The Oracle
Find Your Voice.
Bishop Canevin High School
Student Journal of Creative Writing & Art
Fall Edition 2014-2015 school year
Introspective of the Soul
Perspective
by Adrianne Kubiak | 2015
And in that moment, I realized that I was limited
I realized that anything could happen at any moment
All my progress could be washed away by the tide of life
All my goals could come crashing down around me
In that moment, I felt small
But I also realized how far I've come
Photograph by Adrianne Kubiak | 2015
Stages of Life
by Katie Brosky | 2016
Little child, eyes so soft, hands so small and tender,
Easily little feet rise to the occasion when summoned,
Young adult, so meek and mild,
Ready to help, voicing opinions, for a society that needs changing,
Adult, so cunning, co clever,
Thinking the world is solved, and life is but a game,
Yet how little does one know?
Elder, so old and wise,
What have you learned? Does life prove to be a puzzle?
How can we change our ways like you once did so many moons ago?
The Departed,
Rest now, your final stage has ended,
And we will join you soon.
A Collection of Hearts
by Liz Strub | 2016
A Warm Heart
Warm as sunlight,
Soft as moss,
No evil can touch,
No ice can freeze,
Kind as kindness is.
Love so warm,
Caring and generous,
Helping the stranger stand,
You give to the needy,
And you speak life into all.
A Strong Heart
Strong as diamonds,
Firm as Earth,
No will can bend,
No fall can shatter,
Bold as boldness is,
Courage so strong,
Undimmed and undaunted,
Fleeing before nothing,
Your heart is set,
And your head held high.
A Hot Heart
Hot as fire,
Black as coal,
No water can quench,
No tears can choke,
Wrathful as wrath is.
Anger so hot,
Sudden and unforeseen,
Lashing out at everyone,
Quickly you catch fire,
And quickly you burn out.
A Cold Heart
Cold as ice,
Hard as stone,
No fire can melt,
No tears will fall,
Silent as silence is.
Anger so cold,
Distant and unforgiving,
Shunning those around you,
Your silent whispers spread,
Turning all to icy stone.
A Black Heart
Blacker than anger,
Darker than night,
No light can penetrate,
No hope can raise,
Hard as hardness is.
Hatred so black,
Relentless, and unyielding,
Feeding on darkness,
You bring night to people,
And you bring war to home.
Lifespan
by Maegan Gill | 2015
Life span is the average length of life
And the expectation of an average life.
Some individuals will live a shorter time than others.
Some individuals cannot live
Even in the most favorable conditions.
The inheritance of longevity
Is the expression of the life span
More than the life span itself.
The length of life is often shorter
Than the possible life itself.
It’s not practical to observe
The effect of humans upon life span
Plants that live for only one reason
Produce flowers, represented by marigolds
That spend months accumulating
Unlike humans
Photograph by Joel Patterson | 2016
anonymous
A Story of Life
by Patrick McCracken | 2016
A story of life told through different eyes.
Will we step up to the occasion?
Will we finally rise?
From birth we are cherished
Onto death we depart.
Our lives are depicted through the etchings of our hearts.
We once we so young,
Feeling so brave and so tall.
As we grow older,
We tend to stumble and fall.
We will always have family
We will always have friends.
Can we find our true selves?
Well that always depends.
Our souls will move on,
Forever in bliss.
At the end of the day,
We will all deeply be missed.
I Wonder
by Lauren Villella | 2014
I wonder if you knew
That sorrow was
The only friend that stayed
That I was never
Looking for a promise
That the clouds whispered
To me every night
And that is how I knew
Enchantment was too good to stay
I wonder if you knew
If you saw me
Peer into the void
That your heart
Set up before you
I wonder if you knew
That I’d catch glimpses
Of your beautiful melancholy
Woven together
With a golden thread
That glinted only at night
I wonder if you knew
If you saw me
The way I saw you
If you picked apart my flaws
And traced them back
To the way it was
I wonder if you
Made sense of the dawn
The basic goodness
That always unnerved you
I wonder if you still
Hear them now
The voices that
Strangled your soul
I wonder if you knew
That silence is relative
That only in the still
Can we feel the world shake
And only when we are gone
Can we see the
Outline of the ghosts
That battled viciously
To make us their own
To Be Carried
by Katie Brosky | 2016
Carry this soul away,
Where the sun shines,
And lamb lie with lions,
Carry this heart away,
To a place of love,
To a home,
Carry these arms away,
Where they can embrace:
The young ones, the beautiful ones, the lonely, the sad,
Hold close to all those most dear,
Carry this old body away,
Lay it in the soft grass among the carnations,
Allow this being to be free of earthly worries, and enjoy heavenly splendor.
