writing on the walls

1Harlandale Independent School District

Writing on the

WallsInside

Frank Tejeda Academy High School............pg 1 - 14Frank Tejeda Academy Middle School..........pg 15 - 22

Carroll Bell Elementary..........pg 23 - 37Gillette Elementary..........pg 38 - 55

Harlandale Middle School..........pg 56 - 63Harlandale High School..........pg 64 - 81

Writing by students from the Harlandale Independent School District in San Antonioin partnership with Gemini Ink, readers and writers today and tomorrow

2 Frank Tejeda Academy j 8th Grade 3

Writing on the Walls

Writing by students from the Harlandale Independent School Districtin partnership with Gemini Ink, readers and writers today and tomorrow

Gemini Ink’s work in the Harlandale Independent School Districtand this publication were made possible by the

George W. Brackenridge Foundation

Operational support funded in part by theCity of San Antonio Office of Cultural Affairs

Writers-in-Residence: Alan Stewart Carl, Cary Clack, and Trey MooreArtists-in-Residence: Albrechto Alvarez, Fadela Castro, Carolina Flores

Editing: Angela Pantoja, Gemini Ink internDesign & Layout: Anisa Onofre, Writers in Communities Director

Evelyn ReyesInterim Executive Director, Gemini Ink

Student work has been edited as lightly as possiblein order to honor the original voices

©2012 Gemini Ink

4 5Frank Tejeda Academy j 8th Grade Harlandale Independent School District

Foreword

Our communities gain strength through the stories we tell. Some of these stories are the old stories passed down and collected and retold to each new generation. And some are the family stories, the anecdotes and jokes and private moments repeated around our meals. Whether we label these as fiction or poetry or nonfiction is beside the point. They are all, at their heart, stories. And we—all of us—are the storytellers.

This has never been so clear as it is in the collection you’re holding. The short stories and poems and reflections you’ll find in Writing on the Walls are the words of well over a hundred students in the San Antonio community. Many had never put a complete story or a poem to paper before now. And almost all have never previously been published. And yet, as you will see, every one of them is a storyteller. They all have something unique to say. And it’s truly a privilege to be able to put their voices into this book.

Writing on the Walls represents the fruits of a partnership between the Harlandale Independent School District and San Antonio’s Writers in Communities program, a part of Gemini Ink. Over the course of the Fall 2011 semester, two elementary schools, two middle schools and two high schools in HISD participated in a program that brought local artists and writers like myself into the classroom. Once a week, for twelve weeks, we visited one class in each of the six schools. The same San Antonio writer remained with the same classes throughout the duration of the semester, allowing us to get to know the students and provide them with personal attention as we taught them not only the fundamentals of writing but the power inherent in words. This proved an extraordinary experience. In every class with which I worked, the students were eager to express themselves and excited about the possibilities of writing. I saw more than a few discover they have a gift for writing. And I witnessed all them proving to themselves and each other that they are indeed storytellers, that they all have the ability to create their own short stories, poems and reflections. By the end of the semester, every student in every class had produced at least one original piece of writing. These are the works collected here.

Of course, stories can be more than words. For the Writing on the Walls project, we had the opportunity to combine the visual arts with the written word, bringing in local artists to partner with the local writers-in-residence. Beginning with the fifth week of the program, San Antonio muralists joined us writers in the classroom and worked closely with the students to transform their stories, poems and reflections into visual art. Through this process of inspiration and collaboration, each

Graphics courtesy of the following free vector websites: treevectors.com; dryicons.com; openclipart.org; photos-public-domain.com; outdoor-photogear.com; vectorjunky.com; freelogovector.com; free.clipartof.com; parupedia.comand Flickr Creative Commons: flickr.com/photos/yashna13; flickr.com/photos/proimos; flickr.com/photos/usingflickrsoftware; flickr.com/pho-tos/luchilu; flickr.com/photos/kaibara; flickr.com/photos/midorisyu; flickr.com/photos/jamoutinho; flickr.com/photos/jam343; flickr.com/photos/neighya; flickr.com/photos/deia


Frank Tejeda Academy

High School

Principal: Patricia Ramirez

Writer-in-Residence:

Trey Moore

Artist-in-Residence:

Carolina G. Flores


Home Is Where the Heart Is

When I enter my house, I feel love.I look at the couch,

at times it takes me backwhen my mother used to sing me a lullaby

and set me off to dream. Coming home to the fresh smell ofhot and ready tortillas on the comal,

or my little teacup Chihuahua waiting for me on top of the couch wagging her tail like no tomorrow.

Mornings at home are the best, waking up to the bitter-sweet smell of

my moms fresh brewed coffee her telling me to give thanks to the Lord for

another day. The family gathering around the living room

talking about the “remember when’s” remembering the good times and bad

pictures up on the wall going from black and white to color reminding us how far we have come.

Amber Lynn Garza

class helped create a one-of-a-kind mural that now hangs within their school. Represented within these murals are the thoughts, ideas and dreams of each and every student who participated in the program.

I like to think of this book as the literary sister of those murals. Contained within these pages are the visions of over a hundred young minds exploring a wide variety of ideas. Here, you’ll fi nd stories about monsters and poems about love. You’ll fi nd ruminations on the importance of families and tales of lions searching for their home. More than a few ghosts make an appearance. As do more than few mentions of loss. But within all these individual pieces—within these haikus and refl ections and short stories and poems—I believe something larger appears, something that makes Writing on the Walls much more than just another anthology. For here, in these words, what you’ll discover is a young community fi nding its voice. Its strength. Its desire to speak and be heard.

Every member of a community is a storyteller. We hope you enjoy the words of the young storytellers featured here. They have a lot to say.

-Alan Stewart CarlWriter-in-Residence

2 3Frank Tejeda Academy j High School Harlandale Independent School District

War

A battle between people who have no idea who exactly the other people they are fi ghting against are...

They are just the pawns of a gameThat we call LifeDeath, injury, and misery, and for what?Gasoline that is used up?Or money, the root of evil itself?

Brandon Patterson

Desert

The desert, it’s empty and dryFull of sand and the blue sky

Wind blows throwing little sand storms up in the air

Making it harder to breatheNot much life lives here, but the little that does

is plant and coyotes

Sarahi Ramirez

Death at (My) Hand

My name is Eli Jack; damn this accursed war.My share of it, not so proud of. I’m sure there’s no bloody way in hell a man should leave this planet the way he just did — dry and empty, screaming with no sound, just blood emanating from his mouth asI withdraw the bayonet from his abdomen. His eyes linked to minetrying to say, “Spare me,” though it’s already too late.I don’t like this feeling; so inhumane, tears in my eyes. Guilt comes as

as he goes.

Dennis Miranda

Regret

The cold blade against my skin,The heavy gun in my arms.

Shivering in my boots,Clenching the gun tight.

Moving through the thorn treesMuddy trails and big rocks.

Wait!My life fl ashes by in a second,

I dodge the bullet coming to me.You can’t think twice in war.

Get up, point your gun, and shoot.I watch a young man fall to his death.

The bullet I shot, right through his head.He did not ask for this; no one does.

In war, it’s all the same.I look at him on the fl oor,

Blood still spilling all around.

“What have I done?”

Ashley Zapata

4 5Frank Tejeda Academy j High School Harlandale Independent School District

War

One hit… BAM, you’re dead.No last word, no last thoughts, only one last

breath.Your eyes shut or open. It doesn’t matter

because you’re dead

With your soul going to heaven or hell.

Alejandra Castillo

Old Pal

Little Winnie the PoohYou remind me of when I was youngWhen the world around me was new

I would hold you in my arms and over my shoulderBut I forgot about you as I got older

You look dirty, soft, and brittle

You fi t in my hands so very little

Michael Estrada

Lost & found

Where is it?

Where is it?

Where is it?

Where is what, son?

My black and red necklace that has an arrowhead on it.

But instead of fi nding that necklace, I found my other necklace, black with clear beads with a buffalo head on it.

I lost it three weeks ago.My father sent it to me from New York.It stands for strength. I’ll need it to play a soccer game with my

family.

Basilio E.Bosquez

The Archeologist

An archeologist might be missing his rock.It’s a funny looking rock with weird shapes andcolors.It looks sad almost like it’s missing something.

It shines like a crystal, like a star in the night sky,It’s almost like glass, you can see through it like water,Or tears that someone cried clear and soft.

It’s rough like a rock should be,But smooth like a piece of paper that hasn’t been written on.Light, lighter than a pencil but more than a paper.

Beauty that can only belong to a rock.

Sarahi Ramirez

76 Frank Tejeda Academy j High School

My Love

My Love is someone close, who I have known for a long time. They are more than just my friend. My love for you is like a blooming fl ower; it grows and grows until it’s just too beautiful it wilts. Then it begins to grow again and again until the next time over. The love never leaves, it just starts to fade until it comes back again. My love for you is stronger than bone, deeper than the deepest of wells, bigger than the biggest ocean. Our love was at fi rst sight to the water balloons being thrown at the people to the sound of laughter. We still saw each other. It happened, just one look and we both fell.

Sarahi Ramirez

STREETS

As I look around I can see streets everywhere.Streets that are smooth, streets that are not put together very well.I can also see all the beautiful houses. Somesmall. Some big.Some made of beautiful red brick. Some reallyold ones.

But most homes are designed for a specifi cperson.Depending on color, shape and size.Some very homey. Others, not so much.When you look at the streets is when it all

matters.

John Reyes

Lost and Found

The scent of cologne whooshes through the air

From the living room to my room.

The same scent I smelled every Sunday.

Walking through my door

I spot the smile that smiles so bright.

Pulling me in for a hug,

The feeling of warmth my cousin always gave.

Some days too much cologne

I taste it in my mouth.

Walking with his head held high,

Baggy pants, green shirt, old green chucks

A gangster so he says,

But an angel at heart.

Filling the room with great attitude

And warm smiles.

Leaving jokes for us to remember,

Silly faces to look back upon,

Positive attitude to refl ect on.

Always a good one he was,

Great heart with great soul.

Now leaving behind for me was a key,

Something small but powerful

To hold on to forever.

Giving me the power, the strength

To keep everyone here, every day,

Like he never left.

To pick up what was meant to be alive.

Ashley Zapata

Harlandale Independent School District

9Harlandale Independent School District8 Frank Tejeda Academy j High School

I Gave to You What I Didn’t to Others

I gave to you what I didn’t to others.

My heart, my trust, I thought we were lovers.

Being with you my spirit was awoken,

But you left me with my heart completely

broken.

I blamed myself, if I was not great.

But I feel nothing for you, just hate.

Anonymous

Growing Pains

Two years felt like a decade when I waited for you.

I always thought how it would be if we were official.

Now that I have you in my life, I can’t imagine it without you.

When everything has gone hectic, I look for you to make it calm.

When I hear your voice, the world screeches to a halt.

When I look at you, you’re the only one I see.

When I don’t have you near, I feel my eyes begin to tear.

I hold you tight when I have you with me; I fear I’m going to lose you if you’re not here.

Days go by, our love grows stronger.

Days we fight, my stomach pain I can’t bear.

I hate the feeling it leaves, but I would rather be left with that feeling than you leaving me.

Danielle Gamez

Love

Do you feel the butterflies in your stomach?

The beating of your heart rise?

That happiness run through your body?

The same feelings I get when I see you.

Do you think of me every night before you go to sleep?

Think of all the times we talk over the phone?

Think of the memories we never fail to remember?

The same things I think of when I think of you.

When I think of you, my heart beats just a little faster.

