POETRY
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The Stars in the Sky
By Miniya K. Ture (6/22) There are endless stars in the sky Yet you and I are here As the moon turns the tides And the shore disappears And despite the lights that shroud the sky The stars are always near As the sun comes up once more You awaken from your rest You’re told to seize the day And always do your best But it’s hard to carpe diem When your thoughts are just a mess As the world forever changes You never know what’s next But you write another paper And send another text And you watch from the window As the headlines get more complex As you try to drift off And you try to forget You’re still left thinking Is this the worst yet? How much more must we go through Until enough are upset? How much more until they realize that we aren’t a threat? It’s a cycle of pain That I cannot deny It’s a sorrowful cycle That affects many of mine And as the wheels turn, I wonder Who will draw that line? Is it you? Is it me? Some of us are just kids We can’t destine the world To some baby in a bib And we can’t trust adults Who are mentally in cribs How could we make a change? Who would listen to you? Is your voice loud enough To change their point of view? How many stars will align Before your wishes come true? It gets too overwhelming So we form into a ball We hug ourselves tight And make ourselves real’ small And sometimes we try to just Forget about it all So just imagine a star That shines bright in the sky Too far to reach And way too high But although it’s small It still caught your eye As a glistening spectacle The light shines through To the pool of your eyes You can realize what’s true You see that that star Is a reflection of you As you may start to spiral You realize what’s clear You feel insignificant As many might fear But you have to stand straight And wipe away your tears Because no matter how quiet your voice may be Someone will lend you an ear And no matter how many stars may be in the sky You and I are still here. Life’s Incandescent Touch Nelly J. Padilla 5/22 Nostalgia wafts in the air to an autumn-scented candle. We all wear oversized hoodies and sweaters that comfort the heart and socks that comfort the skin. The warm light of the candle smiles upon us as we smile at each other, basking in the cinnamon and pumpkin spice-filled atmosphere, the spirit changing like the trees within this season. The scent is inviting but not nearly enough as the aroma of affection. Happiness is simplicity, and simplicity is vague. Let your mental perspective become malleable to this perception of life. The American Dream: What Is It? Michael Chung 5/22 The American Dream What is it? Is it the crucial and critical acceptance of others That has one looking at themselves in disgust if they don’t get it? Is it the apps on which people post less for themselves but more for the validation of others Making the scariest part of the day the chance they might not get enough of it? Is it the hours of sitting on the floor and comparing When looking at an influencer they see on the internet Whose filters and Photoshop hide the flaws they both share But they'll never tell you that? Why? Simply, because if they do They'll lose their grasp on the American Dream The American Dream What is it? Is it the self sabotaging actions we all make in the world daily With our useless decisions which will kill our future generations And destroy humanity as a whole? Is it the selfish acts we make to get somewhere faster Or have a couple of hours of fun That kills thousands of animals in one year alone? We will never recognize or reverse it Why? Simply because if we do We will lose our grasp on the American dream The American Dream What is it? Is it the hundreds of years in which people of color were enslaved Beaten and whipped, not if they did something wrong But if they did not help their “owner” enough or do more of what they were told? Sorry not told, demanded Is it the oppression one faces not because of the bad choices they have made Or the negative impacts they have caused But because of the color of their skin And the culture they possess? Is it the first row seat one has when watching their brothers and sisters get beaten to death Or lynched from the same tree they used to have a picnic at? Is it the extra miles one will have to walk to get to a “colored school” When there's one teaching the same curriculum and grade down the street? But they will never make the slate completely fair Why? Simply because if they did They would then lose their grasp on the American Dream The American Dream What is it? Is it the empty stomachs begging for food on the streets Spending most of the day sitting in places meant for our feet? Is it our full stomach walking past them without a second glance Knowing there was food still left on our plate? But why would we give the rest? The earth was created for everyone to share But they will never take less so others can have more Why? Simply because if they did They would then lose their grasp on the American Dream Dear America
