Literature from 2019-20
The Reason
by Keeley Kaplan, 8th Grader
I normally write to convey emotions
It’s why I write so many poems
About what I’m going through
And how I feel
Because I have an anxiety disorder
So it’s not easy for me to say how I feel
But it’s also difficult for me to share my poems
It’s easy to write about how I feel
And what I’m thinking
But it’s not easy to share
Also it’s why sometimes I’m not the one sharing my writing
It gets easier to share the poems unless they’re personal
For example, writing about myself and that....
I worry about many things
But I’m trying to be brave
I try to not think about it
And I feel pressure to get things over with
But I don’t like rushing things
So I don’t know why I am
So I’m sorry if I’ve rushed anyone
I never meant to
Everyone deserves to take their time if needed
So that’s the reason
Why I write
Fighting for the Sky
by Victoria Walwork (Tori), 8th Grader
Fighting for the Sky~
As the moon drains the night
As the sun meets its end
The moon songs high
Making the stars shine bright
And the waves dance
As the sun flies up
Savoring the moment
For when the audience turns around
The sun will outshine
And the moon and it’s stars will sigh
As they are forced to hide from the sky
But the waves take pity
As they dance anyway
With a gleam in their eyes
Showing neutrality
Pessimism
by Bryan Shedden, 8th Grader
Pessimism is a rhythm to which certain people follow
When they look into the tree of life and find it empty, hollow
But I say, the chance that the day is being seen
Is a joy to which every all kids should be keen
For the billion-to-one chance of simply being born
The ability to see soaring cliffs and rolling corn
The chance to touch and lift up human souls
To have a soul burning brighter than fossil-fuel coals
To be part of the group simply privileged to be
What luck! Simply the chance to invoke the word “We”
All the sperm who turned when you pushed a bit forward
To survive years of life, to push our marble northward
To be of the fraction of things filled with drive
And the blaze of the chance to look out and be alive
Our universe is filled with things without animacy to spare
And so it’s a little strange when we hear “I don’t care”
If, to you, the tree of life has nothing, you’ve found
Try not to trip on the meaning laying on the ground
Ropes and Rays
by Victoria Walwork (Tori), 8th Grader
Ropes and Rays~
My body floating down instead of up
An endless abyss some seem to call love
The ropes of the dark pulling me back
The rays of the light drawing me forwards
This hopeless swim that never should have been started
an endless stride never to be completed
The rays seem to fade
As my strides Linger on
Such insignificance it is to continue along
But the thought of the light pulls me forward
And the thoughts of the dark pull backwards
An unobtainable goal
Never to be achieved
Better to stay hidden than to ever risk it all
My Tribute to Babe
by Victoria Walwork, (Tori) 8th Grader
My Tribute to Babe~
A death came so fast
I couldn’t get past
So, in honor I write
In tribute I just might
Share my stories of fun
And that of the sun
With age she gained beauty
Every wrinkle told a story
Of her years she became
A woman whom all knew name
Babe was always great
Even in her late
She touches our hearts
I know she’s in the stars
So up I’ve been looking
Instead of my moping
With Wendy she floats
Having cocktails and totes
My love is never ending
Her memory never fading
To the matriarch
Whom lived with no patriarch
Ill look up to the skies
As I see the sun rise
She’ll always live on
Even though she is gone
~ Tori~
Poems by Jonathan Miller, 8th Grader
Can't Stop
Why can’t I stop going to this place,
All these bright colors and nice sounds bombarding my face,
I guess I keep coming because I hope I win,
To pay back the extreme debt I'm in,
But I just can’t stop for every night and day,
I always keep coming back to play,
I don’t see a way out I can take,
So amends with myself I can make,
But I'm simply in to deep,
And farther down I continue to seep,
I begin to always be sad,
One of my friends said a way to make me happy they had,
I wanted to be happy so of course I was down,
But my decision in the end made me look like a clown,
When I first tried it and it made me feel good,
I honestly thought my friend was lying I didn’t think it actually would,
When I have it, it makes me so happy I want to sing,
This wonderful substance is my new favorite thing,
I take it every day,
And it makes me feel great in every way,
But as the days go on I need more to get the same feeling,
But it’s to be happy so of course I'm willing,
But one day after taking my largest amount,
It begins getting hard to count,
I begin to get nauseous,
I should have listened to my friend who said to be cautious,
I fall and it starts goes black,
It starts getting harder to breathe as I lay there on my back,
I should have stopped I should have knew,
Well now my time is up and there is nothing I can do,
Drip Drop
The sky grows darker as the day goes on,
I look out the window and see a beautiful swan,
It looks at me lets out a cry and took flight,
It just confirmed that I am right,
My time here is almost done,
Drip Drop Drip Drop,
And now it has begun,
Drip Drop Drip,
It has started to rain,
Drip Drop Drip,
This falling water is all that keeps me sane,
Drip Drop Drip,