Quiet
by Katrina Zientarski | 2015
I don't like quiet,
Because quiet makes me think.
The thoughts that I tried to suppress,
All come rushing into my head.
About mistakes I've made,
Wrongs I've done,
People who hurt me.
Things that only come back in quiet.
I imagine, too.
What life could have been like.
What a difference one choice makes.
The what if's and if only's return,
Bogging down my mind.
I don't like the quiet,
Unless I want to think.
Depression
by Ashley Mell | 2016
Sadness is a feeling,
Lasting hours, days at most.
Sadness can be cured in seconds,
Upon hearing a joke or seeing a smile.
Sadness is a bubble,
One that can burst.
It is a wall we form around ourselves for protection.
But depression is an illness.
It is a dark shadow hovering over your shoulders,
Never letting the light shine through.
Depression becomes you.
It knows you,
Tunneling deeper into your heart.
Making you long for happiness,
Trying to fill that empty void.
Depression is the monster under your bed,
Making you want to hide under the covers.
Depression writes with indelible marker,
Scribbling words inside that you wish you could erase.
Depression is the bully in the schoolyard,
Throwing you against a brick wall.
The silent killer,
Crushing hope.
Depression is the ongoing thunderstorm,
Except, there is no rainbow to look forward to in the end.
Silence
by Daniel Bigley | 2018
If silence exists
Why do I hear my own thoughts
Screaming back at me?
Wilt
by Daniel Bigley | 2018
Cycle of anguish
Spare me your icy cold wrath
So I may not wilt.
Pass mercy to me this year
So I will not disappear.
Photograph by Mark Shorthouse | 2015
Love & Hope
Love
by Liz Moyer | 2015
Falling in love is like a puzzle
You're never actually fully complete
Until it is in your life
Finding love is like finally figuring out that word on the tip of your tongue
You know you need something
But you're not sure what
Until you finally got a grip of it
My love for you is like looking out at the ocean
No matter how long or far you look
It never seems to end
Your love for me warms me
Like the sun on my face
On a hot Summer day
Photograph by Joel Patterson | 2016
The Edge
by Emma Govachini | 2017
The edge,
There at the end of their love,
Because they are close to their death,
But that won't stop their love.
Another chapter,
They will never reach,
The only thing they remember,
Was when they fell in love on the beach.
Now it's winter,
With all the powdery snow,
All the streets are covered,
But they will never know.
The last words they say,
Even though we die,
Are love we will always have,
But now they say good-bye.
When the nurse came back,
She noticed something,
He held her hand until the end,
And that was truly something.
Hope
by Brendan Shaughnessy | 2016
When all hope is gone and lost,
Everything does not have worth.
It seems like you yourself has no cost,
Really, you wish you had no birth.
It's like you're all alone in the dark,
Nothing but air cloaked in black.
Loneliness is like a great white shark,
Waiting for the big chance to attack.
Turning it around may be harder than before.
Just keep your head up and smile.
You have to keep fighting even more,
That will last you a long while.
Finding your way in this world can be tough
Even when you've had enough.
Alone in a Crowded Room
by Karissa Shaner | 2016
I look around the room, my eyes flitting over faces, attire, and decor. I am aware that I am blatantly searching, and I do not care. It is considered rude, but frankly there is only one opinion that matters to me, and that person was seemingly missing from the premises. This opinion that defined me belonged to the very person I was scanning the room for. I can honestly say I have never felt so alone as I did in that moment. There is no loneliness quite like feeling of being alone in a room full of people. It is worse if this feeling is accompanied with empty greetings and meaningless small talk filled with comments no one will remember. My loneliness was bordering on unbearable. I felt removed from myself, as if I were in a trance, with each unimportant comment from irrelevant people pushing me further away from the present. My eyes swept across the room, when suddenly, they locked with someone else's. Instantly, I flooded back into the here and now. Those eyes, this person, that opinion, grounded me. It never ceases to amaze me how one person is capable of igniting a sense of purpose when all the others are incapable of such miracles.That is what love is. It is a miracle. I continued to stare as those eyes creased into a smile. And I smiled back.
