE: Sure, honey. She smiles but holding in her tears and anger. WILL: I will be downstairs. He stumbles leaving the room. CHARLOTTE: (mutters quietly) You’re welcome. My life is incomplete without you, Evelyn. You’re all I love and truly have in this screwed up world. Evelyn, I’m sorry your father is a drunk. He’s trying to be better, he really is and it’s all for you, baby. Don’t you worry. Scene 3 CHARLOTTE sits on the steps at the front door tapping her foot on the steps smoking a cigarette. CHARLOTTE only smokes when stressed or scared she’s waiting for EVELYN to get home from school. Twenty minutes later EVELYN arrives CHARLOTTE’s cigarette burned out but her breathe strong of smoke. EVELYN: Mom what’s going on? Is everything alright? She sees the cigarette on the ground. EVELYN: Mom, you’re smoking again what’s going on? CHARLOTTE: I was just thinking about, when you were ive and it was a hot July day and I turned on the sprinkler for you and you were outside for three hours. I couldn’t get you to leave. EVELYN: I don’t remember that. CHARLOTTE: It was a happy day. We don’t have too many of those anymore. 71

EVELYN: (abruptly, worried) Mom, let’s go inside. CHARLOTTE: I will be in in a minute. EVELYN: Ok. CHARLOTTE: (mutters sotly) I’m sorry, baby. The End

ALIEN ENCOUNTER

Gus T. Foothills School of Arts and Sciences Scene 1 note: Jef is writing this down and speaking this out loud Jef: I, Jef Daniels, am the most obsessed person in the world with mac and cheese. All the other noodles are gross and nasty, they taste like moldy chicken sandwiches with a hint of some strange spice. But mac and cheese is the best combination of cheese and noodles. You should all you to your local diner today. (shit, talking to himself) That was the last thing I wrote and for some reason they want to kill me just for saying that mac and cheese tastes good and that you should go buy some today at your local diner. Scene 2 5 years later Jef’s clothes should be full of holes He should also have two spoons. Jef jumps up and out of his rusty car he slept in the night before, pulls out his two spoons and start playing them on his knees Alien enters stage. The alien should be wearing a skin tight green jumpsuit with an alien mask. Alien: Hello. Jef does a strange jumping movement, and hops down from the car Jef: Hodey there fellu. What’s your name? My name is Jef Daniels. Alien: Hello Jef Daniels Jef: You can just call me Jef, fellu Alien: Ok Jef. (Pause.) What do you do for a living Jef. 72

Jef: I used to be a food critic. Why do you ask? Alien: Well I wanted to know if you know the nuclear access codes. Jef: Well that’s a very strange question to ask? By the time he inished the sentence the alien should have let the stage. Scene 3 Two days later the alien comes back. Jef is sleeping in a car when the alien comes back on stage. Alien: Jef. I have returned. Jef where are you. Jef Jef wakes up then comes out of the car to where the alien is. Jef: Morning fella Alien: The morning is irrelevant Jef: Oh well what do you say in the mornings Alien: I do not say anything that is positive Jef: What do you do for a living Alien: That information is irrelevant Jef: You seem to like that word Alien: Liking something is irrelevant Jef: Yeah you say that but do you mean that Alien: I mean everything I say Jef: Ok, whatever you say Once again the alien let while he was talking. Scene 4 The alien walks in the scene Jef is sleeping in the car again Alien: Hello Jef Jef: aaaaaaaaahhhhhhh! You scared me. Wait What was your name again I think I missed it. Alien: I never said my name Jef: Ok Alien: Jef would you like to see my spaceship? Jef: Yes I would very much like to see your lying thing. Alien: Follow me Jef. Scene 5 Open in spaceship. The spaceship should have a control panel on stage let with some strange pipes in the back and with a bed like thing in the 73

middle next to some sort of probing tube. Jef and the alien come on Jef: Say alien if that’s what you is? What’s your name? Alien: My name does not matter Jef. Now please sit down on the bed. Jef: Why doesn’t your name matter? He says as he walks toward the bed. Alien: Where I come from names do not matter. While they talked he strapped him down to the bed Jef: Ok. Hey why do you have me strapped to the bed? Alien: I will be right back. alien leaves the room ater he exits fog comes rolling in representing gas End of scene

DONE

Kaleb Churchwell Foothills School of Arts and Sciences Scene one Lights up, curtains open. A large wall sits on stage right, actors drag on folding chairs. Kimmie and Pam are bickering, while all actors sway back and forth. Pam: Don’t you know how to drive?! Kimmie: Oh shut your trap! I’m a great driver… Right, Mia? Mia: Right. Pam: Would you please keep your eyes on the road!? Kimmie: Would you please let me drive? Logan: (talks to the audience with his hand blocking the side of his mouth facing the two older women) Like that’s gonna happen. Mia: Ya Ya she’s not gonna kill us. She’s a safe driver plus she’s on this road a lot for work. Kimmie: See mom?! Pam: She doesn’t take this road. Mia: Well I tried to helpLogan: NO! HE KILLED ME! This game is rigged! 74

Pam: Just like the presidency! Kimmie, Logan, and Mia: you’ve got to be kidding me not this a-Pam: Nope Kimmie, Logan, and Mia: ughhhhhhhh… Pam: Don’t you understand that the Russians were involved! Our country is falling fast! Did you know what Susan said…. Pam rambles on about how horrible the elections were. The wall is pushed to the middle of the stage, making it look like there are two “rooms”. Scene two Mandalynn and Jordan push a small bed on wheels onstage, Mandalynn is stressed. Mandalynn: I just…I don’t know what I want anymore Jordan: What do you mean? Mandalynn: It’s becoming too much… It’s all too much. Jordan: Mom, calm down and tell me what’s wrong. Mandalynn: I can’t decide! So much could go wrong! Jordan: Well…mom, do what makes you happy. Hold onto those you love. Don’t let your life rot away… make sure it’s taken care of… make sure you’re happy. I-I want to see you happy, please smile. Madalynn:I-I met someone new. Jordan, he makes me happy... He doesn’t ight with me… he’s kind to me, he’s handsome. Oh! My! God! He’s a dream! She grabs a blanket and wraps it around her shoulders as she walks downstage humming and swaying. Jordan: Who? Madalynn: Oh, we danced the night away, twirling to string music-- elevator music… I think we danced in the elevator! Isn’t that romantic?! Jordan: Mom? That doesn’t make sense! Mandalynn: well maybe it was a dream! I’m pretty sure it was a dream… I mean that could never happen… But oh… he would do something like that for me! Not to elevator music but oh he’s so sweet. Jordan: Mom…who? Mandalynn: Someone new. My new adventure. But the old road 75

I’m walking it’s so beautiful. All the saplings budding in the sweet sun of spring. The cracked concrete road always showing the way… my husband never leading me astray and watering the trees, the children with kindness and oh… How I love the children. I’ve loved them since the day I irst laid eyes on them, the way they giggled when James would stick out his tongue, or how when they found the kiddy pool. Their little hands slapping the water, pushing around the toy boats and little frogs. Those were the best moments, Jordan, The best… you were the best, darling, they loved you… I don’t know how I’m gonna live without them… you see they have grown up so much… and they will keep growing-- even when I’m not there. Will they understand that I still love them? Will they accept that I am making this choice… not to hurt them, but to help myself, to be happy? The road I’ve taken has been so great, the memories I’ve maken are my greatest treasures… but I need something new. I need to follow the road less traveled. I need to chase ater the fork in the road, cause I’m so curious… scared, yes. But so curious. I mean what could it lead to? Who could I be? Who could he be… to me, you know? Jordan: I don’t understand. What about your family what about--James. Mandalynn: We clash… I loved him… but we always clashed. Jordan: Are--are you leaving them..? Mandalynn nods and rubs her face. Mandalynn: It takes two to tango, my love. We both have our problems, we both have our bad habits, we both are human. Love is a two way street… and I did love him, once. Loved him with all my heart… but people change. I changed… and that means my heart did too. She pulls the blanket of her shoulders and lays it on top of Jordan, tucking her in. Mandalynn: I’m okay, my love. Now go to sleep. I’ll make your favorite in the morning, if you’d like? Jordan: yes please... Mandalynn walks exits stage right while Jordan pulls out her phone, texting James’s daughter, her step sister. End scene 76

SHADOW

Luca Foothills School of Arts and Sciences 1 Lights up. A woman enters the stage in singed clothes and messy hair. Out of breath, acting like she has been running. Woods are around her, tripping her. She is running from a shadow. What you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know is that this is the shadow of her mother. She just found out that her mother has cancer that is incurable. When she found out, she turned her mom into a monster in her mind. Maisy: Why are you following me? Leave me alone! Maisy is slowly backing away. Shadow: Calm down. I will not hurt you. Maisy: Why would you do this to me. Why would you take my mother away from me? Shadow: Your mother is not gone, you just need to ind her. Maisy inally gets away and runs down the center of the crowd, the shadow runs ofstage let. 2 Maisy is lying on the loor peacefully sleeping. No longer afraid in her sleep. A big gust of wind enters the stage and Maisy wakes up, startled. Memories of the night before seeping through the walls of her brain. She sits up higher each time a memory returns until she is standing on her feet. She turns to the crowd, eyes wide. Obviously scared. Maisy: What happened. I remember running away from a dark shadow, a monster of sorts. It took my mother away and was trying to take me, too. You hear wind whooshing and Maisy starts to back up. The shadow enters from the ofstage right. Shadow: Why wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you talk to me? Maisy: Because you hurt me. Shadow: It is not the end of the world, we will just have to learn to live with it. 77

Maisy: You can’t live with it. If it kills you, then you can never live with it. Shadow: We will not die. We will always be living. The shadow leaves the stage, walking in front of Maisy who is labbergasted. Maisy starts to ponder what the shadow said. Maisy: What does it mean we will never die. We will always be living? That makes no sense. If you die, you’re dead. There is no going back. And what does it mean We? I’m not dying unless I am and I do not know about it. Maybe I should go home. Starts walking home and something occurs to her. Maisy: Am I ready to see my mother? She is going to be diferent. (pause) I need to see her. 3 Maisy is standing next to a bed. There is a woman sleeping in the bed. Maisy: Mother. Mother opens her eyes. Maisy: I am sorry that I have not come back sooner. I have just been so scared. Mother: Remember what I said? We will not die. We will always be living. In here. Mother touches Maisy’s heart. Maisy remembers something, but can’t identify it. Maisy: Where have I heard that before? The monster peaks around the curtain when it hears Maisy’s line, before entering. Maisy: What are you doing here? Maisy gets up from the bed and stands in front of her mother. Shadow: It’s time, Maisy. Maisy (screaming): Nooooooooo. 78

Maisy is trying to lit her mom out of the bed. She is not budging. Mother: Give it up, Maisy. I am too tired to run from this. Let me go. Maisy is trying to hold on. Her grip starts to ease until her hand is just sitting on top of her mom’s. Maisy: I will never forget you. Maisy slowly lets go of her mother’s hand and slowly walks backwards ofstage, the shadow walking behind her. Mother: I will always be watching you. I will always be there, no matter what. The lights go dark, curtains close. The End

THE ESCAPE

Kylee Erwin Foothills School of Arts and Sciences ...the play thus far: A recent widower gives away his wife’s beloved chihuahuas, Otis and Baxter to two new owners. Baxter’s new owner Grayson is kind, but Otis’s new owner neglects him. Scene 3 LUCY leaves OTIS alone in his new house. OTIS: I want one thing right now in my life, a family. Not to be stuck with a careless and scary owner. I want to see Baxter and the man. The man with cloudy gray eyes and a light smile. His gentle touch. Even only seeing him for those few seconds I realized his kindness. The way he petted Baxter reminding me of the person I miss the most in the whole world. I remember Kerri. Her loving smile. Her bright personality. The way she used to pick me up and act like I was the best dog in the world and I knew she meant it. She would always remind me even without doing anything to face my fears. Even though we never could understand each other we had some sort of secret language between us.

