Beginnings
January Winner: "The Fight for New Beginnings"
by Taylor Jones
My past reminds me of how much I lost.
The feeling of completeness, now just a thought.
It poisoned my mind, with memories of pain.
Proving it’s not worth playing life’s game.
It brought tears to my eyes, remembering what I had.
Family gatherings and pictures, the memories now bad.
I sat in my room, contemplating what to say.
But I couldn’t choose, because I wanted to stay.
It was gonna take time, but I didn’t care.
Because I spent years feeling lost, yet I am still here.
I used to think everything around me was a lie.
But now I know the real liar was my own mind.
So continue your fight, you’re gonna make it through.
Because this is the beginning of something new.
With each stage of life,A new leaf, thorn, or petal is born.
The sprouting of a simple seed,Brings the birth of new lifeAnd the promise of a beautiful, unfamiliar soul.
The leaves being one of the first to develop,Represent the first steps,The first words,And the firsts of each new habit.While some leaves turn brown and fallJust as some habits do,More room is left for improved, Stronger leaves and customs.
The distasteful, but protecting thorns,Prove as bricks that hold up the inner walls,Constructed from pain and loss. The thorns preserve the fortificationBuilt around the heart.
As the bud of the rose begins to open up,The shells of personality begin to break open.No longer afraid to accept one’s self as before,When the bud was sealed shut,Self-identity bleeds through the barely visible petals.
Bright, red petals blossom from the broken bud. From a once unfamiliar soul,To a pained and broken one,The beauty becomes visible once again.Maturing ideas, opinions, and sense of self bloom.Although the thorns are still there,The vibrance and determination for greatnessTranscends the familiar discomfort.
No other flower compares to the rose,It’s beauty pulling in light, Despite the pain hidden underneath.Just as no true strength compares To that which stems from the conquering of pain.
Each stage of life is a start of existence. A new leaf, thorn, or petal,The developing of a new life, The birth of real pain,And the blossoming of one’s true self.
The sun sets,Along the horizon.The world gets dark,Blues and purples filling the sky.The stars twinkle,Giving hope for a new day.The world sleeps,Some in despair,Some filled with content.
The sun rises,Oranges and pinks filling the sky.It’s the beauty of a new day,A fresh start.No matter the hardships,From the previous day,We all have a new beginning.
Fences (Finalist)
I am content, but curiousI wonder what lies beyond this fence, I hear a million questions circle my mind I see mysterious trees for miles, I want to explore something new, something different. I am content, but curious.
I pretend I know exactly what lies beyond the fence,I feel the cold earth against my feet as I approach the future,I touch the rough bark of trees as I stumble through my path, I cry in the wind about the unknown beyond the fence. I am content, but curious.
I tell myself in this new world, the sun will shine a little brighter, I think about this future brightness replacing this dim present. I imagine this new beauty that lies in my near future.I know there must be something more than this place I’m trapped in. I am content, but curious.
I understand I’ll never know what this new world may bring, I say I'll figure it all out one day, just be patient.I dream about the new beginning I may discover.I try to climb the fence, but I fall every time. I hope someday soon, I’ll reach this new beginning. I am content, but curious.
Life and death is something that not many like to think about. In life, you’re expected to live your life to the fullest, make your mark, don’t be forgotten. The fear of being forgotten; athazagoraphobia. Some consider death more terrifying, though. Where do you go when you die? What’s out there? I crave an ending. Living on this planet for thousands of years, coming back as a new being, beginning a new life with crystal clear memories of the things you’ve done in the past is the worst type of punishment, you don’t need to be a genius to figure that out.
Once you die, whatever that is left of you turns into dust, the dust turning into stars, and the stars slowly, yet surely, burning out until their comforting glow is no more. In some ways, stars are similar to us. Nobody remembers the stars though. Stars outlive us, right? What if when somebody is born - a beginning of a new life - they are the stars’ new life? Another try at not being forgotten?
We are all made out of stardust. At least, that’s what I remember being told.
