Author: poetry_3ksn2y

Bryant Xia // SNKRS

The swoosh glistens under the sun, The shoe tongue sticks out proudly. The outsole pushes against the rubber,
As the boy soars sky high.
Yet before he knows it, Debris creep into crevices and meshes As they traverse the parquet and concrete.

They now rest in a dusty corner, Uncertain of their fate,
Feeling lost and forgotten.
Occasionally they glance over, to the new pair that occupies their old spot
On what is now A spot-less shelf

So the boy wets a soft bristles, Gently brushing away the dirt and smudges,
Restoring the shine he once saw When he first laid eyes on the shelf.

Perhaps they’ll end up in a landfill. Their meshes and fabrics Torn apart, burned,
Buried and finally neglected.

Yet as he matures and grows, The sneakers begin to age, The cherished pair becomes outdated and unfit.

But that’s okay, They have served their purpose. Memories of the summers they spent
together, Forever lives on in the boy’s mind.

Luke Mager // RIVERSIDE

As I walk by the riverside
Ripples disturb the water
Fish swim up the stream
Fighting against the flow

Ripples disturb the water
Struggling to their destination
Fighting against the flowing toTry
In there watery world

Struggling to their destination
Gills pumping
In there watery world
Pebbles glisten

Gills pumping
steady as the stream
Pebbles glisten
The water flows with no sound

Steady as the stream
fish swim up the stream
The water flows with no sound
As I walk by the riverside

Shobhan Mohanty // MY APOLOGIES

This is just to say
I was unfortunately
late to class.
I tried to be
on time while
coming from math.
I probably missed
something
very important.

I walked as fast as I could,
Trying to not miss
The deafening ringing of
The late bell.

Forgive me
But the
walk was
so relaxing,
the chilly breeze
tranquil sounds
soothing trees.

Riley Wong // FAIRWAY

This is just to say
I have misplaced
my wedge
that was out on
the links

Have you seen it?
I left it on the green
Alone in the dark

you were probably
hoping I wouldn’t
need a new one
time for a upgrade

Forgive me
The grooves were ruined
it was so rusty
So dirty
Some would even say,
under par

Kingsbury // NOMOPHOBIA

Buzz, ring, chime. Occasional checks throughout the day, With time turn to being submerged By the rough currents that are her phone. The infinite universe of strange videos, Thoughtful posts, and enslaving games Capturing her mind more and more. Time is lost when she is engulfed In its aura. Her face Illuminating in more ways than one With every text, like and follow That pops up on her screen, Revealing the obsession in her eyes. Moving colors and changing lights Leaving her in a deep trance. Never not laboring to please Her followers. Every day more of a reason To serve its needs. More streaks, less battery. A girl and her phone. A relationship that, like many others, Doesn’t work long distance

Fawzi A El-Kattan // I SHOOT, I SCORE. HE SHOOTS, I SCORE.

The music blasting through my ears, The sweat beading on my forehead, The fleeing of 1000 butterflies in my stomach, All for 6 minutes. 3 periods.
Stepping on the mat, staring down my opponents eyes, asserting dominance. I shake his hand, squeezing it tight letting him know, I’m there to make him work.
Whistle blows and I get in the zone. I throw him around like a frisbee, then I shoot my shot, the same shot I’ve drilled a thousand times; it doesn’t feel the same, it feels powerful, electrifying. I score.
Next period: my opponent gets sloppy, he shoots, I score. I break him down while on top, I break his will.
Last period. I go for the pin, I get the win.
I stand up in triumph, he still lays on the ground in defeat. I walk to the center of the mat, With my head high and a smile gleaming across my face, We shake hands, my teammates screaming in joy for me, I walk back knowing there is no feeling greater.

Minjune K. // BUTTERFLY

It all starts with a little push.
It’s always hard to do it.
But sometimes you have to push it.
Once through the pleasure rushes in.

It’s always hard to do it.
Starting with a small caterpillar.
Once through the pleasure rushes in.
Growing and Growing

Staring with a small caterpillar.
Eating everyday just to grow
Growing and Growing
Hoping to turn into something beautiful.

Eating everyday just to grow
Soon, turning into a pupa.
Hoping to turn into something beautiful.
The pupa hardening everyday.

Soon, turning into a pupa.
Everyday expecting it to happen.
The pupa hardening everyday.
Just wanting to break out.

Everyday expecting it to happen.
The time is coming
Just wanting to break out.
Breaking free, and flying in the sky.

The time is coming.
But sometimes you have to push it.
Breaking free, and flying in the sky.
It all starts with a little push.

Peter Miniutti // MIRROR MIRROR

I stay put, unwavering, without fault
What does Webster say about reflection? Can’t keep up a conversation People pass by but never look Me, me, me
No one wants to talk I only see the selfish I see everything I am there in the dark
There is only one way to stop But no one wants to smash a mirror
Or do they?

Maya Subramanian // SMILE

A smile, Simple, yet powerful. A smile costs nothing, yet gives everything. It takes but a moment, But the memory could last a lifetime.
I’ve learned that all it takes is one smile, one beam one laugh one chuckle
To light up a day, Wash away the sadness, And create a sense of inexplicable cheer.
A smile can bring Rest to the weary, Cheer to the discouraged, Sunshine to the sad.
And all the while, A smile can never be bought, Begged, borrowed, or stolen. For it is of no use to anyone else
Unless it is given away.

Some people are too tired to give a smile, So give them one of yours!
Just stop by with a grin and wave, And create a memory to adore.

Lina Jaafar // “SCARED FOR THE FUTURE”, A CONVERSATION WITH MY ANXIETY

“Scared for the Future”, a Conversation With my Anxiety By: Lina Jaafar One day It is small, a star in the night sky. One day It is the night sky, swallowing me whole, Turning my vision dark, my senses off-
I cry.
Cry out for help, but not aloud, I go limp. Maybe if I sleep the night will pass, But I keep it alive, like a drug, it consumes me!
Some days my friends light candles, I think the night is gone, but it’s still there, Sharp, cold, biting–welcome.
I hide,
Hide from all the candles so as to not be fooled, Lock myself in a dark room and the shivering stopsSeeing every miniscule light behind the window.
I turn, breathe a sigh of relief, close my eyes, Thinking the light is gone until I realizeMy friends-they’ve broken my windows, They’ve let the light in!
Mend the barrier, scared of the breeze, Of the silence that follows, Not at ease.
Running out the door, my friends at the party, “Why don’t you have fun?” It’s not that simple, you see!
It’s not that fun having fun When your body doesn’t want to have fun! Don’t you see?! Stop following me!

I try.
Try to let go, but of what? I’m not holding on, It’s holding on, that pest I can never escape-
Even in my sleep, when I wake, My most loyal friend, Always there to greet me-
Carry It with me like a dog on a leash, But who’s on the leashIs It or is It me?!
My friends, they say, “See the colors around you? Their glorious beauty spins about you!” “No”, I reply.
I am colorblind-
I see black, I see white, I see division, I see It.
“Are you scared of the darkness?” “No, friends, I am scared of the light.”