It seems to be getting worse,
Drip Drop Drip,
Though it’s best to let nature take its elegant but sad course,
Drip Drop Drip,
But I have no fear,
Drip Drop Drip,
I'm glad this beautiful sound is the last thing I hear,
Drip Drop Drip,
A flash of light oh so bright,
Drip Drop Rip,
it is suddenly as dark as night,
Drip Drop Drip,
What is this peace I feel,
Drip Drop Drip,
Finally the envelope containing the story of my life is sealed,
Drip Drop Drip,
Since Egypt Fell
by Brayden Andriga, 8th Grader
After Egypt fell
Mr. Roberson wasn’t ever the same
To root for the Florida Gator
To throw out the poor chickens
To give out Gettysburg Addresses
To move onto the Israelites
--
Mr. Roberson changed after Egypt fell
Poem 123
by Miles Dallara, 8th Grader
Such an innocent child
Only to be defiled
By poppies in the garden
She caused our world to darken
She would ramble when alone
She said we must atone
For trapping her in our lies
By taking away her bright skies
And that night she would leave
And after that day we would grieve
Our little girl taken by sin
The Devil’s mark on her skin
Her beautiful smile
Turned bloody and vile
So, every night we search, and we pray
That she would come back one day
But our efforts were destined to fail
When we found her rotting in jail
Still transfixed by the drug
A deathbed she had dug
And we were told that night
That she would never see daylight
My Secret Garden
by Miles Dallara, 8th Grader
The world seems so far away in my garden
Here the skies never darken
The smiling flowers always greet me
To here I always flee
I come back more and more
But it’s starting to bore
Marks cover my arm
But they cause no harm
My teeth are bleeding
My family misleading
They say my garden is the cause
They say I broke laws
They’re deceiving me I know
My garden told me so
It told me to flee
It said that would make me free
My arms feel like lead
They said I’m in my deathbed
But they lie so I will thieve
Then I will leave
My mouth feels dry
I just might die
All that keeps me alive
Is seeing my garden thrive
The smell of vomit is so strong
Was the garden wrong?
And now in my cell I lay
Indulging in my garden to this day
My vision goes black
Is this the drawback?
I’m not even that old
But my body is cold
Poem 323
by Miles Dallara, 8th Grader
I had grown used to this life
Living on a street filled with strife
It was a life no one wished for
It was a life that would break you to the core
But in the quiet night
I met a girl who became my light
She had run from a broken home
And now these streets she must roam
Bloody teeth
Betrayed the beauty beneath
Sins of her past marked her arm
She was trapped under the poppies charm
But she was my only friend
A person with a hand to lend
When I thought life wasn’t worth it
My hope she relit
She taught me that I mattered
She helped me when I was battered
A friend to always talk to
I person I truly knew
But she was trapped by what she craved
A devilish flower to whom she was enslaved
She was lost in despair
She was stuck in a living nightmare
I couldn’t help no matter how hard I tried
No matter how much it hurt me when she cried
She wanted to leave her mistakes in the past
But her abstinence did not last
And before I knew it, she was gone
Taken to jail at dawn
I never saw her after that day
Maybe she returned to her old driveway
Free from the sins of her past
Free at last
Pokémon Journeys
by Han Nguyen, 8th Grader
Pokémon Journeys: A Poem of Beginnings
By: Han Nguyen
Long anticipated, the day is soon to come.
Ordinary to outsiders, but revolutionary to some.
The start of a new age in Pokémon,
When the old has not begone.
A phrase said with applause,
“Gotta catch em’ all”.
Twenty-three years, unfulfilled it was.
Soon it will quickly gain speed, with the throw of the Pokéball.
The origins of Pikachu,
Goh joining Ash and you.
New machines of Team Rocket,
You just got to watch it.
In the near future you may see,
A brand new Pokémon Journey.
Ukulele
by Keeley Kaplan, 8th Grader
Strumming the strings all day
Singing a million different songs
And all my stress melts away
All my anxiety has disappeared
I’m not thinking about the things or people that hurt me
When I’m playing my ukulele, I’m at peace
I’m sitting there singing to the melody
That I’m playing on my ukulele
Everything is fading away
And soon it’s just me sitting there
No one can hurt me
No one can hate me
No one can hear me
No one is concerned about me
No one can tell me no
No one can control me
No one can bother me
No one can judge me
No one can see me
Most people don’t ever see the real me anyways
But most importantly I don’t need anything
I’m not suffering
No one can make me feel worse
It’s just me sitting there
Me, my voice
And my ukulele
And I can sing a song and it takes me away
Away from the pain
Away from any bad emotions
And away from the real word
The world that has recently been very cruel to me
The world that has put me through so much pain
All my troubles are far away
Nothing and no one can hurt me
I am happy
And at peace
In my heart and mind
When I sing and play
My ukulele
Small
by Keeley Kaplan, 8th Grader
“He’s so cute!”
“Why did you pick this one?”
“He’s so dumb!”
“What’s wrong with him?”
Why do people say these things?
Yeah, he’s cute
What do you mean by why did I pick this one?
True, but it doesn’t matter
What are you talking about, why would you say that?!