Maerose Parker 5/22 We’re heading backward. We’re heading for disaster. The hate in your eyes will always cause damage to me. Why? Cause I’m Black. Supposedly slavery ended in 1864 and we were free. We were never free. You just want us to be washed away. You just want us to float in the ocean. Do you even know what freedom means? Please explain what you mean by the land of the free. This isn’t the land of the free. The natives, my ancestors, were slain for my liberty. We’re still not free. You don’t want us to be. Explain what you mean by ”The land of the free.” Everything I was taught in school was a lie. Oh say can you see, but can you really see? I can see. We have one nation under God. We’re floating in an ocean. We’re running blind in truth. I won’t let my freedom rot in hell! So I’m going to fight for it with all the strength I get. I’ll do whatever I can for my people. I’m walking in the path of Harriet Tubman. I’m leading my people to the freedom and separation line. We’re doing what Moses did, fighting with the strength we have until we die for our people. The rose color is starting to fade away for us. This is why I don’t mind losing blood on my way to salvation. I want better for us. You're not helping us, you just dropped us into the ocean. What I’ve been shown and sold isn’t what I believe. So I’m rewriting the narrative. What does Freedom mean? The American Dream Kiaharra Moore 5/22 The American dream is not what it seems The American dream comes with people that are naive The American dream uses weapons to defeat The dream, to me, is the dream we cannot see The American dream is the one we control but yet don’t seek The American dream is not what it seems Being Black was the American dream Until people used me as the one nobody can see The American dream has taken lives after lives And lied upon lies The American dream comes with fear The American dream are the words that we always wanted to hear The American dream is not what it seems The dream has been forgotten that we all have yet to see The dream is only hurting the ones that look like me Living like me is not much fun, living like me we always have to run The American dream is a disaster The American dream has yet to show the true imposter The dream we see is the dream that will never be The dream I see will never be a reality The American dream is not what it seems The American dream needs to be stopped without any ease The American dream is not what it seems The American dream needs structure and peace The dream to me is the dream where people scream The American dream is no longer a blessing The American dream constantly has people stressing I hate the American dream; it’s a constant struggle The American dream just goes to show that our lives are unsolved puzzles The American dream must be stopped; the American dream will always be on top “I can’t breathe” is the saying that goes but we can see and still nobody knows The American dream is not what it seems In America we see a life without equality The dream is now over and you still have the power The American dream has you completely devoured The American dream is not what it seems The dream was your child that now has to rest The dream is now final and laid by its nest. Our Miserable Love Trinity Ford 5/22 I was so infatuated with the thought of you that I denied the truth It takes 365 days to break a habit so how have I lived more days without you than with you? I depended on your words and now I am living in solitude There is comfort in the reality that my loneliness can not reject me even if you do but that at least his presence is persistent even if yours is not I’ll admit that I so desperately want touch that I will risk my vulnerability for it in hopes I won’t plummet I am not afraid of love I am simply afraid of loss so spare me when I say it is okay to be alone I still find it tragic how we easily place our hearts into the hands of those who cannot comprehend fragility, those who will leave us wondering why we are not good enough So the difference between you and I is, I loved you despite the darkest parts of you, but the moment I undressed my demons your love was of the table But now I know that forever is only temporary in the eyes of those who cannot handle acceptance Still, I am making excuses instead of accepting that some souls we are meant to keep and others we are not Still trying to justify your character You did not realize I consisted of depth and complexity You could not silence me and that is why our forever was so short So now in the most “respectful” way I must say, “To hell with your demons” A Downpour of Us Adi Clermont 5/22 You walked down the street wrong I saw it in your hands Shoved in pockets, in fists, graceful as always A hollow mind of sound body Whisked away by the drum of the water I see it in your bones you’re grateful for the storm Etched into muscle, the carving is drowned out by the pouring And I am drowned out by you And the pavement below you; wet and eroding Pounds of rain Made of you, acidic and all you’ve ever wanted Free from thought, you walked down the street wrong And free from me you tore through yourself For