Mélange - 2017-2018

The Mélange

2018

Mélange Writing and Art from Morristown-Beard School 2017-2018 “Melange mine own, the unseen and the seen, mysterious oceans where the streams empty.”

-Walt Whitman Cover Artwork: By Hailey Rollins Faculty Advisor: Karin Anderson A special thank you to Boni Luna for her support.

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Table of Contents Atkins, Conor 10,26 Hughes, Liam 10 Scully, Jackson 30,55 Baum, Pierson 10,35,58 Hutchinson, Charlie 17 Scully, Kelsey 53 Baum, William 8,51 Jaffe, Maddie 55 Sehnaoui, Zachary 22 Becchi, Gianna 22 Karrat, Emma 73 Sgro, Hayley 53 Becchi, Isabella 15,34 Kasmin, Adin 60 Sgro, William 21 Bednarek, Michael 8,62 Kotkin, Hannah 59 Shah, Anjalika 34 Berger, Roman 48 Krishnan, Jack 32 Sherman, Anne 7,11,60 Blake, Campbell Kylis, Jack 64 Shetty, Ronak 14,77 15, 67,71 Levy, Andrew 57, 75 Simon, Annabel 8 Blount, Kaitlin 55, 72 Limbert, Brooks 50 Smith, Alana 69 Bourneuf, Ava 63 Loprete, Matthew 20 Smith, Jenna 21,29,40,47 Brown, Samantha 43,59 Low, Andrew 9,18 Sperling, Jessica 75 Brown, Zachary 54 Mackin, Jack 38 Stecker, Leah 9,49 Broyles, Adam 45 Mariano, Lindsay 32 Strauss, Dylan 35 Broyles, James 24,76,79 Markley, Alexander Strauss, Grayson 54 Brunn, Vincent 79 23,29,36,39,40 Tartaglione, Brendan 50 Bunn, Andrew 14 Milne-Home, Hugo Tinkelman, Jonah 56 Burns, Robert 12,76 5,24,29 Tone, Kevin 48, 59 Celleri, Isabelle 42,61 Moloney, William 25,36 Trinca, Paul 10,74 Chestnut-Stein, Ethan 31,52 Moody, Xola 57 Turben, Alex 21,61,78 Commesso, Gabriella 78 Mortazavi, Matthew 54 Umezinwa, Evelyn 4,7,77 D’Andrea, Henry 70 Okonkwo, Dumebi 46, 70 Velikiy, Jackie 56 Donovan, Sean 27,36 Oluwasola, Lydia 66 Wang, Matthew 72 Downey, Jackson 38,43 Omonzane, Egbefe 44 Wayne, Maxson 6,28,57 Downey, Connor 22,26,79 Outwater, Hugh 54 Webb, Jack 71 Ehrenberg, Travis 45 Pande, Zubin 68 White, J’Meeyah 23,40 Epstein, Ben 14 Patchett, Ian 44,78 Williams, Hannah 13,73 Ewig, Katherine 19 Pelinski, Alex 49 Wilshinsky, Ethan 25,30 Fergus, Tori 6,25,43 Penizotto, Ava 11,33, 39 Winghardt, Svea 62 Fleming, Flinn 53 Picozzi, Mateo 13,27 Zhang, Richard 45, 65 Fonseca, Nicolas 41 Picozzi, Talia 58 Zerrenner, Nate 18,64 Gatward, Matthew 9 Pillari, Ava 17 Grayzel, Alexander 18,22,48 Popat, Eshaan 34, 41 Green, Landers 77 Posner, Rowan 19,42,48 Hajarnavis, Vikrant 51,58,61 Post-Lipnick, Charlotte 51,76 Hardman, Lauren 15,26,41 Power, Chip 64 Harvett, Kirsten 44,45 Ramasamy, Mira 16,23 Hess, Evelyn 16,31 Ramasamy, Neal 37 Hess, Natalie 6,11,28 Redmond, Keira 56, 71 Hill, Addison 19 Rollins, Hailey C, 42, 63 Holdsworth, Charlie 50 Schramm, Sophie 7,15,47,67 Hong, Jonathon 41 Schwind, Haylee 17

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COLOR When we were born we were just colors We were all a mix of colors Black, brown, white, yellow, and more We looked upon each other as brothers and sisters Black hugged brown White smiled at yellow “We’re all friends!” all the colors cheered together Cheering together in unity Then, they got older Prejudice and bias influenced us as we grew Colors thought other certain colors were better than others White was better than purple Or yellow was better than brown But we all forgot that we were all colors The only thing that made us different was that we were different colors One small thing that would change our lives Something that we didn’t have control over could affect where we lived where we went to school how people viewed us Just one thing could determine our lives We could change it We talk about how unfair it is

By Evelyn Umezinwa

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By Hugo Milne-Home

By Hugo Milne-Home

SPACE How could something always around us Pretty much everywhere Bring us so much curiosity Yet it’s not often that we even take the time to think about it But without it we would be nowhere In between every hole, inside every crease and slot It’s there Sometimes we wish we could have it all to ourselves But it’s something that we all have to share Something that means so little to us but is like the glue that holds the picture together.

By Tori Fergus SCHOOL WEEK The morning of a Monday makes a student mop through the halls with a mix of madness and misery. The timely Tuesday makes teachers teach the same topic over and over again. The wandering Wednesday makes everyone wake up late and wander around looking for whatever is needed for the day. The troublesome Thursday bring tears of excitement and tastes of the weekend. Lastly, Friday, the first, free day when the kids frolic around after the feared week.

By Talie Hess LANDING The skydiver flys through the air Wind forcing limbs upward Yet they keep falling downward The ground quickly approaching Whoosh suddenly caught by the air Tranquil Safely coming to a landing

By Max Wayne 6

LONG LOCKS

DEATH

Long locks Scissors grind across the dead ends Hair falls to the ground 3 inches 6 inches 10 inches To her shoulders Surrounding the chair on the ground Down her back On her ripped jeans It is complete No going back now

Two paths Stairs Or Slide I Was Feeling Lazy So Slide Down I Go To The Red Ruby Roads

By Annie Sherman WINTER The parents yell at their kids to come inside

Until I Fall

The first snowflake falls being crushed under the boots of happy children

Fall Onto The Gates Of Heaven

Water once flowing turns into ice Freezing ears and chattering teeth signify the start of the end of the year

By Sophie Schramm

By Evelyn Umezinwa 7

CHIILDHOOD Starts off strong, happy, oblivious to the surrounding world, blinded by a sheet of imagination and emotion.

You begin to understand that nothing comes free, that life requires work, and work requires effort.

There is work to be done, and people to do the work, which is where you come in.

You have finished your job, served your part in society, and now you are ready to move on, eventually be forgotten.

WINTER

By Michael Bednarek

Cold Ice Starts To Melt

DISAPPOINTMENT Disappointment is dirty brown and red It takes like dog poop and worms It smells damp and dusty It looks like the frown on your face when you get a bad grade It sounds like lonely footsteps walking It feels like being left out of a group

ByAnnabel Simon

The Ground Floods With Water The Flowers Start To Bloom

By William Baum 8

GROWING

WATER

Once small like a little child

Drips out of the hose Freezing, 32 degrees Slush becoming one it’s ice now

Then two years old, able to walk

Frozen like a popsicle Hard as a rock Pure beauty Lace up the skates

To Finally learning the difference between right and wrong Later Finding true love Now, struggling to get by.

By Andrew Low

HAPPINESS Happiness is all the colors of the rainbow It tastes like cotton candy and ice cream It smells like hot dogs and Cracker Jacks on a warm, summer day at a ballpark It looks like Victory Royale popping up on a tv screen It sounds like blasting music in a car It feels like everything is on your side

By Matthew Gatward

By Leah Stecker 9

A WALK As we walked down the street, my father asked me, “How could you do that?” I didn’t know what to say. Do I tell him the truth? No. I couldn’t, so I replied with a simple “Leave me alone”.

BOOM. The ring of a gunshot rings through the air faster than the speed of light. I asked if my father had heard that but when I didn’t get a response I turned around to see my dad on the ground. My dad was gone, and so was I.

By Pierson Baum TWO Two puppies Rolling in the grass Playing in the mud Two dogs in a cage Fighting

By Conor Atkins

Liam Hughes EDUCATION A feeling of power and security fills my mind when this is gazed upon me. Something that can be given but never taken away no matter what. Never gets lost only gets improved and will serve you for eternity. Raining down on you and nurtured by your loved ones.

By Paul Trinca 10

THE CROWN

APPS

The baby girl The bright colorful apps Eyes full are small little squares on your phone of passion And your phone is a piece of little technology Her life that can break down as easily as a human, laid out With the sound of guns going off, in front of her death becomes near and visible, Time Never ending hole of black. passes She Talie Hess grows into a beautiful young lady Eyes still passionate and mysterious THE TRAPEZE ARTIST Mother watching her The trapeze artist daughter, walks along the rope preparing for her Balancing time Trying not to fall She learns Flying to rule over the net The people Performing depend on her for the audience The crown Stretches fits like a glove her foot to her head The girl who Grabs was once a little baby onto her partner is now the queen Having finished the performance, And she has her body begins to twist kept her promises and stretch throughout her life Longer and longer Thinner and thinner

By Annie Sherman Tighter and tighter Until all her body is, Is the very rope she walked on.

