Anonymous Samples of Creative Writing
New York, Chicago, Miami or LA
Where do I even want to stay?
Before that choice, I must recall
The stack of apps that is much too tall
September, October and November all on hold
To write essays and supplements that must be bold
Tedious work, and barely any time for play
All I want is a finished essay
Second semester being such a tease
I wish I could put my nerves at ease
------------------------------------------------
OPPOSITE
New York, Chicago, Miami or LA
Where do I even want to stay?
Making that choice is oh so easy
My apps were done in a breezy
September, October, November purely for fun
Since my essays are now completely done
Zero work, so much time for friends
I hope this non-stressful chapter never ends
First semester, so at ease
----------------------------------------
And fizz and pop and whir and swoosh—oh, look!
And board and nuts and glue and fins—it endured!
And swerve and twist and whirl and spin—it shook!
And glide and pitch and float and fall—all’s secured.
But stay—please stay, above my head—just ride!
But soar—please soar, around your sky—just fly!
OPPOSITE: But oh my gosh, the trickling sparks climb up my body and I start to wail at the inevitable, the unjust, and the fated. And suddenly I’m soaring up into the air, my chest winded by the piercing altitude, my stomach-churning from the rush, and my heart exploding from the adrenaline pumping through my body, tube.
-------------------------------
Slowly I stepped into a huge florescent cloud. Blurs and stretches of untainted and ruined life slid by me. Was I untainted or ruined life to them? In the midst of hearing that I was going to fall out of the cloud I saw my Grandparents walking down the hall towards me. Tears filled my Grandpas eyes. In that moment he saw me as ruined life. I knew it could be a lot worse. I was untainted life. Letting go of my thoughts, I fell. While free falling, a wheeling office chair was pushed under me like a knight in shining amour.
----------------------------------------------
The Ocean’s there for swimming
Stop pretending that it’s more
“A sea so full and brimming”
Yeah, yeah where have I heard that before?
Yes my feet leave footprints
I don’t think anything of it
It’s really just coincidence
Quite Frankly, I’m above it
I’m not going to sit here and tell myself a lie
That I can make a mark before I lay down and die
Why would I want to be a tree?
It never travels places
--------------------------------
Suddenly, the animal, aided by gravity, jumps off the tan jeep. It is
agile, strong, protective, and irascible. Irascible because I have
altered his world, threatened his family, his land, where he hunts and
plays, loves and lays. We both are standing alone. He is much
stronger, but I am much smarter. However, I trade my wits for a
momentary boost in strength, and for a moment, I am strong like him. A
release of adrenaline and feral fear propels my body to run, absent of
thought or emotion. I am savage, beast-like, one with my surroundings.
This is nature and I had been absent of its whim until now. So here I
am, running with aid of fervor and terror. My shoes restrict my speed,
punishing me for bearing the skin of his acquaintance. The required,
neutral-colored safari pants-- supposed to help me blend in with the
savannah-- only further hinder me, as the tough material curtails the
length of my stride. The step of my foot is loud and clumsy. His is
light and quiet, causing me to turn my head to see if he was still
behind me.
------
But she’s not in LA. She’s in Lebanon. A man in front of her is just trying to cross the street. Wait, why is he running back? He ran back onto the street, in front of the car!
Mother, my life is over. Ali found out that the real reason I can’t go to Chloe’s party is because you grounded me and she is telling everyone. Did you know a lack of social skills can impede scholastic success? Just watch, you will be the reason I will be forced to spend four years at Santa Monica Community College.
The girl watches in awe as the man is crying. He’s a good thirty feet away from her van now, but she feels him more than she has ever even felt herself. Four shots are fired toward him within seconds, but for her, its years.
-----
I had never walked around New York by myself before and definitely never taken a taxi alone either. There was no backing out on my first task to go buy “Congratulations” cards for who knows who. Not having a smart phone and not sure if the cards were congratulating someone on a new baby or graduating school. I just left the office as quickly as I could and ran around till I found the nearest card store. They told me it was only two blocks away, and of course I first walked in the opposite direction.
iCreate
Book of Poetry by Dr. Forman’s Sunrise Class
An Ode to the Rocket by Alexandra Eicher
And fizz and pop and whir and swoosh—oh, look!
