your vision, your voice
Craving every single answer
Under a united banner
Reaching for the stars high above
Imagination soaring like a dove
Once retained, always remembered
Searching and seeking
Ideas peaking
Til another query arises
You must ask questions of all sizes
Ann Richards
7
A waxy sheet
Spread out on the counter
Flour sprinkled over it
Cold and yellow
Vanilla cookie dough
Placed on the mat
A yellow and tattered recipe
Beside it
The words
“Pinwheel cookies” in dark ink
The wooden rolling pin
Squeaks
As it kneads the chilled dough
Chunks of the delicious treat
Swiftly disappear
As I snatch them off the edges
With nimble fingers
Familiar with the quick snatch
After a few sweet and treasured minutes
There is a smooth rectangle
Of yellow dough
It is moved off the mat
The chocolate dough going next
This time
You let me
Roll the dough
It takes a little longer
And it isn’t rolled as well
Uneven and bumpy
But you wait patiently
Guide me gently
Then
The chocolate
Gets flipped on top of the vanilla dough
Now
We are both stealing sugary pinches
Kneading and rolling
Pushing and folding
Twisting and twirling
Our striped and swirled
Pinwheel cookie dough
ann richards
7
A seed placed firmly in the ground
Lurking and waiting without a sound
The barest beginning of new life
Pushes through the surface with much strife
The first new leaf, a lime green shade
The stem shoots up, unafraid
A blush pink bud with petals curled
In the dawn’s morning sun they unfurl
Growing taller every day
With strong winds the flower sways
The flower chokes on smoky haze
A once dark forest now ablaze
The flower now a pile of ash
A memory, gone in a flash
Ann Richards
7
Dragons perched in lofty caves
With glimmering scales and a sharpened fang
A deadly creature to encounter
Across the valley, his roar rang
Riches, gold, and gems collected
Guarding treasure from enemies
Piled up to be defended
As tall and old as ancient trees
The dragon is ready to take flight
Leathery wings folded on his back
Lifting off up to the sky
His strong wings a darkened black
Blackened wings meet scarlet scales
Tail slashing through thinning air
Hiding behind thinning clouds
Seeing the dragon is quite rare
Smoke seeping between his teeth
Breathing flames and bright red fire
Burning trees and coal alike
Fueled by the passion of his ire
From golden flames to charcoal wings
With gleaming horns and a slender tail
Any beast that he encounters
The fearsome dragon will prevail
I love Christmas so much
I always hear people talking
when I am opening my stocking.
People say that I’m funny
and that’s right on the money
I have a big sense of humor
that means I’m very funny
but that does not mean that I like to be running.
When I’m bored I like to write about my feelings
and at the end I always make it right.
By Chloe A
Perez Elem
3
He has black fur
He plays in burrs.
He has a black nose,
his whiskers feel like wiggly toes.
He loves to play, but he leaves no trace.
He likes his space.
He likes to lay under our car, and when we drive far he feels sad.
I will love him forever and ever.
Brentwood Elementary
1
Lawn mower, you are loud.
You buzzzzz
buzzzz buzzzzz
all around.
Chop. Chip.
Cut. Cut.
Cut down all that grass.
Brentwood Elementary
1
Blue like the sea.
Green like the grass.
Pink like you blushing.
Red like roses.
These four colors make me feel happy.
Brentwood Elementary
1
Currents of thought wear them down.
The edges of words,
The sharp point of meaning.
The more the flow of my mind runs over them,
The more they round.
An edgeless word is good for nothing,
Except skipping through the toxic water of conversation.
My thoughts are ever hungry.
My words forever raw.
San Marcos High School
10
A beautiful shiny leaf landing softly on the grass like a feather falling from a bird.
Sadly, the leaf got smushed and kicked into tiny pieces like tiny cookie crumbs by giant feet.
‘Ouch, that hurts!’
Anger flew around the little leaf crumbs.
But then, wind blew the little leaf crumbs away.
A little piece of tiny crumbs started to fall.
Feeling down.
Falling a sleep.
When the little leaf crumbs awoke,
it felt energy of the earth.
There’s no more anger.
A worm greeted the leaf crumbs.
A bird sang a song.
A tree brightly smiled.
It was a wonderful life again.