you are the rain: baseless and wild And I am from before the clouds made to be Chele Swaby 5/22 you see that shiny poofy hair and smooth bronze skin with cute clothes tailored to perfection you think of me like a beautiful glass doll because with a smile i greet you, with laughter i enjoy you, but one slip up i expose my cracks and you question why i am: i am made to look elegant, yet with one breeze can fall and with your remarks you remind me of all of my makers who made me feel so small. it began while i was a prototype put into the world to be showcased they judged me and ridiculed me and when i was sent back to my workshop my makers made fun of me, too "you mustn't do this anymore or we will send you to be broken" with every word the cracks began to form and those became my tears, my defense mechanism that i wanted to, but could not, control such an integral part of me though it hurt so much i took it as my own because those little crystalized shards were all i had to my name all i had when those around me wanted to find someone to blame i wish i wasn't glass. don't you think i tried to take this soul and make myself become porcelain, plastic, or wool? if i became what everyone else desired, a doll that was perfect and lovable and not dangerous then perhaps i would be respected? loved? wanted? but although glass can shatter, i am not strong enough to break thus i stay confined to this body and mind that those around me deemed a prison i am both jailor and criminal tortured for eternity for my mistakes and my sharp, sharp glass that i can only subdue so much before i mistakenly cut someone again -- before i hurt you and everyone i love again and return to the tarnished and imperfect floor where my shattered pieces and loneliness still lie. America Antoine Pittman 5/22 The American dream The American dream where everyone can succeed But the American dream? Where the people have to flee from our police America Where people come for a better life America, where people come to give their children better educations But also America where people get their children taken and put in cages? America Justice for all, a line in a pledge we must learn Justice for all where every human deserves liberty But justice for white men is what they meant America The land of opportunity The land of opportunity where people can achieve their dreams But the land of opportunity where Black men will get their necks kneeled on? America The land of the free The land that people consider a safe haven But the land of the free where you have a longer prison sentence based on your race? America The country that's so accepting America the free country But America where marriage between two men was punishable when I was only 10 But I love America I've gotta be grateful to live here Because if I were to be born somewhere else I could have been woken up by bombs from America But I love America I've gotta be grateful to live here Because since I live in a poorer neighborhood We have more fast food But I love America I've gotta be grateful to live here, right? Because if I had been born outside of America Things would be worse ‘cause we know what you do to your enemies. Away From Sailing Johana Perez-Altamirano 5/22 Inspired by ee cummings perhaps… (just perhaps) they thought to sail on torn away a boat use their shoes like paddles sweep through the ocean like they’re walking on dust. perhaps even listen to the rhythmic winds that sound like thumping fingers on wood or feel the fresh breeze that is akin to the nightly cool waves it’s all a dream, they think but the sun p o u r i n g down heavily onto their skin states otherwise the heat is too intense and it’s been two weeks since. Not America Mariana Zepeda 5/22 Is America the right place to come to achieve your goals? Are you ready to see America as it truly is and not as the paradise it is said to be? Are you ready to deal with people who will look at you like you’re some sort of freak? Are you ready to start from zero and rise up on your own? Then let us begin your journey, here in America Welcome to America Should we welcome you by saying a slur? Or perhaps a call to the police? The choice isn’t yours America isn’t as bad as it seems, right? We have freedom, opportunities, and rights But it was taken over; they took our country by force It was for the sake of starting a place that could one day be land for everyone America It is a place where race disconnected us It is a place where stereotypes defined us It is a place where religion divided us And a place where wealth classified us America You claim to bring people closer, when in reality you separate them You push away people who seek an opportunity here You lock them away in cages and deny entry to this country America You gave us access to guns They have fallen in the hands of the wrong people and killed innocent lives From elementary schools to high schools, movie theaters, and supermarkets We’re no longer safe America Why must I hide my identity? Why should others hide where they come from? Their own roots Should we be ashamed of ourselves for being different? Being