Starry Night
Mei Ling Spears Blue eyes shine in moonlight, In the starry black backdrop. What do you see, When you look at the stars? I see you look at the stars in the sky, With longing in your eyes. With wonder and hope, You want something more than this. World Mei Ling Spears Vision of light and colors Religion and silenced lies. Never forgiven because They don’t understand. You hurt others so much Yet you’re hurting inside too. Pain Is a Joke To You Mei Ling Spears Vision of destruction, Religion is foolish to you. People never forgive you, But I do. Waking up alone, Rushing to your safe place, Just to feel something. Dripping blood, Is spilling, Running all around you. Rips and tears in your mind, yet you’ve still got a special place in my heart. Seeing Through Transparency
Piper Zschack A glass rests on the table. Half full or half empty? I have never been able to answer that question. It seems to be an impossible task, one that requires me to ask was water poured in? Or did it pour out? That’s what the question should be about. When water’s poured in, dropped from the clouds, it builds an ocean; flooring me. And yet it still shrouds the answer that begs imploringly to be seen. Does this mean the glass is half full? Or is there more that we can glean? What of when the glass starts full? Till water spills like a leaking ship’s hull and trickles away until the scene stills There’s more to the glass than transparency can see. Does this mean the glass is half empty? I think I know what the answer could be. A glass rests on the table. Half full or half empty? I now know that it’s neither. It’s a modus vivendi. And I’m a believer that you can’t see the glass for what it is until you’ve seen where it’s been. the wind
Hajar El Bouamri 10/18 the wind is a graceful element of air brushing your hair against your eyes not being able to see for a while realizing how it can affect you at that very moment the rose petals and autumn leaves follow it’s unforgettable path opening your eyes just to make sure it wasn’t a dream because the wind is powerful, the wind is free the wind is me |
Art to Her
Najae McCoy Art It is within Najae Through her veins Though her mind, it is what she knows best When stressed with a lot on her chest, She is a mess at rest wrapped in her second home Art Madness, a chaotic world Where she stands, a creative girl, with her mind set on change The mishappenings hurt her one by one Her brush stroke is her light when there is no sun A gun saddens her soul, so she holds onto her love for Art Her hands molding the terracotta clay She’s got the world in her palms And it’s spinning round’ on that wheel Can’t knock her desire Baby, it’s like steel Missing her next meal due to the connection so real Rumble. Growl. Tummy ache. But she definitely could stomach it Stuck perfecting the art she is one with Being gripped by progression, being reminded of perfection by the second And the crazy ideas she’s running with. Insomnia when the environment is unjust Though she is often shaken up she must Let her mind release its thoughts And time fly in its own way as she drifts into her own space With patience and dedication, She allows tragedy to spark her creation But, not in every situation Sometimes she reflects her own face on papers with no mirror facing Because if you look at yourself enough, you remember your features Looking at her skies for inspiration, Just in case her love was something she ever lost faith in Art Her Reason, her love, passion, second home and first place She ever found reassurance and comfort in the making At ease, she can now sleep, no difficulty doing so, now no fatigue Art Her getaway, her inhale, exhale, her addiction, love at first sight, At last, it is her peace. Letter to My Father Jai’Dyn Johnson, Grade 12 You not being here made a big impact on me but I didn’t let your absence negatively affect me. It hurt embracing the fact that you being there for me wasn’t going to happen. I cried on numerous occasions, not because I was sad, but because I had a gap that was empty. I’ve tried other ways to find closure, but nothing was anything like a father’s love. I don’t even know what that feels like. However, nature abhors a vacuum. And so I’ve had an urge to fill myself up since you chose not to. I have read and talked and watched and listened to people who understand what it means to be a fatherless daughter and I am more complete now. I did my Capstone presentation on this topic and brought myself and others to tears. Tears of knowing, of understanding, of pain, and of the triumph of the serenity prayer. I don’t know what the future holds but I know that I don’t want much to do with you--or anyone on your side of the family. I thought inviting you to my graduation was a step toward me being a better person, but you said no. Now I’ve just built a stronger hate towards you. You never were there for me, EVER! Not for kindergarten graduation, 8th grade graduation, or all four of my high school dances. I know prom and my high school graduation you will miss, but I prepared myself for that last year. So in conclusion, I don’t think I’ll ever forgive you. I wonder if, after all this, you can ever redeem yourself and be a man or a father to your children. Life the night before Halloween 2016 Kennyah Cooper 4/19 So, it was a foggy night, dark but we had street lights and we had alleys. The alleys