The Leaf - Volume 15 - Evolution

The Leaf

Volume XV - 2023

evolution evolution

evolution

Coral Springs Charter School Literary arts magazine

The Leaf

Volume XV - 2023 theme: Evolution

Growth. Perspective. Change. As humans, we evolve. Perhaps no longer in the Darwinian sense of growing legs or gills or extra toes, but in a sense that our circumstances and our environments challenge us to constantly learn and adapt. Oftentimes the journey to evolution is painful - relationships face turmoil and sometimes even end. But, at the end of such trials and tribulations, we emerge stronger and wiser. We grow. We wanted this publication to be a celebration of beauty of that process. The beauty in our imperfections that lead us to more curious and more fulfilled lives. A tribute to our evolution as students, as artists, as friends, as lovers, as human beings. To evolve is to live.

Editorial policy

The Leaf, Coral Springs Charter School’s literary arts magazine showcases the creative talents on our student body. The staff selects work each year based on merit, style, theme, and quality of writing. Art pieces and photography are selected based on quality, individuality, and relevance to select literature in our publication. The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the faculty and administration of Coral Springs Charter School, but rather the views and ideas of the individual artists, authors, or the literary magazine staff members and editors.

Coral Springs Charter School

3205 N University Dr Coral Springs, Fl 33065 954-340-4100

Enrollment: 893

Editor-in-chief:

Laura GOnzalez

Advisor:

sammy jo harwell

staff:

brianna hassel

ariana soto

suzette smith

Editorial staff: “Flight” by madalen erez

Temptations, Ariana Soto, 4

Theres Other Fish in the Sea, Leyla Morris - 7

Serenity, Gwynevere Castro - 8

Ready for Battle, Madison Camilo - 10

The Champion, Madison Camilo - 11

Leaving Soldier, Madison Camilo - 11

The Lovers, Leyla Morris - 12

Two Sides of the Same Coin, Miyka’el Leonardo - 14

Nefel Bata, Gwynevere Castro - 17

Yokai Kitsune, Gwynevere Castro - 18

The Goldfish, Gwynevere Castro - 20

A Photo Collection, Madalen Erez - 22

Overwhelmed, Madison Rousseau - 24

Third Perspective, Leyla Morris - 27

Too Loud, Valentina Rodriguez - 28

Pride, Gwynevere Castro - 30

Innocence, Miyka’el Leonardo - 33

Interconnected, Madison Rousseau - 35

A Collection of Cats, Isabella Veiga - 36

Untitled, Karina Walsh - 39

Untitled, Karina Walsh - 41

art: poetry/prose

Spotlights, Laura Gonzalez, 5

Tsunami, Valentina Llano - 6

Soul Star, Gwynevere Castro - 9

My Love to You, Toline Abdelhafiz - 13

Lost in a Lie, Laura Gonzalez - 14

The Moon Shines Like You, Toline Abdelhafiz - 16

Make Me Your War, Valentina Llano - 19

From the Depths of Darkness, Sarah Soberon - 21

The Story of a Mad Woman, Rebecca Hayes - 25

It, Defined; Valentina Llano - 26

School, Malak Akel - 29

Selling My Soul, Laura Gonzalez, - 31

Lies, Ariana Soto - 32

We Are an Eclipse, Valentina Llano - 34

Don’t Look Up, Valery Macena - 38

“metamorphosis” by madalen erez

Temptations

By: Ariana Soto

Spotlights

By: Laura Gonzalez

There’s one and then another

And they’re all pointed at me

Every spotlight on me

And I can feel the eyes of EVERYONE around me watching

And I think to myself I can do this

waiting & I can do this there is no reason why I can’t

And looking down I close my eyes

I can do this

and I take a deep breath

I can do this

I repeat it in my head

I can do this

I can do this I stand up

I straighten my back

I can do this

I take a breath I can do this

I can do this

Tsunami Tsunami

By Valentina llano

Content warning: mentions or relations/references to mental health, depression, anxiety

