We all have a secret garden in our soul
It is where we turn when things are clear as mud
When the pool of sadness in our eyes becomes too much to be ignored
While we all just want to be adored
It is our secret garden, us against the world
There in the calm winds of your garden, you can cry silently
For the flowers and trees around won’t judge
The peace you have long craved has now arrived
It is your time to cry in your special garden
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Badland
Its majesty brushed
with browns and reds.
Towering saguaro piercing
the land. Visited by screeching;
bats in search
of the insects illuminated
by the moon.
Sonoran paradise.
A wasteland: sweltering
with hazy apparitions by day,
frozen over by relentless
cold at night. Summer air invites
a silent killer.
It begins as avid wind-
agitating the dry crust
on the blushing rocks.
The devils begin to stir.
Survivors vanish-
into the cracked clay.
The horizon. The suns
resting place, enlightened
twice; now a darkened cloak.
Consuming everything,
everywhere.
Sand slices like shards of glass.
Wind shrouds the rocks,
dulling their glow. Overwhelms
the snakes and owls.
An eternity of rolling
dust encases everything,
everywhere.
Zephyr
Wind chimes batter
one another
in a futile attempt to escape
Their relentless
keening
A fire alarm goes off
For no discernible reason
Everyone scatters
When I pretend
to be asleep
I am exposed
Every time
Everyday something trivial
Will clatter
to the ground
And make someone
trivial jump
I can’t sing
in front of people
My voice comes
Out
but it wavers
All night
And all day
A bird is bawling
Did you know
Rattlesnakes have discarded
their rattles
They will issue
no more warnings
Yesterday in line
A baby stared and stared
at me
Squalling
the whole time
I fold inward on myself
Back arching
like a
Fierce, frightened cat
Pieces Together
It’s hard for your thoughts to be spoken
When deep inside you’re still broken
And you can’t put the pieces together
You just want to lock all the doors
You just can’t take it no more
You just want something better
Why should I be sorry for simple mistakes
There still rolling out of place
I don’t need no worries,
All they do is run away
Just like the things you promised me
And now I’m just thinking all these things
and my same past mistakes
I can’t hold it in for long
Why should I be sorry for simple mistakes
There still rolling out of place
I don’t need no worries,
All they do is run away
Just like the things you promised me
Empty Scars
Maybe this storm will cry
Maybe the stars will tell the moon goodbye
Maybe there is still a place in the universe
For the world to cover up its lies
But time does not stand still
And life just feels so real
Putting your feet off the ground
Hoping someday this world will turn around
So as I watch these days pass by
I can’t help but look up
And get lost in the sky
Maybe this place will find its heart
Or maybe I’ll find myself through these empty scars
Covington Middle School
8
Can’t Stop Playing
I can’t stop playing video games today
It Is all I ever want to play
The graphics are outstanding
But my mom is so demanding
“Stop playing these video games”
Is what my mom angrily exclaims
Computer, box, things that you wear
Whatever console it is I don’t care
Lunchtime, but I cannot eat
This level is one I shall beat
It is when I die the most
The last level versus Blinky The Ghost
Halo, Galaga, Kingdom Rush
Any enemy I will crush
Against the aliens, I have a gun
Playing this is really fun.
I now have a ship, in a small dogfight
I shall play all through the night.
I am but one lonely plumber
I explore the sewers with my brother
Now I am surrounded by a world of blocks
With tons of animals, and not a single one of them talks
My hands are molded into remotes
When I win I use emotes
Just to Taunt I mean no harm
It cost Ponda Baba an arm
I shall stop when this day ends
That is what my mom recommends
I look at my time the numbers aglow
Wait, It’s already TOMORROW?
The Secret Life of Robots
BEEP BEEP
I’m CAMMY-200
Penguin waddle to the door
On my short robot legs
Made in Factory Ace 100
The Clark Family is strict when I work
Cooking and laundry never end
Did you know that robots have feelings too?
Happy when my people leave
Sad when my people are in the house.
I have friends
Bob-6000, Candy-800 and Savannah-1000
I am friends with friendly people and friendly animals.
The doors close when my people leave.
I turn on my disco lights on my body
The music starts.
Then, me and my friends have a disco party!
Robots only eat candy
Or they will malfunction.
BEEP BEEP!
BEEP BEEP!
Uh oh I need to go, bye!
Seeing a Shark
It’s drifting through the water
Through the Ocean blue
You never see it coming
Although it’s right in front of you
It blends into the sand
A deep, rich tan
When you see it
It’s always too late
I see my reflection in the water
Distorted as I break through it
The shark swimming faster and faster away
Desperate to get away from this, monster
As I run, I am oblivious to the world around me
The shark is my only goal
I see nothing but the shark
I hear nothing but the waves
I smell nothing but the breeze
I lunge and miss
The shark is heading for deeper water now
This is my last chance
I look down and see something
Spiky, and purple
I know it’s a Sea Urchin but it doesn’t matter
Only the shark does
I trip, I stumble
I watch the shark glide back
Farther and farther away
Into the safeties of the deep
I watch it sail smoothly away
I feel lonely far away
Until I hear someone calling my name
I slowly trudge back to the beach
Noticing things I didn’t notice before
When I walk, sand swirls up, almo
Beautiful Spring
Spring is as hot as hot chocolate.
My shirt is as white as daisies.
Spring is as beautiful as butterfly wings.
Spring is as colorful as a rainbow drawing.
Spring is as calm as a fan.
Birds chirp like real music.
Frogs in spring leap as high as kangaroos
Spring is as purple as purple paint
There’s green as a color too
Leaves are green and so is grass
Yellow is as bright as the sun.
Golden Corral
The smell of food, so good, so sweet
Golden Corral is where I eat
tastes as good as cake
I’ll gobble it up, like a snake
I touch my fork, so shiny, so smooth
The perfect mix, for me a youth
I taste some donuts, so great, so divine
Golden Corral is the place I dine
Eating there is a piece of cake
If you don’t eat it all, you’re food I’ll take
The rush of something, in a fountain I hear
A chocolate fountain begging me to come near
I see so much, so much food
Golden Corral’s the best place, I conclude
The table is soft the chairs are clouds
Golden corral attracts many crowds
I would not leave, I want to stay
Golden Corral I’ll stay all day.
Leaving here, I dread with sorrow
Is there a chance we could come back, Tomorrow?