Essex High School

There was really nothing to be afraid of. Nothing was under her bed or in her closet, and a little sliver of light was coming from the door as always. The facts didn’t helping, even at six years old she was still afraid of the dark.

The sheets were over her head her ear to the pillow. It was so quiet that she could hear the blood pumping in her ears. It sounded like footsteps, she didn’t dare to move for fear of giving herself away to the nothing. The TV downstairs came to life, just loud enough for her to hear. She decided that it was a comedy, she could tell by the laughing. She was glad that it wasn’t sports, sports were too loud. Her mind drifted from fear to calm, knowing that daddy was downstairs. Within moments she was asleep.

There was really nothing to be afraid of. Nothing was under her bed or in her closet, and a little sliver of light was coming from the door as always. The facts didn’t helping, even at six years old she was still afraid of the dark.

The sheets were over her head her ear to the pillow. It was so quiet that she could hear the blood pumping in her ears. It sounded like footsteps, she didn’t dare to move for fear of giving herself away to the nothing. The TV downstairs came to life, just loud enough for her to hear. She decided that it was a comedy, she could tell by the laughing. She was glad that it wasn’t sports, sports were too loud. Her mind drifted from fear to calm, knowing that daddy was downstairs. Within moments she was asleep.

I would be lying through my teeth if I said I've seen the ups and the downs of the world, I have been very privileged in my time here on Earth and I think that as someone as blessed as I am, I have very little perspective of those who have not been so fortunate. I work as a counselor at a day camp a couple weeks in the summer and this past week I was in Winooski, Vermont. Not a particularly prosperous town but beautiful in its own way. I was outside waiting for my co-counselor to get the girls organized, bathroomed, and ready for jump-choice when an older man, totally sloshed, walked up to the back door of the gym and inquired about the activities going on inside. The camp co-ordinator, a no nonsense lady who didn't have time for him politely shooed him away. I was on the outside of a fence surrounding the backyard of the gym with five or six cones placed a couple meters away to keep any trespassers out and all the girls in.

Sing to me of endless whispers
Let their words snake through my ears
Would that I could understand their meaning
If only they were constructed on sense

Write to me of endless nights
Let the stars burn through to my soul
Would that they would sparkle forever
If only they would remember me

Hum to me of endless summers
Let the sun warm me through my skin
Would that the air was always as fresh
If only the sky were always as blue

Speak to me of endless friendship
Let the bond be shared between hearts
Would that the mind would always stay calm
If only life were always as pure

Sing to me, write to me, hum to me, speak to me
Of endless whispers, endless nights, endless summers, endless friendship
Would that they will continue forever
If only they will remain the same

You Promised Me........

The phone rang its annoying little ring and I ran to answer it. My friend’s mom was on the other line, the tone of her voice revealed shear terror. As she told me the situation tears pooled from my eyes. Her mother in sobs asked me if I could come to the hospital. I agreed and hung up my mom dropped me off and I would call her to come pick me up. As I walked up to the ICU the smell of rubber gloves and rubbing alcohol filled the air and my heart pounded loud in my chest. I was having major Deja Vous; the many years I had spent in the intensive care unit were all too relevant and clear in my mind. Coming back to earth I heard someone call my name and I followed the voice now knowing it was Erin’s mom. I walked into the room in which a fragile body lay lifeless in the hospital bed.
“Is she dead?” I asked as I started to cry.

I remember those cargos,
The short, army green ones, with the snaps
I remember how you wore them in our tree house
And how you ripped them on our ladder
Do you?
I remember those shoes,
The midnight blue, flat ones, with the stars
I remember how you wore them in the woods
And how you slid into an puddle, and they became brown
Do you?
I remember that shirt,
The hot pink, long-sleeved one, with the stripes
I remember how you wore it to the Cafe
And how you spilled Kool-Aid on it, and it became orange
Do you?
I remember that hat,
The coal black, pinstriped one, with the flower
I remember how you wore it on the roller costar
And how it flew off and landed on a pole
Do you?
I remember that jacket,
The ocean blue, track one, with your name on it
I remember how you ordered it for softball
And how proud you were of it
Do you?
Please, say you do

As I walk outside,
I think,
"I'm out of here"
My hands touch the red and white carnations pinned to my blouse
School colors
I spot the rest of my class
All but one or two are dressed up
All have the same flowers pinned on
We hurry to get into our line alphabetically
"Ready?" one teacher asks
We hear the piano begin to play
We file in to applause
I spot my parents and brother grinning
As soon as I reach my seat,
A loud piercing sound fills my ears
Parents look up in alarm
The students begin to smile
"Oh goody" someone whispers
The piano stops playing
The assistant principal stands up to talk
"This has happened several times in the past few days,
"Please file out calmly"
Words fly in my ears
"Stupid fire alarm" and "Fun graduation eh?"
When we get outside,
Fire trucks come roaring in
Both Essex Junction and Essex Town came!
I stand with friends and my dad
My dad gets a wonderful photo of me in front of a fire truck
Another twenty and we're back in
Ahh, eighth grade graduation

