2020-2021-POEMS

The Bird Inside: by Elsie Hubbard 

I am a bird inside, crestfallen when the water sprays my beak, reaching to the farthest land for safety. 

I know where to look for what I need because the logic deep down calls up to my brain, guiding my every airborne moment. 

Always searching, starving in the sky, and as I land, I scratch in all the places where there could be food. 

My insides are rumbling, craning to smell the food. 

I jump side to side, puff up my breast, and skwak to find my mate. I compete with others for the one, bright orange male. 

I find him, and we fly to a high brank over a tall cliff. 

The sea crashed below in a way that says, “Stay here.” 

We do. 

To make my nest, I must look for those fallen twigs, so off I fly. 

My feathers ruffle, shaken by the East Winds that are waiting to snatch me up and bring me home, away from the places to discover. 

As the breeze smacks my eyes, I huddle my wings a bit closer. 

I don’t know where I am flying, but the sky pushes me along, and all I need is to flap. The world will push me to where I am meant to be. 

There is not a reason to resist or resent, so I will go along freely, like the bird that I am inside.

Putting on a mask, and social distancing

School classes on Zoom, and no restaurant eating!

No super fun sleepovers, or hanging out with friends, 

Oh, how much I hate Corona, it’s simply boring! 

Jingle Bells, COVID smells, Corona go away, 

It’s really NOT fun to be in, COVID Quarantine, Hey! 

Liam Glanville

Divorce

On gray winter day,

The wind breaths through the trees,

As the snow begins to fall,

I hide under the covers,

Like a bear hiding from the cold,

As my tears turn to crystals,

I try to block out the sound,

Of my brain,

Trying’

To tell me its sound,

I wish I could run away,

To the place of no decay,

Because the hourglass has run out,

The love all dried up and withered away,

I try to stay awake,

But the darkness comes fro me,

As I slip away,

The feeling of despair,

As the bond of family slips away,

I dream of happier times,

And I wish the love that was forgotten,

To come back to life,

Family is such a fragile thing,

One slip and it shatters

i'm from everywhere and nowhere,

my nationality only partly exists,

my home is controversial,

my identity torn to,

half of six.

i'm too israeli for the americans and,

too arab for the jews

i belong to three countries,

all of which are enemies - 

the battlefield only grows,

everything and nothing,

it's never-ending;

and i can't even answer the simplest question: "where am i from?"

because i'm stuck

in the middle.

i'm the center,

of your hate.

no matter what i say,

you'll twist my words against me, try to

make me manipulate,

eliminate.

there can't be rhythm to aggression,

i can't write nice for unsolved crimes

problems prosper - 

you can't hope for peace,

when extremity prevails.

you can't hope for peace,

when your boat doesn't even have a sail.

and so to answer your question;

"where am i from?"

i'm from the ruins of yemen,

built from ashes and steam,

i'm from the war of israel,

and palestine,

and now i'm in the land of america,

but even here i'm not free.

kapara:

an old hebrew word,

derived from the testament

where stories are first told.

fashioned into speech,

and context of ritual;

"my innocent one,

my dearest

innocent one,"

it pleads.