SMS Literary Magazine2010

A CHANGE

IN PERSPECTIVE

Welcome to the Scarsdale Middle School Literary Magazine for 2010!!! We hope you enjoy this compilation of literary and artistic works created by the students of Scarsdale Middle School!

A CHANGE IN PERSPECTIVE

Ilana Newman Grade 8

Cover artwork by Simon Brovender & Anshi Barmecha Grade 6 Georgina Fielder

Grade 6

Table of Contents

Literary Work Page Artwork Page

Lauren Alpert 24Solange Azor 13Alison Bauersfeld 14Emily Berk 22 Marie Ceske 16Delilah Chamlin 22Maleeha Chida 11Justin Cooper 16Jonny Dorf 6Dominick Gagliano 9Kathryn Garrisi 20Molly Glass 24Isaac Goluboff 19Rick Goodman 15Adaire Green 4Katherine Guerney 15Abigail Haber 13Naomi Haber 14Rachel Haber 17Cameron Lee 4Caroline Levine 22Gillian Lubin 16Elena Ludwig 17Ali Kass 20Noah Klayman 18Kyra Kline 22Robby Kwong 5Viveka Kymal 5, 18Caroline Levine 12Ali Melnick 21Iku Minohara 8Zack Month 20Emily Natbony 5Megha Nayar 9Emily Nishiwaki 9Gordon Phoon 12Jonathan Potter 19Daniella Rodriguez 23Sam Rosner 15Julia Ross 7Julia Roth 5Gaby Salvatore 12Ben Schlur 10Chloe Soares 21Elena Sonnenfeld 22Ariel Tzamarot 25Ben Ulene 18Michael Wallach 8Rachel Wolfe 11Cherie Xu 14Timothy Zhao 21

3

Anshi Barmecha CoverVictoria Beizer 24Clara Belk 4Wylie Berg 21Simon Brovender CoverKaitlin Doyle 17Georgina Fielder 2Lewis Gottlieb 20Carina Gupta 27Lauren Hendel 13Danielle Holliday 6Samara Jacobson 15Isabel Kurzban 14Maxine Lapointe 10Claudia Laurie 27Jeff Leone 9Ilana Newman 2Eliot Sernau 18Victoria Sperotto 27Ben Spinks 10Carina Spiro 23Yuki Sugihara 12Hannah Weinstein 8

Being Eleven

I am elevenI like rabbitsand animalsand toys tooBut alsoeverything new

I remember the pastI am living the presentBut I do not knowthe future

I listento the learningAnd begin to learnmoreI try and tryuntilI stop!I rememberThat it was timeTo figure outWho I amand seewhat my talent was

Wait! That timeisn’t nowWhat am I thinking?I don’t know muchBut I do knowThat I am elevenAnd I am waitingto be guidedthrough the starsand the dreamsI must dreamAlsothe years of my life

I am like a flowerA long way frombloomingBut I am nota flowerBut a rose Adaire Green Grade 6

Clara BelkGrade 8

4

On Being Twelve

Suddenly as tall as DadVoice deeper, mustache formingSkin erupting like little volcanoes;Sleeping late, no more early risingFeels like an alien has invaded my body.

Remember my younger daysGrandma’s voice calling me Angel Boy,Having no homework and taking long, happy napsPlaying dinosaurs and astronauts.

Now I’m waging war with violent video gamesLingering in my room to listen to loud music on my iPodNo more kisses, Mom, just the occasional hug will doCell phone in my pocket, waiting for a text message.

Growing up, memories fadingOf the little boy I used to beLooking forward to turning 13, 18, then 21Becoming the man I wish to be. Cameron Lee Grade 6

5

Me and My Tree

That blossom tree is more than a tree,It’s a little part of me.

Soon, soon its flowers will bloomAnd it will just be me, me and my tree.

The petals blow in the air,As I run around.

As the little petals fall, It’s a soothing sound.

And then there are green, green little leavesThat soon are falling off my tree.

In no time, it is barren, without protection,But it still has my affection.

I climb and climb up high in the tree,So I can really connect with

Me and my tree.Even when it’s withered and falling down,

I’ll always be there,I’ll always understand.