By Ava Penizotto 11

THE MALTAVIA LEAF

I waited there for another five minutes, but he didn’t stop going through the bush. Finally, he pulled out a leaf. It was perfectly symmetrical, something you would see in a commercial. It had no dirt on it too, despite being covered by the muddy ground around it.

“Food,” he said, looking into my eyes. I questioned why he said this.

It was a leaf, not any sort of food. I was so desperate I could not take any chances. I took the leaf and bit into it.

I felt immediately refreshed, all the energy in my body rushed in. I felt my the hunger fade away as I swallowed the leaf. I was about to say thank you to the man but I realised I couldn’t talk.

He started to smile as my legs become wobbly and my toes went numb. I fell to the ground and I couldn’t move. I had never felt this feeling before. I tried to move my muscles but nothing happened. I was scared. The man came over to look down at me. He stared at me for a long time before I became drowsy and passed out.

I woke up with him carrying me through the forest, using a machete to cut the the branches out of the way as he trekked through the dense trees. I was terrified, I had no clue what was happening or what was going to happen.

I hoped that I was coming down with a condition and he was taking me to a hospital, but I didn’t think this was going to happen.

Eventually we came up to a house. He went up to the front door and opened it. It was a nice house and very well managed. He put me down on the couch and then went in the kitchen. I looked around and there were pictures of the forest and pictures of him with people. The people looked emotionless, and not themselves. I was wondering what this man was up too and why he was here. I wanted to speak or communicate somehow but I couldn’t. I was fully paralyzed.

He came back from the kitchen, picked me up and start walking through his house. I wandered if I was going to go get medical care or if he was going to drive me back to the guide station.

He brought me down some steps to this basement, it was very dark and cold, and he set me down on the ground and turned the lights on. I was terrified, all over the room were motionless people, strapped to the wall. They did not look dead or injured at all, they all looked like me. Paralyzed but still alive. He put me up on the wall next to a guy, I remembered seeing his face and realized he was the guy in the picture I saw while sitting on the couch.

The man left and turned off the lights. I couldn't move or escape, and I was scared to death.

By Bobby Burns

12

THIS IS ME I lace up my skates, tight I slip on my gloves, easily I pick up my stick, lightly I step onto the ice, ready I begin to skate, smooth slippery slick I glide like a kite soaring through the sky Slicing through the clouds Like I’m slicing through the ice I crack a black puck into the back of the net It falls And falls And falls Until it slaps the ice Letting out an abrupt echo throughout the rink This is me

By Mateo Picozzi

THE IMPERFECT, PERFECT IMAGE Scrolling through the media we see constant photoshopped images. We turn on the T.V and commercials pop up telling us that were wearing the wrong thing, that our bodies aren’t right. This makes us feel like we need to diet and be as skinny as possible, under any circumstance, it makes us feel like were worthless. Society has made it so that beauty lies within the color of our skin, the way our hair looks and the size of our bodies. Everyday we’re making changes to fit these standards, that no one can keep up with. It sounds crazy but we all try to mold ourselves into this imperfect, perfect image.

By Hannah Williams

B 13

LA HABANA Walking at sunset through the large Cuban city, seeing hundreds of beautiful iglesias (churches.)

At lunchtime, eating arroz con frijoles (rice and beans) looking around at the city square.

It was the year of the hotly contested election.

When I watched TV and saw the ball drop in New York, I heard cries on the street.

Castro started to forcefully take power. Good, I thought, we are all equal in communism.

But later that year, I sent my kids to the US as Pedro Pan children, they’d have a better life there.

In Havana, I cried as I realized that Communism SUCKS! Hoy, Yo voy a morir. ( I am going to die today.)

By Ronak Shetty

THE LITTLE PRINCE A little prince Peasants fed him People worshiped him They loved him He grew up‌ People feared him Saw his acts of murder Backstabbing people who loved him That Is The Story Of A King

By Ben Epstein

By Andrew Bunn

14

THE MUSK OF ROSES If we are all capable of love, then why is it complicated? Love itself is simple; it’s a strong appreciation and affection towards someone. Yet our doubt and apprehension of the unknown, molds this emotion into a concoction. Brewing in our stomachs with a sprinkle of sleepless nights, a pinch of heartaches, a dash of awkwardness, and a handful of butterflies.

Slowly it seeps out, creating warm, tingly sensations... that consume us. It spreads to our nostrils, flaring up as they inhale the heavenly scents of the brew. With hints of the sweet, fruity musk of roses.

By Lauren Hardman

By Cambell Blake THE TEACHER

FIREWORKS

Stands beside the whiteboard Holding the expo in her hand Lectures the class on history As if she was really there

My family is like a firework Set off by even the smallest flames Once set off we all go our separate ways Until the wind blows Blowing all of the once colorful pieces of paper towards a new land of opportunities Then we come back together again Waiting to be lit again

Slowly the kids’ minds drift, as if she is talking to the air She begins to go as well Disappearing behind the board Until you can see her no more

By Bella Bechi

By Sophie Schramm 15

MOMMY The mom was always home Helping Cooking Cleaning She did her best to help her children Even though she was unhappy because she wanted to do more She kept that to herself She thinks of her childhood to make her happy Coolest kid Prom queen Varsity She sees her husband across the room Smiling Waving He looks different, she thought Younger She walks down the old hallways She remembers Smells Looks The varsity football jacket that she wore She was finally happy

By Lynsey Hess

HOPE Hope is a chance; the little voice inside your mind that screams “Yes!� when everyone else says no. Hope is not a wish or a dream but a sparkling ball of positivity that guides your way when you have lost everything else.

When you believe and have hope, you become unstoppable, like a fire that spreads taking everything in its path. Hope is that tiny light in the vast dark night, and when the light disappears, you do too.

By Mira Ramasamy 16

HOME Playing In The Woods Lit With Yellow Light Now Watching The Kids

By Charlie Hutchinson

Carving Their Names In The Roots Of My Childhood

By Haylee Schwind

By Ava Pillari 17

A FAR AWAY PLACE There in a far away place was a thought, that thought passes though my mind and becomes into a bigger topic As that image becomes something bigger, my mind seems to follow it.

Like water turning into ice the thought becomes hard and into something complete.

Images start popping in and out of my head and soon it turns into My imagination

By Andrew Low

IXL You start going and solving You are getting everything right You are in the challenge zone You can only go up by one Your mom calls you in the kitchen You leave You come back and you're back down to seventy You can only go back up by one

By Nate Zerrenner

THE SOCCER PLAYER The soccer player shoots the ball through the air into the back of the net as he runs towards the crowd he flys just like the lucky ball he just kicked

By Alex Grazel 18

JAILBREAK

ANGER

The fence Right there Five feet away

Anger bottled up inside Locked up tight Nowhere to go at night Would there be light Not with all this fright Too tight To see the light But then I saw it A beautiful sight

Get caught, locked up for life Get over freedom for days Running …

Running …

Almost there “HEY GET OFF THE FENCE!”

By Addison Hill

by Rowan Posner

ONLINE Getting ready for the attack Wearing a ski mask covered black Rolling up the tinted windows with such haste Finding the girl, who he chased Running, Sprinting!

Out of breath Finally accepting it was time for her death Tripping over a nearby rock Attempting to get help from people, standing in a flock Unfortunately everyone had had their backs turned Never talk to strangers online, I had learned

By Katie Ewig 19

CLOCKWORK 2 Making music has always been a passion Going on the soundboard for mixing and mashin’ It’s weird how finished music gives so much satisfaction Especially when someone has been lost without a faction In a realistic world, one might say this: It’s clockwork, got work Put it in like doctors with awkwardness Mocked your whole flock up And now I’m walkin toward ya You think I’m thoughtless But I’ll have you making this car spotless I’ll show you what to do on this board Although I didn’t know your dad had the Congressional Records I break them and you say that this is the complete opposite of the epiphany of our lord You say, “What worse can you do?”

And I say, “Take you all the way to the park avenue” Oh really?

Travelling over there will mess up this flow And then I’ll have you go to my house and do a white tornado Or what if I take you to the capital of Mexico I don’t know, maybe have a friend of mine become a ninja?

Don't think he can be one because he is a ginger You think that the opposite of Communism Could easily be found and created by a mathematician?

Now, I ain’t no word technician But I sure know that this ain’t a job for a computer technician, Maybe for a mathematical statistician Just like that, it’s done.

By Matt Loprete

20

MAN’S BEST FRIEND They played together.

Never leaving each other.

Grew old together.

She ran after her.

And never saw the Car.

By Jenna Smith

By Alexander Turbin LIFE IS A JAR (Inspirational music starts to play) Life is a Jar Sometimes it’s empty, Sometimes it’s full.

But when it’s empty, You, yes, YOU, Can fill it up again, With whatever YOU, yes YOU, want.

Also, jars, like life, Come in all different shapes and sizes, You, yes YOU, get to pick which life you want to live, Just like you want a jar of a particular size.

And YOU, yes YOU, can fill it with whatever you want.

