Pieces 2018

pieces
2017-2018
Hope & Despair

pieces
A student publication

“Dreams of Yesterday”
by Vivan Tran
Copyright © 2018 Pieces Bishop Kenny High School

Table of Contents
Medusa’s Stone by Julia Nichols 4
Glass All Empty by Victoria Reep 5
Puerto Rico by Abigail Parker 6
Thoughts after a Tragedy in a Small Town by Christopher Young 7
i wish my eyes werent puffy from crying by Victoria Reep 8
Despair by Rachel Lechwar 11
An Ode to Windows by Amanda Morningstar 12
The Beast by Ansley Gibson 13
Invisible by William Prewett 14
Unsaid by Cate Cosgrove 15
Prison Cell by Katie Jubran 16
All My Names by Victoria Reep 18
Snake by Grant Reidy 20
The Stormy Night by John Costa 21
Trident of Hope by Lauren Massais 22
help i’m drowning by Victoria Reep 23
A Wonder Woman by Victoria Reep 24
Saving Wings by Sarah Ward 25
Love Alone by Meghan O’Connell-Becker 26
In Her Tower by Victoria Reep 27
Painter’s Poem by Maci Fulton 28
The Moon by Mary McLauchlin 29
Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Matthew Seale 30
Hermes by Madelyn Aiken 31
Dolphins by Isabella Cratem 32
Hermit Crab by Hannah Dybel 34
Magic by Marielle Todd 35
The Lesser of Two Evils by Mailene Miranda 36
The Lyre by Abigail Parker 37
Apollo by Chloe Shaw 38
As a Flower Rises Again by Lily England 39
The Jar by Victoria Reep 41
Owl of Athena by Alexandra Smith 42
Horn of Plenty by Katherine Lacy 43
Where is He? by Abigail Parker 44
A Unity of Love by Hallie Knight 45
The Heart by Isabella Solis 46

4
Medusa’s Stone
by Julia Nichols
I made the mistake of looking into her eyes,
In a split second I became stone.
Facing my own demise,
I prayed to be able to let out a single groan,
As I waited for the day on which I would
be set free.
To my surprise,
I became very wise.
When I was delivered from the horrid monstrosity,
I wanted to share more generosity.
I could no longer be as carefree as the old me.
“Light in the Sky” by Leah Weber

Glass All Empty by Victoria Reep
When I was young
I gave out smiles
Like they were flowers
And everyone was my love.
When I was young
I saw the world
As a catalog
Of endless possibilities.
When I was young
I was sure
Life would be worth it.
But that was then
And this is now.
“Finding a New Hope” by Nina Saldajeno
People ask me
“Where did that beautiful little girl go?”
And I can’t say
“She grew up”
Because they wouldn’t understand.
(and maybe that’s not really where she went)
Some people criticize me
For not being as optimistic
Or as happy
As they’d like me to be.
But you can’t blame me for being empty
When you’re the one
That emptied me.
The kaleidoscope
Of my childhood
Gave way to the monochrome
Of my teenage years.
5

Puerto Rico
By Abigail Parker
5 months,
Without enough food to eat.
21 weeks,
Without enough water to drink.
150 days,
Without enough power to contact anyone.
3,600 hours,
Without enough strength to overcome this.
216,000 minutes,
Without enough hope that they will survive.
For 12,960,000 seconds,
Nobody listens to their call for help.
Nobody answers their call for help.
Somebody, answer their call for help.
6

Thoughts after a Tragedy in a Small Town
by Christopher Young
There was tragedy in the sheer amount of lives lost that day in our small town. There
was tragedy in the homes of our families and friends who lost someone in that senseless,
terrifying mass shooting that occurred down the road. There was tragedy in the thought
that we would never recover, never learn to rebuild our lives and our city after such a horrendous
act. The tragedy birthed memorials, Twitter hashtags, and media coverage like our
town has never seen. It created heightened security measures, increased mental counseling
programs, and even began conversation between community members and city officials on
prevention techniques. Tragedy created a temporary, but very real spark of hope that maybe
what happened here could change things for the better. But, as we all know, sparks burn out.
Time passes, awareness dwindles, and people forget. I watched my town go back to business
as usual, and I watched nothing get done. I watched a tragedy unfold in this town that only
I noticed, a silent but deadly tragedy almost as horrifying as the first. It was that I knew this
would happen again, somewhere else, to some other small town just like ours. The tragedy
is that I would be forced to watch the nation care, but not enough to change.
“Contemplation” by Nina Saldajeno
7

i wish my eyes weren’t puffy
from crying
by Victoria Reep
“Mann” by Velisa Pelkey
8

