Category: 2018-19 Submissions

That repeated dream.
In slow motion,
The cart starts to lose control
Wheels start to fly off the tracks,
The ground once nearby,
Now I’m touching the great blue sky.

Screams of poor children,
Men and women, old and young
I look out the window,
Wrong move.
My body defies gravity,
Back pressed up against the roof of the cart,
I close my eyes
And await my demise.

I am shaken awake
Relief fills my very pores
Maybe it was just an illusion
Reality hits me
Hard as a martial artist,
As I stare into the eyes
Of a life savior wearing a white coat as a disguise.

Why am I the survivor?

Why did God choose me
Over all those other people that still had
The rest of their lives to live?

Why not them being the survivors?
When they can achieve so much more
Than me.

Why am I the survivor?
So many things
They could have done
Only if
They had the chance.

So I now stand here,
Under the gaze of God,
At your footstep,
So I can look you in the eye,
And believe
You have the answers
I wish to receive.

They never come.
My answers.
I plead harder and harder.
I fall on my knees in tears
Begging.
Those around me start to nervous
They stare.
But I don’t care.

Dragging my feet,
I slowly get up.
Surrendered and utterly lost
I turn my back on him
Dragging my feet
Out the home of God
Almost to the street.

Then I hear it.
The voices of the long gone.
Women, children, men
Aunts, uncles
Grandmas, grandpas

Now I understand.
The opportunity wasn’t ever mine
It was ours
To inspire.
To bring hope.

Now I know
I mustn’t live for myself.
I must live for those
Who couldn’t.
I am the Survivor.

The claim I once dreamed of fell into my lap
That light cold glimpse of hope was placed on the tip of my tongue
The deep low clench that grabbed and tugged my heart has settled
That big light hazel colored fluttering butterfly has decided to stay
The words that I silently tucked behind my ears have been said
That tall glass of rusted tears has been poured down the drain
The thick layer of my skin that hid the real me was washed away in the shower this morning

I’m yours

Matthew
Confident
Organize
Supportive
grateful
Sister and brother of chris perez and Brittiney perez
Who feels great, strong, encourage
Who needs help trying to find where they are supposed to be

He barks one thousand times a day.
he scratches the door
and rips up the toys
he is filthy as a hog
and his soft black fur
blows in the wind like a flower in the spring
he screams and yells all day long
licks and licks when we arrive
good bad dog
relaxing with my brother, none else
likes and does not hate
Good
at times bad almost never
does bad things but he is good
his attitude is unpredictable
but we still love him

---

Gorzycki

7

Many presents lie still against the tree,
The tree so many kids dream about,
And the single star and many ornaments
It’s a time to be happy,
A time to complain how you can’t wait,
A time to bribe your siblings so they tell you what you’re getting,
And wait was that a BARK
r c
e      o
l           a
l                 s
o                     t
Christmas is a r                        e
r
You climb your way through December,
Build up excitement and tension,
And then it happens… quickly, too quickly.
And then you get off the ride and the line is a m i l l i o n miles long.

---

Gorzycki Middle School

7