February Poetry:

Destiny Undressed
by Leora
Age 16

The village of Destiny sat all alone, Under a galaxy of stars that forever shone. The villagers lay sound asleep, Their souls slept safely in God's keep. Little did they know they'd be put to the test, When a great wind came and disturbed their rest. It carried their bodies far away, To where exactly, no one could say. And when the sun rose, their souls flew home, To find empty beds, where not a being did roam. They searched for their bodies near and far, But could not discover where they were. The souls all cried for they did not know what to do, Without a body their souls felt untrue. And then from among the sobbing souls, The sound of laughter escaped in great rolls. Who was this man they all turned to see, Who from amid such misfortune could turn to such glee? It was Baggers the Beggar to everyone's shock, The man who the village would normally mock. Now slowly the village realized with dread, This man was now mocking them instead. Baggers who was normally looked upon with scorn, Whose clothing were tattered, whose expression was worn. Was now no different from the rest of them, Without a body to adorn with gems. Now as souls they were all on the same page, Without separations by money and age. With a new understanding they wiped up their tears, And looked back with shame on their wasted years. That very night they all went to sleep, And once again their souls God did keep. The great wind came and their bodies were returned, To a village whose lesson was finally learned. And when the souls returned to their beds, It was the minds of equal men that filled their heads.

I Have To Move On
by MacKenzie
Age 12

Wishing you were here, drawing time near, I have to give up my fears, I have to move on. Every night I cry, Grumble and I sigh, I know I can survive, I have to move on Remembering your love, You reminded me of a dove, Never pushing me with a shove, I have to move on Now that your gone, I have to stay strong, I'm happy now that I am moving on.

Avalon
by Amethyst
Age 11

Mystical place Wild animals Stones... Rules... Earth's energy, like batteries Healer Warrior Blazing Star Legends Earths talking, Do you hear? Rain Tears Destruction The Sun, happiness DREAMS, MYTHS... MAGIC!

The Sun
by Kelly
Age 12

Golden rays of light, Splashing here and everywhere, Lighting up the day, Blinding us from sight, Warming the coldest iceberg, Withstanding every glare, Becoming our friend slowly. Why Not? Fort the Sun is always there!

Jesus
by Delaney
Age 13

Years don't seem like long enough, Friends don't last forever. All of the years pass us by, And at the end we must surrender. I feel this way in time again, Looking at my life, You are always there when I wake up, To heal all of my strife. You are my Lord and one true GOD, Your face painted in the clouds. Thank you for this gift of Christ, Who unwrapped himself from the shrouds.

Family
by Dakotah
Age 12

My family is like a box of crayons, Each color stands out for a different reason or two. My mother is like the great black crayon, That never gets a chance to stop working. My father is like the dull gray-blue crayon, That only wants to be lazy and sleep. My brother is like the luscious pink crayon, That gives all his love to us in a days time. I am like the bright red crayon, That keeps the family happy and full of laughter. My sister is like the mighty blue crayon, That keeps the family on their feet and very energetic. Each family is alike to something, My family is alike to a big, colorful box of crayons.

Red Rose
by Kylie
Age 12

My Family is like a red rose, blooming in a beautiful garden. My baby brother’s the long roots, which grow so fast. My mom’s the colorful pedals, who fall off and don’t last. My dad’s the sharp thorns, that protect us from falling. I am the long stem, which keeps our family standing.

Birthday Cake
by Hannah
Age 11

My brother is like the trick candles that relight when you blow them out, sweet never becoming mad, even when you are. My mom is the frosting covering every thing, keeping it all-safe, all loved, and protecting us from everything. My dad is the flour and the eggs that hold everything together, strong and powerful. I am the pink flowers on top, pretty and sweet. My dog is the sprinkles, Sprinkling kisses ever where, always making you smile.

Duckbill Poem
by Kenonica
Age 12

Rip, tear, crunch, munch Mrs. Duckbill is feeding her babies lunch. Slip, slurp, burp, gas Baby Duckbills ate too fast! Rip, tear, crunch, munch Baby Duckbills want more lunch.

My Family
by Victoria
Age 11

My family is an open field My dad is a bee strong and powerful My mom is a rose soft and gentle My brother a dandelion small and weightless My cats little seeds small and playful And I the grass that holds us all together.