were dark and you never knew what was down them unless you had a flashlight. I had a sleepover and my cousins, my friends, and my best friend stayed 3 nights in a row. We went outside the night before Halloween and my friend’s friend wanted to come over and I didn’t like her so I and my best friend ran to hide when she went in her house. As we were running we ran into an alley because, like I said before, it was dark. She would not have been able to see us. We started running faster and we got halfway to the end of the alley when I tripped over a brick and flew into the air. I landed on my arm and hand but I laughed it off. I knew it hurt but I was that “tough” girl and I never showed people the soft side of me. We went the rest of the night fine and I was still that “mean,” “tough” girl. The morning came and my arm was blue and purple, sore and I couldn’t move it. I was still not crying or saying ouch, but in my head I was screaming and doing everything possible to not show my pain. I went into my mom’s room and showed her my arm and I cried in there. She was like, you can only have one person with you when we go to the ER. I kicked all my cousins and friends out and told my closest cousin she could come with me but I pulled her to the side when I told her. We arrived at the ER and they told me that my arm was fractured, not broken and it was badly bruised. We went home and I could see that I was a brave person. That I experienced very bad pain and I came back to new, maybe even a little stronger. Intuition Arius Feliciano 4/19 It was a little family dinner at Golden Corral. We were all enjoying the food and each other's company. Me being a kid about 12 years old, I was especially enjoying the chocolate fountain. Once everyone was ready to go we all noticed that it was pouring outside; it was late so it was dark out too. We all acknowledged the rain and just hoped it wasn't going to be too difficult to drive. Once we were ready we all said goodbye and left. I was in the car with my mom, my little brother, and my older brother. We started driving on the highway and the rain began putting me to sleep. I don't remember how long I was asleep, but when I woke up I had a really weird feeling, as if something bad was going to happen. I saw my little brother in his car seat but he wasn't strapped in. Usually I wouldn't care because he wasn’t too little but this time I decided to strap him up tightly. A couple minutes went by and out of nowhere I felt the car start to swerve. My stomach stopped as I prepared for the worst. I quickly held my little brother back into his car seat with my right arm. I heard my mom screaming as the car was spinning and spinning on the highway. I looked at my older brother in the front seat who had a surprised expression on his face but didn’t seem terrified. Feeling the car spin out of control made me think it was going to start flipping soon, but I stayed calm, surprisingly. The car continued to turn and my mom continued to scream. Then the car finally stopped spinning and we came to a stop. We all just sat there in surprise, thankful that we were alive and not injured. Illusion Nadia S. Gaskins 3/19 Astray, Wounded, And petrified. She fears the thought of getting better, Even though she tells herself she is ready to look terror in the Face. She thinks she is bold enough to damn Death for trying to claim her. But yet, she forgets. She forgets that she shuddered when Loneliness’ hands locked themselves around her throat. She forgets that she cowers at the mere mention of her trauma’s name. She forgets that she used to welcome Death with open arms. She forgets the contract she signed with every drop of her blood. She forgets that she engraved her name in Death’s list with her blade. Astray, Wounded, And dazed. Built up tears F A L L F R E E L Y As she breathes. She dances in the gardens Of her facade of being Fearless. Yet she forgets, Fearlessness isn’t real. The days I got murdered Nyla Kibler 3/19 Warning: This is the book of a girl that has gone wild in the days before her sister's wedding. Be very aware about what is going to happen... Day 1: Wedding Ideas “Anna, it has been 2 days since Ross put a ring on your hand.” “Mom, I know but I want to get a head start for the wedding and since it’s in the spring. I want to have a spring wonderland wedding and I want a big wedding. “But honey, isn’t it too soon to start even-- oh hang on. Someone is calling me. Hello, this is Michelle speaking. “Hello, mother. It has been 25 years. Hey, I was wondering how long are you going to keep this lie from her. I mean sooner or later she is going to find out. No matter how many times you pay me to go away, I will always find you. By the way, I think the red roses and lilies are better together. I mean it shows how much bloodshed you did in order to get rid of me,” Michelle said. “Hey Miss Turner, someone ordered these flowers for you,” said the woman at the counter. “Thank you?” “Oh mom!” said Anna. “Did daddy send them to you? “No, daddy did not send these flowers to me because daddy knows that I don't like roses and lilies. Anna, let's go home and start planning the wedding. Okay, you know what? Can you get us some food while I call daddy about something?” Marie calls her husband. “Bill, Bill, it's her again. She found me and Anna! Wait, what do you mean she found you and Anna. It's been 25 year. The last