You Set My Heart on Fire by Jessica R.

Liar, liar,

You set my heart on fire,

Then walked away

And left me to expire.

The heat is creeping through my veins,

The oxygen draining from my brain,

Adrenaline rising, I feel the rush,

As my blood begins to gush.

With my body violently shaking,

I feel my heart start aching,

The fire’s within my soul

And I’ll lose all self-control.

Please douse the fire away,

Before I begin to decay,

I know what I have felt

And I don’t want to melt.

Save me from the flames you’ve made

And all the little games you’ve played,

Just lay me in my grave to rest,

This is all at my request.

I’ll never forgive you

For what you’ve done,

Even though I thought

You were the one.

Liar, liar,

You set my heart on fire,

Then walked away

And left me to expire.

Rain by Sam C.

The brilliant sun dies like a rainy cloud

Raindrops fall into puddles on the street

Soon thunder might come and it will be loud

The water droplets and sidewalks will meet

Staring at the clouds in the sky above

The wind whips in a cold and bitter breeze

Dark clouds fit around the sun like a glove

Hopefully the furious wind will ease

Raindrops splash down intensely on a tree

When the rain goes away we can play

It seems to be all that children can see

When we get to waste the day away?

The brilliant sun will appear again

Through the gray clouds it will break through, but when?

Just Words by Melanie D.

Everything that is said is just words;

Words rule the world,

Words satisfy the heart,

Words are the aristocrats of vulnerability.

They seize our beliefs and take away pride,

and cause tears from the pits of our souls.

Words can’t be proven,

Words can’t be shown as true or false.

The only power they have is to manipulate our minds.

Just words, and words alone

will always mean nothing.

Action takes control of empty words,

Actions are what show the difference of truth and lies.

Actions seize the day,

Actions save people, save the world.

Actions are what cause change,

they inspire hope with proven miracles.

They tell our history,

they lead our decisions

and speak our future.

Take action and show that

your words are not hollow.

Dust by Julia L.

My angel, guardian, and keeper of peace

I lean on you in times of grief.

I need you, my angel, to keep me straight.

I need you more than ever, to keep me safe.

When filled with self-doubt,

You are dripping with hope.

You calm me, my angel,

Keep my anger at bay.

Please save me, my angel,

So I can see the light of day.

But what happens, little angel,

When you fly away?

When you disappear?

Or when you get preoccupied

With some other peer?

What happens, guardian,

When you turn to dust?

And leave me here to wither and rust!

Shall I wait for you, angel?

In this one little spot

Planted right here on this very dot.

I’ll wait, little angel, but don’t take too long

Or I might soon be gone.

Will It Always Be There? By Emma M.

As I go back into my past,

I wonder why it did not last.

I pass the park where I learned to swing,

I hope that it will always be there.

I pass the field where I flew my kite

Feeling once more that old dog bite.

See the balloon fly in the air,

I hope that it will always be there.

At the house with the lovely dove,

In my heart I still feel the love.

Where I had learned to sing and play,

I hope that it will always be there.

Lowered Down By Rachel L

People arrive wearing black clothing

They stare silently at the grave

Teardrops roll down their faces

And mascara runs down

Loving prayers are said

One last goodbye

The casket

Lowered

Down

First Sign of Spring by Danielle L

So beautiful for all to see

Everyone’s heart fills up with glee

Like soldiers ready and alert

Small signs of spring stuck in the dirt

Delicate seeds all fly away

Ready to sprout another day

Right above my dear Uncle Burt

Small signs of spring stuck in the dirt

Swaying in the nice, cool spring breeze

Until frost comes and makes them freeze

All the bees come over and flirt

Small signs of spring stuck in the dirt.

As I Swim… by Caulien Cockley

The cold water splashes my face,

while I swim at a steady pace.

The water is blue and clear,

as I swim, the finish is near.

Other swimmers are passing by,

but it’s only practice, so I sigh.

Those faster swimmers I do fear,

as I swim the finish is near.

Now I a swimming quite fast,

I don’t plan on coming in last,

The kids on the sides start to cheer,

as I swim the finish is near.

My Bright Blue Kite by Melissa O.

My bright blue kite

It is very fine

It is all mine

It shines very bright.