It’s like a tsunami wave, You can feel it coming, Feel all the things that made you happy, Slowly retreat, And then the wave, You know it’s coming, And yet, like many times before, You do nothing to stop it, You don’t seek the high ground, Or safe place to hide, Or write down how you feel, Getting it out of your system, But you just stand there, Bracing for the impact, And then, It is done, Within seconds, it overwhelms you, Bringing unwanted, harmful thoughts in like debris, And for it to leave, Takes an unknown estimate of time, It could take hours before you finally speak to that person who you trust, Or days of rocky waves and ripples of self doubt and light showers of anxiety, Or weeks, Where you get nothing right from the start, And make terrible choices until finally, It begins to recede on its own, But the marks and damage are still there, And the city that is your mind never fully recovers, Continues to be faulty and unprepared for the next tsunami, Because you, Having excerpienced countless ones before, Know, they’ll always come back

there’s other fish in the sea

BY: LEYLA MORRIS

serenity

soul star soul star

By: Gwynevere Castro

Astrology is not just the study of celestial bodies in the sky. Serena considers it an art form. Something to study, but also something to appreciate and truly look into its meanings and what it can tell about the world.

She walked past her piles of books stacked on the floor, pushed some of her floating candles aside to drift a little away, all to walk over to the window sill where she sat down eyes glancing over the side. The other side was where the stars lay in front of her but also where the world below her resided. Clouds swirling like a painting, the blueness of the sea, the greens and browns for the land.

Long ago, she walked among them in the mortal realm. As of right now, Serena supposes she could be considered one of these celestial bodies. The stars so close she can touch them, looking down at the world she once called home,and them looking back up at her just as if she were just any other bright object in the sky.

She supposes that’s okay.

Though peace has been a long and grueling process, she has come to accept it.

She has made this place feel more or less like home. She gets to sit here and read at least.

Opening her book, she started to read. It was a book written by her but made with memory from a book she read below. A simple story about a knight who finds out their lover is slowly being turned into a snake. They go through a journey to collect everything for a cure but ultimately by the end, the cure failed. Though they did everything right, though they tried their hardest, they still failed. However, throughout their journey, they met a lot of friends and helped a lot of people along their journey so by the end, they were able to come together and come up with a cure.

Of course the details of the actual book are skewed at best and the characters names are not accurate in the slightest, yet it’s still an enjoyable story nonetheless.

Suddenly, an intense beaming caught her peripheral vision.

She set the book down and quickly fixed her eyes to the nightsky outside of her window. A shooting star shot across the sky, more brilliant and scintillating than everything else.

Her eyes widened. It seems as if she was still needed.

the champion

artwork by madison camilo

BY: LEYLA MORRIS

My Love to You

By Toline Abdelhafiz

There are things I wish i could tell you, things I don't regret. Every time I think about you, I remind myself that night we met.

I remember our conversations. I adore the sound of your voice. I'm happy I don't have to live without it, cause it always brings me joys.

You understood my mind, when no one else has. I never had to explain my own thoughts, cause you always knew how to understand.

I like how I can ramble to you day after day, knowing you'll listen to all the pointless shit that I have to say.

There are things I wish I could tell you, shit no one can understand. You took my heart from me, and held it in the grace of your hand.

Love is a word, a feeling, an emotion. When I met you that night, you turned my life into a new motion.

And if soulmates are real, I think I just found mine. And I know feelings are mutual, cause I found my one and only devine.

LOST IN A LIE

By: Laura Gonzalez

I can’t believe I have to work today, you’re not working today, right?

My mom got a cold so shes sick

And now I don’t have time to go to the game

Can you cover my shift today? You’re not doing anything, right?

Are you sure you’re free?

Thanks! I’ve got so much going on right now, I barely have time to do anything.

SIDES OF

By: Miyka’el

No I’m off today.

I have to work 6 days a week to help pay rent since my dad’s been gone.

Oh my god, I’m so sorry. My dad got COVID-19 and died fromcomplications,atleasther mom is alive.

I’m not going to that. I have to go home and take care ofmymom,she’sbeendepressed ever since dad.

Yeah, of course.

I’m always doing something. I’m always taking care of someone, of course i’m busy.

I’ve got nothing planned today

It’s not like I have to wash the clothes, do the dishes, make dinner, drive my sister to practce...

Don’t worry, I have all the time in the world

I don’t have time, but I give it out anyways. I’ve lost so much, so what’s a few minutes more.

BY: Toline Abdelhafiz

the moon shines like you

The moon glistens in the night, Its shine brightens the lake as sparkles appear in it.

