A Selection of Student Poetry from
The 2013 Palm Beach County
Middle School Poetry Competition
~ Guest Judges ~
Richard Blanco
Anastasia Clark
Glenis Redmond
Virgil Suarez
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~ Dedication ~
I am pleased to present the winning entries for the 2013
Palm Beach County Middle School Poetry Competition.
Congratulations to all the students who submitted poems
for consideration, and a special congratulation to the
winners.
In addition to the poetry competition, this year there was a
competition for the cover design and bookmark.
Congratulations to Laura Francois of Palm Springs Middle
School for her winning cover design and to Maria Valenti,
also of Palm Springs Middle School, for her bookmark
design. Congratulations as well to Ms. Yorston, their art
teacher.
Thank you to Love 4 One Another Charities for their
ongoing generous support, without which the Competition
would not continue.
This book is dedicated to the students who are published
herein and those who inspired them.
Laura Costello, Director
Palm Beach County Middle School Poetry Competitiom
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~ Judges’s Choice ~
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Richard Blanco
Richard Blanco, the 2013 inaugural poet, was "made in
Cuba, assembled in Spain, and imported to the United
States"—meaning that his mother, seven months pregnant,
and the rest of the family arrived as exiles from Cuba to
Madrid where he was born in 1968, before they emigrated
to the United States, settling in Miami. Blanco is the author
of four previous poetry collections including, most
recently, Looking for the Gulf Motel, and is the winner of
the PEN/Beyond Margins Award. He lives in Bethel, Maine.
7
This poem’s images are spectacularly crisp and original.
They evoke a sense of reverence and power that engulfs
the reader into to moment. A very quiet moment made
spectacular by the poet’s keen eye and figurative language
The Forest
The sailboat settles into a nest of brittle branches
placed there by hands unseen
The twilight sky vanishes silence
and plants whistle their moonlight call
Sails flutter freely with the breeze
and shadows of the forest paint the boat,
hiding it from the dangers in the bay,
growing and shrinking with the stars of the night
Twinkling stars shine like pearls
reflecting off the ebony leaves and back again
A beam of pink glow calls sunlight
to the middle of the sky, telling the moon to move on and
invite the new day
Yellow paint from the boat shines,
mocking the sun
and emerald grasses squirm with the dying wind
The night belongs to the forest
Isabella Montelongo
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Costello ~ 6th Grade
8
I am struck by the poem’s use of extended metaphor—how
the tiger represents so much more that a tiger. Great use
of figurative meaning. And the poem closes with perfect
pitch and at the perfect moment.
The Tiger’s Jungle
It is said his stripes mark the years of pain.
His eyes are split with worry
And yellow with shame.
He prowls through the jungle of life,
Growling at anyone who comes near.
No one dares enter his heart;
He lives on cries and fear.
He is a mystery to figure
But worth a try.
Who can find the key
To his mind?
He keeps it shut like a chest,
Even closed from himself.
The jungle is too loud,
Too dangerous to tangle.
His fangs are dull with loneliness,
And he doesn’t sleep at night.
He doesn’t trust a soul.
The chest is still sealed tight.
But sometimes,
When the jungle is quiet,
And the night is cool,
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He takes refuge by the falls,
And stares at his reflection.
Who am I?
A man stares back through water,
But the tiger still hides inside.
Hannah Butcher
Bak Middle School of the Arts
Ms. Samons ~ 7th Grade
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Anastasia Clark
Anastasia Clark is the author of several full-length poetry
books and numerous chapbooks, including Confetti
Stampede, released in 2013 by Finishing Line Press. She
has served as Broward County Poet-in-Residence for four
years, producing many community based poetry projects.
She describes poetry as "the only way to breathe."
11
This poem stands out because of its bold imagery, original
theme and use of poetic devices such as rhyming quatrains
and personification. This is the type of poem that one will
always remember. Very original, fun to read and yet,
poignant. Bravo!
Flight of the Fruit
Dangling on a green rope, I bask in the sun
Off my orange rind the rain runs
On a windy day I buffet in the breeze
When it freezes, I wheeze
I’ve been here forever, all four seasons
But for some unfathomable reason
I feel my stem being stretched
The pain, I feel the need to retch
But then I’m freed
I was taken from my home tree indeed
I am placed in a container, hard and plastic
The change I’m going through is drastic
Suddenly, gravity pulls and I plummet to my demise
But I land in a larger container, this one I despise
More and more of my family are falling on me
They crowd around like paparazzi
The darkness is closing in
No mobility, I’ve been stuck by a pin
Forever, it seemed we were stuck there
Then finally I breathed in fresh air
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My kin and I are roughly grasped
The calloused hands are a throttling clasp
I try to cry out for help
Only my kind understood my yelps
For the second time that day I fell
Edging ever closer to the jaws of hell
I’m suddenly ripped apart, maimed
My outer shell comes off leaving me ashamed
I lose my solid shape
My seeds escape
When it’s over I feel like the rain
Fluid, wet, with no more pain
I am put into a bottle
Inside it, I uncertainly waddle
I guess this is my new home
A cap is twisted on top and I am truly alone
Liam McGuire
Bak Middle School of the Arts
Ms. Samons ~ 8th Grade
13
Keen imagery! Economical and refined use of words. Well
planned. Deliberate. Excellent message. Love the very last
two lines of this poem!
The Lake
blue sky bleeds
into the lake
while trees dangle
on the edge
sparkling diamonds
glitter
sailors sail across
to the other side
children play games
while fishermen catch
their favorite fish
sunset comes
people leave
no more kids
silence fills the lake
and beyond
Genesis Martinez
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Elliot ~ 6th Grade
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Great imagery! “Moldy trophy/gold faded to a light
brown” is the essence of this moving poem about life. Full
of emotion and insight. Consonance keeps it rolling!
Broken
Soggy boxes,
cardboard drooping slowly,
lazily reveals its contents
Moldy trophy
gold faded to a light brown.
Lost accomplishments,
reminisces of past wins, losses,
and friendships
slowly rot away
Wooden airplane
propellers bent
sagging body dreams of
life spent flying through the skies
in a child’s imagination
Past memories
best friends
dying,
forgotten and
packed in that old cardboard box
Michael Wang
Bak Middle School of the Arts
Ms. Samons ~ 8th Grade
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Glenis Redmond
Glenis Redmond is a native of Greenville, South Carolina.
She is a Road Poet as she tours eight months out of the
year. She is a former Poetry Slam Champion and
completed an MFA in Poetry at Warren Wilson College.
She is a North Carolina Literary Fellowship Recipient from
the North Carolina Arts Council and a Kennedy Center
Teaching Artist. Her latest book of poetry is titled Under
the Sun.
Glenis Redmond, Poet-in-Residence
State Theatre, New Brunswick, NJ
The Peace Center for the Performing Arts,
Greenville, SC
17
I found this poem successful, because of the poet’s use of
personification. The images come to life with these lines: a
mottled monster of trash floats, silver monsters tower, the
tallest of buildings slice into blue nothing etc… This poem
though full of action is quite quiet while it is busy depicting
not just the end of the day, but a statement about the
world. With the gaze focused on these specific scenes an
undercurrent of loneliness and sorrow takes the poem
over. The poet does a wonderful job by letting these
images speak.
End of Day
A mottled monster of trash floats
Cutting the orange, red, blue river that
Dances with the traffic on the surface
Silver monsters tower over the
Looming lights, nudging the sun
To change its course
One lone bus drifts by
And the surrounding sounds
Spread over the weary workers
The tallest building slices
Into the blue nothing
To lock out the setting sun
A shadow on a black window
Makes a building look
Like the shadow on the bright moon
The sun sets
But it’s too soon
People have not gotten home
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The sun takes its last breath
Waiting for the arrival
Of the lone bus
But the bus drives by
To go to the quiet place
Where buses go
Brady Hess
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Costello ~ 6th Grade
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This work could go untitled, because of the terrific work
that is taking place in the body of the poem. The poet’s eye
is on the boredom and the routine of work, but the poem
itself is anything but boring. There are surprising and
refreshing lines that wake the reader. They are: as you
chop off the heads/ of tiny, helpless blades of grass and the
last line, the poetic clincher: until you retire and get
replaced/ by another sharper pencil tip. I salute the
slyness of this poem and applaud the skillful use of wit and
sarcasm.
A sarcastic view of work
Work is the excruciating boredom
that comes between
sleeping hard
and playing hard
It’s the pools of sweat
that run down you back
as you chop off the heads
of tiny, helpless blades of grass
as the sun punishes you for your sins
It’s what comes before you can stand
and look at the painting you just created
or lucky you, the memo you just drafted
or even the PowerPoint on meaningless statistics
that lulls your co-workers to sleep
like a mother to her child
Work
that mean old crutch
but don’t just sit in your pool of grievances
typing out a draft
or plugging in random numbers
as the stack of papers get taller
and watching as the minutes of your life blink away
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on the old Windows XP system
realize
that life is a pencil tip
and work is writing with it
turning your life
dull and meaningless
until you retire and get replaced
by another sharper pencil tip
Michael Wang
Bak Middle School of the Arts
Ms. Samons ~ 8th Grade
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I like the poetic gaze of this poet especially when the line
of vision goes from the external to the internal landscape.
The poet first directs us to look at lake house that has been
neglected over time. Then the poem evolves into much
more as the poet metaphorically shows and tells us that
light and love makes all things possible. Stanza 3 is the
poem at its best. If a soul braved enough to enter open the
small screen door. In other words, if we enter our own
ramshackle cottages there is a possibility, if we are brave
enough and work hard enough, we can resurrect joy.
The Lake House
The aged ramshackle cottage
Rests itself beside the small lake
The walls that were once painted light blue show decay
It sways, it dances eerily within the night
Creaking to its own
Long forgotten beat
If a soul braved to open the small screen door
The musty smell of wood polisher and rotten wood would
Rush to the face like an animal finding the food of life
The ancient blue lake house sits alone
The dark forest and chattering squirrels keeping it
company
Waiting
Waiting for a new jubilant owner
To come and fill it with the
Simple joy of life
Jonathon Lee
Bak Middle School of the Arts
Mr. Felt ~ 8th Grade
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Virgil Suarez
All this year’s poems showed competence, and I think the
talented is represented well in your schools and school
district. I really enjoyed all the poems this year. If I had to
make one general recommendation to all the poets it is to
simply keep layering in more visuals, more details, more
descriptions. Make your worlds more palpable. My
congratulations and best wishes to all these developing
and wonderful poets.
Virgil Suárez, Professor of English
Creative Writing at FSU
English Department
The Florida State University
23
I really liked the atmosphere and the mood of this poem,
not to mention all the details. Very visual, imagistic. I
really like the quatrains, the line breaks. This poem
reflects a talent here, someone whose voice is still
developing, but they already have eyes on what is
important about paying attention in the
world. Congratulations to this poet and her poem.
The Voyage
Ladies with broad, frilly skirts
and haughty faces,
noble men with shiny shoes
and dapper suits
Wide ocean views,
flowers for your muse,
and grand shows that enthuse,
are promised on the cruise
Couples on the dance floor
glide and twist
with elegant accessories
fancy parasols and lacy fans
Venturing out
into the sunlight
they begin to see
the ships in the harbor
Knowing this journey
is nearly over
they wave their goodbyes
to the ocean of vast size
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And the people
with whom they have made ties
to go back
to their daily lives
Ashley Paul
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Costello ~ 8th Grade
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I like the images, and the narrative drive behind this poem.
I wish there would have been more development on what
this lakehouse represents to the persona in the poem.
Good details, good moments.
The Lakehouse
We pulled up in the driveway
Under the moon’s soft white glow
Our feet crackled on the gravel
On the way to the door
One foot at a time
Left, right, left, right
From the driveway to the smooth cement sidewalk
We found the key under the door
We sleepily opened the aged screen door
And surreally walked in the house
The sound was muffled and the air was thick
As we shuffled towards our bed
We slipped into musty smelling blankets
And closed our heavy eyes
Lying there waiting for
The clutches of sleep to take us
Jonathon Lee
Bak Middle School of the Arts
Mr. Felt ~ 8th Grade
26
Excellent mood, and meditation. I think this poem is on its
way there. My recommendation to the poet is simply to
put more of himself in it. I'd like to have move visuals and
descriptions of the pigeon. Again, this poem has great
potential.