What a sight

I think it’s a sign

My bright blue kite

It is very fine.

You can not see it at night

Not even a line

But it can shine

With a strong light,

My bright blue kite.

Ode to Eminem by Lauren B.

Raising your daughter Hailey,

Always dealing with the cops,

Divorcing your drug addict wife,

Man I give you mad props

Always getting shit,

And hated on for being white,

You proved yourself as a rapper,

And never gave up the fight

You grew up in the hood,

Your life wasn’t that great,

But then you started rapping,

And you knew it was fate

When you spit on the mic,

And rhymed about your daughter

You blew all the other rappers,

Out of the water

You went from rapping on the streets,

To sold out shows,

From rags,

To very expensive clothes

One of your songs is my ring tone,

I hear it when I get a call,

Posters of you and d-12,

Cover all my walls

You have tons of money,

And are known all over the nation,

Your songs are played non stop,

On my favorite radio station

You went from being unknown,

To the greatest rapper alive,

I know if you ever met me,

You’d want me to be your wife

You’ve got tons of girls,

Screaming your name,

Tons of money,

And tons of fame

You are the greatest person,

You could ever be,

Eminem,

Will you marry me?

Him by Jess G.

She looks at him from a distance

Not knowing what he thinks of her.

She is assuming the worst

So her heart doesn’t break.

She thinks he’s so cute

Has gorgeous eyes.

…..

He thinks the

same of

her.

Paradise by Melissa B.

The clouds are low and the sun is setting

The ocean is calm and it’s very clear

To my left there is some tangled netting

Schools been boring and I wish I was here--

I close my eyes and feel the soft, calm breeze.

I can see mountain peaks in the distance

If I were in Alaska I would freeze,

I wish my dream land was an existence

Me, myself, and I are away from things,

A bright sun is shining upon my face.

With a point of the finger…poof…there’s swings

I really home I can come back to this place.

Done daydreaming and finishing my test,

I studied hard so I can be the best.

Cali By Julia M.

The world I first saw,

full of shinning suns, and shimmering blue-green waves.

Famous for the twenty-four hour raves.

I long for this world, as I sit, waiting for this ground to thaw.

Memories by Erika D.

Footprints fading in the newly wet sand

The sun is now set low in the blue sky

Memories only we can understand

The laughter remembered will never die.

Holding hands and jumping the rolling waves

We smiled as we had read each other’s minds

We knew how to test if we were each brave

Diving under water for ocean finds

Collapsed together softly on our backs

We watched as the clouds transformed above us

Each of us are as equally relaxed

We found the simplest things that we discussed

Now I’m sitting here on the weathered dock

The time now passed is like a ticking clock.

ODE TO LEMONADE By Tessa H

Lemonade quenches my thirst

When I don’t have it I want to burst

Lemonade is fresh and tangy

I drink it even if it’s rainy

In the summer when it’s extremely hot

I like to drink my lemonade on the spot

On the swings or by the pool

Lemonade is refreshing and cool

I like it in a cup with ice

Oh, that lemonade tastes nice

taking it for granted by Olivia N.

we whine about ugly shoes

but what to wear? how can we choose?

our silly american blues.

we are blinded with ignorance.

i met kids, happy as can be,

with only sandals and a tee,

or pants with a hole in the knee.

we are blinded with ignorance.

how can we say, i won’t eat that!

when some know nothing about fat?

are so hungry they’d eat a cat?

we are blinded with ignorance.

Ode to Summer by Chloe S

It only comes once a year

When it does all the children cheer

People have lots of fun

out in the summer sun.

There’s swimming and sleeping in

Beach volleyball games to win

Vacations and popsicles too,

So many things to do.

The sky is sunny and bright

The air is fresh and light

Then just like a smack in the face,

School falls back into place.

Jason Varitek by Sam P.

Captain of the Red Sox,
leader of the team,
a great hitter in the box,
to be like him is a dream.

Cape Cod by Kyle C.

Cape Cod is a wonderful place to be

It is beautiful and there are many things to see

I go there for vacation every summer

When we leave, it is always a bummer.

Ode to Naruto by Alex H.