Scene 4 OTIS scratches the metal bars of his cage. OTIS: Yes, I am almost out of this cage. I can’t wait to see them. LUCY walks in the door runs over to OTIS looking at the cage. OTIS clearly scared. LUCY: Well it is good I got you a new scratch proof cage. You knotty rat. There is no way you are getting out of this cage. LUCY holds up a box that only has a hole in the top. It is super tall in height so even if OTIS jumped he wouldn’t be able to get through. OTIS: Now how I am ever going to get out with her constantly getting mad at me and leaving me in this cage. I did not think this before but I am scared of her. Scared of what she might do to me. I wish I could just get over my fear of her. Scene 5 OTIS in his new cage. Out of the top hole he sees GRAYSON and BAXTER on the sidewalk. OTIS: I have got to get over my fear of her and go. I have got to make a plan. I will just have to use the newspaper I have got and dog bowl. OTIS grabs the thin strip of newspaper and jumps and then throws it onto the top of the cage hanging down. Right as he is doing that LUCY walks into the door and sees him. She is mad and is going over to him. OTIS freezes. OTIS: I can do this. I can do this. LUCY is trying to stop him as he jumps of the bowl onto the top of the cage and then the ground. LUCY: You annoying dog, come back here. She grabs the TV remote and starts hitting his let back leg but OTIS keeps running. Once OTIS escapes from her he keeps running his let back leg swinging and dangling, broken. LUCY: Seriously. Why do my dogs always run away from me? 80

Scene 6 GRAYSON is sitting on the sidewalk with BAXTER petting him. BAXTER looks of into the distance. Trying to ind OTIS. The clouds above them are gray and it is cold outside. Then BAXTER sees OTIS he is walking down the alley next to them his let back leg broken. BAXTER starts barking his face happy. BAXTER: Otis! I am so glad to see you! BAXTER barking with joy. GRAYSON starts to stand up hearing BAXTER bark. His face a becoming bright. OTIS: So, am I. That was crazy escape from her. I am so glad to see you. Who is he? Otis points to the man and looking at him. His features closer than before. But before BAXTER answers OTIS goes over to GRAYSON and nudges his leg. BAXTER: A friend I found, Grayson. GRAYSON: Who is this? GRAYSON bends down to pet OTIS. His gentle touch comforting OTIS. GRAYSON: You are so sweet. Little cute chihuahua. Do you want to join us? Yeah. OTIS: I am so glad to see you again and to be with you and Grayson and not Sam or Lucy. BAXTER: I am so glad you came, having Grayson has been the best since Kerri whenever I see him he looks happy which makes me happy. What happened to you anyway? OTIS: Well it all started…… They all sit down and BAXTER listens to the whole story GRAYSON petting both chihuahuas. All three happy. The End

LIFE NEVER STOPS

Ellie Foothills School of Arts and Sciences The play thus far….Close friends Mason, Paisley, Addison, and dog Bailey go camping in the mountains. A big snowstorm hits and Addison doesn’t return from going to look for irewood. Mason and Paisley search for her….. Scene 5 Mason: We have been walking for hours. The trees are beautiful and full of snow but it would be better to ski it with Addison. My feet are freezing and I’m hungry. But more than anything, I bet that Addison is so cold and starving. Also I bet sh… PAISLEY: Mason! Shut up! You’re scaring me for her! And if you were hungry, you could have asked me for a clif bar! (under her breath) Jesus. Mason: Maybe she went the other way.. Should we walk back? PAISLEY: No. Every time we come here she goes this way to get wood. Do you think we should split up? Mason: NO! God no! I can’t lose you, too. PAISLEY (in not the most conident way): We didn’t lose her. She is here somewhere….Mason! I’m so worried I…wait. The dog starts to bark and runs ahead to a clif. She looks down at the view of an avalanche. And at the bottom. A glove. A knitted glove. PAISLEY: Mason!! She drops to her knees and cries into her hand. Mason next to her and holds her on his lap. Crying into her hair. Scene 6 PAISLEY: Mason, we can’t stay here. We have been here for hours. We need to go. The snow is too deep. We will get stuck. We need to leave. Mason: No! We can get to her. We can do it. Mason tries to go down the slope. He starts to get angry. And tries harder. Snow starts to shit around him. Before he gets down, Bailey bites his jacket and whimpers. PAISLEY: Addison will never be gone. 82

She puts a hand on his shoulder. Mason: Ya. (snif). You’re right. I just…I’ll miss her. Mason and Addison linger through the snow and of the stage. Scene 7 At Addison’s house. Mason and Paisley break the news to Addison’s dads. Mason: Mr. and Mr. Edson. We are so sorry. The two older men hug each other and cry. Mr Edson: How could you let this happen to our beautiful girl! You monster! You… Mr. Edson sits back down and hugs his husband. They cry. Mr. Edson: I’m so sorry. Mr. Edson: That’s always how she wanted to go. PAISLEY: If you don’t mind me asking…um, we want to take her everywhere she ever wanted to go. We want to keep her memory alive. Do you mind if we check her boxes of stuf in the garage? They just nod. Mason: There has to be something! PAISLEY: Mason! I found something. Mason: What? PAISLEY: Addison’s travel journal. She holds a blue notebook in her hands. Mason: Open it! They spend hours in the garage reading Addison’s words and laughing. Scene 9 Addison and Mason are standing with a box in hand. They are wearing skydiving suits. Mason:Are you ready? PAISLEY: Can you keep up?

PAISLEY jumps of and they spread her ashes where ever Addison ever wanted to go. Scene 10 Mason: This is her irst dream. What’s next? PAISLEY (smiles) : She always wanted to see the Great Coral Reef. Mason: Let’s go. The leave, with Addison’s journal in hand. Play end

LAVENDER

Katherine Foothills School of Arts and Sciences The play thus far….Lavender has the git and curse of knowing every person’s emotions when she looks at them. She is oten overwhelmed with everyone’s feeling around her, in particular a young man she keeps seeing at the grocery store…. Scene 5 Lavender approaches the store. She walks in, and waits, waiting for the store to close. She thinks the cashier maybe will talk then. An hour goes by, of her sitting on the bench outside the supermarket. Finally it’s closing time, and Lavender rushes in. She runs up to the cashier’s station. Lavender: Hello there, sir! Cashier: We’re closed. Lavender: Please, just tell me what you know about that boy. Cashier: Why does it concern you? Lavender: Please? Cashier: All I know is that he comes in here a lot getting some crap food that costs like $0.50. Oh and he comes in around lunch time almost everyday. Lavender: Thank you so much! Scene 6 Lavender sits on the bench outside the store, waiting for the boy. Two and ½ hours go by. Then she sees him. Wearing all black, the boy walks into the store, with the same feeling that she could feel from him the other day. Overwhelming sadness. Lavender: hello. 84

Boy: What? Lavender: I said hello. Boy: Um, hi. Lavender: How are you? The boy tries to walk past her. Lavender lets him, but follows right behind. The boy grabs another bag of chips, and goes to the cashier to pay. Lavender quickly puts a dollar down on the counter. Boy: What is going on, do I know you or something. Lavender: No but I know you, and how you feel. I want to help. Boy: What the heck, what is even happening? Lavender: I just want to help, please. Boy: No just leave me alone. The boy starts to walk away. Lavender: I know. Boy: What? Know what? Lavender: That you feel, you have no point in living. Boy: H...how do you-Lavender: I just know, and I really want to help you. Boy: But why? Lavender: Because I care. That’s all the boy needs to hear, that someone cares. Now he is listening. Tears start to form in his eyes. Boy: Thank you. The boy hugs Lavender, even though they just met, they had a connection. Lavender looks at her watch, and notices it’s almost time for her mom to come home from work. Lavender: Oh no. Boy: What? Lavender: I have to go, I’m so sorry. But do you want to meet tomorrow? Boy: Ya, I’d like that. They smile at each other, and Lavender runs home. The End 85

BACK TO 77

Kaiya Foothills School of Arts and Sciences Scene 1 TYLER and SURRAYE have gone back to 1977 and were stuck. The time machine has broken down and they don’t know what’s wrong. They ended up in Los Angeles, California to see Zeppelin and Queen perform. TYLER: Isn’t this exciting SURRAYE? Hey you ok. SURRAYE: No TYLER I’m not ok we are are stuck in 1977 and we don’t know what’s wrong with the time machine! TYLER: Hey it’s ok we’re gonna igure it out, just look forward to seeing all these amazing concerts. SURRAYE: Yeah I guess you have a point but we need to ix this machine. TYLER: We will, I promise let’s just go get some food and calm your nerves. They start walking into town to a small restaurant. SURRAYE: How do you do it? TYLER: How do I do what? Being this charming and handsome isn’t easy Surraye. SURRAYE taps/slaps his chest. SURRAYE: No being calm you idiot. Stop being so cocky. TYLER: I don’t know, I guess I just look at the positives and try to help who and what I can. SURRAYE: Well don’t stop it helps me keep my cool. TYLER: What cool? Leaning into TYLER’s arm. SURRAYE: Shut up. She says this as they walk through the door of the restaurant. They ind a seat in the booth at the Hub. TYLER gets up and goes to order at the counter for us while S pull sout a quarter and plays some pinball. TYLER: Why are you trying to embarrass yourself? SURRAYE: What, you think you can do any better, I’ve been 86

playing this game since I was ive years old in the back of my dad’s store. TYLER puts his hands on SURRAYE’s. TYLER: I forgot about that old pinball machine. SURRAYE slides out from between him and the machine. Scene 2 TYLER walks back to the booth and starts reading the newspaper as SURRAYE balances the tray in her hands walking to the table. TYLER: Hey I got us a sick ride. SURRAYE: Oooh is it a 1977 Chevrolet Camaro or a 1977 MG MGB? She sips her soda with a grin. TYLER: No even better! I got us two 1977 Honda motorcycle SURRAYE: You did WHAT!!! TYLER: Yeah just imagine us driving down Hollywood Boulevard. I can see it now, the wind blowing through our hair as the sun sets and the sky becomes orange, pink, yellow, and purple. SURRAYE: I mean I won’t lie to you that sounds like an amazing adventure, and we should totally do it. I want to feel free and have fun. Just take a break from worrying. We can race down an abandoned desert road. Let’s go get these rides! They inish up there food, head outside and start walking a couple of blocks to the shop. SURRAYE: Man Ty this shop looks pretty run down, you sure this is the place? TYLER: Of course it is I know how to get around without a phone, man don’t you trust me? SURRAYE: Yeah totally. She shakes her head laughing. TYLER: I saw that! Looking over at SURRAYE annoyed. 87

SURRAYE: Well let’s go in or knock at least, you got your knife right? She said this with a huge grin. TYLER: Oh. My. God. We are ine. SURRAYE: Come on let’s go. They go up to the door and see people working through the window. TYLER: See, I told you this was the place. SURRAYE: Ok, ok let’s go. The End

SEVEN OAKS Teaching-Writers Cassie Angley, Emily Pittinos, Laura Roghaar

MY BROTHER

Owen ( Jack) Seven Oaks Elementary School My brother can be a Venus Fly Trap Biting for attention. But the pencil on the smooth, Creamy white sheets of paper A volcano, erupting in a snow storm Better served in the wind Shining, like glitter And a rabbit, velvety and lufy Smooth and sot too. My brother is a deviled egg. Very spicy and strong. But the color gold. Shining in the wind. And the glimmering clouds.

