Category: 2023-2024 Submissions

~moving on

Insanity is the definition
Of repeating the same thing
And expecting a different outcome
You should know
That I am not insane.
I will not wait, hoping,
For a different outcome
I have been spurned enough times
By insanity
To know that I will cut that bridge
And burn it to ashes
Before I ever let you hurt me again.

~night time routine

My hands, they hold my body
Mold my skin like clay
There’s no one else to hold me
My hands say it’s okay

If these fingers are my mountains
Then my tears create the sea
But my hands have been the pitchers
That keep them safe for me

Dirt encrusted nail beds
Secrets between each vein
My hands hold all my heartache
My makeshift lidocaine

Ten fingers clot the bleeding
Two elbows squeezing tight
One cut against a thousand
My hands say we’re alright

Knuckles slot my rib cage
Knees against my chest
My soul in mottled digits
Sanity undressed

A Few Things About Me

I am sort of funny
I want a bunny
I love my brother
I love my mother

I love cats
But, I don’t like rats
I have striped socks
And, I love shiny rocks

I am also an artist
And, most likely the smartest
I love to sketch
And, sometimes I stretch

I love to design
I am also nine
I’m in fourth grade
And, I like to hair braid

I love to drink soda
But, I don’t like Yoda
My favorite color is pink
But, don’t tell anyone – wink wink

Ode to APD Officer Jorge Pastore AP 9097 “Tac66” End of Watch 11/11/2023

Ode to Jorge Pastore AP 9097 “Tac66”
End of Watch 11/11/2023

Someone calls for help, a hero stands tall,
Jorge Pastore, he answered the call.
A firefighter paramedic, brave and true,
To the sound of sirens, he rushed on through.
From Parkland to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High,

He faced the darkness, he heard the cry.
A guardian of the injured, heeding his call.
In the line of duty, he gave his all,
Then a new path he’s seen, an officer he became,

To serve and protect, to honor their names.
With courage and valor, he wore the badge no matter the day,
In the face of danger, he stood his ground,
A hero for some, forever a “dad” he will be renowned

His legacy shall live on, through the lives he touched
He shall be remembered as a hero, who has been admired so very much
With a sacrifice never forgotten, and a spirit always strong
In the hearts of many, you will forever belong

With an outpouring of tears, we must say farewell to a pioneer
“Rest easy, Officer Pastore, we’ll take it from here”

Broken Hearts

When a boy comes up, says he likes you and also flirt, You know you like him but the very next day he finds a other girl to flirt on, so the cycle continues I got fool heartbreak my heart ceased to deceased. Broken hearts shouldn’t be broken if found by the right person he moved away still heartbroken I found a other person he became my best friend. Broken hearts are just other parts of life you just live with. Move on

Winter

I wake up

Little flakes of snow swirling by my window
Orange and cinnamon wafts from downstairs
Vacation in the snow!
Eager to go outside, I lace my boots

Snowy winds blast my face as I step outside
Nests of small white birds litter the trees
Overcast skies drop snow in light flakes
Withering leaves crunch underfoot

Ash sits in the warm fireplace from burned logs
Noisy chirps of birds can still be heard through the house
December I will always remember

Walking through the hallways on creaky wooden floors
Icicles drip off the trees
No sounds besides the birds and wind in the trees
Time seems still
Each inch of snow that falls sends a smile to my face
Rapidly, the snow piles up

Me estoy aburriendo

Me estoy aburriendo
Estoy muy aburrido en clase de lengua
Quiero ir a casa
Estoy haciendo un poema para no aburrirme

Estoy aburrido
No sé qué hacer
Escribir o leer
Escribir este poema es lo que voy hacer

Estoy aburrido
No se que hacer
No se si escribir contento
O escribir enfadado

En la clase de lengua no se hace nada interesante
Excepto escribir este poema es estar nervioso
Si lo lee la profesora se va a enfadar
Pero yo la voy a rechazar

Estoy aburrido
No se que hacer
Beber agua
O tocarme los pies

No puedo ver los bucaneros
O jugar al fútbol
Escribir este poema es lo que voy hacer
La única cosa interesante

Estoy aburrido
Sé que hacer
Escribir el poema
Y estar contento que ya acabé

I am

I AM A VOLLEYBALL PLAYER by: Reece Barron
I AM A VOLLEYBALL PLAYER.
It’s my favorite sport.
I love playing volleyball.
When I’m older I really wanna play volleyball in high school.
I also might wanna even play in college.
I first started playing volleyball when I was younger.
But I never really liked it until now.
I wanna fully commit to doing volleyball and be a pro at it.
I spend time outside of school doing volleyball.
But I really want to play full time one day.
Whenever I play volleyball I feel so strong.
It just feels so good.
It feels like I can do anything when I play.
I feel so energized and so many emotions go through me whenever I practice or play.
Doing volleyball is just so thrilling.
But sometimes I have bad days but usually I have pretty good days.
But every once and a while I feel doubtful like will I be good enough to make a certain team I want
Or sometimes I wonder if it is just too much.
I love calling the ball like it’s my ball and I own that ball.
I just wish sometimes I don’t always doubt myself.
But I’m just going to keep working hard and improve my skills more and more.
If I was never ever to play volleyball again.
I wouldn’t know what to play for my main sport anymore.
But volleyball is very important to me.
I have big goals for volleyball in the future.