A boy named Naruto

The demon residing within

A boy named Sasuke

Anger residing within

The copy ninja sees the anger

But is helpless to do anything

Naruto makes a promise

Will he be able to keep it?

Or will his word be broken

Like a vase dropped.

Itachi's words echo in Sasuke’s mind,

With his goal in mind he follows the curse

He has chosen his fate

He will revenge his clan

He knows he is wrong but he has gone too far

Can Naruto save him or will his choice be his demise?

Only time will tell.

Never Give Up by Taylor H.

I've never been the kind of person to give up on something I believe in, and I think that's something Santiago and I have in common. Santiago loves to fish, and he never once gave up on himself, or the fish. It takes a lot of strength, courage, and pride to stay out on the ocean, for cold endless nights just to catch the one fish of your dreams. “There are many good fishermen and some great ones. But there is only one you." (23) Santiago knows how strong he is, and he’s never going to give up on what he loves.

When you want something really badly, you have to fight for it, and you can't give up on yourself or it no matter how hopeless it seems. For as long as I can remember, I've wanted to become the best soccer athlete that I was capable of becoming. Days on end I would take my soccer ball to my back yard, and I'd just get a feel for it everyday, never giving up on my dreams.

My dad has always had a huge impact on how I play on the field. He's the one who made me have such a positive attitude towards the game and everything that I love. Since the day I stepped a foot onto the soccer field, I always knew that this was it. The soccer field was my home, my passion, and my place where I knew I could get away from everything. I not only looked upon all the outstanding athletes like Mia Hamm and David Beckham, but I looked further than that. I looked through the eyes of my seventh grade teacher. She was an amazing athlete who always knew exactly what words to say to keep me going. She drove her inspiring words into my head, and made me want to work harder, and become the athlete I am today.

After hooking the marlin Santiago realizes he can't kill the fish quickly, and it begins to tow him farther out to sea. The old man soon begins to recognize a bond between him and the marlin. "Now we are joined together and have been since noon. And no one to help either one of us" (50). This shows me that maybe the marlin could have been one motivate his mind, and keep him from giving up.

If there’s one lesson you should learn in life it’s to never give up on your dreams. No matter what you do, always tell yourself that you can do it, because if you set your mind to it, you can do it. If someone tells you that your dreams are too big and unrealistic, tell them that maybe there’s aren’t big enough. "Fish, I love you and respect you very much. But I will kill you dead before this day ends." (54) Even though Santiago loves the fish, he won’t give up his dreams to catch the big ones. If you have doubt that you can’t do something, or can’t be the best at something, overcome that, and proceed to doing your best, because the best things in life don’t come easy.

by Sam P.

As in many other stories, the main character faces many obstacles which they have to beat in order to reach their goal. This book is no different. The obstacles the Santiago manages to overcome are pretty impressive considering the conditions he was working in. The three main obstacles that Santiago is confronted with are his physical shape, equipment, and pride. All three of these took their toll on Santiago physically and mentally.

This fishing trip was extremely strenuous for the old man. First of all he was trying to complete this trip at the age of 84. I know of no other 84 year old who would even think about attempting this grueling trip alone. Also, Santiago suffers from rigor mortis in his left hand. The rigor mortis causes him a lot of pain during the trip. “God help me to have the cramp go,” (60). The pain that Santiago endures from the cramps is a major setback on a fishing trip. Another problem for Santiago was fatigue. Santiago is 84 years old and was out at sea for 85 days. He had very little food and very little water. With nothing to give Santiago energy, he grew very weak which made catching his dream marlin that much harder. Also, being out at sea for that long with little food and water made Santiago go a little crazy.

The Old Man and the Sea takes place in the late thirties early forties. The equipment that fisherman had back then was nothing compared to what it is now. Santiago really was unfortunate because not only was his equipment out of date but he was poor also so he couldn’t afford any new equipment. First of all Santiago’s boat is extremely small. The marlin was just as big as his boat. Boats today are much bigger and aren’t made of wood. “He is two feet longer than the skiff,” (63). Santiago also didn’t have the best fishing gear like rods and bait. All these things show what a disadvantage Santiago was at.