LOVE & HATE

Jenna Seven Oaks Elementary School My name is Jenna Like a bird chirping Like a wolf The smell of hope; The fading of love. I taste lowers blooming. You have two choices â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Love or hate The feeling of hate fading away like a wolf fading away; my tears are not happy. 91

MY HEART

Aidan Seven Oaks Elementary School My heart is a plum tree, Trying to relax in the scented wind My heart is a Scrooge So biting, So frustrated, mad. My heart is a maid, But not getting any money My heart is a prisoner, Trapped in a scorching cell Beating and breaking Out of my chest. My heart is very talented, Playing on an epic electric guitar Solo in the thick wind. My heart inally gets a big, smooth break. I fall asleep.

MIXED EMOTIONS

Weston Seven Oaks Elementary School My heart is a turtle stuck in the ocean My heart is as big as a willow tree. As graceful as a bunny hopping in the woods. My heart is a beautiful as a blooming orange lower. My heart is as sad when a black cat lost in a rainy day. As mean as a bully on Monday morning, My heart never ever gets of his phone. 92

LIGHT AS A FEATHER

Miâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;kele Landers Seven Oaks Elementary School My name is a light feather loating in the water without Splashing So blue, silky, and clean Reminds me of love Red and pink Silky, hearting, love in me. I see conidence in future.

MY NAME

Ayvri Seven Oaks Elementary School My name is like sot music at a gymnastic competition the crowd cheering my heart racing My name is as lexible as a monkey Brighter than the sun My name is like a small quiet mouse My name is unique In its own special way.

MOUNTAIN AND THE RAIN Brianna Seven Oaks Elementary School

I can see a lovely rose with one tiny raindrop. I can feel the roses blowing, a rose with a deer on the mountain as cool as a blanket. Tastes like a strawberry on a bush and wind blowing at the deer and green grass. A bird on a cool tree so cool that the wind blows at me As I smell a cool stream nearby Laying by green grass. I can feel the sunset coming down. In the air I can hear the wolves Howling at the moon And a great moon. That gray/blue rose closing until the sun is up. A bird stops singing The deer catches the moon The sun blowing out The deer asleep. The sun is out.

MY HEART IS DEAD

Charles Seven Oaks Elementary School My heart is dead Like a beautiful eagle soaring through the nice breeze Then falling to itsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; terrible death. My heart is like dead skunk Sitting on the side of the road Getting smashed by cars. My heart is like cow manure Sitting by the fantastic smell Of the cow who dropped it.

MY HEART IS STRANGE

Reggie Seven Oaks Elementary School My heart is a leaf Being tossed around in the wind Not able to change The direction or speed of the wind. My heart is wishing to be famous But faces reality. My heart has freedom and consequences My heart is like a meercat Almost never relaxed. My heart is like a football fan Only happy when my team wins.

MY HEART

Michael Seven Oaks Elementary School My heart is like a yummy doughnut, Creamy like chocolate Sweet like a cookie, And very delicious My heart is like yucky broccoli Rough like peanuts Bitter like dirty salads And disgusting My heart is like a big fat cotton ball, Flufy like a cloud, Sot like a pillow And comfortable My heart is like a rock, Rough like bricks, hard like boulders And uncomfortable My heart is a cow, Easy life, like a dog Taken care of like a child And relaxing My heart is like a chicken Disgusting pens, hard life And served for dinner.

MY BROTHER

Landon Seven Oaks Elementary School My brother is as laming as a ghost chili pepper But is as booming as a tangy orange. My brother is as dense as a dandelion But as bright as the golden sun. My brother is as pointy as the end Of a bee stinger. My brother is doughy as a creamy doughnut Crunching in your mouth. My brother is as sot as pure white bird feathers My brother is as sweet as an earthy rose. My brother is ierce As the king of the ocean Biting into its prey.

MY BEST FRIEND

Chelsea Seven Oaks Elementary School My friend Is a sharp night shade bush Dashing nice But can be mystery She is like A nice pink That can be Seen from three miles away! She is a pink shiny cupcake Amazing on the outside Tangy lemon on the inside. She is a playful kitten With sharp claws. She smells like A sunny day by the beach She looks like A beautiful butterly In a breeze She is like a sot hug with a full heart.

SIX WAYS OF LOOKING AT A RATTLESNAKE Forest Seven Oaks Elementary School

As it sinks its venomous fangs into its prey As it loats in a stinky swamp Without a care in the world As angry as the T-rex Ripping its prey into shreds As red as a campire As it blazes on a cold windy night As lazy as a river Soaking up the sun As angry as having a spelling test That you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to study for

WARRIOR OF A NAME

Sawyer Seven Oaks Elementary School My name is a warrior Destroying my opponents Like a shark it rips up reality The power of a king, And the force of life Itself. lows through it My name is as pure as gold. The feeling of a pump of adrenalin, The smell of the waves, The touch of the sand, The crash of water in louder than a thousand cymbals, My name is like the perfect element.

GYMNASTICS

Faith Seven Oaks Elementary School My name is like a beam, Hard and steady above the ground My name is like a person lipping on the bar, With the scent of chalk in the air My name is like the taste of sweat, Dripping down your face as you move It is like seeing the crowd, A thundering storm

JASON, WILLIAM, AND GAIL an excerpt Isabelle Seven Oaks Elementary School Chapter 1: Jason “Jason!” my mother yelled. “What are you doing?” “Well, I was just--” she interrupted me before I could inish. “You are not doing that correctly!” she sighed and looked at me sternly. “Well, I was just organizing my room--” Again, she cut in. “Jason, how much time do you have? You inished your schoolwork, right? And your…” she kept rambling on. I wasn’t doing great in school, but this is weird. Oh! She’s stressed. That’s what, but why? When I snapped back to reality, my mother was looking at me worriedly. “What’s up, mom? You’re actin’ kinda weird,” I pointed out. Before my mother could answer, my sister stormed into the room, lustered. “Ever heard of knocking! You almost knocked down my mirror. Those are expensive, you know.” She rolled her eyes, although I could tell she was guilty.

100

“Didn’t you hear? Father told me as soon as I got home. Jason! Are you even listening?” I looked at her questionably. “No one told me… wait, about what? I’m so confused. What are y’all even talking about?” I asked confused. “You’re a drummer,” my father suddenly said from the doorway. I didn’t see him come in. “Don’t see why they didn’t ask you…” my father and mother argued for a bit. I looked like a codish. “Wait…” I kinda celebrated inside. I’ve always dreamed about being a drummer. The sot blue jacket, the silky red shirt. I was old enough, I was 12. “What do you think?” My sister said holding up a uniform. It was perfect, and it was mine. On the back of the jacket it said, “BRITISH DRUMMER” in bold, embroidered letters. I was so giddy with excitement, I was jumping up and down. My mind snapped back to reality. I ran through the bushes with the other redcoats. Both my friends were right beside me, Gail and John. Almost… to… the… base… I thought, panting. BANG!! Everyone in unison ducked. But no don’t duck! Wait! It wasn’t a cannon. BANG, BANG!!! People were running for their lives like a fox from a hunter. BANG! People were dropping like lies! Bullets lung through the air. They whistled passed as they just barely missed you. BANG! The only way to survive is to turn to the let, circling around through the woods, and then entering through the front door. That was the only plan, but they could attack on the front door. Too many possibilities… John looked at me, reading my mind. “YOU GO FIRST!!” I yelled over the shotgun ires. “I’LL BE RIGHT BEHIND YOU!” He did not hesitate. He didn’t argue. John threw himself in front of me. Gail looked at us. He knew what we were planning. He shoved me aside, cutting me and trailing behind John. Like I said, I got their backs.

101

WAR AND DEATH an excerpt Noah D. Seven Oaks Elementary School

I was rounding the corner of the barn to my next chore, milking the cows, when suddenly I stepped in a puddle. When the ripples cleared, I saw a strong, hardworking man. I didn’t think of myself that way. Yes, I was the only provider for my family, and I spent most of my time outside doing chores, but I wasn’t strong. I looked once more at my curly hair, black as licorice. I cleared my mind of the thoughts of the puddle. Mother always said that pride is your downfall. Ater milking the cows, I walked inside the cabin. My mother was sitting on a chair, reading a yellow slip of paper. When she heard the door open, she quickly stufed the note into her pocket, and her face turned red. “Mom, are you okay?” I asked. There was a long silence, but then she answered. “Thomas, there’s something I’ve been wanting to show you for a long time.” “What is it, Mom?” “Follow me,” she said mysteriously. I followed my mother down the light of stairs to the cellar. She lit the lamp on the wall next to us, revealing the old, musty room we used to store food. She strode over to the blank brick wall to the let. She placed her hand on a stone that was darker than the rest. She gave it a quick turn, then the wall clicked, and then it started slowly creaking open. I gasped as the door opened up into my father’s old study. “BOOM!” An explosion sounded from the other side of the farm. “Mom!” I yelled. “What’s going on!” “I don’t know!” A bright light lashed across the clearing. “Mom!” “The house is on ire!” I dashed over to the water pump and unhooked the water pail. “BOOM!” An explosion sounded from the other side of the farm. “Mom!” I yelled. “What’s going on!” “I don’t know!” 102

A bright light lashed across the clearing. “Mom! You’re on ire” I dashed over to the water pump and unhooked the water pail. Suddenly I felt a rush of heat, as the second story collapsed. I pumped and pumped until my arms screamed at me for a blessed release. Ater what seemed like an eternity of pumping and running and dumping, the barn had collapsed completely, just a burning heap of laming metal and charred wood. “Mom, there’s someone at the door!” I called from the cellar as I was stacking the freshly made strawberry jam. I heard footsteps across the loor upstairs, the creaky whine of the front door, and the disappointed greeting of my mother. “Oh, good evening, Mr. Daniels.” “Good evening, Ms. Cuthbert.” Mr. Daniels! From the bank! I ran upstairs to be met by the unwelcoming presence of Mr. Daniels and three redcoat oficers. “The bank has sent me to evict you from your home,” said the sly voice. “Thomas, go get my pistol of the mantle. Hurry!” whispered my mom. I quickly obeyed and jumped to the ireplace. I creaked open the metal box on the shelf and retrieved the gun. I hid it under my coat and walked carefully back into the entryway. Sweat poured down my forehead. “Give me the gun, Thomas!” I slipped the gun from my coat cautiously and secretly handed it to her. Despite our eforts, Mr. Daniels saw it. “Put that down!” he ordered. My mother ripped the gun out and dashed to the side. She ired three shots point blank. Two oicers slumped to the ground, badly injured, but as for Mr. Daniels, that bullet had met its mark. The remaining oicer grabbed his rile of his back and ired. There was a muled scream as my mother fell to the ground, blood streaming from her side. “Mom!!!”

