Miriam

17

Savoring Summer

Summer stretches out, the hot days seeming endless, yet I blink and only one day remains…
Amber rays permeate translucent curtains, gently coaxing droopy eyes open
Sipping cold lemonade and dipping into a cool pool
Red juice from a frosty popsicle dribbles down a toddler’s chin
Humidity, shorts, swimming, sports, shades, fruits
Crashing waves disturb serene sand
Saltwater sprays from swinging hair
A seagull soars, calling out to a friend
AC, umbrellas, towels, sandals, sailing, fresh
The faint bass line of a worn-out song vibrates in the air
Lawn mowers hum, children squeal, and golf balls thwack against clubs
A deer contently munches, obliviously wounding a persistent garden
Tans, trips, hats, hazy, lazy, free
Birds chirp, bugs whizz, and geese squawk
Bunnies race across crisp grass
A turtle warms its decorated shell on cracked, floating driftwood
Flowers, frisbees, picnics, road trips, sunscreen, fragrance
The still air turns oppressive, pooling perspiration
And the radiant day gives way to a majestic thunderstorm
Lightening zig-zags between thick rumbles and cracks of thunder
Rain cascades down from angry, grey clouds
Until a rainbow emerges, kaleidoscopic against a new azure
Sundresses, ripe, starry, sticky, sweet
Pinks and purples stain the sky as, in one last flash, the sun slips reluctantly beneath the horizon
Cicadas sing a sweet tune into the warm night air
The moon’s bright light tints the sky just one shade paler than pitch black
Aglow, full belly, full heart, content
Next summer seems so far away
Wish that I had just one more day

Isabella

17

Tower Room

the grass in the front yard was dead and brown.
her hair when she looked in the mirror
smeared with grey cloud dirt
was burnt charcoal
bonfires from heated afternoons
in the summer with hated neighbors.

her sodden knee-socks were the dull grey
of that distorted
metal ticking thing on her nightstand.

chilled toes rested on the radiator
halted movements and trapped breath
murmurings downstairs.

her mother’s eyes were bitter and sharp
a scoop of vanilla ice-cream dripping
onto the linoleum tiles of the kitchen table
and curdling like sour milk in between the plastic cracks.

the pencils that rested by her homework were filed to cruel points.
far too many times she watched her calloused fingertips
jamming one with surgical precision
into her wrist
and pictured herself
lying on her bed with her arms like an angel’s wings.

her windowless room faced away from the sun
so she could never pretend her eyes
were slitted cat’s pupils glowing with the light.

some mornings she would imitate sleep
blank eyes and greasy skin
pallid with the drought of renewal
just so the people she shared her life with
would leave her alone
to pretend she had a purpose
among the bleary sunrise tears.

the cracked driveway pavement
lusted over the tire tracks
engraved into its skin
and she watched the skidding families
as she sat with her wrists tied in silk scarves
in her empty tower room.

Gabriela

15

I couldn't help by feel
this way
It was like a million
butterflies in my stomach
whenever you came to my mind.

It was as if my heart was
going to explode whenever
I saw you.
Maybe it was the sparkle
in his eyes,
or the charm in his smile
but he was everything I
wanted.

And some people don't believe in love at first sight.
But in the summer of 2014,
when I met you,
It was as if I could see my whole future in your eyes.

Makayla

15

Get up....
Cradle me in your arms,...
As you once did before....
Your embrace...
I came to for comfort....

_Now it holds me captive...
In the depths of my despair....

_Hatred burned upon you,...
Then He almighty,...
At last it was framed on me....
There I found myself a cuckoo clock... For every hour the clock would ring;...
For every time I would ask why.

_Why you...
Why me...
But why?...
For why was the key,...
Not of my freedom,...
Like I so foolishly thought...
But the key to what would keep me trapped....

_Till I,
Once older, wiser,
I made my own key
As it shown bright
In that once gloomy sky,
The seasons turned
Years flew by.

Erik

15

Halls echoing day by day
Lonely,empty
A time for gathering and excitement.
People everywhere, yet
Anyplace but here.
A lonely castle
Gleaming in the sun.
Nothing to do, yet
Time well spent.
Not sure if glad
Or dismal
Of all this freedom given to us.
No true purpose to go about.
I enjoy my castle.
The castle is my refuge.
My sanctuary of knowledge.
Summer is my enemy,
My 3 months of despair.
3 months that cannot be wasted
Or used
In any unmeaningful way.
Yet always seems to be.
When finished this question
always asked begins to be asked
"What did you do this summer?"
"Nothing"
Because nothing
is always something.

Devon

16

The end and begging meet
closing the door of another school year opening to a fresh start.
Walking into a new world
With old friends pushing my limits and other expectations.
Going out on a limb to discover a place I enjoy.

It's over and yet here's the beginning again.
Stepping out, stepping up,
being judged by my grueling
peers... teachers... my mom.
One man stunts...
Check total success!
Second stunt... can I get her up
Oh yeah! But wait...
We have to do it again.
Success Second time around by the whole squad
Yes, I will continue
to prove that I am who I am.
Just wait around till
the next time around
6'2", male, Cheerleader.

Congruently doing what I know
and yet still developing new skills and talents.
Letting me prove to those who doubt my abilities
that I am
a force to be recon with.
Yet there is no perfection here
only growth.