diverse? America Since when did the color of skin matter? Does it offend you? Does it not represent your country? Should I just bleach my skin? America Who said that I had to speak English here? Since when was English the official language? I should be able to speak whichever language I want I’m not planning a bombing, I’m not planning anything malicious I just asked my mom what kind of milk she wanted America Please fix yourself This is not America It never was Burn Your Wings if You Wish to Fly Jaidyn Wein 5/22 I always wonder how Daedalus felt When it was not him, but his son Icarus who was written into history. I always wonder how my father would feel If he discovers that my success was created without him entirely. However, after being grounded for so long, and finally learning to fly, Prophecy shows that it won’t be long before I fall, because... Life isn’t fair, and it certainly isn’t kind. I used to think I had to be kind to compensate; Told that I had to give kindness just because I still could, But what did that leave for me? I miss the days When the thought of unreturned kindness Was a unique concept to write about. I miss when unrequited love Was not considered a cliche. Life isn’t fair, and it certainly isn’t kind. I wonder which I fear more; Silence within a crowd, Or echoes of an answer in an empty room. For as Daedalus worries about the roar of the sun’s flame, Icarus wonders about the quiet in the air. Because for those without wings, falling is the closest we can get to flying. I Must Be Dreaming Miniya Ture 4/22 America is a dream Unless you’re not white Or unless you're a woman It’s a dream until you have to live off of minimum wage Or stay home when you’re sick Because you can’t afford a trip to the hospital America is a dream Until you can’t tell a kid from a criminal And you pull the trigger at the threat of a hood America is a dream Where protests are seen as riots And riots are seen as a revolution America is a dream Where men have a say in what women do with their bodies And don’t take no for an answer America is a dream For the colorists and racists Blinded by the societal standard of beauty And the falsities of supremacy America is a dream Until your taxes are spent on warfare Instead of housing Or education America is a dream Until you’re terrorized For an act of terrorism you never committed America is a dream Until they blame you for the pandemic And attempt to claim your culture as their own America is a dream Unless you were here first Yet reduced to a percentage on a map America is a dream Where they keep kids in cages Even though all they wanted was a safe haven America is a dream Until you can be killed for the clothes you wear Or for whatever may be under them America is a dream For the little white men in suits Who fly into space Because they have nothing better to do with their money And the little white women Who point fingers at us With their crocodile tears And as we struggle through our nightmare We look up at those that are dreaming And envy their disregard To dream to be so high in life You couldn’t care less about those below America is a dream Like a painted picture With a false wall And as you wake up And peer through the cracks, You can see how faulty This dream really is Our Galaxy Is Just a Big Black Hole Ariana Morera 4/22 Space is beautiful, right? Yes, it is beautiful. But why do I think so? I think so because it leaves me with so many options and so many thoughts on what can be out there. But thinking about what could be out there and what I know is out there scares me most. Because knowing that our galaxy was created just to be slowly eaten will always leave me horrified. Right Person Wrong Time By Brianna Lane 4/22 Personally I don’t know how to feel about the concept “right person, wrong time.” Some people feel as though if they love you they won’t leave. Some people feel the opposite. If they love you and they leave it’s okay because they’ll find their way back. What do you do when you’re in the middle? After they’ve left. Before you know if they’re coming back? I know the textbook right answers. Heal, move on, focus on yourself. But how do you do that when all you want to do is crawl into a ball and cry? How do you focus on these things when you’re broken to pieces because one of the best people in your life is gone but still alive? How do you do these things when your person is finding new people to talk to and you’ve yet to find one person to talk with? When the person you told every little detail of your day to and vice versa is unreachable. During this odd waiting period, who’s gonna listen to my nonsensical stories as I break off into tangent after tangent and somehow end up telling 6 stories before I finish the one I began? The stories that nobody else could even begin to understand except you because you just get me? During this odd waiting period, who’s gonna help me understand the emotions I feel As though I can’t understand on my own? During this odd waiting period, who's gonna help me calm down when I'm crying? During this odd waiting period, who’s gonna be able to make