Life
The pigeon sits still,
It sees joy,
But then the joy crumbles,
Sadness and fear attack the poor thing,
Then overwhelmed, the pigeon is gone,
It fell from the branch,
Despair and depression,
This causes a dead stop,
But the cycle continues,
Rebirth in a style none shall know,
This is life,
A cycle that can’t be stopped,
Nor can it end
Ryan Huang
Bak Middle School of the Arts
Ms. Alonso ~ 6th Grade
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~ Student Poems ~
29
the cat
watched the boy
wondering
why so sad
the boy
stared out the window
hair disheveled
in faded yellow pajamas
his hands
cupping his ears
as if
he did not want to hear
and the cat
with perked ears
tried
to comfort him
with petite paws
longing to help
and say
everything’s going to be fine
outside
gloomy shadows
hide
behind bushes
inside
a light glows pink
and the boy wishes the day
erased
Skyler Wheeler
Palm Spring Middle School
Ms. Costello ~ 6th Grade
30
A Light to the Darkness
I crept into the night,
with my hood down weary,
where was that wise-old , light fairy?
Venturing now into the depths of its black,
treacherous throat,
I wonder what this journey might provoke.
Who am I?
I cry with a voice so eager
The wind only whistles the creatures so meager.
Shadows dance and prance about,
mocking my sorrow without a doubt.
For the fairy,
Oh! How very, clever she is!
I open my heart,
The words come true,
Oh, please!
Wise fairy, what do I do?
Merissa Chu
Bak Middle School of the Arts
Ms. Alonso ~ 6th Grade
31
The Dark
If you close your eyes,
then you might just notice the dark.
But, you might see something different
if you let your mind think far.
Don’t use your eyes.
All you need is an imagination.
Don’t think too much.
That’ll cause aggravation.
You might see a whole other place.
With unique people living in unique ways.
Or perhaps maybe your biggest wish.
In the dark it is as “black’ as pitch,
But in the dark all your problems
can be fixed.
Cody Eloi
Boca Raton Middle School
Ms. Sapio ~ 8th Grade
32
Arthur Ashe
There once was a tennis player
By the name Arthur Ashe
Who won lots of tournaments
And made a lot of cash
He faced many problems
But wasn’t going to give up
He wanted to keep going
Until the discrimination stopped
He started a tennis program
Called NJTL
For underprivileged children
That had a lot to tell
This program brought together children
Of all race, size, and age
But he didn’t stop there
He also fought AIDS
Arthur Ashe was a social activist
Who went out of his way
To give the kids
A home to stay
We can’t thank him enough
For all that he has done
He has given us all
A place to have fun
Arthur Ashe will always
Live on in our lives
Not just as a hero
But as a person who strives
Asma’a Shalabi
H. L. Watkins Middle School
Ms. Turner ~ 6th Grade
33
A Fork in the Road
I was born on this Earth to tell a story
A story that moved people's hearts
A story that is unique
And my story is just beginning
I am an innocent bystander looking in
watching society as it build and crumples
right in front of our eyes
I have realized that wishes don't always come true
and things don't always go my way
and I know that
but I take it as a challenge
I am determined to make my dreams a reality
There is no rewind button in life
so I don't waste time on the
Should have
Could have
Would haves
And more on what I
Should do
Can do
And will do
Our lives will continue to be a balancing act
Forced to pick between love and surrender
A fork in the road
Leading to two separate locations
Both leaving us with a question
Which one will you take?
Mai-Brie Conklin
Bak Middle School of the Arts
Ms. Alonso ~ 6th Grade
34
Football
Football is my life
It can be dangerous as a knife
But if you have fun
Anything can be done
Every minute of it
Is worth every hit
Every touch of the ball
Makes me recall
That makes football my soul
Brandon Norman
Boca Raton Middle School
Ms. Sapio ~ 8th Grade
35
Gone
Where's my boy?
He has no toys
There is no plane
Coming down the lane
I knew I should have never put him on that plane
Now I'm filled with sorrow and shame
They said it was okay
But I'm left here to stay
I have to go home
Now I'm all alone
The jets failed
In the middle of the hail
My little boy was only six
He had just learned to catch and throw sticks
I miss him so very much
I guess I'm out of luck
Breen Kiel
Boca Raton Middle School
Ms. Sapio ~ 8th Grade
36
Life Unbiased
Spanning across this vast land
People studying, researching about life
Explicably describing what sees Man
However gross or astonishing what man sees
Others wait, others wonder
While these men lay siege
These men experiment and plunder
Upon what He, the Lord placed in front of them
What might he find as he tampers with God’s will
Or the will of all of Mankind
Over time the drones of Man have the time to kill
When others of the advanced variety use that time to
tinker
Tinkering with the questions of the Universe
Einstein, Hawking, Newton, and even more yet
Have helped Man discover what would seem impossible in
this Universe
A lonely planet, where those Scientists who still remain
utterly,
Unbiased
Collin O’Neill
Independence Middle School
Ms. Lukasik ~ 8th Grade
37
I think about it
All of it
It be falling
It be flying
It all comes and goes
Like the current of the river
Or the waves that bring the lost back
Whether grain or stone
It all ends up the same
Lost in the whirlpool where all is equal
All is the same in
The currents of the lost
Seth Ackerman
Poinciana Day School
Ms. Shaw ~ 8th Grade
38
School Starts
The bell rings for school to start
I rush to my class, first comes art
We work on our calendar
For one full hour
The bell rings again, time for class
Next it is time for math
We work on decimals, fractions and percents
Next is reading, where time flies
But the clock on the wall still got eyed
Next is world history
What we learned is a mystery
We just played board games,
Like “The Eye of Flames”
When science comes around
We learn about Mercury town
When the bell rings for gym
We learn how to swim
Then we learn about France
Suddenly the bell rings,
And I get ready for dance
Emma Romano
Polo Park Middle School
Ms. Sitting ~ 6th Grade
39
Memoires of the Holocaust
We are dead
We are gone
Only our shoes remain
We are dead
We are gone
They called this place humane
One by one they left
On the train in black of night
No one could escape
Sadness mixed with fright
Sickness and famine spread throughout the camps
Many, many, many died
Only a few of the lucky ones lived
While music and art kept their souls alive
We are the final generation
To meet the survivors
People pretend it did not happen
But the knowledge sweeps the nations
Tayla Youngblood
Bak Middle School of the Arts
Ms. Alonso ~ 6th Grade
40
Theater
You found me when I was just a little kid
Brought me in and gave me a second home
Welcomed me with a family of friends
Gave me my time in the spotlight
Let me express my emotions
Made me feel like I was safe
You helped me through the toughest times
I learned skills no one else could teach
Courage, self-confidence, and dedication
I’ve now recognized what my dreams are
To be with you for the rest of my life
24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days a year
You are my all, my everything
What more could one person want?
Without you my weekends would be such a drag
Lying in bed with nothing to do
But that is not me I have something special
A bond made with theater that is unbreakable
Like a circle, the bond will never end
Jessica Thurber
Eagles Landing Middle School
Ms. Brier ~ 7th Grade
41
The Lake
A walk down the rugged path
He sees reds, blues, yellows
Then stops to rest on a dull stone
He watches peacocks strut
And volcanoes sputter lava
Palm trees drop coconuts
And a man plays the flute
Ominous clouds blanket the lake
And the peacocks scurry to their nest
Night falls
And colors seem to fade into one
Wade Parker
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Costello ~ 6th Grade
42
Start Anew
I would say that my love has grown
But then again I must say the only wish I have is to not
grow
My withered sole cannot stand the growing pain
Though I am young my heart is old
I know pain, I know loss
But I have broken through the wall many times
Now my arms are tired, my heart is numb
I cannot love any more
I am scared I will crack
I may crumble and fall
My heart may break, and slip away
So I must wait, for my soul to heal
So I can start anew, and love again
.
Maggie Sperry
Bak Middle School of the Arts
Ms. Carey ~ 8th Grade
43
What Would It Be Like To Live On Mars?
Would it be scary or funny?
Would it be cold or snuggly?
Would Martians be nice?
Would they be like mice?
Or would they be more like us?
I better know soon,
'cause I'm getting close to the moon.
I'll tune in,
They're green and have one fin.
Martians are definitely
different from you and me
Gabrielle Thaw
Polo Park Middle School
Ms. Sitting ~ 6th Grade
44
All I want is to go home
Cold eyes, filled with nostalgia
Only yearbooks and photos,
Are left to caress my soul.
Home is not too far
But not close enough to grasp.
I love my friends here
But was not there for early memories.
I do not feel left out or lonely
Just homesick.
All I want is to go home
Jake Greenberg
Independence Middle School
Ms. Lukasik ~ 8th Grade
45
Light a candle
don’t curse the darkness
but why do even that?
just dance with the darkness
don’t banish it from your sight
there is no need for light
when your mind is filled with music
and your heart sways to the rhythm
just dance with it
I know the rain seems like a pain
but listen to the pitter patter of the rain drops
and dance to the beat,
dance with the darkness
and dance with the rain
just dance with it.
Lily Thoman
Bak Middle School of the Arts
Ms. Alonso ~ 6th Grade
46
The Choice
Joyful,happiness
A smile
A hint of laughter
Grief, Misery
A frown
A tear shed
Which one are you
Some wonder,
Some figure it out
The choice is yours
Kathryn Kirchman
Boca Raton Middle School
Ms. Sapio ~ 8th Grade
47
Tumblr
When you see the big “T”
you know the bloggers are there
The kings and queens of the web
posting the best of the best
We’re all brothers and sisters
together on the blogging paradise
to escape from the cruel world
We’re the same
like two new born twins
We understand each other
we’re always there
For a joke blog
or a self-esteem blog
we always come together
The pictures that bring us to tears
or the gifs that make us beg for air
We can reblog anything and everything
and it’s all thanks to our God
Tumblr-daddy
Savior
David Karp
Felicia Tucker
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Costello ~ 8th Grade
48
Into the light
We all must follow or
the darkness swallows
Emanuel St. Aubin
Western Pines Middle School
Ms. Sall ~ 7th Grade
49
For The Love of Hockey
The game of hockey is never a bore,
Its especially exciting the moment you score.
Hockey is not a game for the weak,
You must be fit and quick on your feet.
Putting the puck in the net makes you feel like a hero,
Missing the net makes you feel like a zero.
You must play the game as a team,
If you want to achieve your dream.
The game is physical all night,
But it gets ugly when there is a fight.
We battle and battle to get the puck,
It is a true game of skill, not only luck.
The roar of the crowd is exciting and loud,
Motivating you to do well so you can be proud.
Some play for money, some play for fame,
I simply play for the love of the game.
Tyler Lilly
Independence Middle School
Ms. Lukasik ~ 8th Grade
50
America
What is America?
A free country
A home for all races and religions
A place that I honor
The home of baseball
A place where an eagle stands strong
Where the Statue of Liberty stands tall
A flag with thirteen stripes and fifty stars
A giant stone wall, with four carved faces
Where the Golden Gate Bridge carries cars
A great home for me
That is America!
Canaan LaParche
Palm Spring Middle School
Ms. Jarzabkowski ~ 6th Grade
51
Down Here
Moving away was a hard task
It’s a fact that I hate this place
Saying goodbye to my friends
That I have known for years
And moving to a place where I feel weird
I barely talk down here
I cannot deny
Doing nothing all day
Living such a boring life
Most smoke and drink down here
But me, I’m not about that life
I don’t really know anyone down here
Living every day with a blank face at school
Waking up every day thinking about school
This life I’m living makes me feel like a tool
Down here I’m sad and gloomy
And
Up there I was happy and cool
Shayne Clark
Boca Raton Middle School
Ms. Sapio ~ 8th Grade
52
Life is so Fragile
A little west of love
People believe
A body and a soul
Working together long and wearily
A heart beatingLung breathingHead thinkingAnd feet tapping
Life is love
And love is lifeA body working together
Day and night
Zachary Moskowitz
Bak Middle School of the Arts
Ms. Alonso ~ 6th Grade
53
Mother Goose and the iPad
There once was an old mother goose
Who’s screws were very much loose
She was playing on her iPad one day
When her children wanted to go outside and play
“Mother, Mother, can we go see
That bird’s nest with cardinals up high in tree?”