Student Name
Teacher
Subject
3 October 2017
They say knowledge
is a necessary weapon
to have when battling life.
They say learning is fun
and a key part
of what makes us human.
And maybe they’re right.
But I’m tired
of staring at my paper,
frustrated because
none of my keys unlock the safe
that holds the answer to this question.
I’m tired
of carving words into my head
and then never using them.
I’m tired
of learning the
who’s
what’s
and where’s
And never learning the
why’s
and how’s.
I’m tired
of painting rivers on my cheeks
because I can’t meet
their standards of success.
I wish my eyes weren’t puffy from crying
I’m tired
of wasting more than 12 years
on a system
that doesn’t give me knowledge,
but gives me
Stress,
Anxiety,
Panic attacks,
and Depression.
9

I’m tired
of being forced to go through
this government sanctioned
Pain.
I want
to live
and learn.
I want
to see the world
and fumble
over the words of another language
and laugh
with my friends
and enjoy my youth.
I want
to dance
without fear.
I want
to sing
at one in the morning
because my soul
yearns for it.
I want
to paint
to read
to do everything
I’ve dreamed of doing.
But instead
I’m
stuck
between pale concrete walls
learning how to find
the roots of a polynomial,
knowing nothing I say
will be worth anything
if it isn’t in 12 pt
Times New Roman.
10

Despair
By Rachel Lechwar
The sky may not be falling
But it presses against my skin
Confined to expectations
As the worries creep in
Hold your breath
Close your eyes
It can all be beautiful
Keep telling those lies
Shield yourself from the pain
It ’s better not to feel
But it will still remain
If you never take time to heal
Trapped inside a mental
storm?
You’re not the only one
Those who suffer every day
Might seem so full of sun
Life is no fairy tale
There is no rewind
Make the most of today
Tell that to your spinning
mind
The storm will pass eventually
Or maybe hover still
You never know what life
might bring
Or what it ’s come to kill
Not drowning, no
But sinking
Life can go on
I can’t stop thinking
Ripples from the surface
It looks different from down
here
Out of touch with all that ’s
known
Now nothing is clear
Running in circles
Chasing the unattainable
The glass is half empty
When it once was full
Close your eyes
Hold your breath
You can never avoid
The truth of Death
The sky may not be falling
But I feel it closer now
I want to resist it
But I just don’t know how
11

An Ode to Windows
By Amanda Morningstar
a Window
four panes
of glass
Shielding
the good
Banishing
the wicked.
Terror
occurs beyond
the Window
but this solid
glass
harbors
fragile souls
like a dog
guarding its master.
a glass half shattered
or a glass half mended
lets you see
the world
with Fear
or the world
with Faith
“Life in Color” by Alexandra Smith
12

The Beast
by Ansley Gibson
Our world desperately needs a change,
For north to south, west to east,
Hatred is passed in foreign exchange,
And man was morphed to beast,
We must change back before it’s too late.
We can’t just lie at home and sleep;
Ignore the sounds of those who weep;
All the negative we must rectify;
Together we have to try.
We can’t just sit and wait.
“Menacing Mannequin” by Veronica Selden
13

Invisible
By William Prewett
Being invisible isn’t the best
Being hated would be better
It is like wearing a crest
that says don’t come nearer
I will be incredible
One day I will be great
And others will notate
The good that is in me
The will to be seen
until then I am invisible
“Nostalgia” by Veronica Selden
14

