Symmetry

I like lunch,
I like Wednesdays.
I like the uniformity of a space.
I like the singularity of a point.
I like math.
I like mountains with a perfectly pointed peak.
I like odd numbers dividing evenly.
I like “lol.”
I like stopping the stopwatch at 1 minute exact.
I like to think MLIA’s are real.
I like x’s.
I like the fact that space is curved in on itself.
I like this line.
I like the apparent normality of pi
Rather than the rationality of one-half.
I like the joy of trickiness.
I like thinking about the concept of being pricked by a true line.
I like talking to someone
talking to someone
talking to me.
I like people who are superficially superficial
I like subtle distinctions and implicit structure and underlying elements.
I like centers.
I like to think of a person’s soul as perfect infinitely thin spheres layered on top of each other.
I like to think the circle of life is a perfect circle.

I Will Not

I will not frown.
I will not leave.
I will not be shy
I will not seethe.
I will not listen to you lie.
I will not give up on you.
I will not take this stolen identity.
I will think about you twice.
I will not listen to your fairytale endings.
I will not show you my journal entries.
I will not
I will not give in to your stupid charm.
I will not sleep until your okay.
I will not tell your secrets.
I will not judge you.
I will not lose hope.
I will not stop.
I will not cheat or believe that you were capable of this and you never told me, and I will not understand why it had to end this way.

Break

I enjoy sleeping.
I enjoy rolling over in my bed.
I enjoy the lazy mornings.
I enjoy waking up and falling back asleep.
I enjoy knowing that I have another day.
I enjoy knowing the I'm free.
I enjoy going through my morning routine
without my usual hastiness.
I enjoy actually talking to my family over breakfast.
I enjoy calling my friends.
I enjoy having a good time.
I enjoy coming home late
much to the dismay of my parents.
I enjoy going to sleep
knowing that I have one more day.

Everything

I want the breeze in my hair-

I want the smell of snowflakes

tickling my nose.

I want sunshine.

I want violent winds and grey skies.

I want it all at once.

I want to live in the city with its flashing lights.

I want to see the countryside,

Breathe in new life.

I want to be a lawyer, a writer, a musician,

a chef, an artist, anything and everything.

I want to be famous or obscure,

I’m not that picky.

I want beauty.

I want love.

I want attention.

But all I really ever wanted

was to be left alone.

I want to be powerful and independent-

I want someone- anyone,

to take care of me.

I want to care more about this-

I want to stop caring at all.

I want to live life the way I planned,

held back only by my own whims.

I want to know what I really want.

- well…

I know what I really want.

I want it all.

I want everything-

Dangerously close to wanting

Absolutely nothing at all.

Hopeful

I hope for change.
I hope for positivity.
I hope to be hopeful.
I hope to dream.
I hope for stability.
I hope for happiness,
Not only for myself, but for everyone around me.
I hope for health.
I hope for wisdom.
I hope for a better understanding.
I hope for admiration.
I hope for success.
I hope for kindness.
I hope for honesty.
I hope for a helping hand.
I hope for a shoulder to lean on.
I hope for support when I need it the most,
And for a smile to share with somebody else.
I hope to find my way on my own,
So I have something to be proud of.
I hope to reach out.
I hope to make a difference, no matter how small.
I hope to stay a while, but not too long.
I hope to leave peacefully.
I hope to be surrounded by the people that I love,
And the people who love me.
I hope to be remembered.
I hope to be remembered for something great.
I hope I’m not the only one.

I hope for change.

I hope for positivity.

I hope to be hopeful.

I hope to dream.

I hope for stability.

I hope for happiness,

Not only for myself, but for everyone around me.

I hope for health.

I hope for wisdom.

I hope for a better understanding.

I hope for admiration.

I hope for success.

I hope for kindness.

I hope for honesty.

I hope for a helping hand.

I hope for a shoulder to lean on.

I hope for support when I need it the most,

And for a smile to share with somebody else.

I hope to find my way on my own,

So I have something to be proud of.

I hope to reach out.

I hope to make a difference, no matter how small.

I hope to stay a while, but not too long.

I hope to leave peacefully.

I hope to be surrounded by the people that I love,

And the people who love me.

I hope to be remembered.

I hope to be remembered for something great.

I hope I’m not the only one.

Standing - Clint Ko

I want pain.
I want a quick death.
I want the consolation of knowing
That today is the last day.
I want rotting bodies and carrion.
I want a hard ruler to come down on my soft hands.
I want the sunset.
I want to believe in existence,
And have it fade away upon the slightest touch.
I want brown, leather bags.
I want the pitter-patter of rain drops,
Like marching soldiers on rooftops.
I want chrysanthemums.
I want cold steel.I want hope,
Just to have it run down my cheeks like tears.
I want salt.
I want weathered books.
I want to stand,
Even while the ground is blown over
Like a pile of dead leaves.