“Oh, don’t get defensive over him he’s stupid and small”
So what? He’s great despite that.
“What do you see in that little creature?”
What do I see?
I see so many great things
I see past his different colored eyes,
Orange and green caused by so many concussions
“How do you see so many great things in him?”
You haven’t seen what I’ve been through during this quarantine
But he has
He's been by my side every day
And whenever he does something “dumb” it makes me laugh
He’s right by my side sitting next to me when I’m sad or crying
And he’s the only one
That truly knows what I’m going through
And the only one that’s been by my side the entire time
And yet he never says a word
But I don’t care about him being dumb or clumsy
And I don’t care about him saying nothing
I don’t care about him being small
Pets are treasures
You can count on them when you’re having a bad day
Yes, they probably don’t understand, but so what
Sometimes you don’t need someone to understand
Sometimes you just need someone to listen and know what’s happening
And when pets curl up beside you or sits in your lap it helps you forget about everything hurting you
So, you can’t say all these horrible things about him
Because no one else has been there for me as much as he has
He’s always there no matter what
Whether there are other people there for me too or not
Tom’s the perfect cat
So why does it matter that he’s small?
Stage
by Keeley Kaplan, 8th Grader
Lights
Costumes
Makeup
Props
Set design
Lines
Musicals
Plays
Theater
When I’m onstage I feel amazing
One of my favorite things in the world is acting
Putting myself in the shoes of a character who may be almost the same person as me
Or completely different
I love memorizing lines
When I’m onstage I have no fear
I’m happy
I’m at home
And I love to sing my heart out for plays too
I love to figure out blocking
The theater is amazing
And watching plays or listening to musicals is also fun
If you’re a musical theater nerd, you’ll recognize these musicals
Hamilton, Les Mis, Mean Girls, Dear Evan Hansen, The Phantom of the Opera, Heathers, Waitress
And so many more amazing plays
However, the thing that I love the most about being onstage and being an actor
Isn't the bright lights
Or the cheering
Or the crowds
It’s the people that you collaborate with
And the opportunity to express yourself and put so much emotion into one character
And the fact that you can make that character seem so real is amazing
The theater is a place for creativity, family, opportunity and joy
And that’s why I love being on the stage
Anxiety
by Keeley Kaplan, 8th Grader
Panic attacks
Anxiety attacks
Anxiety disorder
Nervousness
Worry
All things that I have
I worry about so much
And that makes me worry more
And more
And more
I worry that no one cares
Because it seems like I’m the first to do anything
First to text
First to start a conversation
First to apologize even when I don’t need to
Yet it always seems that I’m not the one ending the conversation
I worry that everyone hates me
And that they try to end the conversation as fast as possible
I worry about the bullying that I’ve experienced
And the rumors that I hear about me
Those rumors aren’t even true
But I’m too scared to say anything
I’m too scared to stand up for myself
I worry that none of my friends want to help me
Or talk to me about how I’m feeling
Or what’s been going on in my life
And I worry that they only talk to me because they feel bad for me
And that they truly hate me
Some people say all these nice things about me
But I don’t believe it
I tell myself the opposite
I’m not good at singing
I’m not good at writing
I can’t act
I am so ugly
I’m a horrible person
Why do I have friends, who would want to be friends with me?
Yet I still miss my friends
And I want to talk to them
But I worry that they don’t want to or won’t talk to me
And my anxiety continues to win because I don’t do anything
And no one is there to help
But I really need my friends to help me right now
Wish
by Keeley Kaplan, 8th Grader
I have so many wishes
So many dreams
So many things that I want to happen
Unfortunately, sometimes it looks like they won’t
I want to be a Broadway actress
I want to travel around the country
I want people to know how I feel
To see the real me
But it seems like no one notices
People think that I have this plan for my future
But I don’t
I don’t know what will happen in the future
But I can wish
And I can hope
I don’t know what my life will be like
I know who I care about
And I know that funny feeling too
That feeling called love
You know, the Beatles said all you need is love
But I’ve written so much about that
I must wait
Even though I don’t want to
I have to see how things play out
I can hope and wish for it
And I can always dream
And I can always write
My feelings haven’t changed
And that’s ok
I’m going to wait as long as I need to
Because I don’t want to rush things
And I don’t want anyone to feel as stressed as I do
So, for now, I’ll just hope
And I’ll wish on every star in the sky
And hope that around the corner is a dream come true
Crashing
by Keeley Kaplan, 8th Grader
It’s feeling like this will never end
Not just the quarantine but also this feeling
I’m away from so many people that I care about
And it feels like I’m drifting further and further away
I feel like I’m losing myself
Never to be found again
April 5th... my birthday, was a good day
Was the last one I can remember
And before that it was the first week of Spring break
To be honest,
It doesn’t feel like my time
Despite crashing I have hope
It doesn’t feel like my time to go is now
So I won’t try to end me, and I won’t hurt myself
I think that my time is many, many, many years in the future
I have so many journeys ahead
So even though it feels like it will never end well,
It will, because I won’t give up that easy
I’m going to feel free and happy someday soon
I’m going to get to see everyone again
Despite the horrid memories from 6th, 7th and early 8th grade,
When I was hurt, when I started crashing,
I’m staying strong and I’m hopeful
And to whoever is reading this, if you feel the same don’t give up because even if it doesn’t seem like it, things will get better
So trust me and stay strong and stay hopeful for a brighter future like I am
-Keeley Kaplan, 8th grader
Saviors
A true story by Keeley Kaplan, 8th Grader
Sorry to be that theater kid right now
But there is a song that I can really relate to right now
These lyrics from You Will Be Found from Dear Evan Hansen
“Have you ever felt like nobody was there?