(End inspirational Music) (Drop mic)

By Will Sgro 21

VICTORY ROYALE It was a lovely day for BASEBALL The strong scent of ballpark HOT DOGS filled the warm summer air But this delicious food used to be a PIG Who lived a normal life on a FARM Perhaps the farm was called FATAL FIELDS But this pig was not so lucky and didn't get the VICTORY ROYALE

By Zach Sehnaoui THE CHICKEN The blast of heat came out of the oven It got hot in the kitchen The chicken was overcooked I’m scared my family will be mad Just like watching a horror movie I think this chicken was killed with an axe That is murder

By Connor Downey

CANDY

They say it’s easy to take from babies But what they don’t know is that it’s secret Secret baby candy The baby spies looking to poison the parents and take over the world

By Alex Grazel

SADNESS

Sadness is gray like the clouds on a rainy day Sadness tastes like hot, flavorless soup Sadness smells like garbage from a sewage plant Sadness looks like your favorite store closing Sadness sounds like a baby crying Sadness feels like ice cream melting in my hand Sadness

By Gia Becchi 22

SOMETHING HAD CHANGED Something had changed within the lake. It was imperceptible, intangible, and entirely invisible - although everyone felt it. The shift happened in an instant, though it had been a thousand years in the making and would not happen till a thousand years later. The very water itself felt different, like something alien and unnatural, yet it felt ever so familiar as if it was something that they had been missing for their whole lives and forgotten about. It was a puzzle piece that had lain forgotten under the couch and only now snapped into place. The water would scald your tongue and soothe your throat simultaneously. Those who swam in the water found themselves grow immeasurably smarter and stronger, though they became incapable of the simplest conversation or lifting the lightest of feathers. The small, lakeside town trembled with uncertainty and a complete assuredness of their safety. The beautiful incomparable intertwining strings that composed reality shuddered once, twice - and promptly imploded into a trillion shards spinning away from the fading husk of the universe.

By Alex Markley FAIRIES Fairies dance through the magical forest Their wings fluttering at the speed of sound Clouds of pink sparkles turn into a thick consuming fog Absorbing all the good and happiness Turning into that dark spinning ball of evil that was always there, just hidden underneath

By Mira Ramasamy

THESE STREETS Waking up knowing people carry guns, Gunshots going off at night, We believe gangs are the cause of this, They create so much Violence Mothers mourn when they hear their sons are dead Lives revolve around These Streets

By J’Meeyah White 23

I WAS WALKING ALONE I was alone walking through the woods with my small bag That was all I carried on, and on “It should be anywhere now,” I said to myself the dark had crept in hours earlier and it was now the dead of night I trotted through the desolate woods and there it was the cabin I entered and saw an eerie face from painting in the moonlight As a joke I said “that's a nice face you got there buddy” to the painting I went to bed in my small sleeping bag I awoke to a note that read “thanks, I know I have a nice face, buddy” I looked over to see the painting was just a broken window

By Hugo Milne-Home THE SECRET I walked on the beach with my dog and my brother.

“Why are there so many waves?” my brother asked, as my dog panted.

“Well, how else would the fish have cover?”

“Cover from what?” he asked again.

“From the boats and humans. You see, as the sailors and humans pass the waters, the waves act as big, godly shields giving them protection from showing the humans the truth.”

“What about going under the water?” he asked.

“You can’t see the truth from that angle, only from above as the angle from under the water doesn’t actually capture it.”

“What is IT?” he questions again.

“Well, that’s a secret…”

“How do you know the secret?”

By James Broyles

THE WATER I watch the water sit still It is calm and dark I put my hand in and splash it It shakes the whole ocean then goes quiet again I jump in and look under and see the fish I put my head up again It’s wet The water goes down my body and drips

RUN

By Billy Moloney

White, fluffy sand, light as a feather, soft as a blanket Ice-white dust danced in the sky as my brother and I walked on the boardwalk I had never seen sand such a pale shade of white I asked it him, what is it?

He told me that the bickering birds were crying tears of joy made of vanilla ice cream Wet, hard, cold, as I picked it up and smelled it, it melted in my hands This could not be ice cream The little cold cotton balls were now falling down, harder than before They now looked like golf balls RUN

By Tori Fergus CRAYONS Everybody has a place in their heart for them Children love them, their eyes shine with happiness But as we get older, we disregard them We break them We crush them We hate them I bet the person in the factory who has worked hard to make the wax for the crayons would hate you too.

By Ethan Wilshinky 25

IS THAT THEM? As my brother downloads the new app, he brainlessly clicks the Accept Terms And Use “You know they can kidnap you now?” I say and grab a blanket.

“How do you know that?”

“Well, did you read the Terms And Uses?”

“No they can’t, that’s a lie.”

I shrug my shoulders.

There is a knock on the door.

“Is that them?” he asks.

By Conor Atkins

ENGLISH CLASS The long dark hallway stood in front of us “Where is it?” my friend asked.

“Down the hallway and to the right.”

My friend seemed scared, petrified.

“Why should I go first?”

“Because they need you, not me.”

“Where is it?”

“Down the hallway and to the right.”

He then walked into English class.

MUSIC

By Conor Downey

Melodies and symphonies dance through the air As strings strum softly and drums rumble and roar Music to our ears, a language, a dialect Understood by only those willing to listen, who have opened their hearts to a new world A world of emotions spoken in sound “Lovely music,” beamed the teacher

By Lauren Hardman

26

THE BUMPER STICKER As we are driving down the boring highway, I see a car with hundreds of stickers on the back.

I tell my little sister, “Do you see that Honda in front of us? The animals and people on those stickers are real.”

My sister asks “How? They're not even moving, and if they were alive, why wouldn't they want to be free from the stickers?”

“It's because those people have done bad things in their lives and now are punished by living on the cars, unable to move.”

My sister doesn't respond but just looked helplessly at the car with a tear in her eye. She looks like she is trying to look away but cannot for some reason, like her eyes are trapped.

She says, “Why did they do bad things?”

By Mateo Picozzi

HE STOLE IT FROM ME He stole it from me, Something I worked my whole life for, Running at full speed the opposite direction from me, Thousands of people were watching, and nobody bothered to do anything, In fact, they were chanting, People were tackling each other, and nobody bothered to do a thing.

Why? Because it was a game of football.

By Sean Donovan

27

PAINTINGS

By Max Wayne

In the halls of the white, sleek museum, a painting hung inside the frame, a boat coasting flat, clear waters.

I walked towards it with my sister.

I told her the boat was yet to be hit by pirates.

We stared at the painting.

People walking and eating and talking passed us.

“How do you know it’s going to get attacked?” she asked.

“Don’t you see nobody’s on deck? They are hiding. They don’t want to get caught for what they have done.”

We started to walk away. The glass doors looked like crystal caves with light shiny through.

“What was the crime they committed?” she asked.

“They stole from a museum,” I told her.

We left the sleek white hallway, out into the green, fresh, colorful world.

“What did they steal?” my little sister asked.

By Talie Hess 28

SHE STOOD IN THE DOORWAY She stood in the doorway with her little brother. Holding his hand.

“It’ll take 20 seconds”, she told him. “I’ll wait right out here.”

“But,” he said, “The Toilet Monster.”

By Jenna Smith

TWO CHILDISH SILHOUETTES Sheets of frozen water cascade to the ground, and shouts of joy and wonder await their arrival.

“Why does it snow?” asks my younger sister.

A tree branch snaps in the distance, forlorn and alone.

“To punish people who are too dedicated to their work.”

Two wavering headlights pierce the white curtain, the engine fading as it leaves “How can you be too dedicated?” questions my sister.

The car returns, reluctantly, and pulls into a driveway.

A light flickers on inside, as two childish silhouettes appear.

“It forces people to be with their family.”

By Alex Markley

29

“ROUGH SAILOR” As the rough waves reflected the white cotton candy clouds, Mom was telling us a story about her brother who was swept away by the roaring surf, and warning us about what the sea holds.

The next day my brother and I walked outside with his favorite toy boat, the “ROUGH SAILOR”.

It was a rough day on the surf, and the wind was sweeping the sand up in our eyes, but he was still determined to put it in the surf.

“Why is it so rough?!” shouted my brother.

“I don’t know!” I shouted back.

But suddenly as I opened my eyes to try to find my brother, he was gone, eaten by the surf, swallowed by the undertow.

It was then I saw his ship. It was glorious, 12 feet tall now and ripping through the surf with ease.

As his ship was ripping through the crashing waves, my mother came out, and she asked to join him. I said to her, “Don’t let the undertow sweep you away!”

By Jackson Scully

THE WIND The wind blew harshly I heard it talking to me It said “everything will be okay” But the wind was wrong There were trees on my house.

By Ethan Wilshinsky 30

A MACHIAVELLIAN FIGURE A machiavellian figure stands in the dark corner of the room He has climbed the political ladder through nothing but cunning He fears that he will one day be forced into being honest, and the world will know of his duplicity They will deem him a liar and a cheater The insidious man's influence has so far gone unnoticed But he is of unrelenting ambition

By Ethan Chestnut-Stein TOOTH FAIRY My little sister lost her first tooth and she asked me “Why does the tooth fairy take my teeth?”

“She steals them and keeps them locked up” “Why does she keep them locked up?”

“Because she does not like teeth” “Why?” “Because all of her teeth we pulled out” “But who would pull out her teeth?”

“The dentist.”

We got home, I saw my little sister throw out her tooth.

“Why did you do that?”

“I don't want the evil tooth fairy taking my tooth for her collection” It was then I realized that I had ruined her innocence.

By Lynsey Hess 31

WHAT HAPPENED? The city was right in front of us.