Azure
by Daniel Bigley | 2018
A sapphire's light
Scattered across the sky.
Blue as the depths,
the heavens,
Our veins.
Cheerful cyan,
Royal navy,
And cobalt combined
Are what I see in your eyes.
But another type of blue
Lies mixed in too.
Downcast, struggle, and misery,
Of which I yearn to set you free.
Photograph by Julia Menosky | 2016
Photograph by Mark Shorthouse | 2015
Artwork by Leah Narkevic | 2016
All I See Is Her
anonymous
All I see is her
Her, the one I once called queen
The past water to my roots
My sun in the shadows
She made me
All I see is her
Time with her was bliss
Nights we spent I never grew tiresome
What I thought of as nothing
Is now most missed
All I see is her
She still is all of this
She still does all of this
But not with me, not with me
All I see is her (with someone else)
anonymous
Distant
by Katrina Zientarski | 2015
Hollow yet full of emotion. Sad yet wearing a smile. Caring yet cast aside. The girl sits alone with her thoughts amidst her friends.
All Is Vanity
by Deanna Bird | 2016
I gaze at the person staring back at me
She has large brown eyes and long black hair
I can tell she is hurting inside
Her eyes have a glassy cover, and her mouth is quivering in a frown
She is beautiful, but she will never understand
She was told her entire life that she was worthless and ugly
All the pain she was bearing was beginning to take its toll
She couldn't push it away any longer
The pain kept finding its way back to her and reminding her of all she had been through
The pain was blocking her view of a better life
I watched as she took a small vial of blue poison out of a concealed pocket in her dress
She slowly untwisted the silver cap and took a long whiff
A sweet aroma aroused from the bottle
I heard her whisper five words that would change her life forever
"I will finally be okay."
She took one last glance at me and quickly drank the poison
The last thing I saw was a faint smile dance across her pale pink lips
Before I fell to the cold, wooden floor
Deanna Bird's "All Is Vanity" was inspired by this image by Charles Allen Gilbert, which bears the same title.
It hurts, doesn't it?
by Adrianne Kubiak | 2015
It hurts, doesn't it?
Feeling as if you found the right one,
But knowing that you haven't.
Wanting to constantly stay in touch,
But feeling like a bother.
Wishing you could forget the memories,
But having them haunt you.
Trying hard to keep the friendship alive,
But facing the painful truth.
Watching them having fun with their friends,
But you're not in the group.
Seeing them slowly fade from your life,
But you can't make it stop.
It hurts, doesn't it?
Ode to a Lost Friend
by Adrianne Kubiak | 2015
It's impossible to stop caring for someone,
Even if they stop caring about you.
No matter how hard you try to forget it all,
You simply can't wipe away all memories.
No matter how much you want to move on,
Your heart and thoughts will still return to them.
You may not want to speak to them again,
But face it: you're still going to care a bit.
It's impossible to stop caring for someone
When they gave you so much to believe in.
The Sun Peeked Through
by Karissa Shaner | 2016
The sun peeked through the wispy clouds. I studied my face in the mirror. "Be strong! " I told myself. "You can do this." I covered my face with a black veil. "Deep breaths," I reminded myself. I stepped out into the sunlight and walked over to the closed coffin. The black surface reflected the sun's light. I slid my fingers across the smooth lid. I received a cold stare from the family. To them, I seemed out of place. I didn't belong there, touching the coffin, as far as they knew. He had never told them about our friendship. They had no idea that I had been there at the end. I should've died with him, but I couldn't do it. While I had understood his pain, mine had not pushed me over the edge. He had been my one true friend, and I had been his. A single tear escaped from my left eye. It dripped off the end of my nose and onto the coffin. I saw the drop on the coffin, glistening in the sun, and turned away. I broke into a sprint. I never stopped, never looked back. I ran until I reached the place where we had last met. The place where a car had hit him. I lay down in the road and waited. This time I would not back out. I would not abandon him a second time. A car came around the bend. "For you." I whispered. I shut my eyes as I waited to join my friend.
Windows
by Maegan Gill | 2015
Owls are alive on a somber December night
Lucky to be warm in the 34 degrees
Outside with the pale moon, but I am not as bright
I shuffle on my walk as the wind rustles the trees.