And board and nuts and glue and fins—it endured!
And swerve and twist and whirl and spin—it shook!
And glide and pitch and float and fall—all’s secured.
But stay—please stay, above my head—just ride!
But soar—please soar, around your sky—just fly!
But sweep—please sweep, amid your clouds—just dive!
But sail—please sail, across your gales—just glide.
So droop and sink and cease and slump—bye bye,
As you had your time way up there to thrive.
Admitted by Julianne Goldmark
New York, Chicago, Miami or LA
Where do I even want to stay?
Before that choice, I must recall
The stack of apps that is much too tall
September, October and November all on hold
To write essays and supplements that must be bold
Tedious work, and barely any time for play
All I want is a finished essay
Second semester being such a tease
I wish I could put my nerves at ease
Admitted Part 2: Opposite Day by Julianne Goldmark
New York, Chicago, Miami or LA
Where do I even want to stay?
Making that choice is oh so easy
My apps were done in a breezy
September, October, November purely for fun
Since my essays are now completely done
Zero work, so much time for friends
I hope this non-stressful chapter never ends
First semester, so at ease
I feel sorry for the others; I’m such a tease
The Rocket’s Ode Back to You Engineers by Alexandra Eicher
It’s time, oh my gosh, that dreadful time where I am to be unrightfully poked, prodded, and stuffed full of smelly insulation. Yep, it’s that unfair time again where I am to be lit on fire, shot 1000 feet into the freezing morning air, and then ripped in half. All to happen multiple times today, no matter how much I protest, hide, or visualize the igniters getting lost.
And oh my gosh, now they load me onto the steel rod that ensures my inescapable torture, unimaginable demise, and alarming severing of limbs. I can’t help but feel like this launch pad is a cross and I am being displayed for all those sadistic model rocket enthusiasts’ eyes to see as I will myself to sputter, to fight the inevitable, to not ignite.
But oh my gosh, the trickling sparks climb up my body and I start to wail at the inevitable, the unjust, and the fated. And suddenly I’m soaring up into the air, my chest winded by the piercing altitude, my stomach-churning from the rush, and my heart exploding from the adrenaline pumping through my body, tube.
Damn you, Estes*.
*Estes is a well-renowned model rocket motor manufacture
Untitled
By Chloe Boasberg
A dark face shoots in my direction as a tough paw moves toward the scrawny frame of my fourteen-year old body. I shrink back, fear dropping into the pit of my stomach. From inside the sheltered jeep, a baboon sighting would have inspired awe and intrigue, but outside of the Jeep’s protective realm, it fills me with a sickening horror. I look over to my mother, who is with my father dealing with passport information, as my sister follows them intently. The guide is also with them, translating to the Tanzanian employees, so I am left, alone. There are many cars surrounding me as I stand close to our Jeep, where the beast is angered, ready to pounce on his next victim. Surely, with all those cars, there must be someone who is witnessing the baboon's prelude to attack? But no, its just me. A startling bang shakes me from my deep thoughts of the baboon’s stern stance.Suddenly, the animal, aided by gravity, jumps off the tan jeep. It is agile, strong, protective, and irascible. Irascible because I have altered his world, threatened his family, his land, where he hunts and plays, loves and lays. We both are standing alone. He is much stronger, but I am much smarter. However, I trade my wits for a momentary boost in strength, and for a moment, I am strong like him. A release of adrenaline and feral fear propels my body to run, absent of thought or emotion. I am savage, beast-like, one with my surroundings. This is nature and I had been absent of its whim until now. So here I am, running with aid of fervor and terror. My shoes restrict my speed, punishing me for bearing the skin of his acquaintance. The required,neutral-colored safari pants-- supposed to help me blend in with the savannah-- only further hinder me, as the tough material curtails the length of my stride. The step of my foot is loud and clumsy. His is light and quiet, causing me to turn my head to see if he was still behind me. As I look, I see a gap form between the ground and his small feet. I will soon be his prey. I turn my head back forward, preparing for the inevitable, when I see the haughty figure of Hadji, the safari guide. Hadji is a man who acts with authority, but has a sweet disposition. He can spot a camouflaged animal in the thick jungle and recite all its attributes. Hadji has three kids and a wife, about whom he often speaks. He is soft and gentle with we foreigners, who don't know the ways of the jungle. But here, he knows how to act, how to rule in a wild place, how to have strength and force in a place without words. He puts his two fingers in his mouth, releasing a haunting sound. The light, beguiling footstep of the beast ceases. I am panting, but the beast his not. The baboon slowly walks away, returning to all fours. He is down, a declining posture. He lost. Lost to the mighty human. The impostor, against whom he has no defenses.