We were on the top floor of the skyscraper.

We looked down, thousands of feet down.

“What happened?” he asked.

“Bad people came,” I responded.

We continued to look out at the city in awe.

“But why did they do that?” he continued to ask.

This time I didn't answer, just kept on looking.

He tugged my shirt trying to get my attention.

“We did something to them so they did something to us.”

By Jack Krishnan

TEARS As we sat on the porch with the rain dripping down on our toes I read a book, silently and relaxed “Where does rain come from?” asked the innocent girl with wide sparkling blue eyes “It’s the angel’s tears,” I morbidly replied.

“Why are they crying?” she asked, afraid of what my answer might be.

“Because they died.”

By Lindsay Mariano

32

OPEN THE LOCK I hear the caged bird singing The sounds of its pain Creating a violent ringing <3 When all it takes is one of the flock To fly on down and open the lock <3 The bird will rise And grow as big as the sun As it sways around Having so much fun <3 The bird silently cries As it hopes to fly off into the skies <3 It knows it can't Escape to the infinite plane Its feet begin to plant As it realizes it will forever stay the same <3 Then a light begins to shine bright It feels the breeze and thinks it is a tease <3 Its skin was exposed It became confused It opens its eyes, not realizing they were closed <3 But that wouldn't make sense How is that possible, unless... <3 All it took was one of the flock To fly down and open the lock

By Ava Penizotto 33

LOVE Love is a special connection with another person Relationships are made of important moments in a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life When you love, you do it with all of your Heart Red resembles roses on Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s day Blood is the opposite of the feeling of roses and lips Hospitals are where relationships can come to an end Death is how relationships come to an end

By Anjalika Shah

LAS VEGAS Walking around the strip at night, enjoying the beautiful light shows and looking at marvelous hotels. I was with my parents and strolling down the strip, a rock concert of some sort going on. Everyone cheering, singing along. But in the mist, something tragic is going on. What is it? It was nothing but a massacre scaring the whole country, watching one of the most popular cities in the world burn down as no one cared to stop the man. #prayforLasVegas

By Eshaan Popat

FAMILY They sat there sitting, smiling for the camera But no one knows what life they live behind the photos Parents yell, kids cry, no one is ever happy Until one day when silence falls upon the house As crime scene tape blocks the world from ever seeing what was really behind the photos

By Bella Becchi

34

ALL MY FAULT As soon as I laid down I grew a large frown A frown the size of a bus For an anger raged inside me As big as a tower Why you ask?

For I had just lost my dear puppy And it was all my fault We were walking A cold night it was When he ran at a pace I couldn't catch And to my luck A car was barreling down the road A burst of speed zoomed through my body As I leaped to catch him But not far enough For it was too late And it was all my fault

By Pierson Baum

FOOTBALL What sport has hits so loud they can be heard around the world?

What sport can have a ball soar in the air like a bird?

What sport can be so exciting?

But no sport is flawless.

This sport might have run out of time.

Some people think playing it is a crime.

The players heads are so beat up, That this sport definitely needs to be cleaned up.

By Dylan Strauss

35

DOWNHILL As I watch America on a downhill slope I watch the leader make it steeper I catch a moment of the news And it's always the same â&#x20AC;&#x153;Trump made a stupid statementâ&#x20AC;?

And it goes in the dump Soldiers die and Trump disrespects them The mother comes out and responds back People want to start new lives and get on track But Trump won't give anything back A lot of people are feeling pain Stepping over puddles full of pain And of course the old man with the cane in May was a veteran of our country in D-day

By Billy Moloney THE PLAYGROUND Empty, empty the playground rots, Devoid of its joyous passengers, it lists, it yearns, Of times of innocence, ignorance, bliss, But stolen in night, the pilots and pirates awaken, Ripped from dreams like apples from trees, Occupied with omniscience, Odysseys of adolescence, For the price of knowledge is knowing, and, Somethings are unforgettable, others unattainable.

By Alex Markley

Sean Donovan 36

BIRTHDAY MONEY

“Hey mom, I can't wait to go to the Amazon rainforest when I'm older!”

I shouted.

My mom then explained ”Neal that’s great, but the Amazon rainforest is disappearing. It may be gone in 50 years”.

Ever since she told me that, I knew that if I really wanted to see the rainforest, then I had to do something to protect it. I started by putting all my money into it, from my birthday parties to holidays to lemonade stands. I was able to give about $500 dollars to the Rainforest Alliance, but I know that’s not enough.

All my life I wanted to go to the Amazon rainforest, to see its amazing biodiversity and its natural beauty. I know some people say, what is the big deal about the rainforest, it's just trees and a bunch of animals, what’s so great about it.

But that’s wrong, it’s not just a bunch of animals and trees, it is also 20% of the world oxygen and has much of the world's fresh water. The Amazon rain forest is about 2.1 million miles. That's about the size of Australia. It has about 390 billion tree. Thats a lot!

This amazing place is being destroyed though. Sometimes it is the local people looking for firewood to cook food and sell to the town, but more often it is companies bulldozing acres of land to build cocoa bean plantations, feed cattle and wood for making houses. Every year 20,000 square miles are being lost in the Amazon rainforest. That's the size of West Virginia! Every time an acre of trees is cut down, you destroy the habitat for hundreds of animals and insects. Sometimes it’s hard to imagine why cutting down a tree is so awful, but think how would feel if your home was destroyed. So far, 20% of the rainforest has been destroyed, and that’s growing every minute, and one day, there may be nothing left. Not only does the habitat get destroyed for the animals, but it is changing the environment of the whole world. The rainforests around the world keep absorbing carbon dioxide from the air and keep the air cooler. The trees in the rainforest keeps the soil intact and from disappearing into the ocean every time it rains. Keeping the rainforest intact is important not just for animal habitats, but for human habitats as well. We are now affected by higher temperatures and hurricanes that are destroying our homes.

As you can see, the Amazon rainforest is changing in many bad ways.

One kid and his birthday money isn’t going to save the rainforest. Many people and organizations are trying to help the Amazon rainforest but that also isn’t enough. Sometimes this may look like a lost cause, but we only have one planet and we all have to try to save it.

By Neal Ramasamy

37

GUST OF WIND A gust of wind blows your curtains, It calls your name, There it is once again, An eerie whisper that canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be explained, Full of hate and full of malice, A gust of wind calls your name, There is no time to waste, You must replace the gates that kept it in its place, The bitter air snaps at your face, Close the shutters before it mutters, A gust of wind no longer speaks, It seeks and seeks but can find no entrance, It has been sentenced to an ever longing independence, A gust of wind will find itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vengeance, Once again while you slumber, Something cries your name, The shutters securely sealed, The door firmly shut, And still it calls your name,

By Jackson Downey

38

Jack Mackin

THE INNOCENTS The Innocents The innocents The children The new generation

INFINITY Dirt Absorbed By Plant

The doe eyed dear That we all hold so near The innocents The mockingbirds The harmless with their words

Consumed By Cattle

The energetic of heart might find a new start as they grow wise beyond their years

Stalked By Scavenger

The innocents The clean of mind Just might find An event That bent Their souls

Prey To The Predator Hunted By Human

Ava Penizotto

Lain To Rest Death Decomposing Dirt Once More

By Alex Markley 39

BEST FRIENDS

MOCKINGBIRD

At First So Close

If the white lady screams, Then the black man goes to jail.

If the black lady screams, Then no one cares at all.

The black man is a Mockingbird.

Unable to defend himself; As innocent as a lamb.

The white man is a Shooter.

Not caring at all.

The mockingbird calls and calls, yearning to be Free.

But the white man answers with a BANG. A sin to kill a mockingbird.

Overtime Other People Came Stopped Talking To Each other Started Hating Each other I Turned My Back She Pulled The Trigger

By Jâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Meeyah White

By Jenna Smith

SONNET I bid thee learn of my teachings, learn from the woes of those regretful, so as no more suffer from plans of their own design, flaws and fallacies, born of a design far grander. Every man strives for the grandeur he dreams of, yet finite as the petals of a rose, blooming as roots wither, dreams of ascendence run down by the quintessential human imperfection.

Wise is the one who learns his limits, in trials and tribulations, limited by himself.

Hold thy sword, withhold thine strongest blow, know that muscle will rot and mind will fade, that only tales and deeds might live on.

By Alex Markley 40

THE EYES OF A CHILD Through the eyes of a child Cynical Explanations donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t exist Only a pure sense of wonder Free like flowing water from skepticism With curious, creative children constantly challenging confinements Through the eyes of a child Imaginations run free as the vast sea Once ordinary playgrounds now magnificent castles for little knights and princesses Experience has yet to be a teacher to enlighten the zoo of children But then the sun rises up And reality sets in

By Jonathon Hong

By Lauren Hardman WINTER Winter is here, People playing in the snow, Flu is here, Doctors are busy, And medicine is running out, Hospitals are running out of room Death is coming

By Eshaan Popat

By Nicholas Fonseca

41

BEING YOU Being you Don’t think you need to mold You don't have to fit in You don't need to belong Only listening to the others isn't a friendship too long But you can stand up being brave and being strong Don't wait for an approval to say you’re right or wrong Just try and shoot for the stars high up in the sky And if you ever fall, get up and your eyes they'll be dry Just find the place where nobody talks behind a back A place where you can be who you want without having a pact Believe in yourself and make that a fact Don't even listen to how they will react Be yourself that's the key I don't care who else agrees But being you is the best gift I’ve ever seen!

