The Bird
Dani Hale, Delphos St. John’s
Sponsoring Teacher: Christina Elwer

 

My heart flutters,

The frantic wind on my back,

My sea of dreams,

A noise,

Huuusssssshhhhhhh…

The pounding pulse of a drum,

Faintly…faintly…

Ta ta ta rum rum buuummm

It’s gone,

The raging calm drowns me,

Suffocating waters,

Darkness falls, as do I,

Flat world on edge,

Hush, my baby, hush,

Breathes the nightingale to the sparrow,

Stars cry,

As the moon sings

Songs sweet,

Melodies bitter,

Paralyze my body,

Your tantalizing tough

The beastly beauty

The kindly Samaritan,

The drowning air,

The screaming silence,

The redeeming waters,

Fly forward on the dark wing of night,

Fly and be free,

O precious night,

O glorious black night,

For with you I am safe,

Safe to have wings,

Safe to fly.

 

Pills in My Pocket
Anita Owsley, Bath
Sponsoring Teacher: Michael Steidl

 

I Got These pills in my pocket and I’m waiting for a sign;
I’m holding out as long as I can as time passes me by.

I Got These words on my tongue, but they’re swallowed down my throat;
The more I think the less comes out.

I Got These feelings in my gut, it makes my stomach turn;
I look in the mirror, my eyes are red, quickly I wipe away the burn.

I Got These secrets in my heart;
I bury them deep down;
If they weren’t hidden they’d be found;
Then, slowly torn apart.

I Got This makeup on my face, I wear it well;
If you weren’t so oblivious, you would be able to tell.

I Got This wall all around me, made of brick;
It’s cold, it’s tall, it’s 24 inches thick.
I can’t get out, no one comes in;
This place is my head where everything spins.

I got these people always wondering they ask me “what is wrong?”
I look at them long and hard, then answer “Nothing.” I must be strong.

You See, I Got This life that was given;
It was free and will be one worth livin’.

These pills are still in my pocket, I’m still waiting for my sign;
But, this time it won’t pass me by.

I got this passion that surrounds my soul;
It’s my drive;

This passion is my motivation;
This is what makes me shine;
It locks a determination deep inside;
This passion is mine.

I Got These thoughts, they can’t be bought;
They’re here to stay and they won’t be fought.
They’re in my mind, a safe vault;
They guide my conscience and hide my faults.

I do not fear it;
My thoughts erect my spirit.

Tragedy at Lakehurst
Mark Schoenhofer, Lima Central Catholic
Sponsoring Teacher: Tricia May

 

Part 1

 

Franz Schmidt

Lineman

My job was to

keep the bird

tethered to the ground.

the bird

that I kept in check

was the noble Hindenburg.

it could fly

across the Atlantic

without having to stop.

its dull silver shell

held within one of the most

highly flammable gasses

known to man.

hydrogen is what kept this

bird afloat.

to me

an unlearned observer

it seemed that

this ship was bad luck.

my mother always told me

to stay away from anything

that was bigger than a bus

it is supposedly the safest

thing in the sky.

I’m not buying it.

 

 

Ada Klein

First Class Passenger

I hate the thought

of climbing into

confined spaces

I like being able to see the

outside world

the blue hues of the sky

the whiteness of the clouds

the refreshing green.

my cabin was large

but it had no window

the soft

pale blue curtains

reminded me of home

but I don’t want to remember

home

I am leaving this

Godforsaken country for America

the land of promise and

freedom

in the hull of a silver

bullet

 

 

 

Bert Himmler

Engineer

I designed the

Hindenburg

it was my creation

I made it as safe and

luxurious

as I could

the only problem I had

was that the helium that I had

planned to fill the

lifting tanks

with, was too expensive

so we had to use

the highly

volatile

hydrogen

the skin is

coated in a

mixture called

dope

though it worked well as

a water resistant

it was extremely

flammable

I can only hope her

maiden voyage goes

as planned

and she lands

in Lakehurst

in one

piece

 

Part 2

 

 Frederic Schwarz

Stowaway

it wasn’t hard

to make it past the

linemen and the

crew members.

you just had to watch for the

bright blue uniforms

of the officers.