Emily Natbony Grade 6

Spiraling Crimson

Crisp, crimson cornered leaves spiral over carpets Of long, green grass,Grandmother willow weeps as she gazes atHer daughter’s brittle, bare branches,Flowers stretch up to stroke the blue veil Of sky embroidered with cotton clouds,Sharp needles scatter from fir spindles, Nestling smooth acorn shells from the oak treasury,A boulder, like a weathered whale, Washes in waves of rippling grass,Its grey, gouged back, layered in lichen.A mahogany squirrel sits upon a branchSurveying its domain. Viveka Kymal Grade 8

Colors of Nature

I change colors,Like a camouflaging chameleon.

From lime green to fiery red to bright orangeTo golden yellow to a crispy brown.

Changing continuouslyUntil the long thin arms let go of me,

And I fall.I float wherever the wind takes me,

Down to the ground,Or over the river,

Carried by the never ending current.I go wherever the wind takes me,

Wherever life takes me,Until one day I get absorbed by the soil.

Robby Kwong Grade 8

The Cycle of Life

It was a tee-shirt day in autumnThe trees were crimson, yellow,

chartreuse, jade, and olive.Crunch, crunch, crunch

Went the leaves like crinkling paperThe grass waved back and forthas the wind pushed against it.

Small yellow leaves fall like helicopters until they hit the ground. The clouds sat on the sky, watching the cycle of life. Julia Roth Grade 8

WORK URL 6

Seasons

Spring.Flowers blossom,Beautiful colors emerge.Warm weather and freshly cut grass.Leaves reappear and cover the lonely tree branches.Sniffles from spring allergies.

Summer.Scorching heat, smell of suntan lotion.Beaches, pools and dark tans appear all at once.Sandals and shorts find their way onto everyone’s bodies.Cool air-conditioning breezes against your body on a burning day.Sniffles from the crazy heat.

Fall.Shimmering golden leaves catch our eyes,Trees are stripped of their dignityAnd the ground is provided with another layer of protection.Sniffles to smell oak leaves.

Winter.A soft blanket of white snow covers the ground,The trees are even more bare.The sound of boots crunching on the snowOverlaps the sipping of hot chocolate with whipped cream andMarshmallows.Freezing cold wind pounding against your face like waves inA whirlpool.Many layers of clothing andSniffles from the cold air.

Seasons.The earth’s dramatic changes of life.

Jonny DorfGrade 7

Danielle HollidayGrade 6

WORK URL 7

Abigail StoneGrade 8

A Snow Covered Tree

Have You Ever Seen A snow Sky? Covered Tree? The Whose limbs Reach Towards Whose great shoulders House Tiny Thousands Upon Thousands Of White And Flakes Whose Many Who give Small holes Birth shelter To New Hundreds of cold, Leaves Needy, Every spring Animals Only to watch life take its toll on them, and die I have seen many Trees, but far less Than the tree in its long long life has Seen Seasons Come and go Year after Year She Watches As life is ever changing But the tree never changes, no, every winter she will be There, to collect New Snowflakes But times change, Trees never change, Never move Never move And are burnt And are cut To the ground Down And someday, people, may never see a snow covered tree again Julia Ross Grade 8

WORK URL 8

Crystal Night

It was a crystal night.When I looked outside, I saw the fairies of snow,

Everything was covered by the veil of snow.

It was a crystal night.When I closed my eyes, I heard the harmony of stars,

The velvety sky was covered with the stars.

It was a crystal night.When I went outside, I felt moonlight on my cheek,

The moon shone gently on the world of snow.

It was a crystal night.Iku Minohara

Grade 6

Weather Change

The wind blowing my face shutThe snow dropping, counting every last flake

The houses lit up from red lightssparkling more than the sun

from the view of an eagle’s eyeSavoring hot chocolate

Waiting for the hot sensationto drop down my throat

Winter to summerlike dawn to morn

The sun shining on my headTrying to pierce through the layers of my skin

Raining as if a giant has spilled a glass of waterthat never ends

Slowly sipping the ice cooled refreshmentswith a chill down my spine

Trying to catch a breath in the gorging sunSun blazing on the red skinscreaming out for its pain

Summer to winter, like morn to dawn

Michael WallachGrade 6

Hannah WeinsteinGrade 6

WORK URL 9

A Thought

Thinking. When you think about something unimportant, likewhat color game piece you want in a game of Candyland, that’s silly, for an 11 year-old or 12 year-old at least. But when youthink about more important things, you must think moreintensively. Consider the consequences. Consider the future.The Future. A Future. Is that determined by your point of view? Or is it determined by something else? Don’t I have todecide what I want to do in life? Don’t I have to think aboutwhat I want to pursue as my career? I hate thinking aboutthese things. The Future. But I love thinking about now...But Now will depend on Later. Emily Nishiwaki Grade 6

Point of View

You see hazel skies,I see cloudy eyes.