When I see you, my stomach flutters with no control.

When I touch your hand, my hand feels warm and nice.

When I kiss you, I get a chill through my body.

Do you love me, as I love you?

Ashley Zapata

Where Am I Going?

Out into the world all alone, coming back to mom when things get rough. She is pushing me to do the things she couldn’t do when she was young: going to college and meeting new people, making conversation and laughing, remembering my family. I want to come home but keep reminding myself that there is no looking back. I’m going to become a doctor. Why? you might ask. It’s an inspiration I got from when my mom was in the hospital. I watched the nurses come in and out of the room trying to help her come back to my home where she belongs. When she got well she went to church and thanked God for giving her the opportunity to see my older sister graduate. Then she thanked the nurses for caring and loving her while she was in the hospital, and I want to be a part of that.

Eloisa Martinez

11Harlandale Independent School District10 Frank Tejeda Academy j High School

Desert’s Ice (A Tumbleweed’s View)

Wisk, ch ch ch. As I roll across this barren land.Seen things that... ahh, make a rattlesnake cry its own venom.Wouldn’t harm itself, but a sure hazard to others. Cacti here, gaunt thistles there, and even my wilted cousin Ed.Along the musty path I roam; I needed a meal, but a jaw I Don’t have. My self needing a drink, felt dryer than the stiffest Martini. Be scorchin’ out here like the sun’s skin.

I continue to roll, I do. Another tumbler I see; I whistle in awe.A looker, I reckon. “Madam,” I said to her. Not even A passing glance, she just ushered by. Tipped back my last leaf In retort. Disappointment, she fried my foliage... well, if I had any left. Either way, I may be sand-tinted, but I’m still here.

Just woke up. It’s dark out, I look at my branches andNotice a few new specks of desert debris. As time glides in with the gust, I view a potential posse of possible troupeSuch as I. “Gents,” I say. “Sir,” they riposte as the corn stalkOver yonder prattle about. “Two’s a pear, three’s a pod(of peas that is). They resume their trek, as I stay.

Alone again, Missus tumbleweed is back in my sight.But she just manages to wrangle by. “Madam,” I say. I repeat the acknowledgement again. But she just shrugs (or as We desert weeds phrase “shrubs”) and fl aunts her foliage. She Flicks a twig to send me a mound o’ sand and carries on. Gave me the boot, she did. Scalier than the lizards I castle by.Hear that? Snakes are tearing up their poison. Mighty cold out here.

Dennis Miranda

Set free

A wild fi re is burning through my chest and I can’t see past it. The smoke fogs my eyes. I want to see, get

through it, and survive it. But I can’t. The smoke slowly intoxicates me and everything around me dies. Fills

my lungs with pure agony, kills me slowly. My body is strapped down to a burning chair, trying to break

the chains that represent my fears of life, afraid to fall. Fall like a house on fi re that will eventually come

crashing down. Never lose hope that one day, I will rise again like the green grass after the ashes blow

away.

Amber Lynn Garza

13Harlandale Independent School District 13Harlandale Independent School District12 Frank Tejeda Academy j High School

Lost and Found

Small and delicate,Crazy but funny.

This is my most prized possession,My everything.

I always wake up with a smile just by hearing his tiny voice.

Smelled so sweet and innocent.He would cry every time we say goodbye.

I promised him a surprise tomorrow.He was so excited.

February 4, 2008 (the next day)I was getting ready to see him, full of smiles.

My mom calls my name with tears on her faceWondering what was going on. But never asked

The news was on. Mauricio Salazar killed at a car wash

was all I heard.

My heart sank and I didn’t know what to say.No tears coming out, just in shock.Thinking about

how I blame myself for his death made me go insane.

I hated myself for so long, knowing that if we didn’t make plans he would have

been at home alive.But I would also think about what he tells me

all the time.

“Nana, I’ll always be in your heart and you in mine”

the one thing that had me going.I would never forget about him or the things we used

to do;Like having movie night every Friday or playing hide-n-seek and always playing video games. I would let him win at times just so he could be

happy.I will always love him.

He will always be in my heart.

Alejandra Castillo

Where am I going now?

Where I want to go in life is inchanging my ways. When I say changing, I mean my anger. I’m holding so much anger toward the people that hurt me in the past.

My anger in the past was so terrible.I pushed a lot of people away from me.I hated myself especially the people that hurt me the most. I was no longer Alejandra Castillo.

I was a stranger to myself. Someone who hated mirrors andmake up. I was a person who faked smiles andlaughs.Who made herself look like thingswere okay. But really nothing was okay.

I still have anger problems,but I take prescribed pills for that so I won’t be mad all the time.I just wish things could be so easy. But I know for a fact that life is veryhard.

So what I’m going to do is make my life better or if not just decent at least.

How I’m going to do this, is just forgive the past and moveforward. I want my life back to the way it usedto be when I was actually happy,

The person I was.I’m going to take control of my lifenow,

Start being Alejandra Castillo.

Alejandra Castillo

15Harlandale Independent School District14 Frank Tejeda Academy j High School 15Harlandale Independent School District

Where are we going in life?Brandi P.

Hmm... about 10 years from now I plan to be in a pretty house, have my two kids, and live with my husband. I also plan to be in college to become a registered nurse, and also have a good job. That cannot only support me but my family too.

I Love My Mom Omar Gonzalez

I love my mom.She is funny and crazy. My momhas fear to drive on the freeway. My mom drives barefoot. My mom is scared of cats. My mom is a great cook. My mom does not know how to ride a bike. My mom is 36 years old. My mom wears glasses that she lost 7 times. My mom works at Bill Millers. My mom is shorter than me.

This is why I love my mom.

Frank Tejeda AcademyMiddle School

Principal: Patricia Ramirez

Writer-in-Residence:

Trey Moore

Artist-in-Residence:

Carolina G. Flores

WHERE ARE WE GOING?

I feel as if I’m stuck in the situation now, but I do see myself fi nishing school,

Going to college, and getting a well-deserved job for myself.

I just need to stop doing certain stuff. I am 18 now and it’s time for changes in my life.

I’ve got my mom, sister, and her kids to take care of.

There are many things that I want to accomplish before I join my family and ancestors in the spiritual

world.

If I want to accomplish these things, I will have to start now.

I feel as if I’m not ready, but in my heart I know I am.

I know I can accomplish many things. I am capable of doing what has to be done.

Even though I am 18, I feel as if I’m not. I have already joined this so-called society,

And it feels good to be a part of it… sometimes.

I do feel as if my life is fl ying by, way too fast.

John Reyes

16 17Frank Tejeda Academy j 8th Grade Harlandale Independent School District 17Harlandale Independent School District

Where we going?

I’m going somewhere far from home far from all my friends.I can just close my eyes and think of all the bad things I did when I was young, and just forget

and go do all the good things I could have of done when I was young. I want my family to say, You’re nothing like your dad. You’re something better. I would love to see my mom smile because of how proud she is of me.It is easy to wish something, but it’s hard to make it come true.

S.A.

Jose RoblesThe city is nice, nice like the sky. The sky is forever with clouds spreading worldwide. The sun is shining and smiling, a bright smile that lights up the city. The city river sparkles in the day and whispers at night. Only to me, when no one is in sight.

The city talks, sounds that are heard far away, with cars honking everyday. People yelling and people talking, and the cop that’s always watching. They ride around trying to make it safe. But I’ve never been to a better place.

Never Giving Up On Mi Vida! As the wind blows and the time passes by, every second seems to be that I think a lot more than I forget. There’s only one chance in life and so many mistakes that seem to bring me down. But no matter what problems I face and no matter what step I take I know I’m not going to give up on my dream. The days go by, as my thoughts fi ll my dream, knowing what life I have to accomplish. I always used to ask myself, what if? But now that I think about it, there are no more questions to ask, as long as I have my mind set to what I want to do.

I’m going to chase my dream, and live a good life. I’m going to move to the beat, and slide to the rhythm. I’m going to show my skills and talent, letting other people know it does not matter where you come from, or how you look, or what you want to be. You can do it! Knowing you changed your past and did not give up. I’m going to begin a new life that’s always going to keep a smile on my face, even though I am facing any storm. I’m going to be proud of myself knowing I’m doing something good with my life. I’m going to race my life to the fi nish. Live with my head held high and joy in my life. I’m going to climb that mountain and make it to the other side.

I’m going to cross that stage with my diploma, for dancing (R&B, Hip Hop). With my family and those who were there for me, and encouraging me to accomplish my dream. As joy fi lls the room and claps become louder, and a smile on my face thanking everyone.

As I walk out those doors, I’m going to look back and say, “I can do anything just as long as I have my mind set to it!” I’m going to begin the story of my life. This is just the beginning.

Love:Samantha F.

It's funny how people come to you

It’s funny how people come to you and tell you something, but when you ask that person What’s up? it’s nothing but a lie. Then you go and ask that person again, and it’s nothing but words getting mixed up, and people starting rumors and wanting to start fi ghts.

Ignacio Gaytan


I Lost My Dog

There I was walking on the street Cars going back and forthWhat a happy life I had Food, toys and a family that’s what I had An owner that had feelings for me A family that cared for meBlack and brown those were my colors Small and short that was my size My life was that happy, but then…BAM! I was damaged, broken heart The truck had broken me as it went by As I went to the side of the street I lay there and the angels took me As they flap their wings I say,“Good Bye, I love you.” But I’m glad my owner has my children to remember me

My FutureMmmm that smells good Breakfast in the morning That’s what I like Pancakes, sausage, eggs and bacon Is a plate I’ll be making.

People walking in with the hunger in their eyes When they leave they’re stuffed like a turkey on Thanksgiving With a smile on their face.

I will be living a life like that Saying, “Hope you liked it” or “Tell your friends about it.” Making food so the food can make them happy so they can Make me feel AWESOME.

A life like that will be great I hope I get to see it soon.

The Entire Things Surround

Tiffany Meraz

I’m filled with the colors of the rainbow so many inspirations that fill the mind can be displayed by word or pictures. We can see things or movements; see tulips that are pinkish red with a yellowish splat of nectar. They’re fluttering in the wind left to right. You listen and hear the swish back and forward. The daisies are dripping of watery dew, you smile the sweet smell of roses, and as I turn my head to the left with passion, I see the sky filled with birds. The chirping and singing sounds fill my heart with joy. The wind blows my hair with a sensational swirl. The things that can happen when you step out your front door.

My #1 Goal

My goals are to finish school and graduate, but while I am in school to have a little side job and save up money before I go to college. So that when I hit the stage of going to college, I can buy a truck cash with the money I have saved up from my high school years. And in college, I want to study Electrical Engineering, so that I may have a trade. I want to get my Masters Degree. When I have accomplished that, I want to still have a little side job for a little extra money, and I want to live off that. I think another thing I would try to study is botany, herbs and natural cures. In other words, that will be my own way of living life to the fullest, with a great education and trade.

I don’t know which college, but I am eager, willing, and prepared for whatever may come my way.

“So Come On Future”

Sincerely,

Gino P.Frank Rubio


There’s so much on my mind

No one really knows what I’ve been through. Everyone thinks they’re hard. Believe me, you haven’t experienced nothing. Other people got it worse, and it hurts to know that many others just like us, with the same heart and same kind of emotions, are having a rougher life. Because most of them don’t even have family or a roof over their head. So why do people judge when they haven’t seen their own lives in the mirror? Yeah, the truth may hurt but the truth won’t always be there to help you. Sometimes you need to do wrong in life. I figured out the person you are. You don’t need others to depend on or family. If you want to be something or do something, then do it for you. Make your own destiny. Don’t let others choose your path. We have our lives easy compared to others. It hurts to know that we do have it made, and every time we say F.M.L or I hate being made, we should be lucky for what we have and the people we have.

