Part II

A Year of Change

Alicia Childs

We had never really been friends,

Just people

Who knew each other.

Sure we had spent every Saturday

Since the age of four

Together watching cartoons,

Playing dress-up,

Hitting the mall,

But what does that mean

In this day and age?

Now we’re in

High School.

Things are different.

She’s not a cheerleader.

Thomas Fillis

Immature

All my friends didn’t understand.

They only cared

About scoring with the chicks

And being cool.

They don’t understand

What they’re here for.

It is a place of learning,

A place to further yourself.

Preparing you for

The world at large.

What will happen to them?

All those that I use to know

Who have gone on

To lose themselves

In the game,

And in the end

Stumble at the last play and

Miss the final score.

David Turpenelli

It hadn’t even begun

And already I was tired.

The coach always wanted more,

More than I could give.

But I can’t give up.

I’ve got to be a star

And show them that

I am someone.

It’s all about the game and

And seeing that crowd

Cheer for me.

My legs ache and my stomach churns

But the coach wants another lap.

Samantha Tines

Another year

Another horrid year

I haven’t heard from dad

In three months and

Mom won’t come out of her room,

I didn’t hear her come in last night.

The little ones

Need their breakfast.

I’m late for class again,

Little Johnny didn’t want

To wear Billy’s old coat.

I have detention again,

Luckily my boss will understand,

I don’t want to be late for work again.

Penny Gerdella

I wasn’t feeling well

And mom brought me breakfast

In bed.

My little brothers

Drew me pictures at school,

And get well cards too.

James hasn’t said anything to me,

But he brought me my homework

So I know he loves me.

I’m so grateful that

They love me so.

I think I should be better

By tomorrow,

And I will make them something

For a treat when they get

Home.

James Gerdella

She’s such a little brat.

Spoiled through and through.

I saw her sitting in bed

Reading her books and

Drinking chocolate milk,

Smiling and happy,

Faking it all.

She gets away with everything

While I get in trouble for nothing.

I hate her and

All the other little bratty preps like her.

Airheads who don’t know

How to do anything at all.

Megan Murvize

Social stigma

Stereotyped

Never looked at for the more

Important attributes.

I have a mind I shout!

I’m not just

An idealized form of the female body

Who would salivate after every male

That makes a pass at me.

Cursed with beauty

Blessed with a mind

That understands the curse.

Let me free of this body

So my mind can

Walk free upon the world

Without the shell

That holds me in.

Tito Mancharu

Oh my gosh,

Megan is such a doll.

I would kill to have her body.

I don’t understand why

She doesn’t have guys all over her,

I mean, I would.

So, I went shopping yesterday,

There were the most adorable shoes,

I don’t think my mom would give me money for them though.

I saw Ray at the mall, he’s so hot.

If I didn’t know he wasn’t…

Mmm mmm, I’d have him in an instant.

Same with that David, oh my.

Alicia and Charlotte both said

That I need to find myself a man

Or a woman.

I told them I’d rather have a man,

They agreed.

Ray Chapman

I never understood math

Science was Greek to me

I didn’t like any sports

Actually, nothing interested me

School was just a thing

That I was made to do

There was nothing special about me

My body wasn’t good looking,

An ancient god like David

My mind was nothing to be proud of

Like Thomas was of his

Really I have no qualities

Worth mention

So I’m sorry I wasted your time

Alex Noble

No body cares about me,

My life’s a deep, dark pit.

There’s no reason to continue

In this horrid

Evil world.

Shadows loom behind me,

In front, the sides, below.

I can’t even see the sun above.

God is gone

And so is love.

I don’t care what they say about me,

‘Cause they’re wrong and stupid

And none of them know,

How horrible life is for me,

When nobody cares.

Frankie “Fran Man” Burney

The teachers said I’d never make it

The way that I act in their class,

But here I am in my final year

And I haven’t broken yet.

I don’t know why they care

I do it all on my own.

I don’t even need school

For what I want to do.

I’ll go to Hollywood

And become a comedian,

Have them laughing on the floor.

Charlotte Sanderson

I have it all.

Beauty and money,

All that’s important in the world.

Why would anything else matter.

I have a boyfriend that will do

Anything I say,

Parents that fawn over me,

And make sure I’m always happy.