Months passed since I’d seen those window panes
Only now, it is from the outside instead
It was bittersweet to remember watching the rain
Maybe they're memories better left unsaid
The light shedding outward from her room
Didn't happen to reach my mind
Everyone thought it’d be me to be her groom
I reminisce, wishing we could have been bind
I wish it wasn't him taking care of her.
That my time in her sun wasn't only a blur.
Magic Gloves
by Lauren Kanavy | 2016
I used to think that doctors were magic,
They’d snap on their gloves and instantly heal,
Sick people would come in droves to the hospital,
And minutes later they would come out cured,
Happy and healthy and smiling and laughing.
But now I know that doctors don’t have magic,
Their gloves can't just suddenly heal,
And that not all people come out cured.
They can’t all be healed in a matter of minutes,
Because it usually takes a lot longer than that.
And if people come out, they're not the sick ones.
I can see them crying from my window.
Even though the doctors tell me I'm leaving,
I know it's not me who's walking out,
It's easy to see my parents in those sad faces.
I wish I still believed that doctors had magic gloves,
Because at least then there would be some hope.
I could pretend that I'd still be going home,
And that my smiles weren't forced as they are now,
Reassuring my parents that I'm not in pain.
But as it is now, there are no magic gloves,
And it seems that I'm here to stay.
Despair & Heartache
Photograph by Mark Shorthouse | 2015
Comfort, Warmth, & Happiness
Sunny Days
by Maegan Gill | 2015
Nowadays
You come around as often
As blue moons
You nourish every living thing
Giving the rest of us strength
But only once in a while
Around here
Sunny days,
We take you for granted
Shedding light
On our daily chores
Making them easier
Than if we were cloaked
in dark skies.
Coating us in sunshine,
You warm us
Body and mind
Teaching us how
To shed light on
Every dark place.
Photograph by Joel Patterson | 2016
Christmas Morning
by Karissa Shaner | 2016
I emerge from the depths of sleep
And to the window, softly, I creep
Big white snowflakes slowly fall
A bright beautiful morning for us all.
Hurrying soundlessly down the stairs,
Running past tables and chairs,
Stopping at the foot of the tree
Searching for all the presents addressed to me
Photograph by Tom Wildenhain | 2016
and Anne Wildenhain | 2011
The Oyster
by Sean Airesman | 2015
He protects himself
The shell that wraps his body
Is what he calls home
School & Self
Artwork by Kevin Costantino | 2016
Blankets
by Janet Aland | 2016
Blankets are what keep us warm,
Blankets give us comfort.
Blankets can lead to survival or demise,
Death or life.
Blankets can save us from the demons, hide our fears, shade our eyes.
Blankets give us solace in our time of need, in our lows and highs.
Blankets strengthen bonds, bringing us closer than ever.
Blankets give us the love we never had,
the comfort we were never given
Blankets are forgotten as a simple item,
Hiding in closets from winters past.
Providing their new warmth, or worn comfort,
They are the reason of our being,
only to be forgotten as the simple item it is.
Photograph by Mark Shorthouse | 2015
House / Home
by Maegan Gill | 2015
What is a Christmas tree
Without presents underneath?
What is the first day of work
Without someone to come home to?
What good is a king sized bed
Without someone to wake up next to?
What is a Friday night spent, in
Without someone to drink wine
and watch CNN with?
What fun is a birthday
Without the ones you love to spend it with?
What good are new pillows
New leather furniture
Beautiful stone tiles
An adorned bed
whitewashed walls
Without someone to be contained by them?
What good is a house
Without someone to love inside?
A house can be filled
A home does the filling
Photograph by Conner Capozoli | 2016
Evolution is Real
by Ginny Haseleu | 2016
"Frisky Fresh" is what they call him. Some call him Colon Gibson. With his long, luscious hair he saunters down the hallways looking “swag-tastic” as ever. Teachers yell at him to pull his hair back, so he does. Now he walks down the halls rocking the up-do. He goes by the name Colin Gilson. By the title of my essay, you probably thought I was going to mention science. No, the only science here is about how Colin Gilson's hair manages to stay so voluptuous. Over the years, Colin's hair has managed to grow longer and longer. It's a mystery how he manages it. The purpose of this essay is to compare Colin's hair from over two years ago to now.