The moon calls out to the ones who are Inneed of it, as it holds their tears and words deep within it.

The moon calls for fireflies in the night, as they flew 'round the boy and girl. They watched the shine hand in hand, as the boy turned to the girl, "the moons beautiful, isn’t it?"

nefelibata

BY: GWYNEVERE CASTRO

yokai kitsune

BY: GWYNEVERE CASTRO BY: GWYNEVERE CASTRO

MAKE ME YOUR WAR

BY: VALENTINA LLANO

We make Eros and all the proclaimed gods of love jealous by our existence.

Our love could tear the world whole In its absence we will rebuild Soft rose bushes

Blossom trees

Flowing streams of crystal water Water and tree that I could turn red With blood and fire if you willed me

If you asked it of me

I would tear the very earth beneath With hands bare and bloody No need for knives or guns For I shall be your weapon Command me and I shall follow I am yours for war and love Use me

Use me raw

Till I rust in corners and are decorated by the dust of our love

With caution, though, my love Mishandle me and the shotgun will Point towards you Mistreat me

And there’ll be no valley where you can hide, No island to scurry to, No abandoned place

In the same way I would tear the world in half for you, I will do the same for my first love, Myself

the goldfish

byL

Gwynevere Castro

From The Depths of Darkeness

BY: SARAH SOBERON

Down in the watery depths of the sea, is a creature so horrid that even the sun recoils at the sight of it. The life the creature lives is one of solitude, and while it can mumble to itself, the words come distorted and full of anguish; for it longs for the days when light still shined, and when the endless nights and watery graves were that of fiction. But it now rests at the bottom of the sea, too impure for the world above. Its once smooth andsun-kissed skin is now pale and cold, reflective of a dead bodys. Its eyes that once sparkled and shined were now overtaken by the cruelness of the dark. Its features adapted to keep it from living above the water, just as it had lived so long ago. So it waits for the day it can return, when the land renews and the light shines bright. A day when both the creature and the earth itself are subject to change.

ripples

flight metamorphosis

Madalen erez photos

OVERWHELMED

BY: MADISON ROUSSEAU

The story of a mad woman

by: rebecca hayes

The day was inching it felt as though it had been centuries since the great day would come. Finally, it came. The day I would say "I do" in holy matrimony. I found myself suddenly panicking, and then it hit me, I couldn't feel anything, I wondered what had happened. Then, I realize my soul has escaped my body. This was no accident, but who, but why, It can't be. She was the only one there.  "Samantha." Why? what motives? she couldn't have or could she?

My best friend in the world and suddenly I'm gone and she's not. The police were discussing and she was prime culprit.

I overheard them saying, "We shall take her to court at dawn." I watch them walk away and then I see him He who I would never get to love long enough. I couldn't imagine how he must be feeling. The frustration, but I saw none of this. As I started to cry, I saw her I saw Samantha.

All I could think was What is she doing here?

Why are they smiling?

Why are they hugging?"

Then I see a kiss pressed upon one another's sweet lips

It was a beautiful moment, but it must be stopped. I may not be here, but I can and I will stop this I will have my revenge. Time was racing inches away from the court day, but how could I trust the law? It was time to take matters into my own hands. Soon I awake I look around I check the bedside calendar and I see that a week has passed Not to the future, but to the past. I leave my apartment I walk the streets in misery and confusion.

Finally, I pass the alley separating me from them. I turn the corner and do my eyes deceive me? No.

I see them starring back at me. I take off my jacket  Twist it around her neck until she no longer breathed a breath of life. My next victim was him,  I did the same to the love of my life,  but this time he struggled luckily, I had enough fury to contain him  and then, he was gone.

I made sure no one could trace back to me, so I tossed the evidence onto their bodies and grabbed a match. I lit it and placed it onto their bodies.

I watched them burn, almost as though I was amused.

I looked back at his burning body and then said "Till death do us part" Had I gone mad?

Or was this just a great case of revenge?

IT, DEFINED

BY VALENTINA LLANO

Why have you chosen me, It?