You see money growing on trees,I see evergreen thieves.

You see a dumb tale,I see a smart fail.

You see a groovy man,I see a funny van.

You see a beautiful situation,I see a sticky vacation.

You see the opposite of me,I see fun times three.

Our views are the same,But we have different names.

The difference is clear,But the similarities are here.

Megha NayarGrade 7

On Being Twelve

I turned tumultuous twelve in the sixth gradeHomework piling up to the size of mountainsBook bag so heavy my back was breaking

Late nights awake like an owl studying for a test

Taking on more responsibilitiesPutting away my clothesWildly wiping wet dishes

Taking out the trash

My body started changing like the leaves on the treesGrowing like a tree in the forest

Starting to play more sportsGetting gritty and grimy at the gym

Meeting new kidsGoing to parties

Playing games on the internet with new friendsOvernights with the boy scouts

I wonder what life will be like ten years from nowGraduating from college

Looking for a jobMaybe even starting my own family

Dominick GaglianoGrade 6

Jeff LeoneGrade 8

WORK URL 10

“Für sie Der Krieg ist Vorbei”(“For you the war is over”)

In memory of those who perished in German P.O.W. camps

The year?1941

Who am I?Your camp Kommandeur or commander.

Where are you?Welcome to luftstalag II

Name rank and serial number---

Where were you stationed?---

Not a talker, eh?Guard, help our friend learn to speak!!

Imagine you’re a British pilot during World War IIThe Germans got you

You’re a prisoner.Think jail, and then multiply how bad that is by ten thousand...

That is what a German P.O.W. camp was like.They march you outside in freezing weather, remove your jacket

They demand the location of where you were stationed,Your unit.

You tell them.BANG!

The guard shoots the ground near your feet“Hier ist ihre Über Mantel”

Here is your overcoat he exclaims with disgustYou hear him utter “UNWISSEND britischen”,

“Ignorant British”It hurts but you don’t give him the satsifaction

He then replies “Go to Hütte fünf bevor ich mache sie tot”Go to hut 5 before I shoot...

Then he rethinks, you see his evil smileYou are suddenly afraid

He loads and aims his weapon.You run.BANG!

You’re hit!File reports “shot while trying to escape”

Escape the prisoner of war camp,Never to be seen again.

Ben Schlur Grade 6

Ben SpinksGrade 6

Maxine LapointeGrade 6

WORK URL 11

My destinyMy survival

My fateMy legacy

My life

Of words?Of memories?Of prevention?

A witness who believesA moral obligation.

A chance to restrain an enemyFrom enjoying one last victory

By allowing his crimesTo be erased from human memory.

As a childAs a son

As a brotherAnd as a survivor.

I had no thoughtsNo anger

No plans of revengeNo futureNo sorrow

No weeping for lost loved ones.No, not yet.

But now,I believeI think

I reflectI grieve.

I sense their presence,That of my parents, my little sister,

my teachers, my friends,my companions...

And I forgiveAnd I have faith

In GodAnd in all of humanity.

I sworeI promised

To never forgetTo be a messenger

To speak outTo spread my storyTo fight oppression.

How can one?How can a human?

Have compassionHave sensitivity

Have regret.

If you could seeIf you could feel

If you could witnessWhat I faced

Then you would know.

The instinctsOf self-preservation

Of self-defenseOf pride

Had deserted us.We were souls,

Lost and starving souls,Wandering through time

All alone.

As long as one dissident is in prison,As long as one child is starving,

As long as one person is still abused,

We will not be free.

HungerThirstFear

TransportSelection

FireThese words

These sayingsThese common names

Took on a new meaning,One that was foreign,

And evil,And cruel.

The endThe liberationThe freedom

That I knew of notHad come

Had finally arrived.

Though when I looked in the mirror

When I saw myselfI witnessed a stranger

A corpseGazing back at meThe look in his eyesHas never left me.

In order for the cruel events of history to never occur again, witnesses and victims alike have to choose to remember incidents that they experienced. When people decide to remember and accept an occurrence that they witnessed, they can become messengers to humanity. Messengers to humanity pass on lessons that they have learned from historical events to future generations. Holocaust survivors must relay their experiences and messages to younger generations in order for people to be aware of the extreme persecution and abuse that the Jews faced. Therefore, one must choose to remember past experiences in order for the world to learn a lesson and for history not to repeat itself.