By Hailey Rollins THE WIND As people skied by, the wind blew quietly, almost like a whisper.

The mountain stood in front of me, beautiful, unreal. Like a giant igloo. The wind blew harder, almost like it yelled.

I wished I never had to go home.

Isabelle Celleri HOPE Hope was in the air tonight The whole family was sitting in the kitchen waiting for the phone to ring It felt like fairies flying in the air Everyone felt them It smelt like sugar Nothing else mattered The hope took over everyone The phone rang It felt like fireworks went off

By Rowan Posner 42

BARE TREES

A gradient of color stretched across the sky, only disrupted by the dark outline of the bare maple trees that shivered with each breeze. The crescent moon shone brightly in the cloudless winter sky while the birds sang a sweet, slow tune. As the cold, crisp wind swirled, I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help but think to myself, what a beautiful world.

By Samantha Brown

THE DIVER

By Tori Fergus

Bubbles rising to the surface, Fish swimming without a purpose, Looking at him saying, please don't hurt us Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s swimming faster now, trying to get a glimpse He grips his spear, Losing limbs and growing fins.

By Jackson Downey 43

DANCING PLAGUE Sweat, death, heart attacks Pain, hysteria, true facts, 1518 where it all started, where dancing was a problem, Self expression turned to madness as four hundred joined the tale-raising phenomenon, With death swirling around its name, It got its fame by being the Death Plague.

People dancing with no distinct reason, Some called it treason, Lives wasted away from hysteria, No one even thinks of malaria

By Egbefe Omonzane

SADNESS

By Ian Patchett Sadness is like a cold rainy day Feeling blue Drops of water Wondering why the world turned against you Missing light in the day You just want to go away Away to another day full of brightness and happiness Without worrying about a change You feel like the sadness will never go away But then comes another day

By Kirsten Harvett 44

THE FREEDOM BLANKET The flag is like a blanket keeping me warm and safe, as I imagine it is to all the people holding and respecting the glorious symbol of freedom.

This magnificent symbol of hope reminds me of a tent of protection warmly embracing all the citizens of the U.S.A .

By Adam Broyles

By Richard Zhang

BOB EWELL As she walked across the road, Dark, dank sky dangles above her, Fearful, frightened by noise, A man approaches fast and furious from behind, Cold shiny knife in hand looking to find, The kids of his enemy, After apprehension from an angry man It all goes bad from there.

By Travis Ehrenberg LOVE

Love is like a game of poker Addicting, yet full of surprises You can put a lot in but never get anything in return Try your best when there is no way to win And lose everything unexpectedly

By Kirsten Harvett 45

SOMETIMES, in WALMART Sometimes in Walmart with your family, you push your sister in the cart, laughing. You shove random things from the shelves into the shopping carts.

You bump into one of your friends and reunite as if you had not seen them in years, when in reality, you saw them just yesterday.

Sometimes in Walmart with your family, you beg your dad to get you something that you really want. He says no. You bother him until smoke is coming out of his ears and he is breathing angrily. He says yes out of annoyance.

Sometimes in Walmart with your family, your mom sends you to the other side of the store to retrieve something, and you make a dance routine with your sister to the music playing on the loudspeaker.

People look at you crazy, but you continue. You grab random accessories including sunglasses, headbands, or ugly jewelery and try them on.

Sometimes in Walmart with your family, your seven year old sister says something like “If Jesus follows us, does he go to the bathroom with us?

Thats creepy.” You laugh and snort at her comment, and your other sister rolls her eyes and says something along the lines of “I can't believe you are the oldest sister.”

Sometimes in Walmart with your family, you have a good time. You laugh like there is no tomorrow.

By Dumebe Okonkwo

46

By Jenna Smith

By Sophie Schramm

47

GLORY Glory is when you win. Glory is when you triumph. Glory is when you score a goal in overtime, or block a shot with 5 seconds left. Glory is feeling heroic. Glory is the feeling when you hit a homerun, or pitch your first strikeout. Glory can be many things, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not as important as the pass someone gave to you for the goal, or the support from the people who help you on the way.

By Roman Berger

By Kevin Tone

THE TOY GUN As the boy Plays with his plastic gun He gains age He grows older Then The toy gun Gains age Becomes older And Becomes A Real one BANG

By Alex Grayzel

48

By Rowan Posner

SADNESS Sadness is blue like the sky It tastes like a soft squishy banana It smells like a humid, cloudy night It looks like a humongous rain cloud about to dump all of its rain It sounds like water hitting the roof of a house It feels like sitting in a wet dark room alone.

Alex Pelinsky

THE BARE BRANCHES Just a few are different, Left out, behind.

Most are blooming, growing, sprouting.

Just the bare bark branches are left.

Thin as can be, fragile.

The other green leaves race for recovery.

Most are just small, but others are ahead of the game and ready to die from winter.

The bare branches, feeling lonely, wondering if they could ever have leaves.

Now depressed.

It all started with the bare branches.

By Leah Stecker

49

NOT A HAIKU Haikus are not fun I really hate making them I would rather read a romance novel or go outside on a hot winter day and watch the snow melt and rush down my driveway I would rather try to take a nap after I had an energy drink Or go fishing for a day and not even get a bite I would rather stare at the sun all day long without blinking

By Brookes Limbert HAPPINESS Happiness is bright colors like pink, yellow, and orange It tastes like Skittles and vanilla ice cream It smells like a fresh baked apple pie It looks like a litter of puppies It sounds like a violin playing a melody It feels like finally sleeping in a soft bed after a long day at school

By Charlie Holdsworth STRESS Stress is the color red like fire Stress tastes like wasabi with wattleseed Stress smells like a bad cologne Stress looks like an endless maze Stress sounds like a fire alarm that never stops Stress feels like driving a car with no gas Stress

By Brendan Tartaglione

50

MR. MILLSTONE

I went passed Mr. Millstones house everyday after school. Mr. Millstone was a 78 year old widower. His wife passed away several years ago when she died of lung cancer. His wife, Katherine, was his only friend, so ever since the death of his wife, I passed by his house and said hello everyday. I remember walking by his house when Katherine was still alive. Seeing the couple gave me joy. They were always smiling at each other, happy as can be, never fighting or having disagreements. So when his wife died, I knew how Mr. Millstone felt. I knew he had lost something extremely important to him.

Mr. Millstoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grey hair glittered like the color silver. His circular glasses gave him an intelligent touch. Mr. Milestone stood 5 feet and 5 inches, but he always remarked that he was taller years ago, but must of shrunk. Throughout my visits, I had not only become connected with Mr. Millstone, but I had come to love him. Even though Mr. Millstone was always stuck to his wheelchair, barely able to move, his eyes and smile narrated every quiet word he said.

By Charlotte Post-Lipnick

WINTER Cold Ice Starts To Melt The Ground Floods With Water The Flowers Start To Bloom

By Vikrant Hajarnavis 51

By Will Baum

THE TRUTH ABOUT ME I was born two months after an airplane crashed into the Red Sea killing everyone on board. I love to eat coffee ice cream with fresh coffee beans on it.

One of my favorite holidays was traveling to Singapore. Homework is not my “forte”, and I hate doing projects. I listen to Ariana Grande music 24/7! I love to play tennis. I really believe that a person should not change to fit into a friend group. Acting and singing makes me happy. This semester, I am learning how to tap dance. I am lazy. I think Biology is so fascinating. People who lie all the time annoy me. I hate doing chores. I love England; it’s where all my family lives. Two of my favorite TV shows of all time are “Quantico” and “Hawaii Five-0”, even though I just started watching them. My parents call me a nosy parker because I like to read my mom’s text messages. I used to play guitar. Seeing puppies who are blind, deaf, or missing a leg makes me cry. When I grow up, I either want to be a FBI field agent or a doctor. My mom is a lot of fun to be around even though she is very, very strict. Some teachers get on my nerves. I lie to parents almost twice every day. I love to go to my neighbor's house and walk their dog. A weakness of mine is to sit on the couch and eat popcorn. I really enjoy spending time with friends. I love to solve mysteries and dig into my parents’ pasts. I am bilingual; I speak Hindi and English. I am an artist in training. I would like to be an artist training others.

By Anonymous

THEORETICAL PHYSICIST Mr. Jafar stares at his board, chalk in hand He writes eloquent equations with the ease of a wizard casting a spell Uniting Quantum Mechanics and general relativity, he thinks and gives himself to his passion Soon, a new equation finds himself on the board He stares at a crowd that has gathered in awe and a cry is heard “MR. JAFAR IS GONE.”

By Ethan Chestnut-Stein 52

FRIENDSHIP The friendship of these two girls is like glue that will never peel away.

Their arms wrapped around like a ribbon tying a special surprise together. The parking lot is full of happy and sad memories. People who say friendship doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t last forever are so, so very wrong. They are equivalent to the roadblocks in the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lot.

By Flinn Fleming

APOLLO 13 Nobody thought that we, America, were going to go to space. Brave men, leaving the little force we call gravity to blast off to the eons of darkness.

We wanted to fly to the moon, but that second chance got shot down, to let the men come home. The challenges that these men faced, not knowing if they were going to live another day, or just be a piece of space rubble. Good old Apollo 13. Even though it just looks like an old beat up spacecraft, it brought three men home from the no-gravity bottomless pit of space. Apollo 13 was a life saver, to be remembered forever.

