

Keeley Kaplan 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 friends made
But also, some lost
Elementary school was great
I had so many friends and I was known as the happy girl
I was always smiling
And pretty much always happy
Middle school...
Where do I begin?
So much happened
Some good
Most bad
Let’s start with the good things
I made some amazing friends
I met so many people that I wouldn’t trade for the world
And I’ve learned so much
But not so good things happened too
I lost my closest friends from 7th grade
Unfortunately, I still don’t know why
I have been bullied by so many people
And hurt so many times
But high school is soon
Soon I’ll be able to escape
And some of my best friends will be there with me to take on this journey
And some old friends from elementary school will be there too
I will miss middle school yes
But I won’t miss the people that hurt me
I’m looking forward now
And I won’t forget to learn something new every day

Girls
by Keeley Kaplan, 8th Grader
Long hair
Short hair
Doesn't matter
No matter what they wear
I don’t know why
But girls
They're just so pretty
No not pretty
Beautiful
But how? And why?
You may be asking,
Why are you asking this- aren't you straight?
Firstly, why should it matter?
Secondly, kind of
What I mean by that is,
Yes, I like boys
But I also like girls
They’re so beautiful
How could I not
I tried not to because I thought
Maybe I just am saying because I’m open to the idea of it
And I knew what I knew now
That love and who you love is not a choice
But I do like girls
And boys
And what’s wrong with that?
It doesn’t matter if a girl is skinny or not
Doesn’t matter if she has long or short hair
It doesn’t matter what she wears
Or if she wears makeup or not
Doesn’t matter
Her looks don’t matter
Her personality is the beautiful thing
And the kindness in her heart and her humor
All girls are beautiful in their own ways
That’s why girls are so pretty
And beautiful
And gorgeous
<3

Cigarette
by Keeley Kaplan, 8th Grader
She’s only 22
But she’s been hurt by so much
She spends her money on things that only hurt her
When she should be buying things that help her
Her hair is so thin
He teeth are brittle
She’s a completely different person
She’s wasted all her money on cigarettes
She doesn’t need them
And she doesn’t want them
But the nicotine has taken hold of her brain
When she wants to cry
She smokes
When she feels vulnerable
She smokes
When she doesn’t want to share emotions
She pulls another cigarette out of the box and smokes
She never wanted this
She used to be so happy
But she was then hurt
She used to be the happiest person in the world
But happy people can be hurt and not recover
She goes to the doctor because she hasn’t been feeling well
The doctor returns with the news that she has lung cancer-
Stage 5 lung cancer
And she has almost no time left
The doctor tells her to stop smoking
And she nods her head and goes home
And instead of doing something productive
She pulls out a cigarette
And smokes
2 weeks later
She’s avoided going to the doctor
So many missed calls
Then screams can be heard by her neighbor
The police arrive at her house as an ambulance pulls up to her house
And in her yard
Is a pack of cigarettes
Empty-
All fell out of the box
And there are dozens of cigarettes in the grass
And she’s lying there
Except she isn’t breathing
She isn’t moving
She has lost her battle
The nicotine and cancer won
And it’s something her family will never forget
She’s dead because of the cigarettes