Unsaid
by Cate Cosgrove
Mom, I think there’s someone in my
head
Speaking words I left unsaid
Creeping thoughts that fill my mind,
Seeping comments that seem unkind
Mom, I think there’s something
wrong
Something hazy, something long
Lasting hours, I start to fade
These creeping thoughts won’t stay
away
Mom, I think I’ve strayed the path
I’ve gone on long, I’m torn in half
There’s something heavy sitting here
Once distinct now seems unclear
Mom, I’m running out of time
I feel the past, it’s slipping fast
I know this wouldn’t last
When all along I never asked:
Momma, is it okay?
The heaven in your head?
I haven’t seen you since that day
You lay so pale in bed
Momma, are you okay?
You never got to say
Everything happened in an instant
I never knew I missed it
Momma, was it okay?
Those nights we spent apart
I never knew what to say,
I never had the heart
Momma, is it okay?
Tell me: are you safe?
I wrote to you on Mother’s Day,
That pain hasn’t gone away
Momma, I am sorry
For rambling on so long
There’s so much that’s gone on
It’s hard to be this strong
Momma, I am sorry
For crying all those times
For not telling you I loved you
When I thought it all those times
Now I have to go,
But Momma don’t forget
I love you everyday
As if you never left
15

Prison Cell
By Katie Jubran
Stone walls at every side
Do you really think you can hide?
I hear and understand your plea
You are innocent, and should be set free
Every night, you crouch in your cell and cry
Maybe you should give up, why even bother to try?
Your time is up, you’ve paid the wrong fee
You are innocent, and should be set free
Sanity is slipping from your mind
You must remember, you’re still a part of mankind.
There is one thing on which we both agree
You are innocent, and should be set free
16

“Chained Down” by Nicole Campbell
17

All My Names
By Victoria Reep
A decade of work
After years of blood and sweat
Leaving my home
Leaving my family
Losing everything
I find myself
In a world where
It seems I am not welcome
Even though I’ve done nothing wrong
Even though I’ve worked harder and longer
Nothing seems to matter to them
Nothing I say will change their mind
I’m just an alien
They tear me down with their words
They hope to strike fear in my heart
They hope to repay some of the heartbreak they’ve been given
Everything has changed
Everything hurts
Red-- the color of their hatred
Revenge-- the justification
Others will tell me to wait it out
Others will tell me to take a stand
Read my story
Read my soul
I have done you no wrong
So why must you spread all this hatred
There seems to be no way
To change your mind
All they see is a terrorist
18

Crying doesn’t seem strong
Could they be wrong about that?
Really, I have so much to cry about
Really, you have given me so much to cry about
I read about so many lives taken
I hear about how so many lives matter
Matter?
I just want you to realize that my life matters too
Normalize love
All I want it to live
A life like you
Look around--
Love has been lost.
When will you see that I’m not a criminal?
“When You Look at Me, What Do You See?” by Anajé Austin
19

Snake
by Grant Reidy
20
The snake is a symbol of rebirth
It sheds its skin as a new beginning,
It symbolizes the renewing of our worth,
One with much praise and winning,
We should look forward after all.
This renewal should symbolize our hope;
After the situation that we could not cope;
If we have suffered great loss;
It will show we are not a lost cause;
We must renew ourselves after we fall.
“Hopes” by Niang Cing

The Stormy Night
By John Costa
In the midst of the storms,
In the heights of the sky,
Where the biggest cloud forms,
The thunder and lightening lie,
The bolt waiting to strike at all times.
The great storms come and go;
Some are blizzards, rain, ice, and snow;
I wait for the battles in the sky to end;
And the sunshine be my friend;
I hope for the sun to shine at any time.
“The Moon of Shadows” by Allison Johnson
21

Trident of Hope
by Lauren Massais
Out of the dark tunnel, three roads in an open space.
Three straight roads, like points of a trident,
The destination of each being a joyous place,
Where no one can hurt you and kind words are truly meant,
Where the troubles of the past cannot attack.
The feeling of power begins to overtake,
As for once, the choice is yours to make.
Right or left or directly straight,
Each path leads to somewhere there is no hate,
Finally moving forward and never looking back.
22
“Blue Hues” by Isabella Hernandez

