The Voice 2023-2024

THE VOICE

The Literary Magazine of The Storm King School 2023-2024

© 2023-2024 All rights reserved. No works may be copied or reproduced without the express written consent of the writer or artist.

Table of Contents Cover Dantia Saucedo Poems “I Am From” by Marisa Chapman “I love you but I love myself more…” by Ana Paula Angeles Sanchez “Robot” by Ke Dana Xu “Forest in Snow,” “Midnight,” “Pale You” by Adrian Yang “Time in 2023” by Christine Sung “We Only Have That Much Time,” “The Ladder” by Jasper Lung “The Romance of Youth,” “True Words of Life” by Tien Tran “House of Bones” by Aitana Gorrita Lois “Drowning Fish in the Pond” by Ke Dana Xu Artists Dantia Saucedo, Time in 2023 Aurora Russell-Anelli, I am From Alex Gonzalez, Robot Imen Saruhanogullari, Pale You Yiting Li, True Words of Life Alexander Kim, House of Bones Faculty Advisors Dr. Alexandra Finn-Atkins, English Department Ms. Megan Liggett, Art Department

I Am From Marisa Chapman I am from the stars, Lucy and water.

I am from the TV next to the couch, Family gatherings and laughter.

I am from the Hydrangea flower, The small colorful petals that blossom in the summertime.

I am from royalty and those who fought to be free, Kings and queens.

I am from Luis and Sonia.

The overprotective and controlling, From stop whining and get tough.

I am from hail Mary full of grace, the lord is with thee.

I am from Detroit and the coal mines, Fried chicken and Arroz con pollo.

From the time my dear cousin passed, The son my uncle lost.

In a special storage room, The memories of our loved ones are never tossed.

A. Russell-Anelli

I love you but I love myself more…

Ana Paula Angeles Sanchez You got tired of it, you wanted time, you pushed me away, and at last I had the strength to tell you that no longer, I was no longer going to stay, I was no longer going to be there whenever you wanted, I was no longer going to weaken with every kiss or with every look you gave me, I wasn't gonna beg you anymore.

I loved you, Trust me, I loved you with every cell in my body, with every beat of my heart, and with every drop of blood that ran through my veins, but at last I got tired.

My heart screamed for me to stay while my mind was only telling me "it's enough, give yourself a break, you loved him intensely but it's time to accept that you will never receive the same".

I was the process and I'm not afraid to say it, I was your process of learning to love, the process of learning to feel intensely… the process of commitment.

Does it hurt?

Yes, I could say that it hurts, a lot… it hurts to know that everything I asked you to do for me at some point it’s going to flow naturally with another person, it hurts to know that while you told me "I'm not like that" "I don't do those things" it will become every detail you have towards the next person you love.

So yes, it hurts, but it doesn't hurt enough to not be able to move on, it hurts but it doesn't hurt enough to not know what I really deserve,

it hurts but it doesn't hurt enough not to let go.

I let you go, and I don't let you go because I no longer love you, I let you go because I love you more than anyone, I let you go because you have to learn to heal, how to trust, and how to not be afraid to love.

Today I choose myself, I choose myself to love me, I choose myself to compliment me, I choose myself to know that I only need me to be okay.

I realized that even though my heart burns intensely with pain, I cannot stay in a place where, instead of healing it, it sets it on fire to finish destroying it, I realized that I am worth much more than "I love you but I don't love what I have with you,” I realized that to find myself again…

I have to let you go.

Robot Ke Dana Xu I was born as a robot Made of cold wires with no thoughts I was born at the beginning of things Of a world that is necessarily vague Almost devoured by its turmoil Almost lost myself in abysses of solitude I had accustomed to being dead while living All until I saw the sunrise The white clouds suspended idly over the horizon The choppy wind whipped the water into froth The world was turning clear and shimmering What am I? All until I picked up my painting brush I saw A certain light was beginning To dawn dimly within myself I painted my steel-made body with colors Wires turned into vessels As if I could hear the blood roaring And my heart palpitating All of a sudden I know who I am

A. Gonzalez

Forest in Snow Adrian Yang A black iron wood is splitting frozen wind.

How lonely is that one.

I draw a solo tree on the clear white snow.

When the wind meets the branches and the wave shakes the tree, the snows shall fall from the top.

But, soon, it’ll be covered again.

Mount or field, it’s just white so I can’t know, but I see a tree of loneliness standing on the white.

Midnight Adrian Yang Take a dry breath, soon, exhale the warmed breath.

In familiar shade surrounding by cold light, the first breath of today was sweat as always.

I walked into the lighter shade with unopened eyes, and a sip of water in there watered my dried throat, but it wasn’t enough as always.

Under the dusty beams, on the blue shadows, I stayed and left at the same time. And a silence left in the place in my memory.

I. Saruhanogullari

Pale You Adrian Yang I love the night in my world.

Wave of stars shines through my eyes, and infinite darkness invites me to their void.

They are so beautiful, but a piece of pleasure stabs my heart.

The loneliness sheds its pale light, and the single beams pierce my body.

Those pains are miserable, but I can see their silent lines.

The lines are cruel and painful, but, so they are beautiful.

And I wish you to kiss me before the light.

Before I fall in love with my loneliness.

Time in 2023 Christine Sung Time!

It’s moving way too fast I don’t know if I will last I feel like it’s already the past Is it okay if I end up last Time!