Since freshmen year, Colin has been known for his curly, crazy hair. I remember walking into homeroom freshmen year and thinking, "Wow, this dude’s hair is crazy." In 9th grade, Colin's hair was an estimated 4 inches. That is pretty long for a guy's hair. Moving into sophomore year, Gilson started wearing his hair in his infamous bun. He got many comments, but I believe it was a great decision on his part. I asked Colin how long it was then, and he told me 6 inches. From 9th to 10th grade, Colin's hair managed to grow 2 inches (taking into account getting it trimmed and such). Now here we are, junior year. Recently, I asked Colin how long his hair was and he told me 9 inches! He started from the bottom, now he's here. How it managed to grow that long that fast is beyond my comprehension. If you ask me, Colin's hair IS the illuminati. That stuff is supposed to be a mystery, right? Anyways, Gilson's hair is the talk of the school. It is hard not to stare. Fellow friend and sophomore Randy Hatcher even offered to buy it. Like me, Randy is obsessed with Colin's hair and will do anything to get his hands on it. Randy has gone as far as to say that Colin’s hair was “sent down by Jesus and is the second coming of Christ.” For Colin’s 16th birthday, I bought him a bottle of hair gel and was happy to see him using it. As much as I love Colin’s hair, those curls needed tamed. I mentioned earlier his “infamous bun.” My favorite thing about this was that it began with a bet that Colin lost. As a result, the swim team bet Colin to wear his hair in a ponytail for a certain amount of time at school. Somehow, the look stuck. What I like most about Colin’s hair is how he is breaking the “social norm” for teen guys. Most guys have the typical buzz cut or short hair, but not Colin. He stands out from most guys because of his “swag-tastic” hair.
As you can see, Colin's hair has made an impact on Bishop Canevin. I admire him, in a few months he plans on donating to Locks of Love. I am almost certain many people at school do not know that. Even though I will miss messing with his little bun on a daily (*cough* hourly *cough*) basis, I think it is awesome how he's giving his hair to a good cause. His hair may be all fun and jokes to his friends, but there was actually a purpose for growing it so long. Coming full circle back to my title, the evolution of Colin's hair has changed drastically over the years. To quote a friend of mine, "Like everything else in this universe, evolution is a cycle. And as the dead of autumn approaches in the month of November, so approaches the end of Colin's journey."
P.S. Colin didn't think I would actually write this.
Photograph by Mark Shorthouse | 2015
Ode to School
by Brendan Shaughnessy | 2016
As much as I loathe thee, you bring out the best in me,
You make me appreciate what I have today.
For it could be gone tomorrow.
All of the homework and test and quizzes are a constant reminder that nothing is given.
All is earned.
Even the respect from your peers.
As much as I wish to escape your tightly pack brick walls,
after I leave you
All of my childish innocence will be gone
All of Ms Weaver’s essays and Mr. Fox’s handouts
Are those smalls things that you hate but appreciate.
I’ll miss that.
After I finally do escape you
Your memories will forever haunt me.
Yo Soy
by Joe Leckenby | 2017
Yo soy extroverted
Yo soy simpático
Yo soy trabajador
Yo soy paciente
Yo soy atlético
Yo soy yo
Artwork by Darryl Brown | 2015
My name is Self
anonymous
Dear Self, take a book from the shelf.
Start reading; it don't matter if it's about an elf.
Just get lost in the words.
Take a break, and watch the birds.
Then start reading again.
Read about raising a hen,
Or writing with a pen,
Or about your Uncle Ken.
It doesn't matter what you read about
as long as you shout for joy,
then buy a toy out of joy.
Artwork by Tom Wildenhain | 2016
How to Procrastinate
by Dominique Servati | 2015
It is really quite simple you see,
To find other things to do other than what you need.
All you have to do is sit and wait;
Wait and wait for your mind to escape.
Before you know it you’re mind has gone off
Into magical fairy lands where the clouds are soft
The sky is blue and the clouds are pink
Everything there is whatever you think!
Next you see yourself wandering through a city
Where the streets are crowded and busy.
Shopping bags and coffee mugs surround you on all sides
But you don’t care, because you’re just having a fun time!
Eh
by Katie Brosky | 2016
Days go by,
Money is time,
Life is but a game,
Who am I?
But a human as such!
Confined to just a name.