Have you ever felt forgotten in the middle of nowhere?
Have you ever felt like you could disappear?
Like you could fall, and no one would hear?”
That’s how I was feeling.
Then I was told something similar to this by two of my friends
“Well, let that lonely feeling wash away
Maybe there's a reason to believe you'll be okay
'Cause when you don't feel strong enough to stand
You can reach, reach out your hand
And oh, someone will coming running
And I know, they'll take you home
Even when the dark comes crashing through
When you need a friend to carry you
And when you're broken on the ground
You will be found”
And you guys brought me to the person that I needed to reach out my hand to
I don't know if I would be standing here if you two didn't help me
I couldn't have gotten to the person that I needed to reach out my hand to on my own
I don't know why
I don't know why the world chose them
I wouldn't listen to anyone else for some reason
And I didn't want to listen to them
But I did
For some reason the world knew that they were the person I really needed at that moment
But I didn’t
And I thought that I should push them away
And keep them safe from the truth
I avoided telling them
I didn't want them to know
But they talked about it with me
And they saved me
And the world chose them
But they couldn't have saved me without you two
Without you guys they wouldn't have known
They wouldn't have gotten to me
I would be gone without them
And without you guys
And you deserve to know that
You guys and the person that saved me
And that person may not know who they are
But thank you
Thank you so much
It means a lot that you care also
Thank you
And to the two people-
You guys
You kind of saved me too
You led me to the person that the world chose to save me
I didn’t want to listen to anyone
No matter who it was
And my head and heart said not to do anything
Not to tell my mom
But I did
So, thank you Tori and Ethan R
For helping me reach out to the person
The person I didn't know would help me
The person that helped me out of the darkness
Thank you to the both of you
And the one that saved me
I cannot thank you enough
All three of you
You three mean so much to me
Thank you three so much
For helping me back into the light
Friends
by Keeley Kaplan, 8th Grader
The people that are always there for you
The people that care about you
That’s a true friend
Fake friends
Pretend they care
Pretend that they are there
But they aren’t
Your friends shouldn’t be the people that make you depressed
They shouldn’t be the people that hurt you
They shouldn’t be the ones that just make the days worse
And more dreadful
Real friends are supposed to lift your spirits
They are the people that make you laugh
They make you smile
They make you happy
Your friends are people that you can trust
They won’t start rumors about you
They won’t spread information and tell others about the crush that you have
They don’t gossip about you
And if real friends do that-
Then what has this society come to?
A real friend will respond
No matter what
Even if it is a couple of days later
A real friend supports you
They don’t put you down
Or throw you under the bus
They don’t cross the line between jokes/roasting and bullying
They genuinely care
And when you’re at your lowest
Or one of your parents is very sick
Or you got hurt badly
Or you were being bullied
Or a family member or pet passed away
Your friend is there to talk to you about it
They’re there to get you through the dark times
They’re there to make you laugh and smile when it’s difficult to
They care
And they know that you do too
That’s what a true friend is
And to all my friends out there
If you don’t already know, I really do care
When I was Younger
by Keeley Kaplan, 8th Grader
So little
So happy
So much laughter
A little bit more innocent and naïve
Way shyer than now
I had curly hair
I was so short
But I didn’t know the pains of the world
I only really knew happiness
I didn’t know true frustration
I didn’t know actual sadness
I didn’t know how it feels to be emotionally hurt
I didn’t have to deal with bullying
I didn’t have to deal with the world
It was just me and my family
And a few friends
One of which I’m still friends with to this day
I didn’t have the knowledge that I have now
I didn’t have as much patience as I do now
But I also didn’t have all the people I have now
All my friends
I didn’t have my little sister when I was much, much younger
I still can’t believe
14 years old
I’ve gone through so much-
So much more than I ever experienced when I was younger
So much pain
When I was 3, I never had to deal with loss
And last year, 2019
I lost a family member and a pet
I was bullied
I never had to deal with that when I was 10
But growing up is just a part of life
I miss the laughter and smiles from when I was younger
But I know that it will come back
I look at photos of myself when I was younger
And I remember the things that made me happy
And the things that make me happy now
And when I was younger, I never could’ve imagined this
I never could’ve imagined finding the friends that I have now
I never could’ve imagined that the high school down the street from my elementary school-
Would be the high school that I’m going to next year
And at night I look out my window at the stars
I remember my past
And I manage to smile
When I remember the happiest moments, and-
When I remember when I was younger
My Cousin Aoelln
by Keeley Kaplan, 8th Grader
The same age as me
Well, almost the same
I was born April 5th
He was born August 6th
We are best friends
My cousin also goes by Nez
My cousin has always been there for me
He and I have both gone through so much
And we’ve both grown as people
We both used to be different
Him more so than me
We tell each other everything
And we trust each other
Aoelln is a true friend
And the best cousin anyone could ask for
Unfortunately
I don’t get to see him that often
He lives all the way in New Jersey
I see him one a year at least
And three times a year at most
I wish that I could see Nez more often
But I can’t
And we both have so many future plans
But no matter what
We’re going to be best friends
Because no matter where we are
We’re still cousins
And we’re still the same people
And we’re still best friends
And I don’t see our friendship ever coming to an end
So Aoelln, no matter where you are,
No matter how horrible you feel
No matter the weather
Nez, I’ll be your best friend forever
-For Aoelln (Nez)-
Illustrate
by Keeley Kaplan, 8th Grader
You can draw all you want
But can you ever really capture someone’s full emotion in one drawing?