103

THE WAR THAT CHANGED MY LIFE Mallory Seven Oaks Elementary School

One day my mom asked me to go deliver some mail to Mrs. Beat, a very rich person in the city. So I stopped doing my chores and I walked to Mrs. Beat’s house. When I got there I didn’t see a mailbox, so I rang the doorbell and a butler answered. I asked to see Mrs. Beat. “Oh, darling, you look so ugly,” she said when she saw me. “I have some mail for you,” I said. Mrs. Beat told me to go get her makeup from her makeup room. When I got there I saw 50 mirrors! I had never seen a mirror before. I felt like royalty! So, I brought her hair and makeup supplies to her and she did my hair then my makeup. When she was done I felt like a princess! When I was walking home so many people said that I was beautiful. Stuf like this never happens in my own ripped up dress. When I inally came home I showed my mom my dress. “Hello, are you there mother?” I said “Hello, sweetie was Mrs. Beat-” My mother asked and came around the corner. THERE!?” My mother screamed. “Yes, mother she was there and I thought I was going to deliver mail but I guess I was going for a makeover,” I said in a happy voice. “Also, there was a lot of mirrors, it felt weird seeing myself,” I said So, I decided to go up to my room and get some rest. I was thinking to myself, why is mom’s belly getting so big? “Weird,” I whispered to myself quietly Whatever, I might as well get some sleep, I thought. The next morning while I was eating dry oats I was talking to mom but then I remembered I had a question to ask her. “Um mom um can I ask um you um a um question?” I said nervously. “Yes you may.” Mom said. “Well um um why um is um your um belly um so um big um?” I said. Mom sighed 104

“Great.” “Um, well, I am pregnant, and he is due during the war,” said mom. “Oh, gosh, so, what are we going to do about that?” I questioned. “Well, I was thinking we could go to the Caribbean where there is no war and where we could raise him.” mother said. I went up to my room to start packing. Mother started packing too. We were going to leave tomorrow morning at the crack of dawn. I was scared and nervous, all of these things at once. I was going to have a new life in just 12 hours. The next morning we missed the ship but the next morning when the war that was going to start so we had to leave so early the next day. That next morning was something. “I am so excited, mom, to have a new life!” I beamed. “Oh sweetie, ahh!!!!! The baby’s coming!!! GET ME TO A HOSPITAL!” Mother screamed. “OK MOM!” I screamed. A few minutes later the nurse said only one person survived. At irst I thought the baby didn’t survive but then she said mother didn’t survive. I had to take the baby and jump on the boat. When I was on the boat I decided to name him...George!

ANYONE CAN HELP!

Victoria Seven Oaks Elementary School I was happy at irst, but something tragic happened to my mom. She got cholera. You get cholera from bad water. I hope she doesn’t pass. I would be so sad. One morning I woke up. I went to check on her. She was burning yellow. I screamed! I yelled! I panicked! “Why does this have to happen to me! I’m already poor. I have no dad, and people make fun of me for it!” I thought. “She’s gone!” I cry. I sit there for about one hour. “At least I have my best friend, but he’s gone to war!” I say. I have one pair of torn-up old shoes and a dirty ripped dress. That causes me to lose all my friends. All the kids make fun of me! 105

I went outside in the cold with my huge fur jacket on, and I go to go shut down my mom’ old shop. I hear people saying that my best and only friend got shot in the war! At irst, I hear them whispering and then I listened I hear. “Paulina’s friend got shot trying to help an injured person, but I don’t feel bad because she’s so annoying!” he grumbled My face turns red and my body feels numb. I run as fast as I can, and I don’t stop. I see the tree where me and my mom used to go. “Why, why, why! WHY DOES EVERYTHING BAD HAVE TO HAPPEN TO ME!” I cry. That night I cry myself asleep, and people just walk by and think. “Wow, she’s a weirdo!” they laugh. “I HAVE NO PURPOSE!!” I scream. I don’t notice that everyone was staring at me. One strong beautiful bold girl that I’ve never seen before approached me. “I can help,” the bold girl says. “No one can help me no one likes me enough to help me!” I cry. “I used to be like you, and someone like me helped me. Just come and I’ll help you,” the bold girl tells me. I follow her, and I inally calm down. “So, how are you going to help me…” I whisper. “There is a group that helps people like you!” she says happily. “Oh. Ok,” I mumble, having a hard time talking. We get to the park and I see moms looking for children some look creepy some look nice. I hear someone speak. “I want her!” a creepy lady says “Ah, oh. Um.” I frowned. I try to hide behind a random person, but the old lady runs to me and I hesitate. “I know where you live I will haunt you down!” the old lady screams. “No! I want a nice young mom, not an old creepy one,’’ I scream. Five minutes later, I see a nice woman that looks weirdly like me and I wonder if she can be my ‘mom’. “Ms. Can she be my mom?” I ask 106

“Only if she wants you as a daughter,” the bold girl said. The young woman comes up to me. “Hi! My name is Cathie... Wait yo-ou look so much like my daughter,” she says. “Um… Hello my name is Paulina. That’s so cool that I do. I was wondering if you could be my new mom?!” I said quietly. “Sure! First before I get all of the papers I am going to tell you a story.” Cathie said. “Ok! Anything can help at this point,” I say happily. “I had a daughter named Leo, and she was my everything. One day we were working on the farm, and she was 9. I tried to keep my eye on her, but I looked away for about 2 minutes. The next thing that I know is that she was gone! I was so sad that I lost my everything. Now if you are my child I will be very protective, but that’s because I will love you,” she said. “Oh, wait I’m adopted and my mom used to call me Leo but she never had my papers or anything like that. COULD IT BE… ARE YOU MY BIRTH MOM!?” I say. “Yes! Yes, my child!” she cries. We hug and cry together.

SAMUEL AND ROCKET SAVE THE WAR an excerpt Jeremiah Seven Oaks Elementary School Samuel I see myself. A small little twelve-year-old boy wearing ripped pants and a huge red t-shirt. How, how. “It’s impossible, little guy,” I said sadly. “We’ll never get into the war.” Unless we fake it. “We can fake my age and you can hide in my pocket,” I said, excitedly. “I hope it doesn’t smell like your stinky shoes in there,” exclaimed Rocket, my mouse. “Oh no! It’s getting dark,” I squealed. “We better get home before mom gets as scared as a cat falling into the ocean.” “Hey, what was that?” said Rocket. “I don’t know?” I exclaimed. 107

“We should go check it out,” remarked Rocket. I was racing to the spot where I heard the sound. Rocket was on my shoulder. Then I heard it again. What could it be? So I started running that way wind hitting my face like little bullets. There was a man. He was hurt! “AW,” screamed the man. I looked at him, I saw he was a general. He must have been captured because his dark blue jacket was all torn up, his tannish pants had mud all over them, and his grayish white hair had light green leaves all over it. “Are you okay! I shouted in a high voice. “Aw help me!” The general sobbed. “What’s wrong,” I squealed in a shaky voice. “My foot, my foot!” The general boomed. “I’ll go get help you just wait here.” I said in a reassuring voice. I looked back. I knew he’d be okay just for ive minutes, so I burst of as fast as I could. “I hope he’s okay,” Rocket said in his high squeaky little mouse voice. “Rocket can you watch him,” I said in my I’m so smart voice.

THE DRUMMER GIRL an excerpt Megan Seven Oaks Elementary School

My hands were caked with dirt and mud. I walked inside to wash them of. I had just been in the garden, planting wheat. I started thinking about the rocks I could bring together to make music on, when I heard Mother and Father bickering again. I never quite felt the cool water jetting onto my hands Mother and Father had argued all day about our family since The Stamp Act. “We are British citizens,” my mother would say. “We are only here because of Britain!” “NO!” my father would counter, “We can’t even vote! Why should they have the right to tax us.” “Because we dumped all their precious tea,” my mother murmured. The bickering went on for days and days. 108

“Page can you come with me?” inquired my mother. “Yes,” I replied, drying my hands. I entered the bedroom. We all slept in the same one as there was little space. What could she possibly want with me? My mother cleared her throat, “Umm”, she hesitated. “Would you … would you like to be the irst ever drummer girl?” My mouth dropped open as wide as Mother’s dinner plates. “We-eell,” I stuttered, “Ye…” My mother cut me of. “I don’t want to know just yet. You can let me know tomorrow,” and just like that she walked out. She just let me sitting on the bed like a rock on a hill. My questions soon came rolling. What would war be like? Would I get my own drum? Why would my mother be like this as she was an overprotective Mother? Suddenly the door burst open and the questions came to a halt. My father came in the creaking, old, wooden door. “Err…” he stammered, “How would you like to, err, be, err, a drummer girl, for the patriots of course, with your brother and me?” My brother, that phrase rarely got mentioned in our house because a few weeks earlier my brother Peter ran away to the army. I personally think Father inluenced him to join the Patriots just not join the army. But also, every time the topic of Peter came up irst mom would burst into tears and then my parents would start arguing over who’s fault it is. Then it occurred to me that I was in a tight spot here. “Mother,” I murmured. “Oh, don’t worry about her Page. She’ll catch on soon enough,” encouraged Father with a hopeful voice. My mind was too clouded to think. I raced outside. I looked down and lung a stone across the water, but it just sank. I had been thinking about my choice and decided to take it into nature’s hand. If the rack skipped an even number of times I would go with my mother and if it skipped an odd number I would go with my father. I looked back on the bank to ind more rocks. I abruptly stopped my search. In the water I saw a person gazing back at me. I had never seen this person before. She was almost like my mother but with Father’s eyes and nose. They looked around 14 years in age. They were wearing a bon109

net like everyone from 1780. She had straight brown hair like me. I jumped up and looked back to see who was behind me to see who it was. No one was there. Finally, it dawned on me. I raced back to tell Mother and Father my decision. “Mother, Father,” I yelled, “I’m ready to tell you something” They both sat down and sat expectantly. “About what you both asked me earlier, I’ve made up my mind. I’ve decided to b…” I began. “Boom!” Someone was knocking on the door. “Hurry,” mother yelled loud enough for the visitors to hear. “Clean everything up while I get the door.” Visitors rarely come because we’re in the middle of nowhere. I raced around, tidying it up but we weren’t the type that has a messy house so there was nothing to pick up. My mother opened the door. There was a girl my age standing there. She was with a man and woman with her. Once we let them in she told us that her name was Abigail and her parents were loyalists, and were caught in the heat. She also told us they would be here for a month or so. When we went to bed, the issue “drummer girl” was still on my mind. “Anything wrong, Page?” inquired Abigail. “Nothing.” Well actually, I burst into the story of my mom and dad asking me to be a drummer girl. “I have an idea!” exclaimed Abigail. “You and I could both go. I will go for the British and you will go for the Patriots.” It was decided.

110

THE KING’S GUARD

Danny Seven Oaks Elementary School I saw myself drowning in sorrow. My life had no purpose until I saw the one person with their dog. She was the one person that would be in a dream. She was the rock in my roll. She was the best for me. Her smile was a rainbow. The messenger came to me. He asked me to help the king, Jef. I paused. “Why me?” I said. “There are one thousand people, and you chose me? I have a wife and a kid. I don’t want to leave,” I said. “You have to. You are the strongest person in this village and you are really focused.” “I have a kid,” I said again. “I know, but,” the king’s messenger said, “if Jef dies, you can be king.” “What?” I said. “I could be king. Then yes, I will take it.” The next day I ask Brooke if she will marry me and she said yes. It was the best day of my life. In two weeks I leave to go to the castle. “This is for a good reason. I could be king,” I said to Brooke. The next day I went to guard the king but when I let Brooke came to me sad. She was sad that I have to leave. She gave me a big hug and kiss. “I love you,” I said. I went of to the king he said thank you for accepting the ofer. I said I will always protect you even if I have to risk my life, but could my wife come and live in the castle. “No. It is too risky to have a girl in the way of protecting me,” said the king. “Why? She will be lonely,” I said. “Nooo!” he said. “Okay king.” “You can call me Jefy the Three.” We made it to the kingdom of gold. “Wow this looks so cool,” I said. “We found all this below this same kingdom. We mined all this all. It took a year,” the king said. I was looking at my sword. I was sad. I saw my face. I 111

was thinking about my wife and I miss her. And my girl and boy. “They cannot move in,” the king said. “It’s too dangerous to have outsiders in the castle.” One day I was on my morning walk. Through the castle I saw the king. “He has died,” he said to me. I will be the next king.

