By: Ojas Kathayat

A salty smell tickles my nose

I open my eyes as wide as the moon

I’m standing on the vast sea

Time is Frozen still and the water Twinkles like diamonds, without a hint of disturbance

Mesmerizing; controlling my every move

I’m having the time of my life as I sprint on the endless blue we call the sea

I lay down, staring at the vast sky, my back is towards the deep, dark sea

But, I’m having second thoughts on how exciting this is as I feel something is amiss

A bad feeling stirs deep within my heart  

Suddenly, I hear it

*boom*

A chill as intense as a hail storm crawls down my spine

*boom*

I hear it again

Out the corner of my eyes, I see it

A bleak shadow that makes one’s blood turn cold with a glance stretches across the horizon

The wind blows stronger as moments pass

Clouds that could make a person faint by a single glimpse are starting to stain the sky, eventually unfolding as far as one can see

The Waves are now dancing like crazed humans  

The sea that once was as serene as the fading sun is now as violent as a erupting volcano

As the dark expanse engulfs me within it arms,

I slowly lose consciousness

By: Lauren Wright

Seas roaring with fury.

Homes shaking with such force, it seems as if they’re dancing.

Families shivering in their basements, awaiting the storms end.

Oh, but little do they know,

Not only will the storm sweep them into its arms, but also hundreds of other families.

Roads disappearing under feet of water.

Animals screeching, children crying.

Emergency boat lights reflecting off the water.

Debris hanging off homes.

Families are broken.

No help is sent.

They’re ignored.

Sympathized for, added as another statistic, and nothing is done.

Just an ‘apology’.

An empty, meaningless apology.

No words can take the memory of such a horrific disaster away from hundreds of children’s minds.

By: Mahnaz Behrouzi

Waking up, it’s noon, its okay though because it’s summer. I decided to go soak up some heat. I put on my lip flops from the night before. I feel the warmth all the way down to my toes. I am as happy as a kid who gets to buy a toy they’ve always wanted.Then I started walking through the bright, green grass. I felt a cool breeze pull my hair back. I smelled the fresh scent of a barbecue down my path. The summer air was speaking to me, showing me where to. go. As I was walking I heard a delightful sound. A song that brought children to dash home and get some cash. Just to buy the juicy, cold ice cream. Summer days are the deep ocean waves. This is summer, and everyone is in for a good time.

By: Jocelyn McCray

An explosion of color

My mind is reeling

Thoughts of the world glaze by

My mind’s eye blazes to life

It reminds me of times past and present

Almost like a world made of time

It creates wondrous places filled with fun and made of joy

All around me life flourishes

I feel the cool breeze

It’s like a loving embrace from my heart directed to my mind

As I happily wander this endless world of mine

I take in the sights and relax

Here in my imagination life is bliss

By: Claire Kim

Saturday evening, wearing jean shorts and a blue T-shirt with flip flops

Sun shining on my face, hair sticking to my neck

As I walked through a crowded water fountain in the middle of the park,

I felt humid claiming up from my feet, although it was a cooling sensation

A group of adults laugh and chat “for years on end”

But I hear a loud, youthful melody coming from another crowd farther away

Kids and their parents line up for ice cream cones of different flavors

A man in a neon pink truck sweats in the enclosed space

While he bends down and hands an dripping, chocolate ice cream cone to a little boy

Wry face, an old man sits on a bench stationary like a rock beside the fountain

Getting irritated by kids splashing sparkly, cold water at each other

A tree bends over the bench and casts dark shadows on the ground

Teenagers stand beneath the colossal branch with phones, their best friends

They are wearing blank faces for one minute, giggling afterward

I found my space

An empty space next to a stone horse statue covered by vines

And sat down, unfolding a mat,

Placing red strawberries and apples onto the plaid blanket

I lie down, calmly viewing “the slow dance of clouds and butterflies” under the bright sky

I recall the vision of this diverse neighborhood

And smiled under the shining sun

By: Jayme Matyas

I am observant as I walk the halls.

Seeing the girls and boys I once knew.

Not everyone is the same,

Of course, I know that we change as we grow up.

Becoming wiser as the many years rush away, though some may not.

The social pressures are changing and are, perhaps, getting worse.

The faces and names that I once called friends, now barely recognizable under a whole new person, someone that gave in to the social pressures.

Those people, may or may not be happy with the choice they have made to give in to the pressures, but will keep up the image so they will gain favor by other people.

The pressure is not only coming from teachers and friends at school, but social media, other friends, and even family.

The pressures coming from those sources are as powerful as ever in this world and is waiting to grasp another person and bring them into a hole of darkness and despair.

People who hesitate and question their looks, behavior, or popularity and that is when people will use that against them to change them, and that comes from pictures on social media that lead to people trying to achieve something not realistic.

We need to see and learn about this so we can stop the pressures, that are making so many people miserable and feel bad about themselves.

By: Vishnupriya Alavala

The ocean’s steady rhythm is the beating of my heart

The crystal clear water lapping

At my feet stuck in powdery, tan sand

Seagulls squawking in the fresh morning breeze

The sun blazes against my back, wearing a smile

That never ceases.

Running through endless fields of lavender lilies,

Their sweet perfume wafting all around me and,

Laughing as my best friend chases me from behind

The exhilaration as a roller coaster continues

It’s blinding red curling around like a snake

On a downward descent,

But instead of feeling low,

I feel pure joy as the wind whips my

Hair back, forming a halo

Carefree transforms everyone into angels

Cherish every moment of innocence,

Because as I grow up,

That cloudless sky can turn into a distant memory.