Rachel Wolfe & Maleeha ChidaGrade 8

Messenger of Memories

WORK URL 12

Yuki SugiharaGrade 6

Sick

Ugh! Stuck in my bedOh! Ouch, my head!

Can I have another tissue box,A few more cough drops?Stuffy noses, bad coughs

High fever, turn the heat off!

Wait, omigosh! I forgot again,I need to do my homework,May I please have a pen?

Pen is put to paper,To write a report

about water vapor.

Oh! Ouch, my head!I think I will rest in bed...

Again!Gaby Salvatore

Grade 7

On Turning Twelve

When I see my life like a video passing byI miss the days of games and fun

Where I could note the elements of whatPeople gave to me

At five I received lifeAt six I got meaning

At seven I got friendsAt eight I found knowledgeAt nine I learned wisdomAt ten I received anger

At eleven I became a loner

Now life is a jumble of everythingWhat I have seen, and what I have not

A universe of thoughts,Moving as one,

A cloud pulling me alongDragging me through the ground

But sometimes carrying meTo let me stop and remember

The good times

But being twelve will be the best yetBecause all the good times

Will follow meTo my new age

And through my lifeGordon Phoon

Grade 6

dear ella,

I just wanted to say,i’m sorry for leaving you outside All night,because I forgot you were there

it’s not that I don’t care about you,it’s just that you usually barkwhen you would like to return

i didn’t even know it was you,when you trotted into the house

when you left, your fur was goldenand when you caMe back in,you were brown from the mud

So, to cOmpensate you,i will give you thRee new scRumptious bones,and possiblY a squeaky toy,which i loathE, especiaLLy the duck,but you Adore

altogether, i’m sorryCaroline Levine

Grade 8

WORK URL 13

A Chorus of Change

ChangeComes from the heartIt lives in the promisesOf mother to child, father to sonIt is a promise of love and renewalThat could take one step closerTo togethernessYou must believe in yourself And belong to one’s promisesBefore change can happen

Change is the songbird’s call in the eveningAnd where the animals of the forestRespond, with hope in their hearts And strength in their voicesThe promise of a new dayA chorus of songA chorus of change

Change is an innovative ideaBrought together by the voice of thousandsWe must experience the horrors of todayAnd tomorrowTo truly understand that we as one Have the power and courageTo change

Abigail HaberGrade 6

The Brother

It was October the 15thof 1999

A brother wantedA best friend never expected

Winter sleds on the backyard H I

L L

Springtime walking in the parkSummer camping in the

basementAutumn sizzling fireplaces reading

Calvin and Hobbes

At Christmas you wereThe Leader of the reindeer;

Y L

You taught them to FAnd I was Queen of the elves

A Harry Potter fanA future architect at work

Arbitrary laughingJuMpInG off the walls from Sprite OVERDOSE

You save the environmentOne mini novel at a time

A lifetime supply of memoriesup

To keep me when I’m down

October 15th of 1999I peered through the tiny little window

with tiny little babies“Which one is he?” I asked

And there you wereCenter right

Yellow blanketEyes shut

My new best friend.Solange Azor

Grade 8

Lauren HendelGrade 7

WORK URL 14

Standing absentmindedly,Blank thoughtsThe only sounds--birdsChirping their way to a new life

Who would have knownIt could be so wonderful

A gentle breezeBrushed my faceBut the blazing sun continued

The swaying treesWhispered my nameYet to knowIt was just beginning

And far beyondThe beautiful lakes and streamsThis new doorway to lifeWas spring

Alison BauersfeldGrade 6

The Mist

The mist is comingFrom the summit of the mountain,

Like the white yarnThe mist fairy leaves behind.The mist is white like milk,

As smooth as silk.It’s all dim in the entire world,

But everything is enjoyingThe beauty the nature gives.

While the wind touchingOur face gently,

The mist is blown awayIt becomes thin,And sinks slowly.

Suddenly,All the mist is gone,

You can see the crystal skyAnd the beautiful sun.

Cherie XuGrade 6

Adventure

See the earth so round and bold now active with adventure.

Soon to be a lifeless ground with death, pollution, and no adventure.

The earth is one and only onewith our responsibility,

so open your mind and see the earthfor more to come and more adventure.

The leaves which fall now every fallare graceful and so still.

Soon to be no leaves at allwhich vanished through our will.

We pollute and take greedily,we people we just are.