MAIL FROM THE CAMP IN VIRGINIA Anna Seven Oaks Elementary School

As I stood over the stove, multitasking, I heard two of my children ighting on the other side of the cabin, screaming and shoving each other. “Thomas! Anne!” I hollered, “if you two don’t quiet down, you will have to have some alone time!” I balanced my 6-month-old son on my let hip and wiped my hands on my apron. I went to the shed and grabbed the water bucket. I limped to the well and gently clipped the bucket onto the rope and began to slowly send the old, wornout bucket down the tunnel. “Mrs. Lunde! Mrs. Lunde!” called a young militiaman. “Yes,” I replied “You have mail from the camp in Virginia.” “Oh, thank you,” I stuttered. Everyone knows that when you get mail from the camp it is nothing to be excited about. Dear Mrs. Lunde, it stated, we are sorry to inform you that your husband William, has been struck at camp with the terrible disease, smallpox. I felt a drop of sweat ripple down my face as I read on. We are hoping for the best, but very few survive this horrible sickness. We will send you further notice. “No!” I wailed, “No!” I felt tears drip down my cheeks, and I clenched tighter onto my baby. “Mommy!” I heard my young daughter cry from the cabin. Ater hearing this, I groaned in annoyance and stomped back to the cabin. “What now?” I mumbled to my two young children, sitting on the ground in front of me. “Thomas won’t give me back my doll!” she yelped. 112

“Okay, Thomas,” I insisted, “please return the toy to your sister.” “Fine,” Thomas agreed. “Thank you,” I concluded. I then went over to the nursery to awaken my fourmonth-old son from his peaceful rest. “Hello, my little one!” I chimed. I grabbed his small cloth blanket out of his cradle and threw it over my shoulder. I gently rested my son’s sensitive head on my shoulder and walked out of the room. I grabbed the small baby basket and roamed outside. I lowered down my little child into the baby basket. Not long ater, I heard another yelp from the cabin, but I didn’t care. They need to learn to solve their own problems anyways. I pause, the breeze smells like war, smoky and dull. And there I see her, waving in the ripple of the freezing, muddy pond. I see a bland woman, with rosy, winter cheeks. She has a stained, wrinkled gown, with tears and creases from children tugging on her skirt. The white lace on her skirt has turned a dull, caramel color. I see a woman whose hair is falling out of its band, ater a long, hard day, missing husband, and working for two. I see a black, brushed face and a frown of sorrow. I see a woman who has seen better days, the better days leaving scars. The woman has crinkled, dry skin, hoping for summer to come. Hoping for it to be over. Waiting for it to end. “Mary! Mary! Hurry, gather up your children, you don’t have much time. They are here!” Cannons, ire and ash, blazing through the village like a herd of bufalo, running free. Nobody knows what will happen, because they don’t have time to think. Everyone’s only priority is to keep their families safe. No one knew they were coming, no one knew the sound of war. My heart is beating faster than a frightened horse’s hooves, galloping across the miles. The cannons being ired seem to shatter over our village, like the breaking of a shiny, glass antique, slipping out of the hands of your young one. I hold tightly onto my children as we run down the plains, our eyes only in use to look for safety.

113

RIDING FREE

Emmerson Seven Oaks Elementary School I was walking to the village to get some bread from Mrs. Rosey. The sweetest bread in the state. My house was out in a ield. I wanted to move closer to my friend in the forest, but I didn’t have enough money. So I sold milk, eggs, and pork, I just needed two more dollars. Then I could buy the house next to the woods. The next day, I did my daily morning routine. Then went out to the village. To my surprise, someone had bought the beautiful house by the woods. I roared with anger. I managed to calm down and get some bread. When I got home I screamed into my pillow with anger. I went to get one of my horses and rode it as fast as the wind into the woods. Wind was in my hair. I was going so fast that I thought I was crying. Water ran down my cheeks. Suddenly, the horse just stops! “I was planning on running away,” I told the horse. It turned around and started heading back, back the other way past the village, past my house into the other woods we go. My horse just runs until I see a bright light. It seemed brighter than the sun. My horse starts to walk towards it. Then stops in front of it. I stare blankly into it, hypnotized by its beauty, I was getting closer, but how? My horse was moving forward, into the bright light. A few seconds later I was in it. With wide eyes I get of my horse and fall to my knees. “Did I just enter a diferent reality?” I say to myself. I hop of my horse, grab her reins and start walking. To the let I see a small village and to the right a forest. I had found no animals but lots of beautiful plants. I look more to the right and see a waterfall. It was so beautiful, with light blue and hints of white in it, and at the top were rainbow lowers. Now imagine your husband giving you one of those. I wanted to get one, but my horse had other plans. Behind me I heard a big “Whoomph”. I turned around and saw that my horse was sitting on the ground! She would not move. “Where do you want to go?” I asked her. She snorted and pointed north of the waterfall. “where do you want to go?!” I said. 114

She snorted and pointed north of the water fall again. I took a closer look and saw a big village in the middle of a forest. When I saw the village, I smiled and thanked my horse then went on our way. When we reached the bottom of the hill there was a dark scary forest that a waited for us to go inside. Of course, I did not want to go into the forest but just as before my horse wanted to go into it, but she pushed me into it. A few seconds later ater entering I heard neighs and growling the same growl from when I had entered this wonderful place. I could not place what it was. I followed the sound of horses to a small gap in the brush and what I saw was astounding, unbelievable. With white fur and a horn, the color of gold and as shiny as silver in the sun. I had known what I was looking at. Something so beautiful. I was staring at unicorns. But no matter how wonderful this experience was something was wrong. Something was scaring the unicorns. But what was it? Something was coming I could tell because the unicorns were more scared than ever. That’s when I saw it up in the sky. A DRAGON! A mean scary dragon circling the unicorns. Then a blast of ire hit the dragon. The unicorns cheered.

SONA

Noah C. Seven Oaks Elementary School My life was normal. I was grooming my pets and feeding them. Some of my pets are cats, beautiful, smelly, and big. I talked to them. “I love all of you guys so much! I would never let anybody have you,” I said. I was feeding them ish, seeds, crickets, cow and berries. And I had some bread. My other pets were birds, geckos, and dogs. I owned a lovebird and a robin, leopard geckos, a calico cat and a siamese. My dogs were a yorkie and a pomeranian. One day I heard screaming and gunshots. The sound of thunder. I knew it was the Redcoats. They wanted revenge. They wanted to take the town. So me and my pets escaped into the forest. And we built a little campsite, but the catch was we could not make a ire. And I learned to help other animals in the forest too. We all became quick friends and we used the forest as our home. Suddenly, I could understand the animals. 115

“You can understand me?” Pomeranian wondered. “Yes, I replied. “I have an idea now that you can understand animals. We should build our own village,” Pomeranian thought. “Yes that is a great idea! But where?” Sona exclaimed. “At the beach. The Redcoats can’t go there because they would be crossing the territory wall,” Yorkie said cheerfully. When we get to the beach we started building our village on the beach.

PROWLER

Sawyer Seven Oaks Elementary School Zoop! I go lying through the sky into a hay bail. “OHH!” I yell. “Where am I?” I say. I am beside in an old, 1800s, rusted, stone wall. There are people everywhere. No cars, no phones, no billboards, no heroes, no skyscrapers, or that ripple the sun makes when it bows over the mighty scrapers. Only people, cattle, carts, stone walls, wet leaks, dirt, and soldiers. I get up, seeing the wealth and gold of gossip illing the lips of the people around me. I slide my gauntlets and lock them in place. I walk along the path of past and despair...no electricity. I’m scared on this road. Suddenly, two spears head right for me. I throw my blade...a mistake. Humans make mistakes. The man falls to the ground, lifeless. I stop breathing. My heart beats quicker. I-I-I vanquished a man. I run down streets and roads and more roads. It seems like everyone wears the same leather clothes. So, I walk through the town, picking up weapons and armor and a shield, and then I see an alleyway with some kind of light. I go close and an irritating, high-pitched roar and a smoke cloud burst down. When it couldn’t get any uglier than this, a wagon charges at me and hits me on the spine and chest. I yelp out a scream and cut the wagon’s hood of. A man in a black suit comes at me, silent as a wolf stalking prey. I throw my shield and it hits him on the cheek. “Ohhh boy, that looked like it hurt!” I say, and then ten 116

more come out charging at me. I knock down one and kick two on the leg. One comes at me with a sword. I use my gas pellets to blind him and hang him (without choking him) on the mouth of a gargoyle hanging of of a house. The rest of the six get in a wagon. I’m not going to let them go but- Wham! Like being bit on the head by a dog, I get thrown across the ield by another one. “Your time is done, Prowler. I am the British Brawler!” said the man. “I don’t care what your name is I jus-,” I say. BOOM! I get hit with some sort of explosive. He kicks me through ive buildings and one shopping cart, (I don’t even know!) and then I fall of a clif but hang on. I look below. “HOLY! That’s deep!” I yelp. He takes my glove of and springs the sword out and starts cutting. “No, no, no, no, no... NOO! Don’t do this, please don’t!” I say as my inger lets go. 4 let. “Please!” I yell taking of my let hand and putting my right on instead. “HA, HA, HE, HE, HA,” he laughs, like a mad cow and an insane one. CRACK! “Ahh!” I fall to a watery grave. I jump out of the beautiful water and grapple upwards. The British man has all metal gear and a belt across his chest like a half X. He looks more of a knight than a soldier. I think I am having a heart attack because I grasp my chest, and my vision goes white, gray, and black. I yell out and look at my chest. I have an Aztec dart slithered into a red part of my suit (By the by, I got my color vision back.) Then, when I look up, his foot hits me as hard as a cooked sheet of titanium with an elephant on it. I fall to the loor.... SPLOOSH! I hit the water with no breath. I see his shadow and his zipline and I hear his manic laugh. If I could talk, I would say, “You’re no soldier! You’re evil! If you’re a Brit, why are you so annoying?” Then I see it. A huge bomb in his hand. I hear a click, and then a psst! I’m a goner! He stops and I hear a plop! I panic and lose my breath and my lungs start to ill up with this water that I will loat with the ishes in! I see that cruel, makeshit contraption literally in front of my eyes! I am so scared I don’t realize my full body is glowing. 117

“What the--” BOOM! The pain is gone. I am alive. I raise my hand and the hot water rises up and burns the British Brawler. I see his skeleton on the loor of the cave! I have successfully saved the whole 1800s from the British Brawler. “Jeez, that’s a horribly terriic name, British Brawler. PFFT, more like... dangit I have nothing....” I say, cheering myself on. The wagon comes in and tries to hit me... it is set on ire. “AHH,” they yelp like a pair a untuned violins playing, I mean, screeching Beethoven’s ith. The British man’s body says, “In the future, you will be the end of the world and t-t-take it over. I came to stop you!” I stop it from moving and break it in half. “Wow! That’s going to need some duct tape!” I say. I climb upwards and look at this old, stony-metal town. “I guess this is my home now.” I stop. “I guess a villain can be a hero, too- wait, is that why I’m here?” I run, but then a hook line grabs my scarf and pulls me down.