By Hayley Sgro

OCEAN SKIES From the sun hitting half of the crystal clear ocean and half hitting the rainbow sky with cotton candy colored clouds and the calm water on the soft sand, it was beautiful, and breathtaking. As the sun went down, the sky lit up. It looked like a dream, a wonderful dream.

By Kelsey Scully

53

DEPRESSION Depression is like being trapped in a endless pitch black tunnel.

Depression tastes like bland oatmeal, no taste, no nothing. It smells like a rotten pepper, black, painful, and sad. Depression is nothing but an endless line of sadness and pain.

Depression is going in circles of nothingness.

By Grayson Strauss THE MOUNTAINTOP It was a cold, icy day on the ski mountain, and yet, my friend and I went to the top. The very top. It had felt like we climbed Everest. It was hard, but the view was worth it. It was breathtaking, exquisite, amazing! But the height of where we were was very intimidating. While taking it all in with my friend, we both agreed on one thing. This was going to be one of the most amazing views in all our lives.

By Hugh Outwater THE PASSING DAY

As the sun goes down, the only markings seen are the pink, orange, yellow, and purple in the blue sky fading away of the day that has just gone by. With the inlet water crashing off the bulkhead of land sounding like a clap of thunder, taps plays in the background from the Coast Guard as the American flag lowers into the darkness.

By Matthew Mortazavi HAPPINESS Happiness is a swirl of a pearl blue and yellow, It tastes like sweet cotton candy melting in your mouth, It smells like freshly cut strawberries out of the garden, It looks like a cloudless blue sky on a bright summer day, It sounds like the waves of the ocean, It feels like you have been accepted as who you are.

By Zachary Brown 54

FEAR Fear is the color of the darkest grey Fear tastes like the soggiest and coldest beans Fear looks like sadness that came over him or her like a dark rainbow Fear sounds like heavy breathing and salty tears dripping down your face Fear feels like a shortage of breath, that has just hit you really hard

By Maddie Jaffe

MOUNDS OF PEOPLE

A FLYING SQUIRREL

Mounds Of People Crowding The Streets

Is floating with ease through the air with a suit on his body Winds through mountaintops Like a flash of brown If you blink he will be gone

Breathable air Light above Green around The acid is falling again The sky is dark now Those who leave are poisoned The streets are empty

His suit a flap flap skin helps him do these unbelievable stunts

By Kaitlyn Blount

But when he winds around the mountain, he is gone without a trace into the hills

By Jackson Scully 55

THE STREAKY SKY As the evening rolled upon us, the breathtaking sky behind the dark silhouette of alluring trees was like a rainbow. The wild blue yonder was filled with an array of blues, pinks, oranges, and yellows. My family and I gathered around, fascinated by the streaky sky.

By Jackie Velikiy

FREEZING As the deadly rays of the sun came to earth, the people cheered. You go and take the risk. The risk of going. Going outside. The sidewalk was as warm as a freezing hero’s heart as he drowned in a bitter lake. You go, you go, and go and have fun and remember everything is a game of chance. You go and take the chance. There was a chance the sun’s deadly rays could kill you, the sun’s deadly rays that make the sidewalk so warm.

Chance is the game everyone plays.

Nobody cannot play the game.

By Jonah Tinkelman

ODE TO VINCENT THE DOG Oh Vincent, I remember how we slept side by side I loved the way we would play together each day I remember the first time I saw you and hugged you Oh Vincent, my life would’ve been empty without you No dog will ever be the same as you You will always be the best Oh Vincent, I’ll see you in the end

By Keira Redmond

56

BROKEN

REFUSE COLLECTOR

Once Together Now Seperated Tears Shed Feelings Shattered Never Fully Rebuilt The Cracks Filled We Need To Rebuild Once Again “Unbreakable”

Shy Afraid anti social Gets up early And goes to bed late Wears an orange suit and dirty shoes Picks it up Dumps it out Grumpy Sad Depression With stink and sweat Coming off his body dirty hands and dirty face He sat for a while and started to change He was just like the trash

By Andrew Levy

By Max Wayne

FOREVER Extremely hot, the sun’s rays were shining right into my eyes. I tried my best to keep cool. Walking along the scorching hot sidewalks, I looked up and saw the beautiful sky. Enormous pieces of cotton candy floating in the sky. My parents yelled “Xola, hurry up!”, but I wasn't paying any attention to them or how hot it was anymore. Stunning, marvelous, and magnificent. I would cherish this moment forever.

Xola Moody 57

ARBORETUM POEM A small flower, fighting to survive among rest Reaching up towards the sun to obtain any sunlight possible But now the sun is gone and the flower sits alone amongst the tulips Just trying to survive the night Awakening to the sound of singing birds Ready to start again Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a new day and another one to survive

By Pierson Baum

COME HERE, RAIN! As the clouds are scattered in the sky like pretty puzzle pieces, the flowers and plants chatter among themselves, discussing what is beyond the horizon.

They wait for the rain to descend and hit their roots, hoping one day they will grow and flourish with nutritious rain.

By Vikrant Hajarvanaj

HAPPIEST IN THE HAMPTONS Beautiful blue birds chirp. The peach clouds looked like fluffy cotton candy slowly moving. Hearing the peaceful waterfall flow like the waves in the bay. The wind raddled through the wind chime. In a quick second the sun disappeared into the horizon.

By Talia Picozzi

58

GEGENSATZE Hunde und Katzen, Und Stadt und Dorf, Und morgen und Nacht, Und neu und alt Und tee und kaffee, Und tisch und die Stühle, Und deine Freunde und feinde, Alles andere ist alles gut Geschrieben von Samantha Brown WHAT SHOULD I WRITE ABOUT? I wonder what I should write about I shouldn’t write about sports or family or music, And I don’t have any pets To write how they fret So I’m pretty much stuck With whatever I can salvage from the muck Of my almost given up brain Writer’s block is cruel just like some of my assignments at school.

I have no struggles or problems Nothing I can conjure comes even close to decent writing material Maybe I should write about how I don’t know what to write about But that probably won’t work.

By Kevin Tone FEAR As many would say, “There is nothing to fear but fear itself.” Fear is only something in the back of your mind saying “Fear me”. But you don't have to fear fear, because if you tell yourself, “There is nothing to fear but fear itself,” you can overcome it. You are stronger than it. You are in charge of your brain. “There is nothing to fear but fear itself.”

By Hannah Kotkin

59

WHO ARE YOU? Who are you?

You are an artist You are one of a kind You are an amazing person You are a proud individual You are innovative You are inspiring You are different You are needed by others You are who you want to be You are unique You are loved You are incredible You You are are a an wonder original THE PINK PIG

By Adin Kasmin

The pink pig lived on a farm With his other muddy and annoying friends As he grew up he became fatter Louder His snout grew Once the pig was ready, it was time to leave He is crunchy Juicy And makes a great “BLT”

By Annie Sherman 60

HATRED Hatred is gray and dull like nimbus clouds on top of a foggy day It tastes like mildew-y, mucky macaroni It smells like a dirty garbage can It is like staring into your enemyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s enraged eyes burning down on you It sounds like two metal bars clanging each other forever Hatred feels like being betrayed by an old friend you thought you knew.

By Vikrant Hajarnavis

ALEX Talkative, Clever, Adventurous and an Excitable person Son of the superb Nicholas and Caroline Turben Who loves to draw daunting dragons and preposterous people Who hates the biting cold and getting terribly injured Who wants to travel to the beautiful city of Paris Who wishes he could have met his grandfather, Christopher Elias Who is scared of pitch, black darkness, creepy clowns, and slithery snakes Who dreams of being accepted into the great Harvard Law School Who is determined to travel the dangerous and humongous world Who values his awesome fun-loving family Who is proud of being accepted into Morristown-Beard School Who attends Morristown-Beard School Who lives in Boonton Township, New Jersey TURBEN

by Alex Turben A VIEW FROM A HELICOPTER

As people skied by, the wind blew quietly, almost like a whisper.

The mountain stood in front of me, beautiful, unreal. Like a giant igloo.

The wind blew harder, almost like it yelled. I wished I never had to go home.

By Isabelle Celleri 61

MY DOG

MEIN HUND

My dog is the best, Mein Hund ist der beste,

He beats all the rest.

Er schlägt den ganzen rest.

Oscar licks my face, Oscar leckt mich im Gesicht, If he didn’t it would be a disgrace.

Wenn nicht, wäre das eine

Schande.

He fits in with my rug, Er passt you meinem Teppich, So he is nice and snug.

Also ist er nett und gemütlich.

He likes snuggling with his feline toy, Er kuschelt gerne mit seinem

Löwen, Instead of hugging a real boy Anstatt zu umarmen mit einem

echten junge.

Oscar loves me so much, Oscar liebt mich so sehr, I really do get touched.

Ich werde wirklich berührt.

He is there for me no matter what is up, Er ist für mich da, egal was, Even when there is no water in his cup. Sogar wenn die Schüssel ist ohne Wasser.

My dog is the best, Mein Hund ist der beste, He beats all the rest.

Er schlägt den ganzen rest. ~Svea Winghardt

EMOTIONS Almost as unpredictable as the weather, but yet much more severe.