Life Is Beauty

Life is beauty. It’s like you’re living in a dream. Once you wake up it’s like you can’t see with so many things on your mind that is wasting your time, all you have to do is figure out: “Why?” The day passes you by and the same old questions fill your mind. It’s like you think a lot more than what you forget, life is a game, and you only have the some old pain. Just because you’re alive does not mean you ask why. You breathe the air that is filled with fear, and drink the water that fills your tears. You think you’re not alive, but its all in your mind.

Memories of My Cousin I lost my cousin Daniel that was my God brother. He would always come out from work to spend holidays with the family. When I was young, he would always make sure I was okay. Now, I take care of his little brother. I always treat my little cousin like my own younger brother. When Daniel passed away, all of the family was shocked and depressed. Daniel loved my grandpa. When grandpa passed, Daniel was sad. He would always tell us that he was going to be the first to see my grandpa in heaven.

Raymond G.

Music

Music makes me feel free. Music takes me to a different place. Music can make you happy or sad. Music is slow and fast. Music makes me feel relaxed. Music makes me focus. Music makes me forget. Music makes my mind clear.

Omar Gonzalez

Samantha F.

22 23Frank Tejeda Academy j 8th Grade Harlandale Independent School District 23Harlandale Independent School District

A Comic for Life

I lost my old comicThat was a long time agoIt was called Megaman zeroThis comic!This disappointment of this thing!Just to make the fans mad and angry…No point to read at all!No plot of this story….Noobs, haters…They are the same!This comic to the game….They are not the same story!!!They might have hated the gameFor I don’t feel badI found something worth my timeBattlefi eld 3 MLG!It’s cool but this gameBattlefi eld 3Is better then MEGAMAN ZERO!!!

Christopher W.

Family Time

I am a Tree A party is going on.A little girl’s father’s birthdayThey got a rope tied to an egg on my branch. Then they went to eat.

Family with laughing kids playing.The humans are talking about things…Things that I can’t understand.Family cracking eggs on their heads…why?

Later they came back to me to hit the egg on my branch. The egg has candy and sweets. Children would run and push for the treats.They leave and clean the area…..nice and clean.

I remember that day like it was yesterday.I remember the little girl, tasting, smiling, and happy.I wish I was part of that family.

Samantha Saldivar

Short Stories Poems & Haikus

by students at Carroll Bell Elementary

Principal: Gaila BoothHost Teacher: Monica Vargas

Writer-in-Residence: Alan Stewart CarlArtist-in-Residence: Fadela Castro

25Harlandale Independent School District24 Carroll Bell Elementary j 4th & 5th Grade Harlandale Independent School District24 Carroll Bell Elementary j 4th & 5th Grade

The Pretty Scary HouseSergio Turrubiartes

I was running down the street to the school when I heard the voice of a girl screaming from a house. Then I saw the door open and I felt a strong wind. I wanted to see what was screaming in the house. Then I went to school.

When I got out of school, I went to my house and told my mom I was going somewhere. I went to visit my fi ve friends to ask them if they wanted to go with me, and they said, yes. When we got to the house, we were all scared. We could not get to the front door because there

were holes in the ground. Finally, we passed all the holes and we knocked on the door.

The door opened by itself and we got scared. We went in the house and it was all dusty. Then a guy from outside the house told us to get out, and we got out. He told us that the house was haunted and stated how to make it not haunted. We needed to fi nd a key.

We went back in and opened one door and remembered that the guy told us that there was a machine that changes the fl oor like an elevator. He told me that the house has eight rooms and only one room that has the key, which is the furthest room from us.

The guy told us that we just have seven opportunities to get to each room. Later, we just had one more opportunity, and there were two rooms. If we didn’t fi nd the right room the house would be haunted forever.

Finally, we found the right room and the key, and we knew the house would not be haunted. Later, we went to the guy’s house and there was an old lady who told us that the guy was dead in the haunted house and he died 100 years ago. We got scared and everyone went to their house. Some people went to live in the house about two months after our visit. The house was still haunted. The family said they saw a ghost.

The Haunting in the City HaikusVictoria Lemus

The town was hauntedEverything was not the sameIt was long and gone

You can hear whispersIt was very frighteningIt destroys my mind

It was so scaryThe ghost went inside of meI wasn’t the same

27Harlandale Independent School District26 Carroll Bell Elementary j 4th & 5th Grade 27Harlandale Independent School District

Delta ForceSantiago Diaz

January 4, 2014: Delta Force calls in a danger-close air strike. A young solider named John MacTraveish was walking when the ground shook. John knew that their air strike had been used.

They walked a little further when they were ambushed by South Korea. They were forced to fall back. By the time they got to the safe zone it was just him and some people.

John had a friend named Jack. John wanted to save his friend. John tried so hard to save his friend. John found Jack. He was dead. John still remembers Jack.

Robot Building a Snowman

HaikusRoberto Perez

Now it was snowingHe went to build the snowmanThere was a snow fi ght

The snowman turned realIt was a snowman, Jack FrostHe was so happy

They had so much funThe snowman got so happyThe snowman melted

Life StrikesRefugio Valenzuela

I was in the speeding car when all of a sudden cops were behind us. I was scared because my dad didn’t stop! That’s when the cops got really mad. Then we crossed a red light. Another car was speeding too, and that’s when we crashed together.

Lucky for us, we had seat belts on. The ambulance came really fast. I had a broken leg and a bruised arm. I also had cracked ribs. My dad had two broken legs, two broken arms and a broken neck. After we got out of the hospital, there was a problem. The cops arrested my dad. I needed to

get my dad out of jail. His bail was fi ve million dollars!

I needed to raise money. I started to raise money by selling chocolate. It was a struggle doing it in San Antonio because the chocolate started melting. That’s when I got the idea of selling lemonade. I took a bus to the jail. I told the police that I had the money. That’s when they released my dad. And that’s when life struck for me.

29Harlandale Independent School District 29Harlandale Independent School District28 Carroll Bell Elementary j 4th & 5th Grade

Taco TimeMatthew Sanchez

Bir the robot got hungry and said it’s taco time. He went to the fridge and saw there were no tacos. Bir was sad. Bir heard on the TV that Taco Bell was giving away free tacos. Bir got in his master’s spaceship and went to Taco Bell.

Bir disguised his master’s space ship as a pig. Bir saw Dim (Bir’s alien master) at Taco Bell. When Bir got there, Dim ate the tacos. Bir got angry. His eyes turned red and he punched Dim in the face. Dim shot Bir with his freeze ray. Dim unfroze Bir and told him he was going to make a monster.

Bir always messed with Dim while he was working. Dim had a feeling it would work. The monster was

made of tacos. The monster heard Bir say he wanted tacos. The monster stepped on Bir. Bir ate his foot. The monster went into a portal and went to China. Bir jumped into the portal.

Bir was chasing the taco monster all around China. They started fi ghting as if they were in Mortal Kombat. Bir was still hungry so he jumped on the taco monster and ripped his tomato heart out. Bir fi nally ate the taco monster and discovered Chinese chicken.

Inside, Bir saw a big purple eye and a purple suit. It was Dim! Dim was controlling the taco monster. Dim said, “You stupid gray-blue eyed piece of junk.” Bir shared gravy with Dim. “The gravy came from my head,” said Bir. Dim was mad because he did not know how to get back to his lab.

The Turtle and Her Best Adventure HaikusRaul Martinez

The turtle explores

She wanted to see the sea

She saw some good things

The turtle wants food

But she can’t swim really fast

She tries all her best

The turtle has sleep

The turtle is so hungry

But she is tired

The Haunting Leprechaun HaikusNatalie Martinez

It was very strange

Greenland was dark and haunted

It’s taken over

It was frightening

The poor land was abandoned

I wanted to cry

Leprechauns are fast

Leprechauns fi t in a net

You must set a trap!

31Harlandale Independent School District30 Carroll Bell Elementary j 4th & 5th Grade

BigfootKekoa Dominguez

There were fifteen inches of snow in Colorado. It was twenty degrees below zero. It was super cold. Sam was sipping on hot chocolate. He heard a thump. His dad, Harry, said to stay inside. Then Sam saw a giant black spot in the trees. He told his dad that there was a black thing outside. It looked like a big hairy man. His dad said to hide. So Sam hid behind the couch and his dad hid behind the chair. Sam peeked out and then he saw something in front of the window. Then he heard a loud roar.

They knew it was Bigfoot because, when he peeked, Sam saw a nose, eyes, and a face. Then Bigfoot ran away. Then they sat by the fire. Later, they decided to track him. Sam’s dad knew that if they found Bigfoot they

would make a fortune. So they got ready and they had sleeping bags, food, water and a tent. They were wearing three layers of clothes: thermals, a long sleeve, and a heavy jacket. Plus, they wore a beanie, a scarf, and gloves.

They were walking and they found animal skeletons and broken trees. On the way, they got lost so they looked at their map of the woods and walked about half a mile to a ski resort. They continued. About one mile away from the ski resort, they saw Bigfoot. Then it chased them. They took a quick shot at him with the camera. About a minute after Bigfoot chased them, it got tired. They were glad that they took a picture, so they looked at it. They were surprised that it was blurry and they were upset. Harry said that Bigfoot will remain a secret. So they headed back home.

The Haunted HouseMarta Lozano

The Haunted House is really scary Some monsters are really hairy

So I don’t say good night Or else I’m coming for a fright

I’m rolled up on my knees And I hear the shuttering keys

The ghost is getting close It’s really kinda gross

I’m running toward the hall And I start to fall

Will the ghost catch me? Will I ever be free?

I have to hide But I need someone by my side

What does he want He’s being a taunt

He wants his home And to be alone

Should I pack my bags and leave Or is this ghost just make-believe?

Harry’s MonsterJeremy Solloa

Harry was the man who created Godzilla, so Harry had to have a lab. Inside his lab were over 250 chemicals! Harry was making a giant, monstrous beast to help the military. But he accidentally poured in a red chemical instead of a green one. This made Godzilla evil.

(Rrrrroooooooooaaaaarrrrrr) Godzilla roared. (Crash) (Boom) Godzilla ran! (Boom) (Boom) Soldiers shot Godzilla but that did not stop him. The helicopters roared (Meeer). Godzilla killed thousands of people including babies and children. Finally, the soldiers driving the helicopters decided to fire the MISSILE 3000 XL! (Ka-Booom!!!!!) They fired it and destroyed Godzilla!


The Ghost HouseErika Romero-Bustos

The ghost house is very scary

All the things are hairy

You will see a canary

That smells like a cemetery

Then you will find a dictionary

And you see a board that says January

And you will eat poison rosemary

And someone will come to help you, his name is Terry

You have been inside the ghost house since February

OceanMia M.The sky is blue As the ocean view The sun has risen Right before my vision A frog leaps As a toad creeps I fell asleep on land This was the ocean sand

The Awesome LionCaleb Lara

Once upon a time, there was a lion named Caleb Jr. He got transferred to Africa but he didn’t like Africa. So he was going to move, but these hunters appeared. They didn’t want the lion to leave so they shot him with a sleeping dart. He ended up staying there and they put him in a cage.