I managed to find an

empty space in the cargo hold

with enough room

for a fella to stretch out

then I remembered to

look for my knife.

my trusty knife that

had gotten me out of

plenty of sticky situations

I found it

in my front pocket

then I felt the bird make a

sharp turn

and the knife

fell out of my hand.

it fell

and fell

until I heard it puncture

the main gas sack.

then I started to black out

as more and more gas rushed out

into the cargo hold

 

 

 

Ada Klein

First Class Passenger

I first heard a

whooshing of a

strong wind

I wondered if it was just

a window someone had

left open

then my worst fears were

confirmed when I saw the

bright orange

wall of flame

cascading

down upon me

my land of

promise and freedom was

within my reach

but I would never step foot

on that hallowed ground

 

 

 

Part 3

 

Herbert Morrison

Radio Announcer

it was my job to paint

a picture for

all the folks that listen to me

the night of the accident

things were going like any other

event that I had

announced

you could hear the quiet

hum of the four engines on the

Hindenburg

then you slowly saw it

drift into your view

it was a majestic creature

with its dull silver skin

stretched tightly across its

steel skeleton

then I saw small

sparks of static electricity

then the outside skin

ignited

the wave of

bright orange and yellow

fire

flashed across the skin

of the zeppelin

then the hydrogen

lit on fire

a mushroom cloud

appeared from the top of the

Hindenburg

it all happened so

quickly

it only took

thirty-four seconds

to claim

thirty-five

lives.

 

 

David Sauders

Firefighter

the scene of the crash

was the ugliest

thing I had ever seen

the skeleton of the zeppelin

lay on the ground

like a huge burnt whale

we had to pull

burnt and charred

bodies

from among the wreckage

I could not speak

the horrors I saw that day

will stick with

me for

the rest of my life

I found a silver necklace

in the midst of the rubble

I started

asking around

to see if it belonged

to any one of the surviving

passengers

none of them

claimed it

so from that day forward

I wore that necklace

to remind myself

that life is short

and that I

need to live

life

to its fullest

everyday

of my

life.

My Spirit’s Song
Brittany Ball, Spencerville
Sponsoring Teacher: Georgia McMichael

 

There’s something to be said

About the feeling of the wind on my face.

It’s something that cannot be spoken nor read

A pure, sensual feeling that makes my pulse race.

But there is something deep within

That makes my soul sing,

Something that’s deeper than love, deeper than sin.

My heart feels as if it has wings.

The feeling just makes me so calm

There’s nothing in the world like it

And just as with the rising of the dawn

I feel the refreshness course through my spirit

And soar with the feeling of song.

Imagine
Kristine M. Spyker, Perry
Sponsoring Teacher: Amy Lane

 

Imagine…

The silence before the symphony’s collective first breath,

The quiet, steady metronome ticking off each beat,

Then, slowly, it starts with the swelling strength of each note.

Can you feel it?

 

Imagine…

The trills of the flute and the clarinet’s full timbre,

            The slow introduction of the horns’ strong marcatos,

          The strings pull it all together with their deep vibratos.

Can you hear it?

 

Imagine…

The low brass pump out thick harmonies,

The bass and timpani create a backbone for the rest to follow,

Each musician reading and playing a part all its own,

Yet when together, they interpret a masterpiece.

 

Now stop. Picture this…

An orchestration of the greatest kind,

Life, as we know it,

Compared to a composer’s crowning jewel,

When God has the director’s baton

Can you see it?

 

Listen…

The love, a constant in the background,

A metronome pushing us forward.

The joy, a quick, jubilant lift,

Interspersed throughout the monotony of long phrases.

The peace, an underlying merit,

The tranquility that follows several spirited glissandos.

 

Listen…

The faith, emerging as the bond that holds it together,

The key to a perfectly executed performance,

An individual connection with the Director and each musician

The impeccable adherence of the performer to each marking on the score.

 

Discover…

The indisputable ties between both matters.

The beauty of a spectacular exhibition,

The Director’s will being accomplished,

Success in life as we know it.

 

Imagine…

The final breath before the ending fermata,

The closing chord, perfectly euphoric,

The satisfaction of excellence settling in,

The Divine Director’s concluding bow.