It is knowing everything you have to do, And feeling both motivated and incapable of doing anything at all

It is a numbness that leaves you vulnerable to any pinch life offers

It can be so loud and yet, Deafeningly quiet

It is looking out a car window, Watching the world speed by, And yet,

Seeing it through a glazed lenses, Not noticing a single detail

It is being unfocused, Centered but off balanced It is knowing you’ve done great things,

And yet,

Not reminding yourself that you have done them

It is being hungry but finding everything unappetizing Why have you chosen me, It?

Why do you stay?

BY: LEYLA MORRIS

PERSPECTIVE

Schoool

by malak akel

School and testing, oh how draining Days spent studying, nights spent cramming The pressure builds up with each passing day As the weight of exams refuses to sway Teachers urging, “study hard and well.” Parents worried, hoping all will go well But the fear and anxiety never relent As the test day approaches, time seems to bend The classroom silent, the clock ticking loud, minds lost in a shroud Answers elusive, questions so unclear Tension mounts, as failure draws near Finally, the exam comes to an end But the aftermath is hard to comprehend Waiting and wondering, results yet unknown The agony of anticipation has grown But even when scores are finally received The relief is only temporary, as we grieve For the time and energy spent in vain On endless tests that cause nothing but pain So let us not forget, amidst the stress

That our worth is not determined by success For school and testing may be draining indeed But we are more than just a number or a grade, we must believe.

TOO LOUD

by: valentina rodriguez

PRIDE

by gwynevere castro

SELLING MY SOUL SELLING MY SOUL

by laura gonzalez

I dont know what to do, I can’t be right

Every step is wached every word is heard And I’m standing between fight or flight

I’m lost and there’s something that I need to find

But I can’t reach the thought or word I’m trapped within my mind

They’re watching me now but everything’s fake

How am I so broken, why can’t I be fixed Barter or sacrifice the devil will take

One breath another, they say it will help My head hurts and my heart’s sick

Broken to pieces, my soul I will sell

INNOCENCE

by mikay’el leonardo

Lies

by Ariana Soto

You fed me these false hopes Apologizing Saying things would be different Promising me that you didn’t mean to hurt me Yet you still went out and did it again

I guess it’s on me for thinking otherwise On me for believing that you actually cared It’s on me for eating up your lies

You blamed it on me Said that “I don’t see good.”

But didn’t take a second to think why it was this way To think about your own actions

Now I know it’s not my fault I know I tried my hardest to be there I know I tried everything I could And I’m ok with it now With the lies I fell for once upon a time

we are an eclipse

the trappings of comfort release me, A feverish obsession overcomes. Eyes heavy, hands shaking, swallow hard the pellet that is life

a cold sweat, incomplete conversations. time slipping, the wrinkles increase the self begins to lose. never enough is this, never enough will it be. no cavity exists which, can hold what i bear.

no such cavity i find in you, only sweetness, softness. love exists in every, sliver of your being. beside me, we’re an eclipse. dark and cold, warm and bright.

“You and i are teh same” you comfort, no my love, please let my hollowed being be hollow, filling it with yourself will be a waste.

our contrast is present, but recently we’ve begun to blur.

instead, let me lie here, know that i’ve been with you, that i’ve seen you, that i know you.

madison rousseau

A collection of cats

by Isabella veiga

DON’T LOOK UP

BY: VALERY MACENA

A little girl skips to her couch. In her arm, a cloth doll is wrapped in her arms. She’s so excited! Her papa recently just bought the newest and grandest C4D tela…venison? Version? Vision? Vision! Her papa just bought a new tel-a-vision. And she could not be more eager to use it. It’s 9 a.m. right now and “Tom and Jerry” airs at 9:30! She can finally join in on her classmates' conversations about the Saturday cartoons. She turns on the tel-a-vision and the first channel is showcasing an advertisement for a toy. “Well,” she thought, looking at the clock, “I have a bit of time before 9:30. If the toy is cool, I can ask Papa to get it for me at Christmas!” She settles down and watches.

On her screen, there is a very handsome man sitting down on a couch. He is dressed in a dapper navy-blue suit, and he has this overall friendly air about him. He’s smiling and just about the opposite of the man next to him. The man next to him looks to be around his late 60s and is dressed in a gray jumpsuit with a black turtleneck peaking out. He is relaxed on the couch, but it is obvious to anyone with half a brain that he does not want to be here. When she thinks about it, the outfit kinda looks like her papa’s uniform. She wonders if they work at the same place.