Imitation of Elizabeth Barret Browning’s How do I Love Thee by Gina Ahmar
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways
I love thee to the underlying human beneath
Your astuciously ascetic shield;
I love thee to be the bearer of your uncultivated heart,
And the warden of your masked fragility.
I love thee deeply; deep into thy secretly sacred emotion
Yet not sparingly; I cede my own sword for thy surrender.
And I too love thee the way men strive for right:
Enough to endure struggle’s pain for desire
And with will that extends past the pretty pleasures of love.
Alone by Gina Ahmar
Is this what karma feels like? I mean
Saying I’m tired, not sad, I’m fine, just
Tired, so they leave me alone.
Even though I don’t want to be left alone
I just want someone , anyone, but no—
The right person, currently unknown, to
Object and stay and fill the void that was
Dug by the gradual loss of
Myself.
And crying at home after dark and
Putting on the widest smiles during
Those ten long hours of judgment and
Frustration and feeling like I’m on the outside
When I’m really so far inside
That they have something over me
That they have something over me
They have part of me and they
Won’t let it go. So are you okay?
I’m fine, still me, I think, just
Tired, I tell them, so they
Leave me
Alone.
Lets work our way down by Paris Baille
Lets work our way down
To make things a little more clear.
Take off that fake crown
It’s okay to shed a tear.
Lets start with your head-
Filled with smarts and imagination.
But yours I dread!
You hide your beauty with faces of temptation
What is painted on your face?
The mask that hides your true beauty
Does not give you more grace.
You’ve forgotten its duty -
This time take off your mask
and use that hidden knowledge.
Now your shoulders-
Is that a slouch?
Roll them back with the right confidence
That will not turn you back into the grouch.
Don’t use those models for reference.
Look at powerful women,
Grace and dominance in their stance.
They aren’t trying to seduce the businessmen .
Stop trying to put them in a trance.
Stand up straighter to not lose your self.
Your chest-
Your seducing in the wrong way
Is it okay to show that much?
Stop putting them on display.
I know you love the touch
But save that privilege for the right one
Once you have your love
Then you are never done
They are for your belove
Don’t waste that advantage away.
Next, your arms-
So long and graceful
Wrapping around all the boys
Yes, to them it is delightful
But you’ve lost your poise.
How does that make you feel?
To allow your arms to be free
Those feelings can’t be real
This is no flirtatious spree
Hold them perfectly in their place.
Your hips-
What I desire the least.
Side to side, seducing
From west to east
There to induce
All the men in the room.
Stop the rocking!
You’re not fully in bloom!
Do you like the men honking?
There is no reason to hide them, just keep that control.
Then your legs-
So long and desirable
There’s no reason that you shouldn’t show
But there is an amount shown that is most undesirable
There is a lot you don’t know.
Cover them up enough
To still have that self respect
Stop making this rough
You sometimes look like a wreck
With your spider legs so revealed.
Last, your feet-
Don’t those shoes hurt?
They look like contraptions from hell
How do they make you more like a flirt?
Do they help you put them under your spell?
I am curious
It is obvious that you can’t walk
No, take this seriously
How is this a sudden shock?
Take them off and let your feet breath
You have forgotten what you are for.