They can be the best thing that ever happened, or they can just get in the way.

They can affect what we do, say, like, or they can make us like nothing at all.

Emotions are like fire, important, but you can always get burned.

By Michael Bednarek 62

A FAWN The crinkly brown leaves lie on the dirt floor A fawn with a white spotted back calls out He cannot see his mother anymore The baby ran and climbed for a short bout He ran until the forest turned to grass He shook in fear ‘til rain began to fall to stay dry he hid underneath some glass in great fear he started to cry and bawl he heard a man with rain boots and a beard the man fed the fawn some very warm milk the foreign deer thought the man was quite weird he petted the deer’s fur, as soft as silk After a while the fawn’s mother came running they went off together, looking stunning

By Ava Bourneuf

WONDERS OF THE DAY Blue and beautiful, is the sky Looking up seeing it very high Giving me hope, just to try Giving me the feeling that I can fly Looking up, with a sigh Clear and blank, not shy Now all my worries can untie The sky is alive, it cannot die It can never shed a tear or cry How sly, the sky is way up high Looking down, like a spy Something so priceless, that you cannot buy Better than a piece of warm fresh pie When I look up at the sky, all I can say is “my oh my”

By Hailey Rollins

63

MANY THINGS There are always many things in my mind They are all creative, fun, and unique Sometimes in school, it’s on such a big grind When it feels so blank and it so feels weak That’s when my mind is so cramped and confused Looking for something, anything that helps Sometimes I want everything to have cruised I look at the past, and there are some yelps To wind down my crazy and insane brain Sometimes my ideas just can’t be balanced They get mixed up when they are under strain They are better when covered and balanced Just like this: what I am doing right now Finding a rhyme, going through like a plow

By Chip Powar MY REFLECTION As I looked in the mirror my reflection appears as myself.

I am a human who takes footsteps each time I walk. Obviously.

Those footsteps guide me as I am running and when I stop running.

Then I have a water break.

WALKING WITH YOUR EYES CLOSED

By Jack Kylis

You start off just fine. Laughing.

You feel like you are fine and are going to be ok.

But as you start to wander, you don’t know where you are anymore.

You start to feel scared.

You want to open your eyes, but something is not letting you.

As your journey continues, you hear something.

You are startled but keep going.

As you continue on, you trip and fall.

You are able to break your fall but still hurt in pain.

However, you never opened your eyes.

Even though you are hurt, you want to keep going.

By Nate Zerrenner

64

HAMILTON’S SONG Burr and Hamilton dueled on a rainy night, A rematch of the duel the changed the nation, Burr took the first shot, missed, Hamilton took his shot and… missed, They heard someone in the distance, trying to call off the duel, Who could it possibly be, was it…,

Mr. Lafayette, the hero of the French Revolution,

Dethroned King Louis-Philippe and Guard under Napoleon,

“Men, why do you fight, it is 1786,

The war is over so we can eat cake,

Oh my, President Washington is here to address the nation!

“Men, in 1776 we signed a petition, It gave us the great freedom of religion, Written by Jefferson it was a piece of artwork, And it opened up spots for future presidents, Madison, Monroe, and my favorite, Mr. Jefferson…”

“I’m the Jeff,

Call me that,

Wrote the Declaration and became the third president,

Next is Knox’s favorite general,

Nathaniel Gre…” “Excuse me!

I am Nathaniel Greene, A man who only eats greens, Major General under Washington, And Knox’s Sargent, At the Battle of Trenton on Christmas Eve, We were out of ammo and we're lost, But we used tricks that were part of a big plan, I then went Yorktown where we defeated Cornwallis, Ended the Great War and started a new nation, Our plan was to unite the colonies and create a Union, We then finished and…”

“Hello its Mr. Franklin Benjamin,

Known for the kite and being old,

During the war i sailed to London,

Had a trial on treason and loyalty,

I won and took the train to France,

Where they invited me to a dance,

It was there where i met Mr. Lafayette and took him back to the 13 colonies…”

“Paul Revere, American silversmith, Old North Church and lanterns, And a horse is what I’m known for, Riding through the night to warn the people, Saving many lives including Madison and Adams.”

By Richard Zhang 65

OUR WORLD In a girl’s world We are surrounded by mirrors Those that cast a reflection Giving off a curious view A portrait of what we look towards We look into what they conceive In that same world we forget ourselves Funny how we grow to a figure The realistic fact that we want the unrealistic 2005, figures who empower and are role models 2017, figures who wants to be flat Stanley A figure who lives to be perfect.

But perfect in our world is a perfect vacuum in nature There can never be that one thing that is perfect But then they turn around and say “looks don’t even matter” But if that’s so, then where does my insecurity come from Whispers in my ear, “Hey, let me kill you on the inside!”

We talk about this great social media Years and years of evolution they say From dirt roads to that Barbie doll shape And yes, this is what we call making America great again A big change, big but destructive And to think that this is our new truth We call past generations old schooled Yet those were the good days There was no depression, social suicide I don’t recall all this need to go under a plastic knife In a girl’s world We see those mirrors A reflection that’s being shattered As if it should’ve been even put into a frame We make our own portraits of what is perfect Our mirrors of what we believe is beautiful And those blind to our new look in the glass They must open their eyes and see For everyday that we are proud of a custom made beauty Is another day that in a girl’s world, in my world, we feel complete.

By Lydia Oluwasola 66

THE WINDOWSILL Angelic, deep green eyes watching the raindrops drip in imperfect lines down the windowsill.

Not thinking about the dark clouds, but following the glistening, clear droplet, trickle down the glass as it splatters against the damp stone.

Pelted by a bundle of raindrops, the ground turns into a sea of crystals as a wave of relief overcomes him when each drop dissolves into the thick grass.

Sunlight pierces through the clouds and touches the tip of his freckled nose as the raindrops vanish in thin air.

A light breeze bounces off of the windowsill and onto the trees, making the colorful leaves fall from the swaying branches.

Flowers bloom, mesmerizing him as his whiskers twitch.

From fresh drops of rain falling through the gray clouds, to a bright sunlight glazing over the damp stone.

To a bone chilling breeze drying the dew on the grass.

And to a gorgeous flower mesmerizing the deep green eyes.

All seen, through the windowsill.

By Campbell Blake

By Sophie Schramm

67

WHERE I AM FROM (Inspired by George Ella Lyon) I am from an old country, where my ancestors grew sun and mangos and barley, where my grandfather studied to be a doctor, and came to Brooklyn.

I am from the sea, from the thousands of pomfret and prawns, mixed in curries eaten with rice and coconut.

I am Italian, From the years of pasta and meatballs, pizza and gnocchi.

I am from the humid, rainy, tropics, from the chicken rice and pad Thai at the hawker center, from weekends playing soccer with Germans in the middle of Southeast Asia.

I am from FIFA on the Xbox, and from the Euro cup in Paris, and hours of 2k over the summer.

I am from violent resistance against my brother, and peaceful protest against faster eating, I am from every marvel movie, even the bad ones.

I am from a long family tree, and for now it ends in a big red bricked house.

By Zubin Pande

68

DECEMBER 7, 1941 Fear was in the air as well as a darkness that covered the beach. A buzzing in the air from the planes and the creaking of the bomb doors opening.

The scream of bombs piercing through the air. The mettle tearing and splitting through the deck of the USS Arizona. The blood and bullet shells painting the beach. The trapped soldiers in the boats with water rising as they take their last breath of air. The harbor crumbling at its very foundation and all is silent, still. The only noise I could hear was the ringing of my ears from the bullies flying by my head.

By Charlie Gibbs

SOMETIMES (Inspired By: Kate Messner) Sometimes by the sea, you’ll hear the crash of the waves.

You might see a hermit crab scuttle into the ocean.

You’ll see a beautiful shell that has pretty blues and yellows.

Sometimes by the sea, you’ll see beautiful rocks beneath the waves.

You might go stand on the shore.

You might dip your feet into the water.

Feel the coolness on your toes, feel the rocks gently push against your feet.

Listen to the water move and groove.

Hear the sound of seagulls calling to others.

Feel the heat of the sun on your skin.

Wade deeper into the water and inhale the salty breeze.

Sometimes by the sea, you’ll see the bright yellow sand.

When you walk feel the scorching hot grains under your feet.

Take a seat and feel the warmth surround your body.

Let the sun kiss your skin and slowly drift into sleep.

By Alana Smith

69

LOLA Lola is my amazing dog. My heart smiles when I come home and see her.

When she wags her tail, it’s like a gigantic flag in the breeze. Giving Lola a hug is like hugging a cloud which lifts you up. Lola is a bright light saying that everything will be okay. Looking into her big brown eyes, it's like they are saying, “You are my favorite person in the whole world!”, and this is why Lola is a huge part of my family and my heart.

By Henry D’Andrea

BLOCKBUSTER He did it to make people angry. He wanted the attention. He ran faster when he heard the police sirens come closer. The blaring sounds of the sirens only increased his adrenaline. His hands were still bloody with shards of glass still piercing his skin. He smiled wickedly as he ran even faster. They were very close to him at this point.

He realized that he couldn’t make it. He ran to the nearest alley and he hid. He hid from what was real. He blended into the shadows and sank to the ground. The sound of the sirens started to slowly fade away. Beads of sweat were forming on his forehead.