Its when I saw him His beautiful fluffy hair Shimmers in the sun
When he talks to meI know I can't understandYet I feel I do
I know he’s the oneThe beginning of loveFlows through inside me
Beginnings are toughEven when they have four legsIt is even better
The best kind of loveThe love you have with a dogPuppy love
He destroys my houseHe scratches up the tableEats all of his food
I know he’s troubleBut every girl needs a dogTo have happiness
We all originate from shaky beginnings, Of skinned knees and broken hearts, Holding onto a surviving hope, To take our shot in the dark, Where no one ever ventures, And no one has dared to take, A path not worth mentioning, Most have deemed a fatal mistake, But our childhood is dying, And soon it will be nevermore, So it is best to rise again, And save ourselves from this storm, A perilous journey we alone must face, Because parents’ wishes can only point the way, Yet we keep a secret in the palms of our hands, We are familiar with this feeling of seizing today, We’ve all dealt with challenges, And conquered our fears,Moving forward one day at a time, Will help us when all we know disappears, Our life’s story will write a new chapter,Which will have us reminiscing winnings, Of great feats and failures, That only happened with our beginnings.
Publication (2nd Place Finalist)
Byron sneered in disgust at his companion sitting across the round table from him in the snug café he regrettably agreed to meet in for lunch. “You really are a persistent little bugger, aren’t you?”
“I guess,” drawled the annoying man whose eyes gave no sign of interest or engagement in their current banter. “But really, Mr. Blackburn, I think you should consider the offer. This could be an extraordinary opportunity for you.”
“I don’t need opportunities from you, Mr. Yerrick. I’m doing perfectly fine on my own, thank you very much.” He angrily took a sip from his black coffee as the waitress came over with their order. While she was setting down his plate of spinach and feta quiche, Mr. Yerrick pulled out a file from his sleek, black bag resting against his lap that was similar to his own bag leaning on the side of his chair. Byron raised an eyebrow quizzically. “What’s that?”
“A profile I compiled on your works. You can look at it if you want.”
He felt a vein pulse against his forehead. “You looked into me?”
“Yes,” came Mr. Yerrick’s answer stated flatly and without embarrassment.
Byron tsked loudly before stuffing a piece of quiche into his mouth. It irritated him to no end how this walking icicle made him seem lower than him. As if he had no need to look into Mr. Yerrick. “I don’t know about you, but I would never want to work with someone as high up on his horse as you are.”
Mr. Yerrick sighed heavily, like Byron was the annoying one in their exchange. As if. He set the file down in the middle of the table while Byron continued to eat. He didn’t have to pay, so he was absolutely going to enjoy his meal before getting out of here. “Mr. Blackburn, I know you have a rich history of turning down editors who intrude into your work, but I assure you that I am not trying to rope you into some money scandal. I truly want to help you improve your work. It’s incredible but extremely brash. Your passion for writing your pieces tends to take away from the ambiance.”
“Huh?” Byron looked up from his meal, completely caught off guard by the change in tone of his source of current despair. “What do you mean?”
Mr. Yerrick smiled slightly, sensing a break in the fortress before him. “You have good ideas, but express them so pointedly that it makes the reader bored after reading to a certain extent.”
Byron scowled. “How do you know that? Are you stalking anyone who happens to hold a book with my name on it?”
“Not at all, Mr. Blackburn. That would be far too much work to ask the person how they felt. No, I just recommended some relatives and friends to some of your books. Then I asked for feedback that way. They were quite impressed, by the way, but your syntax could use some work if you want more people to be able to read it.” Mr. Yerrick idly tapped his fingers away on the table as he relaxed his body into the chair to give off a more welcoming stance. It looked like two friends enjoying each other’s presence to the outsider if one could overlook Byron’s scrunched up face and Mr. Yerrick’s suit.
Inside Byron’s head, his thoughts were swirling around in tumultuous revolt as one side of himself fought over another. Now that he thought about it, this guy wasn’t all that pushy as the other companies that tried to buy him. He had come here of his own volition. No, he was here for the free food, wasn’t he? After he finished, he would skip out on the rest of the conversation by making up some excuse, wouldn’t he? Then again, having an editor would be pretty nice, and signing with a publishing company would allow him to avoid selling it himself. He would be able to push most of the business problems to them and get to write as freely as he wanted. But deadlines, Byron thought sadly as he forked another chunk of quiche into his mouth.
How did it end up like this?Just kids going through all of it. Too much fame, all the lights shining.Screw the game, I’ll just forfeit.
Sometimes we feel like lying,About all of this crying.We feel all hope is lost,Selling my pride isn’t worth the cost.No more of this future I endure.Not done until I’m sure I feel no remorse.
High on the feeling,Wasted on dreaming,Can’t stop believing,This feeling is relieving.
I can’t take one more look at the news,It’s all too much and cruel,Feel like my youth is ending soon.
Dropping like flies, Time to ride another time. Roaring 20s,Feeling lonely,Can’t even make it past 1.Is there more love for us?Is there more love for us?