So Caleb Jr. had to find a way out himself. There were other animals in there as well. Caleb Jr. found a way out with his claw. So he unlocked all of the other animals. After that, Caleb Jr. needed to go to his family in the Savanna. He didn’t know where to go, so he trusted north. He traveled for weeks and then one day he saw a lion family, but to his surprise there ended up being thousands of families.

He searched for hours and asked the families for help. They said, “Right there under the tree.” So he went to the tree and found his family.

Good Family HaikusDayana Rodriguez

Happy familyShe is caring to others

She is so happy

She always loves schoolTakes care of other people

She behaves in school

A House for Dad’s First Dog HaikusElena Alley

My dad loved his dogHe tried to find a dog houseSo she could live near

She wakes up to grassTons of butterflies fly byIn the backyard, she lives

A cute basset houndShe could make tasty pear piesWith a bit of help


The Ghostly HouseArriana Delgado

I heard a bang on the wall when we stepped into our house. When I was in the hall walking toward my room, I felt a cold breeze. I looked straight ahead and saw a ghostly shadow of a little boy walking up the stairs. So I ran to my room and locked the door. I was so out of breath I didn’t know what to do. I knew that if I told my parents they wouldn’t believe me. So I decided to tell my best friend. When I told her, she thought I was being silly. I told her I was telling the truth. Then she said I had to prove it to her. She said if she was able to come over, I could prove it to her then.

When she came over, there was nothing to hear. I asked why the ghost wasn’t making any noise. He answered in a soft voice that I could barely hear. When he answered, my best friend heard him. When that happened, she believed me. I thought if we both told my parents they’d believe us. It worked better than I thought it would because they saw him too.

We were all trying to fi nd out who the ghost was. We got on the Internet to fi nd out who lived in our house before us. There used to be a family with a young boy named Carlos Dimaz. Then we looked up nearby cemeteries and it showed us all of the stones. There was one that had the exact name. Now, we fi nally fi gured out who the little boy was. After that, we made friends with the ghost and he would help us do anything.

My PictureBryanna Rich

Another regular day after school, I got home and right when I walked in the door my mom handed me the newspaper saying, “Read it,” which was odd because I don’t read newspapers. So I did what she said, and there it was!

My picture was in the newspaper! It was a close-up of the side of my face. I was so happy! I wondered how this other kid who also sang didn’t get in the newspaper. He sang so well and a lot of reporters interviewed him and only one reporter interviewed me.

They took the picture when I didn’t even know! I was just singing and having a good time. I didn’t even know they were taking pictures of me. I didn’t know until I saw the paper.

I felt awesome during the interview. It was as if I was a star. The dress I wore was so puffy. When I put on my dress it feels as if I am a pretty princess. The description of how I felt is unthinkable.

The next day at school everyone said they saw me in the newspaper, and my teachers said they were so proud of me! That day was the best day ever!

My First Haircut HaikusCitlali Torres

My hair was all upWe went to the hair salonI loved my haircut

I was so worriedI don’t have diffi culties The hair is pretty

My haircut is niceI went to the hair salonI do love my hair


The Mysterious ClockAbigail Elise Laurel

When I walked in the room, the first thing I noticed was that huge clock on the wall. The second thing I noted was the big-eyed librarian with a parrot on her shoulder. Everywhere I walked, the parrot would follow me with its eyes. I didn’t seem to find any books, so I decided I wanted to leave. That parrot freaked me out!

On my walk home, my mom called and said in a very worried voice, “Where are you? Me and your broth......” She didn’t get to finish what she was going to say, so I called her back. She answered and said, “Little girl, you better not hang up on me again.”

“I’m sorry. I guess I lost the signal.”

“Oh, OK, mija. It’s OK Me and your brother have been looking for you all afternoon.”

“No, I was at the library for only 15 minutes.”

“No you weren’t. You were there for 2 hours, young lady.”

I was looking at that big clock. I guess it was the wrong time “I am sorry. I’ll be home as soon as possible. Bye, Mom. I love you.”

My brother scared me. He said “There you are.” I replied, “Yes, here I am.” We both laughed (ha ha). So when we were walking, my mom pulled up and said, “Come on kids, get in the car.” My mom asked, “Who’s hungry?” We replied, “I am.” As I was looking out the window, I saw that creepy parrot fly by my window. We went home and my mom made us sandwiches with chips. I sat there just thinking about that parrot.

The Dog that Ate the Mouse HaikusAndrea Martinez

The dog ate a mouse.

The mouse was stinky and black

He was black-nosed too!

The dog ate a mouse.

The dog got sick later on

He threw up the mouse!

The dog’s life was bad!

The mouse ruined the dog’s life

The dog was really sad!

Taco HaikusAdolfo Rosa

I was so hungryI thought of a good tacoSo I ate it all

I love tacos lotsI eat them every breakfastEggs with beans are great

39Harlandale Independent School District38 Gillette Elementary j 4th Grade

SuperheroesManny Gallegos

The Earth was being invaded by giant robots. Bulkhead and The Knight were battling the robots. The robots were fi fteen feet tall. The Knight got knocked out because a robot hit him. So Bulkhead took The Knight somewhere safe, then Bulkhead went back to fi ght the robots. When The Knight woke up, he went to go see him. The Knight used his senses to look for Bulkhead.

Bulkhead got captured and The Knight couldn’t fi nd him. So he went to the enemy’s base. He went to beat the robots. He saw Bulkhead trapped in a cloning device. He took out the robot. Then he broke the cloning device. They saved the city.

The Time I Was CursedJoseph Reyes

When I was riding my bike on my street, I saw a strange man. I might have seen him somewhere. I don’t remember too much. He was walking up to me. I got so scared, I ran to my house. The strange man kept following me. I asked what he wanted. He said I owed him money. I did not know what he was talking about.

I said, “No!”

He said, “You will be cursed forever.”

I went to take a nap. I kept hearing noises in my kitchen. I thought, “What the hay?” I was just going to pay the man, but the ghosts did not let me go out of the house. They pushed me to the wall and

Short Stories & Poemsby students at

GILLETTE ELEMENTARYPrincipal: Kathleen MoronesHost Teacher: Mary Dillard

Writer-in-Residence: Alan Stewart CarlArtist-in-Residence: Albrechto Alvarez


there was a knife on the wall. I don’t know what it was doing there. One month later, they found my body. My parents were so sad.

They asked, “Why? Why?”

They said, “He was only fourteen years old.”

The Lake MonsterAmaris L.

Once, there was a family that went to the lake. They went swimming in the night. Sam felt something next to his feet. He looked at his feet and he did not see anything, so the family just started to swim.

Then Sam stayed in the water by himself. Whatever it was had very sharp teeth. It was green. It was very big. The monster liked to eat people.

The family dog scared the lake monster and it ran back to the water and never came out again. The family never got scared again.

BatgirlAnnalicia Correa

I went to a haunted house. When I went in, it smelled like dead bodies. I touched the floor and it felt so cold. It sounded quiet. I went upstairs.

I went in a door and saw a coffin and a regular bed with a person in it. A mummy, a zombie, and a vampire were trying to eat Batgirl. She was wearing a Batgirl suit, so I knew she was Batgirl.

I beat the monsters up. I helped her get out because the monsters were hurt, but when we went into the sunlight, she disappeared. Later, I figured out she was a vampire because when vampires go into sunlight they disappear.

Layla’s Haunted HouseJasmine Angeles

“Layla, you’re mine,” said Mrs. May. Layla tried to run away, but a bat scared her.

Then her mom called, “Layla!” Layla couldn’t answer.

Mrs. May picked her up and threw her in a box. Layla started to cry but, just then, she remembered she had a pocket knife. So she cut herself out and finally she escaped.

She went home safely and Mrs. May went to jail.

43Harlandale Independent School DistrictHarlandale Independent School District42 Gillette Elementary j 4th Grade

How Santa DiedKeanu Arrellano

Once upon a time, Santa was in his house. He was watching TV. His wife was making cookies for Santa.

Santa asked, “Can I have some milk with that?”

“Yes, Dear,” replied Mrs. Claus.

Then he heard a noise. He looked outside the window at the Gingerbread Man. He saw that the elves were getting attacked by zombies. Someone was hitting the door. Santa opened the door and the zombies were in Santa’s house!

He heard his wife screaming and looked into the kitchen. His wife was being eaten by the Zombie

Elf. There were guts everywhere. Santa got his gun and started shooting the Zombie Elf. The Zombie Elf was running at Santa.

Santa said, “Heeeeellllppp!!!”

The Zombie Elf got Santa and Santa died.

The Skeleton!Gino Asevedo

Once in 1747, there was a young man in a big, brown house in Kenya. The young man’s name was Kwami. Kwami used to torture little innocent African boys and girls from 1747 to 1798. In 1799, the children’s parents chased Kwami into the water. The army tanks shot all over the water. The last tank shot Kwami in the head. Then Kwami never came back.

In 1934, Skeleton Kwami attacked another innocent child and nobody found out. Skeleton Kwami attacked one-by-one until 1940. Skeleton Kwami had a big dent in his skull because of the tank in 1799.

Kwami tortured many people in Africa. Skeleton Kwami made skyscrapers collapse on driving cars, turned a heater all the way up to cause a fi re in a bedroom, and, when someone was in the bathroom, Skeleton Kwami turned off the lights. Once, during a robbery, Skeleton Kwami helped the robber get away from the police.

One day, in Kenya, the police caught Skeleton Kwami. The police chased Kwami to a volcano. They kept on shooting Kwami. Then Kwami fell into the volcano.

Stay Out of the Att icKristen Bustillo

Hello! My name is Kristen and I wanted to fi nd out what is in the attic. So, my friends Cierra and Annalicia and I tiptoed out of the living room and got the keys to the attic.

Cierra, Annalicia and I tiptoed up the stairs and we saw the attic! We got the keys and we opened the attic’s door. There was nothing in the attic when we walked in, but I heard a voice behind my back.

The voice said, “Hello there.”

I said, “Who’s there?”

There was no response. Once I turned back…there was a ghost bigger than a gorilla standing behind me!


“Ahhhhh,” I screamed really loudly. I was so scared, I was paralyzed!

Annalicia asked, “What happened?”

I said in a shaky voice, “I saw a ghost bigger than a gorilla!”

“We have to find a way to get rid of that ghost,” Cierra said. We tried a hammer, water, a chair, almost everything in the house! Then I said, “Let’s try Holy Water. That will work!”

We went to a church that was close to us. We asked the priest, “Do you have any Holy Water?”

The priest replied, “Yes, I do have Holy Water. Why do y’all need Holy Water?”

I replied, “There’s a giant ghost in my dad’s attic.”

“Oh, well, here you go,” said the priest. He gave us the Holy Water and we left.

We headed for the attic. Next, we opened the door. Then, we tiptoed when we were in the attic. I heard the ghost’s voice right behind me. I took the Holy Water out of my pocket and turned around and made a big cross on the ghost with the Holy Water. All I saw was that the ghost was getting smaller. So I kept putting crosses on the ghost with Holy Water. The ghost got even smaller! I kept on doing it and doing it. And, then, the ghost disappeared!

“Yay, yay, yay!” I cheered.

“What happened?” asked Cierra and Annalicia.

“The ghost is gone!” I said happily. We all cheered and that was the end of the ghost bigger than a gorilla.

AP, Chapter OneArturo D.

The marines landed on a strange planet that had their base on it. When they landed, the marines carried the infected marines to the specimen collecting room.

The doctors put the infected marines onto a chair. The doctors put collecting jars on the Marine’s chest. The doctors waited.