The third obstacle that Santiago faces is pride. Santiago was only supposed to be gone for about three days. He stayed out much longer than that just so he could prove to everyone that he was still a skilled fisherman. “Santiago,” the boy said. “Yes,” the old man said. “Can I go out to get sardines for you for tomorrow?” “No. Go and play baseball. I can still row and Rogelio will throw the net.”(12). This quote shows that the old man didn’t want the boys offer because he didn’t want other people to feel sorry for him. Santiago still had some pride left and he wanted to keep it.

As you can see Santiago overcame the challenges he was faced with and proved to everyone that he was still a worthy fisherman. Santiago used courage, bravery, and toughness to get through his long, laborious fishing trip and has earned the respect of many people.

by Sabrina M.

In The Old Man and the Sea, one character struggles a lot through powerful forces and obstacles. That character is Santiago. Poor Santiago is an aged man that is born to be a fisherman. Little does he know that there is a fish out in the sea that will make him go through many obstacles. This fish is not your ordinary fish, this fish has a tremendous amount of patience that the old man doesn’t have. In the end, the old man never gives up catching the fish.

Santiago is a poor man. He struggles to get money and buy food. “Have another coffee. We have credit here.”(27) In this quote it shows that the old man can’t even afford a cup of coffee. Not being able to afford food affects him in many ways. One way is by not having food or water to get stronger; he will be a weak fisherman. Without food or water, there is no chance surviving. On his journey, he was able to catch some albacore and other little fish that kept him full while trying to catch the fish.

Fishing for this Marlin took a lot of strength out of the old man, which made him suffer in many ways. He became weak, he began to cramp all over his body and he ran out of food and water. But the main suffering was cramping. He could barely feel his hands from holding the fishing pole in one position for a long time. “God help me to have the cramp go.”(60) Santiago is at the point he is begging God for help. This goes to show you that Santiago doesn’t give up. He is still striving for what he wants.

Just as Santiago thought the Marlin belonged to him, it sure didn’t.” It was an hour before the first shark hit him.”(100) the Marlin is a gigantic fish that a lot of people would die to have. It could feed many people and sharks. And I guess you could say it did feed many sharks. On his way home, he had to face sharks. He didn’t have the appropriate weapons to do this. He only had a knife, harpoon, ore, little piece of rope and his bare hands. But each time a shark came around, Santiago prepared him self for whatever was coming next. Each shark had taken a piece of the Marlin whether the shark died or not. In the end, he was left with nothing.

To me, Santiago can’t get anymore successful then he has. I mean, I’d like to see someone today go out there on a little paddle boat and sit there chasing a Marlin for a number of days and at the same time try to survive and fight sharks. Also, he had to try to take care of himself. Honestly, I don’t think anyone could do it. That is why I think Santiago is a successful man. Even though he came back with no Marlin, he still came back with unforgettable memories

by Melissa B.

In the book The Old Man and the Sea Santiago faced many challenges. Santiago had bad luck for 84 days straight. But that didn’t bother him. He was so convinced that he will go out in the smallest boat beyond where the other fishers go and catch the biggest fish. A few of the challenges he had were, him trying to catch the big marlin, his rigor mortis in his hand and the boy Mandolin.

Santiago tried so hard to catch the marlin that he would do anything to get it. He had bad luck of catching one for 84 days then finally the 85^th day came. As Santiago reeled in the fish for hours he grew very tired, dehydrated, impaction and his rigor mortis started to get to him. “For an hour the old man had been seeing black spots before his eyes, and the sweat salted his eyes and salted the cuts over his eyes and on his forehead. He was not afraid of the black spots. They were normal at the tension that he was pulling on the line. Twice that had worried him. “I could not fail myself and die on a fish like this,” he said.”” (Pg 87) This quote is showing how he is getting dehydrated from all the hard work that he is doing to try to catch the marlin. But the part of the quote where he spoke shows that he is not giving up soon and will do anything to get that Marlin.

The old man’s rigor mortis in his had got to him and made his hand cramp-up while fishing. He tends to talk to his hand and gets mad at it. Since his hand was so cramped up he could not catch the big fish. He had to try to straighten it out so the he could hold the line and catch the fish. “What kind of hand is that,” he said. “Cramp then if you want. Make yourself into a claw. It will do you no good.” (Pg 58) In this quote the old man is talking to his hand and he is questioning why it is cramping up because it is not helpful and there is no way he can use a cramped-up hand.