“There he is!” a booming voice yelled. He jumped to his feet and attempted to run away just to bump into another police officer. He looked around to see police officers surrounding him with guns in their hands.

His breathing was heavy and came in short gasps. His hand crept to his back pocket and he opened the switchblade. The one he had just used.

“Put your hands up!” an officer screamed. And with one flick of the wrist he threw the sharp blade.

“Cut!” the director yelled. “Come on, Ethan. Put more energy into the scene!” he demanded. Ethan sighed in frustration but nodded his head.

“Action!”

By Dumebi Okonkwo 70

COURAGE Courage is when nothing gets in your way Courage is when you have mental or physical strength and Courage is when you fight your fear Courage is when you take a risk for something or someone Courage means to not be afraid

By Keira Redmond

THE TIGER In the jungle, the sun beams through the trees.

In the murk of the jungle, the tiger lurks.

The tiger examines its unsuspecting prey, it’s a monkey, and, as it sees the tiger, the monkey climbed up the tree so high because the little monkey didn't want to die.

The monkey swung through the trees, not missing a branch, then the tiger heard a loud thump.

The tiger looked around and the little monkey was on the ground.

Then the tiger was happy and well fed and now the tiger could go to bed.

By Jack Webb POETRY IS...

A field of emotions poured out onto a blank page The facets of someone’s soul being typed into a document.

The silly side of a serious person being revealed for everyone to see.

Cheerful memories being painted like a picture onto the rough pages of a book.

The smell of a sunflower being stretched into a story. The rhythm of a drum acting as a heart beating.

An expression for the hope in someone’s heart.

By Campbell Blake

THE SWING We wade through the woods, we race, we jump, we find. We are looking for a way to have some fun. Finally being outdoors felt magnificent. The soft touch of warmth shining on my back. It puts out the flame in my soul to finally enjoy the outdoors. Then we see…

A beautiful lake The perfect place to let loose While laughing along We splash until sundown. Sore all over, we played so much. We will come back the next day and build a swing. Not just a normal swing, a tire swing.

We get our tools to build the swing of our dreams We build it all day Now we have our swing and we love playing on it so much. Then we hear...

The crack of the branch The kid who was on it just fell The swing is now —By Matthew Wang reflection the mirror on my bathroom wall only shows my reflection. somehow, someway my hand trails toward my own self-worth. do i deserve the confidence i project? do the actions i make use thought? the mirror on my bathroom wall fills me with regret. it’s impossible to overcome Kaitlin Blount

72

EMPATHY Why Why do we use our skin To determine what's within Why do we see people For their skin Why Why do we shove colorful personalities into two Black or White Guilty, oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not Why do we victimize Why do we mistreat mislead mistake our people for something they are not Why

By Hannah Williams LOST SOULS What happens to the lost souls The ones who lose their lives Do they go to heaven?

Or when they die is that it?

They are vanished and their legacy is forgotten?

By Emma Karrat

333-A RIPPLE IN TIME-333 November Seventh, Nineteen Thirty-four, the week-old paper read.

Edward Johnson sipped his freshly pressed coffee which emitted a thick aroma of Dark Sumatra Mandheling Beans, reminding him of his recent business trip to Indonesia. His indulgence in the coffee was rudely interrupted by the smell of the vanillin newspaper that radiated each time he turned the page.

Word by word, his nose began to trigger his memories from his old work days as a young man. He remembered working in the old newspaper factories back in eighteen ninety-three. Being a young boy.

And forced to work hard labour to support his family, he turned out to become a crude and selfish businessman who cared about nothing more than just money.

Edward gazed out the window into the eerie forest infested with fog. Just above the horizon, he could make out the shape of mountains which stretched miles away. He was dazzled by the forest green trees which reminded him of the pool of money he had in his basement back in London.

Green happened to be Edward’s favourite colour. That's all he wore as it paired nicely with his pearlescent shimmering green eyes. He wore a dark velvet green double-breasted blazer featuring a thick pointy black lapel. This is what he was recognized by in the London financial times, which is where he worked daily. He was one of their diplomats who travelled for them frequently. His high status made everyone who interacted with him anxious and his picky personality lead him to get anything he wanted.

As the train went on, Edward heard a creaking sound, which made him turn his head in despair. The trolley lady was pushing around fresh pastries with the day's news. “Complimentary freshly baked goods!” she called, slowly pushing the trolley down the aisle.

Edward nodded a blasé hello and went back to reading his paper.

By Paul Trinca

74

OH THAT FEELING Excited Excited is shining pink and blue It tastes sweet and sour It smells like a birthday cake ready to be eaten It looks like people jumping into pools on a hot, sunny day It sounds like people screaming on roller coasters It feels like you petting a fluffy, happy dog Excited!

By Jessica Sperling HENRY

David and Jacqueline stood as Rabbi Solomon spoke.

“He was a good boy, fun to hang with and an amazing athlete. He played soccer and lacrosse, one of the best on his teams. He had many friends and he was easy to talk to but he always made me happy with that smile. His smile could brighten up everyone's day no matter what and I wish he was here to do that today. Jacqueline you were and will always be an amazing mother. You drove him too school, Hebrew school, sports, to see his friends and much more. You made him became the great person he was. David, without you in Henry's life, I don't know, he would have been a completely different person. Your smarts made him an amazing student and amazing athlete. You always hung out with him and he told you everything. Henry was apart of everyone's life. He was a special boy and will be missed,” Rabbi Solomon said.

David went up and kissed the casket, Jacqueline and everyone else followed. Everyone cried as the rain kept coming down.

After the funeral everyone went to the Levy’s house. There was fruit and sandwiches, but no one ate. It was silent. No one talked, everyone sat and read the psalms, the Jewish prayer book when someone passes away.

A few people left and got up. David and Jacqueline were in the kitchen next to the Rabbi. Rabbi Solomon started to talk but neither responded.

Two hours passed and the only one still at the house was the Karp’s.

They were on the couch looking at photos of Henry. One of the photos was Henry playing soccer. Another was Henry when born. There were about ten photos of him but the photo that stood out was Henry and Alberto, when they were five years old, at a zoo with alligators behind them.

By Andrew Levy

75

EMPATHY Empathy is a symbol that comes from far away.

From a palace where good overpower evil.

Even maleficent witches can have empathy Everyone can develop empathy if they want to.

It takes guts to have empathy.

It takes strengths to believe you have empathy.

Empathy is when people understand the feelings of each other.

Peek into someone else's life and feel their pain.

We are all one person on this planet, so we should care about each other and forgive one another.

Empathy is the only medicine to kindness.

Seek to have empathy.

By Charlotte Post-Lipnick NATURE The tree branch says “hi”, The wind around me passes by, The sky can hear the wind, And I can hear it too The appearance of nature is all around us But will it say “hi” to you?

By Bobby Burns SUNDAYS Sundays are like time bombs Full of hope and small amounts of time Sometimes you forget time is running out, hoping for the best You’re grateful for the time you have, getting the most out of it you can Pretending time isn’t running out Until it is too late.

By James Broyles 76

Evelyn Umezinwa

G.I. JOE “Hey, what’s that?” my son asked me.

THE TEACHER

“Oh that’s my G.I. Joe action figure.”

The teacher is grading student papers while teaching them about writing scary poems on Halloween night Her skin turns red while assisting a student and she starts yelling at the students Her eyes are now green as she makes kids blind She looks directly into their eyes A student yells “Monster!”

My son seemed scared of it.

“Why is it looking at me?”

He was really scared now.

“Dad, it's getting closer.”

Now it was too close.

“Hey, Dad wake up!”

By Landers Green

By Ronak Shetty 77

WIND The world falls to darkness and all may seem still, nothing stirring or rattling, but an unlikely foe creeps from under the cover of darkness and makes you shake, shiver and scream. It leaps from the trees and drowns out all the happy thoughts and makes everything go cold. The wind may fuel your precarious little mind, luring you in with its devilish snare that is surrounding you yet it is not. Push all these thoughts away and return to the world you know without any stirring or rattling, a silent and soft home.

By Alexander Turben

DEPRESSION Sounds like an eerie scraping noise Tastes like cat litter Depression is black and dark gray Smells like bad breath in the morning Looks like a war but you are on the losing side Feels like being thrown into a bottomless pitâ&#x20AC;Ś

By Ian Patchett

SUNSHINE Rocking back and forth on a paddle board, I hear the waves crashing like people gently clapping their hands.

The waves wash away my worries. My board shakes again as the wind picks up and blows the ocean mist onto my face... I smell the salty air. I think about how beautiful nature is as I take deep breaths, in and out in and out....as the sun melts down along the horizon.

By Gabby Commesso

THE MOM AND HER KIDS the mom plays with her kids the kids love their mom the kids watch their mom collapse the mom is in the ambulance the kids now love their stepmom

By Connor Downey

By Vincent Brunn

BASEBALL IS...

Baseball is a sport where you hit and run Baseball is a sport that brings me joy and fun Baseball is a game played in the spring and fall Baseball is a game played with a white and red ball Baseball takes skill and practice too Baseball also takes brains and a good attitude Baseball is Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pastime, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been played since way back Baseball is made up of sunflower seeds, gum, and cracker jacks Baseball is a sport with nine positions infield and out Baseball is a sport where you cheer and shout Baseball takes players old and new Baseball is my favorite thing to do

By James Broyles 79

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