Mrs. Sturgis’ 3B Creative Writing Class asks you to:

Free your mind,

You’ll be surprised at what you may find.

ANTHEM OF THE ANGELS WE ARE THE BROKEN

In our grassy kingdom we lay. I watched the screaming, Sitting in the warm summer rays. The lies, deceit, and the pain it’s bringing. It was magic, it was bliss – I’ve watched us fall from faith. We believed nothing could ruin this. I watched us, our red ribbon of fabricated blood Now we’ll sing the Anthem of the Angels break. As we lay it down to rest. I’ve watched the hideous names run across the room, As all things it ends – I’ve watched babies be born too soon. And so must this, my friend. The rain had come down, I’ve seen you when you were about to break Leaving nothing but it’s torturous burning From the love and heart he seemed to take. sound. I’ve seen him when he was on his knees And then we’ll all come together to sing – Dear Begging for you not to leave. Agony I’ve seen what it means to have a home Let me fall slowly. And these things are all I’ve ever known.

The green was gone and I was alone. But you didn't see me behind that door – The nightmarish dream had grown. Wishing our family would be whole once more. Staring, lost in this lack of Technicolor, You didn't see when I lost my fragile mind I wish that we could have suffered together. Or the painful scars we leave behind. To get it back, we’ll have to Dance with the You didn't see the secrets I held so dear, Devil, Now, all that’s left is a wreckage here. And I know that there is no sweeter evil.

SLAYER

Your thunder scented hugs make my thoughts swirl Along with these blissfully painful moments I’ll never miss. These untitled emotions mix with gentle fear Between caramel colored hurt Under all this raw feeling here Gathered along the crimson dirt. I’ll take your velvet hand in mine And we can run through the rain, Laughing like the chilling touch of time In my mind, this day will always be the same.

Alivia Becker

DINOSAUR

When we were together On those abstract summer days I knew that the sun would rise forever, But what I didn't know was that you wouldn’t love me always.

I held my breath, wondering if it was true- And sure enough you let go of my hand Yet you still felt for me, and I still loved you, But you left me wandering along the sand.

So I pass by you, every now and again, Entering your vaulted thoughts. Praying that this is the end – Though we both know it’s not.

LOST

Lost like the etchings in the beaten sand, Lost like the warmth from your hand. Lost like the waves as they crash along the shore, Lost like the echo of your name forever more.

Lost like the chill of the wind, Lost like the rose from your skin. Lost like a whisper in the dark, Lost like the way I’ll be when you depart.

But what’s not lost is what you gave to me – Every smile, every hug, every faded memory. Even though you’ll one day be gone, Just know that I’ll let my life go on.

I’ll stand strong just for you – Even if the tears cloud my view. I’ll remember the times we had – When I made you happy, crazy, and even mad. I’ll remember you from now on, And we can meet again someday, somewhere far gone.

Alvia Becker Andrew Rowles

Dreams

Dreams; desires, fears, rational, irrational. Dreams are human. Or are humans dreams? Half our lives are spent dreaming. Which half is real? Can I really fly? Is gravity an illusion? All so familiar, yet so different. Déjà Vu

Un Broken bonds Put brinks in my chest Never Ending remembrance While water breaks free And smirks as you fall down

Un Broken love takes you Away as the ground Looks up Confused Beautiful memories Rivers overlook far off gazes

Fire erupts as the Un Broken love Questioned Absence stares Directly Mocking

Wind captures Wandering away Un Broken bonds Reconciled

By: Abbey Kaufman

Dreams Calmness during stress and struggle A warm Spring in a Winter of frozen hate The lucid state between life and death A respite from being mocked and hiding

The harbor for your imagination Where you can float above your strife and sorrow Freedom from chains of unacceptance Calmness during stress and struggle

Austin Weaver Drifting

The feeling of closing my eyes Is like a feeling no other Where the lights fade to black Only bliss I discover Where I can think in peace And harmony as well I’m no longer stuck On thoughts about Hell Where I can lay And ponder more beautiful things Where I can stay Where the loneliness Won’t sting Where the emptiness Won’t cling

Movies

The faint image of your face Is a painted picture through my thoughts And a recurring dream Of each and every single movement We’ve spent side by side Replays over And over Again without hesitation Resenting the persistent pushing; All of my efforts are Are put to sleep Once your presence Continues to play

JM Ocean Jessica Miller

Waves break the calm surface

Deep blues and greens mix to make the color of the sea as wisps of wind blow.

