Why: A Whole Lotta Questions

Do you ever wonder
Why am I here?
What’s my reason for living?
Most of us come to the conclusion that
We as a person
Will most likely
Be forgotten
Poof
Gone.
Our physical selves.
Our minds.
Our memories.
And eventually
We’re forgotten.

So where do we go from there?
To irrational thoughts?
To suicide?
To…
Help?
What’s our cause?
Our reason?
Who
Or what,
Do we live for?

People.
I chose people.
The ones who made you,
The ones who care for you,
The ones who surround you.
To be yourself
For them.
To make them
Laugh,
Smile,
Love themselves because you’re there.

We all turn to suicide occasionally.
But,
If you live for people
Won’t suicide,
Hurt them?


Rouse HS

9

Plastic

I’d like to say nature is my inspiration,
But the woods right now are in devastation
What can take the place of a flower?
What in all of heaven’s power?
Plastic, of course!
It kills grouse and fowl,
Plastic of course!
In pain wolves howl.
Littering the ocean, forests, and cities
Plastic makes things better, because plastic is so pretty.
Plastic pollution? Never heard
Never a look, never a word!
Only sighs and goodbyes
To the environment.


Zilker Elementary

5

Guinevere

Ah lady fair with raven hair
Who stares into a mirror
See how her face doth appear:
Our fair Lady Guinevere!
Lancelot she tries to impress
Wearing a blue silken dress
Ack — her life is such a mess!
She had an oh so beautiful
Mirror of gold. Her lovely face
So pale, so cold.


Zilker Elementary

5

Gold

The food of the foolish,
Awful conquistador
He thought of one thing
Of this, he wanted more and more.

It was the center of many a fight
Those who wielded it had great might.
Beautiful plethora of gold,
Henceforth pawned… now sold!


Zilker Elementary

5

Valkyrie

Beautiful Valkyrie
Flying across the sea
Planting a kiss on me.
Wearing armor of metal
Lovely as a rose petal.

She had nerves of steel
She was just and full of zeal.
She assured me she was real.
Said she “Enjoy this day with pleasure
Let your bravery have countless measure.”

And then she flew away,
Leaving me to shout “wait!”


Zilker Elementary

5

Bye Little Friend

I really love that little red rose
She dreamed to fly with the crows
I really love that little rose
Always makes a beautiful pose
Out of the bush it is bold

Outside in the cold
It will never be sold
It is more pure than any gold

It treats me like a best friend
I give it all I can lend
Our little relationship could never end

It gets dark
And floats away

I loved that little red rose from birth
Now it has said bye to this earth

I really loved that little rose

The Sapling

The spirit inside the tree
Is full of unrest.
She thinks I have come
To take away her host.

Instead I embrace the tree,
And the branches are tickling
The trunk is thick and full of love.
Then I see a sapling.

A tree, who in time,
Could grow mountains high,
But for now it is young
With dreams to soar and fly.

Deep in the foliage,
A sapling I found.
Its mother tree then led it away
Away without a sound.


Zilker Elementary

5

Helen Keller

They say I can’t see
Just because my eyes won’t let in the light illuminating the world around me
They say I can’t hear
Just because my ears can’t comprehend the noise and bustle that pass through them
But oh how wrong they are
For not only can I see
I have x-ray vision
I can look within my soul and have the power to look into others
And I have hearing better than Superman
I hear sounds deep within the earth that no other can hear
I hear the heartbeat of the world
The gentle singing of mother earth
I have seen things that no other has seen
I have heard things that no other has heard
I have done things no other has done
I have been and will always be Helen Keller


Pease Elementary

5

History Books

Why do you tear the pages
of my history books?
Cherry picking
But they taste sour
They’ve been left on the tree
Too long

Why do you cut and paste
a picture you
want me to see?
Something’s off
The edges don’t line up

Why do you tear the pages
of my history books?
The past is a self-portrait
but you can’t paint it
and it’s too late
to white it out

The holes you’ve made
with your pencil pressure
They’re tearing
Like a careless child eager to cover up its mistakes
What have you done?
I can hardly read anymore

You can try to hide
the things
you don’t want us
to see

But if history repeats itself
you’ve scratched
the record
and no one can agree
on how the song goes

I’d like to dance to it again
I want to cheer and sing along
You want me to

But I also want to cry
at the sad parts
Scream
at the mistakes
I want to remember the past
so more of the tears are
bittersweet
and loving


Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders

8