Used to be 27,That was the ticket to heaven.Being 1 isn’t much fun,Sooner or later this will be done.
Sometimes we feeling like lying,About all of this crying.But I feel no hope is lost,Nothing in life is worth the cost.There’s a great future we endure,And we’re not done until we feel sure.
High on the feeling,Wasted on dreaming,Can’t stop believing,This feeling is relieving.
Roarin 20s has me feeling some kind of way,My body’s fading,But my dreams are here to stay.There is no other way,We will be here to stay.We shall live to see another day.
the trees whistle in the breezeas they shake they lose their leavesletting them go so they can start brand newsuch a skill i wish i could doone by one they begin to falldo you remember you promised to callthe trip down looks so fardo you remember the nights we spent singing in your cara tree whistles in the breezewhere did you go friendWhy did you leave
New Beginnings
New beginningsThere are times where we succeedAnd times we failWhy does this happen?Starting over can fix thisYour pastPresentFutureYou choose what is ahead of youWhatever path you takeEveryone needs one at some point in their livesStart freshNewIt feels so much better to relaxJanuaryThe first month of the yearStart overLive life the way you want to this yearAnd make it count With new beginnings
Beginnings by Hailey
It was the beginning of the year And I did not shed a tearI had a chance for a new startAnd to fix my broken heartThe past year had left me sadAnd it had ended very badI decided that I should moveSo i can get back in my old grooveI traveled to many new placesAnd saw many new facesMany months had passed by It all went in the blink of an eyeThe year was coming to an end And I'm glad to say I made a new friendHer name was RoseAnd boy did she keep me on my toesWe were always together hand in handWe even built a castle in the sandI knew this year would be great from the startAnd Rose had fixed my broken heart
She dazed off, lost in his eyes.The warm, caramel brown comforted her.He was a stranger, yet he felt familiar.The warm sensation he projected calmed her.He was forever changing.His pupils growing and retracting as time went by.He spoke no words, yet told his story.He was compassionate and sensitive.
He glanced at her.Her piercing green eyes locked with his.He admired her. The specks of golden sparkled from across the room.The tones of green in the iris mesmerized him.She was a mystery, but he was not alarmed. She was outgoing and welcoming.Taking a chance with a single look.
It was an adventure, lost in time.They were unknown to each other, yet as close as they could ever be.When their lock was broken, they did not look back.Their eyes would never lock like that again.It was the beginning.No more glances across the room with a stranger.They now knew each other.Not by words spoken,But by one, timeless glance.
New year, New life,New time to grow,New time to look back and see how I’ve learned.A Time to look forward,A Time of hope,A Time to put to test what I know.Freedom I seek,Freedom I need,Freedom I know I’ll getAs long as I Grow.
It’s the start of a new decadeIt was time for an upgradeI had to become strongerThis pain can’t go on for much longerI knew it was time for a changeI’m letting go of all the rageIt is all in the pastBut my forever happiness will lastIt’s the start of a new yearI told myself I wouldn’t drop a tear I remember everything How could I have forgotten a thingThe memories I made Could never be overplayed I will miss them They were each a gemAll of the new laughterWill end in a happily ever afterIt’s the start...
A Man and His Wife by Eric Matsnev
“I love you, darling” The old man whispered to his wife. She had already died in her chair. They were 80 years old, of course, they’d die soon. They lived alone, their wrinkles growing each day. Nobody was there to witness their last breaths. His family was gone. Her family disowned her.
They were there for each other, though. She had loved him with all of her beings. He loved her back. The man was forced to sit with his grief and his pouring tears as his wife lay dead in her chair. It was her favorite one. He was also sitting in his beloved chair. His gray wisp of a hair lay flat on a bed of liver spots on his head. His silver eyebrows forever furrowed deep in his skin. His breath was ragged and shallow. His sunken eyes were deep in his skull. Still, his wife loved him. She had loved him for 60 years.
Sleep was beckoning at the man. Maybe it was time for him to join his wife… perhaps he could see her smile one last time. He let his mind wandered, and soon darkness enveloped him. He began dreaming. First, it was being an elephant. Roaming around beautiful South Africa as the sky turned buttery with the sun falling. Then he dreamt of his youth. His gleaming muscles in the sun. He was vain when he was young. Before old age hit him, he was magnificently handsome. Even men tried to win over his heart.
