More Poems from Herricks High
Bonfire
by Katherine Cha
I once
Thought/
Believed/
Knew,
That
Joy
Was just
interim.
A small
Flame
Surviving on the
Dried out
Twigs
Of memories,
Flashes of laughs
And smiles
And
Joy,
yk?
It wasn’t some
Everlasting
Thing
That would be with me
Always.
Yet,
In recent
Times/
Experiences/
Moments,
It’s as if
Joy
Promised
To never leave my side.
It whispers
To me,
To have
Gr attitude:
Or
Gratitude.
And so,
This
Flame
Turns into a bonfire,
Fueled by
The small/
Tiny/
Minute
Glimpses in life,
That are large
Bountiful
Branches,
Which provide
Appreciation?
Happiness?
Gaiety?
(Yes, all of those).
Joy
Is a collection
Of
ex per ience s . . .
And in
J ust
O ne
Y ear
Joy
Has turned
From this
Temporary thing
To
Ink
That has left
A tattoo on my soul,
A permanent oath
That promises me
Grandiose wings
So that I may
Soar/
Glide/
Fly
Endlessly.
Katherine is 16 years old and lives in Roslyn Heights, NY. She loves spending time with her friends and baking cookies. She loves her dog, Smokey, very much!
Peace of the Night Sky
by Michael Chao
Freedom
The night air
The city that never sleeps
The cursing
The smell
The sights
The lights
The stars
The people
The spirit
The culture
The night sky
It's consistency yet variety in
All representations
From Saint Paul and New York
The emptiness and wonder
Of the night sky
The promise and thought
The darkness and thought
The pause and thought
Of the world
Silence
Joy
Focus and contemplation
Revaluation
Thought
Satisfaction and emotion
Steadfast constant
Of the night sky
The different nights
Sights
Sounds
Yet the consistent peace of the night sky
A welcome pause and peace
Appreciation for what is around us
A pause in life
From the bustling city
Or happenings
Heaven for me
Michael Chao is a 15 year old sophomore student from Herricks High School. He likes to laze around and do nothing and tries his hardest to actually be productive. He likes to learn about interesting things and sleep.
Joy
by Liyana Zaman
My dreams
Don’t just seem like dreams.
A possibility
Full of raining hope
On a once dry day.
Nourished flowers
Blooming everywhere.
Rich colors of felicity
Being all to see for miles.
Weeds plucked from the ground
Like any doubts
Or regrets.
No longer there,
Happiness taking their place.
Laughter fills the air
And smiling
No longer feels forced.
Fulfillment shines brighter
Like the sun,
Advancing above with
Clouds clearing.
Colors,
A rainbow,
Decorate the sky
Like fresh thoughts of delight
Painting my mind.
I feel like one of the many flowers,
Blessed.
My once weakening petals
Now strong and secure.
Liyana Zaman loves reading and listening to music and traveling around the world. She attends Herricks High School in New Hyde Park, NY.
The Moon
by Nikki Cheng
The whole idea of it makes me feel
like a bird flying freely throughout the sky,
something that turns your frown upside down,
a rainbow after a storm,
a flower to a bee.
A flashlight in the dark,
the moon is ethereal
with its shape different every night,
with its light that shines so bright,
even in your darkest moments.
Nikki Cheng loves to stay inside to read, play video games, and spend time with friends and family. She attends Herricks High School in New Hyde Park, NY.
Ideal Equilibrium
by Brianna Gallagher
The dark is not scary in and of itself. What’s hidden in it is what scares us. It surrounds us with the unknown, which is why many people see it as something they try to avoid. However, should that really be the reason something is considered scary? Why do most people tend to steer in the other direction from it? Darkness is a beautiful thing as it allows things to be taken into interpretation. However, most times there are people who interpret it as being something horrible and terrifying. But looking out into the night, one might not be able to see what is seen throughout the day. Instead, it offers a new perspective as it makes us notice the differences in the way houses light up at night and the beautiful patterns of constellations that make them so bright. It offers an escape from what we know and can be seen as something magnificent.