My Charmbracelet
by Marisa
Age 9

My charmbracelet is very cool I take it everywhere,even school When I take it off to go to bed I lay on a pillow and think of it in my head When I fall asleep I dream of it,too And when I wake up and see it sparkle like the dew That is the story of the charmbracelet I love Hmm,maybe someday I'll get a charm that is a dove.

A Snow White Dove
by Rachel
Age 18

A dove can fly So can I A dove is Free Just like me It makes the shape of a P That stands for peace No more V'S No more violence in me. I am a SNOW WHITE DOVE.

God
by Maggie
Age 13

I see through your heart and I live through your soul Your heart keeps me pumped and my life is not dull. God I have a question its burning like fuel Why can't I be popular, like the boys & girls at school? I ask people to do things, almost every day. But I want to be ask back every day I PRAY! My prayer is not answered and it makes me very sad, But to know that I am with you I am also very glad. There's just one think I ask, If you could just protect me, I wouldn't get picked on and I would get accepted for me! I don't get asked to go places and it makes me hurt inside, so God, please watch over me if you wouldn't mind!

Wandering
by Amber
Age 13

Even though its lonely Even though its tough I walk it all the while The path we travel is rough If somewhere we fall Or we lose the way We hope that someone finds us No matter where we stray When the path gets cloudy And darkness fills the night Somewhere we will find it The pathway full of light Though scared thoughts may haunt us And make us turn around Do not pay attention Keep your feet on the ground For when spring turns to summer And summer into fall With winter 'round the corner We'll be there through it all We cannot be broken We will hold on strong Though our pathway's foggy It's there all along.

Ellen Ross
by Dolly
Age 15

E-Everyday I Think of you,
L-Loving,caring,giving too.
L-Living your life as every second was your last,
E-Everyday hoping you think of me too.
N-Never knowing what could have happened to you,
R-Remember when I saw you that day.
O-Oh my gosh my life went gray,
S-Seeing you in that hospital bed.
S-Sadness broke out when we found out that you were dead!
I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU GRANDMA ROSS!

Life As A Road
by Lacye
Age 14

Life is a journey. Full of forked roads and many obstacles. You will go through this road, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. Nothing is certain, but one thing. The roads are sometimes dark and gloomy, but God will always be there, holding your hand.

Adorable
by Robyn
Age 10

Little toes scurry across the kitchen floor. Trying to squeeze right through the door. They look so sweet and innocent. When they attack!!!! Playing with things here and there. They seem like they go everywhere. Shiny toys, big toys, small toys too. With their energy don't they just amaze you!! No, No, No you say when they bite you, But you know they're just too cute. Sometimes their teeth can really hurt but, You can't help thinking they're just too big of a nut. Squeezing through the tiniest cracks, You wonder how they do it. Their small claws look like they can do no harm, But their claws are like a bad luck charm. A grin that shows all teeth, But we all know beneath the innocent look to hide your feet. It is very neat that they can trick you in to thinking, That they just want to snuggle, When all they want to do is smuggle and bite you. At the end of a long day they just want to sleep, And what can I say I love it when they don't make even a peep. Wrap them in a blanket put them in a tight space, They'll be off in dreamland not to awake. Who are these creatures you just can't ignore they're our little ferrets, only ours to adore.

February Short Stories:

The Ride
by Wendy
Age 15

Over the summer my friends and I went on a trip to a theme park. Well, this wasn't just a them park it was an extreme park. Our first ride was probably the scariest one in the park. We waited in line for ten minutes and finely it was our turn. I sat in the last cart next to my best friend.We were a group of six. The rest of our friends sat in front of us. All I could see was the back of their heads. The ride hadn't even started and already I felt like I was going to throw up. Then it started, the cart began to move. The clacking nose it made, made me nervous. We stopped at the top of the huge drop we were about to be thrown in to. My friend and I looked at each other. I saw the look on her face and it didn't make me feel any better about what was about to happen.I looked around at the park which seemed so far down. My hands were sweating and I felt a tickle in my stomach. Then we were off. We were falling down and there was no way to stop. There was so much pressure on my face I felt like my skin was about to be ripped off. I was so scared I couldn't even scream. My hands were gripped on the handle bar in front of me, nothing was going to pull them off. It seemed like we were falling for hours. Then I noticed that everyone else had disappeared. No one was in front of me. My friends had disappeared. Finally it was over, the fall was anyway. The rollercoaster still had more to give. The rest of it didn't seem as bad as the first part.Before we knew it the whole thing was over. I stepped out of the cart and my legs felt all shaky. I could barely walk. My friends were laughing, and joking about the way they felt on the ride. We were still on an adrenaline rush. As we walked away from the ride, I looked back and thought, " piece of cake."

