Mill River Union High School

I stood in the hall, head down and avoiding any eye contact. As soon as I saw an opening I snaked my way to my class. This was my routine, though its not exiting. Until today. I was walking down the hallway when I saw a girl, but no ordinary girl. She was Emily. Everyone was a jerk to her, mostly because she had a birth defect that made her face look lopsided. Today a group of boys were harassing her for the fresh cuts on her wrist, they called her an "attention seeker." I watched, and so did most of the people in the hall. I was disgusted. I never liked bullys, nor did I act like one. I went through my time of being called a freak, and a retard. I never knew that being a tomboy was against the popular code, but now I just keep to myself and let others get bullied. As I watched I noticed her crying, and something inside me churned. I watched as a boy raised his fist, ready to punch her, to get the crowd riled up. I snapped, fury burned in my chest as I stormed through the group, pushing my way past people to get to Emily, as soon as I was next to her I realized the choice I had made, and I couldn't turn back. "Leave her alone!" I shouted at them. "There is nothing wrong with her! Why do you guy need to destroy a life to get satisfaction!?" The crowd seemed taken aback by my actions. "Awww, do you love her?" One taunted. "No. She is my friend, and I wont let you low lives hurt her any longer." I snapped back. Emily tilted her head, and for the first time ever I saw her smile. Nobody helped me when I was in need, but that doesn't mean I will let others suffer what I did. Read more »

Like most New England farmers, Wallace Richardson had many irons in the fire. He enjoyed the outdoors and the great foods that grow from the soil to the tops of trees. He treated his farm animals like family by giving them a little bit of his breakfast, lunch, and dinner. He lived in a cabin next to his barn in a well-forested area. My uncle was friends with him and we enjoyed many visits. One time we stayed for dinner, which consisted of carrots, fresh milk, roast beef, and corn. There was also ham glazed with brown sugar, rosemary, and cinnamon, then smothered in fresh maple syrup and simmered over low heat for two hours. My favorite was his blackberry pie with vanilla ice cream.

It was fall then and he was getting worried about his crops and animals. His cow had a calf in the middle of winter and both died. Weeks later his loyal friend, his dog, fell through the ice in the pond that was next to his home. Wallace awoke to loud yelps and barks but by the time he got there he was too late to help. In spring time only half of his crops came up, and rats had eaten all of the chicken feed, with not a scrap left. Read more »

I never wanted to live on a farm, and I'm pretty sure that I never even really knew about farming until we moved to Vermont when I was younger. When I was just a kid, living in the suburbs in Pennsylvania, I never attached the horse-and-buggies that we shared the road with to the people who grew our food, kept us eating peas and carrots and corn and homemade pies even though my parents were too busy to do it themselves. The farmers were just sort of there, and even though I drove past the endless fields every morning on my way to school, I never thought that they mattered much, because to me, they didn't.

When we moved to Vermont, I hated it.

I hated the cold, the mud, the dark winters and the endless forest that stretched out behind my house in place of the development that was being constructed back where we had once lived. The closest friend was over a mile away on dirt roads that were impassable on bicycle, and to go shopping was a once-weekly expedition to the nearest “city”, which boasted a Wal-Mart and a single shopping mall that didn't even have a movie theater. Read more »

 I strive to be the best, no matter the cost. I entered the Spartan race with my adrenalin pumping and my heart racing. The Spartan race was known as the toughest race to beat, and it is. Through cold water and three miles of hell, over ten foot cargo nets and eight foot tall walls, through mud and forest, over hills and rocks, and over fire and under mental pain, and barbed wire. I had to push through it all, and I thought I wouldn't survive. I was so cold I couldn't feel the cut on my leg. I was so tired I couldn't take off my own boots.But i was so proud that I was able to fight through it. Its tough, and can gets very hard the farther you go, but the feeling of accomplishment is overwhelming. To be able to fight your mind, telling you to give up, and that you cant do it, and to fight your body, that grows cold and weak. I respect all that have made it through, and i honor the military, because they go through much worse, but if there is one thing I could tell anyone who wants to enter this race, is to not go alone, or it is much harder to fight your mind.

  Read more »

Mother nature turning against,

and all we did was take offense.

Never returning the love she gave,

killing the animals for fun and games.

 she wouldn't suffer more pain,

this was no longer fun and games.

We rushed and ran to stop the madness,

though all it brought was pain and sadness.

We stopped the tree cutting,

and air polluting.

Fire, earth, ice, and sea

We all prayed, "God help me."

Then all the disasters stopped,

"Is it over?" we all thought.

Mother earth gave us another chance,

We all ran and laughed and jumped and danced.