Remember my name
by J.J. Williams | 2016
Those kids bother me, kills my
insides, also kills my spirit.
I refuse to be treated wrong, to be
destroyed, to be hurt like 1,000
needles puncturing my skin telling me
to give up, no one likes you.
I try not to rage, try not end up saying
the things I don't want to say.
I bite my lip, fill up in tears, clench
my fist but no one cares.
I never gave up on myself, didn't give up on
my pride. I told them you see me again
soon, just always Remember my name.
Years went past, fast, life changed.
I moved to a new house, a new crowd, suddenly
everything changed. I was seen again, different
looks, different tone, but like I told them
before Remember my name, it's not the fame,
the fortune, it's history I have left behind to become
this name.
Fantasize
by Anneliese Balog | 2016
As I sit here and take my tests,
I know that I will never get rest.
As I sit here I daydream and ponder,
My mind really sure does wonder.
As I sit here with a smile on my face,
You know I am in my happy place.
You
by Maegan Gill | 2015
When you read The Little Prince
In 7th grade with Ms. Zappel
Who was old, but always understood you
You finally understood
Why she liked the filled in top hat
Which was seen by a child
As an elephant inside a boa constrictor
Why holding onto your childhood
Is so important
When you watched Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
On your first date in high school
And you finally felt
Like you were outside
Of a child’s mind
But still were able to understand
What the little boy
That lost his father felt
When you listened to
The song you used to sing
With your friend who has passed
And you choose to think
Of the good memories
Singing it in the car in the summer
And not to feel bad for yourself
You are not
The books you have read
The movies you’ve seen
The music that you've heard
You are not defined
By your instincts
You simply are
All you have taken from them
You are not the first thought
That pops into your head
You are how you discern
Importance
Photograph by Julia Menosky | 2016
Photograph by Julia Menosky | 2016
Photograph by Anneliese Balog | 2016
Artwork by Tom Wildenhain | 2016
Photograph by Joel Patterson | 2016
History & Happenings
Acrostic Poem
by Michael Kanavy | 2018
Herds of undesirables being shifted like sheep
Only to be slaughtered like lambs in their sleep
Legions laughing with smiles at their grief
Opening doors for their fake relief
Cretans or heathens, it doesn't matter
All will die with their humanity shattered
Unspoken horrors would be preformed
Salvation would only come with death's door
Trying to live, hoping to die, one will come in due's time
Photograph by Ellese White | 2016
News
anonymous
It is constantly being broadcasted at every place at every moment of our lives. It influences how we dress in the morning depending on the weather forecast or whether it is cheaper to buy groceries at your local farmers market or at Walmart. Whatever it may be, the news always informs us through newspapers, tv stations, radio, social media and many others.
What exactly is news? When I listen to the news, I would like to hear all the good happening in the world but instead, it is just the negative events occurring in the world. Tracy Morgan said “Bad news travels at the speed of light; good news travels like molasses.” This is true because I believe that we always expect to hear good news at the end of the day but we are curious beings who always want to know how much evil exists in our world. Imagine what would happen if you took your newspaper and simply tore all the pages with an inkling of good news or muted the tv at the mention of anything negative? Would we be left with a single page of cartoon sketches or would we just simply sit in silence as we waited for some good news?
Photograph by Mark Shorthouse | 2015
Rita Carmen
by Lauren Villella | 2014
Rita
Glamour
She had this and more
Eternally luminous
With a swift sparkle
In her arresting eyes
She was a
Perfect picture
Of youth before
The shadows
They called her
The love goddess
But the one title
She was born to
Was the one title
That could not stay
Carmen
Quiet
She was this and more
She hated what we saw
What we expected of her
Wanting to be loved
Just like everyone else
Her two miracles
Quickly faded
Leaving her
A lonely star
In a much too
Dazzling night
Enchantment
Her life was
Far from pristine
A beacon of
Magnetic allure
And a particular brand
Of now lost magic
‘Don’t make it sad,’ she said
About her life
About her story
And so it isn’t
But in the still
Of a forlorn
And fabled night
A star loses its sparkle
And fades into oblivion
Lost in an endless void
Still wishing to be loved
Before the sun rises anew
Strangers in the Night
(Inspired by the 1966 Frank Sinatra single)
by Lauren Villella | 2014
Just one look
One glance
Across the room
Four eyes
And two souls
In sync in a
Breathless moment
The connecting
Of the windows
For just one beat
They peer into
The endless void
What did he see?