“Not now, sweetie, I’m hitting green pigs
With helmets on and suspended on twigs!”
There was a knock at the door
Then it fell to the floor
After the door had been bust
A shape emerged out of the dust
It was the sly old fox
Who everyone mocks
Because the food that he eats
Tastes no better than feet
It comes out of the trash
Then goes to his mouth in a flash
As he gnaws on the bones
He wines and he moans
“I’M HUNGRY!” he roars with his fists held high
“PREPARE TO KISS YOUR LIVES GOOD-BYE!”
“I’LL EAT YOU ALL IN ONE BIG GULP
I’LL DRINK YOUR BLOOD WITH A SLUP AND A SLURP!”
All of the geese ran any which way
Except for Mother Goose, who still wanted to play
She dragged her finger across the screen
Unaware of her children’s blood-curdling screams
“Just one minute!” she yelped
As all of her children cried out for help
54
The sly fox chased her children all through the halls
But Mother Goose was still engulfed in the Angry Birds’
calls
As she launched a red bird to beat her high score,
Three of his wolf children burst through the door!
One wolf child took her iPad away
And when he did, Mother protested like a toddler, “HEY!”
When she looked up, she saw her house was a mess
All of her children were eaten, so she had to confess
She knelt down and cried at the foot of the stairs
“They showed me the signs, but I didn’t even care!
“Never again should I be so absurd
With such an addicting game like Angry Birds!”
Gillian Gouveia
Polo Park Middle School
Ms. Sitting ~ 6th Grade
55
Remember When
Do you remember that night,
I knew it was right,
Watching scary movies holding me so tight.
Do you remember that day,
We made you stay,
Running in the rain near the bay.
Do you remember when we first met,
Being pushed in the pool,
Getting soaking wet,
Because we lost the bet.
Do you remember the night you left,
There was a theft,
You stole my heart,
And I couldn’t start,
To remember when.
Corena Vlahakis
Boca Raton Middle School
Ms. Sapio ~ 8th Grade
56
The Sea
Ocean wind blows back my hair,
The scent of salt floats in the air,
Sun beats down on my face ,
Soft, a butterfly's trace.
I dance and twirl on the sand,
Grains land lightly on my hand,
In Mother Nature’s arms,
A warm summer breeze,
Blows me away, into the sea.
The waves crash above my head,
As I wait for it all to end,
I'm thrown like a feather, into the clouds,
Then down, down, down!
I smack in the water,
As I am lifted to the sun,
And I wait for heaven to come,
But no, just a boat in the sea,
Waiting, waiting for me.
Finnley Senese
Bak Middle School of the Arts
Ms. Alonso ~ 6th Grade
57
Forest
The forest floor is covered,
In all these broken leaves.
I step over them,
And see that the day is almost gone.
I should return home,
But the autumn breeze draws me back.
The trees beckon me into their world,
And I follow.
Scary shapes in the shadows,
My heart beats faster,
And faster.
So I stop, and return home.
I go back the next day,
And find it was not as bad as it seemed.
The night haunts the minds of many,
But you only need to see the light to realize your fears are
not there.
Casey Wilbanks
Independence Middle School
Ms. Lukasik ~ 8th Grade
58
STUD (Student Tempered Undaunted Diplomacy)
I am a young and positive student trying to make a
difference
There’s violence all around me, so I got to be different.
It’s my goal to help stop all the violence,
So, I know in my heart I can’t be silent.
To deal with the loud mouths, cold-hearted crazies,
I got to be a STUD.( student tempered undaunted with
diplomacy)
I’m a student first, because education is the key.
It takes you from the streets, to the places you want to be.
Tempering, an ongoing process that gives, balance to you.
It keeps you out of trouble and from feeling so blue.
Undaunted means, I’m never scared!
To stand up for what’s right and without losing my head.
Diplomacy separates the ignorant from the learned.
Respect given is Respect earned.
Indeed, I am a young positive student trying to make a
difference.
I wish more would stop the non-sense.
Say No to violence, guns, and drugs.
Part ways with the thugs and join the STUDs.
Jaylen Thompson
Bak Middle School of the Arts
Ms. Alonso ~ 6th Grade
59
Beautiful
When you wear expensive clothes
All of a sudden you’re the center of attention
But when you wear “last season’s style,”
You’re left alone
A person is truly beautiful
When they go with their own style
They don’t care what they wear
As long as they are glamorous on the inside
What’s beautiful is:
Caring, kindness, self-control, responsibility,
Fairness, courage, respectfulness, and citizenship
All these character traits
Make you the most beautiful person
Ever
Erma Laborde
Palm Springs Middle School
Mr. Weagle ~ 7th Grade
60
November 21st 2009
There he lay on the floor
Shaking with pain and fear in his eyes
I thought to myself, “This cannot be”
Is he dying right in front of me ?
My eyes filled up with confusion inside
Wondering if I should just stand there or hide
“Is it my fault ?” I said to myself
I heard confusion with my sisters next-door
“Brianna, what’s going on ?” I heard
I couldn’t tell them, no not right now
“Just go call help,” I screamed out loud
No more moving as I see
Should I just let him be
I did nothing but cry and say his name
My dad rushed in and sent me away
I was confused and wondering how my mom would take
the news
She didn’t take it very well; she wanted to be left alone
November 21st 2009 was the day my grandpa died
Brianna Martin
Boca Raton Middle School
Ms. Sapio ~ 8th Grade
61
Inspiration
Inspiration,
Divine Influence
The power that draws to move
To be more than what you are in life
The warmth of the morning sun
Inspires
To start the day brand new,
Breathe fresh air
Go out and take chances,
To inspire
To desire
The good things
That wait to be held.
Inspiration is everywhere
Find it,
And you will see life is worth living
Endlessly
Jesus M. Perez
L. C. Swain Middle School
Ms. Henry ~ 8th Grade
62
The Battle
I looked to my left, and then looked to my right.
I noticed I was in battle; I had to fight.
At first, I thought it was just a dream,
When I found out it wasn’t, I wanted to scream.
I figured I should be brave as I looked my opponent in the
eye,
I was surprised to see that he wanted to cry.
I wondered how I was going to survive,
But no time for that, I had to revive.
Sabrina Maxime
Boca Raton Middle School
Ms. Sapio ~ 8th Grade
63
My Mom
There was this woman who carried me for nine months,
And I think she’s very tough,
To go through all that pain,
And have a hundred pound gain.
This woman and I had a magnificent bond,
That nobody could break ‘cause it was so strong,
She cared for me and I cared for her.
This woman was my mom,
The woman I loved.
The woman that cared for me,
The woman that shared with me.
This woman was my mom
She’s the person I’ve been waiting to see all along.
Markesha McGowan
Boca Raton Middle School
Ms. Sapio ~ 8th Grade
64
Cuba
To the people who live there it’s like a prison
They are locked up having nowhere to go
He lets only few people
Leave under his permission
Every day they wonder how family here is doing
They may be locked up,
But they celebrate with the family they have
They enjoy the view of the beautiful crystal water
Splashing around enjoying each and every second
The boys playing with trompos
The girls building sand castles on the shore
After a wonderful day at the beach
A pig is roasting and the music is on
Salsa plays through the speakers
One dancing with another
Soon the whole street is at the party
Celebrating what they have
But still seeking freedom.
Jazlyn Estevez
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Jarzabkowski ~ 6th Grade
65
The Company of Nine
A Company of nine on a quest
with the fate of their world in the balance,
Though they never would have guessed
their journey takes them over and under mountains,
Past parts of their world
that are a joy to see,
And others parts that many
would not dare to step foot near,
During the journey they make friends
willing to die for them,
And enemies willing to do the same
to see them dead,
The smallest of items that had caused the greatest of
kingdoms
to topple was nearing its end,
When the strength of great kingdoms
failed and the Wise could not foresee the outcome
The killing blow came
from the smallest and most unexpected of creatures.
John Edwards
Independence Middle School
Ms. Lukasik ~ 8th Grade
66
Into the woods the boy will go
What lies ahead he soon will know
With every step he thinks again
But he will not fear what’s at the end
He isn’t scared to stray from home
He isn’t scared to go alone
If something comes he’ll hold his ground
For he knows of the beasts that roam around
For there are beasts not known to men
In the forest which lies ahead
Louis DiRienzeo
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Costello ~ 6th Grade
67
One Dream
One dream
for my parent’s pride
One dream
for the times we’ve cried
One dream
that’s got to stay alive
I will survive
One dream
for the city street
One dream
for the hip-hop beats
One dream
oh I do believe
One dream
is all we need
Lizette Flowers
L. C. Swain Middle School
Ms. Henry ~ 8th Grade
68
The Chilling Columns
Moss hangs over tall,
sturdy columns
and the ladies circle
a dark, murky pool
Three wicker chairs,
but only two ladies…
The remnants of a teatime chat
three cups left on the table
One lady lies on a blanket of white,
floats in a dream
the other lady’s hat
on her chair.
The old lady stares to the distance
envisioning her actions,
her book
abandoned in her lap
And the cane
lies on the second
woman’s seat,
the culprit of it all
Ashley Paul
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Costello ~ 8th Grade
69
The wind bites at my skin.
The cold seeps into my bones.
I run. Faster. Faster.
I have to see him.
I remember we met for the first time in gym.
Tears in my eye.
They spill over the rim.
I turn the corner, almost there.
My legs burn.
I see him now.
Standing near the street.
I hear the echo of my pounding feet.
He is coming into focus, I slow down.
He picks me up and will not let me frown.
He holds me for a while.
He looks at me and I can’t help but smile.
He brushes my tears away with his thumb.
“I love you”
Alyssa Van Walleghem
Crestwood Middle School
Dr. Ealy ~ 8th Grade
70
Don’t care what they say
bridged out
fenced away
miles apart
but you still possessed my heart
we grow further apart day by day
my tears represented the call for you to stay
our time spent together I will reminisce
in my mind is a continual and violent hiss
from each other we were separated
for you I awaited
an undefeatable love
your words
were as sweet
as an angel
sent from above
Laura Francois
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Costello ~ 7th Grade
71
Life
Life is a Gift
It is a Thing to Enjoy
The way it works can ShiftIf treated like a toy
It lasts a long time
Although not forever
It might be Scary at the last chime
But you can avoid it if you are clever
With this, you can accomplish great things
But this power is unforgiving
You can be as awesome as the kings
Or lose the power of living
Life should be Respected
Like every living thing
It’s like a rocket being ejected
Without the scientists pulling your strings
Mikel Rollet
Bak Middle School of the Arts
Ms. Alonso ~ 6th Grade
72
The Way of Learning about the Natural World
From stars
that are the most enormous objects
my eyes will ever see
To atoms that make ants
feel like overpowering giants
roaming the Earth
We reach to the sky
to discover what lies beyond
the space area, expanding
For we and all matter are
already made of space,
we feel the hard, solid surfaces
The sounds behind
are nothing more
than waves floating with desire
Living in a Quantum world is
curiously
fascinating
The people who you’ve seen
but do not see, only exist
to you as a simple thought
No worries,
they may still be in your heart
This is science, amazing
Adreyn Roque
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Marcarian ~ 8th Grade
73
The Truth
In the dark white
I see a shadow
A shadow that glows
A shadow that cries
A shadow that will follow you into the night
Wherever you are
Wherever you fly
Wherever you choose to show your might
It will hurt you inside
It will look into your eyes
But it will not kill you
It will do to you
What you did to it
It will make you admit your lies
Tiago Lopes
Independence Middle School
Ms. Lukasik ~ 8th Grade
74
Imagine Dragons
Imagine dragons, Golden dragons
Golden dragons bursting with hubris
dragons that rely on brute strength and impenetrable
leather armor, weapons of pearly white teeth and black
talons sharp and long aided by a golden flame as hot as the
burning sun
Imagine dragons, Blue dragons
Blue dragons with keen minds, radiating with intelligence
dragons that rely on quick thinking and stealth weapons of
intelligence, armed with thin, sharp, pink pearly teeth and
talons with a breath of freezing ice or scalding water
Imagine dragons, Green dragons
Green smart, strong, and immensely kind dragons
dragons that rely on minimum strength, intelligence, and
strong emotions weapons of glossy white talons and sharp
teeth supported by a long strangulating tail, and
hypnotizing emerald green eyes
Now, imagine dragons, all dragons
Gold, Blue, Green, Purple, Black, White, Brown, Copper,
and Silver, all dragons, with polished scales and leather
bat-like wings, dragons with bright flames, frozen breath,
and profound intelligence
Now, imagine dragons, all dragons, in all their
magnificence
Maria Valenti
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Costello ~ 8th Grade
75
For Science
I really enjoy science.