However, there was one woman he wanted to go after. Soon enough, she did. They loved each other after that. He stopped boasting about his muscles, and she stopped loving others. Time skipped forward. His dark hair had shortened with patches of silver hair. His muscles had already started disappearing. He’d usually go out to their garden, picking out vegetables for dinner. He couldn’t do that now, as he’d already lost the use of his legs. His wife was still able to move. She could still do what he could not. She picked out vegetables, cared for his child.
The dream ended. His eyes slowly opened. He hadn’t died yet. Tears formed in his hazelnut sunken eyes. It hurt his heart that he had to watch his wife’s body turn cold. She was still beautiful. He still adored her. The way her skin was still tan. Her eyes were closed but he could still imagine her sea-green round eyes staring at him from across the room. She always smelled of roses and sunflowers. She was beautiful. It was beginning to hurt to breathe. Once more, darkness began enveloping his body. There was no more light. It was now midnight. The man could almost feel his wife’s warm hand as if she was young again. He choked back a song as his eyes started to fill with tears. Darkness fully enveloped him. He was now dead. It was time for a new adventure. A new beginning.
Beginnings.A new way to start.When nothing is going your way,you just want to restart.Pages are turning,but yours are not.You don’t know what to do,or where to go.No one to talk to,no one to love. People don’t know who you are,or where you’re from. They don’t know what you’ve done,or who is really gone. You’ve done some messed up things,but hey,who cares?This is a new beginning,where you can have a fresh start.
The Definition of Resilienceby Breanna McGinnis
Resilience (n.)Did you give it all of your AbilityTo Look back at what you’ve become Once weak but now strong, Gained mentality and now healthy, Or Are you now successfulThe storm makes you rise again and again But still strong afterEveryone overcomes something But only you can take the good out of the bad When it happens
(read the last word of every line)
Energizing, stamina, endurance. Teamwork, devotion, encouraging.
Something I love, something that I give up everything for. The girls are like sharks, And I am the guppie, fighting to be the One who is undefeated.
The dedication and hard work,The blood, sweat, and tears. Something that I’d never give up on, For years and years.
A sport I’ve devoted my love to, Shown up when sick and when healthy. Given up my friends and my free time, To the sport that I adore.
A sport that seems easy, But takes lots of work and hope. Trust in others, Bonds that will last forever.
The competition, the stunts,The tumbles and the jumps. The two and a half minutes, Which you have to push through.
To the defeat and the victory, To the sport that has taught meRight from wrong, You will always be a thing that made me strong.
Time Away from “Home”
Being away from home -- it’s a phrase with multiple different meanings to it. It could mean leaving for vacation, it could mean leaving and going out somewhere, or maybe even leaving an old home that you loved.
Mark grew up as a very friendly and kind young child. He grew up on the outskirts of Philadelphia in a little area called Tacony, Pennsylvania. He lived in a small little townhome but that didn’t bother him at all. He loved his little home, everything and everyone was in walking distance. This is the place where he met all of his childhood friends. His friends were either the next-door neighbor or two houses down from him. Every day he would go outside and go look for his friends, he would go knock on their doors asking the same thing every day “Want to play outside today?”
And they would say “Yes”.
As he grew, he never changed, he always stayed the same old playful kid. Then, one day one of his childhood friends left. No warning, he was very sad; however, as the days went by he began to feel better and became even closer to his other friends on his block. The days went by fairly fast and life was going so well.
Until again another one, another childhood friend had to leave. This time Mark was told ahead of time so he can say his final goodbyes. He was so sad again, he wanted to say bye, but he couldn’t. The day came and Mark was now alone. Days went by and no one moved it, Mark stayed inside more and had no motive to go outside. Then the sound of a delivery truck...no a “Moving Truck” screeched and parked right next door to his house. They began moving furniture and beds into the neighboring household, and then there was a kid’s bed. Mark was full of excitement and couldn’t wait to meet his new soon to befriend. Mark excitedly greeted the new family but there seemed to be no kids.
He began to feel sad as he walked back to his home until he heard someone yelling “Hey! Want to play outside with me today?”
Mark turned now full of excitement. The days passed by as he became closer and closer with his now new pal Nate! They did everything together from sleepovers to playing outside to playing video games. Nothing could stop them until the day finally came, Mark was moving. Mark didn’t know how to tell Nate, he was so sad again and he didn’t want to tell his friend. He kept the secret until the final day, “Moving Day”.
Nate knocked on Mark’s door “Hey want to play outside today?” Mark looked at his excited friend and said “No, I’m moving today.” Nate didn’t know how to respond, he lunged forward and hugged Mark and held him for a little before letting go of him to retreat to his home.
