Poetry

When the first snow comes,

When the first snow goes by.

When the first snow passes,

You never know why.

The timing it has,

The timing that comes,

The snowflakes that sing.

And the people who hear hums.

You see the flakes,

You see the snow, 

You feel the breeze,

And the cold wind blow.

Every snowflake is different,

Different and cool.

Every snowflake is different,

Different and the RULE!

My nation, the U.S.A.

A place of greatness,

Where people come to stay.

A nation that welcomes, all who come.

Who help us prosper,

Whose job is never done.

Books bring magic

That flies in the air.

Books have an aroma

That lifts up people's despair.

Books have wings

That people don't see.

Books have hands

That hug you, and provide glee.

So many poems.

So much to see.

So many great poets,

With language that makes the mood seem so eerie.

What to write?

What to do?

Write a nice sonnet,

Or a great haiku.

New Year,

New Day.

New Year,

New Way.

New Year,

New Look.

New Year,

New Book

New Year,

New Run.

New Year,

And We're Still Not DONE!

My name is Trudy Ederle,

And I loved to swim.

On the day I swam the English Channel-

Every woman received a WIN!

My family was from Germany,

No to brag.

My father Henrich Ederle, 

Had cutting sausages in the bag.

Swimming was my passion,

My Youth,

My LIFE!

My career started in Highlands N.J.,

Later than my sisters,

But I swam hours and hours-

Into the distance away.

I inspired women,

To be the best they can be.

For their roots to spread,

As far out as any strong tree.

School helps me succeed,

And helps me thrive in life.

School is my retreat.

I learn so many things,

From reading and writing to science-

In my very own school.

School is a great place.

School is like no other world.

School helps set my pace.

A place of wonder.

A place of greatness and joy.

School is a wonderful place.

*A haiku is a form of a Japanese poem, with five syllables in the first line, seven syllables in the second line, and five syllables in the third, last line.

There is Magic in the Mountain,

Where no one goes.

There is Magic in the Mountain,

Where you come against your foes.

There is Magic in the Mountain,

Where the cold weather heads.

There is Magic in the Mountain,

Where your fears go to bed.

I see a large tree,

with roots so strong.

There's leaves falling down,

That say "you belong".

I go to school

At Blue Mountain Middle.

Where we are called sailors,

Who play the mighty fiddle.

We say that we've been friends for as long as I can remember,

so when we're together, why do I feel so alone?

Is your real friend me or is she a clone?

Most times I wonder why you keep me around,

because you only acknowledge me when I'm not down,

and whenever I am, you never stick around.

And even when I am in between,

I rarely ever feel seen.

Not when you talk about art or your group chat or your soccer team.

That's why I've realized that it will never be me.

You will never see me as someone you can rely on,

and when I need it, I'll never have your shoulder to cry on.

And I could stay up till dawn,

trying to find a way to fix me,

but I don't want to, and I shouldn't,

so I won't, not after looking at our history.

Because you don't love me.

I'm not sure any of you ever did.

Sure, we had some good times.

but now it's time to say goodbye.

No matter what happens in my life,

I always have been, and maybe always will be, an actress.

I could've won an Oscar;

I had 3 years' practice.

I'd say my favourite, most convincing role was your friend.

It was easiest in the beginning.

Back then, I wasn't faking the laughter and grinning.

I'd hoped my role would never end,

but if I had to hope for it,

then it was only my character that was your friend, not me.

But did you know I was acting?

For you, was it a part from the start, or did the later seasons ruin the show?

The friend group was the lead in the show,

so how did I become a supporting character?

Did I miss an episode?

Did you write me out of the script?

Am I being recast?

Or is it simply time for my curtain call?

That's a wrap.

My green, oversized sweatshirt

That one's my favorite

I wish I could flirt,

because I know you love it

Maybe this time won't hurt

That moment, I should've savored it

But I probably shouldn't blurt it out,

"If you like it, do you wanna borrow it?"

And I don't like forcing my eyes to avert,

but how else am I supposed to hide it?

I've made up my mind, now I'm sure;

we're good friends, and I'm not gonna risk it.