Granpa's Flowers
by Caroline
Age 12

The old man lovingly stroked the smooth leaves of a plant. "Primula x polyantha" he muttered. "What?"said his granddaughter, Mary Anne, who was 12 years old. "Pacific Giant Primroses. Aren't they beautiful?" The flowers were the joy of his life. His wife had left them in his care after her death, and he could always find comfort and consolation in the work. "Oohh," she sighed. She almost always helped Granpa reach the bottom ones, for he was too old to bend over so far. Mary Anne loved spending time with him, and he loved teaching her the Latin names.... Mary Anne choked back tears. It had been over a week since Granpa died of a heart attack in the middle of the night. She had begged her mom to take her to his house, for today was Tuesday, the day she always helped him with the flowers. The door opened with a click as she let herself inside. The primroses were starting to wilt pitifully after days without water. "Noooo," she sobbed, kneeling with her face in her hands. She picked one of the many pots up and cried 'till she could cry no more. She felt her mom's arm around her shoulders, and the tears welled up in her eyes again. "Mary Anne," said her mom gently, "Granpa left the flowers to you in his will." "But how can I take care of them?" she cried. "He also said something about a green box." "His garden box," whispered Mary Anne in realization. She slowly got up and padded across the dusty wooden floor in her socks to a bureau, opened the first drawer, and took a green tin box with the paint peeling off in patches. The box went beside her as she sat down in front of the shelf of flowers. With a determined look on her face, she whispered, "It's time for the flowers," and opened the box.

The Adventures of Sam the Monkey
by Ian
Age 5

Once upon a time in the jungle there was a monkey named Sam. Sam lived in a friendly jungle. One day Sam went to see his friend, Mr. Gorilla. Mr. Gorilla wasn't happy. Do you know why? Because the King of the Jungle was coming. It was time for Sam to leave Mr. Gorilla. Sam the Monkey was the King of the Jungle's helper. The King of the Jungle was a lion. One day, Sam planned an idea. When it was night he would get up and leave. The next day, the King of the Jungle got up and Sam was gone! Now, Sam went somewhere far, far away. He went to live with another monkey family where he could visit all his friends, but the King of the Jungle wasn't happy. He walked the whole jungle until he found Sam. "Roar!" The King of the Jungle screamed. Mr. Gorilla tried to hide, but he was too big to hide behind Sam's back. Then the King of the Jungle moved Sam away. Sam grabbed Mr. Gorilla's hand and he let go of the King of the Jungle's hand and they never saw the King of the Jungle again. So, from now on, Sam the Monkey is the new King of the Jungle.

Friends Come Over
by Michael
Age 4

Once upon a time there was an A and he came to a B. Then a 5 came over to bring a rocket ship and blocks over. Then a band came into the house and they joined the band. Then they started to play on the computer at pbskids. Then a mouse came over to play blocks again. They started to play with blocks together then something else came over. It was a car and an airplane. Then someone else came over and brought a mouse and keyboard. Then a crayon came over. It was Jimmy the Elf. He draws with crayons because he loves to draw.

