Category: 2016-17 Submissions

Zombies, fear, cats and pink.
Things I enjoy watching.
Zombies when Shaun plays video
games with his zombified friend.
Fear when Dipper gets possessed
by Bill and his sister must save him.
Cats when Garfield needs to
decide what to wear on Halloween.
Pink when Finn lays crying hugging
a wad of Princess Bubblegum’s hair.
Shaun of the Dead, Gravity Falls,
Garfield, Adventure Time.
Movies, Shows, Live Action, Cartoons.
That feeling when zombies seem
to come after me in a 3D movie.
That feeling in my stomach when
my favorite character gets captured.
That feeling when the protagonist
gets an adorable kitten as a gift.
That feeling when she walks into the
ball in the most beautiful pink dress.
That feeling when they all
come together in one poem.

Back and forth, back and forth.
I throw, she catches, she brings back.
The toy flies. She hops up, tries to catch it.
She sometimes misses, or accidentally lays on it.
She runs. She gets caught.
One of my cats trip her or she gets caught in her collar.
Even when that happens, she still come back.
I hold up my hand. “Sit.” She does.
She sits before I throw it.
All my other pets look at her like she’s crazy.
Such a strange cat.

Sun beats down on cracked plastic as
a damsel cowers in her tower hiding from
the dragon both above and below
Spiders and frogs, molded not by time, living
attached to the slides’ shadows
Twisting, turning, tumbling down
the sidewalk
But as quick as a boom and a crack
it falls
Caution tape keeps away
those who play
It was never the same again

I am from a pink plastic playhouse
Scoot-bumping down carpeted stairs
and the one time my dad made bread

Do you see that?
It looks like hope
Passing through the sky
Going from one mind to another

But look!
Hope is flying by
Not passing through a single mind
Hope lost all hope
Hopelessness was hope’s weakness.

Do you see that??
It looks like pleasure
Whirling around every mind it has trapped
With its lusts
And its wants
Who could resist its evil desires
Luring you in is all it requires
To get stronger and stronger

Do you see that???
It looks like forgiveness
Flowing through the hearts of others
Foretelling of those who seek forgiveness

But look!!
Forgiveness stopped following
Stopped flowing because it has broken too many hearts
Forgiveness only wants to be forgiven
If only forgiveness
Could foretell of it’s own forgiveness
Then forgiveness wouldn’t need to be forgiven

Do you see that????
It looks like pain
Striking the body, mind, and soul
Strangling any sign of hope
And choking forgiveness
While pain strengthens with every tear
Grows from every cry for help
And feeds

mirrors of many faces
scattered in the sense of misery
remuneration of dreadful people
swollen fingers hardly make any sound
nothing but the red hot mass of fire
and two or three faces
forgotten and slurred into each other
thrilled out from behind the day

the cartilage bridge
is graced by metallic shades
automatic cool

Do you badger a butterfly
on the hues of it’s wings
Cat-call a peacock
for it’s sapphire feathers

Why am I bullied
on the curls of my hair
Whistled at
for my sparkling eyes

I am a firefly
in a jar of moths waiting
to extinguish my lights and
be set free of my lavish bonds

I beg for the day
when my hair will gray
my teeth yellow
when my old bones
will groan for rest

Ghost barrels through the water
shattering schools of brown and green
Until caught
on a taunting silver tooth
strayed too far

How do you harness
the power of the wind
With an iron girdle
that’s buffeted and blasted
Until and echoing squeak
twists apart the rusting branches
releasing the breeze

My ghost king slips back into the water
Once harnessed wind rushes back to his lungs
Gasping, grouping
waltzes away

The Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders

7

Someday I’ll learn to value me for every little thing i do
If you were an artist how would you paint me
You can feel the anger
You can feel the pain
Which these insecurities bring
People say she’s a beauty
But she doesn’t think of herself as that
The frown at her reflection
She throws the mirror down
It shatter to the floor
This wasn’t the same girl anymore
I’m still here, everyday
I’m here, but i’m not really here
In my eyes i see a monster
And it’s tearing you apart
You are better than you think you are
You stronger then you know
You’re beautiful
But in your own way

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Crockett High School

11th