Category: ode – tribute – celebration

Mehr Khuran // LIFE OR DEATH

Air hostess by day,
partying by night

One day, on the plane
terrorists were there
No one knew

Life was at risk
For everyone, not just me.

I told myself
be confident.

The plane stopped in Karachi, Pakistan
and everyone freaked out

The terrorists pointed
the gun
at the kids
at the end after
everyone was out
of the plane.

I jumped in
front of the kids
and was shot down.

I died
because
I saved many
lives.

I died
with pride and
those three kids
alive.

I died
with confidence that
I did the right thing.

Hopefully,
this confidence inspires
others to become
a air hostess because
it is not an easy job or
responsibility.

It is important to
realize how a job
doesn’t only come with
working, it comes with
accountability; whether
others can depend on
you or not.

Therefore, I died with
a award in my name and
my parents and
country
proud of me.

Alexander Peng // PENGUINKIND

Resident of the barren, white plains
Huangdi of the Spheniscidae s trains
Custodian of the southern winter fringes,
An emperor.

Noble tuxedoed avian of the winterland
Flightless, ungainly as if completely unplanned
A torpedo in the water
Yet disregarded by the augur
Braving through the frozen bath of white
And marching through the night
Facing the eternal fury of the Antarctic plateau.
Alone to inhabit their frozen chateau.

Wishing not anything sweet to eat
No need for others to greet
Content with their uncontested reign
Humble rulers of an empty domain.

Anya G. // I MET AN ALIEN ONCE

When I was young,
I had dreams of,
Aliens that sung,
In the stars above.

I thought of the black sky,
The bright suns,
Endless, to the human eye.

I swear I met an alien that one time,
When the sky was full of stars,
It was sublime,
But now he’s behind bars.

My grandad told me to never tell,
But he saw an alien too,
And said it was hell.

Now I lie awake,
Gazing towards Mars,
Wondering if the alien was fake,
And dreaming of life beyond the stars.

Anna Nelson // IM SORRY

Six months after you sent that “Hey”
Suddenly your feelings float away,
Am I not enough,
to make you stay?

I’m sorry
that I talk a lot,
I’m sorry for
the trouble I brought,
I’m sorry
For the pain that I wrought.

Is that why,
you left in such a huff?
And put me out
with such a snuff?

I’m sorry
that it’s you not me,
I know
this wasn’t meant to be.
I’m sorry
That you wasted time,
And I’m sorry
you’re no longer mine.

Keegan Thourani // IMAGINATION

The time has come.
A year in waiting.
I walk into heaven.

Black smoke flies.
Burnt chocolate flew.
A volcano filled of Hershey’s milk chocolate
Spurted out of the chimney.

Oh no! It’s snowing ice cream!
The chocolate drizzled to make a sundae.
I bolted back to my house
Opened the refrigerator door
Grabbed a perfectly pudgy plump cherry

I raced back outside
Chucked the cherry on top a mound of a
Perfectly scoop of strawberry ice cream.
I could feel my stomach growing in size
As I continued to devour several pounds of ice cream.

But, Halloween was just as expected.
Little kids bolting house to house
Getting chased by their parents.
The annoying rings of doorbells.
Jolly ranchers. Candy corn.

Libby Walter // MY RIVER

The river meanders endlessly and rises and falls with the moon
It was peaceful at 10am on Sunday morning but not 12
We waved at the homeless man who lived on the floating plastic house
Until we reached the furthest downstream paddling was easy
Caressing the water with the curve of my paddle only to plunge it down into the water
At the lock Peter drove us strait into to the crashing water and despite my fear I had to keep on
paddling to not crash
The upstream journey on the way back was a fight
My arms were tight and aching but I didn’t want to be at the back; I was better than that
The old Queen Thames boat chugged past which gave a short burst of speed
That old gray dock bounced with the wake of our slender racing boats
I almost hit a few bikers while carrying my long boat through the path into the hut
They hated us

Benjamin Tibbetts // REMEMBER

Remember.
Remember the verdant needles
Of the proud pines, standing tall
Remember the warm air
Whispering through their full branches
Remember the cloudless azure sky
The sun illuminating the glittering water
That trickles merrily over smooth pebbles
To disappear beyond a tall, mossy rock
Remember.