It doesn’t have much defiance.
‘Cause it never truly lies,
But you always have to revise,
This wonderful world-wide appliance.
Nicholas Pipitone
Independence Middle School
Ms. Lukasik ~ 8th Grade
76
Clash of Swords
Brothers at arms,
Fighting side by side
Wives bid farewell,
To the husbands of war
It only takes a sword,
To takes a man’s life
The clash of men,
Means the clash of swords
For there is only one thing,
A bird cannot sing
From a battle cry of a soldier,
To the weeping of their families
It only takes the clash of swords,
To end a war, so their families can be in crisis no more
Kyle Grysban
L. C. Swain Middle School
Ms. Henry ~ 8th Grade
77
Life = Experience + Ambitions + Hope
A game with a goal
A path with two, three ways
A war that you lose but you earn
A drive with twists and turns
A chance that comes and goes
Day by day the cards slip out of your hands
You can’t grab hold of it
But every one you lose you gain one more
It starts out as a seed
Then grows and learns
One by one the leaves fall off
But another one sprouts
The bottle is draining,
But be wise with the amount you lose
‘Cause there might be no more
Once the last drop is gone
It is life
Full of regrets and anger
But it bears more filling
Than anything else
Sophia Zheng
Bak Middle School of the Arts
Ms. Alonso ~ 6th Grade
78
Unreal Brainpower
Imagination is a powerful tool,
It broadens the horizons of the mind.
It can perceive memories vividly,
Without a single thought left behind.
But some thoughts you think of
Are not as real as they seem…
Because perhaps the places (or things) you picture
Are only visible in your dreams.
Noah Musa
Boca Raton Middle School
Ms. Sapio ~ 8th Grade
79
The Ocean
The sea is like my home
In the cool, salty water
I never feel alone
When I swim in the water
I feel at peace
Like all is right in the world
And it’s in perfect harmony
I dive beneath the surface
Down to the bottom deep
Hoping to find some treasures
That I will forever keep
I float in the water
I swim in the sea
No one can be happier
In the sea than me
Mykalah Moore
Independence Middle School
Ms. Lukasik ~ 8th Grade
80
4,207 Miles
A bittersweet night
cold and dark
The only light my computer
the Quotev homepage refreshed
A popped up notification
announced a new comment
I was sad, lonely
but your words brought a smile
to my pale face
We talked and laughed
I never knew you’d be the reason
my tummy flutters
I never knew
on dark days you’d bring a smile to my face
You made me cry
happy and sad
the tears come
I’ve changed for the best
You’ve turned my life upside down
People say we’re wrong
that we’ll never make it
the we’re being dumb
but we don’t give up
Our love is pure, sweet
and keeps me going
I never knew
a girl could change everything
from 4,207 miles away.
Felicia Tucker
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Costello ~ 8th Grade
81
Mysterious Marvels
Dusty sculptures border the skyline
Why people visit these relics
is a mystery to this brain of mine.
Crumbling, creepy, stone foundations still standing,
for all time to beat down by sanding.
It is a marvel something simple is so strong,
maybe all those who take such things for granted are wrong.
Maybe these temples have secrets of their own,
and we are all waiting to be shown,
or maybe these are just buildings of stone,
resting for ages, for what they are known
taking the beating of generations to come,
seeking their secrets, of which we know none.
All answers are lost to the wind,
of all the Great Pyramids.
Moyra Stewart
Home School Student
8th Grade
82
Boy love
I’m in love
But does that mean he’s in love with me
No,
It hurts to not have
That person in my arms
Brokenhearted
Never ends
Cici Colon
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Scruggs ~ 6th Grade
83
The Things I Feel for Him Is Gone
There he is
Oh no, do I look good?
He is walking towards me
My heart skips a beat
1,3,5,6,7, it’s like a drum off beat
I look at him; he smiles
I smile back
I think he notices me
He walks to give me a hug
But he walks right by me
He gives the girl behind me a hug
Now all feelings and love for him
Is now gone forever
Bailey Davis
Boca Raton Middle School
Ms. Sapio ~ 8th Grade
84
Sneaky, Proud, Hostile
Sneaky
is a jaguar,
high in a tree looking for someone
to pounce on,
moving flawlessly through the leaves
keeping away from danger.
Proud
is a lion,
not caring what challenge it faces
trotting through the savanna grass
looking to put an animal in a cast.
Hostile
is a hippo,
ready to bite someone in half
in a second dangerous, and aggressive
ready to attack, striking
before thinking.
Jerry Hicks, Jr.
Watson Duncan Middle School
Ms. Green ~ 6th Grade
85
Raising
The sun raised into the
Moonlit sky
Brighter than ever
Flaming, orange, golden
Colors warm up the
Shadowy blue morning sky
Laying on the gritty ocean sand
Watching the sand blow
Watching my body slowly shiver
Watching the dark sky turn into light
People don’t know I’m here
I like being alone
With the words of people
Coming through my head
Changing my thoughts
I’m different than your average
Girl
The sun raised into the
Moon lit sky
Brighter than ever
Flaming, orange, golden
Colors warm up the
Shadowy blue morning sky
Laying on the gritty ocean sand
Jules Fox
Bak Middle School of the Arts
Ms. Samons ~ 8th Grade
86
In a forest, near Tampa
Wild animals roamed
Birds cawed, bears roared
Water dripped from a tree, quietly
The river raced on,
And animals came out to hunt
The sun rose, slowly
To meet the roosters loud cry
The tall trees leaves whispered in the slight breeze
The alligators swam in the swampy lake
While the scared fish darted away
Night time fell and animals went to sleep
Brian Copeland
Bak Middle School of the Arts
Ms. Alonso ~ 6th Grade
87
My Home
I have a home
forgetful of cool, wooden floors.
No painted concrete walls close me in.
No plain rooftops seal the sun away.
Sand massages my slow steps.
Salty sea air enfolds me in its motherly arms,
calming my worries,
and my fragile mind
is liberated of haunting thoughts.
Waves crash in harmony with the seagulls’ cry,
and crabs dance to their
underground burrows
forming a sweet symphony.
The sun sets in
its cradle beneath the horizon.
I’m without free will.
I have to leave.
A car light blinds
my sorrow-filled eyes,
people push me in their busy hustle,
and hostile city life pulls me in its trance.
I’ll be back.
Yasmin Fonseca
Palm Springs Community Middle
Ms. Costello ~ 8th Grade
88
Fall
Joyous trees dancing in the wind
I swing on a swing
The air more forceful than ever before
I run around, jumping in the leaves
The jolly trees have left these here for me
The beautiful leaves
Their color the same as my number two pencil
So bright and colorful
Almost like a new type of rainbow
My cheer fades as my dad decides to rake
I’ll see you on another windy day
That day is hopefully close by
Obviously, autumn is crawling away
Yet, I hope I see more leaves to leap in after today
I love fall and all the seasons
This one most of all
for many reasons.
Melissa Candales
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Martin ~ 6th Grade
89
The Man on the Moon
The man on the moon
Has a long, dark past
He would have told you
But you never asked
He threw a line out
And got nothing back
So before you start telling lies
You should check your facts
Rumors are what killed him
So now he is all alone
Sitting on the edge of the Earth
Nothing but skin and bones
He fell apart
And no one came to save him when we drowned
He lost his soul, his life, himself
He is lost, but never found
He casts his fishing line
Off the side of the moon
Whispering stories
About his death and doom
He can’t talk to anyone
Because they forgot his name
He’s just the man on the moon
With eyes filled with pain
Julia Bonavita
Bak Middle School of the Arts
Ms. Samons ~ 8th Grade
90
The Hadron
Stripped of my essentials
I am with without a home
There are many more beside me
But I am still alone
Accelerating faster
I am forced to the unknown
Maybe I’ll escape my fate
But I am still alone
Consumed by utter darkness
My sorrow hasn’t grown
Assured by a lack of choice
But I am still alone
I understand my purpose now
This awakening hard as stone
I fragment others just like me
Ending still alone
Connor Kearley
Independence Middle School
Ms. Lukasik ~ 8th Grade
91
Tears
I can feel the chill water
drip down
beads of fresh anguish
a salty waterfall tickling my chin
I let it trickle down
and watch it splatter against the cold,
unforgiving concrete
splintering
pure shards of glass
human emotions
are the most delicate
Raw emotion, not thoughts, but tears
a crook streams down my cheek
it is a meandering river
carrying its woes to the unknown
I make my ocean
it surrounds me
rivulets of tears
gush from my body
carrying away
my strength
my pride
but also
my despair
Michael Wang
Bak Middle School of the Arts
Ms. Samons ~ 8th Grade
92
The Aviary
A perfect little world,
Sun-drenched stones
Spreading from a little pool,
Lovebirds sing a sweet melody from high above.
Scarlet wings beat majestically
Keeping their owners in the air.
The bird feed jumps across the ground,
And a flock of rainbows falls to meet it.
Birds of paradise snap at the dry little seeds,
Rainbows reaching towards a pot of gold
As sunlight shines in through
Invisible glass walls,
Keeping the problems at bay.
Vinay Malut
Bak Middle School of the Arts
Ms. Samons ~ 8th Grade
93
Rainberry Lake
In the light of the lamp,
By Rainberry Lake,
She sat by the water,
As it began to wake.
She saw it creep up,
Almost to her foot,
She waited so patiently,
For it to bite the hook.
It tugged and tugged,
Pulling her near,
And with one BIG SPLASH,
Water was up to her ear.
She didn’t fight it once,
With the water drowning out her thoughts,
Never had much confidence,
She gave up.
Erin Fort
Carver Middle School
Ms. Tillman ~ 7th Grade
94
L O VE
D EATH
We remained,
For how long I do not know
I cannot tell,
A feeling
The ghost in the chair,
Inhuman sneer
His thin widening lips,
Assaulted me
And once I knew
This motionless
And diabolic figure
Made known its commands
By its eyes,
“Tear your heart,
Swear never again
Or I will ruin you
Utterly,
Not now,
Evermore.”
Caylla Martin
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Costello ~ 7th Grade
95
New Age
The people of the new age
squatting over wooden platforms
squeaking away with a peculiar instrument
on a thin white piece of paper
How strange
not in the fields
learning how to move the ground
and create food out of sweat and time
How strange
creating swirling shapes
talking to each other through this thin rod
How strange
that the New People
can create light
sound
and show past events
and create them
from scratch
How strange
that the Free People
can bend the world to their will
Flying across the skies
with no boundaries
for wherever they want to go.
How strange
to a Simple People
that in the future
we turn to gods?
Michael Wang
Bak Middle School of the Arts
Ms. Samons ~ 8th Grade
96
Breakfast
Days begin with a happy tummy
Sitting at the table
With a plate full of "Yummy!"
Scrambled eggs and French toast
It's what I crave the most
Not to forget
The delicious rest...
Warm oatmeal, chopped fruits
Fresh muffins with orange juice
PB & J and parfaits
There's so many to choose
Every single morning
Eight A.M.
