Dummerston Middle School

Fantasies

By Hannah Reichel
Dummerston Middle School, Grade 7

You and me
Our hands entwined

Have picked dandelions
Spoken of who is kind
Have danced in the fields
To the songs in our head
Have traveled all over
Fought over bread
Have cried all night
Into puddles of fear
Have chuckled long hours
Have worried of something so near
Have dreamed up fantasies
And built our own kingdom
Have read books of adventure
Basked in freedom
Have chased the ladybugs
That were holed up for winter
Have made up songs
Held races to see who's the best sprinter
Have hurt each other's feelings
Then made it up
Have dreamt of being ladies
Wished for a pup.

So much fun we've had
You and me
I don't think it a shame
That you're imaginary!

Are they only dead,
Or surviving to be kept
Always in the minds
Of those they regret
They never told the secret?

Dreams Never Die

The ghost, hovering
A white sillouette, moaning
In the dark hours, roaming
Through the decrepit mansion, haunting
Wishing for the old days, dreaming

The thought of the next test,
the smell of the newly printed paper... EW,
the fear of failing this next test,
the hate of it all the test you need to take,
the mess it makes in your head,
the hard work makes you break,
your brain squeezing all it can take in,
the last few minutes before you go
you look,
you cram,
you study,
next thing you know you’re taking the worst task possible
you’re done,
you come out,
you wait,
and wait,
and wait,
you get the grade,
you take a minute before you take a last look,
you look,
you have gotten an F
you failed,
what will your mom and dad say.
But that's a different story.

Running through the woods, dodging tree by tree,
unaware of how many were behind me.
I stopped to check,
but all I could hear was my heart, thumping against my chest.
I started up again, weaving through the brush,
then I tripped and landed in a pile of mush.
I got up and ran on, still holding what put me here in the first place,
It wasn't worth it now, it was all just a waste.
So I dropped the snickers, into some prickers.
And jumped into a stream, which brought me to a river,
I swam to a beach, when I felt a shiver .
I looked behind me to see my friend, holding the snickers,
that I dropped into the prickers.
And behind my friend, I could see them,
looking at me, and then back at him.
He opened the snickers,
and took a bite.
then all I saw,
was a few bright lights.
The two lights were straight across from each other,
I don’t know how I can explain this to my mother.
So I jumped into the river,
and swam to my friend.
I climbed up the beach,
grabbing him was just out of reach.
The tires squealed to a stop,
out came a cop.
The snickers was in his hands,
so I ran into the night,
when I looked back I saw the law.
They were turning right.
Why are they turning, can’t they see me?
I soon found out why, they wanted my friend.
They thought the snickers was taken by him.
So I grabbed my bike, and rode full speed.
I caught up to my friend and he ran along side me
I ghost rid my bike into a tree,
and we scaled that tree before they could see.
They stopped for a moment,
and eventually left.
Then we climbed back down,
regretting our theft.

Running through the woods, dodging tree by tree,
unaware of how many were behind me.
I stopped to check,
but all I could hear was my heart, thumping against my chest.
I started up again, weaving through the brush,
then I tripped and landed in a pile of mush.
I got up and ran on, still holding what put me here in the first place,
It wasn't worth it now, it was all just a waste.
So I dropped the snickers, into some prickers.
And jumped into a stream, which brought me to a river,
I swam to a beach, when I felt a shiver .
I looked behind me to see my friend, holding the snickers,
that I dropped into the prickers.
And behind my friend, I could see them,
looking at me, and then back at him.
He opened the snickers,
and took a bite.
then all I saw,
was a few bright lights.
The two lights were straight across from each other,
I don’t know how I can explain this to my mother.
So I jumped into the river,
and swam to my friend.
I climbed up the beach,
grabbing him was just out of reach.
The tires squealed to a stop,
out came a cop.
The snickers was in his hands,
so I ran into the night,
when I looked back I saw the law.
They were turning right.
Why are they turning, can’t they see me?
I soon found out why, they wanted my friend.
They thought the snickers was taken by him.
So I grabbed my bike, and rode full speed.
I caught up to my friend and he ran along side me
I ghost rid my bike into a tree,
and we scaled that tree before they could see.
They stopped for a moment,
and eventually left.
Then we climbed back down,
regretting our theft.