About 45 minutes later, the marines woke up and a baby alien popped out of two marines’ chests. The doctors collected the jars with the baby aliens, but one of the aliens escaped!

FightingKatrina D.

Samantha said to Albert to be quiet.

Samantha’s friend asked, “Why are you fighting?”

She answered, “Because he is a dum-dum and she is a dum-dum, but he told me to shut up and be quiet.”

Samantha stole Albert’s money. She did not mean it; she just wanted to buy him something.

Samantha said, “I am so sorry.” They became friends again and she gave him a present.


The Last ZombieFrancisco Flores

There was a zombie who wanted to rule the Earth. The zombies hated JB. Then JB hated the zombies too because they killed Selena.

JB went to the mall. He saw his mom and his brother at Foot Locker. His brother got bit on his neck. His brother passed away.

They went to the roof. JB looked down from the roof. It was a survivor. “Kill the zombies right and left,” JB called to the survivor. He went to the roof. He killed the zombies. JB said, “Who are you?”

He said, “I’m Nickel.”

They spent a night at the mall. As time went by, it was morning. They were on the street. Nickel said, “It is too quick.” Then all the zombies

came out. A zombie bit JB’s dad and he died. JB’s mom was hit on the head. She hit her head on the street and she died of head damages.

All of the zombies came out. The Queen of the Zombies was Selena. JB said, “I thought you were dead.”

All of the zombies attacked Nickel and JB. They were killing all of the zombies. Nickel jumped to save Selena, then a zombie got Nickel’s leg. The zombie ate Nickel’s leg. Then Nickel said, “I can’t – not dead.” Then he died.

More zombies than ever came. JB got Nickel’s weapon. JB attacked the zombies. There was blood all over the place. JB got up and attacked Selena. Selena stabbed JB and he died.

Selena was the only zombie on Earth.

It Gave Me a FrightAudrey Gonzalez

It gave me a fright His face was so white

His mouth was a flood A face full of blood

Next thing I knew A big bat flew

I tried to run Then up came the sun

I needed to make A really sharp stake

His big shiny face Made my heart race

I grabbed a big rose Then I struck a pose

He came running at me And I had to go pee

I held it in And hit him with a pin

I saw the vampire die And went home and ate a pie

I heard my dog snarl His name is Carl

The vampire was standing right there I stopped and I stared

Carl was in trouble I was seeing double

Vampire Alan Was holding a gallon

I ran through the church door And I saw Holy Water on the floor

I ran to my house Then I saw a mouse

His name was Stewart Then I said, “I have a friend named Lewbert”

I ran inside And I tried to hide

I threw Holy Water on its head Then he became dead

I cheered really loud And pretended there was a cloud


SatelliteGianniel G.

As I was walking down the street, a satellite was coming towards me. It was going fast. Then it caught on fire. It was coming down faster, faster, faster! Then BOOM!

The minute it hit, I knew for sure I was going to die. The ambulance came and I went to the emergency room. I got stitches everywhere and a cast on my leg and arm. I stayed in the hospital one month. I went home all knocked out.

In the news, it said “This unlucky man is the one that blew up the satellite” (it showed a picture). My dad came and gave me soup and said, “Is there anything you want me to do?” The picture of the man in the news was still showing.

“Kill that man.”

So he went to see him first, then the man did something that no one could ever do – brainwash my dad. He said, “You are the one that is going to die.” My dad got stabbed in the stomach and then in the heart and died.

Thirteen years later, I was hunting him down. I asked everybody for information. “Uh, yeah, I’m his neighbor.”

I went to his house, went in, and he wasn’t there. I waited and when he came, he turned on the light. He got scared, dropped his groceries and looked at me. “Who, who are y-y-you?” he asked.

“I’m your worst nightmare.” POW!

Zombies GoosebumpsJuan Ignacio

The kids were playing a game. While they were playing, the zombies went in the house.

One boy went to the bathroom. Then the zombies got the boy. The boy started acting wild. The other kids went to check up on the boy and they saw blood.

The kids went to put Holy Water on the boy.

Trapped in a MonsterAmethyst Lopez

There we were playing games. It was Juan, Gabby, Kristen, Audrey and me. Then along came a mean witch that tricked us into saying, “Look! There’s a twenty dollar bill.” We all went in a cage and the witch locked us in the cage. It was a magic cage. We started to cry.

We found the key in the corner because the witch dropped it and we found it. When we found it, we stopped crying because we were getting ready to call 911. The witch did a magic trick that took the cell phones and so we had to scream and call for help!

“Oh no!” Let’s get out of here,” someone said. And we did.


Don’t Get InJacob Mauricio

One night, my brother woke me up. He said there was someone in the house. I said, “Go back to sleep.” Then I heard a thump.

My brother said, “Did you hear that?”

Then, later, we fell asleep. The next day, we saw slimy footprints. That night, we heard footsteps again. My brother snuck to the bathroom and locked the door. I looked under the door and saw footprints stop at the door! He was silent. Then the thing tried to get in. Then it left.

We thought it was a monster. It was an alien. We knew because, when my dad got paid, he got a security camera and it caught the alien’s face.

The next day came. I was going to stay up and catch the thing. The next thing I knew, I called my friends Toby, Duncan and Isaiah. My other friend was sick that night.

We stayed up. Then it entered. It always came in through the back door. So we went and caught it and we called the FBI. The FBI took the alien and told us not to tell anyone.

When they got in the FBI truck, I heard gunshots.

Friends Are FightingAlbert Martinez III

Samantha, Katrina and I were walking in a park. Then Tabitha came and said, “Can I join you?”

We said, “No.”

She asked, “Why?”

Then she got mad at us. She walked away and we were talking about her. When we went to school she asked us, “Are you mad at me?” We didn’t say anything to her at the end of the school day.

The next day, she was still saying the same thing over and over and over. She did the same thing. Finally we said, “Okay, we are friends again.”

Things I Like About Christmas HaikusDiego Martinez

Christmas can be fun

You set up a Christmas tree

You get some cool gifts

One day I got up

I saw a remote controlled car

Then I played with it


Catch ItCierra Ovalle

It was a hot and sunny day in the middle of Peaceville. All you could hear was the wind, if there was any. There was a school and Toritos, the only Mexican restaurant in Peaceville.

It was a hot day outside. Then suddenly two students, Kristen and Annalicia, saw something coming towards their school, so they told their teacher. Then they saw a group of people running and also yelling, “STOP THAT TORTILLA!” It came into their school and then they saw it was a tortilla.

“It’s rolling,” said Annalicia.

“I love tortillas that are rolled up,” said Kristen.

It went to the classroom at the end of the hall. The people heard the tortilla, so the people caught it with

a net. The class saw the people coming, so they pretended like nothing happened.

Five people came inside their class and asked, “Who wants a tortilla with butter? It’s a small one.”

The ShadowTabitha Reyna

One summer, I moved from Belton to San Antonio. Our house was big. We had four bedrooms, a humongous back yard, and everything else was big too.

As soon as we got there, I ran to the backyard. The movers got there before my family, so our playground was there already. I opened the gate.

Then I went to the playground. As soon as I got one foot up, something pushed me down. I think it was a black shadow or a ghost.

I ran in terror to my mother. The first night I stayed there, I saw a little girl that I had seen before when I was five. Since then, I had not seen her.

Three months later, I had an idea how to capture the shadow. It was to get a lava lamp and a life-sized picture of me and put a hole where the lava lamp would land.

I tried it and it worked! Now I live peacefully and I can stay outside.

FightingSamantha S.

Alyssa went to the park and saw her friend named Katrina. They talked until Katrina’s boyfriend came in a truck. Alyssa was mad because she wanted a boyfriend, so they started to fight because Katrina had a boyfriend.

Alyssa was sad because she couldn’t think, so she was talking to herself to solve the problem. When she asked the boyfriend to choose, he picked Katrina. So Alyssa and Katrina had a fight again.

They were not talking to each other anymore until Katrina would say she was sorry to Alyssa. Katrina said that Alyssa started it first, so Alyssa was mad at her old friend. So Alyssa went home.


Katrina said, “Sorry I took your boyfriend.”

Alyssa said, “No, I don’t want to talk to you anymore because you took my boyfriend.”

Katrina said, “We are over.”

So, Katrina saw her friend Alyssa at the mall and she said she was sorry and Alyssa said sorry, too. Two months later, Alyssa had a boyfriend, so Katrina punched her right in the eye. Alyssa started to cry and went home.

The Time We Got A New HouseGabriella Salazar

Once upon a time, we got a new house and we moved in. I was scared and I asked my mom if we

could move to another one, but she said, “There is nothing else for us. This is what we’ve got. There are no more houses to look at. Do you think there is something weird about it?”

My door was open and it closed itself. I couldn’t open it, but the monster did. I asked him if he could sleep with me and he said, “Yes.”

I told my mom, but she did not believe me and the monster took my mom and tried to put her in a hole, but my dad came and saved my mom. He went in and out of the hole.

Later, my dad had the monster’s shirt and I said to him, “Dad, where did you get that shirt?”

He said, “In the basement.” We got up and said that we’re going to eat in the kitchen. My dad said families eat together.

Astronauts on the Moon

Steve Y.

Astronauts landed on the moon to discover aliens. What I would do is try to talk to the aliens. I would say, “Take me to your leader so I can talk to him.”

They would take me there and I would see him sitting on a chair. There would be good and bad aliens. We would look around and see King Kong.

He would be chosen as we got on the ship and left.

57Harlandale Independent School District56 Harlandale Middle School j 7th Grade

Students at Harlandale Middle SchoolRefl ect on

The Good Life

Principal: Katherine PeñaHost Teacher: Charles Hittson

Writer-in-Residence: Cary ClackArtist-in-Residence: Fadela Castro

The good life is when families are together, and when communities work together as one big team. When families come together on a holiday, it brings joy and happiness. It lets everyone know they care for one another. Communities work together to build homes, shelters, hospitals, and all kinds of other things that we need to be happy, and the things we need to be safe. If there were no families or communities, there wouldn’t be happiness or joy. Then there would not be any homes, shelters, or hospitals. The good life is something that goes around the whole world.

~Valerie M.

The good life is having money, food, clothes, shoes, houses, games, and cars.

~Alejandro S.

The good life, for my family and me, is entertainment. If there were no entertainment in the world, then it wouldn’t be the good life. When you have entertainment you pass the time having fun. The good life is also about games.

~Augustin P.V.

The good life for me is having a family and a very clean community without many bad things. It’s Playing outside with friends maybe neighbors, or other people. It’s having a nice house with nice cars and lots of money. It is People being nice to each other and helping each other. The good life is everyone having a house and job. There would be no wars and fewer people would die.

~Jorge Rodriguez

59Harlandale Independent School District 59Harlandale Independent School District58 Harlandale Middle School j 7th Grade

The good life for me and my family is: a fantastic vacation to Disneyland, hanging out at the beach as one big family, going to the movies, having a barbecue with a few family members in our backyard, having a nice volleyball game for the girls and a football game for the boys. I believe that the good life for me and my family is spending time together and having fun... having a barbecue at the park with some family members, and having birthday parties, spending time with family at a carnival, and spending time with friends at the mall.

~Anonymous

The good life for me and my community is: working together, getting problems solved as a team. Going on trips to other places that are similar to see how

they work and getting some tips on how to make the place better. Having a little fun here and there at the end of the year by going on fun fi eld trips.