"Fire, earth, ice, and sea,"

"Mother nature, please  forgive me."

Hey heart was empty

but it was so heavy

as if her loneliness weighed a million pounds. 

It hindered her breathing 

and left her uncomfortable 

while her eyes fought back tears.  Read more »

Silence, 

nothing was heard but the tiny crackle of the burning candle

and he short gasps of breath. 

The room had a dark ominous light

that kept her mind in the nightmare

she was trying to get away from. Read more »

The shadows covered the walls,

but there was nothing making them. 

She was sitting in her bed 

keeping away from the edges

because she knew they were there. 

She knew hands were waiting to drag her under Read more »

The dusty piano keys 

lay as a reminder 

of the broken love

and lost memories. 

Since that last night, 

no one has touched them

not even to play a mournful song.  Read more »

The high rock formation 

caste a shadow over her

as she sat on the hard red stone. 

She watched a lonely scorpion walk about

and felt no fear

for she felt as alone as him.  Read more »

Beneath the sky of dancing colours

she sang the saddest song she knew. 

She walked slowly 

until she couldn't walk anymore. 

With her back on the ground  Read more »

It irks her,

when she sees the ignorance that bloom around her

like May flowers after April showers

as she is stuck in a forever growing field

without a sickle at hand

nor any way to get out of the tangle.

Not even the vexed air that she radiates

can kill off the tangled mass

of ignorant vines

surrounding her and isolating her

from all contact.

A challenge arises

to fight the world

on her own

without any back up
to watch her back.

And from an aerial view

the vines spell out,

“Welcome to life”

You hear the sounds;
Ahhhh,
Owww.
But you never give them regard.
You wait until you read,
“Teenager committed suicide.”
And then you cry,
Then you care
But never when they cried,
Never when they felt alone.
You only add to the reason,
With your ignorance
And ignorance.

I knew your sweet whispers
Would poison my mind,
And still, I listened.
They wrapped me in your icy logic
And left me to die
The death is slow
And agonizing
And every once in a while you pass by my dying body
And more pain explodes within my heart
The blistering heat
Of your fading presence
subsides quickly to my glacial woe
and I haven’t the time
to write in the ashes:
I loved you.
So before my heart stops beating
I take all of the energy I have
And I scream it out,
I scream it to the sky
And as it echoes off a cloud and I hear it
The light fades and everything goes black

I hope my dying breath
Dances in your ears each night
Telling you stories of innocence
Ripped apart by lies
I hope that last light in my eyes
Flashes through your mind every day
Because I know you were there
Watching me bleed out,
Watching your “play” come together
All I ever was to you
Was a memory
To melt upon the stage
Did you know,
That I was melting in your arms?
Did you know,
I was melting in your smile,
And your eyes
Your plan, my dear, failed
For before you got me upon the stage I was liquid

Never hide within thy self
For the light the soul is strong
And if you try to hide it,
You shall only be burned from the inside out,
And die a slow painful death.
You may say that, that is going to extremes
But I beg to differ,
Once someone knows you for a hidden soul
You die a little inside
And that pain grows with each person
And once you are only known for your hidden soul
Your soul has burned out inside and has left an empty shell
The only way to revive your soul
Is to spark your heart with love
Causing your soul to slowly gain it’s light
And with time your soul shall burn so brightly
That it is quite impossible for you to hold it in,
To keep it dimmed.
Now this process may seem all well,
But it is quite painful and tedious,
Fore that love shall only come when they can see your shriveled soul
Which can take years, and with that time your shell grows weaker and weaker.
Many have demised on that journey
Because they never found that love.
So let your soul shine bright
Throw the shade to the fire
And show the world who you are!

I know, I’m not the best

For, who could really be?

I blend in with the rest,

I’m just trying to be me.

My specialties reach no great hight

My confidence is weak,

But I’m still here to fight

I won’t settle for bleak.

Best, better or worst,

It matters not when you’re in the hearse,

So why shall life be any different?

It only matters how it was spent. 

If you spent it with hate, and greed,

You tarnish the golden deed

Of living life to the fullest,

Not living it to the dullest.

Spread your wings out wide

Brace yourself to soar,

For staying on the ground is a bore, 

The limit is the sky.

Take head in what I say.

And learn a lesson of life,

Put down the hatred knife

And live another day. 

Upon the old wrinkled finger,
Sat two rings
of meaning deeper than any other.
One ring was “five dollars”
and the other was “eight dollars”.
But the cost didn’t matter,
They were given with love
And that is what kept them beautiful
for 72 years.
Those rings have stayed strong ,
Even when they haven’ t felt the touch of their giver
For close to 22 years.
Those rings have stayed beautiful,
Upon a left hand of a glorious wrinkled women
Representing true love.