EVERYTHING…GONE

Olivia Seven Oaks Elementary School I was there on that dreaded day. December 7, 1941. Pearl Harbor. People were screaming, I was scared. Mom cuddled me, I saw the terror in her eyes. Like everything ripped away, let. It was dark, gloomy, scary. She didn’t know what was going on... nor did I. I’d been living there for my whole life. It was gone, everything. The Empire of Japan attacked Hawaii, Pearl Harbor. What’s going on? Why would they do this? There’s a thing called peace. I look at my school, burning, gone. Grocery store...gone. My dad. Far away. Must be dead. Later on, I would ind out that 2,403 people had died. My dad was one of them. 1,000 people were wounded. My mom was hurt badly. She risked her life going to go see what was happening out there and why it was happening. She was hurt and didn’t live long. She died by the time she got back from the hospital. I was sent to live with my gloomy grandpa. He was named Mark. He ran a sad, not popular hotel. I stayed for the rest of my days. He eventually died. Then I let the hotel, but I will always remember the attack of Pearl Harbor. 118

WHEN I SAVED THE VILLAGE FROM ENDING Emily Seven Oaks Elementary School

My name is Raleigh Marcez. I arrived on the Maylower. In the morning, I put on my pinafore, dress, shoes, and bonnet. Then I go to the water pump and ill my pitcher up. I bring it in and pour it into a rusted steel pan. Me, Jimmy, and Papa wash up for breakfast. Mama cooks eggs, bacon, and orange juice. Juice is a special treat for us kids. We only get it when the oranges are ripe. We get our eggs from our chickens, all fourteen of them, and the bacon comes from our poultry pigs. Currently, we have four. Mama is saving it for when Gramma and Great Papa come to visit. Me and Jimmy cannot wait because they always bring us a pie. Ater breakfast I go out to the barn to collect the eggs from the hens. I pick up the sot, smooth egg and lay it into my wicker basket on a red and white checkered cloth. I count thirteen -- seven brown and six white. I ind myself walking across the ground to the house where I ind mama. She is laying on her bed. When we came to America, Papa cut down a big Birchbark tree and shaved it down to size to it our beds. I always say that their bed looks better than mine, but Papa says that that’s just because he polished it and that it doesn’t make much of a diference. “Is there anything else I can do for you before I play with Arla?” I ask. Along with the beds, Papa also helped me put together my beloved Arla. She has straw hair and a body sewn out of the fanciest material Mama could ind in our one-market town. Mama just coughs. But it’s not just any cough. It is the deep hoarse cough that will start it all. It’s the cough that tells everyone that they might not survive. It’s the Chicken Cough, and there’s only one cure: a very powerful antibiotic. This disease is highly contagious, and it is known to wipe a whole village out. I run like a cheetah through the wheat ield, even though Papa dislikes that. The golden wheat hits my face like the claws of a tiger. I inally have Papa in sight, plowing the ield, looking like he doesn’t have a care in the world. When I run up, I scare our drat horses, Billy and Ben. Papa looks at me and 119

then at the line I let in the ield of golden wheat. There is a line of smashed wheat that looks as if a herd of cattle ran over it. The wheat is not golden anymore. Grains of it are mixed in with our signature soil, making an imitation of stew. “Oh Raleigh, how many times do I have to tell you not to run through the wheat?” he asks. My face blushes under my dark brown hair. I don’t really care, though, because under certain circumstances in my mind it is okay to do. “I know and I’m sorry, but I have a reason.” My voice is very shaky. “What could be so important that you would run through the wheat? Don’t you know that we must sell this soon?” By then I’m getting quite frustrated, “MAMA HAS THE CHICKEN COUGH!” I blurt louder than I intend to. Papa makes a whole new line in the wheat, creating a whole new batch of stew. I run back through my original line. When we reach the house, Papa runs to Mama’s bed. He yells for me to get the doctor. I run into town like my life depends on it and knock on Dr. Baker’s door. He doesn’t answer. Only then do I realize that there is a “gone ishing” sign hanging from his door. I run to the lake. I scan until I ind what I’m looking for. Dr. Baker is in the middle of the lake. I run down the hill leading down to the lake as fast as my legs will carry me. Then it all happened in slow motion: me running down the pier like a crazed goat, stepping on my dress, and doing a front lip into the water. The doctor rows over as fast as he can, scoops me up, and drops a towel over me. “Mmmmmmother iiis sssick.” I am so cold that I stutter my words out. “Okay, then, let’s make a pit stop at my house and head over to your house.” “Oookayy,” I shiver. When we arrive at my house it is late aternoon. It is more than just momma that is sick. Jimmy is in his bed, arm draped over the bed, with saliva oozing out of his mouth. Papa is lying on the loor beside momma’s bed with his hat resting on his chest, sweat dripping from his head. Dr. Baker looks at them and then looks at me. I know this is not good. Dr. Back says that there is nothing he can do for them because there was a freight of medicine that had been delayed. But he says that he does not know why and cannot go 120

check because he has another patient. I know it is up to me. I slam open the barn door once again, scaring Bill and Ben. I grab Ben and ride to the train station. “Come on, Raleigh, get yourself together. The fate of the whole town depends on you.” I wait for ive, ten, iteen, twenty minutes that turn into hours. I start worrying, so I follow the train tracks all the way to the tunnel. I ind out a branch on a big birchwood is blocking the pass. As I get closer, I realize Ben will not it through the sliver of a space. I try to open the door, but it stays sturdy like a tree rooted to the ground. Eventually, I throw the door open, grab the medicine, and run of back to my house. Two months later, everything is better, but everyone in my village still recognizes me as the girl who saved the village from ending.

THE RUN

Mallory Seven Oaks Elementary School Westly woke up in the middle of the night and shook Wendy awake. “What…?” she asked, still in a fog. “We are going to Rhode Island, now,” Westly said in a quiet whisper. “What!” Westly put a hand over Wendy’s mouth to silence her before their cover was blown. “How are we going to get away with that?” Wendy asked, pulling his hand away. “We are going to steal father’s horse.” “No, we can’t! I don’t want to leave here ever! If we do, we’ll be caught!” exclaimed Wendy in an outrage. “Not if we hurry,” said Westly. He paused and looked out the window, and then back at his sister. “I don’t like the idea of running away from home,” she said, then added under her breath, “I’ll come and make sure you won’t make it.” “Okay, let’s go,” piped up Wendy, hopping out of their bed. “Wait, really?” Westly questioned, confused. “Yes, it’s becoming day. Father will be up in a few min121

utes,” Wendy said, walking through the door. With a confused look in his eye, Westly let the room. * Wendy felt a chill quiver down her spine. She shivered silently as she noticed the grass sparkling slightly. There were a couple of rays coming out of the top of the horizon. Morning was coming, and Wendy felt the urge to go back. “I can’t believe I’m actually going,” Wendy whispered in rage. She jogged the rest of the way to the stables, where her brother was. “Wendy! Hurry up! Let’s go!” Westly called, relieved that they were inally going to run from their father. She got to the stables and Westly put his hands on her hips to help her up on the saddle. Ater Wendy was on securely, Westly hopped on in front of her and steered the horse out of the stables. He tore down the path just as he heard his father’s roars of anger at realizing he and Wendy were gone. The yell was like a lion, roaring at trespassers, except in this case it was the opposite. The Weston children were on the run. * It was approximately forty minutes ater leaving that they had trouble with the Weston horse. Wendy held on to Westly, making his ribs sore. He was wincing like he cut his toe. The horse got annoyed with Westly and his bad horseriding. Wendy was still on, barely, but Westly couldn’t help it. He fell of. Westly was on the dirt ground, howling with pain. “Westly!” screamed Wendy. “Are you okay?” Wendy wanted this to happen as punishment. She didn’t want it like this, though. “No, my leg….” Westly moaned. He then fell unconscious. * Westly could barely open his eyes. He blinked several times to keep his focus. Wendy was gone with the horse. “We- We- Wendy? Where are you!” shouted Westly. The sun was setting and in the distance he saw something. He stared at the horizon trying to see what it was. He had a feeling, a deep, dark feeling, that it was bad luck. He was abandoned with a broken leg. Wendy had betrayed him. 122

MS. TRIXANA

Josie Seven Oaks Elementary School Ms. Trixana woke up one day and went out to her garden to pull potatoes for breakfast. When she got to her garden, she found the potatoes were gone! “Raccoons must have gotten to them,” she said, but was weirdly okay with it. This was because her son had let her long ago with only a single note. Now, whenever something bad happened, she just thought that it wasn’t as bad as that incident. It was 1861 and Ms. Trixana tried not to think about her son who had let to ight in the war. Instead, she went on with her day, doing the things she did every day. But, when she went to bed that night, she couldn’t stop her thoughts from lying into her head like angry bumble bees. Along with those thoughts, she had an idea. An idea to ind her son as soon as possible. Ms. Trixana had just inished getting all her supplies onto the boat. Then, she headed of to Virginia where the Civil War was, with only a little amount of knowledge about how to sail a boat. But Ms. Trixana was diferent than others. She had the heart of a newborn kitten wanting to see the world. The storm was as ierce and ferocious as a mama bear protecting her cubs. It wouldn’t stop, and Ms. Trixana was tossed around and around her small boat. She felt like an ant about to be stepped on by a giant. But, the worst part was, there were bigger boats and ships that were ighting each other, and she had to stay out of their way. Would she ever make it? The shore lay there in the distance, as a lonely kid trying to ind a friend on the irst day of school would probably do. But, to Ms. Trixana, she was relieved to inally see stable land. Ms. Trixana had only eaten crackers and mashed potatoes for one month. Already, she had missed her home town of Columbia, South Carolina. She missed her home and her garden, but she missed her son more, and her determination to ind him would never go away. Anyways, she was still hungry for food that wasn’t stale, so she looked for a place to eat and take a break. She worked as hard as a worker bee in a beehive. Only, instead of inding a place to eat and rest, she saw a man with a badge saying he was a 123

soldier in the Union Army. As she approached him, she made a discovery that would forever change her life. This soldier was not an ordinary man. No, this soldier was her son! “Bill! I… I…you’re here! I found you!” Ms. Trixana gasped, and tears came to her eyes like an over-looding boat. He smiled and beamed at her. “You came all this way...” he trailed of, and he also got a little teary, and then he stood up to face his mother. “Mom, wow, I was just thinking about how much I missed you,” he whispered sotly. Then, they hugged each other, and Ms. Trixana said, “Of course I came for you. You’re my son.” “I was going to come back for you, but I didn’t know if you’d moved and they needed me here,” he said quickly. “It’s all right, Bill. I’m just glad I found you while surviving the storm, and we’re both safe,” she said. Bill smiled then stopped suddenly. “I can’t go back. The war is about to end, and I have to be here for it,” he said, looking his mom right in the eyes. Ms. Trixana’s heart sank a bit. She hadn’t thought this part would be that hard. “I understand,” she started but Bill interrupted. “You can stay here. You’ll love it here. It’s real nice, and we’ll be together.” Ms. Trixana smiled, “I think I’d like that,” she said, “although all my things are back in South Carolina, and I’d have to sell the house, so…” she stuttered. “We’ll work out all the details later,” he said, and handin-hand they walked toward Bill’s camp to start a new life together as mother and son. Ms. Trixana hadn’t felt this way in a long time.