Roses are red, oceans are blue

I never thought I would fall for you

The grass is green, the leaves are too

I didn't expect this, but I'm happy it's true

I've been in love before, but this time's still new

Sunsets are orange and blue

and purple and pink

We make a good team,

we're pretty in sync

My necklace is gold, my rings are silver

My infatuation flows like a river

But it doesn't flow quite like your caramel hair

How gorgeous it looks when blown by the air

And I love your eyes,

especially in the sun

And when they meet mine,

I feel like coming undone

The night sky is dark, but the stars look so bright

It's crazy how you're always on my mind

It's not much of a surprise

You're smart and funny and kind

You're cool and pretty and you have a warm smile

I haven't felt this way in a while

Is it because of how you say my nickname?

Whatever it is, it's proof that Eros will always take his aim

And he'll never miss, and his shots are all one and the same

At one point or another, we'll all play the game

"Hey! How are you?"

"Oh hi, I've never been better."

"Well, we haven't seen you in forever.

No Snaps, no texts, not even a letter!"

"Phones work two ways, you know."

"What about the 4th? You were a no-show."

"I wasn't at home."

"Yeah, but only for a weekend."

"Well, you have other friends. Why worry about me now?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You trust me with half your secrets,

but the rest? You talk to everyone else about like I'm not around!

And when I told you about the last guy,

it took you a month to tell me you sold me out!"

"I think you're blowing this out of proportion."

"You mean how I spent every day for months

reading into all of your words and actions?

Besides school and birthdays,

when was our last interaction?

Do you even know what that does to a person?

Never making an effort to talk or hang out, okay,

but you couldn't even spend time with me on my own birthday!

Now do you get why I stayed away?

Guess I'll see you around, but I'm not gonna stay."

You sit in front of me in class

I stare at the back of your head

but I don't mind

because your hair is so pretty

Maybe I won't leave this town for the city

I watch you on the bus

Your head rested on the window

your beautiful eyes catching trees

and buildings and the sky

as they all go by

In your eyes, do you ever see an us?

Do you linger on my every word?

Do you stare at my name on your phone every day?

Do you think of me every time you hear a love song?

Does your heart light up every time I give you a compliment?

Do you look at me that way when I don't notice?

Because I do

Because you're my "first"

but I didn't think it would hurt like this

What would you say if I told you?

Would you say we could still be friends?

Or would everything end?

Would you wanna me tomorrow or in hell?

I know you wouldn't feel the same,

but if you ever change your mind,

part of me would wait for you every day.

Open the book to my heart

I will run to you,

the apple of my eye

Our matching hoodies

I wear mine

whenever I miss you,

which is all the time

I would tell you,

but I don't wanna cross the line

Even though you're worth more

than a trillion dimes

But what were you saying

with that look in your eyes?

Showed up to the party

Came with a present, left with butterflies

Do you feel the same,

or are you feeding me lies?

Because when you look at me,

I lose my mind

Or maybe my brain is just blind

How could I ever decide

between taking my shot

and hiding my feelings inside?

You still make my heart race

like that night in July

Sweet pea,

your brown eyes and caramel hair

You make everything better,

even if it's just the air I breathe

Everything about you is sweet

From your plaid green Converse

to the dimple on your right cheek

on the rare occasion I say something funny

Or that time you had your hair in a sleek bun

Or when I could've sworn you were checking me out,

and I tried not to freak out

But seriously, what on earth was that about?

It must've been in my head

Because you already have a boyfriend

Obviously, we're just friends

Sometimes I wear tank tops in summer

Sometimes I wear hoodies

Some people think it's weird

I tell them, "Would it matter if I wore sweatpants with them?"

What's stopping me from wearing both all year?

More than anything, I think it's my fear

My fear of potential side-eyes or snide remarks or sneers

It's silly, but I still care what people think

Or even if my reputation sinks

Or maybe I'm just scared I'll screw everything up

If I say or do something wrong,

it'll be awkward,

like playing the wrong note in your favorite song

But the "Should I, Shouldn't I?" goes through my head like ping-pong

It feels like I've hidden it for so long,

but that's what I'm good at

This feels so ironic, making a choice

Whatever it is, I'll just stick to it

and stay strong

Looks can kill, but eyes can't lie

If my guess is right

and I'm not on your mind,

why did your eyes go

up then down and side to side?

How do you look better now

then you did this morning?

Eyes wide, jaw dropped

Falling hard should really come with a warning

Am I the only one with sapphic tendencies?