Help I’m Drowning
by Victoria Reep
since when was life
a string of moments
where i feel numb
and empty
and sad
all at the same time?
since when was life
supposed to make me feel
like i’ve lost control
and the plane is free-falling
and the passengers are my responsibilities
and they’re crying and screaming as we fall
but i sit in the cockpit,
numb and deaf
to those around me
since when was life
feeling guilty
for doing the things that i enjoy
instead of the boring,
tedious
work i’ve been assigned
since when was life
so sad?
when i think of what i’ll leave behind
all i can see
is the memory
of someone stressed
and sad
and being crushed
by expectations
and an epitaph saying
“This is f i n e”
“Searching for You” by Sephora Affa
23

24
A Wonder Woman
Maybe she came here
As a child
With stars in her eyes.
Maybe she came here
As a girl
With despair haunting her face.
Maybe she was born here
And laments
What has become of the world
around her.
Maybe she came here
With her children
Exhausted and hoping.
Maybe she came here
With her children
Knowing life would be hard for
her
But held hope
That her children’s lives would be
different.
Maybe she’s tired
Of the darkness that lurks
All around her.
Maybe she’s tired
Of the hatred flung
At her.
Maybe she’s just like you and me
But no matter what
She deserves
To have the weariness
Wiped from her eyes.
Let the lines on her face
Be from laughter,
And not from frowns.
Show her a world
To be proud of.
Art by Grace Turner
by Victoria Reep

Saving Wings
by Sarah Ward
We are lost.
No one knows what we need.
We won’t recover from this infinite cost.
The people can’t help but bleed
From war, violence, and a hope for peace.
We need a ray of light.
One to help us through the night.
He has given us wings.
Because He is the king above all kings,
We shall fly over this beast.
“Light & Dark” by Emma Wallinger
25

Love Alone
by Megan O’Connell-Becker
An island empty,
I stand alone,
Luxuries aplenty,
Watching dolphins roam,
Blinded by a meteor.
Now the stars seem dull and stark;
Being without love is like living in the dark;
My comfort on hopeless days;
Even dolphins face waves.
I hope that time makes the emptiness easier.
26
“Galaxy” by Louis Kazaleh

Do not fashion me
Into a maiden who needs saving
From the fearsome dragon.
Do not presume I am
A helpless flower mid-bloom.
Do not presume I am
A caged bird with clipped wings
being held against my will.
Do not presume I need saving
When I have not requested your help.
Even cats stuck in trees
Climbed to that branch for a reason.
For I am a queen—
The strongest piece
On your chess board.
And this dragon is my friend.
And should you harm him,
I will send armies after you.
Because I have a secret:
It isn’t the dragon you should fear.
It is the fire within my soul.
In Her Tower
By Victoria Reep
“Moonlight Dancer” by Cassidy Nguyen
27

Painter’s Poem
By Maci Fulton
A life needs the hue
Of the colors of hope,
Not shades so blue
That frowns the horizon’s slope.
Choose the bright colors of life!
A painter’s palette shadows out the light
Just as it makes the dullness so bright.
Be vigilant over your color scheme
So that you can live your most colorful dreams
Choose the bright colors of life!
“psychedelic” by Peyton Gibson
28

The Moon
In the darkness there is no light
Yet one sliver of light pierces through
The silver moon puts up a great fight
The darkness cannot outdo
the moon’s lustrous glow
For nothing can glow shine
Without darkness trying to undermine
Its light gives hope
That the sun will return and coat
the earth with its warm glow
By Mary McLauchlin
“Light Amid Darkness” by Allison Johnson
29

Between a Rock and a Hard Place
by Matthew Seale
Sometimes you are stuck,
When bad and worse are your options,
Unwilling to test your luck,
You choose one and proceed with caution;
You prepare to make a decision
But you think again for a second,
And a new door of thought is opened;
A new option has been presented,
A disaster has been prevented,
You have found the solution
30
“God’s Beauty” by Sarah Zwatschka

Hermes By : Madelyn Aiken
“Flyover” by Joseph Hale
Through one world after the other,
Message upon message is passed,
Flown by the sandals that flutter,
Messages spread far and wide like newscast,
The reason of messages vary from hope to despair
Even when all seems lost at that moment in time;
There is always something to keep in mind;
Someone or something is somewhere for you;
Have hope, send love, and one will get through;
Regardless the situation, easy or not, hope is there.
31

