If I were to obtain a power unique to me and no one else would choose it, it'd have to be the power to do calculus. I am struggling really hard in calculus right now so it makes sense to have it, plus who's gonna wanna know how to do calculus to its maximum potential? Having this power means I would actually be able to make honor roll, plus have a good GPA. And of course this would allow me to get into an advanced college of my choosing. Even though it probably won't have the major I'm looking for, it's still helpful! Plus I can help others pass calculus as well and hey, if my career path doesn't work out, I'd always have a great fallback career. It's a win for all!

my mother is a teacher to 7 year olds.
she brings home stories about their funny thoughts about the world,
whether or not santa is real,
when they accidentally swear
and them peeing their pants from excitement.
the other day when she came home,
she didn’t have a funny story,
a man had walked into her school without checking in with the office.
so over the loudspeaker they asked if the
“man without identification could come to the main office."
my mother had students and one of her 7 year olds looked up at her and asked:
“is this our shooter?”
this kid is 7 years old.
she looked at him and explained that they didn’t have a shooter.
she finished her story and flopped down on the couch.
i sat down next to her and leaned on her shoulder.
then i began to think.
do we all have a school shooter?
the next week we got a threat.
and another threat was made to another school,

The old chairlift creaked and swayed gently
as the crisp morning flurries nipped at the rosy, red cheeks of the young girl.
Her grandmother sat to the left and her grandfather to the right.
Both of them had their arms wrapped tightly around her, attempting to keep her warm.
They sat in silence and watched the mountain grow in front of them.
The bright sun illuminated every aspect: the smooth coating of ice that clung to the trees,
and the conformity of every neatly groomed trail.
The previous snow had left a fresh layer of powder
that wordlessly begged them to disrupt its purity.
At the peak, they looked down and out over
the mountain, the town, and the valley that seemed to stretch on forever.  
The sky taunted them, dangling just out of reach,
and the overwhelming panorama reminded them how small they were
—even at the highest points.  
 

The day is bloated with heat and

the air is buzzing with voices.

I stand with my arms close to my sides

while bodies brush past me,

some nodding as they pass me by.

I am a rock,

watching the stream pass over me.
Behind me folks are beginning to take off their shoes

as they slip their worn feet into the coolness of the pool.

I look down at my own feet, dusty from the walk

just when a booming voice begins to speak.
My legs nearly cave;

his voice floats above the massive crowd

in which I am only a tiny speck,

but still a piece nonetheless.

Every voice is quieted,

every ear is turned to listen,

every eye looks forward towards those steps,

and the air becomes solid with anticipation.
We wait for his voice again.

Finally, it comes.

And when it comes,

Power is an interesting word,
It has lots of meaning to it.
For example, someone has the power to become president,
But a car has the power to drive thousands of miles.
Just like an athlete has the power to achieve greatness,
And people have the power to do good in this world.
We either use or abuse power.
If superpowers were granted to 7.6 billion people,
People would either take advantage of their powers,
Or be creative with them.
But the best use of power comes from within.
It would be in the world’s best interest to choose a meaningful power.
Sure, people could choose to fly, be invisible, or even read people's mind,
But others may choose to be able to walk, talk, hear, or even smell.
I would choose the power of kindness.
You never know when someone's having a bad day,
Or their life is a complete mess at the moment.
If we’re being honest with ourselves,
All we ever try to be is perfect,

Thursday night - DEC. 13 - from 6-8 pm, Young Writers Project and Burlington City Arts present SoundCheck featuring Javan Nichols! 135 Church Street, Burlington. This event is free and open to all. Writing Workshop. Pizza. Open Mic.

ABOUT JAVAN: A freshman at Rice Memorial High School, Javan was recently published in YWP Anthology 9 (*see poem below) and he performs at spoken word and open mic events in the Burlington area. Javan is part of YWP's Voices for Change project and works on his poetry with Rajnii Eddins, YWP's artistic director and slam poet. Javan started writing poetry in 6th grade and was encouraged by his teachers at Edmunds Middle School in Burlington because of his strong voice. Much of his poetry has to do with social injustice and racism.

*The One They Fear
By Javan Nichols, Burlington
Published in YWP Anthology 9
 
I am the one they fear.