Volcano Trouble
by Bhrianna
Age 9

Once upon a time, deep in a Redwood forest in Britain, there was a girl who lived with her aunt, Nimoo. Far off, there was a volcano. They were planning on going there sometime that week. The girl,Magenta, had a magical power. She could say "Abroo Nime" and a screen would come up that she would talk into for it to show her anything she wanted. They went to the volcano which took one day. When they got there, they decided to take a nap beside the volcano. In the morning, Magenta found that Nimoo was gone! She looked all over for her,calling her name. Finally, when she was just about to give up, she found a doorknob on the volcano, but it was locked. Magenta took one of her hairpins and picked the lock. It worked. She was inside the volcano. She said "Abroo Nime" and the screen showed her that Nimoo was in a cellar, tied up and gagged. She walked the volcano awhile until she came to a mirror. It had a spiderweb built over it. She got a stick and moved it out of the way, but when she did this, the mirror slid away revealing two bears! Past them, she saw Nimoo in a cage. Magenta got a boulder and threw it at the bears. That knocked them out, so Magenta picked the lock that was on the cage. Finally,Magenta and Nimoo went home together and had dinner.

Memories of a mother
by Rachel
Age 14

The sun was shining brightly that day and the temperature was cool, which made it a perfect autumn day. As I put the key in the lock and skipped down my front steps, I noticed that the leaves that had turned slightly orange on my old ash, were slowly starting to drift onto the ground. The neighborhood children were deeply involved in their whimsical game of Robin Hood. I reminisced back to the time of when I was one of these fancy free youth and was engaged in some game of the same topic. In our small neighborhood we would gather together and put on simple parades made of red wagons and bicycles. We had all dressed in our princess gowns and our firemen outfits. Our parents gathered by to watch their offspring rehears this fanciful performance. We marched up and down the streets on a day much like this one. A cool and pleasant temperature that surrounded me also carried with them the wonderful smells of yesterday. My thoughts returned to the present as I neared my destination. My friend stood on her withered porch waiting for me. We passed through the side gate that led to her backyard, then worked our way back to an old rusty jungle gym that had stood like an old friend longer than I could remember. We sat atop looking at the clouds. Although teens, we were unwilling to sacrifice our favorite pastime to the increase of age. We laughed, though not unkindly, at the different occurrences that passed about us. That was one thing that I truly cherished about our friendship. That there were never any unkind words or deeds that passed between us or any other person. Although this did cause a tinge of animosity from others who perceived that we would not participate in the vain discussions that were handed to others in order to uphold their stature. We both accepted each others incapability's, recognizing our own. That is what upheld our tower of friendship that continually spiraled upwards. Many years have passed since then and these are still very happy times for me. Spring begins and the new blossom buds from the old ash that stands 10 feet higher than my last recollection. My boys run about with the neighbors playing Peter Pan, and little girls run about my feet as princesses with a dragon who entrails them vigorously. My eldest sits in the ash with his friend, continuing the memories that I have retained for so many years. The dreams of my youth such as being the Beauty queen or princess are now aspired by the greater purpose of just being a mother.

Paint The Sun
by Nishkala

Georgie set off for school. It was another miserable day. “Rain, rain, rain.” Georgie said out loud. “I wish Mother would cheer up, the rain makes her unhappy and I’m fed up with seeing grumpy faces everywhere.” Georgie shook off his raincoat and walked into the classroom. All his friends just sat there looking really miserable. "Oh cheer up everyone,” he said. “It's not that bad.” "What's not that bad?” Mr. Brown asked. "The rain,” answered Georgie. “I was thinking what an awful world it would be without rain. Sir.” “Very interesting Georgie.” Mr. Brown remarked. “Excellent, please tell us more, we are all excited to know. Aren’t we class?” "Yes Georgie we are! Please tell us.” Peggy begged. “On the way to school, I saw frogs leap into puddles and streams. It was awesome.” “The trees, flowers, and animals all need water, just like us. The earth would be a terrible place to be if it did not rain. Nothing would grow.” “Yes, but we need the sun too.” Peggy argued. “Of course we need the sun, as well as the rain,” said Mr. Brown. “Now what shall we do to cheer ourselves up? I want you all to think for a moment and then put your ideas onto paper.” “Wow!” Georgie said. Then he wondered, “but what can I do?” The class began working while Mr. Brown marked the class register. Suddenly Georgie smiled. “I know. I’m going to paint a big, bright yellow sun for Mother. That will cheer her up.” “What a good idea, Georgie!” Peggy giggled. “Can I paint the sun too?” “Another fantastic idea, Georgie.” Mr. Brown said, lifting his hand from the desk. “In fact why don’t you all paint the sun for your parents?” ”Ooh! Splendid,” replied Georgie and Peggy together. ”No more miserable faces," said Georgie. When the class had finished painting their pictures of the sun they set them to dry on the recreation table. Soon the class bell rang. Ding! Ding! All the children looked happy again. They placed the pictures into their book bags and set off for home. As Georgie opened the door, he was sure he could hear his mother singing. “La, la, la.” A voice sang. “It cannot be Mother,” Georgie thought. “She was so miserable this morning.” “La, la, la!” “Mother, is that you?” Georgie called. Still singing, Mother walked into the kitchen and gave Georgie a great hug. “Mother you are singing. How lovely. You were so miserable this morning that I painted a picture to cheer you up!” Mother rolled open the bright yellow picture of the sun. “Georgie, dear, it’s beautiful, but you know, I’ve been thinking. In fact while you were on your way to school today, I suddenly realized what an awful world it would be without the rain. Nothing would grow.” Suddenly everything seemed brighter. Georgie turned around to see the sun beaming through the window. “Oh Mother,” Georgie whispered and gave her a smacking kiss.