~Charissa Stagakes

The good life is all about having fun in your own environment. The way you treat your community and family is based on you. For example, my environment and my surroundings are different than what they were before. Since my grandma died, everything turned upside down for me and my family. We were always fi ghting and getting mad at each other for doing something wrong.

~Felicity S.

What makes me live for each and every day is being with my family and having people who love me. I depend on my family being there for me or helping me in school. I’m the type of girl who gets mad really fast about things. My family means a lot to me because friends will not be there for you as long as family will.

Kids or teenagers ALWAYS depend on their friends as if they’ll always be by their side, but when they lose a friend they ignore family members or take their anger out on them. They need to realize that family is more important than little boys or girls. I realized that a long time ago. I always thank God for family and the things they do for me. The thing I always remember when I see or talk to my family is they know you more than anyone in the world. That’s what makes me happy every day and makes me have a huge smile!

~Juliet Trevino

The good life is everything about life: friends, music, family, people who care, going to the White Rabbit, concerts, my best friend, kitties, video games, laughing, my classes, being alive, phone, the mall, movies, TV, eyeliner and other stuff. Being alive is amazing because it gives you a chance to get through life. Music is amazing too. Without music the world would be so silent and that would be horrible. The good life is listening to music like Sleeping With Sirens, Pierce The Veil, Black Veil Brides, Woe Is Me, Lady Gaga, Suicide Silence, Never Shout Never, Bless The Tall, System of A Down, He is We, Abandon All Ships, and I See Stars. The good life is being the best person you can be, fi nding a good guy/girl and living your long life with them together.

~Eysis L.

61Harlandale Independent School District60 Harlandale Middle School j 7th Grade

The good life to me is parks that are clean, so you can go and play where there is no trash on the slide or in the restrooms. Parks look ugly if you don’t take care of them so you can play around with your friends. If the parks are clean, you can play around. I also like playing on my bike. My friends and I go to Mission Park and ride our bikes. We all play soccer at my friend’s house, where we clean the field and put up the net. We play 5 on 5. Sometimes my team wins; sometimes their team wins. My dad and I paint cars and bikes because my dad owns a body shop. The shop’s name is Roberto’s Shop. My dad and I painted my bike orange. Me and my friends go to the ranch with my dad. We ride horses and when we ride my horses we play races. That’s the good life to me.

~Robert Martinez

What is the good life? Is it money, a house, a nice car, a condo? My opinion is that it is a family with children. The good life could be money or cars, but what is the good life for your community? The good life is when you are loved by people because you have done well for them. You can be rich and live the good life with your money. The good life for you may not be happening yet, but you have to be patient. You have to wait for the time when good things come. The good life for some people is the smell of fresh air. The good life can be a nice community, streets, parks, and highways. The good life can be helping the homeless or the sick.

~Caleb Bonilla

What I want for a good life is just being with family and friends. A good life is being able to play outside,

The good life for me and my community would be when people don’t fight and there are no drugs being sold, people not getting killed and people not having to worry about drive-bys. The community would be clean, no one would litter. The grass would be clean, and people would have nice houses and cars. In the afternoon, kids would go outside to do some activities. It would be the perfect community for kids to come together to play and have fun.

~Johnathan P.

The good life for me is family, friends, music, college, and wealth. Family is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. Friends are also the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. My friends are nice, smart, and always

ride my bike, stay in and play video games, go on vacation with my family to Corpus Christi or to our family farm just to visit, waking up every day to experience something new. The good life is going to work or to school for your education, meeting your friends, or making new ones, or having some sort of hobby to do when you’re bored. There’s always something to do in your community, every day and any day.

~Joe S.

The good life is all about the community. We need to start recycling and stop littering. Littering is bad for the community. If we want the community to be pretty, then we should not litter. Tagging is also very bad.

~Genesis F.

63Harlandale Independent School District 63Harlandale Independent School District62 Harlandale Middle School j 7th Grade

there for me. College is my highest goal, and when I get there I hope to study music theory. Peace has to be the only good life I hope to have.~Joshua Salazar

The good life for me is... to become a pro NFL player and start my own family. But I have to have a backup job just in case I get injured or if we have a lockout. I want to have my own business to depend on. The good life for my community is not having drugs on every corner or drive-bys every night or having junkies break in your house or car, or stealing your valuables.

~Guadalupe L.

I think the good life for my community is more money, friends, family, no drugs, no crime, and no cops going to your house on a Saturday morning. The good life is having a big pool for when it’s hot outside, for everybody. It’s also having nice cars to drive in, or a day on the beach, with barbeques and bonfi res.~Michael S.

Music is part of my life, especially since I play the clarinet. It makes me happy when I am sad, from rock to instrumental music. Music could tell stories or it could be fun. There are songs in Spanish and there are songs in English.

~Jazmin Ramirez

The good life to me is money, fame, and, for my community, new homes. The good life has no bad people and nothing bad for the community, green grass and new parks.

~Savannah G.

The good life to me is just having fun wherever I go, like to school, the library, museum, or when I have nothing to do at home. Be creative if you’re bored! For me, I’m mostly creative outside. Use your mind, if you’re bored. Go outside and make something out of anything. Call your friends.

~Joe S.

The good life to me is having peace and kindness in the world. Also, I want to have a lot of money for my family. The real good life to me is to have everybody get along with each other in the world. Life is hard on people, so the good life to me is to have the rich people donate some money to the poor. It would be a nice thing. Also the good life to me is to fi x up communities so they won’t look that bad. That is the good life to me. I have high expectations for the good life.

~Gregory S.

64 65Harlandale Independent School District

Short Stories & Poems

from Students at Harlandale High School

Principal: Melissa Casey

Host Teacher: Frances Riley

Writer in Residence:

Alan Stewart Carl

Artist in Residence:

Albrechto Alvarez

Harlandale High School

A DreamArthur W. Owens Jr.

I can feel the feelings my mother has for my father. I can taste the bitter sweetness in the emotions that my mother has for my father. I can only feel and hear for I have not yet made my journey. I can only feel the hate and hear the rage-filled screams that my mother expresses. “I hate you, you slob”!

I know I have to leave my home because it is not good for me to feel this much hate and rage so early in my life, although I have really grown very fond of this house. Alas, I know it is inevitable. I will have to leave. Otherwise my journey will have more obstacles than I can handle. The divine rule says that I will only be permitted nine months to live in the “beginner’s home.” If I try to break that rule, I will risk my life with death.

When I leave, I cannot let my mother’s emotions or personalities affect my own personality. I will finally meet my mother who, even though she can be difficult, can be a sweet and caring person. I will also meet my father who is hardworking but neglectful. I am still wondering if I can make my journey. These past months have been the most interesting and the only months of my life because I started as just a swimmer and now I am a human being. I am scared because what if I die or my mother dies or even both of us? I have not gone through nine months of development just so either she or I can die. But I will make it because I have not broken a rule.

“Yes, you will make it Eric; you will take your journey.” “Eric? Who, who are you?” Eric replied. “That was your former name, and I am what your people call God. You will also forget everything you know when you leave this place and enter the world,” God replied.

***

“Oh no the cord is around the baby’s neck I had to turn it around fast before he hanged himself.” Dr. Wilson said. “OK now you have to push, OK Mrs. Jones?” the nurse said. Therefore, the mother pushed and pushed, but when the baby was born, he was not breathing. The nurse yelled, “Dr. Wilson, Dr. Wilson the baby isn’t breathing.” That was when the baby started to cry and joy filled the hearts of the parents. Moreover, as the mother held her child, the father thought and said “Eric Jones.” “Why Eric?” the mom asked. “Someone told me in a dream,” the dad replied.

A New Beginning Amanda Perez

I imagine myself lying in a cold hospital bedI see my mom uncomfortable on the green chair My boyfriend asleep on the never ending sofaI see lights as bright as the starsI see doctors coming in and outI’m in a lot of pain I’m numb as if a bee stung me on my lower backI feel a lot of pressureI hear “7 pounds 4 ounces” I’m thinking it’s a dreamUntil reality hits me like a speeding bulletIn my arms lies a bundle of joy A new beginning starts hereI see a beautiful baby girl lying in my arms Wrapped in pink so soft and warmWith that pretty little smileAnd that cute hair curlYour little hands that I hold and adore so muchYour chubby cheeks I always kissI want to hold you all the timeWhen I’m alone I want to cryMy little Zoey, my baby girl


Beautiful Soul

Ariana Hernandez

The bracelet on her wrist was woven with her five favorite colors: mint gum, duck-pond blue, butt-of-a-fire-fly peach, and turquoise. It gave wonderful compliments to her hands every day, causing her nails to blush the brightest of all pinks. It was never tied too tight or too loose, and if it was, I had to fix it for her, even though it was she who taught me how to tie a knot.

She wore nothing but white v-neck shirts. A pure color with an abrupt neckline not nearly opaque enough to hide the black outline of her lungs. I never understood it. Yet her closet was full of them. Hanger after hanger of things I didn’t understand.

She was once a beautiful soul. Thin with skin thick enough to cover areas where bone was trying to reveal itself. Her torso didn’t bulge forward in the third dimension or to any particular east or west in the second. She needed a belt to hold up the material on the back of her jeans, where the bigger pockets always are. The ones that were never too light or too dark or too denim. Her feet were bare, soft, and brave. Always. Her eyes were slits.

She was never supposed to see all of the world. Only the good part. The parts a child sees. And I’d kill the man who opened her to it if he weren’t my father. Her nose was bumpy and disgustingly beautiful like some painting called the Mona Lisa. Her lips didn’t stretch from ear to ear or protect the whitest teeth. And they’d look better if they were virgins.

“I wish I could do a handstand right now,” she said.

I stayed quiet.

“Come lift up my feet so I can do a handstand.”

I walked over, wrapped my hands around her ankles and lifted the soles of her feet to the sky.

She stayed on her hands for a while without talking. Maybe she was enjoying the new view or maybe the blood was rushing to her head. I couldn’t tell. My biggest worry at that point was judging when to put her down. Holding her silently was awkward. But I didn’t want her to think I didn’t love her.


“Robby, do you like the taste of feet?”

She smiled and playfully tried to stick her biggest toe in my mouth. I laughed and threw her to the ground.

The weather was perfect that Wednesday. The sky was a blank blue canvas. Her smoky strawberry breath must have driven the clouds away. And I probably should’ve, but I didn’t thank her for the ability to look up and lose myself, or for keeping me company while I made snow-angels in a wheat field.

From the corner of my eye, I saw her reach into her pocket, pull out what I wished was a chalk look-alike candy from our younger days, and place it in her mouth. I turned away and took in my last breaths of clean air. From then, only about three hundred seconds passed until the peace was broken by sounds of violent coughing. Her body lunged forward and her hands clung to her chest like magnets.

“Water” she managed.

I pulled my water bottle out of my backpack and emptied every single drop of it onto the ground.

With a puzzled face, she managed again, “Water, I need water.”

“I don’t have any” I said.

“In,” Cough. “Hay,” Cough. “Ler,” Cough.

Her face was blue now. Fear took place in her eyes forcing the tears to move out.

I pulled her inhaler out of my pocket and chucked it as far as I could with my weak arms.

“I love you, sister” I said.

I turned away. And heard her body hit the floor. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw red and orange arms grabbing at wheat stems furiously. The left side of my face and body began to feel extraordinarily warm. I closed my eyes and waited.