What did he find?
Venus burning too bright
Too hot to survive
She was lonely
In the usual
Impossible way
With a downbeat drum
Pacing her steps
And a past so filled
With veiling smoke
Even she could not
See all the way through
What did she see?
What did she find?
Careful whispers
Scattered through
Decades of
Glorious enchantment
A surprisingly
Quick stiffening
To the glare of
A million lights
And a lovely
Soft voice
Echoing through
His head
Like a record player
Incessantly on replay
Just one look
One glance
Across the room
With one blink
They turn away
The memory
Lost to infinity
And they will never know
The keeper of the visions
That now weave
Around their souls
The one who is
Responsible for their plight
To see or not to see
Every unsuspecting soul
As a stranger in the night
Poetry
by Rachel Hildebrand | 2016
It seems that poetry originated in magical spells.
Ritualistic incantations.
Highly rhythmical storytelling.
Sympathetic magic of desired events.
Sophisticated use of symbols.
Levels of diction.
Early history, evidence, oral literature.
Tribal societies, from different parts of the world.
Sacred art or mystery.
Rituals.
Spiritual possession.
Recreational aspects.
Religious.
Magical significance.
Entertainment.
Pastime.
A game to be played with words.
Mode of personal emotional release.
Poetry.
Photograph by Mark Shorthouse | 2015
Digital Artwork by Tom Wildenhain | 2016 and Anne Wildenhain | 2011
Photograph by Julia Menosky | 2016
The Beauty of the Universe
anonymous
Look out into the sky
by Janet Aland | 2016
Look out into the sky
Oh, the beauty!
Can you see the clouds,
The bright blue sky?
Can you see the stars,
The infinite universe?
Do you see the sun, shining so bright?
Do you see the moon glowing with glory?
At day we toil and labour under the fiery sun.
And when the sun falls and the moon rises,
We relax under the soothing light of the moon.
Why is the sun so cruel and the moon so caring?
The sun is our punishment for sin and pride
And the moon is our rest, our salvation from the fiery sun.
Do we endure the days of the sun
or must we reconcile to gain the night of the moon?
We must see the beauty and become the beauty for all the earth.
For beauty is found in sin and pride, but also in rest.
Lunar Light
by Ashley Mell | 2016
How bright you do shine,
Satellite of earth, measurement of time.
Your opaque body makes me wonder,
How many years till my soul goes under?
Maybe not years, but days perhaps,
How much time before the immense collapse?
Just as you rise and set against the sun,
My heart does the same, beginning to run.
Away - what a word - away from here,
What is it that I seem to hear?
A call from above, without a sound,
What calls to me is your light, profound.
The illumination is too great,
I have to follow, I cannot wait.
My life will be better, with you in the sky.
Nothing will matter if I decide to fly.
Frozen
by Katrina Zientarski | 2015
The air is bitter. The wind cuts through my jacket. We run inside so that we don't freeze solid and become part of the overlooked winter scenery.
Winter so small
by Katie Brosky | 2016
Trees, leaves, birds, and bees,
Enjoy the months of sun,
But the sun will fade, to winter days,
Where it’s not so fun,
Crops will die, and warmth will die, and time will die,
BUT
What is alive is love.
Couples will be found, all around,
Amongst the winter snow,
Singing, and playing, and especially kissing
Under the mistletoe,
Yet the snow will melt, and couples will have felt,
Its time to call an end,
For this love, is a seasonal love,
But will spark again.
The Goddess
by Katie Brosky | 2016
Black were her hair and gown,
Long were her limbs,
Her nails stretched nations wide,
With fingers so slim,
Her eyes reflected the stars,
And her lips a deep red,
Her heart held the sorrows,
Of the faithful departed,
Her skin so pale,
A snow could not compare,
A beautiful crown of carnations,
Sewn within her hair,
She smelled of incense,
As she floated above my bed,
“Why me?” I questioned,
Confined to my own head,
With a puff, she blew into my eyes,
A fatal dust,
For I never woke up among the living,
But among the dead, I shall rust.