Now the chill wind shivers through the
Bare bonelike branches
That point like accusing fingers towards a
Sullen sky gray with clouds
The stream is frozen,
a crude and stagnant
Mimicry of its former life
I shuffle through dead, decaying leaves
Blissfully ignorant of the bitter, biting wind
Remembering.

Peter V.R. // NUMBER ONE

The orange chair gathers dust
The long empty chambers bubble quietly
The blue machinery is quiet
emptied four years ago
Silent in mourning
Of the loss of their owner

Still has the blueprints
Of countless contraptions
To capture the blue speedster
And make his town lazy again

Banana peels and nets
The former beginning to smell
The latter unravelling
Thrown around the floor
Like worthless pieces of trash
Around the countless machinery
Slowly rusting
Not being able to do their one job

Without pay
Creating evil plans
Be it getting more of himself
Or disguising himself
He always had something
Not anymore
He was number one
He said it himself
And he always will be
Within our hearts

Nicholas Favazzo // VENDING MACHINE

A1                                A2                         A3

What’s next?

I am not in the business of placing bets

But C5 has been selling so fast, be hasty

And F3 is looking ever so tasty

And for the customer looking for more

I head D2 has cookies galore

But if it were me choosing, I have a hunch,

If I had a penchant for a tasty munch,

I would look past the chips and treats,

For I have no interest in sugary sweets,

I would go right past the old vendor itself

And grab a fresh apple from my own shelf

Amanda Flashner // MISS YOU

September 2007
“Girls I need to talk to you”
“Okay dad”
“Your mom has been diagnosed with a carcinoma ”
“Ooh, cool! Is that like a superpower?”
“No, she is very sick, but will fight”
“Okay, can we go outside now?”

October 2007
My mom told me she would be losing her hair.
She was going to shave it off on Rosh Hashanah,
It means head of the year,
the Jewish new year.
My beautiful mother,
She is fighting for her life.

January 2010
Mom, do you have cancer?”
She looks startled,
I just figured out the secret.
“Yes, honey I do”
“Will you die?”
“I will do everything in my power not to”

November 2011
My mom just had major surgery.
The surgery was a success.
Her lifelong dream was to see giraffes.
For her birthday we are surprising her,
We are going to see giraffes.

August 31, 2012
Today is my 10th birthday
It is the last birthday I will have with her
She got me rollerblades and a card.
It’s a smiling ostrich

November 2012
I get a text
my mom has been admitted into the ICU
They need to operate immediately
She doesn’t know when she will be home.
The surgery is a failure,
She will never eat again.

December 19, 2012
She is still in the ICU
Today is her birthday,
she is turning 56
I write her a letter.
I don’t think she will remember it,
but it starts with
“you are the best person I have ever known,
Please keep fighting, I can’t lose you yet.”

January 2013
My mom is home again.
She is still dying, but maybe there is hope, right?
No.
The doctors sent her home to die.
24/7 nurse care, watching my mom be fed with IVs and tubes,
I don’t care, I can’t lose her.
I won’t.
I cry myself to sleep each night

She is still the light in my life,
she is still fighting,
for the 10-year-old daughters, she will never see graduate,
get a job,
live their lives.
I hope what she has is enough.
I hope she is proud.

February 25, 2013
6:00 pm a call comes.
Nobody will tell me what’s going on.
WHAT IS GOING ON?
She couldn’t have died yet… right?
The last thing I say as I walked out of the room is
“I love you, and I hope I see you again.”
What if I never see her again?
My dad walks in
He can’t be here.
If he’s here it means my world is ending.
“Girls, your mother passed away”
I let out a heart clenching scream that shakes the walls.
She’s gone and there is nothing I can do.
I fall asleep that night with tears running down my cheeks.
I am 10 years old and I just lost my mother
The one person who is supposed to be there for me.

My mother lived,
The first year,
The second year,
The third year,
The fourth year,

The fifth-year she died.
She is the best person I will ever know,
She was strong, beautiful, intelligent, and kind
She taught me how to be better in everything I do,
to love, and hope no matter how difficult.
I love her and always will.