Small, Smart Mice in the Wall: the Gunston Poetry Magazine 2015

Braided Spaghetti Chickens and Modified Banana Reptiles: The Gunston Poetry Magazine 2015

  Copyright 2015

  ISBN :

  A Simple Friendship

  A friend is something beautiful to have

  An ear to listen, advice to give

  Someone you can always depend on

  Even if you’ve never seen their face.

  It doesn’t matter how you meet them,

  The connection is already made

  You’ll find a way to talk every day

  Because that’s what friends do.

  -- Giuliana Guajardo

  What Am I?

  A soldier boy?

  Dancing through the night,

  No. a girl

  Pouncing, through the fight

  A pilot?

  Ready, to take flight

  No. a Girl

  Fighting, for what’s right

  -- Michelle Emery

  My life

  About one year ago

  I borrowed money that I never returned

  About one month ago

  I was looking in the mirror, trying to fix my face

  About one week ago

  I was telling my friend that I’d won the gold (it was only silver)

  About one day ago

  I was purposely forgetting to do my homework

  About one minute ago

  I was writing this poem, waiting for the world to forgive me

  -- Jacky LaPointe

  Night Sky

  After about 16 hours of being full of colors

  Now slowly getting duller,

  Alowly becoming as dark and blue as the ocean.

  The shining diamonds in the sky making you think more and more

  All these thoughts brought by this one dark deep ocean sky

  As the time passes by the cotton candy clouds start covering the shining diamonds.

  Then you realize its 3 AM and you have not yet fallen asleep.

  You can hear the owls talking amongst themselves

  The grasshoppers hopping in between the tall green candy.

  Now you slowly fall asleep in the comfort of the night sky.

  -- Salma Hernandez

  End of a Fly

  Buzzing, cringe as it flies by. must kill it. why?

  It harmed you? No. but bothersome.

  Fetch the swatter. confidence, weapon in hand.

  Approach, hold your breath. swatter hovers

  SMACK!

  Silence.

  Crumpled body, destroyed and limp

  Smothered like roadkill.

  Look what you’ve done. why so hateful? so twisted?

  You filthy animal.

  -- Thomas Bolles

  Joyous Spring

  Clowns

  oversized clothing

  like bananas

  garishly colored

  thick skin

  scaring kids

  with good intentions

  -- Alex Gallin

  Sunset

  Droplets of rain

  Against the sun’s closing gaze,

  Sweeping under the ocean once again.

  Warm colors leave the sky,

  The soft light waves bye,

  But it hasn’t ended,

  Because now the night is mended.

  -- Kristiina Alanko

  Home

  Everyday, I get home from school.

  And I realize just how lucky I am.

  I drop my bag and hear my dogs flying towards me.

  I see my mom saying hi to me from the kitchen.

  I can smell something heavenly cooking in the oven.

  My mom asks me to “taste this”. It’s absolutely delicious.

  I walk over to her and I hug her super tight

  And I tell her I love her.

  Everyday, I get home from school.

  And I realize just how lucky I am.

  -- Reilly Evans

  Salesman

  He’s at the door, and asks me what I want.

  He doesn’t have it, and never will.

  He does have vacuum cleaners and makeup.

  The only thing I want is something money can’t buy.

  -- Eli Posner

  Everything and More

  Her hair is perfect,

  shoulder length and so brown,

  her glasses- the perfect picture frame.

  Delicately painted fingers

  draw what I wish I could, do what I can’t.

  She paints the sun on my eyelids,

  braids pearls in my hair,

  adorns me with swathes of silk and

  I desperately want to tell her she is the universe,

  everything it contains and more.

  -- Apple Gould

  Untitled

  I am not a man

  Nor am I a rose to behold

  I am not a possession to acquire

  I am as strong as a bull

  As powerful as an emperor

  I am as sharp as a sword

  I am just as good as a man, but...

  a WOMAN is what I am

  -- Anne Felipe

  Vampire Bites

  I have two vampire bites on my arm

  They bleed like a river and scream like dragons

  I named my vampire bites; Anthony and Jack

  Anthony and Jack are my friends

  The sun is their creator, he takes care of them

  I have been bitten more than once

  Each time I get bit, a sickness inside me comes

  Closer to being unleashed

  I love my vampire bites, they are a part of me

  -- Isaiah Calfee

  Me

  I’m not perfect

  Can’t you see

  Despite my wishing

  I am me

  I’m not that that confident

  Like I want to be

  I hurt more than you think

  I am me

  -- Caroline Ward

  What Is It, My Dear?

