Volume Two, Issue Two

Because I Love You

By Toni Hooker

Finally-

After repeatedly being betrayed by my heart-

I have been finding happiness in places I didn’t even know I could look,

Places like

In your arms,

And in your car--

Surrounded by the warmth of your heart;

In your blue bed sheets;

The lens of your camera

Catching me in a moment of life-

A moment of love;

In the curl of your lips

And the curl of your hair.

I can feel it on my fingertips

When they run down your spine

And I can hear it sing

When you laugh at my jokes.

It smells like the house:

Sandalwood and roses.

It tastes like mint leaves and red wine:

Fresh, new, real, raw.

No minced feelings or sweetened tongues.

I can see it in the other world

I am taken to when I look into your eyes.

It is full of color and calmness.

It is a world where we lay

Naked and in love-

And in total intimacy.

I asked why there is so much new light in my life and you said,

‘Because I love you.’

I Will Not Be Greedy

By Anna Rose

I’m sitting in a classroom

And I close my eyes.

I automatically

Retreat to my inner self,

Like a turtle going back into its shell.

I see the dark crevices.

I feel every emotion

I have tried to hide that day.

I feel a cold chill settle onto me.

I think to myself

“Why does everything hurt?

Why am I all alone, yet

Surrounded by people?

Will I ever be loved?

Will I ever feel anything but numb

At times when I know I should be feeling something?”

I am still in my head, and I look around.

I see darkness everywhere.

I see jagged edges and

Memories of pain.

I feel everything swell inside of me.

I want to let forth a cry of pain from the

Overload of emotion wrought upon me,

But I can’t, for I am in a classroom

Surrounded by people,

So I shut it inside with everything else

And let the anguish swell and bubble

Until it resides along with all my other emotions.

I feel the darkness overtaking my

Whole body and mind.

I am holding onto my sanity by a fraying thread.

I can’t see anything.

Then I feel a brush of warmth.

I turn around and see a pinprick

Of light in the distance.

I start to walk toward it,

Knowing that it could be my saving grace.

I feel the hope pouring out of it.

I start to go toward it more,

Then I stop.

I realize that if I go toward it,

I will be bringing all the darkness that is inside of

Me along.

I realize that I can not continue.

If I go to the light then I will destroy it

With my darkness.

But I am not greedy.

There are people in the world who have harder

Lives than me.

Who go through harder things everyday.

I will leave the light for someone else

To take because I do not need it.

I will give up the light.

My selflessness will make it stronger for the person

Who will need it.

My shoulders are strong enough.

I can bear this pain.

A girl in Chicago is going through

One of the toughest moments she

Will ever have to face.

She has retreated into herself just like I do,

And she is surrounded by a darkness stronger than mine.

Much darker and much more painful.

And then she sees the light.

Feels the warmth accompanying it.

And she walk towards it

Letting everything fall away,

And she smiles serenely

And says:

“This is a gift”.

I open my eyes.

I glance at the clock and count.

It has been five minutes since my eyes closed.

I still have ten left.

To Live

By Savannah Rosenfield

I hear them at night

The thoughts.

One by one picking

Their way through my head

Trying to bust through

Trying to make me leave.

But I don’t want to leave.

I want to stay.

Stay to love

To experience

To feel joy and sorrow

I refuse to let the thoughts

Take over.

I don’t let the shadows

Of doubt overpower

The bright light

That is love.

I made the decision

To live.

I refuse to die.

slumber

By Anonymous

darkness

clouds of thunder

rumble down upon me

my eyes darken for me to see

slumber

lightness

rainbows raining

gems sparkle like the sun

the water are poison at night

slumber

awake

sadness blackness

reality collides

depression pours over my soul

realness