32
“The Rising of Hope” by Emma Jones

Dolphins
by Isabella Cratem
Through the dark waters they sometimes roam
unable to see the light
they feel so far away from home
but they know not to give up the fight
for there is hope
Slick and sleek as they swim past
Jumping up through the waves with a blast
No sign of fear is present
In the sun is where they are content
They will be called hope
33

Hermit Crab
by Hannah Dybel
In the depths of her living space
Where she dwells all alone,
Staying isolated just in case,
They come true, her fears of the unknown,
But one day she ventured out.
She will dip out her toe;
She will realize she should have done this ages ago;
She will look around and be amazed;
She did not expect this, she thought she would be unfazed.
She smiled as she felt a new side of her begin to sprout.
34
“Optimism” by Nina Saldajeno

Magic
By: Marielle Todd
There comes a point in a child’s life,
When they must face reality,
To become an adult and combat the strife,
That burdens the world’s mentality,
The innocence they once possessed now a distant memory.
But not everything in your childhood stays there,
We all need a little magic to help us fare,
For the pain of the real world can become unbearable,
Disbelievers will say it’s only a fable,
But those who believe will have the strength to face any enemy.
“Lost Year” by Isabella Chrisphonte
35

The Lesser of Two Evils
by Mailene Miranda
Rushing in waves,
soft enough to offer life each day
The chance for a life to be saved,
but strong enough to take it away,
She is water.
36
When thrown, it is to protect or hurt;
Either found in water or in the dirt
Provides support for us to walk upon;
She may drag you down, but you can still live on,
The power to either drag or swim, you will just become
stronger.
“Inequality” by Karina Santos

The Lyre
By Abigail Parker
None is said or heard,
Only the dreary silence is here,
Seeking a sign or even one word.
Is it ever going to come? Even near?
Maybe it won’t, one can only dream.
There it is! Coming across the room,
A sweet melody is played, it starts to bloom.
As the rhythm goes on, now clearly heard.
The pitch of the instrument, as sweet as a bird.
One alone sounds as if there is a team.
“Talking to the Moon” by Lauryn Parker
37

Apollo
by Chloe Shaw
His skills are variant,
He holds a silver bow by his thigh,
Harnessed in his four-horse chariot,
He moves the Sun across the sky.
Bringing a new day, he brings a new hope.
The suns rays are never ending,
And the new day brings chances that are still pending.
When ones life becomes hard and they must shed a tear,
He washes his worries away by playing from his golden lyre.
He gives us a ray of hope from his music, new life, and the
light that makes us not mope.
38
“Hope in Darkness” by Aidan Swett

As a Flower Rises Again
by: Lily England
On very cold days,
a flower nearly dies,
but under the sun’s rays,
the flower begins to rise
returning to its former splendor.
We can all be like this flower.
When situations seem gloomy and dour,
we just need to open our eyes
and then allow our spirit to rise.
For to hard times, we will never surrender.
“California Poppies” by Cosette Steeves
39

