Anonymous, 9th - Oakland, CA
Not having enough money and wanting to save your beloved friend. A debt. I won’t be able to save her while she departs from me. A debt. The feeling you want to run towards the nurses and snatch her away from them. A debt. Escape from the vet, running away with her. A debt. Money, Money, they ask me if they want me to save her. A debt. “ Surgery, Surgery, If you want to save her, she will go through two surgeries”. A debt. Back home, she would follow me everywhere, I would go to my sister to see her and play with her. A debt. I would sneak her into my room, place her next to me and cuddle with her. Or she would visit me when I woke up I would see her next to me asleep. Inviting herself on my bed made me feel happy. I wrap my arms around her, as she was so warm it made my heart warm. A debt. She whines, in pain as the anesthesia is wearing off, “ It’s time” The veterinarian says. A debt. Hearing her whines, now she feels the needle on her leg, how painful it would feel for her that she doesn’t know what is going on. A debt. The doctor, inserting the liquid. A debt. In front of me. A debt. Eyes grew wide as she inserted all the liquid inside, looking back at her. A debt. I couldn't breathe, my chest was too tight. A debt. She moved towards her checking her heart. A debt. “ She’s gone”. A debt. I won't ever see you again, never play with you, never sleep with you, never run with you. A debt. I need to pay to see you one more time. If it’s possible I’ll go back in time and heal you. Loosing you, how much it broke me taking them away from us. A debt. Sarah, 12th- Oakland, CA
I’m American like white crosses, red blood, and blue lives. I put the buckshot in your beef, the ball in your brain. Who was it that hushed the griot, shot Lincoln, the King and the Kennedys too? It was me, spreading like a fire on your prairie. Manifest destiny! Fathered by Saxons and mothered by the Anglos, raised by the colonies, devourer of pheasant, pig and partridge, boars and bobcats, hippos and lions too, oh my! Conquered King Phil but rebuked by Pontiac. I beat steel, germs beat me. Faithfully at the side of Daniel Boone and Jesse James, America fell in love with my voice years ago. Built to kill but fun for toys: six-shooters, powder caps, I dance on screens. Johnny Appleseed might have well planted bullets because I am everywhere. Maybe I won’t be in the news for a while, but I’ll be around. I stand my ground. Held by panthers or knights, you can try and coerce me with fire, water, and brute force- but my favorite amendment lets me do whatever I want. I am well-oiled, ready to go, heavy with powder, the big iron on your hip, semi automatic and rapid-fire, double-barreled, always loaded. What’s my name? Gatling, Smith, Wesson, Remington, Koch, Heckler, Colt, Beretta? Call me the devil, but I’m just metal and wood! Who am I talking about? Rayven Messenger, 8th - Ashland, OR
They walk Feet grazing the pebbles Legs brushing through the flowers Rose thorns giving gashes Down your arms Representing the heart, full of love and grief The wildflowers are many but small Wild Lilies are white as the sun Veins going down the petals Representing the innocence of death The wildflowers are many but small Asters purple as lavender White as the clouds Shaped like a star The wildflowers are many but small Fireweed is as pink as the sunset Growing in fields that stretch Far as the eye can see The wildflowers are many but small You belong here Here in the flowers Where you can be free You are as beautiful as the flowers You are priceless The flowers are endless Along with you, their spirit will live forever Brenda L. 9th - Dublin, CA
I believe that as long as what you do in life brings you true happiness and satisfaction you are already being successful. Happiness isn't just found in relationships or jobs, but also in the ways we interact with the environment around us. Even if you feel like you don't have a clear goal or dream, just living and finding happiness in the smallest things can measure your success. Not everyone has a dream or clear finishing flag, and that's okay because as long as you live and enjoy every minute of your time in this world, you have already excelled at life. Your self love and happiness should not rely on what others want from you and what they expect from you. If you spent your whole life just wanting to please others you will never make everyone happy and in the end you won't be happy with your own achievements if you never wanted them in the first place. No one but you knows what you are really going through and it's easy for others to judge and that's just human nature. When it starts to get out of hand is when you are truly affected by how others see you and try to change yourself and your aspirations just to ease the conscience of society and the people around you. Whenever I'm worried or stressed about something I always remember that one day I am going to die. It could be today or tomorrow and if I do not live my life how I want then what is the point? A hundred years from now probably no one is going to remember you and just because something happened to you, the world is not going to stop spinning just because of that. Sometimes it's hard not to compare your own progress to someone else's and be disappointed in yourself or not excelling unlike the other person, but you have to remember that everyone has a different path in life. It's important to be patient and loving to yourself. Success is not measured by anyone but you and how you choose to obtain it. It's not always about the end goal, but the process that took you there and the life experiences you gained from it. At the end of the day the people who love and respect you will be happy with whatever you choose to do in your life as long as you're not harming anyone and you are happy and satisfied. The people who harshly criticize you or have a negative impact on your life are toxic people that you should distance yourself from. |
AuthorsStudents 6th-12th Grades month
November 2024
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