The Dragon

During my days of being behind locked doors,

There was a dragon who guarded my home.

A black scaled dragon,

With claws sharper than a cat,

A roar that shook the entire house,

Who knew what it was thinking.

During my days of never leaving my home,

I heard the dragon knock on my door.

With a cry I asked, “Who’s there?”

But the dragon couldn’t speak.

And I could not understand what the dragon said to me,

Behind a door that could be easily thrown away.

During my days of solitude,

I knew the dragon had left.

I opened the door.

And for the first time,

Opened my eyes to see who it really was.

Dragons lived in caves and guarded their treasure for life.

Dragons can roar and fly in the sky,

Gazing down beneath those below them.

Behind a door that separated me and a dragon,

I saw for the first time,

What protected me this entire time.

For the first time,

I heard the dragon roar.

But for some weird reason,

Laughter was all I could hear.

So full of joy,

All just from seeing me again.

So why was I the one crying instead?

Before I knew it,

A river of tears slid down my face.

Who knew,

That a dragon can be a person too?

In the sky,

In the clouds,

A dragon soared through the sky.

Protecting its only treasure,

Away from those who dared to hurt it.

I feel the warmth of the sun,

And for the very first time,

Hear my own laughter.

In the wind,

In the breeze,

I soared across the sky,

Away from the people I was supposed to never be with.

Katherina San, 9th Grade

Everyday Heroes

Day and night, risking their lives, helping others in need

Going above and beyond their limits, just to make others happy

Not caring about the finances just doing a good deed

They care about more about injustice, rather than being classy

Hidden faces being shoved away behind a mask

Saving human lives numerous times from left to right

But despite all the challenges, they always find a way to fulfill their task

Helping families being able to reunite, putting them in the spotlight

Our eyes don’t see the light that's standing above

Their presents illuminate the room, where history rises

Hearing voices whispering, saying “I am loved”

Sacrificing what’s left to offer, to give kid’s prizes.

The world astonished by who they became

Wondering why it took so long to figure out their name.

Raqeebah Sowemimo, 9th Grade

The Girl She Hated

I hated this girl!

She followed me everywhere

I couldn't get rid of her presence

I resented everything about this girl

To the way she dressed,

her protracted legs ,

Her blubber arms,

How she spoke,

And anything else you could think of

I don’t know why I loathed this girl

I just did

every time I saw her

I could only think of how much I hated her

I had never even really talked or listened to her

Most people can get rid of the people they dislike

But not me

I couldn’t figure out why I got this girl

Why could I hear her thoughts and knew all of her mannerisms

I couldn’t figure it out until I looked in the mirror

And saw the girl

Looking back at me.

Nevaeh Neal, 9th Grade

• Your Choice •

Why do you feel the need to decide?

This is an important decision for her to make

Shouldn’t it be her choice?

Battling between life and death

Either it’s one or the other

Her death, or it’s life.

But it’s your decision.

You speak as if you were there

Were you there?

Didn’t you hear her cries?

Why didn’t you help?

Caring for a living product of abuse.

“Could have grew up to do great things”

So could she

“Consequence for her actions”

It’s unreasonable.

Why should a child be responsible for another child?

Where are your morals?

Where is your empathy?

It’s not always her fault

It’s not always a result of being irresponsible

There could be so much more to the image

But go ahead, it’s your choice.

McKenzie Walker, 9th Grade

School Bathrooms

Have you ever experienced a school bathroom?

Actually more like a literal gasroom.

With dirty floors to month old pee,

I know everyone will agree.

Toilet paper strewn on the side,

or maybe the weed they're trying to hide.

Strange smell of molding rice,

or the juniors on the floor rolling dice.

From profane rhymes on the stall,

or likely the horridity from wall to wall.

The teachers know, but some do not care,

about the smell of weed in the air.

Or the kids who put feces on the ground,

or the strong smell of something profound.

School bathrooms are without a doubt,

A terrible place that smells like expired trout.

Russell Danza, 9th Grade

Only One

The tree that stands alone

The one that faced the strongest storm without a shoulder to lean on

The tree that cries feel like fire

Every branch is an experience

Every leaf is a memory

Every carve is a scar that touches hearts

The tree that stands alone

Its caramel bark and amber leaves comfort the grass

Wind swirls by leaves that feel like silk

Its roots stretch so far, so deep

It touches the Earth’s core

The tree that touches clouds

The tree that's so gentle butterflies rest - peacefully

The tree that stands alone

Tya Hicks, 9th Grade

Everyone Can Do It

One day you’ll know how,

All these days actually are,

When you try to see.

You need to know that,

Not always everything works,

And that is okay.

She tried to learn more,

And she succeeded greatly.

It takes a bit of work.

Khadijah Faruqi, 9th Grade

•Nothing Loved is Lost•

Within the dawning hours of the day

and just at the moments of despair

during periods of emotional numbness

remember that nothing loved is lost.