The Real Seven Wonders of the WorldAriana Hernandez

Close your mouths before a fly flies inFeet glued down as your heads tilt up

Look at you standing in awe, talking about the beautyOf a wall people died while building

Or a mountain people died while climbingOr a coliseum that rooted pride into people’s souls

No three of these is as marvelous asThe way a child reads before he learns to read

The wisp of air that appears without notice When you peel an orange peel

The way clouds tell stories in their shapesThe way birds have built-in engines

Which don’t require fancy college-level math to build

The captivation words can instill in our bodies if arranged rightThe way sound travels in waves

That aren’t blue, or salty, or visibleBut still powerful

And definitely nowhere closeTo the way our hearts long for another being

Without science’s permission


Just a Short Time AfterBryana Guerra

You never would have looked at him had it not been for his small, bald head. You only looked because it was unordinary for someone his age to be bald. He had no hair at all. It was bizarre, you thought, because he had no facial hair either. No eyebrows or eyelashes. It was weird, you thought. He was just a boy who sat three seats away from you in calculus who happened to be bald. You never spoke to him because you didn’t know how to talk to him. You didn’t know what was right or wrong to say to someone like him. Therefore, you just pretended that he didn’t exist. Yes, that was much easier for you to do.

As you left after school to go and hang out with your friends and watch a cheap rated-R film, he went straight home and finished his homework early so that he could read Of Mice and Men. While you were dancing under the stars on prom night, he was at home staring at those exact same stars and wondering how your night was going. While you stayed late at school on a Friday night to watch the last football game of the season, he was undergoing another night of chemotherapy.

As graduation drew near, you finally decided to give him a quick glance. Besides, there were only two days left of school. Then, you wouldn’t see him ever again. You stared at the back of his head, wondering how it must feel to look like that and to feel so weak all the time. All of a sudden, as if he knew what you were wondering, he turned around and looked you in the eyes. You were too afraid to turn away. His tired, glowing eyes dug deep into yours as you felt a strange feeling take over. It was as if nobody else in the room existed. It was just the two of you.

You watched as water gathered in his eyes. A single tear formed at the edge of his left eye and fell ever so slowly down his bony cheek. You couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. You felt the ends of your lips curve into a smile. A bitter, sweet smile. Your chest became tight and you felt your mouth open slightly. Were there words that needed to be said? Perhaps a simple hello. But there was just too much pain in his eyes; you had no idea what to say. The moment seemed to last forever, but only five seconds passed after he looked at you. Finally, he looked away from your eyes and slowly turned around. Oh, you thought, so that is how it must feel.

71Harlandale Independent School District70

On the final day of school, you decided to take one last look at him, only you found that he wasn’t there. You looked all around the classroom, but he was nowhere to be found. Nobody else seemed to notice his absence. However, when you saw the teacher look at the boy’s seat and shake his head remorsefully, that unknown pain broke through you. It was then that you realized that one of the most beautiful beings that ever existed was gone. Poof. Just like that. He was there and then he was gone. Even if it was only for just a moment. He existed, and you witnessed his existence. The existence of a beautiful disaster.

I Leave My Heart on the FieldAmy F.

I line up behind two hundred other kids with my flute in hand. Staring at the scoreboard, everyone waits for the buzzer to ring. Halftime is our time. My butterflies dissolve when I get on the field. The soft green turf feels right sinking underneath my feet. The screaming of the crowd doesn’t intimidate me or make me nervous, it empowers me. The stadium lights are blinding, but I don’t need my sight to know where to go. I can feel where I’m going. The beating of the drums keeps me in sync with every one of the players around me.

Eyes are glued to the drum major’s hands. Waiting for the first down beat is always the most suspenseful part, but from there everything is second-nature to me. I no longer worry about spots, counts, or music. Everything just comes to me naturally. I float across the field. My fingers memorized the notes; my feet memorized the steps, so my mind is free to enjoy the moment. It feels like I belong when I’m marching, like I’m in a never-ending paradise. I’m meant to be in that moment. I leave my heart on the field after every performance.


no matter what their race, religion or beliefs.

I see no more violence, no more innocent people dying, no more families getting separated. Only one big family full of diversity, living happily in America.

Kristina

Crystal Moreno

Oh, how I’ll never forget that cold Sunday afternoon. It was mid-March and you’d just turned two. Everything happened so fast.

Your whole life was full of surprises: surprise birth, surprise skin graph, surprise feeding tube, surprise operations, sirens that could be heard throughout the entire neighborhood, flashing red lights, ambulances, there were multiple therapists, doctors, nurses, and hospitals.

America

Erika Rangel

When I see present day America I see People dying, people getting killed, people killing, kids being abused, all without any remorse. What happened to love?

I see natural disasters, one by one, each year wiping away everything we have, people’s lives, homes, and hope.

I see people separated just because of their race. Going to war for their religions, dying, killing their own “brothers.”

I see families getting separated by stupid laws. Kids living by themselves, without their parents, just because they weren’t born here. Each day suffering. But, I also see, in a dream, a good life in America. People being united together


But your joy is what I remember most.It was your joy that brought us joy.Your laugh and smile were contagious.And your eyelashes: long, curled, and beautiful.We all saw your strength.It was the strength that equipped you to overcome all the pain you endured.

Oh, how I’ll never forget that coldSunday afternoon.The day the earth stood still and time, time remained frozen.It was your last trip to the hospital,and your final ride in an ambulance.It was the end to a precious little life,but the beginning to something new.

Full ControlDominique Flores

Later, en route to work, as Escobar winds his way among crazy drivers, I find myself transfixed on the article I wrote last week, the most important article of the whole magazine. I look up only for a second, making sure this driver doesn’t forget to take the long way to work and get me there too soon. Then, suddenly, I realize why my article seems so convoluted. It isn’t mine. At least not totally. Sentences have been moved around and words changed, leaving a sad excuse for my work. In seconds, I become furious and outraged at the blatant lack of respect.

As soon as the car stops, I jump out and race wildly toward the building entrance. The elevator ride seems like an eternity. Almost two decades working for this magazine and I was never this eager to see Charles. Only he can give permission to change my work. I make it to the top floor and, as I enter his office, his secretary gives me a stupid look and says, “Good morning Ms. Chapman, how are you?”

I wave her words away, “I’m going in to see Charles, thank you.”


God’s CreationErica AlonzoHe never got to feel the love of a mother’s heartThe father that was supposed to careHe didn’t understand why his life was falling apartOr why he was losing his hair

Days went by as the hurt grew strongerHis face was pale and his body achedHe couldn’t possibly go on much longerStill his faith would not abate

Time was ticking as he was losing his fight to cancerEntering the dark night of the soulHe prayed and hoped but got no answer You were listening but he needed to know

He heard a whisper beyond the skies and treesThe darkness was filled with lightHis hands were held high as he fell to his kneesYour glory was all that was in sight

Son, you are so much more than anything you’re going through You have never been aloneI am the creator and I make all things new

You are one of my ownSee the beauty is within your heartDon’t ever feel aloneYou are loved and you are perfect just the way you are

It’s time to come home

I burst into his office and as soon as I reach his desk I scream, “What the hell, Charles? You let someone change my article; you promised me that I would have full control of the magazine until spring when Amanda takes over.”

The words are ash in my mouth. I have never said it out loud—that I am to be forcefully replaced soon and my whole career, at any magazine, is over. It’s over, so why am I still here? To be embarrassed like this and dread coming to work because everyone in the whole building knows I’ll be gone because I’m too old? I decide that second.

“Forget it. Don‘t explain. I don’t belong here anymore” He tries to speak but I cut him off with my hand. “I quit.” I walk out with a new found buoyancy. Somehow complete, like I found myself again.

I get out of the building as fast as I got in. From here, I’m not quite sure what I’ll do next; a great chapter of my life has just ended. All I know is that I will take all I have left in the bank and go somewhere far away. Maybe drive to Massachusetts or Vermont; it’s a nice place this time of year. I want to go somewhere beautiful.


The Beast Called Love Gabriel Perez

Green pastures all around us, they envelop the beauty of what we are, the love that was forever. Going through life was never so simple without that one and only by my side. Stacy and Jackson, that was the couple of the year, the couple that would last through it all, and I felt the same way. Jackson grabs my hand and holds it in his, tight with a sad look in his eyes. I ask, “What’s wrong?” Tears roll down his face and with that he is gone.

I wake up, panting, scared, looking around at all the darkness; the trees cover me from all directions. I can smell the dew mixed with the blood of my scars. I remember I was running for the longest time when I tripped over the log just a few feet away from me. I start to get up slowly, scared of the damage to my ankle. Turns out I’m fine. I look around in search of some way out when I hear a CRACK! I look back and see nothing. I walk a bit more and hear the footsteps getting closer and the heavy panting of a beast. At least that’s what I saw when I first left it back at the campsite. I lost my friends, even Jackson. I was lost and in fear that my friends and Jackson were lost too or maybe worse. I start to run north, or at least I think it’s north. I don’t care; I run trying to escape the torture, the capture. I feel arms grab at me from the tree I just passed and automatically scream, “AHH!”

“Shh, quiet down, it will hear us.” Jackson, yes, oh thank God, he is alive. After quietly listening to nothing but silence, he lets go of me to look at me.

“You scared me,” I say, truly scared.

“Sorry, I came to look for you and when I saw you running I figured why not just get her, she must be scared,” he says with a hint of humor.

“Where were you?” I ask.

“I-I don’t know. I woke up in a room and just, I don’t know, found a way out,” he says looking off and with a stutter. “Well it doesn’t matter, as long as you’re with me now,” he reassures me. He grabs my hand and leads me off into the distance. Where I’m going is a mystery, but I trust him.


I look at him closely and see that he too has scars and has been through as much as me. I start to feel a wave of guilt as I think of how we truly got here. It’s spring break and I wanted to go camping or do something other than work the job at the supermarket. It’s my senior year and it’s time for me to do what I want and with who I want. Jackson and I have been together for three years and it’s close to us parting our ways. I got into Columbia and Jackson is going to UCLA. I haven’t told him and I know how much UCLA was a future plan for both of us. But still, it wasn’t for me. So I wanted all the times we had together to be special and fun, I wanted lasting memories. I dragged him out here because I knew the beach would be just disastrous. He hesitated, but in the end agreed. I lied to my mom and, overall, my reasoning for this trip now seems ridiculous. Knowing Jackson, he probably had romantic evenings planned and fun activities, but I had to ruin it. My friends, oh my friends, I was selfish in dragging them into it, too.

I think the blowout up the road was just a major sign that this was all a bad idea, I mean, his truck was in perfect condition and then POP! After all that, it just got worse, some beast killer thing chased us into these forests and now I’m stuck in fear for my love and I. I grip his hand harder and look into his eyes. I say, “I’m sorry,” and begin to cry.

“Babe, don’t worry, it’s not your fault,” he says while pushing my hair out of my face. He holds me in his arms for what seems like forever, grabs my hand and we keep walking.

After a few steps, we come to a familiar looking house and I freeze. Like a flood, memories come to me of the man and how we all ran from the horror. I look for Jackson in hope he’ll reassure me that this isn’t the same place, but he is nowhere to be found. Where is he? I begin to panic, looking around, then I’m knocked down to the ground. I roll over to see what I’ve been running from all along. I come face-to-face with the beast that I thought I’d run away from, the one I thought lost the battle. It turns out the war never ended. He picks me up and another figure pops into place. I am staring into the ski mask when it comes off and my heart drops. I am not only looking at my death but at the face I once loved and trusted. I look into his eyes and see that love was never his intention. Before I can ask what is going on, he smiles malevolently and everything goes black.