Dolphins splash along the whitecaps

Sea turtles glide at sea level, then plunge towards the bottom

Sea gulls float like bobbers

Surfers paddle out to find a rolling swell carrying them in its grasp towards shore

Children play in the shallow waters while parents stand by with a watchful eye

Shrimp boats drag their hungry nets

As sharks follow close behind

The glassy gray disturbed by the motors will once again be calm

Crystal Ball

Katy Hinton

I hope to see When I grow up A happy family, mother and Father and children A cute house, with trees Like friendly giants, and grass As green as could be Staying out late to ride the Ferris Wheels at the county fair Lit up like the stars in the sky Watching a movie on a rainy day Warm homemade cookies And a tall glass of milk Curling up while the kitchen Is still a mess Bright orange, yellow, red leaves That make the horizon a beautiful Autumn glow As we walk the children in for their First day of school Smiles on their faces All this is what I see When I look into my crystal ball And think Of what I want My future To be.

Addie Warren

Sailing away on a ship at sea

Or maybe space, who knows? Could be!

A twinkle in the night

That shines so bright

Guiding my way to the land of dreams

Walking on bubbles across the plains

It’s a great life, I can’t complain!

Bright blue skies

That doesn’t hide lies

Guiding my way to the land of dreams

I’ve found the land by the way of my sail

And with help of the bubbles, I did not fail!

Floating above it all

Although I will not fall

Only in the land of my dreams

To Be a Bird By Brianna Norwood Just to be a bird, And glide on the wind currents, And soar from coast to coast, And have a home at the top of a tree, And move from place to place,

Just to be a bird, And fly solo without being judged, And be alone without being alone, And feel free from any emotion, And never care to have a care,

But if you were a bird with me, I would let you fly by my side, And glide on the wind current, And soar from coast to coast, And have a home at the top of a tree, And move from place to place,

How I’d love to be a bird with you, And fly together without being judged, And be together and stay together, And feel free to have any emotion, And care to have a care,

Just to be a bird, And fly along with another like you, And feel the wind on our faces, And go wherever we wish And share the freedoms of being a bird.

Daydream By: Haley Becker

Blank stares Blocking out the world around you, Dreaming about your future, What’s going to happen next? Or what just might have happened.

Confusion with too many voices, Coming from the back of your head.

The inability to think clearly, Remembering, Forgetting, Making decisions. your eyes make pictures while they’re shut your imagination goes wild In your own world you can control

But as Reality becomes closer, The stare comes back to life, You’re left with a mystery… But that, For sure is life.

I Dreamt of You Last Night

I woke up and you were lying next to me

I watched the rise and fall of your chest

I listened to your soft shallow breaths

I waited, not wanting to wake you

I Met Me in a Dream You slept so soundly

The night encloses me You seemed so serene

Wrapping me in its black thin veil The moon light spilled over your features

As it whispers me into oblivion Extending your jaw line

Thoughts I didn’t know I had Making you look like a god

Thoughts of the past, present, and future I dreamt of you last night

I walk next to a man, but I am he Then I woke up

I am a shadow of him

My feet are mending to his, discipline

I try to break free preparing to jump

I jump back into the black thin veil

Searching for my shadow

Scared of the night

KR

Mindless Dreaming Kristin Trusz

A fleeting thought Can carry a mind so far. Chances not taken Unexpected outcomes A turn of events Aspirations, wishes, ambitions

Recalling where you’ve been Envisioning where you’ll be Failing to notice where you are

Letting the mind slip from your grasp A wanderer To places unexplored, Unchartered territory exposed. Secrets you didn’t know you kept.

Occurrences you didn’t envision A silent look into the universe of the mind One thought leading to the next Hopes and prayers brought to the surface Waiting to be actualized Longing to be tangible Fighting to stay real

A jolt A noise A realization A story unfolds A daydream An escape Dreams

Mary Piper Martel

A dream

A world inside a world

A leap into a life of non-existence

For those few minutes

It’s a temporary escape from reality

A dream

A whisper in your ear

Something you want

Something to strive for

Something to bring you back to reality

A dream

A sudden awakening

Riding round and round a Ferris wheel

Lights all around

Then with the slightest movement

A dream can disappear

You reach to catch it

Maybe if you act fast you can grab the thought

Anything in your head

If not

It slithers away

Another dream wasting away

Remember to Dream

She sits straying of her planner Getting lost in the abyss of thoughts Feeling that everything is too fast Wishing that time could take a halt

She takes a deep breath And remembers to dream Dream of tomorrow Instead of planning it

Instead of getting lost in plans She gets lost in endless dreams, Dreams that take her so far Farther than any plan has