It is also used as a curtain. The curtain that lies to us to hide us from the things that come and harm us. But the darkness does this so we could enjoy life as it is. It helps shield our innocence from all of the pain and suffering that comes with some of the knowledge found in the light. It offers us happiness just by being in our lives, its presence surrounding us in a comforting blanket. It allows us to experience something we can’t see or find anywhere else. It gives us such a strange sensation, something that fills up inside of us that is hard to describe. It feels almost as if we are being filled up with a light, radiating it to the world around us. But this isn’t an unknown sensation. You know what it is. It is a feeling of joy. You were able to find joy in the darkness, discovering a way to accept the unknown and allow the darkness to become your friend. But it came with a cost. You realized the large amount needed to keep that joy in your life.
The darkness helped with the discovery of joy, it couldn’t have happened without it. It allowed for the recollection of thoughts, discovery, and acceptance, as you hid behind the curtain. That curtain helped transform you into who you are today, allowing for time to change while hiding in the darkness. But it also allowed for the reflection of light, a change of viewpoint, a new perspective. It took what we used to know, and gave us a fresh pair of eyes as to how the light is. Yes, the light can burn our skin with what it beholds, but only for the second we allow it. The darkness will cause our eyes to be drawn towards the brightest things we once used to know but will bring out the darker things as a reminder of who we became through growth. The darkness allowed for the change in the light so others would have the chance to find the joy it has to offer.
But it is not possible to survive in the darkness, as there will always be a light near the end of every tunnel. The hole we dug ourselves into will always be able to open at the top. At some point, we will have to embrace the light. Nothing can hide forever. We must let it burn our skin with the truth it beholds, and realize it is so much more. It will hurt us, and make us feel we will not survive. But we must look at what else it has to offer, the beauty it beholds. Things that we would never be able to see if the darkness was all we were able to breathe.
Brianna Gallagher is a hardworking and dedicated student who loves to write. However, she also enjoys listening to music and spending time with her friends, family, and loving dogs.
Those Rainy Days
by Melina Helgeson
Most people don’t enjoy rainy days. It’s just so cold, wet, and gloomy outside. Rainy days mean you can't go outside to hang out with friends. They mean humidity and squeaky shoes, wet and sticky car seats—all those endless lines of traffic. All of the thunder and lightning can get irritating or even scary if it's too loud, and it's always a problem if you lose power from a falling tree during a storm.
But I, on the other hand, love these storms.
Those uncomfortable, annoying, distracting storms are actually my favorite.
I prefer to stay inside anyways. Too many people tend to give me a headache after a while, so when the thunderstorm cancelled some plans with school friends, I was kind of happy.
Rainy days are perfect for watching movies and getting under the blankets on the couch. If the power goes out, it gives me a chance to light some nice scented candles or even turn on all of my battery powered fairy lights that I never get to truly enjoy. I could read my books without stopping, listen to my music, and do some writing or art. I'm left alone, with only my thoughts to worry about. And the next day, it's always refreshing to see the sun peeking through the clouds and shine on the dewy grass.
When the weather is good, I have to spend the days outdoors wherever my friends are. But don't get me wrong, I love my friends and I love to spend time with them, especially when it's just a few of us at a sleepover or playing video games in someone's basement. But it takes up so much time when it's in a large group and when it’s almost the same thing every other day.
And by the time I get home, I don't have time for myself.
I feel burnt out, like my legs don’t want to walk any further or my mind can’t handle another small-talk-filled, just-for-the-sake-of-it, socially awkward conversation.
I want to sit in my bedroom and listen to my music while I draw, write, or read. Yes, it can be loud outside, but I find the rain calming. The crack of thunder sounds cool, and the way the lightning always lights up the sky looks amazing. I find it nice to sit under my covers or an oversized sweatshirt next to a window with the shades pulled back, sipping on hot chocolate or freshly made coffee. Making something hot to eat makes you feel so much better when it's freezing cold outside the window.
It's feeling warm on the inside while outside seems dark and dreary. And lately, the outside world has been feeling very dark and dreary. With the constant overwhelming feeling of school looming over, and the high amount of family pressure weighing me down, I have had no desire to step foot into the outdoors.
