Advice and More

First Semester (Ever): A Collection of Poems

Bela Kumar

orientation

my heart is pounding

feelings swirling around

like a tornado

my shoelaces

tighter than a corset

the sweltering heat makes my hands clammy

i rub them onto my khaki shorts

and i peer down at my ring from spain

the outer rim lined with red dots

with two blue circles in the center

i suppose the ring will be fitting for today

invigorating

thrilling

and completely unknown

and truthfully

part of the thrill

is the unknown element

while i yearn for better times

and am nostalgic

for the comfort

of my past life

i convince myself

to touch the handle

and open the door

with caution

on a note of careful optimism

stress

i feel like i’m in the blue sea

swimming in the saltwater

and the water is still

and the sun is shining

but somehow

i find myself

at the bottom depths

where it is dark

and lonely

and nobody knows me

no one

is patiently waiting

with a perfect canoe

and life vest

no one

will risk their life

and swim to the deep

to save yours

so you sit

among the mysterious creatures

in isolation

and let your body

decay in the sand

cross country

my feet slam onto the ground

in forceful rhythm

one, two, three, four

and if i go fast enough

i can hear the whips of the wind

against my ears

my mind is far too occupied

to stress

or worry

and all i can think about

is the finish line

i am a few feet away

from victory

not first place

but victory for me

i cannot breathe

for the life of me

but somehow

i muster the strength

to sprint

and leap

and soar

i reach the end

and i collapse

onto the grassy field

and i’m panting

but somehow

i muster the energy

to grin

music

i never fully had

the religious experience

of a little green app

with a circle

and three stripes

until the month of october

there is a feeling

when a song is

so melodic

and extraordinary

that it quenches a thirst

i never knew i had

and when i play it

loud enough

the tune flows

through

my bones

veins

and lips

and it swirls

waves

curves

around the classroom

Dealing With Anxiety in a Global Pandemic

Jia Kumar

This was written as a response to the New York Times article “Four Lessons From Your Anxious Brain” (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/01/well/mind/anxiety-brain.html)

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I was a busy girl. I worked hard in my classes and participated in many extracurriculars. In March 2020, when normal life came to a halt, I was devastated. I felt as if I had no purpose. After reading this article, I realized that I had used the four steps outlined in the article in order to deal with anxiety throughout the pandemic.

I started by building my distress tolerance. I had to accept things as they were and the fact that I didn’t know what was next.
I identified my best pandemic habits. Life had slowed down during the pandemic, which I didn’t like at first, but with fewer external demands, I found more free time to do things that I wanted to do. I have spent more time than ever in nature this past year and a half.
I strengthened my connections with others. Before the pandemic, my social life was minimal once I set foot outside the building, so I relied on the fact that I would talk to others every day at school. This clearly didn’t work out once school shut down. I needed to reach out to more people. Even though the pandemic was isolating, I find myself more social than ever.
Finally, I identified my own needs. I wanted to meet more people and learn a new skill, so I picked up a new sport.

This year, life has somewhat returned to “normal”. Shockingly, I enjoyed the slower pace. I plan to keep some of my habits from the pandemic. I’m still a busy girl, but now, I’m in control of my life.