Her voice cracks like a whip through the hall
"Well?" she spits
I just stand there
Her once pretty eyes darkens to a dangerous color
"What are you waiting for?" I ask
She glares at me, snapping her gum
Her followers stand in a tight circle behind her
They stand, unfazed by the horror going on in front of them
Almost unaware, of their surroundings
"What are you waiting for?!" she snaps
"You to move" I say smoothly
Her hazel eyes widen in surprise and then turn deadly
"You annoying little..." she spits, suppressing her anger
"What?" I call out "What am I?"
Her insides boil and I fear that she will explode with anger
"I'm popular" she states, as though it is a common fact "You are not"
"So?" I tell her
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" she shouts
Her words echo down the hall
"Nothing" I say "What about you?"
A look of pure rage flashes across her face
She glares again, with that look of pure hate
She walks past me, followers in tow
One by one, they walk past me, except for one
"Amber" her voice rings
"Maddie" she replies softly
"You can come with me now, or risk losing your popularity" she warns
"Without me, you are nothing" she spits the last word
"I'll stay here" replies Amber quietly
Amber's and Maddie's eyes meet briefly before she turns to me,
"Kiera?" Maddie calls out "I hate you"
"So?" I say and turn around and walk away, Amber follows
The next day, rumors fly about people standing up to Maddie,
Just like me, I am a legend
One week later, Maddie approaches me
"Kiera"
"Maddie"
"You" she snaps "You made me lose my friends!"
"Me?!" I cry "Your mean spirit did that Maddie!"
"No Kiera," Maddie looks as though she might cry,
"You did it, you stood up to me! I've lost my power and my friends!!" her voice cracks as she turns around and runs
Guilt flashes through me
I follow Maddie into the bathroom where I find her crying
"What?" she hisses tearfully "Haven't destroyed my life enough?!"
I hold out my hand to help her up

In the Next Life

By Amelia Seman
Essex High School, Grade 9

In the next life,
when we're not so afraid,
we'll do things
we always wanted to
but didn't dare.

We'll throw ourselves off
mossy cliffs
into deep clear pools
and swim down to the bottom
to see the colorful fish.

We'll climb huge redwood trees
all the way to the top
and lean out,
far out,
pretending to be birds.

We'll run barefoot
across grassy plains,
pounding up hills
and tumbling down
till we stop and fall down,
out of breath.

We'll play on the river
covered in ice
in the middle of the night,
our frosty breath
revealed by the moonlight
shining through the tree branches.

We'll only stop
when we can't go anymore,
and then we'll fall into our beds
and sleep,
and sleep,
and sleep.

"I am so tired, Amelia.
This tears me apart inside,
watching him work his
little tail off
just to have people tell him
he's not big enough.
The disappointments are just
piling up on him,
and I'm not sure how much more
he can handle,
how much I can handle.

I just don't know
what to do anymore.
Some days I just want
to throw my hands in the air and say,
'Enough is enough.
I'm done.'
I didn't sign up for this, Amelia.
I'm not cut out for it.
This is not what I thought
I was going to have to deal with.
I am just so tired."

Well Mom,
you've told me time and again,
you don't always get what you ask for.

I need you
to protect me
from the evils
of the world.

I need your
sheltering arms
to shield me
from hate and anger.

I need you
to keep me
a child
just a little longer.

I need you
to protect me....
please.

before the rain came

By Erin Maguire
Essex High School, Grade 9

waiting for a
ride i miss (just
a little) what
we used to do
before the
rain by the mulch
no one was allowed
to walk on but
us two were
sitting so it was
okay.

Speaking of Needs . . .

By Kennah McMahon
Essex High School, Grade 10

I want to be able to fall asleep at night
Without feeling like dreams are an escape.

I want to climb to the top of the
Mountain and lie on the
Emerald carpet of moss

And hold his hand in mine without
That nervous, boiling-insides feeling
Racking my entire body.

I would love to spend a few days
With my kindergarten teacher
And try to understand what

She tried to teach me 11 years ago.
I want to have the faith and peace
Of a young child again.

I want justice and equal opportunity
For all of us.
I want to be able to look back

On every word and touch and
Be able to justify the inappropriateness
Of them all. All I need is the

Inner peace, that would wash
Over me like a baptism of forgiveness
For my lazy tongue.

I want to drive through California in the passenger seat
Of a pink roadster, and speed its silver wheels along the rough
Roads that line the glass shores. I want to step into Hollywood

Without feeling inferior
But have the freedom and
Audacity to leave it all behind.

I want color and music, milk and cookies,
Fire to warm myself by at night, and water to bathe in.
I want to sit on the couch,

Drink a fine cup of tea, and hear you talk me
To sleep every night. I want to be able to
Surprise you and enlighten your mind.

I want to sing from the heart
Every time.

Final Exam

By Shannon McCullen
Essex High School, 9th Grade

"And begin"
One and a half hours
65 problems
Oh no
Ok, I can do it
First one done,
Second ok,
Third, oh on
Is it acute or obtuse?
How do I find the area of a right triangle?
What's sin35 mean?
Ok, calm down
Its only 45% of my final grade
Ok, I have an hour and 15 minutes left
Fourth problem piece o' cake
Fifth, I start spiraling down like stairs
Now is the point when I regret even considering Geometry A
Ok, calm down Shannon
It's only a test,
It's only a test
I will not freak out
I will not go crazy
I can do it, I can succeed,
Breaking my tranquility, my teacher chimes,
"One hour left"
30 minutes have passed and
I've done one, two, three...
Three problems?!
Will stay calm, I can do it
When did we learn circles?
What about diagonals?
Why are there radicals?!
Will stay calm,
My mind won't explode
3 out of 65 equals, equals
5%?!
I’m going to fail!!
Will stay calm,
Will stay calm
"Eh-hem!"
I snap back to reality
"Miss McCullen?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you ready?"
"For?" I say nervously
"The bell rang"
"Oh!"
Maybe I was dreaming
Then,
Final Exam next class 45% of your grade!!
Is written across the board
Maybe I wasn't dreaming
Oh yeah, I'm still in Algebra
Oh good
I hope

I walk mindlessly into a sea of green
My mind fixed on one thing: four
I lay down in the field
Slowly my fingers move from clover to clover, counting slowly
My hands pause over each one, hopeful of a match
Disappointed, I turn a begin in a new spot
Still searching, my hands graze the sea of green
I snap back to reality, I've found it
I pluck the one lone clover with four petals