I'll happily be feasting
In the kitchen
Lauran Guzman
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Bredeweg ~ 8th Grade
97
Greed is unintelligent
Love is blind
Hate hurts the most
Fear leaves you behind
Hope can’t always help
Adventure isn’t lying around the corner;
When many were here before you
Bravery mostly leads to violence
The top pushes you back down
1st place is almost never the one that worked truly hardest
Dreams only reach for the golden crown
Power goes to your head
Poor tugs at your heart
Sorry means what when smiling
Smiles may fade to a frown
But when you see the glass half full
And the night as bright as the day
When you see all humans equal
And drive all sorrow away
When the smiles are started by one
And the pain has stopped in all
You see the meaning of life
Whether you are rising or feeling
the cushion that broke your fall
Megan Tachev
Bak Middle School of the Arts
Ms. Alonso ~ 6th Grade
98
Pain
The boy looked with longing
And took his first few steps out
to the beginning of summer
He got on his bike with joy
The wheels turned as excitement ran through his body
Never knowing change was due to come
Grammy was there on the day I began
With hopes of our lives together
Joy from the beginning was evident upon her face
sharing life and all of its challenges
Every day was spent having fun
She was a rose, passionate, and sweet
The boy riding along free
his balance challenged
Correcting, the error was out of his control
Like it or not, he was going to fall
He wouldn’t know how bad it would be,
time seemed to stop
The pain she endured I can’t relate
However her spirits were high
Never letting us know her state
she tried to rally and everyone prayed
She wore a smile that never faded
She kept trying to win the fight to the finish
For him the ground was unforgiving
the pain was nothing he liked
But nothing could be changed
his cry would break your heart
99
This was the beginning to the end
A mark remained to forever tell his tale
In the end her death fell upon us
To say we were all shocked is a statement unjust
A river of tears were cried
And her untimely passing, created a hole
Our hearts filled with fear of what’s next
We love her so much and miss her to death
We all have a scar with a tale to express
About a life’s lesson we all will face
Both the boy and my heart are part of this stress
It might not be easy, but pain will never be erased
Jessica Cora
Don Estridge Middle School
Ms. Adamo ~8th Grade
100
Madness
Ah! How simply life falls from your mouth
how easily your lips may frown
as rain dribbles down the glass
and you spiral your way down
The walls constrict you, pulling, pushing
-- complete the epitome of sin -but you pay no mind, it’s too far gone
as you dream ‘bout rivers rushing
Your body has a consciousness its own
the heart beating all aflutter
but you dismiss the hum of bone
as you wander through the darkness
alone.
Brittany Duffey
Logger’s Run Middle School
Ms. Temple ~ 8th Grade
101
One With Nature
Peace, silence, serenity.
I hear the chirping of the birds in the distance.
The water flowing downstream.
The leaves ruffling in the distance.
I hear the leaves calling out in desperation as they are
being trampled on.
I sense someone’s or something’s eyes upon me.
Should I turn around?
I take a deep breath.
When I set my eyes upon it, its green sparkling eyes stare
at me intensively.
As I walk closer it turns back and vanishes.
Another night, another dream I did not perceive this
As I ponder on my thoughts, I feel myself being pulled
away.
It concludes.
But there are no true ends just new beginnings.
Carlos Romagosa
Crestwood Middle School
Dr. Ealy ~ 8th Grade
102
The Seasons
In the summer, I am the wind.
Surging through the sky, so ubiquitous.
In the fall, I am a pile of leaves.
That has fallen from trees of brown, red, yellow, and green.
In the winter, I am a snowman.
Standing tall, firmly on the ground soon to melt away.
In the spring, I am a flower patch
With roses and dandelions and beautiful chrysanthemums.
I am something different in the seasons, so extravagant
and still just me.
Nephtdie Ronny
Okeeheelee Middle School
Mr. Zach ~ 7th Grade
103
The Summer Garden, a Mother’s Day Poem
The leaves on the trees sway side to side
As a variety of royal birds are spied
The turquoise bay glistens in the afternoon sun
While the fish in Apple Creek take the salmon on a run
The Acapulco blue retreats from the sky
The sparkling fireflies come out to fly
When the bungalow brown horse comes for a midnight
ride
All the field mice scurry off to hide
The fiesta red apple falls from the tree
Oh, how wonderful this would all be if only I was there
But … “MOM, CAN WE CUT THE DOG’S HAIR?”
Seth Rodgers
Independence Middle School
Ms. Kerr ~ 6th Grade
104
Home
Home is the place I love to be;
It beats movies and beaches, even shopping sprees.
Home is the place with warm company,
Including my adorable dog, Evie.
I love its games and music and lots of TV,
Also, the conversations with my sweet family.
Once I get home, I’m filled with joy.
As I play with my puppy and her small purple toy.
Up in my room, I have a bunk bed,
When I sleep I have great dreams in my head.
For there are many places I love to roam,
But when it comes to the best, nothing beats home.
Hannah Kerr
Palm Springs Middle School
Mr. Gosa ~ 8th Grade
105
More Family Time?
I feel like I should spend it with my dad
He's a very nice person
Serious most of the times
Smartest person I've met
And a very good businessman
I want to go horseback riding
Watch boring endless soccer games
Get ice cream every other day
He's making my brother go everywhere I go
Just because he's scared someone will flirt with me
Or that something might happen
He's always looking out for me and my little brother
That's my dad
I love him very much
And love spending time with him
Barbara Costa
Boca Raton Middle School
Ms. Sapio ~ 8th Grade
106
My Little Dreamboat
My little dreamboat
Takes me away
From the sea
Of reality I swim in.
Once or twice
I must sail beyond
Through my thoughts
And my sanity
My hopes
And my dreams.
I imagine many things
Most I can’t describe
But I can say
That without it
I could not survive.
Through these unforgiving
Waters we travel
Where hope can be futile
Where the creatures are hostile.
Our ships may sink
We are lost at sea
Our riches are sunken
On the ocean floor they rot.
My little dreamboat
Never floods
Or tips
-even a little
My treasures are safely
107
Locked away
In memory they stay.
My little dreamboat
Has no ambition
No gold it seeks
Only love and courage
Only my dreams.
Nisa Ilsin,
Bak Middle School of the Arts
Ms. Alonso ~ 6th Grade
108
Gargoyles in the Fountain
murky waters
flowing over sides
flooding floors
once pure
now tainted
filthy gargoyles
living stone
mocking angels
demented laughing
insane smiling
temporary home
scowling cherubs
fists clenched
arms crossed
silently seated
watching warily
displaced spirits
blessed fountain
pristine liquid
merged with impure rivers
Kattrina Erillo
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Costello ~ 6th Grade
109
Starting off My Day
Waking up in the morning
Feeling like a lazy bear
With all of my silly chest hair
Getting out of bed to get dressed
And to go feed my brother, the pest
Finally walking out the front door
Jumping off the tile floor
I go inside my car
Smoking my cigar
Then I drive off to work
And have a wonderful day
Alek Nigro
Boca Raton Middle School
Ms. Sapio ~ 8th Grade
110
Our Sun
He looks down at us from dusk to dawn,
With the powers of gods in his hands.
Spreading his powerful energies,
across all the people’s lands.
He gives us the rainbow,
the colorful looking stripe.
Coming only if the rain flows,
beneath his awesome light.
He has been revered as a god,
by Romans and Greeks.
As Helios and then Sol,
their days were never be bleak.
He gives us the spectrum of colors we see,
from red to orange, yellow and green.
Blue, indigo, and violet as well
their beauty is something you can't sell.
He sits in one spot as we rotate around,
sharing with the seven siblings we've found.
He is the father of all life,
Causing none of our people great strife.
Anderson Khochaiche
Palm Springs Middle School
Mr. Gosa ~ 8th Grade
111
Only Girls Can Be Ninjas
Boys can’t do everything
Only girls can wear dresses
Boys may be princes but
Only girls can be princesses
Only girls can be ninjas
Only girls have the perk
Of getting away with doing nothing
While boys do all the work
So next time you say
Boys are so much better
Think about all the things girls can do
That boys can do never
Maggie Sperry
Bak Middle School of the Arts
Ms. Carey ~ 8th Grade
112
Night Cover
A frog rests on a lily
like a guard
he watches every movement
and hears each sound
the plants and sun are in repose
now it is the moon’s turn to shine
and the stars’s time to twinkle
the dim waters ruffle mysteriously
and all that is heard
is scklick scklick scklick of the crickets
and seen the navy hue of the night
with silver sensation of stars
the mottled foliage
decorates the eerie waters
and the pureness of the lilies
add hope for the morning
Florida wetlands
Savannah Luepnitz
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Costello ~ 6th Grade
113
What Would You Do
If I was a flower
Perched on a wall
Would you look at me
Notice the beauty,
Of the tiny thing on the wall
If I was a weed
Wrinkled and dirty
Would you notice me
Crushed in the pavement
The rotten old garbage
If I was an animal
I house pet of sorts
Would you visit me
Tell me I'm special
Lend me the company
If I was a legend
The one you never forget
Would you treat me different
From a flower, or weed, or animal
Would you lie to me
Maggie Sperry
Bak Middle School of the Arts
Ms. Carey ~ 8th Grade
114
La Bella au Bois Dormant
Her golden hair cascades
down the side of her bed
A red rose rests in dainty hands
With a simple gold crown on the crest of her head.
An eerie silence fills the room;
Only her shallow breathing can be heard;
Waiting for a prince to become her groom.
After pricking her finger, she met her fate.
Nothing could protect her from the curse’s grasp
Now all they could do is wait.
The prince fought hard.
He finally slayed the dragon
Riding to the castle to get his reward.
A kiss of true love broke the spell;
Her eyes fluttered open to meet his.
They lived happily ever after and all ended well.
Desirae Merritt
Western Pines Middle School
Ms. Sall – 7th Grade
115
Dream
In my sleep
Autumn leaves
And Morning dew
Litter the ground.
Harvest sun
At its peak
A Meandering brook
Winding down
Deep blue
Tropical fish
Jump and flip
Children on a hill
Waiting for winter snow
Cold as ice
Rain drops flow
A tear
My awakening
Will a perfect dream ever happen?
Chavous Anthony
Poinciana Day School
Ms. Shaw ~ 8th Grade
116
Starry Night
I look up at the sky and see a pretty thing.
The twinkling stars are as sparkly
as a diamond ring.
The damp grass is a wet towel when I lie down.
In this starry night, I will never frown.
As the night goes by,
I stare at the illuminated sky.
It is as beautiful as a rainbow light.
The starry night is billboard bright.
I gaze upon a dim as fading light star.
I can tell that it is very far.
I wish it could be more near,
so seeing the star would be more dear.
I rest down my head,
and the grass is my fluffy bed.
This night was as fun as New Year’s Eve.
I wish that I never have leave.
As I rest in the starry night, I don’t make a peep.
My brown eyes are hot cocoa and I close them and go to
sleep.
Lena Crone
Bak Middle School of the Arts
Ms. Alonso ~ 6th Grade
117
Fate and Destiny
Fate and Destiny are two different thingsCannot be changed, cannot be avoided.
Fate and Destiny is a one-way road
To Fame, Glory, Success, or Death.
Fate and Destiny
With sentimental value
Have worked their ways
Since the beginning of time.
Without Fate and Destiny we would be lostIn the fabric of space and time.
The world hangs in the balance.
The world is about to break.
The world would be dead without these twoThe Earth void of life.
Nothing would live, nothing would grow.
The world would drown in an eternal fire.
The world would have been driven into chaosThere would be hunger and strife.
The people would be wasted and stripped of all life.
Fate and Destiny are key.