If anyone tried to draw the amount of love in my heart
It would never capture the full picture
Words can’t even describe the full picture
Not even the greatest writer or artist could capture how I feel
And the love in my heart
Whenever I write poems about love
I don’t write from the head
I write from the heart
I’ve listened to so many love songs
Sang so many too
I’ve written so much about my feelings
And this is another one
And I’ve seen so much art
Yet nothing ever captures the full picture
Nothing can ever capture how amazing yet painful this feeling is
People talk about like anything else
But it’s different
It’s different from anything else I’ve known
Because it’s not a choice
I have made so many decisions in my life
But this is not a choice
And it’s confusing
And it’s painful
But it’s so amazing and beautiful at the same time
So it’s a shame
That nothing can illustrate love entirely
What I want You to Know
by Keeley Kaplan, 8th Grader
So I told you the truth, you know how I feel
Now all I can do is wait and give you my heart,
And hope that you don’t give it away
But if I’m being honest, I regret telling you that way
I have so many things to say
But I felt like I couldn’t because I was scared
But I’m not anymore
This is my only way to tell you, to say what comes from my heart
1. You’re probably the funniest person I know
2. You’re such a sweet and kind person and you’re so caring
3. You’re ridiculously smart
4. You’re so supportive
5. You’re such a beautiful and amazing person
6. You know how to make someone laugh when they’re having a bad day
I have so many more things to say
But I don’t know how
Because they’re confusing and complicated
And apologies for my awkwardness that’s just me
I care so much about you
When I met you I was in the dark
I had been mistreated by so many people
Which has caused me to develop major trust issues
But you brought the light back into my world
And despite my trust issues, I trust you
And I’m not apologizing for my feelings this time
Because I’ve felt feelings for people before
But I’ve never felt like this
And I can’t apologize because these feelings are out of my control
And that’s what I want you to know
The Dance
by Keeley Kaplan, 8th Grader
I had so many plans for the dance
But quarantine ruined them
Maroon dress that goes down to my knees
A song that I wanted to request
Laughing with my friends
…. Asking someone to the dance
But quarantine ruined it
No school
Just sickness and despair
Away from my friends
I don’t get to laugh with them
I don’t get to ask him to the dance
I don’t get to request the song
I don’t get to wear the maroon dress
I don’t even get to say goodbye to my friends
Maybe over the summer
If the quarantine is over
They’ll host the dance for us
And I can laugh with my friends
I can say goodbye
I can request the song
I can ask him to the dance
I can wear the maroon dress
If not,
Then I can wait to wear the dress to homecoming
But that won’t be the same as The dance
Laughing with my friends
Requesting the song
Asking him to the dance
Wearing the maroon dress
At the 8th grade dance
Poem <3
by Keeley Kaplan, 8th Grader
Eyes sparkle like the sun in a beautiful Hazel shade
Smile from ear to ear the most beautiful thing
Awkwardness is cute and clumsiness the same
Though your eyes and smile are calm, and I can't help but get lost in it all
Whenever I'm around you, I feel comforted
You support me in every way
Oh, how I wish you were mine someday and here with me always
I get this rush of joy thinking about you
And you're always so kind and sweet
Have I found my match, or will I have to accept defeat?
No matter the weather, I love you and you can count on me forever
Stars
by Keeley Kaplan, 8th Grader
The stars shine so bright
In the pitch-black night
The stars are so beautiful, don’t you think?