But if we care and see this worldwe might just realize

that this is our job and only ours.

The grass grows and flowers bloom,enlightening our earth with joy.

But if we don’t care and just pollutethese creatures and plants will no longer be.

So help the planet and let it growwith lively things around the globe.

Now help this earth forever nowand see the happiness which we grow.

This active earth with adventurewill soon be no earth at all

which vanished through our actions.

Naomi Haber Grade 6

Isabel KurzbanGrade 7

WORK URL 15

The Frozen Lake

The branches on a bare yew,like crystal obelisks,touch the lake’s surface.A mirror that quivers at every touch is no more.The pond is now covered with ice,frozen still,peculiarly serene.

The lake is so opaque,yet not enough;for I can see its fearof the slightest touch.Deep beneath the ice,it trembles.

I feel so dominant.This lake is so much bigger than I,yet it is terrified by my presence.

Sam RosnerGrade 6

The WondersThat Lay Beneath the Ice

The ice shimmeredAnd glowedBeneath My feet

The cold airBurned my cheekAs I twirled My wayAround the ice

Gusts ofBroken iceFollowed meAround the rink

My speedBegan to growMy bladesMade thick lines thatTwirled after me

I kicked offThe groundJust like I wasFlying in the airAnd thenI landedThe iceRose beneath my feetAs I skated alongInto the distance

Katherine GuerneyGrade 6

The Moon

The crescent glowsI grab it

ButIt floats away

From my cold hands

Rick GoodmanGrade 6

Samara JacobsonGrade 6

WORK URL 16

Dawn Will Come

We watch the lonely sunsetOver the gently lakeThe reflection of the sun is fadingLeaving us with the cool, summer breeze

Over the small rocks, water crashesSlowly, deliberatelyNothing else is disturbedNothing else is moved

The sun’s last lightIs leakingThrough the miniscule cracksOf the pine trees

One last streakOf purple cloudsThen the day is doneSoon, dawn with come

Gillian LubinGrade 6

Being Eleven

A lonesome beach was sleeping under the night skyThe serenity of the soundless night was soothing and relaxingA barefoot boy floated onto the warm sandThe sand was like his mom’s homemade chocolate chip cookiesIt made him feel as if nothing could touch himThe waves in the water were low and solemnThe boy picked up a rock and tossed it into the oceanHe noticed the ripple in the water start to expandBut soon descend and turn to nothingHe tossed another rock into the oceanIt skimmed the waterIt bounced across the ocean like a boy bouncing on a trampolineThere was no ripple in the water this timeHe turned around and went homeLeaving the stray beach to restThe whole time walking home he was thinking“I am lucky to only be eleven”

Justin CooperGrade 6

Army After Army

From far away With all their might Despite defeatThe ocean stirs They stand up straight The violent seaAnd starts to build Revealing Will neverIts mighty forces Their power Give upCamouflaging its strength And start to charge Sending armyIn the peace Against their invaders After armyOf the distant sea In hopeless thought But once they reach Of victoryCloser A certain pointAnd They trip over the shorelineCloser And fallPreparing FlatFor attack With a crash Their downfall Heard from miles Marie Ceske Grade 6

WORK URL 17

Sky Dragon

Flying, swooping,Tall grass and butterfly bushes are nothing for this flyer.It’s nature’s helicopter,With wings glossy as stained glass windows.It only stops for a rest,Waits a second,And is off again.A rainbow takes flight.Humming,Diving in elegance,The dragonflyHas performed today.

Elena Ludwig Grade 6

Dreams

People dream,Others dream but not hard enoughYou have to not only know,but feel your dreamLike the wind blowing past youon a hot summer day,it stays for a few seconds,but fades and softens,like something silvery and smooth melting in your mouth,liquid chocolatebut soon,it’s not even there,gone,not more time to savor,or rescue,or regain power,no more dreams.

When you have the chancedon’t wait,take it.Dreamers dream,realists dream,but some follow through,others stay,become cowards,it is how and why you dream.

Do you dream soft,like hot fluffy pancakes your dad makes you on Sunday morning,with warm syrup?it’s what and how you dream,melting on the roof of your mouth,the aroma is so strong it fills the air with joy and playfulness,it will be eaten soon, gone.Or do you dream hard,like a sliver of moon,it will always be there,but will it always be visible,covered in storm clouds,or will it be a full moon,fully visible,you can almost take it out of the sky and eat it, like a cookie?