Tails Galore!
by Candace
Age 10

Every year in the town of albirmete they have a party. Not only dogs but also cats were invited to the party too. They all had such a good time at the party looking past their differences. But they were all having a hard time dancing because their tales got in the way. So they all decided to take off their tails and hang them on a tree outside of the building. It was a lot easier for the animals to dance now. After the party they all went back outside to get their tails, which they left on a tree. Nobody knew which tail was theirs. All of a sudden it started to rain, and they had to grab the closest tail to them and go back home. This is why so many dogs and cats have so many different types of tails.

Grandfather
by Fatima
Age 10

As I was sitting in my classroom on a windy April day watching the trees move with the wind, I heard Ms. Carney tell us to take out our Reading books. We began reading when I realized that this story "Fox Song" is about a girl who loses her grandmother. Seeing the girl crying because her grandma passed away reminded me of my own grandfather and the memories we had together. Seeing the golden brown leaves in the pictures in "Fox Song" reminded me of that hot summer day when my grandfather and I were walking through an outside market in Sierra Leone, Africa. I was sweating as I passed different drinks being sold on the street. I wanted to ask my grandfather to buy a drink but I knew he had little money. So it was a surprise to me to hear my grandfather offer to buy me a bottle of water. At this very moment, I had to battle between saying yes and no, because if I said yes, that water would have cooled me down and made my sweat disappear. But I responded, "No, you don't have enough money." He replied, "Tomorrow will come with something new." When the story was finished, I closed my book with a mixed feeling of happiness and sadness. Remembering all this reminded me of how much my grandfather means to me, even though he's gone up to a special place. Knowing he was generous has made me want to become as generous as he was.

You Are What You Eat
by Amanda
Age 12

Once upon a time there lived an overweight pug dog. He would eat anything in sight. He spent his days eating and laying on the couch. His name was Buddy. Well ,one day Buddy's mother said "Buddy-go fetch me some strawberries- but whatever you do- DON'T go near Old Lady Libby's strawberry patch. Old Lady Libby was the grumpiest woman around, and had strictly warned the people of the town never to go near her strawberry patch. Buddy had his basket ready to pick strawberries. He didn't get very far when he noticed Lady Libby's strawberry patch. " I know I'm not supposed to eat them...but nobody in town has ever tried them before, and I want to be the very first to take a bite out of one of those red, juicy strawberries." So he took a step closer to the patch and picked one. He put it up to his mouth and took a big bite out of it. "Wow! These are great!" He said, and filled his basket up with Old Lady Libby's strawberries. He ate some all the way home. And when he stepped into his home, his mother saw him and said "BUDDY!!! Your face! It's so red! And the top of your head looks like a leaf. Buddy panicked. What was happening to him? As the seconds passed, his body grew redder. He was turning into a strawberry. Buddy remained a strawberry for the rest of his life, and wants everyone to know the message of his story. ALWAYS LISTEN TO YOUR PARENTS. OR ELSE SOMEDAY YOU'LL END UP LIKE BUDDY. AND REMEMBER- YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT!