EQUINOX
THE HARVEY SCHOOL LITERARY MAGAZINE
Catalina Dragan
Editor’s Note
Dear Harvey Community,
Welcome to the Spring edition of the Equinox! The beauty of a literary magazine is that it allows us to step outside of our own experiences and see the world through someone else’s eyes. This spring, students have provided a multifaceted look at life—capturing moments of humor, wonder, and deep reflection.
What you see in these pages isn’t just a collection of assignments; it is a collection of choices. Each word and every brushstroke was chosen to share a specific feeling or idea. We hope that as you explore this edition, you find something that resonates with you and perhaps see something familiar in a completely new light. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this vibrant community of voices.
Thank you to Ms. A and Ms. K for their poetry contributions and help throughout the Spring. A special thank you to Ms. Gelfer, who once again worked tirelessly to compile and format this edition of the magazine.
We hope you enjoy diving into this edition as much as we enjoyed putting it together. Thank you for making the Equinox a vibrant and meaningful part of our school community.
Warmly,
Dr. Metz
Izzy Harper
EQUINOX
FACULTY ADVISORS
Dr. Metz
LAYOUT/DESIGN
Mrs. Gelfer
HEAD OF SCHOOL
Mr. Knauer
Dr. Byrne
5 Ways of Looking at Basketball
1. On an empty court The only sound moving is the echo of the ball.
2. I was of two minds: the fear of missing and the thrill of the shot.
3. The ball spun through the air an arc against the lights before the net whispered.
4. A player and a crowd are one
Peace Maker
The older brother who patrols the halls He looks out for his sister and brother
Although his two siblings are always fighting He knows when to run in.
It doesn’t matter if he’s fast asleep It’s almost like he is bluffing. The second this peace maker Hears a fight He knows when to stop it.
As if it’s some sort of connected sense, It’s not just the blood they share I believe it’s the courage he carries. He presents himself in the middle because He knows where to go.
Zeus I hope you carry no burden From all the violence you stop. The only time I see you at peace Is after you split up a fight. I think it’s because only You know why you do it.
- Samantha Doughty
Daphne Davidson
Music is the Foundation of Life
Music is the ground our feelings stand on, like a floor holding up our hearts. Each note is a brick we step on, each beat is a steady foundation.
Fast songs build roads we run on, slow songs help us calm down. Some sounds build warmth and brightness, others feel soft and grey.
When it’s quiet the floor seems gone, Until a song brings it back.
We walk on this strong base all day, Help up by the sound of music.
-Maximilian Knoess (After Emily Dickinson)
The Midnight Train
On a cold, quiet night in a small old town, John stood alone by the track waiting for a train. The station was still as the sun falling down, With one dim light in the back. A whistle cried out as a train rushed near, But it didn’t slow to a stop unfortunately.
John’s ticket flew off in a gust of wind
While in a state of fear
And the train began to drop. He ran down the platform, heart beating fast.
And caught the last rail just in time. The conductor took his ticket at last And his journey had a fine start.
-Logan Brockenbaugh
Failure to Stay Afloat
Failure, it is all about the “What if?”
What if they don’t like me? What if I mess up?
Until you do, and they don’t.
Because, what once was your “What if?” is now your reality And all you can do is float away.
“In his paper canoe, he paddled himself lost.”
Steering, but mostly letting the undertow take him away, “Cutting the current, without fighting it.”
While all of the semi-prehistoric creatures are Swimming semi-gracefully beneath his boat, Swimming, with no regards of his needs to stay afloat, Bumping, rocking, tearing the underside of his canoe. What if I fall overboard?
His hands turn to waterfalls as his make-shift ship Begins to go under Along with his dignity.
- Ella Adler (golden shovel inspired poem)
Ode to Basketball
Dear basketball, you are my friend, The game I hope will never end.
I love the way you bounce and spin, And how it feels to get a win.
The orange ball, the orange rim, The noise inside the crazy gym.
I dribble fast and then I cross
Then they fall down like I’m the boss.
The net goes swish, the crowd goes wild, I’ve loved this game since I was a child.
I dont care if I win or lose
You’ll always keep me in a good mood.
-Wayden Ebanks
5 Ways of Looking at Death
1.
