Elizabeth Ragsdale, Southside High School
You are a moth surrounded by beautiful butterflies
Swatted away, unloved and uncared for
Smashed by a hand,
Screams in the distance
All you yearned for was love
Surely someone out there loves a moth?
You don't flutter over tulips with the bees
You rest in the dark away from civility
Your antennae aren't skinny and graceful
They are gross and large,
But they help you navigate at night, don't they?
So, why judge your presence?
Someone out there admires you,
They want to hold you and protect your delicate wings
Provide your needs and watch you fly
You are a beautiful moth surrounded by butterflies
Layla Daniel, Southside High School
Tomorrow is full of light
The sun will rise
After the dark night
Tomorrow is a prize
The light gets brighter every day
As you stray farther from gray
You grow closer to the light
As you put up the fight
Eventually, you will reach the goal
Then feel so swole
Tomorrow is full of light
Give it all your might
Eva Turner, Southside High School
I stood before the mortared stone way
Hesitant of the perilous journey ahead
Knowing that i’m forbidden to stay
Facing the path those before me once dread
Traveling to the unknown
The future calling me with whispers so sweet
The past i’ve known fading from view
Each step a greater struggle echoing under my aching feet
Urging toward the hope of something new
Traveling to the unknown
Stumbling over my own feet trying to keep steady
Looking back at the faces of those I used to love
Inquiring the voice whom told me I was ready
The world around me spinning my head towards above
Traveling to the unknown
A few steps more to find the better me
Afraid of that which makes me feel as if I were sinning
Clearer and clearer that I can finally see
Disappointed because the end just leads to another beginning
Finally finding the unknown
Macie Hull, Southside High School
A blaze of glory at first light
Adaption of life from what was night
Rays of gold in our sight
When suddenly appears, oh, so bright
Out of the dark without fright
Beginning of a new dawn is what is right
To hope, to dream, I just might
For future comes with the light
Londyn Helm, Southside High School
If i'm being honest
Tomorrow is never promised.
The sun may not shine
And these words may never rhyme
Oh, but never think that way
I hope tomorrow will be a beautiful day
I hope that maybe you'll see it bright
Never doubt tommorows light
Tommorow's light
Last night as i went to bed
When i laid my head on my bed
I feel into a sleep
My mind is spiraling deep
It was a stunning view
The grass, the hills, a bluejay flew.
I dream that one day this’ll be real
I dream that one day this is my future and I'll feel.
Tommorow's light
I know that i have a future
I know that i have a light
I know that the stars shine bright tonight
I know i can do that
I know i can do this
Tomorrow's light filled with hopefulness
Milleigh Thompson, Southside High School
Dreams that shine
As bright as the night sky
Are kept very dearly as much as a white lie
These dreams for the future are far ahead
As the newly found confidence hidden within my head
My plans for the future and peaceful and bright
They show that there is no need for fright
So as I dream these composed thoughts
I sit and wonder about my bright future ahead
Aubrey Hedgepeth, Southside High School
“I’m counting on you.”
The pressure only started from there.
Ever since I was a child,
I’ve gone to great lengths to prove myself to others.
I’ve heard it all– words of praise, approval, congratulations and condolences.
But it was never enough.
Each completed task wasn’t a moment of pride for myself,
but an anxious wait for what was next.
What hills would I climb in the future?
Would I continue to raise others expectations,
Or would I inevitably make a mistake?
I always believed the first failure would be scary.
It was really the opposite.
I finally realized that nobody would think of me as any less for not succeeding for once.
I still try my best, but I know I don’t have to worry what others will think if I make a mistake.
I no longer fear, but embrace the risk of failure.
Like a ray of sunshine, reaching down to the deepest of my roots,
Planting new beliefs into my mind, now positive instead of nerve-wracking.
All it takes is one step to accept it.
Roxie Jane Knight, Southside High School
Hope is a light.
Many possess this,
Without putting up a fight.
Feeling this brings a sense of bliss
Hope can make one’s future bright,
As if it’s a kiss.
Hope can hold one tight,
While staring into the abyss.
Many may have hope,
Though it could result in a slippery slope.
Hope is a feeling
Which can help while healing.
Hope is kind,
When you are in your right mind.
Hope is helpful
Even while dreadful
Addi Middlebrooks, Southside High School
Tomorrow’s light
Makes today’s darkness seem gloom
Though the feeling may seem slight,
It can feel like one’s doom
Through the struggle
One may seem down
Many will juggle
With feeling like a clown
Tomorrow's light can outshine
Today’s darkness like a vine
One may cower,
But in the end they feel power
Even in the hardness
One may say,
That today’s darkness
Shines at the end of the day
Collin Garner, Southside High School
I have a dream for myself
One that no one could guess
It is so unpredictable it's like seeing an elf
It's one thing I need to confess
I need to improve my mental state
And I might not get there
Not at this rate
This thing has always bothered me it's kinda like a glare
So Collin are we there
Or did we lose
Lost by just the tip of a hair
But wait with our intelligence do we get to choose
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