40
The Jar by Victoria Reep
She huddled under the lip of the jar, hiding from her brothers and sisters. When they grew silent,
she poked her head around, looking into the abysmal darkness. She gasped and fled deeper into her hiding
place when multiple pairs of red eyes shot toward her hiding spot.
She could not remember how long they had been stuck in this jar. Perhaps it had only been a few
decades. Perhaps it had been centuries. Perhaps they had always lived in the darkness of this jar. All she
knew was that she wished she could escape her siblings’ chaos and tragedy.
One day (or maybe it was night, she could never tell), she heard voices outside the jar. She could
not remember the last time she had heard voices that weren’t hoarse from screaming. Even her siblings
quieted so they could listen to the newcomers.
“For you, dear Pandora,” said a voice tainted with electricity.
She felt the jar being passed into another’s hand. “What is it, my lord?” a woman’s voice asked.
“It is a jar, but you must promise me you will never open it,” the man replied.
“Why not?” the woman asked, turning the jar around so that her siblings were jostled about.
The man’s voice lowered as he said in a secretive tone, “Believe me, dear Pandora, you will not enjoy
the contents of this jar, but I entrust unto you to keep safe. Can you promise me that?”
“Yes, my lord,” the woman whispered.
She feared the woman would not keep her promise.
xxx
Her fears were proven when a few hours later (or what she estimated was a few hours) the jar was
jostled again. From her hiding place under the lid of the jar, she heard the woman whisper to herself,
“What could you be hiding?”
Her brothers and sisters held their breath as well, but not in fear as she did but in anticipation.
Quickly, she prayed to the gods that someone would find the woman and take the jar from her.
But then the lid of the jar began to scrape against the sides. Having remained unopened for centuries,
it took the woman a few minutes to get the lid unjammed. Finally, she was moments away from
freeing her brothers and sisters. She heard the woman take a deep breath and then--
Her brothers and sisters lunged toward the light. She heard the woman scream as her siblings
raged around her. The woman began to sob as her siblings screamed and cackled before making their way
into the world. She stepped around the lip of the jar and stared up at a sky she hadn’t seen in a millenium.
She’d forgotten how beautiful the stars were.
Then she heard the woman grab the discarded lid of the jar. A few of her siblings were still scrambling
past her as the woman began to jam the lid onto the jar. Her heart leapt into her throat. She would
not be left alone in the darkness.
“Wait!” she cried.
The woman faltered, looking down into the jar. She stared up into the woman’s face, taking in a
mouth red with apologies and eyes puffy from her tears. As she stared into the woman’s stardust eyes, she
felt something stir within her.
For the woman’s eyes held a glimmer of Hope.
She climbed up and sat on the lip of the jar. She reached up and wiped a tear from the woman’s
cheek. “Who are you?” the woman whispered.
She smiled as she felt herself grow. “I am Hope, Pandora,” she said as she grew to the size of the
gods. “You have released all the miseries of human life, but because you held hope in your heart, I have the
power to keep them at bay.”
Hope smiled at Pandora as she floated past. She held out a hand, brushing the stars fondly. Then,
she looked toward her siblings and the terror they wrought. Extending her hand, she let Generosity, Kindness,
Love, Healing, Peace, and Life free into the world. She watched quietly as they battled Greed, Envy,
Hatred, Pain, Disease, Hunger, Poverty, War, and Death.

As Apollo pulled the sun over the horizon, Hope watched as her children chased her brothers
and sisters away and smiled. She waved at Apollo before turning around and returning to Pandora and
the jar that had been her home for longer than she could remember. With a triumphantly tired smile she
said to Pandora softly, “My siblings will return, but as long as you keep me safe, my children will prevail. I
must return to the jar, Pandora. Will you hide me from my brothers and sisters?”
Pandora nodded solemnly and held the jar out before her. Hope breathed in the new world’s air
and smiled as she watched Apollo paint the sky with the feathers of his arrows. “Give Hope to the people,
Pandora, and they will be able to endure the wickedness of the world,” she said as she fell into a jar
that was no longer haunted by the darkness of the world.
“Battle of Hope and Despair” by Colyn Weber
41

Owl of Athena
by Alexa Smith
An owl’s vision is insanely shocking
seen in the blackness of the night.
Its wisdom is abundantly overflowing
without needing the presence of light.
It is bright at the darkest time.
The mysterious creature adjusts its eyes
to see a scary world covered in disguise.
The black shadow brings thriving fear
yet the owl sees through the clear.
They will see a new prime.
“Moonlit Forest” by Marisa Garcia
42

Horn of Plenty
By Katherine Lacy
As the Earth is torn apart,
And humanity wages war,
Someone will keep their heart,
And hope and generosity will be restored.
A cornucopia will be given to many,
The cornucopia is a sign,
Of the generosity in our bloodline,
When we pick each other up,
Especially when the world is corrupt,
We will be each others’ horn of plenty.
“A Hopeful Dreamer” by Nina Saldajeno
43

