The way you sit on my desk
So quietly and polite
You’re much obliged

The way you whisper in my ear
You always were the most private
Yet you share it all with me

Most people overlook you
Find you small and unimportant 

But I see you for you
How special you are

You help me sleep at night 
You hold me when I cry
You even make me laugh sometimes
And you don’t even try

So thank you, earbuds
For staying by my side
And thank you earbuds
For never breaking your stride.

If there was one thing inedible I could taste, it would probably be Tide Pods. You know, the little plastic packages containing laundry detergent. I know, I know, you’re probably thinking, “Aren’t those toxic chemicals that you shouldn’t put in your body?” and yes. Yes they are.

Remember that trend around 2016, the Tide Pod challenge? If you don’t, teenagers all over the country were videoing themselves eating the inedibly delicious morsels, and posting them on the internet. I remember having to agree with people saying that it was dumb, or irresponsible, but now, I’m speaking my truth. I understand the craze around the little things. Even though I never participated in the trend, and I’ve never once eaten a Tide Pod, I think, no, I know that it would taste fruity, and the texture would be almost like jelly. Anyways, that’s my take on things that I shouldn’t eat, things that I shouldn’t want to eat, and things that I really want to eat.
 

As I stand atop the Ark
I wonder Why

Why does the Sun rise?
Why does it set?

And while I hear the sounds
of elephant families trumpeting

And while I watch the gnus
sprinting through the watering hole

It all

makes

sense.
 

Did you know that the reason Hawaii is part of the US is because the President of the United States married the queen of  Hawaii? Well, that's not true. When I was younger, my brothers would always mess with me. "If you come into  my room one more time without knocking, I'll tell Spider-man to take away your toilet paper privileges,"  "If you don't massage my back then I'll tell Mom to leave you at home with Grandma while the rest of us are on vacation," "Voldemort was real and the government tried to cover it up." Things like that. And as a gullible 6 year old, I believed all of them. On our way to Hawaii, I was talking with them and I asked them how it was part of our country if it wasn't connected on the map. And you can guess what they told me. I don't think they thought I believed them, but when we got to the hotel, I became friends with another kid in the lobby. I told her "the truth" and she, also being gullible, believed me.

His little freckles
That match the brown specs in his eyes

His bright red backpack
Making him stand out from the rest of the crowd

His beat up sneakers
Covered in holes

His soft, calm voice
Telling me exactly what I need to hear
 

Those big brown eyes
And as I look into them
They tell me stories that his lips are too afraid to say

Those big brown eyes 
They almost hypnotize me 
Whispering sweet nothings into my ears

Those big brown eyes
Gazing at me from afar
While I pretend not to notice

Those big brown eyes
Now tearing up
As I tell them the secrets I’ve never said aloud
 

sitting on concrete

pink frosting smeared on our lips

music blasting loud

 

salty tide crashes 

sailboats in the near distance

clear blue skies for days

 

Don’t you get it? I love you, Jay! I’ve loved you since you transferred here a year ago. Since you showed up to English class every day late for the first week you were here, because you couldn’t find the room and you were to shy to ask someone. Since we got paired up for that project, almost by fate. Since Mrs. Johnson sat us next to each other in history. 

All year I’ve been trying to give you a sign, but you just don’t seem to notice! In gym when I would tease you about almost anything, just to have an excuse to talk to you. I would purposely get questions wrong on our quizzes, just so I could ask you for help. 

Now you tell me you found a girl, that makes you feel something you've never felt before. What about me? As soon as I heard those words come out of your lips,I felt my heart drop to my stomach. And I’m glad you’re happy, but I just can’t bear to see you with her while I’m sitting here, looking stupid. 

sitting together on that old ripped couch

all of us pretending to study

you pull snacks out of your lunch pouch

trying to be as quiet as we can

while pulling pringles out of their can
its like a mini buffet

but its only a casual homework sesh

in the middle of may
we hide our phones in the front pocket of our bags

all sharing earbuds, we listen to kanye rap about his swag

making tiktoks

taking snapshots  

to keep our memories of today

so we can tell our friends stuck writing essays

so we can brag
the bell finally rings

it feels like it’s been days

“same thing tomorrow?”

one of my friends says