Milton High School

After going into Burlington for lunch and a shopping trip the Jericho family returned home. They would return home to something big and blood ridden in their basement, something that could make you deaf, something with long brown hair and ominous eyes that could send shivers down your spine.
As usual the Jericho family entered their driveway singing “She’ll be coming around the mountain when she comes.” As Mr. Jericho turned the steering wheel of the station wagon, the car squeaked and bounced up and down as they entered the drive way very slowly. When the engine was shut down the family all sang the last bit of the song, laughed a bit and then brought all their bags of clothes inside.
“Hey Billy go let the dog outside so he can go to the bathroom.”

Epiphany

By Maggie Sullivan
Milton High School, Grade 10

She said,
"I know who you are.
I know who you are,
And let me tell you,
I am one of those people, too.
I have felt that feeling
That familiar
Heart-racing, stomach-clenching, anxiety-provoking feeling.
And it's all just an awful cycle
You don't want people to think you're weak.
But you're not
You're definitely not weak.
Stay strong,
You've got to stay strong."

And in that moment
Of former despair
Talking with my history teacher
Through the hallway of surpassing faces
I realized that I AM strong
I'm stronger than I could ever imagine
And all these ups and downs
And good and bad
Have made me this much stronger.
I am strong enough
To put these words on paper
To let the world know how I feel
To let the world know
It's over
I'm happy again.

Things are going to be okay.

No matter what happens,
If we rise or if we fall
Or if we laugh or cry
At least we'll all be in it together

Criss-cross our thoughts
Crush them into the ground
Spit and stomp
And roll them around
Criss-cross your anger
Send it to me
I will take it happily
A clear vision of few
A face that is new
Places to see
And things to do
Criss-cross your illness
I'll trade my good for your bad
And discover a pain that I've never had
Exploring mysteries
Turn a smile to a frown
All the while, you're shutting down
Criss-cross death
Don't go towards the light
Sqeeze on to my hand extremely tight
We'll see things together
And have journeys of our own
But you'll never ever be in this alone
Criss-cross our hearts
I'll give you mine
For eternity and beyond,
Our fingers intertwined.

I’m walking home alone today.
The trees my only companion, the way it should be.
I love the trees, their vibrant colors and unique shapes. How they’re all the same but just so different.
I’m walking home alone today.
Time to think.
Time to go the long way, time to go to that special place. The giant tree hidden on the hill, on the path that no one uses anymore. A dead end. I look up at its brilliant arms, stretching out in every direction. Arms to hold me tight.
I’m walking home alone today.
And I feel so sad.
This giant tree was meant to be the Perfect Treehouse Tree. I always said I would turn its welcoming limbs into my secret haven. But that was just an empty promise. That’s all anything is anymore. Broken.
I’m running home alone today.
Fast.
I’m running home alone today.
The trees my only companions, the way I wish it never was.

I need to push you away
To keep from going insane
Every time you’re near
I become vain

I know you don’t understand
Exactly what I’m going through
And you feel like I don’t
Want anything to do with you

But I want you to know
That my heart is in pain
And I push you away
To keep myself sane

It’s hard for me to get near
And be your best friend
Because my broken heart
Will not seem to mend

In my wildest dreams
You kiss me in the rain
But I push you away
So I won’t go insane

A Little Less Sure

By Liza Duchesneau
Milton High School, Grade 9

You push me off the branch,
Before I am ready.
I can tell from your smirk,
That you know I’m unsteady.
I want you to want me,
I do everything I can.
But I cannot learn to fly,
Before I can stand.

Look at you on your pedestal,
So high and mighty.
If I didn’t love you,
I would’ve pushed you off already.
A "boss" like no other,
So naive and insecure.
And every time you speak,
I’m a little less sure.

Every ounce of my being,
Thinks of you and me as a whole.
But I am a little less sure,
That you’re the perfect mate
For my soul.

My hands move frantically,
As if to curse to the air.
You make me so mad,
That I can no longer bear…

…I can no longer bear,
Your touch on my face.
But all that’s said and done,
Will not erase.

The time keeps unwinding,
As I fall from the tree.
But I know deep in my heart,
That somehow you’ll save me.

A Little Less Sure

By Liza Duchesneau
Milton High School, Grade 9

You push me off the branch,
Before I am ready.
I can tell from your smirk,
That you know I’m unsteady.
I want you to want me,
I do everything I can.
But I cannot learn to fly,
Before I can stand.

Look at you on your pedestal,
So high and mighty;
If I didn’t love you,
I would’ve pushed you off already.
A ‘boss’ like no other,
So naive and insecure;
And every time you speak,
I’m a little less sure.

Every ounce of my being
Thinks of you and me as a whole.
But I am a little less sure
That you’re the perfect mate
For my soul.

My hands move frantically,
As if to curse at the air.
You make me so mad,
That I can no longer bear…

…I can no longer bear
Your touch on my face.
But all that’s said and done,
Will not erase.

The time keeps unwinding,
As I fall from the tree.
But I know deep in my heart,
That somehow you’ll save me.

Lurking in the loneliest of nights,
Stalking in the depths of my eyes.
Crisp strips of moonlight gaze at me solemnly,
Lingering in the tiptops of trees.
Ghost Riders and Speer Hunters chase after their prey,
In the faint whisper of the wind.
A snake passerby hoots at and owl,
The owl replies with a hissing noise back,
And a flower lay alone in the shadow of an attack.
The shining stars follow the crows to the East,
The sun dawns again with the blue birds and the geese.
The gust of the breeze
Picks me up off my knees.
And at the dusk of the morn’,
My eyes are reborn.
Then I stumble my way back home.

Today was weird. It wasn’t like anything especially weird happened today but I just felt weird. Last night I realized that a year ago my best friend and I were going out we’ve broken up since then but even so, a year has gone by. It’s really hard to believe and it hit me hard.

One Wonders Wondrously

By Liza Duchesneau
Milton High School, Grade 9

How would mankind react
If the maker of the universe
Were to suddenly dye the home of the birds purple?
If the sky was purple,
Would one look to the ground,
And sleep unsound?
Or would one face the sky,
Look it in the eye,
And accept the change for the sake of all others?

How would mankind react
If the maker of the universe
Were to suddenly dye the home of the birds purple?
If the sky was purple,
Would one look to the ground,
And sleep unsound?
Or would one face the sky,
Look it in the eye,
And accept the change for the sake of all others?

If the grass was no longer soft and squishy,
But rather sharp and hurt one’s tushy;

Half believing that there is no afterlife.
That this is it, no turning back.
No "do overs"- ever.
Running.
Running out of time.
Running out of breath.
Running into a pool of thick molasses.
I'm not the only soul in this inching boat.
But yes, the only terrified one.
Unsure, aching.
Mind boggling too many surreal concepts.
Every bodily censor sounding their thousands of alarms.