Where is He?
By Abigail Parker
I hadn’t seen him for days before it happened.
They said he had been in the hospital, in a section that I wasn’t old enough to go into.
They said he had cancer that no one knew about.
They said he died.
They said it as I packed away my clothes to move.
They said it as my life was hectic before the news.
I heard it right, as I went to his funeral not so long after they told me.
I heard what they said, as I cried my heart out.
I couldn’t even remember my last words to him because it had been a while since I’d seen him.
I hoped they were good, sweet. Maybe an “I love you!” or even a “see you later.”
I hoped that it was for the best, that it was the right time.
I hoped that my family would be there for everyone, including me.
Without him, my world felt empty.
I didn’t hear his jokes, followed by his hearty laugh after we finally caught onto the joke.
I didn’t see the tricks that he would always pull on us.
I didn’t touch his long, grey-haired beard or ponytail in curiosity as to why he kept it.
I didn’t taste the cheap pizza that he would always take us to get for lunch.
I didn’t smell the gasoline or the potato chips he would always get us at the gas station.
Where is he?
Is he in heaven with the angels?
Is he in purgatory repenting for his sins?
I wonder if he is safe, happy.
I wonder if he is watching over us.
I wonder he if is proud.
He isn’t here in the flesh, but he lives on in all of us, in all of my family.
“Behind the Glasses” by Isabella Hernandez
44

A Unity of Love
By Hallie Knight
I once heard music called the language we all share.
The world might as well be made up of rhythms and beats.
Our favorite songs manage to surround us everywhere.
These melodies continue to fill our homes and streets.
We fill venues with people right and left, below and above,
But recently these public areas have been under attack.
Must we avoid what we love? How could we possibly fight back?
No. We must play our music louder, overcoming this awful circumstance.
Alone nothing will be accomplished; together we might have a chance.
These tragedies attempt to separate us, but our hope is in a unity of love.
“Dance in Moonlight” by Marisa Garcia
45

The Heart
by Isabella Solis
With a spark in your heart
When it skips a beat
You will know from the start
That you are complete
The inside you burns so bright
A heart is what keeps you going
When your love is overflowing
It is happiness that keeps you awake
It is not a feeling that you have to fake
You wouldn’t give this up without a fight
“Nature’s Hope” by Anna Albertelli
46

Literary Magazine Staff
2018
Kris Aguilas
Emma Corley
Rachel Lechwar
Azalea Mapp
James Mullaney
Cassidy Nguyen
Editor in Chief
Marisa Garcia
Managing Editors
Victoria Reep
Emily Willis
Editing Staff
Adviser
Mrs. Forschino
Lauryn Parker
Abigail Parker
Alice Pham
Keith Stokes
Colyn Weber
Leah Weber

Art and Photo Credits
Light in the Sky by Leah Weber 4
Finding a New Hope by Nina Saldajeno 5
Contemplation by Nina Saldajeno 7
Mann by Velisa Pelkey 8
Life in Color by Alexandra Smith 12
Menacing Mannequin by Veronica Selden 13
Nostalgia by Veronica Selden 14
Chained Down by Nicole Campbell 15
When You Look At Me, What Do You See? by Anaje Austin 18
Hopes by Niang San Cing 20
The Moon of Shadows by Allison Johnson 21
Blue Hues by Isabella Hernandez 22
Searching for You by Sephora Affa 23
Art by Grace Turner 24
Light and Dark by Emma Wallinger 25
Galaxy by Louis Kazaleh 26
Moonlight Dancer by Cassidy Nguyen 27
psychedelic by Peyton Gibson 28
Light Amid the Darkness by Allison Johnson 29
God’s Beauty by Sarah Zwatschka 30
Flyover by Joseph Hale 31
The Rising of Hope by Emma Jones 32
Optimism by Nina Saldajeno 34
Lost Year by Isabella Chrisphonte 35
Inequality by Karina Santos 36
Talking to the Moon by Lauryn Parker 37
Hope in Darkness by Aidan Swett 38
California Poppies by Cosette Steeves 39
Battle of Hope and Despair by Colyn Weber 41
Moonlit Forest by Marisa Garcia 42
A Hopeful Dreamer by Nina Saldajeno 43
Behind the Glasses by Isabella Hernandez 44
Dance in Moonlight by Marisa Garcia 45
Nature’s Hope by Anna Albertelli 46

pieces
2017-2018
Hope & Despair