My friends had thought it would be fun to hang out, to get away from it all, but I was not in any state to relax with them. But now, staring out the window, counting the distant booms of thunder and feeling a sense of ease, I realize that at this moment, you don't have to focus on the problems in your life, whether it's being soaked from rain or approaching deadlines.
It's about finding the light in the storm clouds.
Melina Helgeson enjoys reading, writing, and photography. She attends Herricks High School in New Hyde Park, New York.
Landscapes of Joy
by Pearl Joseph
despair intertwines with the
paper thin current of regret that
flows between the
eyes materializing into a
heavy knot of sorrow.
but a whisper echoes through over the
jagged rocks the
petal of hope as a
blade of the
wind.
the sun will always
manifest above the
asphalt glittering the puddles and
the prism catches the
light drinking up
wavelengths of song.
the blurry morning brings
sweet melodies of
hope and the
tenacity of tomorrow.
because even the
pale dawn of
earthworms come
up
to breathe.
Pearl Nice Joseph is an Indian-American teen writer from Long Island, New York, who spends most of her time thinking about writing rather than doing it. She is a submissions reader for SeaGlass Literary. When she is not procrastinating on school work, she likes to practice archery, bake sweets, and annoy her older brother.
Rejoicing the Regular
by Namit Kapoor
As the sun looms over the horizon
and birds chirp nature’s alarm,
we are reminded of the privilege
of being permitted
to laugh and cry
and love and persist
to remember and reminisce,
for not everyone can experience
the wonders of another day,
another chance to pursue
our dreams and aspirations,
another chance to realize
our boundless potential
that characterizes a life full of achievement
and conviction, a life well-lived.
While we acknowledge our fortunes,
we keep in mind those whose appeals
for continuation have been denied,
those who have met their ultimate fate
after having lived a life
full of tenacity and fortitude,
of exuberance and exhilaration.
While we remember that our days are numbered,
we boast our ability to take delight in the small moments,
the ones that add value to our lives
and comprise our character and legacy
that live in the minds and hearts of others
and emanate a light that will never extinguish.
So as the sun becomes and inevitably gets enveloped
by the horizon, we reflect on the wonders
that life brings about and rejoice for the opportunity
to have lived an additional day, with hope
that we will encounter another.
Namit Kapoor enjoys spending time with his family, taking long walks with his dog, and playing the clarinet. He attends Herricks High School in New Hyde Park, NY.
Transparent Joy
by Shristi Nigam
I feel my skin tingle.
The isolation of my body peaked towards the sky,
And the colors of the heavens reflecting in my eyes.
I feel my tears holding back.
The aura around me arises with the setting sun,
And the bliss inside of me grows without being shunned.
I feel the joy.
Standing there, alone.
My mind. My heart. My soul.
All vacant but full.
Of thought and joy.
Growing as the world grows.
As I stand alone, staring at the sky.
With the joy flowing through my body.
My vacant, but full, body.
Shristi Nigam is a writer and a young teenager who goes to Herricks High School. She likes to explore different aspects of life with her words as she describes the deep thoughts of love, social injustice, and judgements made by society.
Ode to Sun
by Liana Sohn
Oh beautiful, luminous, medallion
With persistence so great
You filter through the clouds
Keeper of light
You have rays that kindle smiles
Oh your glow
We wait in anticipation
Your warmth
Filling us whole
Messenger of faith
You show us
Even in our darkest days
How to hold onto the light
Liana likes taking aesthetic photos, swimming, tennis, playing the flute, cooking and hanging out with her friends! She also enjoys reading and writing poetry.
The Heart of a Tree
by Rohan Vignesh
With the dominance of its stature,
And its strong poise,
The tall tree is nothing but a gentle giant.
Always offering a hand to assist anyone in need,
It never fails to embody impeccable character through positive deeds.
Providing shade or a home,
With a tree, no, you will never be alone.
Your heart will be touched and your mind calmed.
Negativity surrounding you will fade away, as you are
filled with abundant happiness and love.
The unity built will not be short-lived;
It will be a bond created and never broken.
The wonderful feeling evoked by nature’s gentle giant
Will give you the wisdom
To spread this same energy to the world.
Rohan Vignesh is an avid reader and loves to play soccer and basketball. He attends Rancho Solano Preparatory School in Scottsdale, Arizona.