Juniper

(I know this is maybe more of a story than a poem, but I meant it as a poem, so hopefully it's close enough. This is about when I was happiest.)

The scent still stuns her when she comes across it
It takes her back, eight years and three months to the day.
It's a bittersweet reunion with her memories.
One week of pure bliss,
When life was simple for a while
When the biggest worry was if the sky would be as blue as the day before
It always was.
The alfalfa fields made her happy.
They made the deer happy, too.
She loved standing on the porch and looking out at the whirring sprinklers
She used to whisper the world "alfalfa" to herself and giggle.
She liked the pine trees and the wide open spaces.
She liked the pastures, with all the cows.
She used to moo right back at them.
Her favorite place to go was down by the river.
She'd sing to herself and throw pebbles,
then wade through the stream to put them back in the right spot.
She loved the old pulley swing that pulled her across the water,
Over to the forest where she could spot porcupine quills and beaverteeth marks on the trees.
She loved the campfires and burnt marshmellows.
She got s'mores all over her face every time.
She swam until she looked like a prune and ran home in her bathing suit.
She played volleyball until the stars came out
And learned all about Orion and how to find his belt.
And that smell...she always knew she was home.
She was disappointed when she found out it was only juniper
And not simply something magical in the air.
The horizon couldn't get any wider,
Surrounded by mountains on three sides
Three sisters, standing tall and proud.
She laughed at the names, I remember.
They were so beautiful. So cliched. So right.
Faith, hope, and charity.
Who knew the future would have to hold so much of each?
But the future never crossed her mind.
All she saw were her own size two sneakers pounding down the pavement
All she felt was a bubbling laugh.
She laughed like there was no tomorrow.
When she was there, there was no tomorrow.
There was only today.

~Frances~

Utter Chaos

rules, regulations
class expectations
more responsibility
woop de doo!
more everyone wants you to do
the over excited teachers
sound like long imprisoned preachers
ridding of their guilty soul
ughh respect this... respect that
their rules boring us out of control

Eh! I can't Stand him!
She never smiles.
Oh no that one's really mean!!!
I heard once.. or twice he was stabbed in the spleen.

Passing in assignments
Oh that just looks fine!
The awestruck teachers
My ACHING spine!

Cover this one.
No a three inch binder for that.
Do you remember what happened to Pat?
He moved to Ohio.
Or so
I was told.

Did you meet him.
he makes me want to pee my pants.
I heard
he never waters his plants.
What lunch do you have?
Oh NO! You can't!
All this walking
is making me pant

My first impressions
way passed destroyed
my friends from last year
mostly a VOID!

This chaos is crazy!
Utterly insane.
They call this a school?
Hey, what was your name?
Did you see that freshnan?
He's going to the pool.
We have a Dresscode?
NO WAY! since when?
What's wrong with you!
You're taking HONORS CHEM!!

Geometry what I bust
I know I might hate it
but studying every night
is a must.

Where is woodshop?
I don't know!
Did you see the cop?
Where should I GO!?!?
Ick no I can't go to Spanish.
eww math first!!
give me some time.
I NEED some free verse.

I NEED the bus!
Get me out of this place
my only must.
Puuuhlease I'll buy you a coffee cup.
Oh come! Save me!
Have you seen this tremendous mess!!!
I won't ever survive this year.
I'm buried miles and miles deep in stress!!!
Oh no it's the end.
UGHH It's ONLY JUST BEGUN!
Between all these worries.
I can never have fun.


Becky :)

When Your Brain Is Pancake Batter

*all the parts in parentheses are supposed to be indented but the blog won't let me do it for some strange and unknown reason*

Dizzy dazes are my vice
On days when brains will melt like ice
When cognition has no hand to hold
. (A sorry state, as I’ve been told)
And so it holds fast to its own
Thoughts get lost here all alone
They wander ‘round, they slide and slip
Soupy minds can’t get a grip
They float around so lazily
While synapses fire crazily
Only to burn out too fast
. (Connections here can’t hope to last)
They fry and frazzle, run so wild
Turn a woman to a child
Who can only clutch her teddy bear
Suck her thumb and blankly stare
As life explodes before her eyes
. (The moment fantasy always dies)
And reality slaps her thinning cheek
Forces her to smile and speak
To spew the phrase, “I’m fine, just fine!”
To blink away the teary shine
There’s no time, so grab your tissues
Life won’t wait here for your issues
Sprint in time with it; don’t fight
. (Though it takes up all your might)
Catch your childish butterflies
You know quite well they’re only lies
But pretty colors dull the ache
Of a truth that even you can’t shake
Hate it, cut it; it’s still there
A biting ether in your air
Breathe it in; it’ll knock you down
. (Your pillow is your only crown)
Your fairytales, they crumbled quickly
Left behind a head that’s sickly
That can’t contain its only brain
Can only latch on the mundane
The tangible can cloud your vision
Can take the edge off sheer derision
Until you don’t know left from right
You’ll soon prefer the dark to light
Where everything blurs into one
. (Reality stands out in the sun)
You wouldn’t quite know how to feel
If you looked at what was real
It could only further melt your brain
. (You swore you wouldn’t go insane)
So hug your teddy, hold him tight
He’ll tell you things will be alright
You know better, but no matter
When your brain is pancake batter
Childish promises are all you’ve got
Better judgment amounts to naught
Soft, bright blankies serve to hide
Life’s much truer, harsher side
Here you’ll find sweet lullabies
Hidden in your butterflies
The ones that flutter in your head
While you lie awake in bed
Wondering how things got so tough
Believing used to be enough
But now it hardly helps at all
. (It can’t even break your fall)
So wish upon your star so bright
Lie down and kiss yourself goodnight
Close you eyes and hope and pray
That tomorrow you’ll finally face the day

~Kassi~

Look! Kendra's posting from college!

Hey everyone! I hope everyone's having a great year and that poetry club is going swimmingly. I miss you guys so much. Every time I write a new poem the first thing I think is always "Ahh I can't wait to read this at poetry club!" Then I remember that I am 4 hours away from poetry club and won't be back until December and promptly become very upset. So I've decided to send a little piece of myself to poetry club to hold you guys over until December :). This is the best poem I've written to date and I hope you all like it.

"Steinway" 9/27/2008

He sits at the piano with his shaking hands and sweating brow
Not knowing if there’s anything left in him to play
The chords of his heartstrings have turned diminished in quality
And when he tries to play them the world becomes his tritone
He sees the world in half steps and whole tone scales
Not in the major scales like children expect the world to be
Because he’s seen the flats in people’s minds
And the sharps in people’s souls
He tries to play his life like a waltz with a happy ending
But at the end of the day it’s all he can do not to
Try and squeeze himself in the space between the black and white keys
And hide under the dampers
His mind races in arpeggios of questions and chaos
As he tries to figure out where his bass line ends and his heartbreak begins
Where the light ring of a high C turns into his tears falling onto the ivory
He melts into the piano bench and transposes himself onto the pages of music inside
For he feels that if he makes himself look like the Opuses of Beethoven
Maybe people will listen to what he has to play
He places his hands on the ivory extension of his soul and plays
From his childhood all the way to him sitting at the piano with his shaking hands
And his sweating brow
Finally when he’s played his entire being into the acoustics of his existence
He plays himself to sleep
And dreams of all the sonatas and suites he wishes he could be.
~


Love and Peace to everyone,
Kendra L. Nutting ♥