Upon A Star - Rachel's List Poem

I wished upon a star.
I wished I could fly.
I wished I could read minds.
I wished money grew on trees.
I wished I knew all the answers,
the answers to life.
I wished I knew where to go,
who to know.
I wished I didn’t have homework.
I wished my grandpa wasn’t sick,
I wished I knew him better.
I wished I knew myself better.
I wished I knew who I was,
I wished it made no difference who I am.
I wished my dreams would come true.

Emily's List Poem

Curiosity
Curiosity in dinosaurs.
Curiosity in Helen Keller.
Curiosity in hippies.
Curiosity in like before me and
life after me.
Curiosity in my grandpa.
Curiosity in Hitler’s decisions.
Curiosity in life as a homeless person.
Curiosity in those with no family,
those with no one to love them.
Curiosity in my cousin’s cancer.
Curiosity in sickness and death.
Curiosity in heaven.
Curiosity in peace.
Curiosity in why and how…
to everything.
Curiosity in my dad’s genes.
Curiosity in the reasons for terrorism and 9/11.
Curiosity in innocence.
Curiosity in the past.
Curiosity in people’s regrets;
what made them do it?
Curiosity in the unknown and never answered.

Somewhere Inside

I see the sun.

I see the storm.

I see the possibility to love and to hurt.

I see happiness and joy.

I see gloomy clouds of grey.

I see your smile and your tears.

I see peace and you’re at ease.

I see your life as a time bomb waiting to explode.

I see let down.

I see hope.

I see you have a chance to change and I see you don’t.

I see the shield and the fence.

I see through the frown worn on your face everyday.

I see fear and a heart of ice.

I see bravery and a heart of gold.

I see the past of your painful life.

I see your future as a bright sunny day.

I see a back turned away from faith.

I see a hand reaching out for help.

I see tears of regret and remorse.

I see you full of revenge.

I see fear and I see the shield.

I see through the frown worn on your face everyday.

Kara Podjasek's List Poem

More
I want a pony.
I want a new phone.
I want to drive to school in my
brand new car and be able to park in the
first spot in the parking lot.
I want new clothes from Abercrombie.
I want to learn to tango.
I want to feel the freedom of
soaring through the sky.
I want to catch butterflies.
I want straight A's so I can get into Harvard.
I want to sleep in.
I want to be late.
I want to find IT.
I want to bite into a peach and
feel peach juice trickle down my chin.
I want to blow bubbles.
I want to sing Happy Birthday to someone
when it isn't their birthday.
I want summer days to last forever.
I want you.
I want more time.
I want to do nothing.
I want to fly a kite.
I want to laugh until it hurts so bad
that I don't want to laugh anymore.
I want you to realize there's more.
I want you to see what you're missing.
I want happiness to find me
wherever life takes me.
I want to dance right now.
I don't want to take a second of my life for granted.
I want more.

Follower

I follow lighthouses.
I follow long twigs.
I follow the palms of my hands,
and the tips of my toes.
I follow obstacles.
I follow child leashes,
and dog leashes especially.
I follow the vision in my left eye.
I follow treasure maps,
but don't look for the "x".
I follow road signs,
not exit ramps.
I follow sidewalks,
wherever they may lead.

Happiness

Happiness is eating two scoops of ice cream without shame.
Happiness is winning the big game.
Happiness is the rush.
Happiness is the color yellow.
Happiness is laughing at the worst parts of life.
Happiness is eternally possessing a child’s innocence
even in the cold world.
Happiness is waking up to the sound of nature.
Happiness is the smell of the crisp ocean air.
Happiness is swimming where the fishes sleep
not being the fishes’ feast.
Happiness is the sight of Earth from the Moon.
Happiness is walking on the ocean floor at noon.
Happiness is a lunch that’s free
Happiness is a world, malady-free.
Happiness is having it all,
But that can’t ever happen.

-Waqar

They Believe...