me feel better When my heart, mind, soul, and body crave no one but you. Sitting by the blazing fire Tiernen Sands 4.22 A fire must be fed to keep on burning But I'm running out of wood I'm running low on matches Boy Scouts never prepared me to keep the flames alight Only how to start a fire I'm terrified of what I've become A monster of sin I once proclaimed taboo Yet I sit here and consider my options as if I have the right to choose As if I have the vaguest idea of what's right I'm only 17, can't even smoke a cigarette or drink a beer But I have to make a choice, between love and a few turning gears The hardest choices do indeed require the strongest wills And I do not know if I have the will to kill a man in cold blood I do not know if I have the will to cry a single shedded tear When my life is filled with a numb sense of purpose Am I in love, or was I in love? An age old question, but a new one for me. How scary. I sit here late in the night, at 2:18 A.M. pondering the meaning of life and liberty What's real and what's fake I'm hungry, my stomach hurts, a constant reminder of my mortality. A constant reminder I have only so much time left to make a decision. A constant reminder . . . That I am alive. As dreadful as I may feel As broken as I may be As lost as I am in this neverending forest of self doubt and pity. I just so happen to be alive; as sad as that may seem. Now I ask myself one last question Is this a candle, or a pile of logs set ablaze? |
Uvalde
Dariana Pallasco 5/22 No more birthdays No more school days No more I love you No more playing with friends It just stopped It’s pitch black They stopped growing They were 7 They didn’t even get a chance They were only kids Garden Kayla Tirozzi 5/22 I don’t know what you were thinking When you planted these seeds But I promise to blossom Into everything you hoped I’d be I pray these petals unfold I wish to be in full bloom I, a morning glory And you, the sun I long to be your pretty flower But I must be met with meticulous hands Because once plucked, these precious petals won’t grow back I do not have the beauty of a rose nor the radiance of a sunflower I may not be part of your garden But I hope you pick me every time Feather Memories Gabriella Alvarracin 5/22 In the wind Carried by the breeze Feathers twist and turn with time Entwined in my mind Guiding me to forgotten memories Lost and dancing through time I ponder, how does it feel to be free? Oh feather memories Please welcome me! Guide me free! Oh feather memories! Life is a fleeting dream! This blurry changing scenery This storm of feathers Fly me free! My Guardian Angel Sharnise Humphrey Moye 5/22 My guardian angel. My God, this can be so painful. I miss you dearly, I can’t even focus clearly. You were taken from me too fast But this too shall pass. I'm doing this dance to represent the beautiful lady you always were to me. And I want everyone to see What a powerful role model you were to me. You gave me courage and hope And I can never say no Because your words of wisdom Are like my own little kingdom. The strength in my heart It’s something like a piece of art. May 22, 2018 is the day my life changed. It was my heart cause that will never be rearranged. You been gone almost 5 years now, And that’s just crazy. It’s crazy how life moves on so fast. It’s like I close my eyes and boom, flash. I know you look down on me smiling. I mean, you're the reason why I’m writing. You always told me I'm powerful and I can make a change And it’s strange because you still feel at close range. So here, I’m telling my story, I’m so sorry that life took me down slowly, but now I’m ready to party. Party to the very end, I called you my friend because we blend. Enlightened, defend, and most of all We never abandoned each other. You know why, because we made sure that we were covered and you also made sure I was never in danger. So cheers, here’s to love, new beginnings, life, and strength. And trust me, my length goes a long way. My Powerful Lady Rose Imani Tatman 5/22 I’m so delicate to look at As beautiful and tender I accompany thistles just to safeguard my affection and harmony With just one touch I disappear May I come with peace and affection, yet additionally accompany destruction and heartbreak Twilight Sean Moore 5/22 I sit in the twilight Most days I feel like I’m aimless (It’s like I wake up and live yesterday on repeat) Life is like a twilight to me Some days it feels like a repeat (and some days feel new) But for most days, I don’t see much change Life goes on repeat and I just sit there and go along with it Aimlessly strolling along What’s Going on with You? Sincere Hayden 5/22 “what’s going on with you?” this question stirs the invisible pot in my head, making me wonder what is actually going on with me? my body is up for debate by men who will never be in my shoes, my rights as to if i want to bear children are being stripped from me before i know it. the conversation of abortion makes men feel like they need to put their foot down while the women remain silent. i imagined that in 2022 we would live in a world where women have