Can you see it?

When Night Falls
Brittany Ball, Spencerville
Sponsoring Teacher: Georgia McMichael

 

Whispering calls

in the dark.

Night falls

feeling like a world apart.

A silent girl sits alone

a rocking chair creaks in the gloom.

Something intrudes on her world of stone

a  light piercing through her doom.

Amber eyes shine alight

reflecting in the fire.

Green clashes against amber in a fight

each waiting for the other to tire.

He knows she will not

be the same.

He knows he can’t stop

she just loves the game.

They are quite a pair

each stubborn to  an end.

But neither one of them dares

to break or to bend.

They live for the call

in the dark.

And when night falls

they can finally be a part

of one another.

The Storm
Alicia Harris, Spencerville
Sponsoring Teacher: Georgia McMichael

 

Sadness, misery, suffering, and woe

The storm of the dark, a dangerous foe

Swallowing hopes, dreams, and light

The depths of its anger, a frightening sight

 

The wind began howling, the rain caused a flood

The hills gave way to a torrent of mud

The thunder rumbled like a ravenous beast

Stalking its prey and planning its feast

 

The sky turned from black to a dangerous peach

The waves began pounding upon a silent beach

A funnel cloud began to appear

Children began cowering and shrieking in fear

 

The house began creaking and moaning in pain

Holding its own against the wind and the rain

The poor family huddled, frightened to death

The noise from outside nearly making them deaf

 

A frightening noise came from the sky

Causing the family to wonder why

Why it was their house the storm chose to assault

Demonic winds refusing to halt

 

With a violent jerk the roof flew up and away

Leaving the family helpless to their utter dismay

Rain fell upon them like a massive waterfall

Throwing them down with the force of its thrall

 

They gasped and they sputtered as they fought for their lives

The wind blew around them, cutting like knives

They ran for the shelter of the outside land

Only to find their futures looked bland

 

The horizon looked down from the now retreating storm

Their tears began falling, salty and warm

Their house lay demolished, torn and thrown about

So much destruction for such a short bout

 

They stood and just stared in shock and fear

Finally noticing the storm’s end was drawing near

They watched as the funnel slowly lost its form

The only survivors of the terrible storm

 

Love Bytes
Lorraine English, Spencerville
Sponsoring Teacher: Georgia McMichael

 

True love is hard to find today.

Meeting real people is such a chore.

You can go to eharmony.com,

And meet people who arent such a bore.

 

If that doesnt work, try myspace.

Beef up your profile, create a new you!

Pretend youre a model who makes millions each year.

If people are desperate, theyll believe it, its true!

 

Cupid.com is fun to use

When you want to meet people close to home.

Its better than going on one of those online games,

And meeting a guy who thinks hes a gnome.

 

What do I use, you say?

I dont go online

Because I dont have that Internet,

I live at home, with my favorite feline.

Hey Diddle Diddle
Alexandria Kennedy, Lima Central Catholic
Sponsoring Teacher: Joshua Vasquez

 

Hey diddle, diddle,

Mind in the middle.

Unmade, inconceivable, unmistaken.

A mere thought to the past

Smiles unveiled.

Sincerity so sincerely taken.

The weight of the world.

The weight of yourself.

Balance.

Perfect harmony

Through eyes unscarred

Unharmed

Untarnished.

Time can do wonders.

But wonders take times.

Diddle, diddle.

Wandering aimlessly

In this ill-fashioned middle.

Idle Ways
Ryan Rodhe, Apollo Career Center
Sponsoring Teacher: Peggy Miller

 

Idle ways they go too far

Like a smile without a heart

In our thoughts that we forget

Kill our dreams we wish upon it

Synchronize a torture due

From senseless action that is used

God has given us a mind

To set us free, not to bind

Like a smile without a heart

Idle ways they go too far.

 

Lust and greed, they’ll destroy us

Like the dead we’ll turn to dust

We want and want, so naturally

No it’s not, tomfoolery

Strong and powerful a king begins

Weak and frail does his reign end

Even before us, they will fall

But continue on, pride tall

Like the dead we’ll turn to dust

Lust and greed, they’ll destroy us