  Is it that the warmth is too lavish.

  Possibly the tears are too pure, and bright,

  Or, are they sloppy, and drab.

  Could it be you, perhaps you, are too meaty, too plump,

  Or is it your delicate lankiness?

  That shrivel, for nose.

  That line for a lip.

  That string, for some hair?

  Or is it just me

  The cause, you, the effect

  -- Michelle Emery

  Food

  My deepest and sweetest love

  Always there for me no matter the time

  Midnight? Noon? 5 AM?

  Always there

  Always ready to comfort

  Sweet

  Salty

  Food is like a 911 operator always ready to come to the rescue

  Oh food, my stomach cries when you’re not there

  Food lies in my hand like a newborn baby in their mother’s arms

  -- Caroline Morley

  Untitled

  My life tastes like lime

  The sour taste of my prime

  Crying stuck in the back of my mind.

  The good times went in a different line

  I wish I could write my story in a book

  But everything flushed through like a brook

  And then there was nothing I could do

  When my life took a hook.

  So live your life to the fullest

  And stay unbroken

  -- Josh Bannon

  Is That So?

  Oh child, so
ur child

  Nothing is so sweet

  Everything is not at all But a Dream, the Cradle does not rock, or wobble,

  It oscillates hysterically, and trembles, quite spasmodically

  And some How, the celestial body does not coruscate

  Yet the Stars still Ponder on

  Why yes they ponder, Deeply and darkly

  No silence with their drown full Hope

  So keep dreaming, my sour child

  Keep dreaming

  -- Emery Michelle

  Little Water Moments

  Outside the window

  The ocean is bubbly blue

  Father tells daughter

  “The ocean is inside of you”

  Not all can see as clear

  Though they appear bright and bubbly

  Some can grow lonely

  Drowned in thoughts that enter one’s mind

  “The ocean looks awfully blue”, they’d say

  Just to pass the time

  -- Leah Pollack

  Never Grow Up

  Pitter patter is the sound of your feet on the floor

  You grow bigger and more beautiful everyday

  Your hand pulls away from mine, not a child anymore

  Stay small, stay innocent, stay carefree, stay kind, stay.

  -- Madeline Mearns

  Red River

  Red river flowing slowly down a low bank full of dust

  Water there is old and tainted, weighted down with loads of mud

  Water clear has not been known here on this low bank full of dust

  This red river runs so slowly, crawling to the open sea

  Water once was cold and fresh, through high banks of mountain streams

  Crisp and clear like snow just melted, running, rushing, swiftly swim

  Fishes grew here, grew, and changed, silver darts that flew through rock

  Now red river creeps on slowly through flat land and heat and sun

  Saving grace is hope still held for freedom on the open sea

  -- Madeleine Beauvais

  Resurrection

  Scared to look sad

  Scared to look bad

  Afraid the emo joke will come back

  Afraid people will see what i lack

  Sometimes the things that happen in the past

  Will come back to haunt you fast

  But the best thing to do is forget

  So me and insecurity never met

  -- Katie Buchholz

  Seasons

  Seasons come and go, leaves fall and flowers grow

  Baby birds spread their wings, when the season time is spring.

  Children start to come outside, laughing, playing, sun don’t hide

  School is out, the weathers warmer, when the season time is summer

  Yellow busses bring them back, schools in session get your backpack

  children aren’t outside at all, when the season time is fall

  Huddled masses with big coats, bright red noses and sore little throats

  Lips are cracked like wooden splinters, when the season time is winter

  Then the seasons change again, hallelujah lord AMEN

  People smile, love and play, wishing the good times are here to stay.