Don’t take my advice for granted.
I’m not here to bore.
I can tell that your path is slanted,
Yet I am not going to help straighten it
That is your duty
Don’t let things split.
Where’s your natural beauty?
What is it about? by Madeline Baldi
Ignorant and therefore brave,
taking her first steps
Loved and therefore sensitive,
caring for everyone else
Taurus and therefore stubborn,
not willing to take no for an answer
In awe of the man that looks just like her
Attached to the women that she will grow up to mirror
Infatuated by the boy that has already started to shape her interest and views
The one to grabbed her foot when she woke up from a nightmare
The one to scream as she jumped off the tree and onto the huge swing
Passy was gone and she searched endlessly for it
It was her first recollection of being told no
The concept of losing irreplaceable things came fast for her
She saw change coming in her life when he was no longer there every night
She cried and cried as he held her in her arms, “you’ll always be my little girl” he said
Although she continued to grow in all ways she never forgot it
Sweet little feet pounded against the floor
Bad dreams
A fear of the dark
In the light gentle thoughts danced through her mind
Nobody asked her for anything but to enjoy life
and so she did
Leaps and jumps and dancing on her tippy toes
It was about time she was told to let her dolls go
He said, she said drove her nuts
Almost as much as when her parents said "no buts"
The sweet faded
The sass came
From fun to motivation
From motivation to dedication
Dedication was a starting position
A starting position was everything
Everything was winning
Winning became addicting
The thrill and pride was irreplaceable
Priorities soon fell into place
Her studies didn't always bring a smile to her face
Everyone's expectations seemed hard to obtain
Being told to do things perfectly drove her insane
She continued to laugh freely and did not thing of the repercussions
Come high school this lead to many serious discussions
You must do this and be like that
God forbid anyone says the word fat
Perfect is pretty and pretty shines
Don't forget to memorize all your lines
Pick up your feet when you walk
Enunciate your words when you talk
Make eye contact and shake people's hands
She ignored these voices as she dreamt of the hot Bahamas sand
She pranced along the white beaches letting the sun lighten her hair
A week later she couldn't walk and struggled up stairs
It was only temporary said the doctors
She walked like an old lady that needed a walker
It wasn't temporary as she feared
She dealt with it for years and years
With the stress of her pain and back
She had to pick up all her school slack
She fell in love with life as it was
Friends, family and interests kept her soaring above
Good grades came from her own pressure
They paid off and she no longer felt lesser
This is the most important year became where are you going to go
She honestly was okay with the fact that she didn't know
Life is a beautiful mystery that should be enjoyed
Make yourself happy and the people around you will be overjoyed
Who knows the purpose of this process and quest
Sometimes she thinks it may be a test
A test of love and strength
Hopefully it lasts for an extensive length
Teach people the beauty of what you know
You spirit and passion for life is bound to show
She knows to try her best and be a big deal
A heart is the only thing that she should steal
She will go far, there is no doubt
Go on, find out what it really is all about
Eyes Cast Down by Michael Ortiz-Benz
I
No Beast will gaze up in reverent awe
At clever Man who needs not hoof or claw,
For the Beast hungers to rise up and seize—
All Man has, devouring all it sees.
I I
For every Man who stares up in wonder
At the cosmic specks that he lies under,
Another will spite night’s infinite skies
Trapped in memories of the sun’s last rise.
I II
Though the stars staring down on us with Light
Seem to have boundless tenderness and might,
Those glorious forms we see far above
Are mortal too, and can bear us no Love.
IV
The splendor of heaven looks bright with Light,
But like all things, this too is Insincere.
So even Man’s skies bear him a false sight,
Since those stars far above that may seem so clear,
Are but posthumous omens made alight
That in doom shine on all Man holds dear. For
Stars have since perished in the dead of Night,
Ignorant of our prayers they could ne’er hear.
Vain Prayer by Michael Ortiz-Benz
Hollow foresight no more mine,
Find me reason for these eyes,
For these hands are bound firm with ties
That drag my soul down Hell’s taut line.