Fabrice Lamour
Bak Middle School of the Arts
Ms. Alonso ~ 6th Grade
118
Winter Wonderland
My skin wrinkly
Like a rotten tomato
It’s winter in Maine
It’s ten below
The snow is falling
I’m lying on the frozen ground
The snow is my fleece blanket
I stand up
I walk to the house
I drink my hot chocolate
I rest on the couch
We all go outside
We watch the snow fall
As if it were Florida rain
Ciaran Dooley
Boca Raton Middle School
Ms. Sapio ~ 8th Grade
119
It Takes Time
Life or death they would all ways be there
Those words were lies I know that now
They were whispered in secrecy, I believed them
Too many years passed, too much time
How could I forget
The face I saw every day
The small creatures I swore to nurse
To cherish their love
They remembered me
They knew my name, my ways
How could I let them go so suddenly
Now all that is left is memories
Should I cry, should I be strong
The time has come to try
I must let go, try not to remember
It may take weeks, months, years
They are happier now, or at least I'm told
I will never forget my memories
But when I look back then
I will smile and see what good times we had
Don't worry, it will get better
Maggie Sperry
Bak Middle School of the Arts
Ms. Carey ~ 8th Grade
120
Elegant Celebration
Fancy hats,
Elaborate dresses,
Exquisite suits,
Waiters waltzing
to take orders
From the guests
Sipping happily on drinks
Engaging in small talk
Waiting on their banquet
They eat and enjoy the view
Of the garden’s plants
And towering stone carvings
“Compliments to the chef!”
They exclaim
As they finish their meals in bliss
Ashley Paul
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Costello ~ 8th Grade
121
The Ivories Taunt
The black and white keys
Taunt me to play
Singing notes
Of the song I just wrote
And I smile
The tones vary
With every song
This pleasing contrast
Makes me sing
Not a doubt in my mind
Is found when I play
I have no worries
Or thoughts about my day
I hearken
To the magical sound
Feeling like there’s no one around
Melodies and harmonies
Flood my eyes and ears
If you try to talk to me
I really won’t hear
This beautiful instrument
Makes me overjoyed
It’s really something
I cannot avoid
And so it sits there
Mocking me
Until I walk down the hall
And sit down blissfully.
Claudia Cartaya
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Costello ~ 8th Grade
122
Stray Cat
The day is coming to an end,
The sun disappearing down the trees.
The moon appearing in the sky,
The animals going to sleep.
I live in the middle of the street,
Hiding from human beings,
I am a stray cat,
that most people wouldn’t like.
I once had a family,
A home to keep me warm,
A bowl of food when I wanted,
A place I could call mine.
People liked me in those days,
But one day my family left.
They left me alone in the house,
and they never came back.
I waited for them days and months,
Wishing that they would come back,
Wishing they would feed me food,
And wouldn't let me be a stray cat.
But they never came back.
So then, I left the house,
To forget the memories,
The memories that still haunt me now.
Atia Mohammadgharibani
Boca Raton Middle School
Ms. Bender ~ 7th Grade
123
A Nightmare
It's hard to dream
With nightmares
Smothering your thoughts
The monsters of imagination
Creeping into your head
Rainbows and bunnies
I yell to my mind
But the death and despair
Echo back
Taking over my brain
Why won’t they go away Why do they torture me
Am I really that bad
Could I have changed this
Answer me I call
We are you
We know your inner
Fears and truths
You’re not scared of monsters
Or clowns are you
You’re scared of yourself
You created use
You need use
Don’t you, they say
I know it’s not true 124
I don’t need you
I try to convince myself
I only need myself
Right, right, right
Or do I I sound insane
But I long for company
For someone to Never leave my side
Even if they are monsters
Am I a monster
If they really are just me
Could I be this thing
That haunts me
Or is it just my imagination
I am a monster
And you know what
I like it
The thought I could
At any moment be….
A Nightmare
Maggie Sperry
Bak Middle School of the Arts
Ms. Carey ~ 8th Grade
125
Laura
Her voice unique as Golden Fleece
Her skin powder white
Fine metals adorn her
Beauty is her right her right
Hair a sheet of fire
Her eyes piercing jades
She dances on a wire
With feline grace
Her confidence is power
She makes no mistake
She acts like a Barbie
Although no Ken awaits
Given whatever she asks for
This world she roams alone
Of amour, uproar and lore
Isn’t hers to own
Laura
Sofia Grosso
Bak Middle School of the Arts
Ms. Alonso ~ 6th Grade
126
Forevermore
Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's "Annabel Lee"
I never did believe in love at first sight.
Perhaps that's why I made you chase me for so long,
Why I never returned your smiles.
I made you run if you wanted to catch me.
I didn't expect you to follow through with it.
I thought you would leave me.
But you always did love a good game.
I thought that was what we were.
Our jokes,
Our laughter,
I thought it was all a game.
I thought that that was what you thought, too.
I will never forget the day,
That you told me you loved me forevermore.
You met my eyes,
And held my hands.
And I said it back.
Laughter became more meaningful.
I was happy with you.
It became less of a game,
And more of my life.
The angels,
I knew,
Were jealous.
They had always hated me.
I had cheated death,
Evaded them,
Multiple times already,
127
And they still wanted me.
And then, there was another day,
That I will never
Forget.
It was so very cold that afternoon.
The rain,
Born from fresh angels' tears,
Soaked me,
To the very bone.
But no water
Celestial or not,
Could douse the flames that lived in my heart,
And flared only for you, my love
We were young,
They said.
Yet they didn't realize,
That love knew no age.
Neither does death.
And so my highborn kinsman came,
And bore me away from you.
Shut me up in a sepulcher,
In our kingdom by the sea.
My last words to you,
My love,
Were;
"My name is Annabel Lee."
Zoe Terner
Carver Middle School
Ms. Tillman ~ 7th Grade
128
There’s a time
when we cry
and need someone
by our side.
The only thing
that we need
is a shoulder
to plead.
When you’re around
I try to hide,
So you won’t see
this face of mine.
You put your arms
around me,
but all I say is
I’m okay, its fine.
You know
this isn’t me
because I always
have a smile
from cheek to cheek.
I think to myself
you’re the one for me,
but on the outside
I’m just a girl
looking for love
that I’ll never know.
Shania Castro
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Hreschak ~ 7th Grade
129
Under the Canopy
As I lay under a canopy of trees,
Eyelids drooping feeling the breeze.
As I daydream under the cluster of clouds,
Absorbing their gray in surrounding shrouds.
As I stare in awe at all of the lights,
Casting away worries into the night.
As I gaze up towards an array of stars,
Drowning out the noise of faraway cars.
Realizing that I will never see it all,
Gives me a feeling a being very small.
The sea in its entirety being so vast,
The predators in the plain needing to run fast.
The world is so big, and I so small,
Hoping that one day I will see it all.
Nadia Sial
Eagles Landing Middle School
Ms. Bloom ~ 8th Grade
130
A Cloudy Day
Gregory was in the park.
The cats meow and dogs bark.
It wasn’t too nice outside, rather cloudy.
He sees a yellow Camaro and a blue Audi.
He just got new shoes, and a nice shirt.
They came from his mom’s boyfriend; his name is Curt.
The clouds were so puffy, puffed up with pride.
The squirrels land in trees, after they glide.
He’s so mad, he just stepped in clay.
That’s what’s going on, on this cloudy day.
Ezra Archer
Boca Raton Middle School
Ms. Sapio ~ 8th Grade
131
Summer Camp!
Kids sweat
Kids bet.
Children act silly
They give each other wet willies.
Some kids fall
Some kids can’t even catch a ball
Smart kids write
Grumpy kids fight
Some kids are short
Some kids are tall,
Some are a shape of a ball
Some kids are skinny
Some kids are fat,
There are kids skinnier than a bat
Kids walk around with dirty feet,
When they hear music,
They dance to the beat
I tell the kids to go to sleep
But instead they mock me with sounds of sheep.
Some kids want an orange to get some Vitamin C,
The counselor says to avoid the humongous bees!
This is the end of summer camp
Hey kid. Why did you break my lamp?
Jonathan Boutros
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Elliot ~ 6th Grade
132
Written in the Stars
Written in the stars is a story beyond Venus and Mars.
A story of love and faith
A story of a winner and a story of an ape
Stars have engraved in them the stories of many.
But in this one star on this one night
My story is being written.
My future and past are all in this one star.
This glowing sphere that surrounds us in many forms
When a star’s story has ended,
It goes to the Mother Sun and disappears into the huge
glowing ball of fire.
There are things we don’t understand written in the stars,
But our stories go on.
What do you see written in the stars?
Lorein Mones
Boca Raton Middle School
Ms. Sapio ~ 8th Grade
133
I Know You’re Okay
I know what you’re thinking
I know what you’re feeling
I know what you want to say
Don’t tell me that you’re okay
With that fake smile on your face
I can see right through you.
Keep your back turned away that’s just fine
You might think that no one cares, but just turn around
You say that no one has walked a mile in your shoes
Well that’s very true but what’s the point of
Walking a mile in the same shoes?
If you want the best in life
Then get a different pair.
Why do you make yourself feel so worthless?
It’s not your fault, keep your head up!
And just keep going.
Keep going and look straight in front of you
DON’T LOOK BACK!
Your past is behind you
And that’s where it will stay.
I know what you’re feeling
I know what you’re thinking
I know what you want to say
Now I know that you’re okay
Miya Hamil
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Hreschak ~ 7th Grade
134
The Bridge
There it was, the gargantuan bridge,
Standing 120 feet tall.
It was meant for me.
I jumped, plummeting 120 feet,
Feeling like I got punched in the face with cold reality.
Astounding pain emanating from my heel,
Causing me to keel,
In the end it was all worth it.
Aside from the pain, a rush of exhilaration sped through
my mind,
Faster than the speed of light,
Because without pain, there is no gain.
Dane Chapman
Boca Raton Middle School
Ms. Sapio ~ 8th Grade
135
Lunar Vision
All is quiet in the dark of night
Lights are dim, the world out of sight
Tiny scattered pinholes
Across the land in the black of night
Staring out a window no larger than a plate
Glancing back to home so far away
Seems like eternity until the break
Of crisp new dawn and the light of day
So far from home, but so much to learn
In this noble, brave endeavor
Heading into the wide expanse of outer space
From family, for a time, I have to sever
Floating free in this confined space
Without gravity to hold my body to the ground
If I scream here, there will be no sound
For I am a spacewalker cascading through the air
Without gravity to embrace me
A new perspective, a new way of life
I have experienced, lived, and found
I place my fingers against the glass so cold
And look at the spherical blue-green glass marble
That my two fingers can hold, Earth
At once, fragile and strong, impressive and small
This spectacular home I call mine
At this instant, this moment, this point in time
In the great vastness of space
All intricately designed like a piece of lace
Celestial boundaries I have broken through
And made my mark upon you
For as a female spacewalker
Breaking boundaries is what I do.
Sarah Palumbo
Eagles Landing Middle School
Ms. Bloom ~ 8th Grade
136
The night sky fell,
and everyone raced inside,
and street lights busted on.
Two boys inside,
eyes stuck on the window,
saw objects coming by.
Distracting loud noises,
rockets by the end,
fly far outside.
Space shuttles came,
and the boys had fun,
Imagining them close
Watching all night,
till by the end, leaving,
never seen again.
Hoping the night
would not end,
they were entertained.
David Castro
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Elliot ~ 6th Grade
137
Beginning with the first sight,
Unknown by the world
Then from four legs to two
Entering the unknown world of genius
Moving to a four-wheeled device,
Taking you from place to place.
From there you get your ups and down
New sights to see,
But all good things have to end
Even if you don’t need it to,
Even if it is only half way.
But everything has its logic behind the meaning.
Though loved ones may want to join,
You are stuck,
From above to below,
Forever incased in the cage of death.
Callista Payne
Bak Middle School of the Arts
Ms. Alonso ~ 6th Grade
138
The Garden
Like a skin of loose silk
blown against a wall,
she is walking by the railing
of a path in Kensington Gardens.
She is dying piecemeal
of a sort of emotional anemia.
And roundabout there is rubble
of the filthy, sturdy,
unlikable infants of the very poor.
They will inherit the earth……
Orphans sob
having nothing to eat,
And cry to their mothers,
saying “Feed me please?”
Chase Chapman
Boca Raton Middle School
Ms. Sapio ~ 8th Grade
139
Apart
Though for now we will be apart
Take all of my heart
Keep it safe each and everyday
Until we meet again someday
I'll give it to you in return
Because it's a gift you have earned
Up until now you couldn't see
But thank you for giving life to me
In times of sorrow and in times of weak
I will forever be with your beat
True love shall live forever
In a new life together
Living out our happily ever after
The chances of finding you may be small
But I'll give it my all
After all we've been through
No matter where we end up
The one I love will always be you.