  -- Allison Ferrell

  Wake

  That moment , when you first wake up

  You feel as if the world is perfect

  Where there's still hope, where there's no hatred

  Those 5 seconds

  Where it feels as if you're floating on clouds, before your feet touch the ground

  No heartache, no pain, no feeling of societies chains

  I wish that I could feel this way all the time

  Not humanly possible, because when you come down from the cloud

  Reality hits you in the face

  Please someone help, take me to a happier place

  -- Savannah Williams

  Red

  The color of passion, of emotion

  A feeling so strong that you want to scream out

  The color of blood and pain and rage

  The fuel of my hatred and suffering

  The color of love and energy

  Her desire to the point of obsession

  What I'm forced to embrace every single day

  The color of my feelings for her

  -- Jillian Neri

  Untitled

  The empty gym, nobody is there.

  The quietness, interrupted by the bouncing of the ball.

  The court a light brown like a desert.

  Which I am the ruler of.

  The refs, plump zebras prancing around my kingdom.

  There the only important thing is basketball.

  This is my kingdom, my desert, and where I belong.

  -- Peter Jacobsen

  Untitled

  The forest, The trees.

  The wonderfully buzzing bees.

  When i come here, all i do is dream.

  I dream of a place filled with nature and ice cream.

  Is it wrong to feel the way i do.

  About you?

  We sit and stare, beauty everywhere.

  But all I do is Dream.

  And Dream.

  -- Kyle-David Byrne Byrne

  The Backyard

  The sun streaked my cheeks

  As my feet to the ground.

  I could see the moon peak

  As it went back down.

  The flowers blooming,

  All colors of the eye.

  Small rain drops tickle my face,

  As they fall from the sky.

  Like everything had it’s place.

  Nothing like this could die.

  -- Madison Holt

  The Runaway Freckles

  There once was a boy who had so many freckles

  He had so many freckles he couldn't keep track

  He loved his freckles most of all

  One day he woke up and he looked in the mirror

  He jumped at the sight, his freckles were gone!

  He looked all around but they couldn't be found

  He asked everyone at school but no one had seen them

  The boy cried and cried for days and days

  Then he turned to his side and his freckles were there to comfort him

  They climbed back on and once again he was the little leopard boy.

  -- Mia Farmer

  The Mind

  There’s a land of imagination,

  With delicate, puffy clouds, sparkling streams and rushing falls,

  Strapping trees with glorious leaves, lush bushes housing rich berries,

  Where dreams live, nightmares don't exist, heroes feel home.

  Yet, far away, there's another land, not so dreamlike.

  Thunderclouds, spreading darkness along the horizon.

  Moans and screams, cries of agony, the mysterious darkness of the abyss that is loneliness.

  This is the land where monsters and demons thrive, dreams die slow, agonizing deaths,

  The only food has that underlying tang of poison.

  The darkness drugs you, and you soon fall susceptible to all the world’s evils.

  -- Maya Staren-Doby

  Narcissist

  Walking all over people like it’s nothing

  To others like broken glass

  Nonstop talking about yourself

  To others like shooting up a sunday mass

  The repercussions were not thought of

  Now you’re sitting here alone

  So self involved and horrid everyone can see

  Saying all these things and I’m realizing it’s me.

  -- Haley Kerby

  Untitled

  Water drops from the sky,

  Dark and heavy thunder.

  He expects me to reply,

  I simply just sit there and wonder.

  The smell of roses vanishes,

  Everything fades away slowly.

  Tr
ying to fix a broken heart with bandages,

  It’s like flying away ghostly.

  -- Ileana Mendez

  Waterfalls

  Waterdrops rush across people’s faces

  A sound nearby like rushing wind.

  Clear crystals levitate close by,

  Waterdrops fall to their death

  Others disembark from the crowd.

  It seems like the water upsets the rocks.

  A crowd of people stand nearby.

  Transparent crystals sprinkle across their face

  Inhabitants stand in awe while it reaches out

  The waterfall is raging with life, reaching to the skies

  -- Stephen Mageot

  The Bandos

  Welcome to the Band room of Lang street!

  Junior Cheesecake anyone? Yes please!

  The wolf's have been expecting you.

  Oh? You don’t enjoy our vocal skills?

  Well we are the bandos! nobody does!

  Come ride the band mobile.

  Rule number one about riding the bus.

  We don’t talk about the band bus!

  The bubble bowl is what we train for.

  Bandos! We live for band!

  -- Angel Dominguez

  West Virginia Summer

  A lazy afternoon invents 1, 2, 3 games to amuse.

  Hide and go seek was a classic we harped on;