Polished logic shining fake,
Find me reason for this tongue,
For these eyes that are no more young
Do blindly guide my soul to take.
Righteous judgment bred to break,
Find me reason for these ears,
For this tongue tastes naught but cruel tears
That drown my soul in Lord Death’s wake.
Cleft memory I enshrine,
I find no reason for this nose,
And these ears hear murderous crows,
That feast on my soul held divine.
Hallowed heart since slain by cries
Pray grant meaning for these lies,
For if to sense my will complies
Then, oh then, my jailed spirit dies
It Really Doesn’t Mean That by Tyler Shepherd
The Ocean’s there for swimming
Stop pretending that it’s more
“A sea so full and brimming”
Yeah, yeah where have I heard that before?
Yes my feet leave footprints
I don’t think anything of it
It’s really just coincidence
Quite Frankly, I’m above it
I’m not going to sit here and tell myself a lie
That I can make a mark before I lay down and die
Why would I want to be a tree?
It never travels places
But then again trees avoid seeing all these annoying faces
You want to be a flower? Really? Oh please
All a flower is, is a pretty way to sneeze
And grass that’s just silly who’d want to be like it
I swear do you even think about these things when you write it
Grass gets picked at and walked all over, practically trampled flat
Ok, ok I admit I can actually relate to that
But otherwise just stop this sugar coated pep talk
Mother Nature’s nothing more than just a few big rocks
So yes I turn a shoulder
To the Nurturing Motherly Boulder
Because all of this fluffy elegant adjectives and such
Trying to send a message through nature, how clever, nice touch
Trees, grass, and flowers don’t have heartbeats
They’re simply not alive
So to give it all these great feats
It makes me feel deprived
Don’t compare me to a free bird
I’m a proud member of America’s sheep herd
Or at least that is what my close minded thinking has brought me to believe
You can’t possibly think I’m special; it’s a hard concept to conceive
Yeah I have foot prints, and thumb prints, even a new hair do
Why does it matter, what is it to you?
Wait don’t answer that, I don’t want to know
You’d probably answer me by writing a poem or some prose
You writers, you liars
Throwing poetic spit balls of fire
Telling me that in this life that I embark
I can really truly leave a legacy and make my mark
It was nice to believe just for a little while
The imagery was pleasant some parts even made me smile
But regardless I am not buying it
Poetry is just pretty words, it’s time we stop fighting it
Maybe I’m just having a bad day, maybe I’m just dense
But you’d have to be a poet to find so much meaning in footprints
The Final Goodbye by Paulina Vokulich
Final goodbyes are always hard
Her laugh disappeared
Her heart broken and scarred
Her shining eyes turned cold
She had lost her hope
As though her heart was sold
The smile vanished off her face
Screams stuck in her throat
And tears formed in their place
Her fingers were trembling
Palms turning sweaty
And it felt as though her body parts were disassembling
Her heart beat fast
Trying to break out of her chest
But reality set in and she couldn’t change the past
Her mind started to race
Thoughts scattered around her brain
Yet all her thoughts seemed like a waste
As she finally began to cry
Her mother grabbed her hand
And it was clear all they wondered was why
She looked down at her mother’s fingers
Reminding her of his tight grip
And that memory still lingers
She felt like this was a sick joke, a horrible lie
But she knows that the truth is
One is never ready to say a final goodbye
iPoem by Julianne Goldmark
Waken each morning
When my phone makes noise
Technically speaking,
It’s just one of my toys
It’s a text from my mother
Asking if I’m awake
Instead of walking to my room,
Technology makes life a piece of cake
As I drive to school
I make a note to my best friend Siri
To remind me to charge my iPad
For my test in economic theory
Walk down the hallway
Kids texting, very indiscreet
All walking with their heads down
As they eagerly tweet
Between classes, its time to check
What is going on in the world of Instagram
Too many users for the school’s wifi
Causing a technology traffic jam
Although these may seem like inconveniences
Technology provides advancement
Reconnecting friends and family around us
Providing social enhancement
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