So think about how you dream,don’t think too hard,or think it’s silly,it will guide you toa passage,a mystery,an unknown secret,be your dream.

Rachel HaberGrade 6

Kaitlin DoyleGrade 6

WORK URL 18

A Shattered Night (Haiti, 2010)

How did a night, calm, creamy grey,Take so many lives away?What was it Mother Nature soughtTo wreak the trauma that she brought?For, by dawn, all earth did shatterScraping joy from life’s sweet platter,Breaking, battering buildings downLike soldiers falling to the ground.Why, on that cursed, blackened eveDid children’s laughter cease to be?And leave air, choked with orange dustAlready filled with broken trust.Duvalier leached its worth away,Only disaster seems to stayLeaving many empty holesupon the ground and in their souls.What fault was there in peaceful sleepThat woke these innocents to weepOver the crippled and the dead,Lacking limbs and drenched in red.Lying on the filthy floorWith bandages, and nothing more,Hoping that they will surviveAnd that their families are alive.The whole world wonders, will they cope?One cannot merely live on hope.

Viveka KymalGrade 8

We Must Remember

The witness has forced himself to testifyHaving lived through this experience

He could not keep silentHe had no right

To depriveFuture generations

Of a past that belongsTo our collective memory

We must remember.

His duty was to bear witnessFor the dead and living

To leave behind a legacy of wordsOf memories

To help prevent history From repeating itself

Silence encourages the tormentor,Never the tormentedTo forget the dead

Would be akinTo killing them a second time

We must remember.

The witness has triedTo keep the memory alive

To fight those who would forgetTo prevent the enemy

From enjoying one last victoryBy allowing his crimes

To be erased from human memoryIf we forget,

Then we are guilty,We are accomplices

For in the end,It is all about memory,

Its sources, its magnitude,And, its consequences

We must remember.

Ben Ulene & Noah KlaymanGrade 8

Eliot SernauGrade 7

WORK URL 19

The Taste of Haiti

A building collapsesLike a set of Dominoes Like the Twin Towers

A sight of horror

A woman shrieksLike the screams in a stadium

Like the brakes of a carA sound of horror

A man searches for his loved oneLike a hunt for forgiveness

Like the seeking of a lost puppyA feeling of horror

A child is surrounded by smokeLike the odor of a skunk

Like the stench of sewageA smell of horror

200,000 diedMore to be discovered

Unthinkable

Jonathan PotterGrade 8

Revisiting the Past

Years ago it came into my handsAnd years ago I thought I’d always know where it was,

I’d always have it on hand.Years ago I dropped it into the desk drawer,

And years ago, it was on top,And I’d see it whenever I heaved

that heavy drawer open.My desk is a cluttered, crowded place.And when it comes time to try to tidy it,

The decisions must be made.Who will go, and who will stay?

Will this one live out another term?Should it be taken away?

Its path is decided, and it goes back in the drawer.The fate of a possession is never sealed

In circumstances such as these.

Waiting eagerly in a dark drawer like a prisoner,The possession becomes anxious and nervous when

The cell is opened, not yet ready to be rearranged.The possession is left in the drawer, unmoved.

That possession may never be moved,May be found again and again,

Time after time,And its location may never be changed.

It may earn the same spot in the same drawerEvery single time.And after a while,You start to like it.

You begin to enjoy forgetting about something,So you can surprise yourself

And encounter it yet another time,And stumble upon the memories it holds.

Isaac GoluboffGrade 8

WORK URL 20

Roots

I am from the cookie jarFrom a PS3 and a remote control car

I am from the white colonialFilled with the smell of brewing coffee

I am from the morning gloriesThe river birch

Whose majestic limbs reachmightily into the sky

I’m from Sudoku’s and flat feetFrom Steve and Jo Ann

I’m from marathons and Wall StreetAnd from making birdie on the 18th hole

in Naples, FloridaI’m from “get out of the sink”

and “don’t pee in the air conditioning vent”And “Hey Bulldog”

I’m from fishing in the pondI’m from Scarsdale and Poland

Borscht and PierogisFrom Warsaw, my grandmother

hiding in grandfather clocksduring the Holocaust

And my grandfather, VicIn my heart

Zack Month Grade 8

The End of the Tripp Lake Story Book

Memories have spread along the twisted roadAnd the pages filled with memories and momentsShe will cherish for a lifetimeBut it is the last page of the bookAnd it is time for her to leave campShe remembers the first pageAs a new camper stepping off the busWith an excited feeling to see campYet eager to meet her new friends in her bunkBut it is time for her to go homeLeaving the best friends she has madeKnowing that the sun will rise tomorrowAnd she will step onto the coach busShe will promise to come back somedayThe memories will never fadeThe final visions of camp overwhelm herBut the promised land is out of her reach

Ali KassGrade 7

Packing up

Packing up,It’s time to go

Not evenThe swing dares sway

To and fro.