time we saw her she was 3 years old. What else does she want from us unless she found out what happened years before?” “Honey,” Bill said. “That’s impossible. How could she know about it? The only way--shit! Holly must have told her. Holly has always been by her side since they were 3.” “Hey mom,” said Anna. “I got our food. Ready to eat?” “Yes, I will talk to you when we get home from the flower shop,” she said and hung up. (3 hours later) “Honey, we're home. Where are you?” Michelle called out. “Anna, I'm going going upstairs to daddy. You try to call our wedding planner on the phone.” “Okay!” "Bill, Bill! What are we--Wait. Let's close the door. While they thought they closed the door, Anna was listening to the whole thing. “Anna cannot know about her sister,” Michelle said to Bill. “She cannot know about Magan’s first death as a baby and how the doctor found her a day later still “alive.” And let's not forget her powers.” “Honey, you’re right. We need to figure out what do with Magan. Anna was trying to figure out what do. The Hammer of History Nadia S. Gaskins 3/19 Black. History. I’ll say it again. BLACK. History. Dragged through the sludge of concealment. Sewn together with the needle of ignorance, And the threads of oblivion. Shoved down the throats of the oppressed. Locked away six feet Under In the casket of abandonment. This can’t be known, never tell. White. History. I’ll say it again. WHITE. History. Lifted over the achievements of the “minorities.” Paraded through the gardens of glory, And down the streets of justification. Locked away in the glass case of eternity. Theft twisted into worshipped achievements. Labor left as it was… “For the savages.” Truth cast into the pits of forgetfulness. Inventions stamped with the names of robber barons. Dreams crushed under racism’s hammer. Do you dare challenge my views? How about you stand on the other side of History’s mirror and answer me this one question: Am I wrong? Alone Ny-Airra Houston 3/19 The past few days were nothing but confusing and weird but I’m here sitting in the foster home the social worker’s placed me in. They’re nice people but I wish I had my own room to do the things I need to do and for the girl I share a room with to mind her business. She's always asking me “why are you here?”, “what happened in my life?”, “why I became so quiet?”, “why I don’t talk to her or anyone else?” I be wanting to scream at her but I can’t, I just can’t. It wouldn't be right even though she was bugging me with these damn questions I CLEARLY DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT. My social worker came and asked me how I was holding up. I told her what's been going on and how I was doing. She mentioned therapy and I was kind of scared to say yes because I know I need it but then again I don't want to talk to a stranger about my problems. I just said yes to it so she could go away. She told me I start next Tuesday. The days went by quick. Today is the day I go to therapy. I don't know how I feel about it. Ever since what happened I’ve had no emotion, but today, the day I start therapy, I feel nervous, nervous to talk to a stranger about what happened, nervous to say why I became so distant, so quiet. I walked into the office and signed in and they took me to where I would be meeting my therapist. I waited about 5 minutes, then BOOM, she came in. My heart was pounding like crazy. I tried to calm down but you could see it in my face, you could see that I was shaking in my chair . She introduced herself , her name was Lola , Lola Peterson . I tried to introduce myself but nothing came out. She found that weird I guess because she was looking at me strange and I knew why . She told me, “that it's okay to speak and that I need to calm down.” I took her advice and calmed myself down. I got up, told her my name was “Kia , Kia Brown,” and shook her hand. The first session went by quick; I kind of opened up to her. I told her my parents had died and she asked how. I told her that was for another day. My foster parents came to pick me up and let me remind you I never spoke to them until today. It felt like something changed inside me that felt good. They asked me, “how was your first session?” “It went good,” I said. They asked, “Did you open up a little?” I said, “Yes , yes I did.” We arrived at our house, 22 Fourth Main Street. It was quiet , very quiet. I didn't like it. “Was it always this quiet? I asked myself. It set off a weird vibe. I got out the car and took a look around. That's when I saw something , something weird , something tall. It was a man standing at the corner of my block looking at me. I stood there, quiet--not scared, just quiet. That's when my foster parents asked me “what was I looking at?” I turned to them and said nothing. I looked back , then boom. He was gone , gone in a flash. I walked into the house and went straight to my room without saying anything to anybody. I sat down on my bed and started thinking , thinking hard. I wasn't scared of the bad thoughts I was thinking; that's normal for me, to be honest with you. I wasn’t scared at all. I kept asking myself “who was that strange man?” over and over again. I dozed off and woke up from a nightmare that didn't scare me but it hit my heart like a bullet. I sat up, rewinding what had happened in my dream. My dream was about a man doing a home invasion on my foster parents’ house, killing everybody but me, once again. It felt weird because the first time it happened , it happened in real life. It happened to people I loved dearly. It broke me, but that's another story for another time. Creative Writers Perform at Annual Metamorphosis Showcase