Who am I kidding I need to keep winning If I don’t, how will I keep living No pressure, but I’m scared of humiliating TIME OH, I really need to breathe It might be better if I just leave Leave my family, friends, and beliefs Or leave my paper for my teachers to grieve

Time I don’t see the end of the tunnel I’m scraping the edge of a funnel Falling as I slip on the gravel Clinging to the last of the flannel Time.

Force me to breathe One two and finally three I’ve got this, I have these Until the end, I must preach

D. Saucedo

We Only Have That Much Time Jasper Lung We only have that much time.

Waking up at 6 am, Get out of bed and change.

I Grab my keys and water bottle, Going to the gym for a warmup run.

1.25 miles later, I wanted to lift some weight.

But it’s 7 am already, and the gym is closing.

We have to move on, Because we only have that much time.

We only have that much time.

Going back to my room and put on my uniform.

Walk up a steep road, Breakfast at the dining hall.

Ring -ring-ring!!!

It’s the first period.

We have to go, Because we only have that much time.

We only have that much time.

Today we have a Calculus test, And I’m trying to score high.

But the coffee I had pumped me up too much, I just can’t write anything down!

Until the teacher said, “Times up! Pens down!”

I can’t finish it all Only to realize, We only have that much time.

We only have that much time.

I have a Chorus meeting this afternoon, We are singing Somebody to Love by Queen.

Singing brings me joy, It helps heal all my worries like a chill pill.

But then, my basketball coach sent me a message.

Asking Where I am.

I don’t like basketball!

It’s just because we all need to do competitive sports.

I still want to sing, but We only have that much time.

We only have that much time.

After an exhausting practice, I sit down and chat with my friends, Discussing our plans to take over the world.

One says she wants to be a doctor, One says he wants to be an entrepreneur, One says she wants to be a filmmaker.

But what do I want to do?

I love making people smile and being somebody else, But I also want to use Science to help people.

Should I be an Actor, Or a doctor?

Maybe time will tell.

There are many things that we want to pursue.

There are many jobs and careers that we want to do.

So, what would you choose?

But remember, We only have that much time.

The Ladder Jasper Lung We are all human beings Trying to strive for a better future.

And the only way to get To the skies that is clearer Is to climb up the ladder.

I need to build a roof high above, Or at least that’s what the people told me.

Even the people that are close to me and I love Did the same thing, standing high as I can see.

So I climb up the ladder Reaching up higher.

Seeing the people under Or climbing parallel.

And I always wonder: What do they think about Jasper?

I see a shadow in between the gaps struggling to climb up as if it is too tough.

And I heard critics yelling at me like text messages in all caps, Saying, “YOU WILL NEVER BE GOOD ENOUGH!”

But what if the sky above is not clear?

We don’t even know what is up there!

I did not sign up for this!

That’s just what people tell me a good future is.

The next thing I see is my best friend Sitting on the rooftop as if she has reached the end.

Then I ask her, how can she be so free While she is not sure what her future’s going to be?

She says, “What if there is no roof at the top of the sky?

You still need to build it yourself after climbing that high!”

And the ladder disappears like somebody has cast a magic spell, An epiphany rocked me, “You should build a roof for yourself.”

The Romance of Youth Tien Tran I see the horizon, Once fiery red and passionate orange, Decay into cold blue and numb black.

Hark the days of old times Past; the energy that precedes The inevitable twilight.

It was your movements and your touch.

The hugs where you gripped my shoulders.

The times when I was drunk and played with your fingers.

And to have heard you say ‘I love you’, To me; That’d make my head fuzzy, Ears buzzy, Vision go askew.

It would answer questions, Ask some more.

And leave me with lost intentions.

Because I don’t know how I feel.

You don’t either.

Us, stuck in a maze Of endless questions and fears and worries and Excitement. Sending us into a craze.

But I’m left with one feeling, That it’s upsetting, Our sun setting, And me praying for a sunrise.

True Words of Life Tien Tran The power of words is awesome to behold.

They build and they break, they fuel and they fold.

A simple word, empowers a man, Or throws his hopes, his dreams in the can.

Such simple devices, such miniscule tools, But used correctly, can elevate fools.

Just letters on a page? It does not seem so, Do not simply think, your words will go nowhere.

Everything said, by someone’s received, For better or worse, in thought and in deed.

Regardless of all, the things you have heard, Do not disregard the weight of your words.

Life comes, life goes, this and more we know.

But do we see why it goes?

Friends stay, friends leave, if only by who’s heave?

True friends, they never leave.

Family is, family was, is there ever a because?

Why must pass what is and was?

Pain it stings, pain it bites, pain it takes away all might.

Such a hopeless, hopeless fight.

What departs, what remains, what does constant effort gain?

What cause is worth more than pain?

Nothing lasts, no things pass, Nothing has such great mass.

Do not forget, this too shall pass.

Y. Li

House of Bones Aitana Gorrita Lois Her house is built from bones She abhors the concrete that crumbles and cracks Its cold callous contact cut her Her Bones can softly sense her pain In her house of bones, she is safe She languishes on a long lung The breathing lulls her slumber The warmth heals her lesions She craves that soft supple sapien sap In her concrete prison, she naps

A. Kim

Drowning Fish in the Pond Ke Dana Xu In the middle of the woods I see the withered leaves Desperately swaying They fall as their last tangle disconnect Like the last straw in my hand Decaying in my sweat I wish the leaves could appease My restless soul But I only hear irony: Bald trees in the “green” I wish the birds were singing Instead screaming at the sun That burns out everything bare All alone With the only condolence That is the sky