by Jared Dompreh

Have you ever had a dream?
and when you had your dream,
you had a nightmare?
Then instead of your dreams coming true,
Your nightmares do?

I had a dream.

A dream of me…
and of you.

But sadly  that dream
never came true.

Now old and gray a young child asks me,

Have you ever had a dream?
This time i dreamt that dream

Then when i looked at you
i realized my dream came true.

by Aria Rahman

Isn’t it funny
How tiny, delicate snowflakes
So pretty, so fragile
Might sometimes choose to form

An icy crystal dagger?

by Kaitlyn Buell

Tired
Restless, I lay awake
Time disappears before my eyes
As if time was ever my friend in the first place
I am worn and I've grown weary
Talking in circles has become a daily hobby
I ask for forgiveness
Not from god, but from myself
I scream out to the night sky
The night sky gently replies
A twinkle in the eyes of the night
The feeling of a presence overwhelms my every being
Out in the abyss I sense there is more
I fear I am mad, nutty, erratic
I may have a couple screws loose
Though I’m aware of my conscious self
At this point the night has me in a choke hold
Its grip has accumulated
I wonder if I’ll ever be able to escapes its reigns
Soon the stars with leave and wink at me to say goodbye
I now gaze upon a burning morning sky
This sky welcomes me with a bright smile
“Good Morning!” The sky addresses to me
“Good night.” I yawn and reply sleepily

by Jackie Maresco

Did it ever occur to you that you could change your life 
right this second if you really wanted to? 
You could stand up to a teacher 
and yell back if you wanted to. 
You could place yourself in a life or death situation 
if you really wanted to. 
You could even take a risk and just spontaneously 
and passionately kiss the one you love. 
You could change the entire outcome of your life if you wanted to. 
If our lives are really as bad as we say they are, why won't we take those chances? 

by Kim Reyes

Broken smile
Torn skin
Eating less
So she'll be thin.

The world is full of kings and queens
To break your heart
And crush your dreams.

The boys will blind you
With beautiful words
Yet their words are lies
To make you wish you were deaf.

Tell me the story of how the sun loved the moon so much, he died a little every night just so she could breathe.

I stood at the end of earth
And at the beginning of death.

He took me to a cliff one day
He said "to have a picnic"
But as I stood on the edge of that cliff
He wrapped his arms around my waist
And whispered with a sneer
"If I give you the smallest push, you could die."
And all I thought to say?
"I know."

I ran till I could run no more
Staring into the never ending darkness
The black silence beyond me
I knew that I was on the verge of death
So I jumped
And never stopped falling.

She blinked her frozen lashes
And smiled in the cold
While the wind blew through her curls
And the sun was burning gold

All she'd ever wanted
was for him to love her
Yet he gave her hugs
And made her laugh
And swept the hair out of her face
But he had never loved her
He only made it seem that way
And she continued loving him

She asked him if he wanted a hug
He said he didn't like hugs
But then he said alright
And it wasn't just a hug
Then he held her for a while
And closed his eyes in her burgundy sweater
And she breathed the essence of his jacket
And they knew they wanted it to last forever

I couldn't see why you would ever love me
Still I told you what I felt
So you told me what you felt
And our feelings were the same
Yet instead you ran away

I don't know when it happened
I don't even know how
All I know is that I'm drowning
And I need you to save me now

You built me up
And fixed me
After I'd been broken
Just so you can take
The puzzle that is me
And tear it all apart

I've been hiding for so long
From monsters under my bed
When really they had always
Hid inside my head

I can't see the golden sun
I can only see the clouds
I can't see the deep blue sea
But I still can see the water
The same dark waters that drown me
The same black clouds that suffocate me
Yet when I do see the sky
The stars have gone away
And the everlasting night?
Well that is here to stay

My self esteem is low
My confidence is none
My insecurities are many
And you my dear, give me the happiness of one.

by Edwin Ramos, Jr.

I’m not what I seem to be 
Perceive what you want but it ain’t me 
To know me you must look beyond what you can see 
As I said before, Perceive what you want but it ain’t me
Knowing what you do is only cause I have allowed you to 
No one knows what I went and have gone through 
To understand you must walk more than a mile in my shoe 
If you want a glimpse, think of the darkness in you
Living death Ash of breath 
Put to a test Destruction at it’s best
It’s unfathomable the darkness that lies within
 Although it may not seem to be, but happy is what I’ve never been 
Anger is all that serves as my souls consumption 
To understand this, think of the death that lies within
Know what it feels like for your heart to explode 
See what it looks like for your soul to implode 
Hear what it sounds like to lose your soul 
Understand what it feels,looks and sounds like to have lost all control
Acknowledge that all you know may be lies Be aware that who you think you know could have died Always know that at any moment I may say goodbye
Cause you don’t know me, but if you wish to, you must look beyond my eyes

by Kaitlyn Buell

I Believe
I believe in me
I believe in destiny
Our fate lies within
An eternal calendar
Only you hold the truth
And the truth is what holds you
Forever lasting
A lifeless doll
They pick you up
Just to watch you fall

by Jake Radziewicz

While you are complaining about the amount of money you are counting from a paycheck you just cashed
Someone lost their job because their position has just been slashed

While you are complaining about the cost of health insurance and your doctor co-pay
Someone is praying for their life waiting on a doctor’s assurance and wondering, “Will I have one more day?”

While you are complaining about the cost of your electricity, gas, and mortgage before you lay your head
Someone has no heat, or food, or home to put a bed

While you are complaining about the mess your kids just made
Someone is at a morgue and that mess they would gladly trade

While you are complaining that your life isn’t tranquil
Someone else sees everything for which you should be thankful

by Brett Temple

I'm a prisoner of gravity,One of the Earth.
To some she's our mother,
But to me she is worse.

I'd rather be flying,
By plane, by swing.
I'd rather be flying
On the blue bird's wing.

I look at the sky and only see blue,
But why I am I still stuck here, waiting for you.

The sky is endless,
You can freely roam.
But sadly I live
Under this dome.

Break through the glass,
Oh flying dove!
Unshackle my chains
And bring me above.

It's better with you and you make me feel free,
But at the end of the day, I'm a prisoner of gravity.