Looking at it
It is scared, you’re scared
Taking you away
Far, far away
It sinks you
Sinking
Sinking like the Titanic
2.
You could be happy
Oh so happy
Like the sharks pitiless
The sharks
The sharks during the Titanic
3.
The feeling could be empty
You’re empty
You don’t care
You’re frozen cold
You’re the water
The water during the Titanic
4.
A psycho, you’re a psycho
You want this
This
You want it to end
You are a killer
The killer
The iceberg
The iceberg that hit the Titanic
5.
Depressed, you’re oh so depressed
You’re wanting it to end
But you survive
You wish you didn’t
You’re the “Rose”
Rose, who survived the Titanic
- Morgan Serebin (golden shovel poem)
Ode to Winter Break
Winter o Winter you will never get a splinter
From December to March always a good time
With snow and no school I wish I could go in the pool
With tasty peppermints and cookies too
When I’m lazy I feel hazy
When my dad sees me I freeze
He always yells which is not swell. I also sleep like a sheep
William Spencer
Noah Adams
Ella Adler, Maximilian
Charlotte Orr
5 Ways of Looking at a Cell Phone
It is a thin and shiny glass square, I keep it safe inside my hand. I hold it with the greatest care, A magic tool from digital land.
I tap the screen to see what is new, And chat with friends who are far away. It shows my screen in every hue, We keep in touch every day.
When I am lost I check the map, It shows the road very clearly, It helps me cross the city gap.
When I board, I like to listen to music on the screen, I like to sing aloud.
It is a friend that is always near, Whenever I need it, It is here, Safe inside my hand.
-May Dong (after Wallace Stevens)
Jellyfish
What is a gentle beauty defined as?
Is it grace?
Is it empathy?
Or is it all about the attention?
There is no way to make yourself a jellyfish. You will always be a crab—
Besides the fact that the jellyfish will always sting, And the crab will always pinch, They are not the same.
Besides that fact that they will always harm you, No matter the distance, They are not the same; One is beautiful and one is not. They are not the same.
-Ella Adler
Sam Doughty
5 ways to look at school… but mainly work
I
In the school, there is only work.
The school is not so fun.
There is nothing but paper and maybe a pencil.
II
There I could not find the paper. The test that had it all.
It showed who was truly Mr. 100, But it was lost in the locker.
III
The building near the hill. It sits alone on the weekends.
I think it wants some life in it.
IV
The fun was back when the teacher said no hw. But we knew the truth. The test was coming And the dread would follow.
V
I do not know which is better, The test of pain, Or the nasty homework.
I think I might prefer the test. But they are both cruel.
-Blake Pylypshyn (after Wallace Stevens)
What I Learned
I was taught to accept the rain Before I asked the sky why it was crying
Taught to love the shadow Before I feared the dark
Taught to respect fire
Before I questioned its burning
Taught to adore roses Before I touched its thorns
Taught to accept trees
Before I understood the wind
Taught to love the tide Before I saw how deep the ocean is
Taught to hold onto silence
Before I knew what words could break
Taught to follow the light Before I noticed how it fades
Taught to trust the path Before I saw how roads can split
Taught to keep on smiling Before I learned what it could hide
Taught to embrace the ending Before I asked why it was gone
Taught to believe in forever And I still find it in small moments
Taught to stand unshaken And I’m learning it’s okay to sway
And somewhere in between all the things I was told to love–I’m learning to choose them to feel them in my own way.
-Catalina Dragan
Three Ways to look at BIG JUICY BURGER!
Where the cheese is dripping;
The birds chirpin’,
Where every bite is a dream;
Eating a burger is exciting, You can taste the history of the grill, The grease dripping through the bun; The slightly charred bun; The sunset, the lights, The flaming grill, smokey eyes;
Slight breeze, A haven.
-Hunter
Rogers (after Wallace Stevens)
5 Ways to Dance
I Just get your feet up, I try to keep moving, But my feet stay swollen.
II
I can twirl and twirl, I can jump and jump, But I can’t stick the landing.
III
I put on sparkly outfits, The sizes run so but, But I can’t pull the zip up.
IV
I can fly, And I can land, But I can’t keep my spot.