Small in size, big at heart
by Hannah Kaupinis | 2015
The Cat
A Nimble creature
Fur soft as feathers
Soft features
Sweet as can be
Chasing the birds
From tree to tree
Tricky creature the cat can be
But yet fascinated by a ball of yarn
The cat eats food from a can
Not from the ground
Dinner time seems to be
The only time they come around
Small in size
Yet big at heart
They come with a love
That will never break a part
The Tiger
Bold and Daring
Sleek features
Hypnotizing eyes
Like gems that can captivate you for hours
Big in size even bigger at heart
The fur they have is amazing art
Tigers make their home in the jungle
Down hiding among the trees
Waiting to strike on any creature that they see
Orange, black, and white are the colors that they wear
Majestic creatures none can compare
Digital Artwork by Tom Wildenhain | 2016 and Anne Wildenhain | 2011
anonymous
Jewel
by Lauren Villella | 2014
The ocean knows a secret
I would not dare to tell
In its ghastly hollows
Swim skeletons
Lucent jewels
And lost glints of youth
Sunk smoothly in its depths
Tragedy reigns
In the ocean
That knows a secret
A secret I would
Not dare to tell
Because I am
The secret
That you see
Every time you
Close your eyes
I am the secret
That whispers to you
At dusk
And strangles you
Before the first
Break of dawn
I am the secret
That dwells in silence
Cradled by the ocean
My own home at last
That home that claimed me
The home that is me
In every sunken pore
I am the secret
That swims
Kept afloat by
Your selfish desires
Wanting me back
Needing me there
But I am the
Ocean’s daughter
Its fabled secret
Its bright new
Jewel at last
The one it can
Finally call its own
The one it hides
With selfish fervor
Just beyond the light
Just beyond your grasp
From your forgotten
Voice that screams,
‘I loved you all along’
Our lives are like waves; they go up and down but eventually fall into place.
Photograph by Anneliese Balog | 2016
Free Verse
by Daniel Bigley | 2018
A poem created
To teach, to inspire
To imagine, to convey.
The simplest, yet
Most beautiful form
Of writing. It is the stem
That branches off into
Millions of ideas and emotions,
The amount of which
Rival the number of
Stars in the sky.
There cannot be limits on
Its complex simplicity,
Its raging love,
Its spiteful hate.
Raw, pure emotion
As well as
Cold, unabridged truth
Combine to form
This.
Psalm: Praise / Thanksgiving
originally submitted by sophomores in Mr. Fox's religion class
Family, God, Friends.
O Lord, how I thank you
for my loving family,
who guide me through every
day life.
O Lord, Thank you for loving me
unconditionally,
and forgiving me for my sins.
O Lord, Thank you for blessing
me with the gift of beautiful
friendships that help
me flourish into the person
you made me to be.
Pslam
by Becca Volz | 2017 and Sarah Green | 2017
originally submitted for Mr. Fox's religion class
My God, My God, I'm sorry.
I walked away from your love.
You abandoned me in my time of need
and left me out to dry.
I feel so alone.
I feel like a failure.
I feel like no one cares.
I feel like I am not wanted.
I need you back
To watch my back
And guide me on my way.
I need you everyday.
I need your light.
I need your help.
I need you in my life.
I need you.
Photograph by Joel Patterson | 2016
Seagull
by Rachel Hildebrand | 2016
Salty smell against your lips.
Toes squishing in the sand.
Refreshing breeze whips through your hair.
Rhythmic sound of waves hitting the shore.
Far out in the distance, sea and sky meet.
So close you feel as if you could reach up and touch the heavens.
Infinite, like you could walk on water.
Swim and have no need to return for air.
You spread your arms along the coast.
Feel the sea breeze run through your open palms.
Soul one with God.
As if you were flying, with the free seagull above.
Photograph by Joel Patterson | 2016
Beyond Earth
by Lauren Kanavy | 2016
Sometimes I wonder if there's more than just this,
Past our planet and beyond an impossible distance.
Through a wormhole deeper than any abyss,
Humanity will encounter a whole new existence.
Will their planet howl with an icy purpose?
Or blaze with a heat that cannot be reckoned?
Perhaps a vast ocean covers its surface,
Gargantuan waves crashing each second.
Are they confined to bodies, have they been bested?
Maybe the physical is not a ruling king.
They are infinite beings, gods manifested,
The universe is a mere puppet on their strings.
But this wealth of knowledge remains forbidden,
Long as that wormhole persists to be hidden.
Photograph by Mark Shorthouse | 2015