All was calm, all was good

Till fate stepped in

Taking it all

One jump

SPLASH

That’s it

Everyone else was fine

One jump

SPLASH

Into the freezing, blue water

Till I felt nothing

Nothing at all

There were whispers

Then loud talking

Screaming, shrieking and shouting

As if an alarm went off

I am in peace instead of a hospital

I am alone instead of friends and family surrounding

I am in no pain

I wish I was a chicken

I wish I backed out

But I was between hawk and buzzard

I’d rather be called a wimp

I’d rather be called a baby

Than be missed by all

We all wish we could take something back

But what’s set in stone

Stays in stone, forever

-Keely McCullough

My anxiety decides to flit around in my head

It makes my heart rate rise steadily,

My breathing shallow

Even my hands start to shake.

Thoughts aren’t stopping until they finally blank

I never knew the silence could be so suffocating.

I look up at my ceiling

chipping paint,

black smudges from long gone stick-on stars

I need to get out of here…

Bolting from my room

Down the stairs

Out the door

The night sky envelops me with gentle darkness

Crickets sing and insects hum

The humid wind tugs at my hair

My mind stays still

And for the time being

It’s peaceful

Another breeze drifts by

The scent of lilacs captures me

I walk along the road listening

To the quiet patter of my bare feet

On the once scalding asphalt

The littlest of things can take your mind off of the bad

I hear something behind me

I whirl my head around

It is just a little rabbit hopping on the grass

Trying to find its way home

Home…

I have to head back

It should be calm now

I reach the door and take in the sweet smell of summer

Back inside

Up the stairs

My room is bathed in pale moonlight

Pouring in from my windows

Silvery blue light dances around me

Pulling me down into sleep

I can feel the way my heart’s hammering

It gets to the point where I think

My heart’s going to leap

Right out of my chest

The rooms spins

Almost as if it’s laughing at me

because I can’t find my balance

The swirling ceiling and blue walls fade into black

As I shut my eyes to calm my stomach

It hurts to breathe as my body starts to convulse

I can’t seem to sit still

It’s all in your head,

there’s nothing to be afraid of…

I wring my hands together

until the shaking subsides

A small distraction to keep me from crying

I push the thoughts away

But the feeling of dread doesn’t subside

The empty silence it leaves behind

is suffocating me

I put my headphones in my ears

Hoping that the melody will calm

My ever incessant heart

Slowly,

Slowly I rock myself

And little by little my breathing evens out

My room is stuffy

Full of sticky heat that surrounds me

In that moment I make an impulse decision to leave

Leave the place that was once my sanctum

I venture out into the dark night

The soft patter of my bare feet

On the once scalding asphalt

-Katherine Majkut

Spot

My spot,

Is the red flower,

Across the room,

On the wall.

I turn like a doll,

With precision,

With my eyes fixed to,

My spot.

Quick bunny feet,

Head whips around,

Always looking for,

My spot.

In time,

With time ,

Always reaching for,

My spot.

Find, reach, achieve,

I always find,

Never neglect or overlook,

My spot.

Every step,

I take,

I am impending upon,

My spot.

Like a predator,

I am focused,

Only on,

My spot.

Swift movements,

Aiming for perfection,

Reaching steadily for,

My spot.

As I finish, and reach my spot,

I start over again,

And find another flower,

 to be my spot.

-Ashlee Lowe

Fishing finds me food

While life is given to death

Fishing finds me life

-Jared Lasselle

LBX

There was a world of inferno surrounding me with the power to melt me into a chunk of cardboard.

I was spinning my lance as show-off, but inside, my motors were spinning in frantic fear and sapping my battery.              

My battery was almost consumed before I even took a step.

I was a pygmy but arrogant.

The will to fight is always awake inside of me.

Then suddenly, my opponent came, his orange eyes blazing with hatred and willing to ignite me by just staring at me, like the devil’s eyes.           

But I stared back with determination and stood up tall to my face my enemy head on.

Tick Tock Tick Tock.

One minute later, there were only smoldered pieces of cardboard littering the floor around me. 

As the announcer exclaimed, the crowd started to roar, reverberating my gears.

 As I looked at my opponent's eyes all I could see was surprise and defeat.

-Adhiksit Kalra

Crawling through a garden

I see a school of butterflies with intense purpose

Enjoying the fruits of life

Mother Nature’s prized possessions

I gaze upwards

I take a deep breath in and just enjoy the view

The butterflies dance ever so gracefully

Deeply in love with the lilacs and daisies

Kissing the sunshine that illuminates their presence

I am a Caterpillar

Counting moments, not minutes

My ambition is like a house with no foundation

My purpose undeclared

I call out to the butterflies

Asking for their approval

The butterflies sneer and cast a dark shadow above me

And continue to luxuriate in their wealth

I just keep smiling my crooked smile

Inching through the soil as the days go by

I devour the greenery

And defend myself from the Robins

That desire me for supper

Sometimes it feels as if the world is against me

Soon the darkness takes over

The butterflies pack together and flee

Migrating to longer days

The Robins gather, belong and prepare

To depart to their winter home

I’m all alone

The sun is just a memory

The grass has gone yellow

Daisies age, lilacs wilter

And I lay in the snow

I will rest if I must, but I won’t quit

I’ll embrace the cold, but not befriend it

Seek and find every gray leaf

Battle anything that thwarts me

I’ll be strong through it all

Even when the chilly wind blows

Causing the yellow grass to shake

The journey will be rough

But it’s so that I can live, then die

Die so that I can reincarnate

Someday I’ll spin my chrysalis

When I am reborn I will soar

Feeling the warm rays touch my wings

Gracefully making figure eights in the sky

Flying alongside the ones who didn’t think I’d make it

I know that as long as I believe

As long as I can see my destination in the radiant light

And even when my efforts are as fruitless as a dead tree

When my soul seems barren

I’ll toss and turn

Take everything this big world has got

But I’ll never, ever give up

-Suhani Iyer

Eyes close,

And you float gently

Through a tunnel

That transports you

Into a new world

A new life

Soft

And simple.

Far,

Far away

From everything troubling,

Everything frightening,

Everything shooting pangs of torment through your mind

Everything firing hot flashes of hurt

Through your soul.

Eyes close,

And you fly.

Delicate worlds,

Filled to the brim with clouds and baby blue skies.

All is forgotten,

As darkness falls from your mind

Dropping away in fragments

One by one

Each lifting 50 pound weights

From your soul.

All is forgotten

As you float,

Imagine,

And dream.

Eyes close,

And you fly.

Racing, speeding heart

As eyes suddenly pop open

And everything hastily floods back.

Pain-ridden days

Brimming with crushing tons of sadness

And smothered in hurt,

Dumping cold, padlocked chains on your heart

That was already heavy

With misery

And anguish.

But soon,

The pounds will be lifted.

Soon,

The chains will be unlocked.

Soon,

The pain will disappear.

Soon,

You will close your eyes again.

Soon,

All will float away

Faster

And lighter

Than a feather

In a storm.

Eyes pop open,

And you

No

Longer

Fly.

But soon,

You

Will

Fly

Again.

-Aria Grisham