Or are you just better with secrets?

If it was about me,

would you keep it?

You can say it's nothing

But what about the secret smiles

and longing glances?

What are the chances

of a "friends to lovers" romance?

I've been bottling it up for months

It keeps my mind reeling

As I stare at the ceiling

Why are these the things that I'm feeling?

I've known you for 2 years,

so why only now are you appealing?

Why now is it my heart and mind you're stealing?

I'm addicted to the slow burn,

and you're the one dealing

Knowing you're with him is great,

but it's killing me

Hope this won't be painful healing

I hate the way

your eyes trace my face,

then whenever we text,

you push me away

And I would say it's pretty hot

if I wasn't second-guessing every thought

Day after day,

my mind circles back

to your lips that I wish I could taste

And your eyes and your hips and your waist

But it's a waste of time

I have no reason to, but I really wanna stay

There was supposed to be an 'us'

in that kind of context

So I'll brush it under the rug

Because it just a stupid summer crush

Saturday night, I still didn't know that much

about me, and I hadn't seen you in a while

Maybe it was just the novelty that gave me a rush

Then why does it bother me to dream about her?

I'm still getting over you

But I didn't wanna fall for someone new

Am I doomed to live in this rabbit hole?

Rush after rush?

Crush after crush?

We've been friends for longer than I can remember

But Friday night made me wanna take a chance

With your hair pulled back and your makeup smudged

As the music played, I kept stealing a glance

And as we followed your friends around

You took my hand

and led me off the dance floor

Sure, I always thought you were cool

But one night, in an instant,

Something new had me looking at you different

Every move left me wanting more

And my friend thought it already happened before

This feeling's strange to ignore

I can feel the change of pulse

As you move a little closer

And the lights look lower

And I can feel my heart with the beat

For a moment, I had forgotten about her

You know my history

I'd barely stand a chance

But what if 7 years of our lives

was changed with just a dance?

Whenever I need to hide from the world,

I go into my closet

I normally don't think too much about it

Especially because the signs were

so concealed and composite

I didn't even know what to call it

It might've started on a normal day,

or even before that, on the screen

But it was everywhere,

and I didn't know what to believe

How am I supposed to know who or what I am,

let alone before 13?

But still, my eyes were drawn to her

Pretty, smart, funny, popular

I tried to copy her posture and elegance

And I kept telling myself,

"Whatever, you're just jealous"

I think a straight jacket's alright,

but for me, it feels a little tight

Most times, I'm decisive,

but I could never pick a side

Not when it feels right

Whenever I need to be me,

I go into the light

The signs were always there

Now I know what to call it

The language finally to me

It fit together like a lock and key

I stopped telling myself I was jealous,

and started learning how to love

The envy was a disguise for the truth

But deep down, my heart always knew

The straight jacket wasn't always for me

I was meant to live unbound and free

The jacket was too small,

so I took it off for good

I no longer have to pick a side

My truth is where I decide to stand

It doesn't feel like a choice

It's just the right place to be

Someone told me,

"Keep an open mind and an open heart"

But whenever I did,

my mind was left bewildered,

my heart left broke

Now I have a heart of glass

and a mind of stone

I can't trust myself

So I'll ask someone else

But whenever I listen to them,

I would've been better off not taking the help

At the end of the day,

I know me best

So why doesn't taking my own advice ever work?

Is it this hard to have clear judgement with a heavy chest?

The only thing my heart and mind can make up

is how to best make me second-guess myself

"Remember, open mind, open heart"

They've been open long enough to keep getting hurt,

to let the tears part from my eyes

And force another stained start

If she read this, what would I write?

Would it be long and messy?

Or short and polite?

She's one of my closest friends

I don't wanna lose her, so this has to go right

Or at least as much as it can with my luck

The words are just too hard to find

How am I supposed to tell her

when I haven't even mentioned that I'm bi?

Well, I've told her just about everything else

From drum performances to stupid sibling fights

From summer vacations and new poem ideas

to my bad taste in guys

But she knows about the messy, the sad, and the ugly

And she still stayed in my life

For literally longer than I can remember

So that has to be something, right?

But none of that answers the question

So if she reads this, here's what I would write:

I have a crush on you.

It's okay if you don't feel the same way.

I understand. I just hope we can still be friends.