V
I can twirl and turn, I can Sissonne and soar, No “buts” because I can finally stick the jump.
Jack Rivett, Noah Adams
-Alana Telford (after Wallace Stevens)
Logan Brockenbaugh
Oak Tree
Pride is the Snake on the Vine
Pride is the snake on the vine. Always up so high, Never wanting to touch the ground, Where all the filthy creatures are around.
It looks up at the bright shining sky. Chin almost always up with disapproval Never in the mood, The snake is so rude.
What if the snake touched the ground?
Interacting on our level?
Would the snake allow?
No, he would never bow.
-Alana Telford
Inside Joke
We walk to sports to get our rackets just the three of us when all of a sudden they looked at each other and started to laugh about something and I didn’t know what
I asked what happened and all they said was that it’s just a private inside joke
I tried not to show my jealousy but the pressure to ask “why can’t I know” was killer I was just thrown out I have nobody but me
- Ben Fierro-Wolf (golden shovel poem)
An old oak tree stood silent for 10,000 years. It watched society develop and bloom. It heard many with its ears. Its seen success and it has seen doom.
The tree has seen death and sad goodbyes. The tree has seen love and devotion. It has seen a man work hard in the mines. And a man get handed the whole ocean.
This tree has no place in society. It just watches the world. No stress, no anxiety. Only observes…
Now this tree has fallen. It lies cold and dead. Why has this tree fallen? It was scared of the road ahead.
Riley Reichenberg
Now a new tree has risen. It is getting used to its surroundings. But if you open your ears and listen, You can hear the heart of the old tree pounding.
-Sabine Weiss
Five Ways of Looking at a Cat
I
Among the clutter of a tabletop, The only thing moving among that counter is a paw to a vase.
II
His whiskers point to the sky as he scurries away from broken glass, scattered across an heirloom rug as water wets its age old seams.
III
His paws patter from the scene toward the sun where he watches critters chirp and chirp while clouds pass as a day gone by.
IV
He is to the winged thing as the winged thing is to him, a mystery of another world.
V
He is a curiosity that inflects wonder, a kind creature of mischief.
-Gabriel Quigley (after Wallace Stevens)
The
Shark
Slicing through the water
He carefully stalks his prey
Actions must be swift
Ripping with his teeth
Knowledge of his kill
So are the ways of a shark.
-Logan Brightly
Millie Rosenman
Happiness is a Butterfly
Happiness is a butterfly. I try to catch it every night.
Slipping through my hands into the moonlight.
It brushes past me in the quiet hours, A whisper of wings against my skin.
I almost hold it - almost believe it’s mine, But it trembles free, afraid of staying.
I chase it through shadows and empty streets, Dreams against the dark. Calling its name into the wind, As if longing alone could make it land.
-Jack Rivett (After Emily Dickinson)
Five Ways to Watch Birds
In the bare tree, a single bird shifts, the branch moves with it, as if they are one.
I walk, and do not see it, but its song follows me, flowing through the air.
Through glass, the bird is smaller, however closer to the eye, held in a picture frame.
In a book, ink forms a wing, with each page flip, the bird flies farther. At dawn, I wait alone and the bird arrives filling the empty sky.
-Maximilian Knoess (after Wallace Stevens)
Three Ways to Read a Book
1
For the first ten minutes of class
The only sound is the flipping of pages
2
Reading a book is like traveling without paying money because it takes you to many different places
3
Reading a book is like being in a different universe
-Sebastian Goldstein (after Wallace Stevens)
Seizure
A light so bright, is dark but aglow
Is it there, or is it not
I can’t tell. It breathes oh so loud, its gotten in Inside it’s aglow, it’s not aglow, all I see is darkness. Testing. There’s so much testing but I’m there still I don’t know what, or who, I’m with Blink. Blink. Flashing bright lights. It turns something. The lights are on.
Light stares back at me. Looking, just looking. I jerk and convulse. They can’t find out what it is, lights like galaxies.
But now I’m looking- it’s me. Me, I’m the smear. I drop down.
We don’t know what it is. But, it is coming
I don’t know when But soon.