Yanileth Martinez
Palm Springs Middle School
Mr. Gosa ~ 8th Grade
140
Young girl, short and thin
wears pink purple green and black
sits on the floor right next to the door
with her bowl full of snacks
she eats all her beats
then snacks on some jacks
all that is left is a bowl
full of white that spins in circles
with a spoon like the moon
She drops the spoon, it’s almost noon
she puts her head down low
and licks the bowl
When she is done
all that is left is an empty bowl,
and a not empty girl.
Jordan Decker
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Hreschak ~ 7th Grade
141
Ana Who
Ana
Who asks for candy and help,
Who is as bright as the sun,
Who is mysterious sometimes,
Whose hair is like golden straw
Is too sweet and kind
Who tells me that we are best friends forever
Who tells me that we will never speak again
Whose little body is too small for the size of her heart
Ana who is my best friend.
Ashley De La Cruz
Western Pines Middle School
Ms. Sall ~ 7th Grade
142
My house flew over the sea
Oh, dear, oh my, Oh me!
The book had come alive
Yet I wasn’t prepared to fly
Then the room began to tilt
As my strength began to wilt
As we flipped,
And we turned
My book sat in my lap
As if magic could’ve used that!
But the room was like its pages
Black, white, and plain
Striped, patterned and flowy
All as I sat in my chair
Watching the adventure unfold
My eyes opened wide
As we flew higher in the sky
The room was just a jumbled mess
Of drapes, shelves, pots, and carpets
Then we dropped
D
O
W
N
Into the sea
Laura Dunlap
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Costello ~ 6th Grade
143
There is a place by the river
There is a place by the river,
where imagination runs free
not bound by the iron chains of stupidity
where humanity isn’t guided
by a burnt out torch in the black tunnel
There is a place by the river
where the rain is not blood
drawn from men
by their brothers
There is a place by the river
where the beach is not coated
with grey sticky muck,
washed up from the polluted ocean
nor where the ashy smog-filled sky
weeps as we clog up her lungs
There is a place by the river
where factories aren’t called schools
churning out perfect, identical students
killing creativity
There is a place by the river
where you aren’t judged by what you look like
but rather who you are
Where is the river?
Michael Wang
Bak Middle School of the Arts
Ms. Samons ~ 8th Grade
144
I’ll Go On
When I arrive, I hear what you say.
You say the most horrible things.
Your words are cruel,
Low, nasty, vile, and offensive.
I could go on and on.
The things you say are about me.
You think it hurts me, but guess what?
It doesn’t.
It actually puts a smile on my face,
To know you take all of your time to talk about me.
Let me ask you, are your words supposed to kill me?
Are they supposed to destroy my self-esteem?
Or are you just trying to let me know that you don’t like
me?
I don’t care if you don’t like me.
My mother didn’t give birth to me for you to like me.
Your acceptance means absolutely nothing to me.
So talk about me until you don’t have a single breath in
your body.
I’ll go on and be happy either way.
Naelle Lespinasse
Boca Raton Middle School
Ms. Sapio ~ 8th Grade
145
Beach by Night
The sun has set, I wave goodbye
Seagulls fly away in flocks
The sand leaves the ocean floor,
The fish swim to the end of the seas
The sun has set, I wave goodbye
The cool air wipes across my face
The moon makes its grand appearance
I stand in awe at the beautiful view
I see no star in sight
It's the moon and I
The moon is making its grand appearance
I hear the ocean’s roar, defeated once again by gravity
I see a fisherman in the moon’s bright glow
I feel the cold night sand in my toes
The night creatures pick the remains of food buried in the
sand
I hear the oceans roar, defeated once again by gravity.
Gabrielle Resnick
Bak Middle School of the Arts
Ms. Alonso ~ 6th Grade
146
My Heart
You locked up my heart
displayed
for me to see like art
It taunts me,
I will never get it back
you've held it too long
for me to act
I have nothing in my chest
it's like you're giving me a test
Playing a game
Do you like me?
Who will ever know?
Never give me time to show
that I can love you 'til the end of time
I see you everyday
you smile and I didn't know what to say
But here’s my love,
that’s all
that I can give away.
Briara Jones
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Cichewicz ~ 6th Grade
147
Huntress’s Sport
An eerie howl sliced midnight like a blade
An icy chill spread throughout the silent glade
Darkness enclosed the hunters and their tracks
A titillation penetrated them and their mighty packs
Not a second elapsed before the beasts spotted their prey
The hunt began, on that frabjous starlit day
The sound of Artemis’ hounds could have been heard from
Olympus they say,
When a snow white buck led the glorious chase without
further delay
Silver streaks, and gleaming teeth surrounded the poor,
beaten stag
The noble creature, begrudged gave in, dignity gone, and
only a wound on its scrag
The mistress came forth, eyes brimmed with mirth, and
put the beast out of its pain
With a hymn of thanks, the hunters melted into the
darkness, as the air grew colder with bane
Moyra Stewart
Home School Student
8th Grade
148
Floating Frogs
The fish
watched my friends and I
float in the air,
surrounded by cattails
while the sky
watched over us,
and blues,
greens,
and purples
all bled into one,
and we
the frogs
play
Jurni Juergen
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Elliot ~ 6th Grade
149
On the Edge
I’m at the edge of a cliff,
Far away from the past.
It’s familiar, but is it really better?
I don’t know.
That’s what scares me,
The unknown…
Which is exactly where this cliff leads.
The wind blows a little bit,
I tilt.
I’m almost off.
I look down and see fog.
Miles and miles of dark,
Clouding my brain.
The wind blows again.
Here we go...
Sophia Snelling
Boca Raton Middle School
Ms. Sapio ~ 8th Grade
150
Only the Shadows
The girl screamed
A church bell tolled its song
And pigeons flew away
The boy and girl ran
To distance themselves from me
There the father in his grave
And soon the mother too
I sat on a horse
Killer I am
Enjoyed their run
I hid the poison in my pocket
Awaiting their return
Dark shadows leak black and gray
Ding
Dong
Ding
Nothing will be said
Only shadows will remain
Willow Abraham
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Costello ~ 6th Grade
151
The Way I Play Soccer
Sweat streams down my face
and my skin turns red
under the watchful eye of the sun
The sound of cleats
pounding the earth
is deafening
as my enemies charge
down the field towards me
I can sense the shooter
is going to miss
All at once
the ball collides
into my chest
Screams of victory
roar across the field
and the grass stained
game ball rests,
lovingly,
between my hands.
Jean Phillip Bernate
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Elliot ~ 6th Grade
152
Mother
The one who holds me at night.
She saves me from any fright,
We talk and dance,
And do anything with a chance .
Mother .
The one who cares for me,
Even out in the sea.
We sing,
But that’s how we cling
Mother
The one who makes me healthy,
To stay fit and be wealthy.
She doesn’t spoil
She’s a good friend and loyal.
Mother.
The one I love,
Like a daughter and a mamma dove.
She gives a hug and kiss,
That I’ll always miss.
Mother
The one who gave me life,
And is teaching me to be an outstanding wife.
No matter the weather,
She will always be my Mother.
Yesleny Martinez
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Hreschak ~ 7th Grade
153
Up So High
I touched the bright, blue skies,
My, oh my…
I’m up so high.
Forgetting about my life’s problems,
Smelling the crisp air in autumn,
I wish I could feel this for a lifetime.
The air sounding like silent wind chimes.
But all of a sudden, the skies darken,
My life flashes,
My fantasy crashes,
And burns to ashes.
That’s when I wake up
My face in disgust!
I don’t believe what I’ve seen!
I shout and scream,
It was all a sick dream!
Dorie Marcelin
Boca Raton Middle School
Ms. Sapio ~ 8th Grade
154
Dusk
The cold autumn gale
whips through the cracked, bare branches,
as the golden crisps slowly flutter to the ground.
The crisp pale wind glides through the street with an
empty rustle
disrupting the settling dusk,
as the pinkish-orangish streaks settle down in the distant,
infinite horizon.
The dark ink of night slowly blots out the pinks,
and the oranges,
and the blues,
replacing them with a velvety purplish canvas
stars winking, shining, gleaming.
The street lights flicker on
one by one,
marching to defeat the darkness of the coming night,
slowly illuminating the crumbling asphalt
a lone raven speeds though the blanket of sky
barely visible, cawing.
The trees stand bare against the night sky
unwavering,
watching the stars
peacefully waiting
for the sun to rise again.
Michael Wang
Bak Middle School of the Arts
Ms. Samons ~ 8th Grade
155
The Girl in the Mirror
I told the girl in the mirror
I didn’t like her hair.
I asked the girl in the mirror
Why she was always there.
I reminded the girl in the mirror
Not to look at me that way.
I asked the girl in the mirror
Why she never had anything to say.
The girl in the mirror
Just stared at me with sad eyes.
Every time I look at her,
The more and more she cries.
Now the girl in the mirror
Is no longer my best friend.
Sometimes I wonder
If I should put her to an end.
Yureki Salgado
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Cichewicz ~ 6th Grade
156
Game of Survival
You have me thinking
Is this a game
Just part of the plan
To love the girl
Who is of flames
Native to the sand
Or is it real
What you feel
For the girl of District 12?
No time to trust
Fear of betrayal
Emotions become nonplussed
Snuggled in
For the press
No true love
Though you seemed blessed
Just for now
Until the end
As long as we
Do not descend
Susan Guzman
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Bredeweg ~ 8th Grade
157
The War
I used to be strong and brave,
But now I stand by his grave.
Standing tall, large, and proud,
Oh how I missed that he was loud.
He was ready to battle and fight,
But he put a lot in his might.
He tended to not be able to run and escape,
Now I stand by his crown and cape.
He was a soldier,
And as his friends hid behind a boulder.
He jumped out and fought,
And then he was shot.
I stood there and cried,
Knowing that he died.
That night I couldn’t sleep,
I stood there and would weep.
And to this day I always cry,
I wish I can say one last goodbye.
Taylor Carlock
Boca Raton Middle School
Ms. Sapio - ~8th Grade
158
Untitled
The shadow cast a single thing
Never seen and pulled by string.
It stands alone in middle place,
But only shadow, cast with grace.
I sleep alone, no care, no pain.
But monster’s identity shed grain by grain.
The light has silence, no noise, no sound.
It’s light, it flickers, dying by power.
My drums, in my ears, starting to pound.
The invisible monster, approaching by hour.
I awake to the vision of blank textured walls.
I thought it my canvas, colors sheeting the walls.
Some call me crazy, demented or twisted.
My pictures, they startle, I’m listed.
I try, and I try, expecting a difference.
The crowd never changes, I need some assistance.
The mural is bending, distorted, it’s art!
They say it’s my mind reflecting from this.
The same crowd insulting my heart.
The insults draw closer and titles I bliss.
Alas, still judgment, pictures of death,
My emotions are swelling, until my last breath.
Frustration, anger, hate and shame.
The human anatomy’s mind is to blame.
But calling of demons from songs that you sing.
Oh, insanity, it is a beautiful thing!
Alex Quiggle
Western Pines Middle School
Ms. Sall ~ 7th Grade
159
Peacock
A blue prince
Striding the evergreen palace
Spreading its wings gracefully
Flashing the rainbow
Hidden beneath its tail
Walking with elegance
Enchanting every step
A beautiful crown
Resting on its royal head
Where does he go?
No one knows
When he stops creatures stare
Jealousy peeking here and there
Calling its mate
Wherever she may be
To join his palace
Of happiness and peace
Lauren Guzman
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Bredeweg ~ 8th Grade
160
That One Person
I have never had this feeling before,
It felt like I wanted her and nothing more.
At first I didn’t care much for her,
But as I got to know her, I began to desire her.
This had been something I never thought would occur,
She was the only one that I couldn’t let go,
Her smile was my sun.
All I could think of was that one person.
That one weird feeling I had was for that one person.
