this book was written over the course of the summer and took much prompting from my friends, teachers, and family. You may thank them as well as me for this poetry collection Chapter 1: the game of love I thought my soul would soar, I thought it would rise above the rest, but instead it lies heavy like a rock in my chest.
You said you needed me , you said you cared, but you left me hanging, your words were empty air.And now I’m falling, and it’s all thanks to you, next
time, find someone else to drag down with you.
And to your promises of sweet words and a tender caress, I say I don’t need them, or you, I can’t take you anymore.
So goodbye, and good riddance,
because all your talk of “ hey baby I want you back, “ and “ I didn’t mean it “ well, you can “hey baby” your sorry butt on outta here.
Because all this talk of cloud nine is pure NONSENSE,
because once you get there, you’ll just find yourself falling past clouds 8,7,6,5,4,3,2,and 1,
and once you’ve gone through that whole process, you’ll find yourself broken beyond repair.
So just don’t start in the first place.
That’s the only way to win the game. Chapter 2: The Bully. Tall, gruff, and mean as he walks down the hall.
He looks at you with a stare that makes your blood turn cold.
He makes you feel small when he looms as a large, leering mass, towering over you.
Fists like barrels, feet like anvils, slow as a freight train, shuffling down the hall.
The coarse tone he uses when he speaks is all but nice.
He is a bully.
He lets his fist do the talking, and when you tell, they make fun of you even more.
So stand up to them,
don’t let them run your life. Chapter 3: A Middle School Point of View. Middle school is laughter,
giggling with friends in between classes and as you pass their locker.
Middle school is passing notes in the middle of class
and hiding them as the teacher walks by.
Middle school is where you create
friendships that last forever.
Middle school is where that wonderful first kiss
happens, leaning against his locker.
Middle school is Middle school,
a time unforgotten. Chapter 4: Never forget elementary. Elementary school, where giggles and laughs were first had.
Where little boys taunt little girls about cooties and puppy dog tails.
Never forget elementary, the beginning of it all.
I’ve moved up and on now,
but please know that
I won’t forget. Chapter 5: Arrowhead. As I rode my horse, spotted back, into the forest to hunt, I grabbed my bow and sheath of arrows from a hollow log.
I spotted three magpies circling overhead, positioned my arrow on the bow string and shot.
Thunk, Skree! Thunk, Skree! Thunk, Skree!
was the sound that filled the air.
One by one, I collect the arrows,
One by one, I collect the birds,
And one by one, I collect the pieces of my shattered soul so that I may escape this prison and go home. Chapter 6: the assignment The dreaded assignment,
600 words,
fills me with terror
unfelt before.
At the sound of essay,
I say,
no way.
No way I can do this all
today. Chapter 7: Me, myself, and I. Me, myself, and I.
A marvel that I’m still standing.
I’m strong,
I’m proud.
It’s just me, myself, and I. Chapter 8: A Hero Is... A hero is brave,
A hero is very proud,
A hero is strong.

A hero is around for us ALL YEAR LONG.
A hero is there, needed or not,
because you can find a hero almost anywhere. Chapter 9: Winter. Winter is cold. Winter is bare, leafless trees with claw like branches, scratching aimlessly at the sky. Winter is snow with the dazzling sun glinting off its surface.
Then wonderful winter gives way to sunny spring. Chapter 10: Spring. Spring is green leaves back on the tall trees.
Spring is flowers blooming in may after the April showers have come and gone.
Spring is the morning dew lightly spread on the grass, hanging in the crisp, cool morning air.
Then sunny spring gives way to sweltering summer. Chapter 11: Summer. Summer is the cool water against the sweltering summer heat.
Summer is heat waves rising off of the pavement.
Summer is no school and kids running free.
Then sweltering summer gives way to free fall. Chapter 12: Fall. Fall is the colors of the leaves changing colors quickly.
Fall is leaves flitting quickly to the ground.
Fall is jumping in leaf piles.
Then winter comes ‘round again. Chapter 13: Winter Wolves. Tearing, shredding, teeth and claws.
A howl, a blood chilling scream go hand in hand.
My vision darkens.
It’s over. Chapter 14: I still don’t know who I am. Most of us in middle school are still searching.
I still don’t know who I am.
I am one of those children who,unlike her peers, does not resort to bullying, and, dare I say it, drugs or joining gangs.
Well, for those of you who are like me, let me tell you something, my fellow middle schoolers:
don’t do anything to further mess up our generation, because, let me tell you, IT WILL MESS UP OUR KIDS, OUR CHOICES, AND EVERYTHING ELSE YOU DO TODAY, THINK,
IS THIS GOING TO MESS UP MY LIFE WHEN I GROW UP? Because IT JUST MIGHT. Chapter 15: Things happen Sometimes I sit and contemplate my life, my dreams, my hopes, my fate.
I do these things without reason to, but sometimes, these things just happen.
I wonder if I ever will just die without good reason.
I’m wondering, still wondering, when my family will be together.
And always, always hoping that my father will smile and laugh again with me.
Wondering about what is my destiny.
Sometimes I sit and contemplate my life, my dreams, my hopes, my fate, and I wonder if what I imagine will ever come to pass. Chapter 16: The Calm In the calm, all is quiet and peaceful.
But no one notices the thunder clouds rolling in overhead.
Then all hell breaks loose.
If only we could stop the storm. Chapter 17: Phoenix. Phoenix in flight, so gentle and graceful, lights the night sky with a streak of flame.
And as the youngling soars through the night,
he is joined by another.
It becomes a courtship dance,
the forest bathed in the light from the
Phoenix in flight. Chapter 18: Stone heart. A stone heart is a black torrent of no feeling.
A stone heart is a lion heart’s direct opposite.
A stone heart is a problem heart,
to you and all those around it. Chapter 19: My inspiration. my inspiration is that one day
I won’t be just a nobody.
A want to be somebody
hoping to be cool.
then I realized I already was
in my own way. Chapter 20: My dream. my dream is that all those people
who have been bullied
will speak up and say what needs to be said.
then the world would be a better place. Chapter Notes: I hope this book has been inspirational to all of you in middle school or what ever age you are. thank you. sincerely, Maya S.