And they shine so bright
But not as bright as you
Not as wise as you
Not as caring as you
Not as kind as you
Not as amazing as you
Not as funny as you
The stars don’t even compare to you
Your smile can make the dark night brighter than the stars can
You’re more trustworthy than the stars
The stars are far away
But not as far away as you
You’re here in my heart
The stars aren’t
I can’t talk to the stars
But I can talk to you
I can’t trust the stars
But I can trust you
The stars are amazing
But they don’t shine as bright as you
I love the stars
But not as much as you
So even though the stars are outside every night
You've been there for me more than they’ve ever been
The stars are a treasure
But so are you
So always remember
That the stars can’t compare to you
The Happy Girl
by Keeley Kaplan, 8th Grader
-Crashing-
-Anxiety-
-Screaming-
I’ve been called “The Happy Girl”
And I’ve been called that by many people for my entire life
But what if I’m not?
What if everything is falling around me?
The ground is shaking
No-
My hands are shaking
I need to-
I have to-
Smile!
Put up the act that I am happy!
Laugh!
Cheer!
And not cry
I have to hide my emotions
I have to act like something-
Someone I’m not
I’m not the happy girl
I don’t get that title
I can’t be the happy girl
Or at least the real happy girl
Or the happy girl that I was,
If I’m not happy
I would love joy again
But I don’t know why I don’t feel joy anymore
I don’t know why
I don’t know who I am anymore
I was known as the happy girl
And I miss that part of me
I was doing so well
But it seems that every time I am doing better
I get worse again
I miss being the happy girl
I miss my friends
I miss my real smile
My real laugh
Not this fake smile or fake laugh
I want to talk to my friends, or at least receive texts from them
Reassuring me- saying that they’re here for me
Talking to me about what it going on
However,
If I just get worse every time I get better,
Then am I just a broken record?
The Underdog
by Keeley Kaplan, 8th Grader
She is quiet and shy girl
Her best friends talk so loud
She hides in crowds
Hoping to be seen by no one
Except the guy she’s in love with
And her close friends and family
Those are really the only people she wants to talk to at this point
She walks into school one day expecting a normal day
The same dreadful normal day
Where someone says or does something to take the beautiful light away
She’s been in so much pain
But no one notices
Because she covers her pain with a fake smile
No one notices that she’s been sad for awhile
She goes to math class
It used to be her favorite
But now she hates it
And just her luck, there’s a math competition
She knows that the guy that she loves will do well
He’s so smart
And she thinks she’s the underdog
She thinks that she’s dumb
And that she can’t do anything right
She studies with a heavy heart
Knowing that failure is coming
And the only thing that she can think about is that
She tries her best
And to her surprise she wins
The guy she loves gets second
And one of the other smart kids gets 3rd
She gets congratulated
And for the first time in awhile
People see her for herself
And they see her real smile
Day 21
Group Poem, 8th Grade English
It was the day, day 21,
I wasn't having very much fun.
But then the sun came from the clouds,
And I knew I was done,
Their entrails I spun,
Into the image likeness of Thayne,
He broke my heat; I feel so much pain,
Now I cry by myself in sunshine and rain,
And all my friends say is "same."
Celebrity Quotes that are Kinda Inspirational
by Keeley Kaplan, 8th Grader
“If you love somebody better tell them why they’re here ‘cause they just may run away from you”- Imagine Dragons
“People cry, not because they’re weak. It’s because they’ve been strong for too long”- Johnny Depp
“If you love two people at the same time, choose the second one. Because if you really loved the first one, you wouldn’t have fallen for the second”- Johnny Depp
“What makes you different or weird- that's your strength”- Meryl Streep
“You can’t stand around and wait to be asked to dance”- Amy Poehler
“Stop letting people who do so little for you control so much of your mind, feelings and emotions”- Will Smith
“Every scar that you have is a reminder not just that you were hurt, but that you survived”- Michelle Obama
“Everybody has gone through something that has changed them in a way that they could never go back to the person they once were”- Leonardo DiCaprio
“Everything has beauty but not everyone sees it”- Jennifer Lawrence
“People think you’re crazy if you talk about things they don’t understand”- Elvis Presley
“Never be ashamed of what you feel. You have the right to feel any emotion that you want, and to do what makes you happy”- Demi Lovato
“If not me, who? If not now, when?”- Emma Watson
“I don’t go by the rulebook... I lead from the heart not the head”- Princess Diana
“It might not be smart to lead with my heart but that’s how it’s gonna be”- Dove Cameron
6th Grader Poems
I see the Sky
By: Rachel Ruffing, 6th Grader
I see the sky too.
And no one believes it but you I see the stars in your eyes,
When I do, I don’t notice your lies,
You say quarantine is not fine,
But that statement I must decline, for I think the situation is quite divine.
The streets are dark,
They will leave a mark,
The shelves are empty,
There is far from plenty,
Houses are full 24/7,
But there is always less than 11,
Is this what you mean by everything is not fine,
Because from the looks of it this is not such a great chime for your ears as it is to mine.
I get to be alone like never before,
I don’t even need to go into a store,
I don’t understand why you wanted to lie,
Because lying makes me want to cry,
Your opinion is not mine,
So why don’t you just keep it to yourself next time,
Maybe they’re 100 reasons why this is bad but they’re also 100 reasons why this is good.
