Category: 2023-2024 Submissions

Bikes not used in years rusting in sadness
A bucket full of sports equipment whimpering to be used
2 shelves bent to the floor like a stretchy rubber snake
Dog bowls crusted with the words of WASH ME
Shoes like a black hole
A fridge contaning my parents classified contents
Coolers faded by the light of their death
My garage is full of new experiences.

I am

Someone who

Plays super smash bros

In the mornings

I am someone who

Always wakes up at 6:00 AM

And beats my parents down stairs

I am someone who is like an observatory tower

With people surrounding at the top spotting anything unusual.

The ocean may seem beautiful:
Clear turquoise waters that mirror the sky,
small stones that reflect like glass,
white sand that clings onto you with microscopic hands.
Small little waves that move up and down your legs,
pink seashells with a perfectly copied groove.
Elusive pearls that glisten and shine.
The ocean may seem beautiful,
but it is full of terrors.
Dark murky waters that are tainted with sand.
Menacing jagged rocks that try to block out the incoming ocean.
Brown clumpy sand that tries to drag you down into the Earth.
Sluggish waves that slowly arc up and devour any ships underneath.
Ravaging tsunamis that steal anything they see.
A tiny little light in the mist of the ocean, is there hope?
No, it’s a trap set by an angler fish.
Crumpled edges of a cliff that looms right over the edge.
A giant squid that’s ready to clamp down on you.
Who knows what’s down there, ready to drag you down into the abyss.
The ocean is like a coin with two sides.
The question is:
which one do you see?

My doggies name is Lulu
She thinks she is a human
She is the cutest dog on earth
She’s like a big ball of fluff!
With a big wet nose
And velvety ears.

I love this creature
that lives in my house
Not as silent as a mouse
He’s as vocal as a lion!
I have to make sure he doesn’t run out to the dandelions
His whiskers flow in the ever so calm breeze
And to my dogs he likes to tease
He acts like my dogs
My bed, he hogs
Can you guess what it is?
His puffed hair is like one big frizz!
His rough pink tounge is all I need on a bad day
With his toys he will forever play
He doesn’t know hate he only knows love
He shall only drink from the sink
“Why do I even give him a bowl?” I think.
He comforts when cold
His purrs never get old
Yes! You guessed it!
This creature is my cat
His name is Romeo and that is all I have to say about that!

The day you left my heart shattered into thousands of tiny pieces.
How could you say goodbye to someone you have known your whole life.
A girl’s best friend and a squirrel’s greatest enemy.
I wiped the tears down my face in a moment of realization.
It was all a blur in my young eyes.
Through the years the thought of you stays forever in my heart.
Pretty as a daisy and calm as a fly.
It’s not fair that someone you have known and loved can disappear in a second.
While bad people act all innocent.
The ache in my heart still burns till this day.
There will always be a special place in my heart reserved just for you.
Thank you for protecting me from all the terrors of the world.
I hope to see you someday on the rainbow bridge.

I’m from towers of trees in the hot fiery desert of Texas,
from a full house that is going to explode
I’m from a tree that we used to call secret,
from it being famous.
I’m from spaghetti and meatballs every
Christmas Eve.
I’m from Barbie and gymnastics
when we were younger
From one specific bunny stuffed animal
that sat on my bed all day
I am from baseball and football
and games in our music town.
Those moments of elementary
Pre-k through fifth,
and everything outside,
I head out into the world
into towers of trees in the hot fiery desert of Texas.

Dance Performance

I slip on my shoes
Then slide to the dance floor
I get in my pose ready to dance.

The music turns on
I start moving my feet
Then I turn and I twist
I jump up to the sky and feel like a rocket ship.

The music slowly gets faster
I leap up like a grasshopper with a smile on my face
I land on the floor with a big BOOM!
Then I flip up my head and everybody cheers.
I feel like I’m a movie star when everybody screams my name

I walk off stage feeling very proud of myself
I can’t wait to perform again!

Dropped the ball,
Missed the free throw,
Out at home,
Hit the post,
Missed the putt,
Shanked the drive,
Failure.
Go to bed early,
Practice tomorrow,
Resilience.

I am from short mornings and long nights, claw clips and Stanley’s,
From slays to no slays,
I am from hard rocks you cling onto for dear life,
from lions and tigers with a roar, you can hear from the depths of the ocean,
I am from mean girls who are just as scared as I am,
from makeup and fake stuff like nails and lashes galore,
I am from these things that make me, me.