- Morgan Serebin (golden shovel poem)
3 Ways to Understand Nature
1 A nice mountain stood
Untouched by humanity
Stood there towering
Over mountain and mountain
For this is earth’s nature
2 Nature’s green is like gold
Waiting to be held
Sacred and special for all
But nature’s gate is always open
Standing there tall
3 As snow goes to green
The trees come back with leaves
And awaiting to be seen For nature’s green achieves A far new path
.
- Phoenix Goldstein (after Wallace Stevens and Robert Frost)
Dinosaurs
Dangoon’s favorite animal by far. Interesting lizards that they are.
Not very smart because their brains are small.
Of course they are dumb y’all. Sauropodas so big their feet will sink. All of them are extinct.
Universally loved by lots of fans
Remember that most Theropods have short hands.
- Dangoon Kang-Nation
Dangoon Kang-Nation
Flowers Grow In Graveyards
Walking in a garden is fun
Especially in Spring or Summer
Gorgeous flowers bloom in nice parks
But just a reminder
You can find flowers anywhere.
Watching buds bloom
By your bedroom window
Seeing birds glide through a golden sky
Laughter filling the air
That is beautiful of course.
But if you squint hard enough
You can find these pleasantries
Wherever you want.
Diamonds grow in the rough Flowers grow in graveyards.
Even in the darkest of times
If you feel isolated and confused
You feel mistaken
There will always be a flower there
A special flower just for you.
-Sabine Weiss
5 Ways of Looking at Your Morning Hair
1
You awake from your sleep, And you look up only to see Overlapping tangles that seem untamable.
2
You take your brush
You think it’s not going to work You know your day is ruined.
3 You try to pull it through But your hair tugs and pulls Your head is on fire.
4
Finally you see that you have pulled through, What once felt like fire Now feels like something Smoother.
5
Slowly it starts to take shape It feels like how it should feel, You feel lighter
Somehow just your hair being a bit better, Makes your day.
Carmen Perez (after Wallace Stevens)
Phoenix Goldstein
Carmen Perez 27
Procrastination
Procrastination is the thing with life
That looms in the distance, Calling a tune - no one hears, But never giving up.
The stormy cloud rumbling
Through the thunder and rain a tree, Its branches shielding and taking coverFor what is coming.
Its calling can be heard, At the strangest of places, Longing for it to be heardFor it to be finished, complete.
- Millie Rosenman (after Emily Dickinson
Loneliness is the thing with shadows
Loneliness is the thing with shadowsThat sits behind me while in my mindAnd whispers without soundsWhen all the world’s at rest -
It stays in the silenceof rooms too wide to fill, A quiet, constant presenceThat time can’t even rid of -
No voice can seem to reach it, No crowd can make it go away, It follows me through the daylightAnd deepens even more at night.
- Brydie Groff (after Emily Dickinson)
Hate is a Cage
That has no sun to bring light
It sings a song of anger and pain
That kills the soul
It comes from a place of uncertainty
Of reflections and of tears
It locks you in a cage
With labels and stereotypes
I’ve seen it happen everywhere
Large and small near and far
It seems the only way to fight it Is to just stand tall
- Ruby Cayer
Caleb Osnoss
A Memory Worth Keeping
I am barely able to look through my mind, And come back okay or indifferent, It is hard to sort through the rocks, And differ which ones are diamonds, emeralds, or stone.
What ones are useless and worthless, So I go stone by stone, One by one.
I see which ones are sharp, Or ones that leave a dark red trail of blood, Even ones that stay when I’m broken and decay.
I finally found it, The one priceless gem, “Right there!” I say, That’s a memory worth keeping.
-Aaliyah Djukic
Ode to the Seasons
Ode to the seasons of the land
Chilly Winter feels like a dream
Breezy Autumn you hold my hand
Humid Summer the sunlight will beam And in fresh Spring the sentimental smell.
Ode to the seasons of the land
Frigid Winter is when the city breeze guides us
Acorn Autumn is sweet and bland
Chipwich Summer is when it all became too much
And in peaceful Spring I can finally play.
Ode to the seasons of the land
Chocolate Winter I’m trotting in snow
Pumpkin Autumn I never planned
In friendship bracelet Summer I live to roam And in goodbye Spring I feel a sad feeling.