124

MARIAN PRITCHETT Teaching-Writer Guisela Penados Baldizรณn

ESTELLA

Sonia Marian Pritchett School Everyday I feel your love Something Worth more than gold Awakens me With joy That saves me Like an angel In the toughest day Of darkness It was when you were born To hold, to kiss To regain myself Inside the cold world To ind myself Over and over In peace In strength Through love And faith Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not the way you dress The very extravagant But the ordinary The simple The way the light catches your eye The way you recognize my voice I say to myself How could I make something as beautiful As you Oh, so wise 127

Oh, so sweet So tender As these Make me fall in love You, my world The ocean in my eyes My prayers have been answered You are my answer

LOVE Emerance Marian Pritchett School When happiness comes to you as love You must count yourself lucky You must ofer this woman what’s let of your dinner The food you were trying to inish When I know she’s coming I leave the door open and wait She comes with her black hair She makes me laugh I am happy to see her

AIN’T NO HOOD LIKE MOTHERHOOD Hayleigh Marian Pritchett School Bows for every outit Almost everything is pink When you have a daughter She is your whole world Overprotective daddy Yet he can’t tell her no He’s wrapped around her little inger It ain’t always easy But there’s nothing like it You wouldn’t change it for the world Because there ain’t no hood like motherhood

128

NOW A MOTHER Anika Marian Pritchett School They’ll say I’m dumb Uneducated, Or that I was taken advantage of. Yes, my mom taught me about sex. Yes, she put me on birth control. It was me who did what I did. Instead of blaming everyone else, Here I am. Strong, Tall, Still moving on. I am doing things that people 10 or even 20 years older than me are doing, too. I am growing, Maturing, Living, Surviving. I have many things to deal with. School, work, friends, Being a daughter, A sister, a granddaughter, a niece, I am in charge of raising a whole human being and still growing up myself. They’ll treat me as if I’m dumb, With an IQ of -17. Yes, I understand that this isn’t an ideal situation, not a smart situation. Yes, I acknowledge the hardships and challenges, But also the blessings and opportunities. But I myself am not dumb. I am an intelligent person, Is it the baby that’s giving me strength or is it fear burning a iring under me? With this much stress, I’d shut down. I wouldn’t keep going. But now I am a mother, All I can do is take it day by day 129 And do what I can to stay aloat.

Everyday Tin Tin Marian Pritchett School Everyday balloons ly over the temples Everyday birds ly over the balloons Everyday people come to the temples Everyday people mediate and pray Everyday tourists come to take pictures Everyday tourists come to learn our stories Everyday people ride the balloons Everyday people look down Everyday people buy lowers Everyday people leave the lowers in the temples Everyday people bring candles Everyday people burn incense Everyday people pick the nuts from the tree Everyday people make ornaments for the temples Everyday people cook rice Everyday people take the rice water to the temple Everyday people bring birds in cages Everyday people let the birds ly free

130

FRANK CHURCH Teaching-Writer Danny Stewart

[IF YOU’RE GOING THROUGH A DARK PLACE] Lauren Frank Church High School If you’re going through a dark place I’ll walk through that dark place with you. When you’re stuck on black ice I’ll be your rock salt. I’ll keep probing your lames when the smoke chokes you out I’ll be your tissue when your eyes start streaming. I’ll be your stitches when your wounds rip open. I’ll be that lucky dollar when you’re just short of making it.

HAUNT Gabrielle Frank Church High School For some reason a sleepless night. 5AM door squeak that played on repeat for months. 5AM news that robbed me of my breath somehow cleared my mind. 5PM a few days later it was the local news. A freak accident they called it. The water made a faster decision before he could. It was decided that home was too far away and heaven was one step closer. The door squeak of my bedroom, the place where I learned the worst fate. It haunts me, that door squeak.

133

[I BREATHE IN LIGHT AND EXHALE DARKNESS] Angela Frank Church High School I breathe in light and exhale darkness. My heart slowly coming back together. I dance in the rain and hide from the rainbows. Outcasted in a world of “normal.” Yet I cling to life like a monkey clings to a treetop. Fell in the ire but rose in the ashes. I always claim justice when justice is due. And honor my beliefs like I’m a priest. When my time is due you will never forget me. I’m the missing treasure at the bottom of your sea.

WOKE Kaiya Frank Church High School It’s too early. I wipe sleep from my eyes, wondering if I’m dreaming through my waking life or living in my dreams. Someone pinch me if I’m dreaming. Mother Earth’s beautiful body has been taken advantage of, manipulated and abused. Her wounds so raw tears lood over her surface in tsunami waves. Someone shake me till I’m woke. Streets crawl with violence, the reverence disturbed & I wonder can we learn change? 134

* I wonder, can we learn change? The reverence disturbed and streets crawl with violence. Someone shake me till I’m woke. Her wounds so raw, tears lood over her surface in tsunami waves, manipulated and abused. Someone pinch me if I’m dreaming. I wipe sleep from my eyes wondering if I’m dreaming through my waking life or living in my dreams. It’s too early.

CRUEL WORLD IT’S BEEN FOR ME Yaisen Frank Church High School Thank you Thank you for how you have treated me throughout the years up and down Thank you thank you for not letting me be with my parents for growing up and being on my own Growing up all alone not believing in trust What a cruel world Being 15 years old in Los Angeles Living with a aunt who didn’t want me there To trust and consider friends family more than actual family But thank you world Ater everything and all I’ve been through You have made me tougher than ever Now that I’ve been through so much NOTHING

135

can stop me Yeah I feel proud and almost wanting to scream it out with all my might But for now it will only be for me So Thank You world!

136

ADA COUNTY Teaching-Writer Danny Stewart

99 CAVALIER Elijah Ada County Juvenile Court Services If motors could outlive reality I’d have a beat up four cylinder, running full tilt trying to achieve normalcy, backiring at every shit pistons slamming gears thrashing exhaust pushing all others away with an undeniable, invisible toxicity If I was a palatable discovery I’d be sugar sweet but no lasting beneits If my journey were a place it would be a cave without light a ield of thorns with lowers surrounding it I’m a sot-heart monster concrete, steel reinforced darkness with a warm, disigured mind destiny untold one leaf on an invisible tree

139

BROKEN Justice Ada County Juvenile Court Services I come from Lee Street right of the Boise River the place you would not think twice about locking your car door right by the Mission downtown the city of trees where your neighbor just so happens to sell these “trees.” I come from the skateboard heaven of a 1.5 million dollar skate park infested by homeless people moochin your parents for change when you can barely aford the rent of your little white run-down ex-crack shack I come from a home of yelling and violence and the only time it’s quiet is when everyone is back in jail and you’re home alone. I come from a rough past and it took years to rebuild and at last it is now just okay at least I have a place to call home.

CALIFORNIA LIVIN’ Sammy Ada County Juvenile Court Services I come from the hot streets of California the sounds of gunshots in the distance. As you walk down the streets your shoe bottom is mushy from the hot sidewalks the sun beating down like a camp ire. Going to the ocean with my family to catch ish and play in the sand. Walking down the street you better watch your back, you never know who is around. 140

AFTER Mussa Ada County Juvenile Court Services What is love? Where am I going to go? What should I do? Who am I going to see? Should I be scared? Do you love me? D you love me? What is an aterlife? Is God real? What am I going to do without you? Is Heaven and Hell just a mindset? Will there be hot showers? Will there be sunlight? What is there to do all day? Will there be laughter? Who will I be? What will I be? What is life? What is the real meaning of death? Everybody makes mistakes? When will death call my name?

FADING FROM YOU Cora Ada County Juvenile Court Services Tear me down ater you build me taller What we once had dissolved like salt in water All those lies made into truths from between lying teeth. What could once be slips away no matter how hard I hold on.

141

DOLL Emily Ada County Juvenile Court Services Paper girl, paper clothes she laughs in a paper way. When sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a specimen pinched between glass plates under the scope she rips and tears. * Alone in her room she is all colors. Screaming at the top of her lungs to the nonexistent music. Her sound bounces of brick walls & into the walkway travelling farther and farther. Golden liquid drips from her mouth into their ears * tick tock tick tock * 142

Her noise turns into a curdled scream pinched of by the sound of the key hitting the lock

GOLD Kaytlynn Ada County Juvenile Court Services My soul’s windows stricken with warmth as gooey as honey as wealthy as gold I see much more than I’ve ever been told I move with stealth no one seems to see me no matter my view I’m as a spy living in quiet I hear my dreams their brightness is violent When the night comes my shoulders feel heavy In the morning when I look out my window the warmth gives me hope again.

143

GONE Ryan Ada County Juvenile Court Services The day that you died We all lost a bit of our hope It was as if a piece of us died with you None of us ever imagined it would be this way Life has gone to hell since then Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m imprisoned, and he has his prison too We almost never let, him and I, but Neither of us were with you The night you died * The night that you died Neither of us were with you We almost never let, him and I, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m imprisoned, and he has his prison too Life has gone to hell since then None of us ever imagined it would be this way It was as if a piece of us died with you We all lost a bit of our hope The day that you died

144

KINDERGARTEN Julia Ada County Juvenile Court Services Happiness lows through me like water. Brick wall waterfall girl you think you all sings in the air like wind. Concrete as black as night. As we sing your blue eyes stare at me like crystal ice hitting rock. Touch so gentle like feathers in a pillow. Voice so low it’s like a cat’s purr.

ME BECAUSE OF YOU Landon Ada County Juvenile Court Services I woke to news without you the messenger awake by overwhelming sadness Early hours that held power when I heard your name I knew the disaster * When I heard your name I knew the disaster Early hours that held power The messenger awake by overwhelming sadness I woke to news without you wishing my news wasn’t about you

145

RESILIENCE

Angell Ada County Juvenile Court Services Today I saw you in court. I’m a mirror image of you dad chained up and incarcerated You told me two things: I’m sorry and I love you. I knew exactly what you meant. Seeing you shredded me to where I feel I can’t put myself back to pieces. You’re sober for the irst time in a while and so am I. All I thought of when I irst walked in that courtroom and saw you were lashbacks of our time twisting daisies together all day and going out at night to do our deals. When I tried stopping you pushed me to my knees doing it, I said No and we had no bond, you totally threw me out, dropped me like I was trash. Now you’re in the right state of mind and expect me to look at you as my parent. But I don’t know because in the end I am my own provider.

146

MY OWN Isaac Ada County Juvenile Court Services I am too caught up with the losses around me death and time time and death Sleep well Paige Tell me how the pearly gates are Triston I won’t stop sending letters Jersey, but I’m caught up with my own right now eyes are fogged up to my own fate * Time and death death and time how are the pearly gates Paige Sleep well Triston sorry I stopped sending letters Jersey right now I’m caught up with my own right now eyes are fogged up to my own fate I am too caught up with the losses around me.

147

THE SKY Aaliyah Southwest Idaho Juvenile Detention Center I looked up at the sky I saw a million stars the night was silent as my thoughts alone in the cold thinking of better times I remember when my life was about blue skies and sunny days

MIRROR Ashton Ada County Juvenile Court Services If I could look at you without feeling pain I would look at you less You determine my self worth You can never lie bur your truth is more sinister than any truth be told whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your intention or it is as hard as it is for you as it is for me you still sit there showing no grace or mercy leaving me to loathe If I could see your personality hear your voice of power and conclusion If I could see your face it would be perfect except one law you sit on your throne of power with your one blemish my relection 148

THE PROJECTS Connor Ada County Juvenile Court Services I come from apartments so tightly packed together like the cells in a beehive. Dogs who ight on the streets for the bits and pieces let by the homeless like hyenas ighting over a kill. I come from a school surrounded by razor wire and drug dogs like a max security prison. The constant scream of police sirens sliding down the roads, blinding my eyes with red and blue light. Hearing the thump thump thump on my door that rattled the whole room. Cowering behind the couch as the oicer informed my mother that Uncle Vinnie was shot dead. I come from a place where the smell of whiskey and cigarettes clung to my father like the smell of death on a dead animal. I come from a place where all you want to do is run, but every direction is a dead end.

