by Sol G.T., 7th
You know that moment ?
When you look at the darkness and you realize you’ve stepped into a nightmare
You know that moment ?
When you see a friendship end
and realize it wasn’t that good or healthy to begin with
You know that moment ?
When you get stabbed in the back so hard and you think back
​and see the the signs that this was coming
You know that feeling ?
When you finally get a good look at someone and realize you’ve been deceived,
that they are not who you thought they were
You know that feeling ?
When you see the society we live in and see that there are some seriously messed up people and ideas that are put in the spotlight and are advertised as good.
I have and I know some thing are worth fighting for while others,
we should’ve seen them coming a long time ago.
We should’ve seen that
Our society was putting unhealthy ideas and visions in our young generation of boys and girls a long time ago.
We should’ve seen that
Oppression has corrupted America by putting others up while bringing others down.
We should’ve seen that
The man we have chosen to be our president our representation of America is a pathological liar and a Misogynistic person who does not understand the value of diversity in our community
We must know
That our struggles are not over and we must continue to fight and remember why we fight, for ourselves and for our future.

by D.G., 11th
Dear beloved friend,
I regret to inform you that our seven years of friendship and all the times we were there for each other didn't mean anything. All the good memories and laughs we shared was just because I didn't have no one else to do that with. I appreciate your effort of trying to make our friendship last. Unfortunately, due to a lot of people applying for the role of “best friend” this year I regret to inform you that I can't reassign you the job. I have found a girl that plays both parts and can't find the time to text you and call you on the phone how I used to. I consider you to be a friend who doesn't give up easily. A friend who cares about me so much that is willing to try harder to get my attention when I'm ignoring you. That is why I'm going to try to have a spot open for you and make it available whenever I want. This might be just temporary or simply just permanent. That has not been decided yet but I will give you a call if that's the case. I will gladly provide some suggestions for next time when I decide to open up the spot for you again.

• Don't always want the best for me because that is none of your business.
• Don’t play around with me the way we used to, I will not laugh anymore I will take everything seriously.
• Don’t try to text me because I will not reply back.
• Last but not least, don’t care too much about me because you will want the same in return and you will be confused not knowing if I care the same way.

I hope this feedback is helpful and wish you the best. You've always dealt with everything on your own and keeping everything to yourself hope you finally change that about yourself.

With gratitude,
A best friend who is now just a stranger.

by Bella Blue, 12th
Tied up in streets / in the glittery cement
some would say / revolution
but this word means little with
all this gore / all this spectacle / all these bleeding gums / lost autonomies of bodies, who
have seemingly left
their humanity, steaming from the gutters like
muggy laundry, hanging between brick.
Sometimes it's like Oakland has 3000
buildings, for sharp teeth.
retrofitting cavities,
no earthquake can dismantle gentrification / can always dismantle a family.
Our brains,
like wet noodles
the antithesis of control / we take ourselves on walks /
we eat at the checkered diner / we pay our taxes
and watch it launder.
In this walk of life,
we must think of the heart as
a whirlpool. Of a city as a stomach.
In this walk of life, all shoes burn
the same pavement,
​all rubber.

by Julzjewels, 10th 
I'm from kiddy cartoons
From living young, and carefree in my own hometown
I am from a red brick house
And from a middle class background
From a kid with no worries because “I had it easy” to break things down 

But I'm also from the tree in the back that was cut down
From the pretty flowers that have fallen
And from cracked, broken, detached door frames

I'm from large gatherings with deep family ties
From my creative and talented grandma, Gloria T.
And from my other amazing grandma, Betty W.

Yet I'm from the constant bickering 
And thankfully the recovery of bigger feuds 
From lessons of respect
And lessons of self-respect

I'm from a religion of secularity 
And yet I'm from a spiritual background 
I'm from Mom, Dad, and Anna Maria
From my birth mother, who gave me up so that I could live a better life
And which ultimately am forever grateful for

From the little boy who was once naïve
The broken family rebuilt
I am from these moments.