Colin Owen
4/3/08
Young Writers Project

Mud Season

when you hit the water
it’s no longer frozen
the air is much hotter
the temperature’s risen

the snow is melting
ski season is over
soon mountain biking
is the sport to take over

you still ride down hills
at a "breakneck speed" pace
only now there is mud
when you fall on your face

your body still aches
when you are done riding
mud season has started
snow goes into hiding

Jared J. Gray
3/28/08
Language art
GRANDMA
My grandma is very kind and she always makes sure that we are all right if we ever get hurt. If she feels like it she will always come and say hi to her little puppy that is at our house. He loves his new mommy. He is so spoiled that every time grandma comes up to our house, all but one of the dogs goes running to the door. We have started to train Swiffer to walk on a leash. He loves his little doggy bones that he gets for being a good dog. The one thing everybody loves about grandma is she makes the best home made chocolate in the whole wide world. She loves us kids so much.

We went into the game rested and ready, but not ready enough. We had just come out of a 3-0 win against Putney so we were fired-up. We didn’t let our guard down like you may have expected, our offense wasn’t as capable as usual.
Our team isn’t known for comebacks, so we try to score early on and stay on top. From the beginning to the end our defense held up wonderfully. Only once did the other team come close to scoring. Our goalie got knocked over and lost control of the ball. They kicked it, it bounced off the first post then went in, but the referee called a foul. We went into overtime, then double overtime, without a score.
After both over times we went into penalty kicks. We won the toss and went first. The ball was kicked, a miss, over the top. I knew we weren’t ready for this. Now it’s their turn. They slammed it at our goalies hands, it sailed through and into the goal. Our turn again. The kick was and went straight to the goalie. Their up. The kick sailed to the far right, too fast for our goalie to react. They're up, 2-0. Our next shot sailed to the far right corner. Their next kick blew by our goalie. It was over in 3 kicks.
We have lost to Charlestown 2 years in a row. The only thing I regret is not asking to take a p-k. I might not have made it, but I would have tried my hardest. Our great game into a big 3-0 loss.

My classmates have the most annoying mannerisms ever. One of them has a really bad laugh, states the obvious, copies people right after they say something, and agrees with everybody. Another one bites his fingernails, but that isn’t the bad part. He spits them at me all of the time.
Anything funny will make the one of them open his mouth really wide and snort. He likes to say stuff that people already know. He says something that you just said because he doesn’t pay attention to anyone when they’re talking. He avoids conflict by agreeing with everyone and saying “I know”, or “you’re right”.
One of my other classmates bites his nails and spits them at you. I don’t mind him biting his nails, but when he spits them at you it’s disgusting. The only other thing I hate that he does is he says things other people say. He doesn’t say it right after like my other friend, but it’s annoying and I hate it. If someone says something that he thinks is funny, then he says it, way too much, but just for a little while until he forgets.
Other kids in my class that I don’t know well have some mannerisms too, but they’re not as annoying. One of them uses his hand to gesture when he talks. If he is holding anything he throws it by accident. Another one used to sing and everybody hated it. Some of them say stupid things and are really mean without thinking before they talk. But most of them crack their fingers, say weird things, have weird laughs, or just stuff like that.
I’m sure I have some annoying mannerisms too, but I don’t know them, and I bet everyone is annoyed by them. I hate annoying mannerisms and wish no one had them.

Craig Carpenter
young writers project
tests

one day there was this one test,
in which I did the very best
I finished relatively quick,
so I sat there hearing the clock tick
30 minutes later we were let out,
doing well on the test I was confident about
When I received my grade the very next day,
I looked at the paper and saw an A
but my friend did not do so well,
from his last test his grade greatly fell
the school day was over so there was nothing better to do
so I went home and and worte down this poem.

