Category: 2018-19 Submissions

2017-18 Submissions

Our Gift

Earth.
A gift.

We live on this planet,
So, why do we hurt it?

Aren’t we supposed to cherish a gift?
Not,
Ripping it apart like a piece of paper.

War.
Bullying.
Violence.
They all hurt our world.
OUR gift,
In some way.

A Gift.
Passed down to us from our ancestors.

Our ancestors protected,
We destroyed.
Can we make our planet better?

Of course.
Let us make our generation,
The generation of fixing,
Not the generation of destroying.

Gorzycki Middle School

7

Broken Arm

Kids laughing, swings screeching,
jumping to the monkey bars,
we were soaring in the sky,
I jump past my limit, to far
didn’t reach the bar,
my life flashes before my eyes,
On the floor, I look up, mulch stuck on my shirt,
eyes staring down at me,
the pain was so painful I wanted to scream as loud as I possibly could,
I just wanted everyone to

disappear

Finding out my arm was broken,
my face was pale and my stomach
dropped
like I was on a roller coaster,
at the turn point in the roller coaster,
upside down,

This was a memorable moment
I won’t forget.

Gorzycki Middle School

7

Morning Sunrise

As I stand to watch the sunrise
Saltwater splashes at my feet
Hibiscus scent lingering in the air
The saltwater a shimmering blue
Hibiscus the same color as a watermelon
The sunrise full of light red-oranges
The hibiscus scent strong
Sunrise unlike any other
Saltwater splashing against the sand
All is peaceful with the saltwater, sunrise, and hibiscus

Gorzycki Middle School

7

El Calor

Escucho el sol brincando de alegría,
Todos contentos nadando en la alberca
Pero ponganse crema porque si no se queman

Todos disfrutando el sol
Con sus trajes de baño.

Todos mis amigos jugando con pelotas
De muchos colores que se ven como arcoiris
Todos agarrando helado, para que se nos vaya el calor.

!!!Ver todas las flores creciendo de calor o alegria!!!

Berkman Elementary

4

Ghost

I feel lost
When I stare out my window
There’s so much space to lose myself
It’s claustrophobic, stifling.

Why am I doing this?
Losing sleep over things I was taught to stress over
And hating myself for slipping lower.
I just want to do what’s right.
Give back to my family and secure a future
Shine bright and have a place to sleep at night.

I tell myself that I do not need to feel
That I can kill myself a little bit
I mute my mind and let my brain do the talking
But then it really feels like dying.

I have so many reasons to feel grateful
And I really do, always
But you tell me to wait.
When you really want me to forget
Slowly, letting my spirit grow old.

You tell me to wait
“Your hard work now will pay off later”
It’ll get easier
Once you learn to let go.
And replace all the things you used to care about
With the notions you’re sold.

When I let my thoughts roam freely
They remind me of truer things.
I look down at my hands and wonder what I’m doing
Motivation is just shutting out memories of happiness
And convincing myself I’ll relearn it with practice.
But I didn’t start broken, so why do I need fixing now?
What have you taught me to break me?
What poison have I been fed to need an antidote?
The prescriptions you wrote
Never heal where it hurts.

When you look in the mirror do you become transparent
Too?
Your ghost soul can’t save me as I grow old
Like you.

Are you happy?
We really are a family.

LC Anderson High School

11

Home

There is nothing like home
Soft couches
Smart computers
Oh home

In the winter days my home is like a blanket
Warming me and tending to me
The holly jolly Christmas time
Grabs me out of my grumpy pants
Along with my sister, mom and dad
Oh the faint chill of the winter

In the summer days my home is nice and cool
Putting a slight tingle of fall in the air
We take out all of our old clothing
Replacing them with fresh new ones
Oh the touch of summer

In the spring my home smells nice and fresh
Sometimes a few vases of flowers around the house
Outside flowers thrive and bloom
We go on long hikes
And pick amazing delicate flowers
Oh the scent of spring

In the fall
Leaves sail to the ground
In all colors
Red, orange, yellow, purple
Outside we rake leaves into piles
Jumping into those plump nice piles
They blanket the ground
We have plenty of leaves stuck in our hair
Oh the colorful autumn

My home is the best wonderland ever
Full of things to do
Play with my sister
Read a book with my mom
HOME is everything

Canyon Creek Elementary

5

Gone

The sound of the screams,
Like nails on a chalkboard.
The shadows over the ground
Like salt in the wound.
Eyes water with tears
Like a river flowing downwards.
That’s when she said
“Never again shall this happen.”
And with that last word,
Gone

Joslin Elementary

5

My Teachers are Spies

my teachers are slithery sneaky spies
i watch em closely
and it ain’t no pie
i hide mostly
trying not to get caught
i duck into the leaves
my teacher came out and I thought
what’s under her sleeves
it looked like a lump
i pondered what it could be
“PLOP” before I knew it I fell on my rump
my eyes watered and I went on a crying spree
my teacher came over
and asked me what I was doing
said I was looking at a clover
i started accusing
“You’re a spy!”
she looked at me with confusion
“Hey I’m not a bad guy”
“The lump under your sleeve is what brought me to my conclusion”
“Oh this is just a watch”
“I’m just as dumb as a nut”
“I thought it was a deathwatch!”
“A what?”
“Nevermind”
“I’m going to go play hopscotch”
“Next time tell me what’s on your mind”
i fooled her so easily I guess i’m topnotch

Gorzycki Middle School

7

Braids

Braids
Can be just a hairstyle
But can have layers
To something more
Like people.
Braids
Can be
Complex
Or
Simple.
Like people.
Braids
go
Over
under
Over
under
Over
under
and
Over
and
back again.
Like people.
Braids
Dance around your fingers
As you try for so long
To get that perfect dutch
Braid
Braids
can be worn for several occasions.
for
weddings
funerals
or
everyday.
Braids
Have layers.
Like paper.
Like this poem.
Like people.

Gorzycki Middle School

7