Category: 2017-18 Submissions

2017-18 submissions

The Ocean Blue

A place where magic happens
Dolphins swimming
Sharks hiding
waiting to be seen
Midnight moon illuminating

Our home
Far from mankind
Away from man’s-eyes

The waves pounding
on the shore break
Crashing in sets
in a blink of an eye

The ocean Blue
My home
I’m a sea turtle
The ocean’s Jewel

Murchison Middle School

8th

Ode to the Fridge

It’s my favorite place in the whole house:
A large rectangular cold stainless steel box
With pictures and Christmas cards on the doors,
Where leftovers are served and lunches are stored,
Where ice cubes are made and water is served.

Jellies and jams, fresh fruits and vegetables,
Old Thanksgiving pie and sweet potatoes,
Butters and spreads at the top of the door,
One percent milk stored in gallons below,
Even my brother’s old coffee cup way in the back.

William Cullen created the first fridge.
In the past people called it an ice box.
Fridges can be old, and some can be new.
Some are dirty like the bottom of shoes,
One thing I know is they’re full of food.

My fridge is on the edge of our kitchen.
Next to the pantry, but the pantry is another story.
There is no place for it in the fridge.
The mighty and food filled, wonderful fridge.

Fulmore

8th

Unmendable Wall

On the other side there is someplace better
On the other side the grass will be greener
There is a place that we don’t know.
The sun rises to bring forth a new day.

The town woke up, the morning went
Same old, same old with everyone
Doing their routines where the sun did not shine
Behind a wall. just dirt and darkness.

Stories have been told of the world on the other side,
A place where the grass grows tall,
A place where the sun always shines,
A place of hope and all dreams imaginable.

Stories have been told of people escaping
And seeing the light. Some people believed them
Others did not. day after day the shadows loomed on.
But beyond the wall there is a place.

I should know because I built the wall
To separate the darkness from light,
Because in the end it is all gray
I should know because I’ve seen the other side.

Fulmore

8th

Cesar

So now we start this poem anew
It was 1965 and things were looking blue
For the targets, they lived like apes
No water, no toilet as they picked grapes

However, that was not the case
For the oppressors, all trimmed and laced
When you see the target, it’s easy to see
The oppressors only keep them to make money

A man named Cesar Chavez: he decided to try
To fight for workers, he was their ally
In an old theater, they decided they they
Would go on strike, make the grape owners say,

“All right, you did it. I surrender, You won.
You want fair pay, water and toilets? Done!
I’ll do everything you ask
When you come back to work, I’ll do the task.”

While that was going on, Cesar said, “Yo,
We still need to push on to Sacramento.
While we’re doing good scream or yelp
We definitely need the government’s help.”

In Delano, work they did not.
On the vines, the grapes started to rot.
When the news of the march hit publicly
The oppressors were unhappy, no money!

Then, a grape owner name Schelwyn
Gave up and said, “You win.”
Instead of a scream and a whine,
They decided to display
The black eagle sign.

The strike went on for 2 years, yup.
Cesar and his crew would not give up.
The oppressors gave up the money they lacked
And agreed to sign the Farmer’s Contract.

So now, I hope you read it all
And this teaches a strong moral
When you keep at it, you see,
That your opponent will soon agree.

Joslin

5

Cesar

Day 1

I am a worker with
No clean bathrooms
No clean water
Very little money
They, the growers
Treat me like I am not human
I am.
My kids
Are starving
I need safety
I need liberty

Day 2

I hear people yelling
Strike!
The music gets louder
I look
Tons of people are yelling
Join us!
Strike!
I join them
Cesar welcomes
Me
I see Kennedy
I will march miles
I will do it

Joslin

5

Urgency to Escape

Static before the hurricane hits

Wrist shaking

Movement rushes through the container

The buzz of the aluminum,

a soft vibrato builds into a violent tremor

Rattling,

Shards of light refract off the metal

Ricocheting in every direction

With each rapid flick

pressure builds

Forcing it’s release

Expanding,

carbonating,

dominating

With frantic urgency

It must escape

Pushing against the aluminum

Everything feels too tight for air

The inability to breathe

Uncontrollable,

uncontainable

Resistance

Metal on metal

A crisp crack when, against it’s instinct,
it gives

Erupting

Exhaling

The tension in my lungs remains

Reaching out

A grasp for air it can’t contain

Everything stuck in slow motion

No concept of time

A free fall with no clearing in sight

Until it all fizzles out

After what feels like an eternity

Bowie

11

Family

Family,
They are the people that comfort you,
They are there for you when you are down,
Treating you like you deserve a crown.

From family reunions,
like a strong union,
there are families large and small,
you know you love them all.

Arguments here and there,
later,
everything is okay,
“come on let’s play!” we say.

One is older,
the other is younger,
even though they can be a bother,
they really do matter.

You love them unconditionally the way they are,
building memories through out,
that’s what family is all about,
family.

Murchison

8