Oh how I’d love, to sleep a dreamless sleep
No one will care of my leaving
No one will ever weep
It will be engraved on my stone
The man sleeping here
Was forever condemned alone
Up on the hill with restless pines
Lay many rows of stones
Under these lay shattered spines
Broken Skulls, and eaten bones
They sleep in beds embedded in nails
Though I try to join them in company
I have been forever fated to fail
And now in my dark room I hear a crow
As I ready myself for happy rest
The bird claws at my window
After I load my headboard
I rest my head on the pillow
And pull the steel blanket up from low
And so enters my brain an iron sleep
Where no one dreams and no one weeps
 

A red umbrella shields the rain,

She wished it would shield her pain.

The droplets cascaded off the sides,

Like the tears shed throughout her life.

Living her live day by day,

Hoping the umbrella will shield her pain.

Don't tell me you understand if you don't.

Don't tell me you will be my shoulder to cry on if you won't.

You don't know what I go through, unless you walk a mile in my shoes.

You don't know the feeling, until a loved one you lose.

Do you know the pain in my chest? 

Do you know the nightmares that keep me from rest?

Unless you know these things, keep your mouth shut.

Otherwise, it feels like a kick in the gut.

I'm tired of those who say they care.

And when you need them, they are not there.

I fake a smile, I hide a tear.

All I think about is the good times I will miss throughout the years.

I will never forget my bestfriend, my angel, my Mother Dear.

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I am my own wall
I block out the hatred
Who really wants to see
what I even have to offer
I get why they judge
It's the easiest route
To get to know someone
You must have patience and time
The effort and affection
and motivation so sublime

Sometimes I feel like taking off and going to a distant land; a utopia as some might say. Others might call it a dystopia. Whatever it is, it does not involve stress or expectations. Instead, it reverses the curse that school puts on kids and releases them from the sluggish feeling that resembles the one of sleeping in too late on Saturdays. As glorious as this may seem, one should try not to get too attached to it, for the greater the amount of time spent in this imaginary world, the farther that person gets pulled from reality. Read more »

Through the window...
I am my own.
My own element...
My own being...
What I think Is what I am seeing

Through the window
I kiss the sun good morning
As the wind whispers a melody
I feel sad and in mourning

Through the window
Forget the sadness
I see I am my own
Nothing to lose
Because I have grown

I am my own
I'm here for now
My own element
Phosphorus.
Because I'm now prosperous
.
I'm ripe with thing's to say
The thing's I'd want to speak to you..
But my words just seem to skip away
So through this window, I see my home
Truth is, i've lived this every day.

“H” is for hippo. A few things come to mind when one pictures a hippo. If you’re a fan of the cartoon world then you might imagine an animated grey character with floppy little ears and a “happy go lucky” grin on its face. It you spend any amount of time in front of the Discovery Channel or flipping through National Geographic then you’ve probably been overwhelmed by images of a large, intimidating, mud caked beast with enormous jaws and vicious defenses. Read more »

Christmas...

a time when missing someone

finally becomes overwhelming,

a broken promise of finally seeing them,

wishing they could see your perfect hair

(even as it falls across your face in despair),

shattered dreams

making salty pixilated images

as they melt across your skin,

feeling gratification at finally being able

to do something normal,

one text message reading

"merry christmas",

the best gift she ever got.

It was a cold night. The air snapped at my ears like an angry voice. My hands huddled in my pockets like two children afraid of the dark. All around me, the sounds of nature hummed a low tune which was only broken by my footsteps and those of my two best friends in the world. I had been experiencing some unpleasantness in my life and I invited them over under the premise that it would make me feel better- that it would make me forget about the new hole in my heart or my empty hand which may go months or years without having someone else to hold it. Read more »

I know I haven't meet you yet

but you're coming soon

a few years I bet

then we'll do our little dance

small talk will become romance

you'll wipe the tears from my eyes

that is when I'll realize

that life is more than just "goodbyes" 

in the mean time I live day by day

and have lots of fun along the way

While I was looking
at ripped jeans in a store,
innocent mens’ bodies
were being ripped apart by bullets,

and words flew from my mouth
with the accuracy of missiles,
shooting down an invisible enemy
from the sky.

My hands are red hot metal
burning everything they touch,
my heart, a sniper
hiding in a mountainside.

Dreams laced with casualties –
deaths by the hundreds.

It is dangerous to dream.

Every time my finger
falls on a key,
another family member
falls to the ground.