Like a kid, now her dreams Are endless and beautiful. Simple and fun All she did was dream

-Sofia

Robin Kaeding

Falling

Easily falling asleep Drifting away Easing away But now the falling isn’t easy It’s deathly No more drifting No more easing Only falling Only falling Violently falling awake

Adrenaline pulsing Mind now conscious Somehow still stranded In the nightmare Of my reality Still falling Falling still Back to dream Where the nightmares Aren’t real

Addie Warren

Eyes close

Steady incline begins

A roller coaster of emotions

Overwhelmed subconsciously

By disguised words

And misspoken thoughts

Re-doing, fixing, changing

Wishing that it was only

Just a dream

Reliving it would be

The worst nightmare of all Dakota Staff

The Final Dream Jacob Desantiago

The air is dark and black, Building structures on the edge “It is coming….” These unshakable foundations Each step I take makes many cracks, Mountains and spires, this wreckage inspires

Behind closed“It curtains, is coming….” eyelids, we entertain sleeping nations

I run so fast from the sounds,

A hiatus,“It a waking is coming….” up While we come alive in the light But in reality I just run around, Cold as frozen bullet shells “It is coming….” That we let shape us, define us overnight I try to run with so much haste,

“It is coming….”The forensics of your thoughts Fingerprints that litter the slumbering crime scene I stand there looking with no escape, I know, I forget, I am a suspect No heartbeat, “It bloodstream, is coming....” the mind, a machine

I finally accept that this is fate, Our hungry hands crave somethingAnd to grasplooking up it has come…. To hold onto something tangible

Whilst we dance on glass stages

The framework of our daily auditions to, oh how fragile

And as we lapse back into breathable routine

The habitat for saints and sinners,

We’ll strike a match, and light ablaze this quiet life M (y)n d The mirror made to shat t er ed shar ds of ice Un l o v a bl e Fr om cr uel l aser beam eyes And undeser ving And tornadoes of fury and Bl ood t ur ning t o ice as eyes self loathing, meet St uck in t his never ending To numb t o feel the st at e of being Enr aged fir e Un Bur ning flesh away t o r eveal l o v a bl e Wh a t l ies Ben ea t h

In t o l er a bl e Pleading wit h t he un relenting flood of disgust to t ake mercy and drown me Rather than stay in t h is bo d y Cr u mbl in g, Bl own away, cut piece by piece By shar p winds of my own ma k in g

De st r u ct iv e Gasol ine t ear s fuel my demise Wat ch as skin t urns t o ash befor e your eyes Tear s not ceasing Wet ash making mud, Puddled t ear s r e f l ect Th e mess, t h e a morphous pain, The hideousness wit hin MB Rea l ize Disappoint ment

By Justin Wan

All was there, all was fire

Her face was masked, hard to decipher

Not much can be done about this endeavor

A safe soft dream is definitely better

I thought I was smart, I thought I was clever

If that’s what she wants then, whatever

Abandoned Kristin Trusz

Pushed away Banished Moving on, you fled Increasing distance dividing us further

Forgotten No longer meaningful No longer worth your while, un Deserving

Wind sweeping you away To a place I’ve never been Frozen I remain, un Moved, deserted, Icy complexion

Invisible to you, un Forgiven Watching your values burst into flames, Turn into dust

Incinerated Masked by something you’re not

Failing to forget, I wait Hoping that one day All that’s happened Would be washed back to that place Far, far away Painful Truth Brianna Norwood

I sit back and watch, The pain in your smile, The emotions he brings, The sting in your eyes,

I want to help you, I want to make it stop, He loves to pick you up, Then watch you while you drop,

He’s back and forth, He’s all around, He laughs at the tears that are at his cause, He is cruel and sick and keeps you down,

Why do you sit and wait for the ups, He’s a monster that’s using you, You just don’t want to see it, Because you don’t want to feel the pain,

Let him go, Like you have once told me, Even though I did not listen, I don’t expect you too, but I hope you will.

Memory

Exposed. The eclipse ending, the façade erased their disappointment my guilt, embarrassment, shame the discovery that this diamond was in fact glass shattering suddenly, cutting.

Ironic how after the curtain was lifted Endless black night fell. How clouds clearing can blind. How an extinguished fire can still burn. How air itself can suffocate. How one wrong step can trigger an avalanche.

Body limp Mind numb It’s all over. NIGHTMARES Sleeping seems so easy, We do it every night, But when were in a slumber The brain will start to fight. The day dreams start to fade The nightmares start out slow But once they’re in your head, your vision starts to grow. The moments that keep you waiting, The suspense that never ends, The shadows that hide beneath you That you hope are all pretend.

The moment you awaken, The dark and quiet room The fear was left inside you, Stopping before it grew

You think of something happy, And try to get some sleep, But the fear has never left Leaving you with no sleep.

Haley Becker

By Lauren S.

Nightmares

Mary Piper Martel

A dark turn

A quick quiet whisper

Something you can’t escape

Everywhere you turn you see it

It’s haunting you, taunting you

You beg and plead

It’s not rational

It aches and pains

And it wants you

It wants you to ache and pain

It chases you

Leaps at you

Again you beg and plead

It won’t stop

Its aggressive you want to give up

You could throw in the towel it would all be over

You rustle a little more

Give what you have left

Finally it consumes your body

You suddenly awake

A Nightmare Water and Metal

I see myself walking down the stone steps of Honduras,

The stone floor feels so rough.

The sun is going and I just stepped on a rock,

Now I’m sitting on the dock.

The murky water is so green,

My cousins picked on me because of their low self-esteem.

I looked out and saw a black dorsal fin.

Then I was pushed in.

I tried to get up thinking I was gonna be eaten.

When I opened my eyes in the salty water I thought I was dreamin’.

I saw so many killer ways swinging together.

I wanted to be here forever.

I loved them so much swimming with grace.

I wish I could make them dance.

Then something from the Water that sent me flying back to the stones.

Lots of The Iron giants came from the sea marching in steps.

Then I woke up.

Max Dixon Ricquel Jenkins

Nowhere to turn

Running and running Turn after turn A right than a left There’s definitely no way out

The louder the screams get The faster my heart beats Pounding and pounding As if it’s going to jump out of my chest

No more energy to run Sweat trickles down my face Falling to the ground Fear has now taken over my soul

Safety is nowhere in my presence For I’m all alone

Something

I try to avoid you; Of course it never works.

Every corner I turn,

You always seem to appear.

Rather it’s sooner or later,

You always smuggle your way in.

Sometimes you knock me down,

Like a raging bull when he sees red.

Most of the time I run so you won’t catch me;

Or maybe,

So I won’t catch you.

When I do though, Mykerria Johnson Like water, I take a gulp of you.

Unable to swallow, You burn my throat, Scorching it,

So I won’t drink anything else.

Obviously,

You’re something I can’t restrain. Something that will betray me, Stopping me from loving again.

Jazzie Morgan How I See It Mom and dad are fighting again, Rainy Day Heart by Jazzie Morgan Dad screams, Rain pours, Mom screams louder,

Storm clouds gather, Polar opposites.

The air chills. My dad is water,

Windows become studded, My mom a spit fire.

With running raindrops, I,

The sky darkens, I am a mix of both.

And I feel so alone. I am wind,

Thoughts hit me Burning like a blaze,

Like a freight train, Full of passion and desire, And once and a while, Too fast to slow. Destructing with my harsh whip, My mind wander, Yet, I run like a stream, Here and there, Never turning back. And my heart comes to terms, I’ve learned to block them out, With ideas I’ve worked To be neutral like the earth, So hard to ignore, But I am still human, The days like this, And I feel. Are always long ones, I feel scared for my family, And serenity overcomes me, And bad for my dad, like a deep, And remorse towards them both.

Smokey fog. But mostly, A want for the end.

I’m taken aback, A want for an escape,

As I lie in my bed, To college, a new city,

Just thinking and feeling, A new life.

And letting things in. To finally lift this burden,

Off my overloaded shoulders,

To end all this strife,

To let the elements rest. Matthew Feldman

The Hills Never ending hill Sharp hairpins as my wheels spin Blue grass on my left

Snakes Snakes everywhere, dog Slithering across my toesies I scream like a girl

Matthew Feldman

Orange? Bright, vivid, orange Why is this palace orange? I should build a moat

Flannel Underwear Where is my t-shirt? I am in my underwear! Good thing they’re flannel

Puppet

I am forced to think by certain standards

He wants to force thoughts into my head

I can’t reject his opinions because to him

His opinions are solid facts

To him I am there puppet

Being dangled through society

On his narrow standards

Being dragged and dropped

Full of disappointment

I am cut off from my puppeteer

Not because I was freed

But because I am no use to him

He cannot mold my mind

I am useless and incompetent

According to his standards

I am a broken puppet

Dakota A Cold Thought

I am calm

One with myself,

Without troubles or concerns.

A cool breeze

Flowing across this phenomenon

That we like to call life.

But this heat rises

And I can’t control it.

The flame is melting

Along with my emotions

There’s a bonfire inside me,

Filled with the feelings of the unknown,

And the gasoline that you throw on top.

What is this?

What’s happening?

I don’t understand.

This is extraordinary,

…I don’t like it.

Get away

I have to get away,

I douse myself with the

Cold water

That used to be me.

I am calm

A cold thought.

Ian Schenkel

Confusion

Like a search dog

Trying to find drugs in a cologne shop

Like this mind-reader in Times Square

Who can’t control his power?

A tornado of thoughts.

The feeling of five car crashes

While I’m directing traffic.

A debate about an unknown subject

In a different language.

Confusion Drowns my thoughts

And it’s too much.

Ian Schenkel

Pick a Side

Katy Hinton

We are split, Separate, opposing forces Is this how it is supposed to be? One or the other Never both Bashing our opponent Are we not supposed to be One nation under God? Black or white Ebony or ivory Left or right Donkey or elephant Democrat or Republican Blue or red But don’t we need Both colors To create our flag of freedom That represents this One nation under God? Are the ideas really that opposed? Why do they have the power To cause such anger At a dinner table? Between neighbors? Friends? Family? A country? Cutting a gash in our One nation under God America is suffering Ignorance is thriving Tolerance is smothered Under expensive advertisements And rumors And if we are not careful, We will destroy this One nation under God. jd

Double Exposure

I am a soul, I have a body

I can see the sunrise

Or sense its presents

In the warmth of its glow

Like some people cannot see

But they aren’t blind

Seeing the world

Without all material things

Blind people may be the only ones

Who, can truly see

Anonymous

I miss the rise and fall of his chest

His soft sallow breaths

In chaos he was serenity

I miss his random thoughts His dreams and aspirations

In the middle of the night

I miss his lips

His kiss

In the middle of the night

He was chaos

And serenity

KR Pulchritudinous

My heart a fawn A Dark Place

Stumbling like thunder Standing on a ledge look down at my life

Falling over you So close I could grasp it

As restless as a fire But I’ll let it slip away

Lies are confining Watching my happiness fade

But your truth burns Reveling in my heartache

I’m a lost girl, a whisper Feeling the rush of every emotion

My heart a scream Lust in the irises of my lover

My thoughts a stream Love in the gestures of lonely people

The moon a metaphor Envy in the early hours of dawn

With dusk at its door mat Sorrow in the skies

And you under my covers I just want to jump

End all the emotional hype

But I’m a coward

Or just undecided

Seeing everyone I’ve hurt

Everyone who has hurt me

Then I wake up

Haunted by my own existence

Every night

I’ve come to a new peace of mind

KR

Mykerria Johnson

Abortion

I’m what could have been,

But got destroyed.

A non-existing creature,

Probably a boy.

All alone I your womb;

So cold in the middle of June.

An example of prom night gone wrong.

You under the influence of something strong.

Tears roll from your eyes;

How could you dare cry?!

I’m the one that’s gone,

The one you left all alone.

Abortion

Robin Kaeding

Subconscious Messages Dreams are a strange thing Often seeming connected Invade our sleeping

Life’s mysteries sent A subconscious message sent To give us a clue

Nightmares come too though Silver knives stab emotions Even during sleep

Sometimes short they creep Without knowing they exist Pass undetected

Awake there are none That’s why I prefer to sleep An alternate world

My last dream Dear god Give me a wonderful dream The very best dream The dream I have always wanted to dream

I want a dream Now Then Tomorrow

I want to dream A dream with in a dream A dream of me being successful A dream of my guardian angel A dream of my prince charming A dream of me soaring

I want a dream Of heaven Of my future

1 last dream 1 last wish

Sulma

BY Lauren S.

Sulma Dear little sister Dear little sister how is up there in heaven? I miss you so much Please come back home I need you here with me

Loneliness Scared Unsecure This is how I have felt since you left me I never ever got to see you It’s been 8 years since you left Sometimes I dream of how you would look How happy my life would be I know I would be the best big sister

Jealous Terrified That’s how I felt when they said you were coming I did not want you to take my place Daddies little girl Now that you are gone, I don’t know what to do

Emptiness That is what I feel ever since the day that you left No matter what I said and did just know that you will always be my little sister And now and every night I pray

Thank you for reading! We hope to have created new ambitions, or rekindled old ones. Sincerely, Mrs. Sturgis’ 3B Class

Image Taken by: KR