Toscane Decker
"“I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down at a table of brotherhood.”
When I read the speech I said, These words are saying that these two different classes can come sit at a table and see each other as equals. To hear each other and think about what both sides have done wrong and what they can do to make that wrong a right.
I had one main thought, What was it like for him after his speech?"
From Chloe Brinson's award winning submission of "A Peaceful Change" to the student writing and art contest for the 35th Annual MLK Commemoration sponsored by the Larchmont Mamaroneck Human Rights Committee
"I bang on our neighbor’s door, the one who is a doctor. He rushes to my apartment like he did that fateful night. He feels her neck for a pulse but there is none.
I can’t breathe.
My world is collapsing.
It’s all my fault.
It should have been me.
I could have been quicker."
From Skye Fishman's "Challenge"
"My eyes shoot open. The day is cloudy, with drizzles of rain, I check my clock. 9:06, August 23. I’m confused. I tell myself it was just a nightmare, but it felt so real. It takes me a while to get myself together and to leave my room; when I finally do, it’s 9:37 AM. I smell the same scent I smelled before."
Falling into Autumn
Summer is over.
Autumn is finally here.
I love falling leaves
such spectacular colors crunchy underneath my feet.
The air is colder.
Squirrels are gathering nuts
and building their homes
I know they are preparing
For the long winter ahead.
I'm carving pumpkins.
Halloween is almost here. Time to eat candy!
Read the rest of Giuliana Schrenker's poem
Artwork by Cynthia Barrios
Holden Baucom
"'C’mon, ref, that was a foul!' my coach said.
'Can't call it if I did not see it!' the ref shrugged, then ran back into the action."
From Anna Chaice's "Tasting the Dirt"
"The first lunch at a new school is always the worst. Who will I sit with? constantly circling around in my brain. I always sit alone, no matter how long I stay on it. The vibrant grass swaying side to side in the wind. It never changes. The awkward clichéd first day."
Read more from Anonymous
One must have a mind of dinner
To have an appetite of me
On the dinner table layered with wood
To indulge in this immense feast
The aroma of contrasting smells
Of the small kitchen; and not to think of
The delight of dough being contrived
And not hear one sound, not a peep
On the dinner table crassly set with decorations and utensils
full of delightful food
For the watcher to watch
And for the eater to relish in the food served
Nothing more and nothing less than this feeling of eating and dinnertime
Will Conte
Read more poems imitating "The Snow Man," by Wallace Stevens written by TJ Grimes, Michael Murphy, Alexis Pedvis, Mortadha Flitti, Mia Radovich, Luke Derzie and Kylie Dglucz
Hanna Stoltz
"Captain Robin: Myla, stay back, we don’t want to meet the same fate. These beams aren't safe; we need to go!
Sawyer: I agree with your dad for once, you need to go NOW before you and the baby die!
Myla: NO, are you crazy? I am not leaving you to die!
Captain Robin: Myla, we need to go now."
Read more of Stella Ormrod's play "An Ocean Full of Trouble"
Holden Baucom
They feels like
escaping the box that trapped me in
Girl.
They feels like
Waking up to a world of color
after living in the black-and-white one
of She.
They feels like
Walking a winding path of possibility
instead of the two paths set in stone.
Read more of Amanda Perry's "They"
Olivia Otto
A whisper,
A breeze.
When my acquaintance walks over, the meeting is adjourned.
Turned backs,
loaded silences.
From Abby Richter's "Bloodstained Locker"
Artwork: Daniel Wetmore
"Have you ever realized that the “smartest,” “greatest,” and most successful people are always open to constructive criticism and suggestions? This is because these people are open minded enough to step outside of themselves and realize that no one is perfect, and therefore the “best” are constantly improving themselves. This applies to many different situations. One example is sports. When athletes are considered the best, they don’t just stop practicing! They get even better. They learn. Keep in mind that athletes are people, just like you and me. So if they can have this growth mindset, we can too."
From Gabe Kraut's "MLK Inspiration"
"...[W]e boarded a twenty person fishing boat called Saga. Between the eight of us in three hours, we caught fifty cod, seven haddock, and three whiting! I caught two fish on one line! The fishing rod had a mind of its own. It would look around, see a fish, dart at it, and tug so I knew to reel.
'They are suicidal,' my mom said.
After (the best part), we ate the fish on the boat -- the captain cooked some of the fish and potatoes on a hot rock. The potatoes and epic spices were brought in before, but the fish was all fresh. It was the best day yet."
From Noah Berman's "Iceland: The Natural Feeling"
Chloe Acosta
I am from California to New York
From Pasadena to Larchmont,
I am from vacations to South America and Europe
Snowy mountains to sandy beaches,
From the ocean to the pool
White water rafting in soaring rivers to
Zip-lining through the air and the wind blowing in your face and hair.
From Abby Hurley's "Old Memories and New Memories To Come"
Ellie Millar
"Suddenly, the night air exploded into sound like a band playing after silence, only this music was the sound of death. And before him, he saw great roaring flames, the pitter-patter of the rain rudely interrupted by the explosions. It all happened so quickly he stood there stunned and only moved when he heard the whistle of a bullet, and his cheek blossomed into pain."
From Daniel Wetmore's "The Common Man"
"At some point during the visit, I would walk up to my grandma and whisper in her ear, 'Can we go to your room and read now?'
'I would love nothing more,' she would respond, a hint of anticipation detectable in her voice.
In the corner of the bedroom, a red leathery chair waited patiently for us to sink into, next to a brown wicker basket stuffed with picture books. Safta would scoop me up in her warm lap, an essential part of our routine. Her soft and wrinkled face would turn to me, a sparkle shining bright in her light brown eyes, and say: 'What would you like to read today, love?' I would then excitedly point to a book, and our journey would begin.
I always cherished this time with her, away from the loud noises and craziness of my family. I hoped selfishly that those precious moments would only belong to us. After all, there was only room in Safta’s arms for me..."
From Kylie Dlugacz's "The End of the Story"
Lange Schwimmer
"I will never forget that drive down Mamaroneck Avenue, a drive that changed me forever, a drive that showed me just how lucky I was, to be spared from the terrible fate inflicted upon so many in my community."
From Jonah Hecht's "The Flood: Fall 2021"
Isabella Bigato
from summer to fall it starts to turn,
it's spooky season, so be warned.
as the leaves begin to change,
I feel the weather rearrange.
promises of chilly weather-
promises of cozy sweaters.
the world turns orange, brown, and red,
as you snuggle up, within your bed.
and from your safe cocoon,
you watch the harvest moon.
Read the rest of Mirah Mass' poem
Samantha Borrero Reano
"The next day, something worked in my favor. He was not at the children's section anymore! The librarians had shifts! They were probably at the dead graveyard of the teen section or the first floor. Now nothing that can stop me! I have planned for every outcome! I had felt like the mastermind in bank robbery movies."
From Mortadha Flitti's narrative
Artwork by Evan Gray
