Winner!

The Fair


The fair, the fair is a

Great place to play,

Food, rides, and more

Oh, what can you say!

At the game area, all the

Stuffed animals

Are waiting to be chosen,

Which will you pick?

Or will you win a dozen?

The fast rides are

Spinning and spinning,

Many people enjoy it

But you think it’s crazy

And you never go on it.

The smell of fried food

Fills the air,

You buy a large fry

And you eat it right there.

Cotton candy catches

Your eye,

Light and fluffy

It melts and becomes dry.

-Jonathan
Age 14

An Ode to the Day After Halloween

I should stop eating candy.
Snickers, Reese’s, M—and—M’s
Ah—those M & M’s
How I love chocolate!
How I love your candy coating!
Red, Blue, Yellow, Green, Orange, Brown
Alas, I should stop eating you!
They tell me of the sugar high,
that you will induce.
That you would cause with your
unpronounceable sugar.
Your sweet, yummy—
But no!
Tis’ not to be!
You are not mine to keep!
You are not mine to eat!
I am too old
to trick—or—treat.
Too old, the adults say,
to eat you!
You, my lovely, sweet, scrumptious—
No!
Do not seduce me with your
unpronounceable, chemist-created sugar, your—
delectable, delicious, unattainable awesomeness
compacted into tiny bites of crunchy, melty,
candy-coated chocolate!
Oh, the agony of it all!
That I should be denied,
where my younger brother is not!
And to hear the death-toll,
of the words—
“You
are
too
old
to
eat
so
much
sugar,
give
that
candy
to
your
brother.”

by Lindsey
Age 17

Innerspace

The sun is rising.
It’s not surprising
that as I watch the dawn,
New feelings yawn,
Opening like the gates of heaven I see my Innerspace, that some call haven.
For me it’s just a new place to explore, a new world that implores
Open me, Open me and you shall see the way to think as fast as a hummingbird.

Open me, Open me, and soon you shall own me, soar above your kingdom like an Eagle.
Open me, Open me, for I am where your imagination lies.

Do I trust this voice I cry, and there is the voice of an Angel at my ear.
I am Michael, trust the words of that Innergate for beyond it lays innerspace. If you do not believe my words then look to your cord of inner communion and listen to the words of God. Following directions I find my true source, and heard the words.
Open it, Open it and there you will see me.

By Asia
Age 16

The Humming Bird's Wisdom

Humming Bird.

Hum, Hum, Hum goes my wings. Thump, Thump, Thump goes
my heart, whrir, whirr, whirr goes my mind.

Can you human copy it? Can you make your soul fly as fast as
my body?

Can you make your mind Vibrate as fast as my wings?

Can you make your heart soar as fast as mine beats?

I believe you can if you raise the speed of your vibration, and you
will soar light years beyond your time your space.

Hum, Hum, Hum goes your soul’s wings.

Whirr, Whirr, Whirr goes your mind.

Thump, Thump, Thump fly’s your heart now so your body should
like your soul fly through time and dimension.

Do you see what I have taught you? Then go and teach your
human fledglings the way to send their minds, souls and bodies
into the air with vibration.

Because your spirit is as fast strong and beautiful as mine and
all those about you.
If you have raised your vibration
then you will see the beauty, that fills the air around you and
causes you to soar.

By Asia
Age 16

Lover's fate

Two lovers await an endless fate
Brought upon by a careless date
Their love shows no bounds
But they are treated like hounds
In this timeless thing we call love.