So keep your head up high to see the sky don’t look to the ground even though you could,
Because I see the sky,
And so should you
Disclaimer: I don’t really like quarantine
The Flower Shop
By: Rachel Ruffing, 6th Grader
“The flower shop”
I need an uplifting sight
Spend one day without a fight
So I walk in to a flower shop
A lady runs up and says “ these flowers- make your eyes pop”
I say “you really think so”
She says “no”
The shops nothing special it’s actually kinda sad
The place is really dark because the lighting’s really bad
But the flowers are Beautiful I cannot deny
I wonder if the owner is kinda shy
That’s what I expect from a tiny little flower shop
I still don’t know why this shop made me want to stop
I simply don’t know could it be a curse
Or even something much worse
I must have been saying this all out loud
Because the lady said “its the smell of the flowers and what’s not to like from a sweet little flower shop it will be sure to to make your hart stop.”
Something happened then and there
That gave me a bad scare
I ran out of the store
I wanted nothing more
It was the smell of the flowers
They must have had powers
Because they did cause my hart to stop
And that caused me to drop
In the middle of the street
And all I know is that night was not so sweet
I laid there for hours without a breath
This is what must have caused my death.....
The Voices
By: Elliot Curtis, 6th Grader
Everywhere I go they always follow
Blaring in the back of my mind
My head they surely hollow
So loud I might go blind
Everyday their shouting
Screaming things I don’t know
Often time’s you’ll find me pouting
Try not to let it show
Today they were loud enough
I thought everyone heard
I tried to act tough
But my thoughts raced like a herd
I broke down right then and there
Everyone's eyes landed on me
I hide my face in my hair
But I knew I couldn’t flee
Their words were so loud “What’s wrong?”
I might as well have been in a tomb
They all asked again with a fiery long
I looked up but I was still in an empty room.
Flower Crown
By: Elliot Curtis, 6th Grader
The wind blows my flower crown away
In the wind is where I play
It’s a beautiful thing
Though it does make my ears ring
The dandelions flow in the breeze
Then the flowers all freeze
The wind comes to a stop
I come to a halt mid-hop
What could it be
A wind-blocking tree
No, it’s much different
So real it feels like rent
This is dangerous I can tell
My ears are ringing faster than a bell
This might be the end oh-no
I will try to defeat this foe
I walk to the edge of the forest
I can’t give it a rest
My heart in my throat
I’m being choked on by my coat
It’s ok to cry
If you're about to die
Goodbye dandelion crown
In the lake, you will drown
The Brick Wall
By: Rachel Ruffing, 6th Grader
I walk around every day
I've always had a say
But then came my big brick wall
That blocked me from it all
My voice
My choice
And even more
I wished for days that I could walk through a door
And be on the other side
I soon felt like I had died
But no, I need to find a way
And here I lay
In the 6th grade
I still don't have my life made
The wall is still here
The other side is near
Because now I have found my window
And I may only be able to see
But some day I will be...
On the other side of the wall
"Even Now" Poems
Ethan Koh, 8th Grader
Even now,
We can be happy,
But you ask,
How could it be,
To that I would normally respond,
We can somehow,
Disallow,
The inner lowbrow,
From going powwow.
And just now,
I noticed that how that wasn’t very concise,
So, let me elaborate on said point,
If we let the crackdown,
Do said damage as in powwow,
Then you have basically drowned,
Here is the happy part now,
But if you stay optimistic,
And not pessimistic,
And take this as heuristic,
Then you will stay enthusiastic,
And not go ballistic,
Or become fatalistic,
Because I don’t believe that destiny makes the right choices,
I prefer to chart my own course.
Victoria Walwork, 8th Grader
Even now in this time of great need
Even now I’m this quarantine
Together we stay
But apart we must play
Even now in this period of teams
Keeley Kaplan, 8th Grader
Even now
After all I’ve been through,
I’m staying strong
I won’t let what they said hurt me anymore
I won’t let their actions hurt me
That’s what I tell myself
However,
Even now
After a year
It still hurts
The things they did to me
The hurtful things they said
The lies they spread
It hurt me then
And it hurts me now
But why?
It’s been a year
Why does it still hurt me?
Why do I still think about it?
Why?
Despite the hurt and pain
Even now
I’m hoping
For better days
Either tomorrow
In a month
Or in a week or two
Even now
I’m not giving up on my feelings
Even now
The world won’t bring be down
Han Nguyen, 8th Grader
Even now, the sun still shines.
Even now, we still use the law of sines.
Even now, the birds still sing.
Even now, the bells still ring.
Even now, learning has not stopped.
Even now, we have yet to reach the top.
Even now, we have yet to see the end.
Even now, we have not seen all we have to mend.
Even now, we wait and hope our actions were not too late.
53 Days Poem Competition
On May 8th, 2020, St Petersburg reached its 53rd day of Social Distancing because of the Coronavirus. To acknowledge that sad milestone, Omni Lit had a live mini-competition, where the Omni Lit club members would write a poem related to the 53rd day theme in 5 minutes. Here are the winners and submissions:
53 days.
