Author: Amanda Miller

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Anne, the Rest is History by Logan McSherry

Logan McSherry

Anne, the Rest is History

Reconstruction was finally complete, and the Gilded Age began
Anne lost her husband to wasteful war and sought a new man
Some deemed Anne sluttish, but she sure didn’t mind
Indeed, a woman like her was quite hard to find
She found another lover and bedded him well
Anne’s friends proclaimed she’d burn in hell
These words seemed powerful, but Anne couldn’t care less
She was all-oblivious to this preposterous mess
Anne wasn’t worried about her judgment day
For she conceived it was many years away
Anne and Dan played too much and produced a child
Undoubtedly her life was becoming increasingly wild
If Anne left nothing else for posterity, she left her boy
Unfortunately his goal in life was to annoy
The enmity between them became unbelievably strong
Anne started to ponder what she did wrong
She often debated between killing herself or her son
In Anne’s mind nothing else could possibly be done
Alas, Anne decided to take her young son’s life
She planned on ending him with a crude knife
But Anne slipped on the unswept floor of his room
Instantly meeting her most unimaginable doom
Apparently the wood surface was besmeared with grease
Anne’s thin skull split into more than one piece
The boy hated Anne more than she hated him
He believed his future with her was very dim
Some felt Anne got the fate she deserved
In the boy’s opinion, justice was served
Anne’s son’s life was covered in mystery
Making him the neatest person in history
As emperor, he pillaged and conquered hundreds of nations
Yet he is known for epitomizing poor mother-son relations

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Indecisiveness by Michelle Dean

Michelle Dean

Indecisiveness

A conflict between who I know I am and who I think I should be
So many paths yet none totally fulfilling
A constant battle in my mind I wonder if I’ll ever be free

A desire for stability pulls me in one direction
But my mind has no compassion for my heart
My soul screams to take another route because they have no connection

Seeking on the outside what I lack on the inside
A compromise is nowhere in sight
How can I achieve my desires when they don’t coincide

Following my mind I’m going through the motions
All the while my heart feels eternally torn
Only through writing do they let me express my emotions

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A Moment in Time by Natasha Patel

Natasha Patel

A Moment in Time

Can you believe I just used to walk by?
Couldn’t take a moment to stop and say hi.
Continuing on with the life I await
Not knowing I just walked by my soul mate.
Wandering blind for my missing component
If only I had stopped and taken a moment.
The universe brought you to me
Fate can be a funny thing as you can see
If it weren’t for this moment in time
I would not be living in this infinite divine.

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It’s Been Six Years Momma by Autumn Gray

Autumn Gray

It’s Been Six Years Momma

Six years since the circle of life took its course, taking the only real love I’ve ever known, like a dream replaced with inevitability, she vanished, why didn’t she fight harder, then I could have braced for impact. Time passed, my selfish needs took me away from what I thought would last forever, now I’m sick, not the same, convincing the hecklers inside my head that it’s only a joke, blaming divinity, because I’m the victim, she left me, I have no one, I love her, I miss her, my mother gone too soon.

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The Wind by Stephanie Eberly

Stephanie Eberly

The Wind

I walked along a beaten path. The sun’s rays peeked through the tall trees lining the path. Shadows danced around as colorful leaves swayed in the breeze. The wind plucked a handful of leaves and gracefully laid them on the ground near me. It quietly whispered in my ear as it flew past. I watched in wonder at the power, yet grace, of such an amazing force. Petals caught in the wind’s grasp whirled around me. They gently brushed my face, making me break into a smile. I followed the stream of petals. They sped up, asking me to join them. My legs moved faster, faster, until I broke into a run. The wind in my hair, the earth beneath my feet, and the joy in my heart made me feel free. I was led around a bend and through a wall of vines. I burst through the plants. Birds singing, crickets chirping, and the sun’s warm rays met me on the other side. I caught my breath. The beauty of nature filled every corner. The wind played with the petals. It twirled them through the air; in circles, around trees, in all different directions. It finally placed them on the ground and settled for a moment. I rested beneath an apple tree, the warmth of the sun causing my eyes to close. I heard a tiny whisper in my ear saying, “even though you can’t see me, I am still here,” before falling into a peaceful sleep.

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Power Struggle by Hannah Kastelein

Hannah Kastelein

Power Struggle

Thirteen years of isolation, thirteen years of learning.
Thirteen years of mother, brother. Thirteen years of yearning.
Springfield Middle, here I come! Boarding the bus for the first time.
Giggling, smiling, looking friendly, eager for approval.
The bus smells of rotten cheese and pubescent boys who forgot deodorant for the first day.
Hot, sweaty bodies packed three or four to a seat.
Different music I’ve never heard before. It scares me.
A blue sign greets me at the door with the odor of more cheese…
How do these girls get their hair like that? What are they wearing on their face?
First day of volleyball tryouts. People will like you now.
Suiting up in tiny spandex, fancy shoes… Where are the shorts?
Tall girl, just like me! Maybe she will be my friend. Beautiful curly hair, mine is huge and limp.
Is she making fun of me, or should I laugh, too? I feel her glare burn into my head all day.
She’s good. I’m good, too. I make the team. But wait… who didn’t?
The pretty girl who’s best friends with the tall girl. Nobody likes me now.
Freak, Weirdo, Ugly, Gross. I’m shunned.
Everywhere I turn I see the backs of everyone else. Lunch alone. Free time alone.
Partner work. Alone.
Time goes by.
Sophomore year of high school, I’m still living in her shadow.
Pretending to get by, pretending not to be hurt. Pretending to like her.
No longer volleyball, it’s in basketball she intimidates.
Coaches see my potential. That feels good.
One day, it’s no longer a game. It’s me and her, one-on-one. Proving on the court who’s the best.
Everyone stops. I feel anger, real anger. I’m no longer afraid. This is what I’ve wanted.
I feel her push me and punch me from behind, like so many other times.
I push back.
The ball is between us. I see her eyes, full of something I haven’t seen before.
We’re on the floor, I have the ball, she can’t have it. I will no longer let her take what is mine.
Her arms are wrapped in mine, fighting for the ball, fighting for me.
I twist and turn. She’s lost; I’ve won!
But wait, she jumps on top of me, knocking the wind from me.
I realize I’m bigger, I’m stronger. And she is gone.
Lifting myself and her up in the air, dropping her back on the floor with a thud and a groan…
It’s my turn to feel power.
Twenty minutes of sweat for three years of struggle.
Everyone’s mouths hang open in shock and awe. Respect is mine.
Hannah Kastelein stands above. Hannah Kastelein is her own.

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That Night by Nicole Gaylor

Nicole Gaylor

That Night

I was innocent,
But you were desperate.
All of my feelings of ecstasy from that day
Were wiped away in that very moment.
I now stumble about in pain and sorrow.
I writhe in anger and grief.
I am being smothered by mental agony.
That horrible night keeps me floundering in my sleep.
My friends say it is distant in my past,
But I am haunted every day of my life.
I will not forget you until I die.