The Creative Righters Journal
Poetry
Ocean Bed
By: Tyler W., Age 11
One small speck
Lie in the trillions
Yellow and glittering
Drifting in it’s bed
Tucking in with it’s brothers and sisters
Trillions in all
As the water lifts them up
And pulls them down
Nesteling snuggling sleeping
Cool as it falls
Soft ocean ripples above
Soothing it
As it falls into
Bed
Kainoa is Taking Too Long
By: Aaron G., Age 12
In the golden fields where laughter dances,
There stands young Aaron, yearning for chances,
To frolic and play in the sun's warm glow,
Yet Kainoa dallies, moving ever slow.
With eager eyes, Aaron waits in vain,
Impatient heart, longing to entertain,
His spirit bound by the chains of time,
As Kainoa's absence weaves its silent rhyme.
But in the end, beneath the azure sky,
Aaron learns patience, lets out a sigh,
For friendship's bond, though tested by wait,
Is strengthened by moments shared, not by fate.
In the Mirror
By: Ginna T., Age 11
You, the monster that ruined my life
You find enjoyment in the tears in my eyes
You’re cruelty is daggers that cut through my soul
And the lives taken mean nothing to you
You despicable, evil, monster at heart
But, when I look in the mirror there’s no difference at all.
My Mask
By: Ella T., Age 13
Black strings wrap to my ears all day,
Black mask that hides my face away.
Not germs, those are for grown-up fears,
This mask hides different children's tears.
Teacher drones on, math a blur,
The classmates whisper, "Look at her!"
Giggles echo, pointing eyes,
Why they laugh, their reasons hide.
Hidden too, beneath the black.
A shy smile, a crooked tooth.
Braces bright, a metal grin,
Not the face I want them looking at.
Maybe someday, my mask comes off,
To reveal the girl who coughs
And laughs at silly jokes,
And then you'll see just me.
When I Am Sad
By: Scott M., Age 9
When I am sad
I get tear drops.
When I am very sad
I get water drops.
When I am very very sad
I get rain drops.
When I am very very very sad
I get hail drops.
When I am very very very very sad
I get ice drops.
When I am very very very very very sad
I sit by myself and try to be happy.
A Tiger
By: Lisa A., Age 8
Scratch with my claws
Jump angry
Smooth orange fur
Roar into black
Glare at the grass
Hungry.
Running.
The Mystery
By: Mark F., Age 12
When you want to find the Reaper,
Seek out the one they call Peter.
When you find out where he stays,
Look to the northwestern graves.
Travel to the brick home;
Do not travel there alone.
On the night of giant Feast,
Take your things and travel east.
Do not approach the horde.
Find the boat, get right on board;
Travel east across the lake.
The left fork in the river you must take.
Once you reach the mountain hold,
All the mystery will be told.
Turtles
By: Amelia, Age 8
Hot sand
Eggs secretly hiding
Hatchlings are here
They run to
Cool ocean waves
Old turtles
Sad eyes.
Where I’m From: V.1
By: Eslyn P. , 11
I am from where the gulls sing their croaking tune,
Where the salty ocean breeze stings in my nose.
I am from where the sand dollars crunch under my feet
And the seaweed gets caught in my toes.
I am from where the ocean roars in my ears and the crashing waves make a beat
Where the washed up jellyfish assault my toes and my feet.
I am from where the SF cliffs conduct the falling sand,
Where the sea gently meets the land.
I am from where the sour bread is eaten in a day,
Where the sun shines less than the rain falls,
and the blue sky is always gray.
I am from where the pizza is warm in the oven,
And where the pasta takes my breath away.
I am from where fish in the pot is steaming so much it burns my face,
Where the vegetables are always soft and only sometimes good.
I am from where the people of all race come,
and take shelter from the wind and rain.
They come for food and water,
For sour bread and dough.
But I come for the sweet breads.
Stationary
By: Maia T. , 8
Pencils are a funny thing.
It doesn't take much to make it sing.
If you get it mad, it doodles left and right.
So I made it a list to keep it tight:
A Pencil Case for its bed
A couple more pencils to so it wont be lonely
Some paper for keeping it occupied.
They loved it because they wanted a home and some friends
So they drew and drew at night and danced during the day.
Dog, the Eleventh Zodiac
By: Claire Y.T., 12
A dog,
Is a friend,
A loyal companion,
A pet,
Born to be the great friend of man.
A beautiful gift from the wild.
But I am reduced to a husk of my former glory.
We used to be great wolves,
Caring for ourselves in packs,
No humans “taking care of us”,
Running through the woods,
Feel the wind bow to my paws,
As I fly like the birds soaring above me.
Tracks in the woods,
Showing all that came that we were here,
This was ours.
The pride in feeding our family,
The freedom wreathing us,
Our howls echoing through the night,
Together
Don’t you miss who I once was?
The duality of man against and for us,
Oh how they have wronged our sacred blood.
What have they done to you, my pup?
They tell us how beautiful we are,
Our regal fur
And intense eyes.
Then
As if
Flipping a coin
Rip my children from me
They cannot survive without my care,
I’m begging you.
Over and over again.
Until I finally bleed out something you deem “perfect”.
Oh, my darling.
They have warped you beyond recognition.
What is their perception of beauty?
Why are you chained to a fence in the bitter cold and freezing snow?
Why is no one looking out for you,
Protecting you?
Why are the only luxuries you are graced with,
A cold floor and strange and wrong things filling your mouth,
In the place of food that nourishes you?
It is because they have broken you.
My child,
You do not deserve this,
Despite what the voices tell you.
There was nothing you could possibly do that would justify this.
The only way out is through.