Mark still thinks of his old home and his old friends and how they are doing. Now Mark tries his best to make as many friends as possible and holds on to each of them dearly. He still misses his home.
Beginnings
New beginnings are important for any individual. It gives us a chance to refresh ourselves, whether it was from a bad relationship, family issues, friendship problems, or any kind of situation that you feel brought you down in some way. Everyone has experienced something where they felt less than themselves, it’s a pretty bad feeling if I must say so myself. Mental and physical health are the top most important things to worry about when dealing with anything involving other people. You come first, that’s why restarting is necessary in everyone’s life.
There are many ways to restart. Now, there’s no such thing as a restart button to restart your life or some events that you wish you could do over no matter how convenient that would be. There’s always time. Time can help you think about anything that needs to be thought about in-depth. It allows a person to sit down or lay down and figure out what has to be done in order to keep healthy. It could be deciding that a person is causing you pain and you need to take them out of your life. It could be making a change about yourself that you’ve had no motivation for but now you’re ready. Whatever it may be, it counts as a new beginning because something has been changed.
Another way to refresh is to be alone. You’re always surrounded by people whether it’s at school, work, with your friend group, or family. Sometimes taking a step back will help clear your mind of any stress, bad thoughts, or an overall bad vibe that you’re feeling. It only takes a few days to cleanse the mind out of these things and you come back to everyone feeling brand new. There just isn’t a better feeling than coming out of a bad place and feeling like you’re a better person.
New Beginnings by Erica Sims
“Welcome to Pennsylvania”, a large sign greeted my mom and I as we drove. I was three hours from my friends and home. It was a weird feeling, knowing that I wouldn’t know anyone in my 8th grade. I didn’t like that.
Looking around, I noticed a few differences. Like, what’s a Wawa? It was about another half an hour to my new house. I had been there before but not as a resident. What if I didn’t make friends? What if I hated it here and would want nothing more than to go back to Connecticut? Questions swarmed my head as we got closer and closer and closer. We finally pulled into the driveway.
I hopped out and looked around, shielding my eyes from the summer sun, trying to think of the positives. I didn’t live on top of a hill anymore and there was a Dunkin Donuts and a 7-11 right up the road that I could walk to. It was a large neighborhood meaning I could take longer walks with my dog. Philadelphia is pretty close so I could possibly go to Eagles games. This house was bigger than my old one. The only bad thing I could think of was there would be golfers in my backyard instead of deer and turkey. My worries started going away, once I noticed there were more good things.
I would get a new start here. Maybe this change isn’t so bad.
New Beginnings by Gianna DuBeck
I can improve my life in the new year by making a lot of money, doing well in school, and spending time with the people I love. I came into 2019 never expecting what my life would be like in a year. I thought it would be similar but it’s completely different. Everything has changed. I went into last year’s new year with people I’m not friends with now.
People say the older you get, the fewer friends you have and they are right. You don’t realize it until the time comes. I want to regain old friendships and make new ones. I am happy, but I want to be happier. I want to make a lot of money to save up for college.
Last year was a year of the money. My goal was to save up a lot of money because I got my license! I bought my car in 2018 but in April 2019 I got my license. I had to manage my money and spend it wisely. I wasn’t used to having to pay gas every two weeks or dropping tons of money on insurance.
I worked my tail off. I am a workaholic. I have two jobs. I work five days a week at Ann’s Choice and I work one day a week at Bianco’s Hair Salon. Both jobs are completely different but I love them both and enjoy spending most of my free time there.
In ten years I will be twenty-seven. I hope to have accomplished my dream of becoming a teacher. I wish to have a husband and us starting to build a family. I hope college wasn’t too hard for me. I am currently scared of college.
I am a really bad test taker but study. I hope to have found they study method that is best for me. I hope to be in a nice comforting home. I want money to never be an issue. I wish to have really succeeded in my life and look back at everything I’ve done and been proud.
My three goals for the new year is to make a lot of money, do well in school, and do a lot of different, fun activities with the people I love. I’m going to keep these goals by remembering what I care about in my life. I look a lot into my future and know exactly what I want. I am gonna make sure I work hard to get what I want. I’m going to work smart, not hard.
I want to not only save money, but I want to make a lot of money. Next year, I am going to Bucks for a few classes and need to pay half of the price. Books are also expensive and I want to be able to have enough money for all of them. Not being in any debt. I will strive to make my goals become a reality and to go above and beyond.