To be lost means to be no longer retained or possessed

but there's no way to be unretained when there's pieces of you within this earth in which we reside.

We are in awe at the serenity of a calm storm

or a field of sunflowers

or even the pink and white sky at sundown

maybe because it resembles the poise and tranquility we have buried deep within ourselves

While darkness haunts your ego & the devil tries to intoxicate your beautiful mind

find peace in the chaos and know that there's life and love in the crowded, foggy, wooded dimensions of your forest-like mind.

For you are loved by the blissful wind - notice how it kisses you on your cheek as you stumble through bewilderment

& the sturdy tree remains a therapist as you convey your worry onto it, without even uttering a word

even when the people around you lack the courage to love you loudly

lean & call upon the trees when you feel as though the weight of the devil is too heavy for you to uphold

and follow the wind when you get dazed & confused

but remember that though you may feel ditzy

you are never truly lost

for nothing that is loved is ever truly lost.

Khadijah Taite, 12th grade

Kanalua

A turtle breaking of its shell

So wild

Yet so well

He hopes his next opponent is mild

But he already knows a challenge is what's best

Something to put his skills to the test

A little push, to put him above the rest

The turtle searches for the key to success

Believing the only way is with support

With each loss comes a regress

Voids all blame without reading the report

He sits in the corner engulfed in despair

Wanting help from someone

But the help was already there

Ousmane Diagne, 9th Grade

Random Autobiography

I have seen superheroes.

It feels great to see a hero soar through the sky bringing all the great wind through the neighborhood and the people would look up in the sky and watch as they fly by and yell “Thanks for your protection!”.

And I remember when my dad was a hero he would pick me up as a kid at night and fly through the sky as we flew by all the city lights and buildings.

We would yell to talk to each other because we were going so fast I couldn't hear over the wind whooshing.

Once we stopped we would sit on the edge of the tallest building in the city and peer over the beautiful lights of the city.

It felt amazing to sit that high. It felt like I was on top of the world, wind blowing through my hair.

I have learned superheroes are the best people of them all.

They soar over us to protect us to do great for us.

I want to be a hero someday.

Bryce Hardy, 10th Grade

An Acrostic Poem

A maxim that I live by

Kindness plays a significant role in my life.

Anyone can be kind, it comes with zero cost.

You never know what others are going through.

Listening to the hardships of others throughout the years

is how this phrase was engraved into my mind.

Not for who they are, but for who you are.

Kaylin Chuc, 10th Grade

Acrostic

Just stay in one place and never move:

Understand how people will constantly disapprove.

Letting someone live their life shouldn’t be hard.

I can’t escape it- trapped in my own front yard.

Always sitting in the grass and instructed not to leave.

Not allowed to fulfill the dreams I wish to achieve.

Never knowing what it would be like to be

Apologetically free.

Julianna Busse, 9th grade

Acrostic

Anayah

Not just a name,

An identity of a girl, full of life.

Yellow are the color of her favorite shoes,

And from an everloving family she bloomed.

Heavy is her hair, malleable, and changes just as she grows.

Anayah Madkins, 10th grade

Skye’s Acrostic Poem

Striking like lightning on Saturday night

Kindhearted like a sweet grandma

Yearning for knowledge like a scholar

Easygoing as an eanling

Skye Maxwell, 10th grade

Acrostic

Love lies in the soul that lives deep within

And it shall always prosper against negative winds

Yelling, screaming, fighting won't work

Leave all that mess behind and forgive

And love even through thick and thin

Layla Smith, 10th grade

Acrostic

Long, soft, curly,

All the things you don’t see,

Under these curls are scars from the past,

Relaxers and too much heat,

Eventually, I’ll get over the stress and time, but,

Now it’s time for these curls to shine.

All these legs and nowhere to go,

Letting go of the past to see what my future beholds,

A voice like an angel, and skills yet to be revealed,

No more deciduous problems, my life has been fulfilled,

And still, I wish I had a place to go.

Lauren Rodgers, 10th grade

Acrostic

Enigmatic, my definition of that, it’s kind of mysterious, the outside hides what simmers within

Luminescent, executing my luminescence in hope of helping others find theirs

I’m an enigma, like a puzzle piece, where the pieces come in many shapes, sizes, and colors

Subdued, like watercolor that glides over vellum, transparency in its color with no filters

Ethereal, in the spirit of bringing change to all that I see

Elise Greene, 10th grade

Acrostic

Blessed to be your child

Engrossed in what I needed

Living only to work and support me

I have never been more thankful

Never have you ever asked for something in return

Draining yourself to put a smile on my face

And now as I grow older I will do whatever it takes to give you what you gave me, a beautiful life

Belinda Reyes, 10th grade

Acrostic

My canvas absorbs every media used against it

Only ruining it will fix it now

In the canvas, you see yourself

You find yourself stuck in a block

Artist’s block

Have to dip the paintbrush back into the water

Moiyah Strickland, 10th grade