“Welcome, and good morning, Florida!” says the man in the blue suit with a dashing smile. “I’m your host, Chris Scott, and here I am joined by a special guest none other than Alexander Lewis.” The man in the gray tracksuit grunts, “Call me Lewis.”

Chris Scott’s smile strains.

“Now, now, no need to be so hostile Alexander. We are here to present groundbreaking news!” Lewis cringes at the use of his first name. Chris turns to the camera with an artificial look of sorrow. “I’m sure you’ve heard of the news reports of the monsters flying, driving people insane. We’ve all heard it, the beast flies through the sky seizing any helpless victim who was too unlucky enough to catch a glimpse of them. Poor souls.” Chris shakes his head in false mourning.

Lewis looks disgusted by this act.

“These aerial creatures, who we named Sirens, are known to fly in flocks of ten to thirty screeching an angelic tune. They even tend to rip off roofs to make sure that their songs are heard. Anyone who does lookup is taken, and weeks later, they are found driven to insanity. Fortunately, we have designed something to help-”

“As you know, most of the casualties are children who cannot help but look for the

‘angels’ singing in the sky.” Chris interrupts Lewis. Lewis looks ready to kill. “But fear not, dear listener! I, Chris Scott, present to you the Look-Away-Doll!”

An assistant comes on screen and hands Chris a cloth doll not unlike the girl’s own, but much creeper. The doll on screen, introduced as Maddy, has beady, lifeless red eyes, red hair, and a red dress on. Chris is weirded out by the toy but must go on.

“Behold, a feat of modern technology! This doll has sensors to detect when any of those nasty sirens are nearby. Developed by our friends at Labyrinth Inc. this toy is designed to warn your little tater-tot when to not look up and get swooped away. Buy now for the cheap price of 19.99 and keep your children safe”!

Chris’ eyes are filled with greed and he’s practically salivating at the thought of all the money he’ll get from selling this toy for those stupid children and those stupid parents. “Really,” he mused, “how hard is it to not look up when you hear songs from the sky? It’s simple, you hear a song coming from the heavens and you assume it's the kidnapping monsters and keep your eyes glued to the ground until they pass.”

It wasn’t as if Chris was complaining, he got to leech of money from the parents of these foolish brats. The parents got a safe child, he got their money, a win-win situation if you ask him.

Just then, the doll in his hand’s eyes start flashing and in a soft voice it repeats “Don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t

KARINA WALSH

look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up,”

Chris turns to Lewis with a scowl disfiguring his handsome face. “ I thought this thing didn’t malfunction,” he spat into Lewis’ face

Lewis, with his eyes glued to the floor calmly states, “It doesn't.”

Just then, you can hear metals, cement, and steel being torn apart. A beautiful song is heard from far up above. It is everything good in life. It is the first beam of morning, it is the laugh of a newborn, it is the culmination of all your hedonistic wants and dreams. It is eating candy on summer break knowing you have ice cream waiting for you. It is the relief of stepping into a warm bath on a cold winter morning. It is the euphoria of waking up and realizing you have no school.  It is the joy of being with your friends, you are setting aside time for them, then setting aside time for you, and knowing that you matter and you are loved. It is the bliss of the false promise of actions without consequences.

Chris looks up.

And knows in his heart that he will never regret it.

The girl blinks and he is gone.

The show is buffering, and it keeps on buffering until it fades to static. The last thing the girl sees is Lewis with his eyes glued to the floor, a grim look on his face, now knowing that the doll doesn’t work.

She turns off the TV, no longer interested in Tom and Jerry or Bugs Bunny, and sits there in shock.

In her arms, her doll starts saying “Don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up,”

The roof has been ripped off without her realizing it.  “don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, “don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up,”

She is bathed in a glowing light. “don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up,”

Never has she felt more complete in her life. “don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up,”

She is whole “don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up,”

She knows what she must do.

“don’t look up, don’t look up, doN’T LOOK UP, DON’T LOOK UP, DON’T LOOK UP, DON’T LOOK UP,  DON’T LOOK UP,  DON’T LOOK UP,

DON’T LOOK UP, DON’TLOOKUP DON’TLOOKUP DON’TTLOOKUP

She looks up…. and can’t find it in herself to regret it.

UNTITLED BY KARINA WALSH