Packing itself,It’s what hurts

It’s how it signifiesThat we are leavingThe vacation dirt.

Back to work, school and stressTrying hard to progress

The huge weight of lifeBack on my shoulder

There is nothing inThe world that could feel much colder.

Kathryn GarrisiGrade 7

Lewis GottliebGrade 8

WORK URL 21

Fever

At a time when the sun bursts under skin,Sheets become limbs that can trap and mock a child,

Needles prick at tender throat from within,And health in body weakened and exiled.But hark, for the sound of footsteps arise,

A skimming touch at the forehead, most cool.Along with a gentle warmth to sooth cries,

For only this fire can battle flames most cruel.Carefully she attends while others flee,

Equally out of her duty and love,She will promise, smiling comfortingly,

To remain with you through ills undreamed of.With endless patience she comes when we fall,

The mother, truly the dearest of all.

Chloe SoaresGrade 8

Water Slide

Swooooosh!The walls next to me

Just a blur.Golden light

Poured into the narrow tunnelLighting the way.Splash! I landed

In the water,Glub! The air bubbles

Coming out of meRise to the surface.

Shhhhhhh!The water streamsOut of the pipesInto the water.

As I proceeded out,The bitter cold

Seemed to cling to meSucking the essence

Out of my soul.Ahh! Heat seeps through my body

From a towel,Giving me strength,And defeats the evil

Bitter cold.Timothy Zhao

Grade 6

Now You Are Dancing

Tip-tap, pitter patFalap, falap, falap

Feel the tempo and the beatTap around and move your feet

Plié, chasseBalance as you relevé

Have grace and posture in balletPirouette, fondu, piqué

Step and slapStomp, shuffle, clap

Grasp the rhythm of the songWhen you’ve got it, step along

Pop it, and dropPivot, spin, and hip-hop

Feel the groove inside of youTime to shine; it’s your debut

Tip-tap, pitter patPlié, chasse

Step and slapPop it, and drop

Now you are dancingAli MelnickGrade 8

Wylie BergGrade 6

WORK URL 22

On Being Eleven

Like a bicycle built for two,We pedal towards the future,Steady but unsure.As we go up the ages,The steeper the hill gets.The winding roads may knock one of us down,But we need to keep pedaling together.

Like a bicycle built for two,There is no race.It is time to take off the Barbie helmet,And the training wheels.Our older sister will always be thereTo lead the way.

Like a bicycle built for two,In between child and teenager,Is like the decision for one way or another.My twin sister and I will go through life,Switching off who is in the front or back of the bicycle.Through the bumps in the road,Our strength in supporting each other,Will overtake life’s challenges.

But a bicycle built for one,Has to find a way on its own.

Emily BerkGrade 6

7th Grade

Nasty or nice, it’s simply a choiceWhether or not to have a voiceBe an up stander or don’tBecause some people won’tWorkload gets harderStress load goes fartherAs we choose the path we want to takeWe decide what to make

Elena Sonnenfeld &Delilah Chamlin

Grade 7

451

Chipped paintand scratches all over the place

Making the bright pink lockwith the white numbers

stand out like a rose among thornsAltogether, very small but organized

Locker 451The home of my books

Too narrow to shove books intoBut somehow

Big enough for people to draw on itWith unused hooks that used to be gray

But nowSomehowTurned redLocker 451

The home of my books

Calculators, graph paper, looseleaf sheetsUnused colored pencils

BackpackEarmuffs and a jacket

On the bottom of the locker, ignored by the worldLocker 451

The home of my booksKyra Kline

Grade 8

Sleep

Lying in a soft warm bedA million thoughts surround my head

I close my eyes and see a worldWhere all my dreams begin to twirl

There in my mind I knit as oneAnything from friends to funYet as I look around I know

My wondrous world for now must go‘Cuz as I reach to grasp the prize

The lights flash on and I cover my eyes.