Forgotten Memory

Joey Morales

The laughter perished in sorrow His hands with forgotten innocent blood Her eyes drowned with tears The old love traveled through her heart, but nothing in his Five lonely snow years since his departure The boy of five years in the other room The screams of the young men in trenches filled his head They sat there empty She wanted his hand in hers, his eyes blank The boy ran to his mother The lost man next to the boy’s mother showed resemblances with the boy The boy stared at his shattered, empty soul Flames and explosions in the man’s dark eyes The boy shyly sat down Affection was absent in the man’s presence No feeling or sense The man, a prisoner of war, walked out the door with no reason left in his life Her soul, struck by the dagger of hurt The boy blankly stared at his mother and hugged her tightly knowing the situation

She understood what had to happen The laughter was perished in sorrow But love was in his heart

Life

Jessica Salinas

Life is more than a box of cereal, it is like ice cream. It could be single or multi-flavored, depending on how you like it. Cotton candy dreams fill your mind, and your will can drive you nuts. An occasional rocky road may come up, but a few sprinkles will make things better. You can choose to live in sweet bliss, or in sugar-free darkness. However, the more toppings life has, the more delightful it is. So when it is time to split, you will know you definitely got the scoop, and that is the cherry on top.


Lovely DayNarda Gomez

“Mommy is beautiful,” I whispered. I lay on the bed for a while watching the magical circle on the top spin, wondering how I could play until mommy came back to our castle. Sliding down, I wobbled to the small door close to the floor. Crawling is always fun, I thought, smiling as I got out of the castle, watching the knights as they walked around.

The outside looked amazing. Colors everywhere, life everywhere, everything so amazing! I ran to the giant brown pole, watching the knights going to their pegasuses, flying away to the castles in the sky. I laughed as the pegasuses’ wings flapped up and down, taking them away, leaving me safe. I lay down again, my head sinking to the soft green grass.

“I wish mommy was here instead of her boyfriend,” I murmured to the fairies moving through the air. I slowly got up knowing that I should get back to the castle before the knights told mommy I’d left. As I got up, I saw a big purple dragon with pink and green polka dots running back and forth on the hard, hot, black stuff. I ran to the nearest tree trying to hide from the dragon. I saw it turn its big head towards me, its deep black eyes staring at me, its teeth forming a smile, calling to me.

“Come play with me!”

I smiled back; I walked to it, counting the steps towards it. I got near the lines of black stuff.

***

“Dear, I know … yes…no … fine. I have to go. Bye.” Luke threw the phone onto the seat. He looked out the front window. “Such a lovely day,” he murmured as he turned left onto Main Avenue. He tried to stop, the wheels screaming, but he couldn’t. His mouth opened as the car ran over the poor child. The bones cracking under the weight of the car, the green-eyed boy’s screams filling Luke’s ears. He looked straight, tears running down his pale, white face.


You want to see neighbors visiting each other,but instead you see kids shooting at a family’s house.

You want to see an African-American man holding hands with a white woman, but instead you see a gang of kids beating up a boy for being pale white.

You want to see a young boy helping an elderly woman across the street,but instead you see a young girl being raped in a dark alley.

You want to see the land of the free and the brave,but instead you see the land of the suppressed and the cowardly.

The Land of Disappointment

Erica Saucedo

You want to see the waves of rolling grain,but instead you see urban blight and trashed tenements.You want to see the clear, blue world that surrounds us,but instead you see dark mounds of waste.

You want to see the future graduating with high degrees,but instead you see the future struggling to pay for a degree.

You want to see strong, independent women,but instead you see men laughing at women for their appearance.

You want to see the land of opportunity,but instead you see a long line waiting for welfare.

You want to see vibrant, healthy, happy people walking down the street,but instead you see chronically ill, premature people rolling down the sidewalk.


tall and had chocolate-brown hair. They said they had called a friend to come pick them up and help them get their car out of the sand. They looked like nice people, so the girls decided to ask them to stay with them at the campsite until their friend came by to help them.

They sat in a circle around the campfire trying to warm up. Their friend was taking a while to come and Chloe decided to go check if anybody was on their way. It was getting chilly outside and Chloe had been gone for a while and the girls were getting worried. They got up and walked to the car to get the flashlights out to search for her. They were halfway down the beach but still, no Chloe in sight. They thought maybe she had gone back to the campsite by then.

They had just turned back when they heard a loud scream coming from the nearby restrooms. The girls looked at each other with terrified looks on their faces. Then they heard another scream, louder than the first and they started running as fast as they possibly could towards the restrooms. They were about halfway there when they saw two guys running away from the restrooms. They looked kind of familiar, something about that chocolate-brown hair. When they finally got to the restrooms, the door was wide open.

The Perfect Getaway

Natalie G.

The beach looked so beautiful after a three hour long drive. Chloe, Eliana, and Lisa had barely graduated high school. They had been planning their trips in the weeks before they had to go off to college. They were so excited until they hit traffic halfway there. When they finally arrived to their campsite, the sun had just begun to set. They hurried out of the car and started setting up before it got too dark to see anything. Lisa had just begun the campfire when they heard a loud noise coming from nearby.

The three girls looked at each other with terrified looks on their faces. They all decided to go investigate to see what had made that horrible noise. They took the flashlights out of the trunk and started walking towards the white, sandy beach. They walked not too far from the campsite when they noticed a car that looked stuck in the sand. They walked over to see if anybody was in the car. When they finally got there, they saw two men standing by the car. They looked fine, not a scratch on them, actually, considering that they crashed into a tree trunk covered in sand. The two men where


They walked inside to find a blonde girl lying on the floor, covered in blood. They rushed over to her and realized it was Chloe. She looked like she was barely breathing. They tried to comfort her by telling her that everything would be okay, but suddenly she got a horrified look on her face. They asked what was wrong and her last words were, “Look behind you.”

See

Savannah De la Garza

Raise the glass to the broken that had a love lost. To those who were stripped of meaning. The patient and the relentless who’ve become restless.

For the foolish who opened their hearts, unlike the intelligent who open their minds. And the ones who gave it all, when they should have given up.

To the hopeless romantics who were forced to be strong. Because anything less showed They were weak.

This is for the stepped on, the picked on, the used, and the abused who never opened their eyes. Here’s to teenage romance and not knowing why it hurts like hell.


He is unable to help himself or others that depend on him. He is no longer mighty, he can no longer help.

The crane comes to the rescue, lifting up the eagle from despair, giving him food and shelter. The crane seems like a hero. Graciousness soon dies along with the memory of the storm.

The swan and blue jay soon become weak, too, due to loss of food. Because of the eagle’s behavior, the crane flies away. This causes the swan to do the same, but in a disastrous direction. The eagle stays, hoping things will change. The eagle will soar again one day.

AmericaJonathan C.

A mighty eagle flies high over the land, shining in the sun, showing off its multi-colored feathers. What makes this eagle so high and mighty? Perhaps, it is the availability of food. Or maybe the ability to borrow from other birds, scott-free, providing defense to those who lend. There is something the eagle doesn’t know.

The blue jay, the crane, and the swan were becoming more powerful. The blue jay has heirs of the nest that threaten the eagle’s relationship with the crane. The crane cannot lend to the eagle if they can defend themselves.

A storm is brewing up. Nowhere to hide, the eagle becomes helpless. All of a sudden, the other birds would rather protect themselves. CRASH! A branch breaks off and strikes the eagle, damaging its wing.

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Writers-in-Residence

Alan Stewart Carl is a writer of fiction living in San Antonio, Texas. He holds an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Antioch University Los Angeles and has had his work published in dozens of journals including Mid-American Review, Hayden’s Ferry Review, PANK, Coal City Review, and JMWW. He is currently balancing his time between working on his first novel and raising two wild and beautiful children.

Cary Clack writes on local and national news, events and social issues. Born in San Antonio, he is a graduate of St. Gerard High School and St. Mary’s University. In the summer of 1984, he was a Scholar-Intern at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta, and he wrote CNN commentaries for Coretta Scott King. From 1989-1995, he was a trainer in nonvio-lence at King Center workshops for high school and college students. Clack has also worked as a substitute teacher in the San Antonio Independent School District, and as a columnist for the San Antonio Express-News. He currently works as Communications Director/Senior Adviser for the Joaquin Castro Congressional Campaign. His book, Clowns and Rats Scare Me: Columns by Cary Clack (Trinity University Press, 2010) is his first book.

Trey Moore, a poet and fourth-generation carpenter, holds an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Texas State University. He has traveled extensively (Alaska, Malaysia, Thailand and Laos) and has taught as a poet in public schools and juvenile detention centers, as well as at Northwest Vista college in San Antonio, Texas. His work has appeared in the Texas Observer and a number of anthologies, including Is This Forever or What? and Between Heaven and Texas. He has two books of poetry—We Forget We Are Water, and Some Will Play The Cello. A Spanish-speaking Texas native, arts activist, and builder of community gardens, Trey’s poems investigate “our inti-mate, indivisible relationship to nature” from a city-dweller’s perspective.

Artists-in-Residence

Fadela Castro was born in Africa, grew up in Mexico City, and currently lives in the U.S. She began creating art as a child and has been commissioned to create many private as well as public works of art nationally and internationally. She is an artist, photographer and educator who has taught art and photography through various organizations including Jump-Start Performance Co., Gemini Ink, Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, and VSA Arts of Texas (Vision. Strength. Access.), among others. She is co-creator of FotoFronteras, a vocational photography course designed for youth from Central and South America currently in detention.

Albrechto Alvarez is a freelance artist who graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2006 with a B.F.A. in Film/Animation/Video. He has worked as an instructor in schools and cultural centers teaching Animation and Digital Art.

Carolina G. Flores holds a B.F.A. in Painting from the University of Texas at Austin, and an M.F.A. in Painting from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She has exhibited her work throughout the southwest and her textile work is archived in the Cooper Hewitt Museum, New York, N.Y. Flores has been a Visiting Artist in the San Antonio Independent School District, the San Felipe del Rio Independent School District, the Southwest School of Art, Our Lady of the Lake University. She has also been an upper level art teacher at the Winston School, a school for children with learning disabilities. Flores maintains her studio in the Blue Star Contemporary Art Center.


A FOCUS ON READING AND WRITING FOR ALL

Gemini Ink nurtures writers and readers and builds community through literature and the related arts. At Gemini Ink we believe human story in all its diverse and complicated forms and genres—from poetry and fi ction to memoir and oral tradition—is essential to developing compassion and richness in both individual and community life. We encourage focused reading, writing, and exchange at every level, from elementary school students to incarcerated youth and from the polished professional writer to the elder who has always wanted to record her family stories.

Writers in Communities (WIC) sends professional writers into diverse community settings to work alongside students of all ages, needs, interests, and abilities in free workshops based in oral traditions,

reading, and creative writing.

Open Classroom, comprising Autograph Series and Breakthrough Thinkers, presents writers of national and international stature—many of them recipients of major prizes such as the Pulitzer or

National Book Award—in free public performances followed by audience Q&A.

University Without Walls (UWW) offers three semesters of fee-based reading groups and workshops and also many free literary events, all led by professional writers, scholars, and interdisciplinary artists.

Dramatic Readers Theater (DRT) features professional actors interpreting literary works in free performances, often accompanied by original music.

Contributions and donations of time and resources are gratefully accepted.

For more information about Gemini Ink,visit www.geminiink.org or call 210.734.9673

86 Frank Tejeda Academy j 8th Grade513 S. Presa | San Antonio, Texas 78205 | 877.734.9673 | geminiink.org

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