Ode to the seasons of the land
They all bring back memories
Some good, some bad.
But they all made me who I am.
Ode to the seasons of the land I love them dearly.
Alana Telford
-Sabine Weiss
Flowers Bloom
The Winter has ended
The Spring has begun
The brown groundhog chose a month late
It deem’s Winter’s fate
It was a cold Winter
One we should remember
Almost four feet of snow And the fireplace will grow
But it is now Spring
The warmth is on it’s way Spring sports are here And everyone will cheer
Time for t-shirts and shorts
Dress code is enforced
The bees will swarm When it is warm
-Nate Buckley
Peril
“Love, things will get better. We’ll find a way,” my mother would always tell me.
Intrigue washed over me as I heard the commotion outside. I looked out my window.
German officers were shoving my neighbors into a truck. I was confused. What was happening?
Hershel walked in drowsily, rubbing his eyes. When he glanced outside, he pulled me away.
That night was just the beginning.
-Daphne Davidson
May Dong, Millie Rosenman, Hunter Rogers, Blake Pylypshyn
Sam Henick
Ode to Everyone
To all who were there for me, Bullied me, encouraged, and discouraged me, I’d like to thank you.
Helping me to grow even stronger.
Helping me to learn a lesson.
Helping me to see that not everyone can be nice.
Helping me to learn how to stand up for myself.
Helping me in every sort of way.
To everyone around me, I thank you for
Giving me the strength of a lion.
Giving me new opportunities
Giving helpful information for me to grow as a person
Giving greatness to me
Giving the honor of having such great people in my life.
To everyone around me, I thank you for
Teaching me everything I know.
Teaching me that it’s okay to make mistakes
Teaching me that not everything will go your way
Teaching me what life is about.
Teaching me that the world is extremely fragile.
To everyone around me, I thank you for Showing me that it’s better to own up to your mistakes
Showing me how to embrace yourself
Showing me how to improve in soccer
Showing me that school can be better than I thought
Showing me the scenery around us can be almost enchanting.
Lastly, I thank everyone around me for being in my life.
Five Ways of Looking at the Future
1
The Future is Fiction, It’s Imaginable, Martians, robots, are nothing, Just inflatables.
2 They’re only on TV’s, Just like Futurama, Flying cars, mighty machines, I’m telling ya.
3
No living AI, No mutants, No nothing like that, No nothing.
- Alex Chang
4
No portals, No time machines, No nothing like that, No nothing.
5
But you can still believe, But not too much. You’re a million years from the future, Or we are the future.
- Noah Adams (after Wallace Stevens)
Disaligned
I am dreaming, Dreaming about the unexpected evil. I get up in a cold sweat, my parents telling me to be braver. Crying, my parents look at.
My tears turned black
Something is haunting the air, My thoughts rearranging. I have become the disaligned. -Alana Telford (golden shovel poem)
Change
The other kids taunt me.
Saying I’m “different”
I nod my head and walk away
Because what was I supposed to say?
I think to myself, “Why am I different?”
I could never tell why.
I start to observe the way they look. Maybe if I just blend in with their clothes, I could fit in.
I slowly start to change
The way I act
The way I talk
The way I dress
And who I am.
I mean it wasn’t that big of a deal.
I finally fit in, but at what cost?
I don’t feel like me.
These clothes itch
My voice starts to annoy me
And I can’t stand hearing myself.
One day I see a girl
She dressed like she threw on the first thing she saw.
Her hair was a mess
She had these “weird” interests
And people were starting to stare
But she didn’t care.
She didn’t even care when someone would go up to her and say “Wow, you’re really something.”
Instead she owned it.
She stayed that way because she knew who she was. And she didn’t want to change that.
Out of everyone being a white sheep, she would stand out. Being the only black sheep anyone had ever seen.
I envied her.
Having enough confidence to wear what she was wearing,
Embrace her “weird” interests, And to be able to not care what anyone thought.
It turns out that she was just me when I was younger. I am who I am and I shouldn’t change that.
Because it’s not who I truly am, it’s someone who made me blend in better.
I am Mia.
-Alex Chang
Ruby Cayer
Angler Keane