The Sun is Me
Malyiah Mullings 3/19 The sun is a graceful feeling in the air. Shining against your skin. Burning you. Not being able to hide from it. Realizing how it can affect you at that very moment. The sun follows you as you travel in its unforgettable path. Opening your eyes to make sure it’s still bright and yellow because the sun is hot, the sun is shining, the sun is me. The Beauty of Destruction Eliza Vargas 3/19 There is beauty in the destruction In mine Yours And life The beauty of the pain that has been passed down Generation after generation The smiles that have been paused at one specific moment in time and kept on repeat for years to come The pain that has stayed for years and will continue on forevermore The beauty of the hurt is that it doesn’t hurt more than the memory It sticks to your mind like industrial glue Haunting you for each year and trigger to come And the beauty of destruction The oh so beautiful beauty in the burning embers after the flames have settled and the smoke has cleared The beauty in my face as the tears drop and the eyes shimmer in the light There is beauty in the destruction In mine Yours And life Goodbye letter to you… Jaidyn Johnson Something tells me that you still love me. But also a side of me tells me you don’t care. You need to understand that you can’t keep coming in and out of my life when it’s convenient for you. I get into the process of moving on and you keep coming back. It’s like you see me happy and bettering myself and you feel like you can get in on that. You call me and think we’re okay and you’re wrong. I know I sound like I don’t want to talk and that’s exactly what it is. I loved you but leave me alone. The World According to Liz Elizabeth Condall Things that make me excited Things that make me excited are… getting a new room whenever I move and I move every 5 years or so; it’s not enough that it’s bothersome or causes an inconvenience, but enough that I get super excited when I get a new room. This is timely because I moved last Friday and I’m thinking about how I want my room set up. I love when my mom tells me that I get to pick a new color for my room. I love trying to arrange my room to my liking. Sometimes I get to take up carpet or put some down. It’s really the best thing ever. Since I’m moving to a different state, it’ll be a very different feeling, but I think I’ll still be as excited. It’s a good thing. Something that makes me excited is…getting new shoes. I’m still 5 at heart and when I get new shoes I get so hyped. I always casually get new shirts or pants because when I’m out with my mom running errands we usually see cute items in clearance and she buys them for me. But it’s completely different when I get shoes. It’s usually planned and budgeted in by my mother and it’s on a specific day. I get to go home and fantasize what I’m going to wear with the shoes and when. It’s my peace. Something that makes me excited is…drinking a Mcdonald's Sprite. Now I know that seems weird, but I call them “Spicy Sprites.” They’re different from a regular Sprite that you’d get in a store; they’re strong. When I drink them it’s like I’m drinking a shot at a club or something. Everytime I go to Mcdonald’s I get a 4-piece sweet Barbecue Tender Meal with a medium fry and a large Sprite. The best part of the meal is when I eat all my food and have a sip of the Sprite. Boy, it’s so good. It’s the best drink. Something that makes me excited is…jumping on a trampoline. I’ve never had a trampoline; my mom has never gotten me one because she doesn’t like them. I very rarely get to go to a friend’s house with a trampoline or go to a place like Sky Zone, but when I do I literally never want to leave. I always want to stay way after everyone wants to go. Even though my legs are actual noodles when I get off the trampoline, I still want to go back and experience more. It’s so fun. I have so many things that make me excited, but these are just a few. Things that disgust me November 16, 2018 Something that disgusts me is…people who litter. People who just throw things on the ground are so dirty. It really annoys me more when I see people throw trash on the ground in New Haven because there are trash cans on every corner. On every block there's a trash can; so there should be no reason not to wait to throw something out. It's disgusting. Something that disgusts me is…parents who show favoritism. I truly can’t stand when parents think it’s okay to give one child more and give another child less. I can't speak from personal experience because it hasn't happened to me, but I have friends that have to deal with their parents taking better care of one child for insignificant reasons. It's dumb. Something that disgusts me is…people who abuse pets or animals in general. It really makes me sad to see people who have dogs keep them in cages all the time or on leashes outside. I don't think there's a point in having a pet if you're not going to take of them. Bring them to an animal shelter or find someone to take care of them, but don't mistreat them; animals hurt and feel pain just like humans. It's horrible. Something that disgusts me is…people who bully other people. This is something that is talked about all the time and has been talked about for years as people are continuously trying to shine a light on the problem, but I wholeheartedly can't stand bullying. People only bully other people they know won't defend themselves and I think that's what bothers me the most. To consciously know that a person won't respond to the punches or the hateful words being spewed at them shows who the bully is as a person. It's cowardly. Something that disgusts me is…people who always make white and black jokes. They're not funny; there I said it. When people say things like ¨that’s only white people...