Everyone is jealous,

Just because I got my pictures

In that magazine.

Life is a show and I,

I am the star.

Valdemar Merlin

I come to this country

To learn American ways.

There is no difference

In American,

European,

Any where in the world.

All is same.

The world gets no better,

No matter where you are.

America is not land of free,

Free of tyranny, maybe,

Free of oppression, sometimes,

Freedom of belief,

As long as you agree

With the majority.

It is not promised land

If all people

Are constrained by the standards

And preconceptions

Of their peers.

Latasha Tucker

I try to help,

I really do.

Sometimes though,

It’s just too much for me to handle.

I try to be a good example

To my classmates,

My peers,

My family.

The stress just seems to build though.

I put on a happy face,

Smile and pretend to be happy,

Nobody knows the difference.

Derick Patton

I see them getting worse

The stress of everyday life

Pressing in upon them

And there’s nothing I can do.

My friends are oblivious

To what is happening to them,

Or maybe they just don’t care.

I try to be there whenever I can

For those that need help,

And I know they appreciate it,

But really, it doesn’t help them.

Poor ‘Tasha,

My love, my light, my world

And goddess.

So proud of giving

That you give everything

And have nothing left.

Russell Park

Now my final year is upon me,

And I’m not sure

What I’ve accomplished.

All I know for sure,

Is that I couldn’t have done it alone.

I need to thank those leaders,

Those teachers,

My family,

That have led me to this point.

Now that it’s almost done though,

I’m scared.

Scared that I will fail,

Fall with no one to catch me.

I can’t really go on this way,

So I’m not sure I want to leave at all.

Lottie Jefferson

It’s so different here

In the city

Where I grew up

There were no more than

Five hundred in my entire school

And here, there are that many

In just my class.

Overwhelming and strange,

Looking in from the outside,

On friendships that have been

Forged and tested since childhood.

I’m so glad that I’ve found someone,

Who has let me into their lives.

Without that I’m not sure

Whether or not

I could get through the year.

Thank you Derick for helping me,

When I had no one else

And even if I can never tell you,

I love you for it.

Marcella Stefanie Whitney

Oh my gosh,

David is such a hunk.

He is so cool.

He doesn’t even know I exist.

I would give him anything,

But I don’t know if I could ever tell him.

It’s sad that I always do this,

Obsess over some guy,

That I can never have.

It’s stupid, but I can’t help it.

Grrr…I’m so stupid,

Like he’d even care about me.

I think he’s still dating

Charlotte,

Ice witch

Anyway.

I don’t see what he sees in her.

She’s not that beautiful,

All stuck up with her nose in the air too.

She eats like a pig too,

No one else sees it though,

‘Cause she throws it all up.

I just wish David could see

The real her,

And realize that

I’m what he needs.

Maxwell Gordon

Sometimes I remember

What it was like,

Before the haze.

When I use to have control of myself.

I was friends

With everyone;

Russell

David

James

Thomas

We did everything together.

Then there was

The Party.

Everything changed,

And I can’t go back.

When I think about it

I get sad.

That’s when I need it.

Another hit.

Phenny Gordon

We’ve made it to the cusp

Of our final year.

Graduation stands

Not a day away from us.

We’ve all had our troubles

And worries

And cares,

But we’ve also had our good times

And our accomplishments.

When I look back on it though

I see how pointless it all was.

To make this far and fail

It’s what I was destined to do.

I tried to make it better

For everyone,

But I couldn’t even save my brother.

So my dear friends

I’m sorry to tell you

I found a better friend to graduate with

And this rope and I,

Won’t be joining you tomorrow.

Faiyth Bucchannon

What joy it is to know that God is here.

Guiding this great country,

Giving its children education and

Freedom to make their own choices and

Their own life for themselves.

We are gathered here to celebrate

The culmination of our twelve years

Of learning and teaching and growing.

You all have made the difference

In our lives and in our hearts.

Thank you for doing that for us and

For your dedication in doing it

For all those that follow behind us.

Teachers and Parents

Of graduating class 2007

We salute you.

To my fellow classmates,

Thank you for being

A great inspiration to me and

Giving me this great opportunity

To speak to you all.