She didn’t care what people thought,
She didn’t care what people would say,
even if it were someone that they didn’t like.
This odd feeling made my heart pound.
This feeling was love,
And I only would feel this towards that one person, that
one girl.
But my heart was torn asunder, when I told her.
She had taken my heart and ripped it to pieces.
She had told me that we should stay friends.
Even so, I couldn’t get rid of this feeling.
She would always stay on my mind.
That one person was the one I couldn’t forget.
I would think of her whether it was day or night.
I will not stop loving her because
Love is stronger than might –
That one person
Redrick Horton-Schittko
Boca Raton Middle School
Ms. Sapio ~ 8th Grade
161
My Place
I want to go to a place
other than the store.
A different kind of place,
one where I wouldn’t be so bored.
A place filled with friendly sunsets
and a warm sunrise.
It’d be a place where I wouldn’t want to cry.
My place, my world,
the one I’ll call my own.
Yasmin Fonseca
Palm Springs Community Middle
Ms. Costello ~ 8th Grade
162
Control Z
Now I own the moment forever
Flowing, moving, like tiny little stories, vignettes, sewn
together
Savor the drama
Each angle and shot
The moments, suspenseful,
Romantic,
Hilarious
Each moment’s every aspect intricately pre-crafted
No time to mess up
Always in a rush, missing this or having too much of that
Take 1...
Take 2...
The greatest part?
I can redo life if I mess up
Like a real-life “control-z”
Matthew Nadel
Saint Andrews School
Ms. Miller ~ 8th Grade
163
The Puzzle of Life
Life is like a huge puzzle.
Every day you fit one piece at a time.
Each time you fit a piece, you get a better picture of your
life.
There will be days when you can fit pieces in,
And days when you can’t fit any pieces at all.
Those days are your pain, suffering, or you are just lost.
There will be times when you think it’s all over and your
puzzle of life breaks.
That is the puzzle of life.
Just find the pieces and fix your puzzle again.
It may take awhile, but that’s okay.
Take your time, but don’t give up.
Life is hard, but that is life.
That is your puzzle of life
Maria Pham
Boca Raton Middle School
Ms. Sapio ~ 8th Grade
164
Light of my Life
Waking in the morn, horses prance bursting through the
horizon. Apollo, jubilant, drives his Chariot of Sun across
the dawn sky, scorching the canvas a flaming orange,
casting light on all whom without him would be forlorn.
He rises on spring morning’s melting frost,
warming the world like a fire on a cold winter night joy
and light from his presence without cost, all the world
soaks in his light.
Working and playing we welcome his light upon us, Apollo,
the candle of our world, the fire that never dies. If he never
woke again, the world would be a muss. He is the
illumination of our lives.
He brings us the seasons and the time, and we would be
lost without either: Apollo the rhythmic god of rhyme.
To have darkness as day or the moon as the sun I would
dream of neither, but to spend the day on a rolling hill of
green. The sun fondly smiling down upon me would seem,
as if I would never want to leave and never care to again be
seen.
To live my life under the wonderful sun on that rolling hill
of green, that is my dream.
Moyra Stewart
Home School Student
8th Grade
165
The Brother I’ve Always Wanted
My dog is like a brother to me,
Something a lot of people don’t see.
Sometimes he’s mellow and sometimes he’s crazy,
He’s five years old and still acts like a baby.
There are no bad things about him,
And if you ask me if I don’t like him,
That is something I will never agree.
Alex Twist
Boca Raton Middle School
Ms. Sapio ~ 8th Grade
166
Love
Love is the color of divine red roses.
It sounds like the thumping of your heart.
It tastes like the richest of chocolates
And smells like fresh pastries cooking in Italy’s streets.
Love looks like the faces of newlyweds.
It makes you feel numb in the heart.
Zachary Bottoms
Western Pines Middle School
Ms. Sall ~ 7th Grade
167
Judgment
If you’re going to give your opinion
About my hair, and my clothes
Or my smile, or my weight
Please don’t open your mouth.
I don’t want opinions on what I did wrong
Because it’s not my job to please you.
I don’t want to hear your opinions about me
Because when it comes to who I am
And who I will be,
The only person that matters
is the one staring back into the mirror
And trust me,
That opinion isn’t very nice either.
Yazmine Rosario
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Marcarian ~ 8th Grade
168
A Novel, A Writer
The ink spills
Hands battered
Paper tears
That’s a novel
Head hurts
Fingers ache
Sore eyes
That’s a writer
Plot twists
Characters misbehaving
Writer’s block
That’s a writer
Late nights
Computer screens
Keyboard flying
That’s a writer
Ayse Demircan
Boca Raton Middle School
Ms. Sapio ~ 8th Grade
169
My Life
My life
is like a foggy maze of suffering
if I go one way
I am lost
Gone
Forever
I hope for something better,
but all I get is a crashing and screaming thrill ride
when a good thing is coming my way
before I get to it,
I am pinned by a bunch of needles
tears of suffering and pain
flow through my eyes
like a river
If I take another step in life
I will be ripped apart
Forever
Ariel Ferguson
Poinciana Day School
Ms. Shaw ~ 7th Grade
170
Pain
Wake up to pain,
And feeling insane,
Is there something wrong with my brain?
I should go see my uncle in Maine,
But I don’t have enough money for a plane.
It hurts to see the fear,
But I know it is near.
When will it ever be good?
When will I eat some food?
I have a life, but no wife.
I guess I should get a job,
And stop being such a snob.
It hurts so much I might die,
But I believe what I say is not a lie.
Kerlens Davilma
Boca Raton Middle School
Ms. Sapio ~ 8th Grade
171
Sports
So the Ravens play Sunday night
They and the Forty-Niners, it'll be a fight
Ray Lewis's last season
It could be for a good reason
Hopefully he walks out in New Orleans
With a ring on his finger
A smile on his face
And someone new to take his place
David Hemo
Boca Raton Middle School
Ms. Sapio ~ 8th Grade
172
Abandoned
A girl,
Always happy,
Big smiles,
Showing her white teeth,
With a glint in her eye,
Laughing about
With her friends,
Today,
She stood alone,
Without a friend by her side,
Abandoned,
Ditched,
Now,
Confused,
Without a clue,
She wasn’t laughing,
Frowns appeared,
Instead of smiles,
She sat in the dark,
Lonely,
Creating the only thing in her eyes,
Tears
Amber Hoayun
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Hreschak ~ 7th Grade
173
Scratch That
I am the ordinary,
the everyday,
the familiar
I am the complicated,
the elegant,
the beautiful
My family tree is so extensive, so complex, no one person
knows of its entirety
I am a symphony of human activity
To start, a logger cuts a cedar tree in the Pacific Northwest
He seems my most immediate ancestor,
but what about the saw and everyone who made it?
The rope? the bags? The trucks?
Transported now. I go to a factory, get combined with
graphite and lead and rubber. And ferrule. And clay. And
wax. And heat from a kiln.
Then I go to a store. Or a school. Or an office. Or to help a
logger cut down a cedar tree.
Still. There is an absence of a mastermind. No one
watching over my every stage. I am the absolute result of
people organizing voluntarily to unconsciously,
spontaneously cooperate to cater to human need.
I am set down on a desk now, used to fill out forms, take an
order, draw a blue print, do long division.
How nice I feel in the hand of my owner, loved, warm,
useful. I make a friend, a sharpener, who helps to keep me
useful and loved, my entourage.
174
Soon, I meet yet another friend. I tend not to talk with him
very much, though my owner seems to love him.
A computer. That is what he is called. His face flashes,
lights up, and dims. Soon, I almost never get picked up, feel
cold, and get quite bored.
One day, my owner is using her computer next to me. Her
elbow knocks me off the desk. On the floor I lay, waiting for
a savior to warm me up in her hand again. It never
happens.
Soon, from the floor, I see new guys come into the room:
tablet, iPod, iPhone, e-reader. They are all loved, cherished
for their every aspect.
TV. TV is next. Some men come to install him. Careless,
exhausted they were.
So much so that they did not recognize my brilliance. They
stepped on me!
I no longer lay on the floor, really do not lay at all. I am
crushed.
I have been physically broken, but my presence remains.
All those scraps, Post-Its, Letters in the diary. They’re all
still there.
I am still there. I, the pencil.
Matthew Nadel
Saint Andrews School
Mrs. Miller ~ 8th Grade
175
Time is a Killer
Like the shell of a person,
She is hollow like a vacant house,
She walks among time,
Watching herself as she slips away,
In a frenzy she is trying to hold on,
But she is losing her grip,
Gone and then gone.
Sarah Gibson
Boca Raton Middle School
Ms. Sapio ~ 8th Grade
176
Blind Eye; Bird Nose; Bent Lip
The look of scarced
The breath scent of hard laughter…
The horrifying feeling I get when they look at me…
I AM BEAUTIFUL.
Is what I tell myself.
Some people say I’m nothing but an ugly shady girl.
But…
I. AM. BEAUTIFUL.
Just like Christina says,
“I am beautiful no matter what they say, words-can’tbring-me-down…”
They judge me by what they see…
But what they don’t know…
Is that
I AM BEAUTIFUL
No matter what my Blind Eye; Bird Nose; & Bent Lip
Looks like
Jenna Caplandies
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Marcarian ~ 8th Grade
177
Perception
I walk briskly on the solid cement,
my feet sore with oozing blisters
resulting from unlimited mobility.
They throb my legs.
The sewer air escapes into me,
a loose hinge bursting open,
forcing me into a deep exhale.
I choke on a cloud.
The echoes of cars chase us
with their checkerboard sidelines,
BBBEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPP!
Their rage intimidates us.
A feint breeze from a long grate
licks my shy ears,
blowing its minute whisper of air,
My body shudders.
The beaming signs shock my eyes,
and puncture my brain with excitement,
Outspoken and indescribable,
I am blinded by my surroundings.
Two gold medals,
Clanking around my neck
embellished golden winged key
My soul explodes
The odor of over salted hotdogs
penetrates my nose
as I capture the breath of the city,
And bottle up my perception.
Seanna Harris
Bak Middle School of the Arts
Ms. Carey ~ 8th Grade
178
Basketball
I walk into the locker room
The pump up music blasting
There’s the jersey
On the hanger
With the name on the front
More important than the name on the back
It’s game time
I can hear the crowd already
Cheering for who they want
I walk on to the court
And nothing else matters
Nothing but how I feel, and how my team feels
We are a family
We win together and we lose together
I walk to the circle for the tip off
Intimidated by her height
I show no fear
The whistle blows
And the ball is thrown up
My love for the game
Has started all over again
Alyssa Bialakis
Boca Raton Middle School
Ms. Sapio ~ 8th Grade
179
The Everything Doing Machine
You ask me sir, “What does it do?”
Well here you go, I’ll tell you.
I bought it sir from a Dollar Store
It will work at any chore.
Homework, bills and more to boot,
Your train broke? Well it can toot.
Polishing your favorite shoe
While cleaning up the cleaning crew.
Cleaning cars and also dishes.
Saving lives and granting wishes.
Fixing phones and your guitar.
Bending that big metal bar.
Stopping babies from ever crying.
You don’t want it? Well I’ll keep trying.
Painting, drawing, plowing, farming
Cleaning, washing, taking, giving
Breaking, fixing, anything else that ends with “-ing”
Do I hear a one? Do I hear a two?
For whom is this? For you, or you, or you?
I’m not sure what you’re saying mister
Yes Father, that is my sister.
Nathaniel Auld
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Bredeweg ~ 7th Grade
180
Colors
Colors swim around her
Green, black, white,
And her hand cradles
The deep blue of the ginger pot
The mid afternoon sun
Captures her in cameo
And lush leaves overhead cool her
She smiles and a light falls on her face
Kind eyes are framed by her black hair
She stands radiating her beauty
The colors belong to her
And bring peace
In this serene place
The colors are her
Shatashre Das
Palm Springs Middle School
Ms. Costello ~ 6th Grade
181
The Palm Beach County Middle School Poetry Competition
is a 501(c)(3) Association.
contact: pbcmspoets@gmail.com
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