¨ or ¨white people only...¨ it’s annoying. People really say things like ¨black people do this...¨ and expect laughs. It makes my entire body wince and cringe. They only push stereotypes. It's not funny. --------------------------------- Things that make me happy By Elizabeth Condall Something that makes me happy is...people who are unapologetically free and happy. It’s really a beautiful sight to see someone who lives for their own self and doesn’t let anyone ruin what’s going on for them. It’s something that I admire because I’m always limiting myself because I’m afraid. A lot of things scare me. To see someone doing something that I want to do is really wonderful. It’s beautiful. Something that makes me happy is…people who have the same music taste as me. I would say that music is a huge part of my life because there’s not a day that I don’t listen to music. It makes me feel whole, as corny as that sounds. Music really emphasizes feelings I feel. I really don’t understand how certain people don’t listen to music. It’s crazy. So when I find someone who appreciates the same music as me, it’s the purest thing to me. My music isn’t even in English half the time; sometimes I listen to Japanese, Spanish, Taiwanese, Polish, Korean, and all kinds of different bops. It’s pure. Something that makes me happy is…getting new school supplies for a new school year. There’s something about getting brand new pencils and brand new notebooks that excites me. It’s the most satisfying feeling to start writing in a new notebook with a new pen or pencil. I love getting new folders and writing what subject they are going to be for. Going to school isn’t even as fun as going to get those brand new school supplies. It’ satisfying. Something that makes me happy is…laughing. Laughing has to be the best thing on Earth. I couldn't imagine going throughout life not laughing. I love it; it's such a good feeling. An even better feeling is laughing with good people and spending quality time with those people. The number one person who makes me laugh is my best friend, Chelsey. When we're together, laughter is something that comes with ease. We have a different sense of humor so to me she’s the funniest person I’ve met in my life. As cliche as this is, everyone should live and laugh. It’s exhilarating. Something that makes me happy is…doing my homework at my desk. I discovered a week ago that it’s really soothing and a lot more comfortable than sitting on my bed to do my work. It’s common sense that you’d sit at a desk to do work, but I just never thought about it like that. It´s new. Things that bother me By Elizabeth Condall Something that makes me is nervous is…people who stand up and walk around me or by me. Especially if I'm sitting down, it scares me. I don't know if that person is going to kidnap me, mug me, anything really. It might be a little irrational; I even ask family members or friends to sit down because it makes me nervous. It's scary. Something that scares me is… water. Water actually terrifies me. Even showering is trying for me. I don't know what it is about water, but it frightens me. When I'm in a pool I get scared that a shark is underneath me. I can´t see underneath me and that just makes me feel some type of way. I love being clean, but when I shower I flinch when the water touches me. I don´t like the feeling on my skin and I hate being wet. Combine the both of those and I just hate water altogether. Something that makes me nervous…having to talk to new people. I'm a very social person and I don't mind speaking to other people. Meeting new people is something that I enjoy, but the initial contact I dread. It's always awkward and weird trying to navigate where the conversation is going or where the conversation is supposed to be. It´s weird. Something that scares me is… the possibility that I won´t accomplish anything in life, that I'll be in the same place, doing the same thing when I'm older. I want to travel and see things and really live my life to my best ability. I don't want to disappoint my mom and my family. I want to be successful and do my best. It's worrisome. Something that makes me nervous…is going to the beach. For most people, it's really calming, but I feel like I can´t breathe. It's almost suffocating being at the beach. Maybe it's not even being nervous, but I've never liked the beach anyway. I've always felt like the sand is going to cave into the ground. The beach is too much for me anyway; the water is scary, there are too many people, and overall I just never end up having a good time. It´s bothersome. These are some of the weird things about me--all of my weird fears and anxieties that don't necessarily make sense. |