Caroline LevineGrade 8

WORK URL 23

The Damage Words Can Do

She is not who people see her to be,she is beautiful, smart, funny, energeticbut someone, some people call herkooky, weirdthey don’t knowwhat lies withinthe terrors she had to go throughbeing ripped bit by bit is painfulso what’s it likeit’s likea knifestabbing youin your heart, your soulbut slowly pulling inpulling outnot stoppingshe felt aloneno sleepno eatno nothingsadness was her only friendand sadness was meanhorriblebut depression was worseshe felt depressiondepression tricked hershe thought, “I feel no painwith depression”but againa knifeslowly pulling in and outslowly ripping her apart

She overcame this, you’ve see hershe’s happy she’s alive, she’s freeand instead of letting the knifeslowly pull in and outshe, instead of befriending sadnessand letting in depressionmade a new life

Happiness made her heal, her heart, her soul...the scars, they’re still there, because this taught her“no one can step on me”

So what you see now is the energetic, happy, enthusiastic girl...but the sensitive, easily harmed one is still in there...

She knows what one drop of overpowering sadness can do,the kind that clouds up your clear glass of happiness,it clouds it up so much you can’t see what’s important,what’s good in your life again,she’ll fade

But wait, don’t make fun of her, she’s happy for a reason,she’s what she needs to be,for herself, for no one else...without happiness, her life is bleak: a desert, a snowstorm,there’s nothing to see,she loves her friends and family,and her relationships make her stronger, happier, andthe happier her soul is, the less scars show.

This girl is fun, this girl knows people,this girl has battle scars,

This girl is me.

Daniella RodriguezGrade 7

Carina SpiroGrade 8

WORK URL 24

Life in a Box

Looking around you may findthings you have left behindThis door is what you have been looking forThere are pictures of friends

upon the walls

Some big and some small

Composition books stayWhile flash cards fly awaySweatshirts hangingBackpack danglingWhile the mirror watches it all

Molly GlassGrade 8

Bulletin Board

Pushpins, a beaded yellow braceletmade by a friend whose nameI can’t recall,

A thank you card from years agomessy handwritingand spelling mistakesobviously rushedbut sweet,

A meaningful poemwhich I admireevery day whenI do my homeworkthe wordsmatter-of-facttruebut so strange

A Jets ticketa Mets ticketa pink flowerwhose place of originis unknown,

Two dogspinned andstiffbut still lovable,

A postcard from Argentinatoilet paper from a showorigami,

A collection of odds and endstogetherreminding meof what’s happenedand what’s to come.

Lauren AlpertGrade 8

Victoria BeizerGrade 8

WORK URL 25

Who Are You Really?

Now you are here,But soon you won’t be.I always want you near,Not far away from me.

I will remember all the good times and bad,All the laughs and cries we shared,

I will never forget the hard life you’ve had,I don’t want to lose you, for I am scared.

Once you are gone I will be nothing,Overtaken by hurt and sorrow,

Only when you’re here am I something,If there is anything you need, you can borrow.

I never really knew who you were,Just what you’ve become,

A lost soul in a field of nothing,Why is it that it affects close to none?

Alzheimer’s.Who knew that it could completely change a person?

And why did that person have to be you?

I still have hopes that it could be cured.I still have dreams that I could meet you for the first time.

I still have a chance, but not so big,To know who you are, not just some fig.

It’s only getting worse, not better.You’re forgetting who I am

You’re forgetting who you are.Why does it seem that we are so far?

The memories that we shared,Will last a lifetime.For they are yours,And they are mine.

Grandpa,Once you are gone and no longer in my reach,

Just know that I love you,Even if I’m hard to reach.

Ariel TzamarotGrade 7

WORK URL 26

WORK URL 27

Editorial StaffHannah CoopermanMelinda GarciaYuki SekineCarolyn StrauchVictoria Tomalin

Faculty AdvisorPeggy Fox

English DepartmentJim AndreskiLisa BryanAlex CampbellKathleen ConnonDenise DelBalzoBrian FisherJanie FitzgeraldPeggy FoxCara HillerJonathan HilpertMarjorie RossMarci RothmanTrish SerafinDavid Wixted

Special ThanksMichael McDermottLarry ChatzinoffRochelle HaugeDenise CassanoLinda FisherMiriam Freedman-CarmenAmy Scharf and the Scarsdale Middle School PTA

Cover ArtworkAnshi Barmecha,Simon Brovender

Carina GuptaGrade 8

Claudia LaurieGrade 8

Many thanks to Ken Holvig for his efforts to help us produce

our on-lineLiterary Magazine!

Victoria SperottoGrade 8

WORK URL 28