Coming to an end
yet things keep changing and moving.
Being adaptable and dealing with
decisions that are not my own.
But I am a force.
"Second best ever seen"
is what was told to the audience about my pig.
Then its my goat's turn. Out did
those who I desired to beat.
And with my self
"Smooth"
"Makes this hard work look easy"
Is what the judge said
Out beating the competitors,
Out beating those who claim t be better Pride, accomplishment and respect

Carlos

14

I thank god because your a blessing
I think about you because your my obsession
Your all up in my dreams just like inception
And you show up these girls by the way that your dressing

You are the finest girl there's no second guessing
Because i love you and you love me
But it seems like every time something gets in between we
But you got these guys singing like the show glee
and you got those guys tripping like a sprained knee

But no matter what you do ill be here
by your side until eternity
Because i have feelings for this girl
When i am with her everything else doesn't matter

I am focused on her everything else is a blur
because there's no other girl on this earth that id prefer

Jennifer

15

Bright light called the sun
Deep blue called the ocean
Field of green called the grass
Bright colors called the flowers
Colorful time called the summer

Isabella

15

Summer, when all the memoies were made. hear the laughter of friends echo through the air as they gather by a fire. hear the sound of the oceans wave cars down, glistening from the starry night sky.theres nothing you can do but dream under the moonlight
See nothing but a vivid dream of such beauty a summer night can be.
Could this summer last forever?

savannah

15

sunshine out and a hot breeze blowing
pool party tonight, everybody's going
waiting and waiting in the hot hot sun
summer oh summer you are so very fun
it will be ending soon
why doe sit have to go
please dont turn into fall
just remember you will be missed by all

Abel

15

We making memories all the time
It's so much, should be a crime
I'm kicking it all day with a couple of friends
I can't wait for tomorrow to do it again

Such a great summer the world cup began
Now everybody know I'm a Mexico fan
I was screaming with everybody "No Era Penal"
And then watched Germany win La Final

I'm staying up all night just because i can
I'm always checking what's up on Instagram
Swimming at the creek because it cool
And plus they charge at the town pool

Making new friends along my way
So much to do not enough minutes in a day
But all great things must come to an end
Now I just got to wait for summer to start again

Michelle

15

The smell of summer is in the air
the light breeze goes through my hair
the waves splashing onto shore
wetting the sandy beach floor

Micaela

16

" I remember that summer, that sunday when i first met her. The man who brought her told me she was my sister and just left her with me. I looked at her and she looked at me . Her eyes were bright and her hair was short and she wore a smile even if she was just abandoned."
" That same day she asked me why it was so hot in this season. I simply told her that the sun did not get to show his love alot and this time of year was when he could the most. With her big innocent eyes and pout she asked me : What was love?

" I told her id tell her when she was my height , patting her head as we sat under a tree and drifted off to sleep. I didnt know that , that same summer , that same sunday .... she would disappear just like summer did when autum came.

Lizbeth

15

You left the beginning of summer
Right when things were starting to be okay
And I
I wish I could say you left like the tide
That you left as quick as you came
But you were a tooth
You were with me for so long
Helping me chew through the bad times
And digest what hurt me most

When you left,
I bled
When I speak,
You can see there's something missing
And I don't smile much anymore
My confidence
My laugh
My smile
Isn't the same since you left

Maybe everything I took in
Was too much for you to swallow
And that's why you decided to break away

Maybe it was because I was forced to get braces
And you got tired of being covered up
I wish I could make my parents see
That by making me the way they wanted me to be
By trying to give me the perfect smile,
I decided I never wanted to show my teeth

You weren't a baby tooth
You weren't supposed to leave.
Summers gone,
Just like you.

Christina

14

The End of Summer:

Just when we thought summer was never ending, All we saw were the leaves descending. Even though it's hard to admit, We'll remember the smiles that summer has lit. Never forget the memories of yesterday, Remember them as any other day. Imagine a world where summer never ended, Then all our worries would forever be mended.

Sarah

14

The glistening blue water draws me near,
While I stare out the window dreaming far.
The window seems to say "stay where you are",
And I look at the floor thinking how queer
That I feel so stuck though the pool's right here.
All I can dream is how cool the pools are
When you stretch out your feet and see so clear;
There are tiny clear bubbles popping near.
You splash and you laugh just like "har har har"
And there's no place better than where you are.
When I open my eyes I feel the fear,
And know that the pool is not where I'm near.
I lower my head and ride in our car.

oscar

15

This summer of 2014
I made lots of memories
Although they were not all good
I would do it all over if i could

I went to Sac State for two weeks
And saw the top of the peak
On what i wanted to be
Engineering is the career for me

Jolie

15

I'm sitting here alone in the gloom
But I have yet to decipher whether it be my room or my mood.
However, I can pinpoint one emotion
An overwhelming disappointment has settled in the pit of my stomach.
It could just be because my beautiful day at the sunny beach,
an oasis of laughter and fun,
Has ended.
Or,
It could be disappointment in the occurrences around me.
Be it around the world or in my own
backyard.
Because this summer has seen much tragedy.
With this tragedy comes anger and frustration,
but also,
a feeling of helplessness has engulfed many.
Those directly involved and bystanders watching it on biased
news channels.

Danté

15

The summer is hot
The winter is not as hot
I hate being hot

kaitlyn

14

Times moves on, slowly like a long drive
Boredom,breaks,miles
You keep on cruising till you reach the final trial

But at least you can see the end
it is close just around the bend

You leave the school and head to where you're happiest as can be
you finally arrive on the shore of sand and sea