Sandra
Age 15

Life Goes On

I am lost again, welcome to my life.
Wandering, searching, confused.
Where am I?
Where have I been?
What have I done?
The world blends together
In one large mess
My world becomes a murky brown
All the vibrant colors gone

I remember the past
With great sadness
I struggled to find my place
In a world I couldn’t understand

We wandered from here to there
With no permanence
Leaving no footprints in the sand
How can I remember my past
When I can’t understand my present

Never truly fitting in
Trying to find the balance
Between being accepted
And over the top

Getting lost in time
Amongst the emotions
And the wild colors
Spending hours lost inside
My imagination taking control
Lost far from reality

Crossing the border into adulthood
New responsibilities and pressures
Acknowledging the terror
Trying to keep from being alone

Finding myself as I revisit my past
Discovering who I am

-Breanna
Age 17

This Isn’t Goodbye

This isn’t goodbye
This isn’t the end
This isn’t forever
I’m not losing a friend

Sure she’s not home
Where I’m used to seeing
Sure she’s gone
But just for the time being

She’ll come back
I know she will
She’ll come and visit
She loves me still

It’s just for awhile
Only a few years
It isn’t forever
There’s no need to fear

She’s not really gone
She’s just farther away
She’s still my friend
And it’s gonna stay that way

It’ll be over soon
And then I know
We’ll be together again;
I’ll give it a go!

I’ll give this a try
This college thing
This going away
Just for the time being

“But this isn’t forever,”
I say again with a sigh,
“This is only temporary
It isn’t goodbye.”

-Erika
Age 17

In Loving Memory: Tyler Dean Fox

On that day
In history
Just a year ago
Still seems a mystery

A fatal crash
A sudden death

A last goodbye
A final breath

A tearful memorial
A gathering of friends
As we celebrated you
before your life’s end

I miss your voice
I miss your smile
I miss those eyes
I wish you could stay awhile

I wish you could come back
I wish you could come home
But then I remember
That I’m not alone

I’m not the only one
Who felt this way
We all did at one point
And then we’d say

“If he had the choice
I know what he’d do
He do it all again
Because he loves You.”

-Erika
Age 17

The Power Within

There is nothing wrong
with creativity,
there is nothing bleak
about this activity

You can use your
imagination
to guide you to
the right station

An open mind
is all you need
to open up your
creativity

Watch your dreams
come alive
and take off into
the sky;

Never doubting
what you think
always love,
you’re on the brink

to unleashing
your wildest dreams!

-Erika
Age 17

Pencil and Pen

Pencil
Yellow, Wood
Sketching, Erasing, Coloring
Eraser, Lead, Ink, Ballpoint
Writing, Marking, Pointing
Long, Pointy
Pen

-Manasa
Age 14

A Rainy Day by Manasa Narasimman

The cold wet rain
It likes to fall
Everywhere it falls
No matter where or when

You go under shelter somewhere
To keep from getting wet
You may be scared
But soon it’ll go

You think wayyy back
Enjoy the memories
While you have them
The time now goes to present

To you where you are
Under the shelter somewhere
Before you know it
The rain has stopped

Your mind got you through
All that rainy rainy time
Now you continue to lead your life
And be where you should go or be

-Manasa
Age 14

HARD TIMES

Sometimes life seems so impossible
That you just want to throw your hands up and give up all together.
For example when your friends betray you, family leaves you, school is devastating, or even when every little thing you do in a days time goes horribly wrong.

But I don't even think about giving up for multiple reasons. One, I know with all my heart that you won't betray me but defend me no matter what. two, I know you won't leave me because we are connected in a way that nobody but us understands. Three, even though I may not want to deal with anyone or anything at school I know you will be there to help me get through it. Four, even if everything goes horriffically wrong, I know you are there with me. The point of all this is I can't and wont give up on life brecause it would mean giving up on something I can't live without. You.

-Amy Duncan
Age 17

I NEED YOU

You are my addiction.
You are my neccessity.
I will need you time and time again
And I know you will be there for me
Because I trust you.
I would even trust you
With my own life
If It came to it

-Amy Duncan
Age 17

I DON'T

I don't call you baby
Just because you like it.
I don't say I love you
Just to make conversation
Or break the silence between us.
I don't hug and kiss you
Because that's traditionally
What bf an gf's do.
I don't spend time with you
Cause I am bored and have nothing
Else to do.

