Westford

Warmth Doesn't Hold

By Jessica Austin
Westford School, Grade 8

We scramble in the vastness
Of the raw and icy blackness
Shivery numb and intensely deep
Warmth doesn't hold, but gently creeps

In and out of frosty light
Velvet dusk the color of night
Stealing stars from the jewelry box
Clouds covering footsteps lost

Arctic shock startles Time
Erasing every word that rhymes
Midnight must have come too soon
For Time also erased the moon

Now, my friend, what must we do?
Moon is gone, rhyme is too
I can't believe I came here with you

We scramble in the vastness
Of the raw and icy blackness
Shivery numb and intensely deep
Warmth doesn't hold, but
Gently
Creeps...

"Nice Job Ralph!"
I looked down at the paper
I looked across the aisle
They glared
I turned back to the the teacher
"Thank You Miss"
They glared
I started to sweat
"Ummm. Ma'am can i g-go to the bathroom-m"
"Yes Ralph"
I stood up
and he followed
i walked out of the room
he started to run after me
i sped to the bathroom
he followed
i locked myself in the stall
he kicked open the door
"PLEASE NO!"

"Nice Job Ralph!"
I looked down at the paper
I looked across the aisle
They glared
I turned back to the the teacher
"Thank You Miss"
They glared
I started to sweat
"Ummm. Ma'am can i g-go to the bathroom-m"
"Yes Ralph"
I stood up
and he followed
i walked out of the room
he started to run after me
i sped to the bathroom
he followed
i locked myself in the stall
he kicked open the door
"PLEASE NO!"

her mind is
occupied
by her book
exploring
faraway
lands,
a desert
island with
water so
blue it looks
painted on,
a forest,
trees so tall
they seem to
puncture the
clouds above
rolling hills
grass rippling
like coastal
sea water,
waving with
the moon
she is so
enraptured,
time flies by,
all too soon
the voice of
duty calls
her away

A Winter Morning

By Braeden Hughes
Westford School, Grade 8

the frosted
white tree limbs,
morning sun
slicing by,
a rainbow
of color

your love is the sun
on a winter day
weak and pale
with chilling rays
you say you love me
you say you care
but why have you left me
standing there
sad and lonely
no place to run
why have you left me
shivering
in the
sun

Icy
Chill;
Warmth
Emanating
As if
From a
Beating
Heart.
A
Broken
Beaten
Barely
Beating
Heart.

Icy
Still;
Wind is
Lifting
And
Separating
Each
Hair on
My
Goose-bump
Arms;
Silently
Slipping
Its
Chilly
Frozen
Fingers
Up my
Shoulders.

Icy
Kill;
See-through
Scab-covered
Slime-slick
Hands
Grasping
And
Clinging
And
Wringing
Life
Out of
The
Broken
Beaten
Barely
Beating
Heart.

I saw a familiar face today
Never serious, always play
She danced in my head
And messed up my mind
I know that she's pretty
I thought she was kind
But now that girl I knew is gone
Her rosy aura, thus withdrawn
She came with a purpose
She left with my heart
I wish she had stayed
But leaving's her part

Her natural style
With the
Never-nail-painting
Toe-sock-wearing
Overall-loving
Wonder
Will always be
In the back of my mind
Making me wish I hadn't
Left her all those years
Ago.

Let me see your soul.
My advice:
Breathe the sky
Melt with wind
Let me look into you
And see
Honest simplicity.
Let me in.

She confuses me.
Sometimes she is nice and kind,
other times she drives me out of my mind.
I've wanted to be her friend before,
I've wanted to pound her into the floor.
She occupies my mind at night,
my fists aching for a fight
and then I realize,
the person I despise,
is right here inside me.

so caught up in society,
acting the girl that you want to be
hiding your true personality
with a flimsy shield of conformity
dress, talk, and think like other girls
your shallowness makes me want to hurl
why not just live YOUR life,
without others' opinions pressing like a knife
be quirky, go nuts
being yourself takes guts
show me what you can do,
without your clique,
who are you?

Discovering Myself

By Jessica Austin
Westford School, Grade 8

Waking up
Seeing the new
Wondering why
Wondering who
Guessing at old
Loving the truth
Discovering myself
In a world full of you

I am writing a story right now and it is kinda like the inheritance series (eragon series) and It is rly good but not nearly done and just so u know I am a lot better at writing stories than writing poetry so dont fear!!!!

We lay on the grass
The sun is beating down
yet I could still feel the dew
you whispered quietly
and suddenly my arms were around You.
Stop. Wake up.
That wasn't real
yup, he fooled you.
"Let's just keep this between us."
The sky looked beautiful.
Stars and the moon
to top it all off,
I was sitting there with you
"I'm new to this..."
I giggled, "you're so cute."
you whispered quietly
and suddenly my arms were around You.
Stop. Wake up.
He never cared.
yup, he lied to You.
"Let's just keep this between us."
He was smiling,
so perfect
so true.
"I love you."
aww. "I love you too..."
You whispered quietly
and suddenly my arms were around You.
Stop. Shut up.
Don't put this on anyone.
yup, he never would've hurt you.
We were at lunch
and I realized I was in love with you.
This thing.
This feeling.
So scary and new.
At that moment, I made a huge mistake.
It was over.
I broke up with you.
As I tried to forget,
he whispered quietly

"Can I please go sit down?"
Sweat is forming on my upper lip, and my stomach is churning waves of vomit close to spilling over. I hate this.

Yeah, the smell, the Tango, the noise... the Fair. Champlain Valley Fair.

Hell met me at the line to the Tango. Open arms, plenty of room, ready for me as its next victim. It snatched my interest as soon as I walked in. I had to try and conquer it.

Good Luck. They had told me.

Hmm... now I'm looking around... nope. No good luck in sight.

Sure, I closed my eyes, but the Tango takes no prisoners. Either you walk away unscathed or you're all messed up for the remainder of the day.

Apparently I chose option two.

She dances
Under the
Cover of the
Pine trees
Swaying
Jumping
Tapping
But it's too
Overwhelming-
Everything.
So she runs
Runs until
Her legs give
Out
And she crashes
Onto the
Cover of
Decaying leaves
Wishing that
This pain would
Stop.
She shakes so
Much but
In the end,
No matter how
Much this hurts,
Tomorrow will
Come.

I ran
I fell
I tumbled
I lay alone
Because who cared
About a little girl
Running through the park
Alone near dusk?
I heard footsteps
Rushing
Coming faster, louder
At the edge of unconsciousness
I heard a voice
Saying softly
Stay with me, sweetie
I’m here for you
A care about you
And no one will
Hurt you again
Not here
Not now
So I opened my eyes