Find it in you to pick yourself up,
No matter how much your stomach aches
And how much your paws hurt.
Please.
Do it for your bloodline,
Possibilities trembling like your legs as you inch forward.
If not for yourself,
Do it for me.
If your lungs collapse and they find you,
That is okay.
I am proud that you were brave enough to try.
Even though they told you not to.
Close your eyes,
And sleep.
When you awake,
We will be reunited again.
In the wilderness where you belong,
As carnations,
Pink as a healing wound
And red as blood spilt upon snow,
Bloom atop a mound of earth
Where ferns will soon grow
As clovers surround you.
Where I'm From: V.2
By: Mason W., 11
I am from cheeseburgers that sizzle on the grill,
a tour for my taste buds with the umami of sushi,
and the smell of delectable dim sum.
I am from hobbies at home
to the rustle of leaves of the flowers I have tended to since they were seeds,
the trickling sound of a fish tank
where 9 fish weave through kelp as fast as lightning.
I am from watching our leaders make decisions for the world for better or worse,
I am from CAIS where our teacher Ms Long who helps us learn
to make a better world,
to help our city, to help our country, to help our world.
so we can make up for the past, help the present and look to the future.
Seagulls
By: Hugo C., 11
Seagulls
They’re THIEVES,
snatchers, scoundrels,
BANDITS
Their annoying
SQUACK SQUACK
And don’t think about
Denying it
We all know
They’re saying in seagull
MINE! MINE!
And I think we can all agree
They target the ones with bologna
That is why
You bring a carrot
And use it
To fend for yourself
By throwing it
At the seagulls!
The Taipei Zoo
By: Oliver K., 11
The Taipei Zoo
On a small island,
yet so big and so vast.
The Taipei Zoo
More animals than you can count,
377 species to be exact.
From big elephants to small rodents,
All making noises
From soft squeaks to loud roars,
The tortoises and turtles
were as slow as time when you feel bored,
lots and lots of animals from all over the world,
sections for birds, African animals,
Taiwan natives, pandas and more.
The Taipei Zoo.
Ho Ho Ho
By: Mary P., 15
Santa's beard will itch
Cherry nose, holiday cheer
See the rash you cause.
Thunder
By: Jayson F., 14
Thunder from black clouds
rolling down the castle walls;
a cat wakes afraid.
Searching
By: Carmen L., 14
I'm looking within
A young child falls behind
We are still searching.
Freedom
By: Shayne B., 12
Purple and blue sky,
The colors change everyday
Clouds soar eternal.
Ocean Sea
By: Shay R., 12
Sea air in my mind,
Then suddenly there was none.
My angry ocean.
Star Fall
By: Alice B., 11
I watched a star fall
A tear running down a cheek,
and then disappear.
What Animals Need
By: Jamie L., 8
Lonely Dog – a nice friend
Panda – bamboo
Bald Eagle – skies
Blind Cat – hugs
Grey Elephant – family
Orange Tiger – food
Dancing Penguin – water
Giraffe- leaves on trees.
Betrayed
By: Claire Y. T., Age 12
Why would you do this to me
I'm so vulnerable,
At your mercy
I put all my trust in you
And you took advantage of it
Of my love
My affection
My time
My care
I took you under my wing
Why would you do this to me
You took my biggest weakness
And
Behind my back
You let it
crash
to
the
ground
Scattered on the floor
And you put on an innocent face
And make others clean up your mess
I was tricked
I thought you cared for me dearly
Your stupid cute little face
You deceive everyone around you
After everything I’ve done for you
Why would you do this to me
And I know your excuses
“It was an accident”
“I was curious”
Well curiosity killed the cat, don’t you know?
And I know I'll come running
Crawling
Right back to you
Forever and ever
I vowed to love you forever
This promise that bounds us together
Forever and ever
Til one of us meets our demise
Authors Note: This is about that one time my cat knocked over my monitor.
Smile
By: Max, 16
You smile and I know
That behind those sharp, white teeth
Is a heart that beats
Old Letters
By: Candace L., 13
A branch of spring buds
swinging outside the window;
He brings old letters.
Friendship
By: Renee L., 10
A fight with a friend,
words thrown like rocks. I run out.
Outside, I'm alone.
The Ball
By: Rick M., 15
The Ball soars so high
All chase it as it falls down.
Victory is sweet.
Telephone
By: Brett A., Age 15
The telephone rings.
Fear hits my stomach,
Then rises up through me.
Will he pick up?
Butterflies dance.
Does he care?
Click.
Someone’s there.
Who?
His sister maybe?
No.
It’s him . . .
Click.
I hope—
that he can go.
Ask.
Click.
The words com out,
without thought.
His voice is rough.
He is asking.
Please.
He can come!
I hang up the phone.
I scream with joy.
Wait.
Another problem.
What am I going to wear?
Snow Clouds
By: Annie B., 15
Decorate my nails
Keep that feeling forever
White, like snow, like clouds
Dinosaurs
By: Derek L., 14
Breathe in, then out. Sigh.
Taste the air in the cold lungs
of a dinosaur.
Drop of Rain
By: Daniel, 13
A Drop of cold rain
on the grass left a puddle
in the warm night air.
Back Yard
By: Kevin B., Age 12
The Back Yard is alive.
The plants reach for the sun with long arms.
Vines hold onto walls with wavy tentacles.
A bee flies by,
waving hello, tasting the pollen
from colorful flowers
The wind sings,
telling me what she sees.
Parachute
By: Nick R., 14
Beautiful blue sky,
Balloons lost to the hot winds
Clouds show empathy.
Pies
By: Angie D., 13
Pies are not ready
Even though they are finished.
Hot temptation lures.