We believe in gods
We believe in no gods
We believe in our friends
We believe in our family, that they’ll always be there for us
We believe in truths
We believe in lies
We believe in precedence, the way other people have already done things
We believe in spontaneity
We believe in miracles
We believe in hope
We believe in people keeping their promises
We believe in people breaking their promises
We believe in trustworthiness
We believe in ourselves
We believe in happiness, that taking the right path in life will ease our worries
We believe in each other
We believe in existence
We believe in numbers, assuming that they come from a reliable source
We believe in heaven
We believe in hell
We believe in a single life; there is no second chance, there are no rehearsals in life
We believe in reincarnation
We believe in life
We believe in death
We believe in teamwork
We believe in individuality
We believe in the laws of nature
We believe in the laws of physics, that there is always a reason for something
We believe in unseen forces
We believe in reality
I believe…

Habits

Habit of shopping with no intention
Habit of touching my hair when i get nervous
Habit of straightening already straight hair
Habit of staying up all night, trying to finish my homework
That sounds like nothing but a bunch of words mixed up together
Habit of talking too much
Habit of planning ahead, and not doing it
Habit of changing TV channels every five minutes
Habit of biting my fingernails
And the skin around it
Habit of gossiping too much
Habit of driving exactly five mph over
Habit of yawning
Habit of eating when I'm not hungry
Habit of being pessimistic
I mean realistic
Habit of constantly touching my cell phone every five seconds
Habit of watching clock five minutes before each class ends
Habit of believing in Santa Clause
Habit of dreaming a perfect life
Even when I try not to

-Theresa-

Truth

It's true that I like symmetry.
It's true that I sort the food on my plate.
It's true that I should clean my room more often.
It's true that I floss every day.
It's true that I'm a sap.
It's true that I think about my wedding.
It's true that I painted my walls yellow to make me smile.
It's true that I know what it means to love.
It's true that I don't cry enough.
It's true that my mother and I don't have a good relationship.
It's true that I cannot face college.
It's true that I don't always think before I speak.
It's true that I am not only strong-willed;
It's true that I am a fighter.
It's true that I have hurt people, and
It's true that I have helped people.
It's true that I worry too much.
It's true that your smile makes my day.
It's true that I don't like admitting things:
It's true that I miss her...every day.
It's true that I regret my past.
It's true that I am scared of the future.
It's true that I need to live for the present.
It's true that the truth hurts.
It's true that truth is beautiful.

Necessities

I need to finish six college essays.
I need to take all accelerated classes.
I need to spend five hours
playing Monopoly with my little brother.
I need to join clubs and groups
to seem active and well-rounded.
I need to sip a mug of hot chocolate
with seven lucky mini marshmallows.
I need to wake up, go to school, do homework, sleep,
repeat.
I need to see if I can touch a cloud while on the swings.
I need to make up names for the colors in a sunset.
I need to learn sign language for Hanukkah, panda, and chickens.
I need to draw pictures in the stars.
I need to catch fireflies at night.
I need to stretch my time to savor every second.
--Erica

"Joy" Lauren Walter

Joy is children.

Joy is soft grass.

Joy is hoodie sweatshirts.

Joy is handwritten letters.

Joy is trust.

Joy is butterflies

In your stomach.

Joy is country music.

Joy is untouched snow.

Joy is throwing your head back

In laughter.

Joy is freckles.

Joy is coffee cake

On Christmas morning.

Joy is memories of her.

Joy is sleepless nights.

Joy is faith.

Joy is deep water.

Joy is waking up

Realizing it wasn’t just a bad dream.

Joy is burned skin.

Joy is brittle bones.

Joy is strength.

Joy is broken promises.

Joy is disease.

Joy is scars.

Joy is overcoming.

Joy is unexpected. 

To Dance...By Lauren Zaworski

To dance is to laugh with our feet.
To dance brings memories of “Talent Shows” in our own little theatres.
To dance like fairies, lightly touching the lilac fields.
To dance with gap-tooth smiles concreted to our faces.
To dance is to be painted with emeralds, rubies, and amulets.
To dance is to sway with the beat.
To dance is to create art without words.
To dance like rain drops lightly springing off the ebony lake.
To dance is to follow.
To dance is to hypnotize and to be hypnotized.
To dance is to gaze into the eyes of the one I love.
To dance for today and tomorrow.
To dance means to lead.
To dance is to close my eyes tight and forget the world.
To dance is to shy and sway slowly away from the bold and blunt.
To dance is my soul resonating with the bass.
To dance, to let go.
To dance is to move by the past and to duck under the future.
To dance without fear.
To dance is to fail and fall.
To dance for my dreams, though they may never come true.
To dance the Paso Doble, tangled deep in my sorrow.
To dance for him.
To dance for my life so I can keep moving.
To dance alone.
To dance a dance that ascends everything.
To dance is to take flight among the winged.
To dance for the Thread that holds us together.
To dance for the trumpet sound.
To dance with, for, and among everyone once again.