My Worst nightmare!!!!-tests

One Saturday night I went to bed kinda early about 9:00. I hadn’t watched any scary movies or anything! It was about 2 o’clock in the morning when i heard noises outside my bedroom. It was pitch black out so I opened my door to see what was going on. I didn’t see anything so I left my doI heard something outside my door again so I woke up and sat up in my bed. Five minutes. later I saw something in my door way, so I rubbed my eyes so see if I was hallucinating, but I didn’t think I was. I saw a persons shadow or a person outside my door with a shovel in hand. I sat there for a few minutes. when they were coming closer and closer...... But then they were in my room so I started screaming to my mom and her boyfriend Thane. I was screaming for 2 minutes strait when hey finally came out of their bedroom to see what was wrong. They said “what, what happened, what's wrong?” I said I saw something out side my door and I heard something outside my window! I was shaking very furiously! I was crying I was so scared. They said it was nothing but a nightmare! But I didn’t believe them. I was so frightened I didn’t want to go back to bed! I made my mom stay up with my until morning when my brothers got up so I new I was safe! I went to bed about 6 o’clock and woke up at about 12:00 They started making fun of me and my mom yelled at them! I went outside to see if there was anything outside my window. But what I saw really surprised me............ I saw deer tracks right beside my window they were probably digging for food so I started laughing. But I still wasn’t convinced that it was still a nightmare I wouldn’t go to sleep until Thane said that know one in this neighborhood or this road have EVER been broken into. He said that basically that there are very few brake ins in Dummerston. So I decided to go to bed. The next morning I woke up and said it was just a nightmare and nothing really happened!

The Last Game

By Jordan Wright
Dummerston Middle School, Grade 8

It was the end of the hockey season
It was our last game together..ever
Some of us may never see each other again
We hadn’t had the best season, but we hadn’t had the worst season
We had played a great game
But we had lost... it had been a close game, but we had lost
Some people were going to different teams
Some people were aging up a level..
Everyone was sad since it was....
Our last game together...ever

NMH

By Elena Eames
Dummerston Middle School, Grade 8

The home made video flashed across my screen. A guy making a slam dunk, a girl making an elaborate painting, a student with the words slanted across his shirt: You’re In!
I sat there watching it, not thinking about what it meant.
I called some friends, and told them, they clapped and cheered for me, and then said “Wait.. you're happy.. right?”
“Yeah.” I said “I'm happy.”
“Good, well I’ll see ya at school!”
School,
I thought about not seeing them everyday, about not being able to walk with them in the halls, laugh at the teachers, and talk about everything at recess. Recess, which, I wouldn’t have anymore. High school is a big step, as much as I look forward to it, I wish I could have the people that I've known for so long, and the people that have become so close to me there to make it a little easier.
And then the scholarship came. It covered almost everything and was too good to turn down. I am going, I am packing up everything and moving to a new life with 130 people in the same place that I’m in, from all over the world. I know I will meet new friends, and great people who will have a huge impact my life. I can’t wait to leave, to get away, to start over.
But then.. my friends here, everything I’ve worked for and achieved.
New opportunities vs. what is known and loved.
I’m going with new opportunities.
I cry as a write an old teacher a thank-you email for everything she's given me, I cry as I talk to a best friend on the phone. I get a surge of excitement as I mail the acceptance letter.
A great feeling of self importance and liberation comes when I tell people, “I’m going to NMH, not BUHS,” and the look that they give me, one of admiration.
I put so much time and effort into the entire process, and now it all paid off.

Christian Carr
4/2/08
Young Writers Project
Dead Pets

Since I was 5 years old i've always had pets. I have a problem though... I don't know how to take care of my pets. Every pet i have ever had has died. I had thirteen pets in all since i was born. The weird thing is, they are all dead. Most of the deaths were not my fault, but a few were.