I call you baby
Because you are
And ALWAYS will be my baby.
I say I love you
Because I mean it with
Every fiber of my being.
I hug and kiss you
Because it's the closest I can
Get to you without wanting to go
To far.
I spend time with you
Because your the center of my world
And there is nowhere else I would rather be or anyone else I would want
Want to devote my time to.

-Amy Duncan
Age 17

Walking

Let us walk with our thoughts
and our spirits
Forever mingling amidst the haze of sun
So we can holster our guns
And maybe say hello again
While we drink our highway gin
Giving cheers to a new yesterday

Walk with me through the fields
and listen to meadowlarks
Calling for fallen angles and social sharks
Those meaningless thoughts so many years ago
Seem to sprout meaning in time
Allowing you to paint pictures with watercolor rhyme

My moonglasses reflect the cloud light
And your sunglasses absorb the limelight
Attracting humble blimps
With signs casting a glare
On to my color TV screen and distorts the sound
So turn up the water knobs on radio
And listen to Now preach about Later

-Mike Wille
Age 17

Forever

When the sunshine fades
And the beetles fly away
Stay by me in the moon shadow

If the tides all rise
To swallow up the night
Then I'll build an ark for you and I

The day my matchbox runs out of flint
Then I'll light your fire
If for just one last time.

-Mike Wille
Age 17

Untitled

In a life where everything is but never was
To be ordered to stand where the battles were lost
Fate kicking you between the ribs
While you watch the ghosts drink their gin

So I'll worship the idol of light
Walk beside a preacher filled with fright
Laugh with the poltergeist singing in the wind
Singing songs of the day he found sin

With an empty wallet in hand
Setting off now to wallow in the sand
Searching for gold in the teeth of greed
To pay for your kicks and parades

So I'll worship the sun in the night
Cast beside the moon so it'll be alright
Sit with an umbrella to make you're own shade
For soon all that is will now fade

-Mike Wille
Age 17

Ming Wu: The Path of the Enlightened Warrior

Ming Wu
It is not only punching and kicking
It is the path to discipline and respect
A path of better living,
Living life to the fullest.
This is why I choose to follow this path.
A sign of true family
Everyone there to help one another
For the number one objective:
to better one's self until near perfection.
And in so, being humbled
And growing through learning.
Learning from every success as well
as every failure .
This is the way of Ming Wu

-Brandon
Age 14

Journey Through Life

Coming into this world
Completely helpless and dependent
Learning new things
From the first step to fitting in
Watching your family crumble into ruins
But then just when you think your world has completely burst into flames
It gets good again
Growing up tall like grass
Figuring life out
Forming thoughts and opinions
Becoming your own person
Moving through each day
Finding yourself from within
Having your heart broken
Knowing that you have no value in my life
But some how wishing you were still here
Waiting for the day when you can breath easy again
Watching tears fall from the sky
Synchronized with tears of your own
Wanting and waiting for the sun to shine bright again, on the world, on your world.
But then the sun finally shines
Finding the meaning of life
Watching the waves of the ocean crash against the shore in rage
Waiting and wanting calmness to take over
Wishing for sanity
Life is uneasy
Change is ahead
The journey of life is filled with things that it shouldn’t
But you must over come these obstacles
Growing stronger
Gaining knowledge
Coming to the realization that life isn’t fair
Watching the sunset is your ending to your unhinged life
Finding the one person that understands you and gets it
The process of life starts once again
Watching your descendants go through the same process you had struggled through
Trying to make it better, but failing
The leaves are falling apart from the tree like you own family
Not wanting have your own world fall apart but able to stop what is
You lead the same legacy that the ones before you had
However knowing you tried and did your best
You learned from your mistakes
You know that you have made a good life for you own
Going through life didn’t kill you but it made you stronger
You are now able to focus on the good
No longer are you dwelling on the past
You have moved on
Like the shinning sun on morning dew
You are seeing the light once again
You are seeing the meaning of life through new eyes