equal rights. there should be no debate on my body and i’m not there to defend myself. and it is absolutely terrifying that they believe that banning abortions would stop people from having them. The lives of young women are at stake because of this ban and it brings me to tears. “whats going on with you?’ there’s a lot going on and i have no way to stop it, in my country i should be able to have the rights over my body without any judgment or disagreement. Journey of the Blanket Eva Berthelot-Hill 5/22 Caught in the blanket of lies When the leaf falls I fly Woven into tight crisp corners Of responsibilities and horrors They look at me and laugh Will this laughter last? The days are getting colder The trees are getting older A threat comes near me Ripping me to pieces, hear me Crying in the fields of sorrow I lay there still, tomorrow Someone throws me away I lay there and stay I am, broken All my words, spoken Thrown around in a bubble Fixed up nice, no trouble Living outside, not in a room Laying on the streets near a strong fume. I need a home, which I lack I wish I could go back When did I get here, how? Is this sadness my life now? Death Is My Fake Friend Corie Thomas 5/22 Death is my fake friend He didn’t wanna help me He forced me to cry He laughed at me while I did Took some people away from me And didn’t say a word So yeah Death is my fake friend Losing Your Love Anelis Perez 4/22 Do I not do enough? I work to be able to get my own things I go to school for my future I clean my own room and clothes Would you say that's not enough? Maybe I'm just tired I need a break to have me time As you do when you get home tired But when I do it, then it's different– Worthless–I don't understand What else can I do? Working at such a young age isn't hard But it does take time Time you would spend with family Time you would spend on your hobbies But I never spent time with you Now all of a sudden it's my fault I don't mean to blame you For my sadness You just keep digging the hole Making me not want to be near you I can’t act like myself around you I have to watch what I say, how I act All you talk about is your problems Normally I would just leave But you are my mother And though I love you I don't know what else to do Do you? Flowers are like people Breyanna Wolf 4/22 There’s a start of sunlight, On summer mornings, That expresses the daylight. When the flowers bloom. As I count 1, 2, 3, 4, Seeing only 20 more, Where the water flows. More flowers seem to grow. The soil is dark, When the sun shines, It becomes bright. After a few days flowers have height The day is nice, Time to fly a kite, Now it’s night. Mania Dariana B. Pallasco 4/22 I feel like I’m always living on the edge, knowing any minute can be my last knowing I could lose you at any moment. Is anything real? Now I see why people go crazy. I have already fallen off the earth. When will I ever stop falling? Will you come and join me? Listen to me! Now I see why people go crazy. I can switch at any moment. What if I can’t stop myself? Will you still be there? Is this too much? Now I see why people go crazy. Everyone's mad Dariana B. Pallasco 4/22 If I wrote what I thought I would probably go mad. If I could suffocate the paper I would. My deepest darkest thoughts spiraling Out of my head onto paper You would think I have gone mad. Would you be wrong? Or if you try and think too deep Would you go mad with me? If I shared my thoughts would you be lost? Or will I find you? Everyone’s mad here. The devil Dariana B. Pallasco 4/22 I have seen the devil in many forms And every time he paralyzed me with his looks. His touches cut through my soul, Mocking my pain without guilt Of the role he played. What Jesus Provides Me Neily Mellado-Valdez 5/22 I lost strength I lost faith I lost everything I can ask only One being To help me Its God He can give Me strength He can Give Me everything I need The Rugby Game By Janiah Swan 4/22 The flight, the height, The game tonight The sweat of the game I’m nervous, I’m tight Who knows if it's right? Who'll win, who’ll lose, No one knows, crazy fool No doubt, no fouls, the game is tied But don't cry, try, I’'m Counting on the fans tonight Friends are waiting on you They’re scared about will you win or lose Take a deep breath, we know who's who It's you--the incredible you, You pass. AYEE! Your last touch The game’s on It's you and the crowd You can hear everyone all loud Well, guess what? You didn't lose and you know why? Because you're you! Realize Jaynesha Pearson 5/22 When I look in the mirror I realize one thing There's nothing on the table that I can bring When I look at myself I ask why? No matter what I break down and cry I always complain Every time to myself Looking at everything I have on my shelf My room is filled With mirrors and brushes I look at myself Not seeing where love is Never comfortable Never happy Never satisfied Always crappy Is my life taking over? I realize that now I have to look better Some way or somehow Never care when judged But judge myself That's only on me And no one else I have lows Mostly highs When is the day I will realize? |