53 days without friends or family
53 days of loneliness
53 days of sadness
53 days of wondering when it will end
53 days.
Other Submissions
Jonathan Miller, 8th Grader
Keeley Kaplan, 8th Grader
53 days and I'm going mad
53 days it's quite sad
That I've been stuck inside for 53 days
So have to entertain myself in many ways
From pretending to be plane
To acting like a lion with a luscious mane
Oh this quarantine has been tough
But thankfully I can eat pillow fluff
Oh to entertain myself in every way
So hopefully I can survive this quarantine for another day
Oh 53 days
To entertain myself I'm still coming up with ways
I’m so lost without my friends
I haven’t seen anyone except for my family in ages
I’m so bored because I’m stuck at home- when will the quarantine be done?
It seems like 53 days since I’ve seen the sun
The quarantine will eventually end
And I’ll get to see my friends
But that day seems far from now
Because people stupid and go outside anyhow
For now, I’ll just play my ukulele
Until the quarantine is over
01
Miles Dallara, 8th Grader
For 53 days we are kept in this cage
For 53 days, time stood still
We wonder if this may be the end of an age
We wonder if more people it will kill
So here we sit in solitude
Here we sit locked away
Ourselves we must seclude
Or we may never see another day
We may be alone
We may feel sad
But we must stay lest we lose our throne
We must stay and remember when we were glad
So, no matter what you feel
You must be strong
Yourself you must conceal
Or this quarantine we will prolong
02
Ethan Koh, 8th Grader
53 days, let me repeat, 53 days,
The minutes turn into hours,
And yet I still don't feel the craze,
Beautiful places have been broken,
But they are so far away,
The days blend into each other,
And soon, it’s been WEEKS!!! WEEKS!!!
Yet the entire human race is still stuck,
On drifting spaceships,
In the empty void,
Lonely, alone, and cold.
Now it has been 53 days,
And the effects are really taking hold,
Nothing productive to do,
Nothing to be fun too,
Nothing…
"Prepare for reentry,"
It is almost over,
But stay cautious,
Believe me,
For now, don’t go to the beach,
For now, I beseech,
Keep everyone safe,
Because,
As I have told you before,
It’s almost over,
Quarantine 2020.
03
Hailey Pupo, 8th Grader
Keeley Kaplan's Random Word Collection
Scream
By: Keeley Kaplan, 8th Grader
You can’t scream when you’re underwater
But what if you always feel like you’re under water
What if you feel like the world is closing in on you?
Or you feel like there’s too much pressure on you
What if you feel stressed?
Or anxious
Or you’re scared
But you’re underwater
So, you feel like your scream can’t be heard
Your cries for help go unnoticed
You’re just left alone, and you have no one
Because no one listens
It feels like no one understands what it’s like to feel this way
The way I’m feeling
This dark feeling
The kind that hurts you
The kind that could end you
You feel like no one understands
And like you’re the only one in this world
You feel alone
And when you scream for help it feels like no one cares
And people rush to get you help
But what if that can’t help you
What if you just need your friends to tell you that it’s ok
And for them to listen
And it won’t cure you, but it will help the healing process
Your friends supporting you and checking up on you is what you need
Because then you won’t feel alone
And in time you’ll make your way back to shore
And you can feel the breeze that makes you happy and makes you feel free
This is what I need
But don’t worry because I’m not hurting myself physically
But just because I’m not hurting myself physically doesn’t mean that I’m hurt
It doesn’t mean that I’m ok
Because I have feelings and emotions
This quarantine is difficult for me
I smile and laugh
But that doesn’t mean anything
Despite this,
I’m hoping for a bright future
A future of true smiles
A future of true laughter
A future of love
A future of kindness and care
And a future of happiness, freedom and friendship
I have hope
And that makes me smile
So I don’t have to scream
Bob
By: Keeley Kaplan, 8th Grader
You may be wondering,
Who the heck is Bob?
Honestly, I have no idea
All I know is that Bob has something to do with Miles Dallara
But other than that- nothing
Maybe Bob is just a feeling
But that wouldn’t make sense- would it?
So maybe Bob is a god?
But that doesn’t make sense either
So, what is Bob?
Or who is Bob?
I asked Miles who this Bob is
And it didn’t help me at all
He said “Bob is Bob”
That doesn’t help
Unless......
Maybe Bob is his lover
That’s not too far-fetched right?
This case is so confusing
There’s nothing here
So, I’m concluding that Bob is Miles’ best friend
Or lover
That no one can see or hear
Wait......
Maybe Bob is a feeling
Bob is that feeling that you get when you’re with your lover or best friends or crush
Bob is the butterflies in your stomach
Bob is....
Bob is......love?
This is my conclusion
Bob is that amazing feeling when you love someone not just romantic love but the caring kind
FBI Agent Keeley Kaplan out
School
By: Keeley Kaplan, 8th Grader
So many years of education
I finished elementary school
I’m two and a half weeks away from finishing middle school
And I’m about to start high school
And college is in a few years
So many frie