-Sadiee
Age 16

The Skies Rage

Storm clouds moving in fast,
There here, completely covering the summers refreshing blue skies.
Thunder rumbles in a distance
The skies gray color darkens fast
Lighting flashes,
Heavy tears begin to fall from the blackened sky.
Thunder growing louder, lighting and tears coming faster,
And the wind becoming stronger
The sky is in rage
releasing it's anger with every roar of thunder,
strike of lighting and every tear
Soon the anger is gone
The sky clears
The blue skies have finally return
The sun begins to peek out from behind a stubborn cloud
It shines bright once again
drying all the skies tears.

-Sadiee
Age 16

Change: A Backwards Foward Poem

NOTE: This poem is written in such a way that you can read it forwards and backwards. Read it the normal way first, and then start at the bottom line and read it up. The meaning of the poem changes.

Change is here, and change is coming
You are seeing change
Believing that people actually care
makes you false
thinking that we only care about our selfs
makes you right minded
Taking steps to a better place
will make you look crazed
Not caring
will become what is
good, hope, and peace
will be all meaning less words in this time
hate, evil, war
is going to become what is
reaching out and helping, having a goal of peace
will be unthinkable
Killing in wars with rage
is going to become
peace and happiness
wont come again
war
will be happening
peace
will not be a priority
hate
will be taking up our time
helping others
wont even cross our minds
Killing
is what will make our world go
change
we make our choices, futures, lives, and our worlds.
because we have the power
We can make the world a better place by choice

-Sadiee
Age 16

When your life needs a quick pick-up and you feel down,
when all of the leaves are dying, turning from green to brown.

It seems like you can never get yourself out of this never-ending hole,
because something unsettling resides inside your soul.

You can't figure out what it is that is causing all of this,
this feeling is taking away all of your everyday bliss.

What must you do to rid this problem, to make it go away?
You say you feel helpless and all you can do is pray.

When you pray, lay it all out there, don't hold anything back,
Give it all you have, don't give that issue any slack.

If that doesn't work, do it a second time,
Do as many times as you can, don't treat it like a crime.

God will hear you prayers and answer them if it is his will,
when and if he responds, you feel an instant thrill.

Now the problem is gone and you can get back to your life,
spend time with your kids, your relatives, and your wife.

You are happy that this problem is off of your chest,
but always remember to give God your best.

He can pull you out of situations that have no end,
he can give you the strength to make it around the bend.

Through all your tough situations remember this one thing,
you are a mortal human, but God is the reigning king.

-Stanley Yoder
Age 16

Cat and Mouse

Can a feline dig a hole?
A tiny, tiny one?
Then fit inside it?

At the hottest time of day,
No cat would like to sit too long.
Does chasing a mouse tire it out?

My mouse ran off this morning.
Outside is like a fire.
Under a tree, was a hole
Small rocks blocked it, ginger fur scattered around.
Every day, I search for my mouse, with no luck

-Kelsey
Age 16

Robin Could...

I'll tell you the tale of a man
Whenever needed, Robin could give a hand

Robin could steal from the rich
And never recieve a stitch

He gave the goods to the poor
But some food he kept in store

Robin could launch an arrow in a flash
And make all the Sheriff's men dash

With Richard's return he was knighted
Many rejoiced, for all was soon righted

Robin could not be beat, in part
Because he had such a large heart

-Kelsey
Age 16

Twister

The wind blows strongly.
It spins and spins endlessly.
The currents of air
lifting above the clouds.

The dust rides along
the twisting winds.
Higher and higher
till it reaches the sun.

Together they travel,
wind and dust
Together they pick,
cows and tractors,
houses and windmills.
Together they die,
dust and wind.
Their work is done.

-Kelsey
Age 16