Between the Stacks
Issue 3: Open Theme
What's a Zine? A zine is a small-scale, self-published publication, similar to a magazine, which can focus on a wide variety of topics. Zines are often used to share artwork and creative writing. Between the Stacks is DeKalb County Public Library's Teen Zine. Each quarter, we open submissions for young artists and writers in our community to display their work. There was no theme for this issue of Between the Stacks.
The Reality of High School- Well Not Really By Ahmarreah, 16
Walking through the double doors Head in the clouds The years approached- all four The school bell rang so loud Romanticizing of what the place could be Wondering what boys, what girls I would meet I wish my blind eyes could see That I’m not in an episode of Elite Maybe a few meet cutes Maybe a shopping space between classes With my Gucci bag and my fancy boots And a fit that matches No dress codes Or at least no irrational ones My heart would explode As it feels like my dream had come True like the movies I watched High school seemed like a party But the media amplifies what you got And your guidance counselor is suddenly Melissa McCarthy
Things
By Nico, 19
How am I supposed to relax when there are *things*? Things to see. Things to experience. Things to love. Things to hate. Things to mourn. Things to give. Things to take. Things to feel. Things to do. Things to laugh over and cry over and feel everything and nothing over. I wish I could do everything the world has to offer, but I'm just one person. Still, I will do every thing, live through every thing, feel every single thing I can. Who has time to relax when there are things?
Spring Meadow, 12
Staring Viva, 14
Untitled India, 15
Autumn
By Ahmarreah, 16 The season of cheer And good scares Black Friday at Sears No day of despair Orange and brown All happiness no frowns Leaves fall and cool winds Late night calls with friends Pumpkin spice An oversized hoodie Warm boots would suffice The highlight of nature’s beauty Beginning of holiday season Gifts and snow around the corner We all have a reason To love the months of autumn
The Next Level Meadow, 12
Maurice
By Ahmarreah, 16 I sat there. No words. No movement. I sat there as still as a statue. What was I to do? My wife– my children… they– they were gone forever. Who they were– every piece of them are engulfed in flames. “Maurice…” Essence voice– my now gone wife’s voice filled my ears. I knew she wasn’t there. “It’s okay… we’re okay”. A tear couldn’t help but fall from my eyes. The house my family built for generations, the twenty years of my marriage, my children were past tense. I should have been here to protect my family but I got so caught up in work that I forgot to call. I forgot to focus on the people who I loved most. What now? How am I supposed to live knowing I have their blood on my hands? “Maurice, oh my God,” I felt someone touch my shoulder and their muffled voice speaking to me. “Are you okay, are you hurt?” To my surprise it was my baby sister Polly. As much as I wanted to respond to her I couldn’t. My hands shook violently and there was a hard lump in my throat. “Come here,” She hugged me and pulled me away from my front lawn. The fire fighters, ambulance, and EMTs came rushing to my now burning house to take out the remaining bit of fire left. Ironically that is how my soul felt. As if every bit of fire in me was burnt out. As I was in my sister’s embrace, I saw my wife and kids’ scorched corpses being carried out and with that my heart sunk and the pain in my chest killed me softly.
Yellow Elise, 18
Ocean Rain Meadow, 12
Nowhere to Hide By Lauren, 14
I sit gazing at the screen Searching for words Wanting to exude eloquence To be perceived as intelligent. So I keep going, Somehow always falling short of showing The me I think they want me to be Maybe I care too much about what others think Maybe I value others’ opinions too heavily When all that truly matters is what I think Who I am Who I see when I look in the mirror Who is she? Who is she to be? The mirror is foggy; cracked but not yet shattered Because yes, I know who I am... But then again, I don’t recognize the girl staring back at me My reflection is wrecked and tattered My sense of self: maimed and torn It’s a constant battle I’m not quite sure how to be on my own To be content in solitude To not depend on others to dictate my mood Some say it’s peaceful “serenity”
But for me, it’s a painful obscenity. Solitude incites insanity And perhaps that’s not okay But when I’m alone, I'm left with my thoughts And the silence becomes too loud Overwhelming, like the roar of a crowd And I don’t know how to block out the voices in my head Screaming at me Emotions assail All to no avail I blast music in my headphones To escape the commotion To numb the emotion To drown out the chaos But the chaos is within me, So there’s nowhere to escape, Nowhere to run, Nowhere to hide.
This Artist Statement Accompanies the Poem: “Nowhere to Hide” illustrates the experience of a girl having trouble finding her true self. She defines her identity based on the opinions of others. This proves detrimental to her mental health as she is not comfortable in solitude and struggles to control her emotions. With the constant pressure of trying to live up to the addictive highlight reel of social media, sadly, many teens have found themselves in this space, idolizing the opinions of others, and thus experiencing a depreciating self-worth. Comparison often becomes the thief of joy. Through my poem, I hope to be a voice for those who can relate.
A Rainbow of Possibilities Nico, 19
Untitled India, 15
Untitled Willah, 16
Teddy Bear Elise, 18
Spiral Elise, 18
Thank you! To all of our wonderful artists for sharing their work and to the DeKalb Library Foundation for funding this project.
Elise, 18 Ahmarreah, 16 Nico, 19 Meadow, 12 India, 15 Viva, 14 Willah, 16 Lauren, 14