Santiago is always thinking about the boy. They have a very good relationship together. They spend a lot of time together talking about baseball and fishing. “The Yankees cannot lose.” “But I fear the Indians of Cleveland.” “Have faith in the Yankees my son. Think of the great DiMaggio.” (Pg 17) This conversation between Santiago and Mandolin shows how much they talked about baseball together and share the love for the sport. Mandolin looks up to the old man and wants to fish just like Santiago when he grows up. Since Mandolin’s parents wouldn’t let him fish with the old man he went out to sea trying to catch fish by himself. He often thought about the boy when he was out there and wished that he was there with him. “If the boy was here he would wet the coils of the line, he thought. Yes. If the boy were here. If the boy were here.” This quote shows that Mandolin could have been a very big help to the old man and good company as well.

Santiago finally caught the marlin that he wanted so bad. Although a shark got to it he still had a big piece of the fish left. Santiago worked so hard to get the marlin; he never gave up. He also worked through his rigor mortis and had his hand cramped for days because of it. Santiago missed Mandolin a lot when he was on the boat. Because he was always thinking about Mandolin he never gave up. Mandolin kept the old man going while he was alone and fishing for his dream.

By Kyle C.

In real life and in novels, people battle conflicts that they must get through in everyday life. This is no different in The Old Man and the Sea. Santiago is an 84 year old man who has many obstacles in his way to conquer his dream of catching a marlin. Santiago has to overcome obstacles that are physically and mentally draining. Obstacles that Santiago must fight are fatigue, lack of equipment, and doubt. All three of these are bringing Santiago down and he wonders if he will ever capture the marlin.

While trying to capture the marlin, Santiago is affected by fatigue. Santiago is 84 years old and he is trying to capture a 1,000 pound marlin. Santiago does not have the strength that is equivalent to the marlin and the fish is slowly fatiguing the old man. “I’m tireder than I have ever been, he thought, and now the trade wind is rising.” (89). Santiago’s energy is also wearing down because he knows that either he or the fish will be injured from this incredible battle. Fatigue is only one of the many obstacles that Santiago must go through to capture the great marlin.

Another obstacle that Santiago is dealing with is lack of equipment. Santiago is a skilled fisherman, but his lack of equipment makes it tough for him to fish at his highest skill level. His fishing line is very thin and is not the size you want to capture a gargantuan marlin. Also, because of his lack of supplies, he had to use his hands to hold onto the line and he started to get cramps in his hand. “It was only a line burn that had cut his flesh. But it was in the working part of his hand. He knew he would need his hands before this was over and he did not like to be cut before it started.” (57). Having these cramps in his hand, Santiago was not 100 percent and struggled to fish with practically one hand. He has to create his own weapons to fight off sharks and other predators and this whole trip would be much easier if Santiago had the proper equipment.

Throughout Santiago’s long journey, he doubted himself and was unsure that he would ever catch the marlin. Santiago was extremely unlucky and the other fishermen at the tavern would make fun of him and laugh at him. This didn’t bring Santiago’s hopes down, but after being out on the ocean for so long, having cramps in his hand, and not having the correct equipment, he doubted himself. “I do not know, the old man thought. He had been on the point of feeling himself go each time. I do not know. But I will try it once more.” (93). Santiago had doubted himself many times, but he had a little determination left and he knew this was his best chance to catch a fish of a lifetime.

All three of Santiago’s obstacles while trying to catch the fish were all intriguing in different ways. They all show that if you want to achieve your goal, you are going to have to work hard for it. There are always going to be obstacles between you and your dreams, and you have to find away to get around them. That is exactly what Santiago did, finding different ways to catch the marlin with many disadvantages. He was fatigued with injuries and didn’t have the correct equipment, but was persistent and ended up catching the marlin. The Old Man and the Sea gave life lessons that are helpful in life. The book shows that if you have goals that you want to reach in life, you need intelligence, determination, and effort. Santiago had all three of these traits and that is why he was victorious in catching the great marlin