149

YOU ARE HERE Maddy Ada County Juvenile Court Services You’re under arrest. * Trump thinks a Mexican border wall is best. * “Bufalo soldier …” * Go to your happy place and don’t leave behind a trace. * So much stress. Feel your muscles tense. * Harley-Davidson bike staring at the river from the dyke.

150

SOUTHWEST IDAHO Teaching-Writer Brady Udall

RUN Chase Southwest Idaho Juvenile Detention Center Breathe. Feel the air Enter your lungs. Picture the destination. Your feet hit the ground, matching the music, in your ears, your arms in sway, opposite of each leg, keeping the pace. Night or day, legs on a blur, arms in rhythm, never stop, keep on the move.

153

I AM Juan Southwest Idaho Juvenile Detention Center I am Nampa The great oasis of Idaho I am Michael Jackson The idol of my youth I am the sound of laughter And mysterious silence I am the food my mother Could aford to buy Enough to make my stomach smile I am the pillow I once had But threw in the river Confused and sad I am Juan

154

MY MOTHER Nick Southwest Idaho Juvenile Detention Center My mother is a sunlower waving in the Nebraska breeze. She is careless as a cat, ignorant but playful, kind when the thought strikes her. She is San Francisco, gloomy with hope. She is the sound of the ocean, always moving, churning, trying to ind its way to land.

155

THANK YOU Tifany Southwest Idaho Juvenile Detention Center Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m saying thank you to those who hurt me, beat me, because only this has made me stronger. I am saying thank you for all the harsh words and angry stares. I am saying thank you for the hard times, the hungry days the bitter silences and lost nights. What would I be without them?

156

TEACHING-WRITER BIOGRAPHIES Brady Udall is the author of The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint, Letting Loose the Hounds and The Lonely Polygamist. His work has appeared in The Paris Review, Esquire and elsewhere. He teaches writing at Boise State University, and was appointed Writer-inResidence of Idaho in 2010. Cassie Angley lived in New York City where she wrote, produced, and oten performed in more than 12 original plays and musicals. Most recently she performed her play Finding the Michaels Off Broadway at the San Francisco Marsh. She’s worked as a teaching artist for almost a decade. Catherine Kyle is the author of Shelter in Place (Spuyten Duyvil, 2019), Saint: A Post-Dystopian Hagiography (dancing girl press, 2018), Parallel (Another New Calligraphy, 2017), Flotsam (Etched Press, 2015), Gamer: A Role-Playing Poem (dancing girl press, 2015), and Feral Domesticity (Robocup Press, 2014). Her writing has been honored by the Idaho Commission on the Arts, the Alexa Rose Foundation, and other organizations. She holds a Ph.D. in English from Western Michigan University and is pursuing an MFA in Poetry through New England College’s low-residency program. She teaches creative writing at the College of Western Idaho and through The Cabin. Her website is www.catherinebaileykyle.com. Daniel Stewart, a teaching-writer for The Cabin’s Writers in the Schools and Summer Writing Camps since 1999, has authored a collection of poems, The Imaginary World. A variety of print and online publications featured his poems, including Educe, Lonesome Fowl, Puerto Del Sol, Prairie Schooner, Rattle, and Thrush, among others. Recent work appeared in the anthologies REDUCE and Thrush Poetry Journal: an anthology of the irst two years, and is forthcoming in the journal Sixfold. 157

Being charged by a grizzly in Denali National Park to being bitten by piranhas in the Amazon are moments that deine Elizabeth’s writing. Elizabeth Barnes (or Ibis as many of her friends call her) is an avid adventurer and outdoor enthusiast. With an MFA from Boise State University Elizabeth is the faculty adviser for Boise State’s Freewrite creative writing club. She also coordinates the Sawtooth Alliance for Women Writers (SAWW). As an undergraduate student, Elizabeth’s one-act play was produced by Utah State University’s Theatre Department. A Lecturer at Boise State University Elizabeth teaches writing by day and by night battles dragons via her pen. Emily Pittinos is a spinner of yarns, a healer of song birds, and a poet/ essayist from northern Michigan. An Associate Editor for Poetry Northwest, Emily received her MFA from Washington University in St. Louis, where she also served as the Senior Fellow in Poetry. Her recent work appears, or will soon appear, in Michigan Quarterly Review, Beloit Poetry Journal, Pinwheel Journal, New England Review, Denver Quarterly, and elsewhere. www. emilypittinos.com Guisela Penados Baldizón is a writer of iction, poetry and prose. She has been working with young writers for more than iteen years. A native of Guatemala, Guisela has lived in Boise for 25 years where she was a Top Ten Scholar at Boise State University and earned her M.A. in Literacy. She has been teaching since 1977. She has provided literacy and whole language Spanish workshops throughout the Northwest. One of her favorite projects has been to work with street children in Guatemala, showing them how to use literacy to ind their voices. She runs La Tertulia Spanish Learning Center in Boise, an organization that aims to promote bilingualism and the beneits of multiculturalism. Playwright Heidi Kraay examines the connection between brain and body, seeking empathy with fractured characters. Plays include How to Hide Your Monster, New Eden, Kilgore, Rajpurr: Tale of a Tiger and Slap! A Beaver Tale. Co-devised work includes small matters, SuperSecretSiteSpeciicSomething (Migration Theory) and DIRT (HomeGrown Theatre). Her work has been presented in Boise, regionally and in NYC. Heidi holds an MFA in Creative Inquiry, Interdisciplinary Arts from California Institute of Integral Studies. Member of the Dramatists Guild. www.heidikraay. com 158

Laura Roghaar is a poet, educator, and arts administrator. She serves as the Poetry Out Loud coordinator for Idaho and teaches writing at The Cabin. She holds an MFA in poetry from Boise State and her chapbook of poems, SISTERHOUSE, is out from dancing girl press. Tracy Sunderland has worked as a professional writer, director, actor and teacher for over 20 years. She’s written several award winning short ilms, her irst feature ilm script is slated to shoot this fall. Her plays for young audiences, Maggie Lumière and the Ghost Train and Spooky Action at a Distance have played in schools and theaters throughout Idaho and Washington. Along with fellow Cabin writer, Heidi Kraay, Tracy also devised and wrote last summer’s immersive theatre experience through downtown Boise SuperSecretSiteSpeciicSomething. She is an Associate Artist at Boise Contemporary Theater and teaches at Boise State University and College of Idaho. She is the recipient of the 2015 Adjunct Faculty of the Year Award at Boise State and the 2015 Idaho Commission on the Arts Fellowship in ilm-making.

159

THE CABIN is a Boise, Idaho literary arts organization. We’ve been creating human connections through words since 1996. You can read, write, and learn with us at:

READINGS & CONVERSATIONS an annual lecture series that brings internationally-acclaimed, provocative, and inspiring writers to Boise.

WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS (WITS) a program that places professional writers in classrooms with 3rd-12th grade students.

SUMMER WRITING CAMPS literary adventures for young writers.

ADULT WRITING WORKSHOPS creative small-group classes led by published authors.

GHOSTS & PROJECTORS a reading series that pairs emerging, innovative, and experimental writers with writers from our community.

WRITERS IN THE ATTIC (WITA) an annual publication contest and event for local writers.

LITERARY ACTIVITIES such as book club meetings, readings by local authors, and other events that create conversation and community around literature. The Cabin’s administrative oices are housed in a restored log cabin, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, on the banks of the Boise River in downtown Boise. 161

INDEX A Aaliyah • 148 Adrienne • 14 Aidan • 92 Alex • 62 Ali • 46 Alina • 55 Andrew • 15 Angela • 134 Angell • 146 Anika • 129 Anna • 112 Annabel • 63 Ash • 46 Ashton • 148 Ayvri • 93

B Bloom • 70 Braleigh • 37 Brianna • 94 Bridget • 47

C Carter • 20 Charles • 95 Charlotte • 9 Chase • 153 Chelsea • 98 Coco Cream • 23 Colter • 31 Conan • 8 Connor • 149

Cooper • 45 Cora • 141

D Dani • 14 Daniel • 31 Danny • 111 Devon • 45

E Eddie • 16 Elijah • 139 Ellie • 82 Emerance • 128 Emily • 142 (Ada) Emily • 119 (Seven Oaks) Emmerson • 114 The Emperor • 26 Eternal Darkness • 27 Evan • 54

F/G Faith • 100 Forest • 99 Frannie • 57 Gabriela • 41 Gabrielle • 133 Grace • 47 Gus T. • 72 Gus W. • 45

163

H/I Harper • 46 Hayleigh • 128 Indy • 47 Isaac • 147 Isabelle • 100

J Jackson • 32 Jenna • 91 Jeremiah • 107 Jiawei • 16 Josie • 123 Juan • 154 Julia • 145 Juliet • 10 Justice • 32 (Rose Hill) Justice • 140 (Ada County)

K Kaiya • 86 (Foothills) Kaiya • 134 (Frank Church) Kaleb • 74 Katelyn • 8 Katherine • 84 Kaytlynn • 143 Kookie Bear • 25 Kylee • 79

L Landon • 97 (Seven Oaks) Landon • 145 (Ada County) Lauren • 133 Lilly • 49 Leah • 35 Levi • 59 Luca • 77 Lucy • 39

M Maddy • 150 Mallory C. • 121 Mallory H. • 104 Meadow • 17 Megan • 108 Mi’kele • 93 164

Mia • 35 Michael • 96 Mussa • 141

N/O/P/Q Nick • 155 Noah C. • 115 Noah D. • 102 Olivia • 13 (Hawthorne) Olivia • 118 (Seven Oaks) Owen ( Jack) • 91 Paisley • 7 Quirk Humor • 24

R Reggie • 95 Reid • 32 Remmi • 38 Riley • 67 Ronen • 40 Ryan • 144

S Sabrina • 40 Sahasra • 15 Sam • 36 (Roosevelt) Sam • 48 (Foothills) Sammy • 37 (Roosevelt) Sammy • 140 (Ada County) Sawyer B. • 116 Sawyer N. • 99 Scarlet • 18 Sonia • 127

T Tanner • 66 Tifany • 156 Tin Tin • 130 Tobias • 50

V/W/Y Victoria • 105 Weston • 92 Yaisen • 135 Violet • 52

CAMBIA WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS 2019

UTENSIL The ridges are like the teeth of a lion. A net catching fish. Rapid waters leading out onto the calm river. Tastes like an ordinary plastic cup you may find in your home. Clanging together they sound like a sword fight in the middle ages. The mix of two things trying to fit in like a unicorn in a field of horses. They all describe the mysterious….. spork. – SABRINA, Roosevelt Elementary School The Cabin is a Boise, Idaho literary arts organization. We forge community through the voices of all readers, writers, and learners. The Writers in the Schools (WITS) program brings professional teaching-writers into Treasure Valley schools and juvenile detention centers to provide in-depth writing instruction and confidence-building feedback to local students.

LOG CABIN BOOKS LITERATURE