The Seahawk

Spark Gildersleeve Middle School

Online Literary Magazine

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Gildersleeve Middle School

Online Literary Magazine Committee

Co-chairs: Maryann Ayer/Emily Williams

Becky Koptish

Leslie Brooks

Abralene White

Monica Holloway

Morgon Smith

Rhiannon Edwards

Luis Macias

Kelsi Chiesa

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Table of Contents

Cover photo by Kaylee Boyd…………...…….……………………………………… ……………………...1

Photography by Kaylee Boyd….……………………………………………………………………… …...2

Life by Lauren Williams …………………………………………………………………………….……….4

Time by Carol Mendel…………………………………………………………………………………… …….5

The War, My Thoughts by Sarah Butterfield……………………………………………………… ….6

The Little White Rose by Amanda Mathis………………………………………………………… …...7

Artwork by Kate Bryant………………………………………………………………………………… …..7

The Summer I Died by Kaylee Boyd……………………………………………………………………...8

It Was War by Kaylee Boyd………………………………………………………………………………..10

Untitled by Christen Dahl…………………………………………………………………………………...11

A Face by Jodi Blankenship………………………………………………………………………… ……..12

Artwork by Morgon Smith…………...……………………………………………………………… …...12

Guilt by Amanda Mathis…………………………………………………………………………… ……..13

Artwork by Luis Macias…………………………………………………………….……………… ……...14

Photography by Kaylee Boyd …………………………………………………………………… ……….15

I Am by Alexandria Witherspoon………………………………………………………………………...15

The Shadow of Loss by Allison Scherner……………………………………………………………….16

Artwork by Morgon Smith…………………………………………………………………………… ……17

I Am by Kaity Puhlman……………………………………………………………………….………..….18

I Am by Tiffany Fleet………………………………………………………………………………………..19

Artwork by Malik Edmonds……………………………………………………….……………………….20

Artwork by Malik Edmonds……………………………………………………………………………….21

I Am by Terrell Campbell ……………………………………………………………………………………21

I Am by Grace Neff…………………………………………………………………………………………….22

Artwork by Christen Dahl…………………………………………………………………………………...23

I Am by Amirah Williams…………………………………………………………………………..……...24

Day By Liz Spencer…………...……………………………………………………………………………...25

Life by Allie Cruz………………………………………………...…………………………………………...26

Artwork by Morgon Smith………………………………………………………………………………….26

Artwork by Megan Doyle……………...……………………………………………………………….……27

4 Life

By Lauren Williams

I sat down thinking it‟d be perfect

Thinking this life would be easy

Let‟s just say for now

It isn‟t all that breezy.

Life isn't life until you‟ve had to climb

„Cause mountains don‟t like to be losers

But hard times are what makes us stronger

You‟ll wish you had learned this sooner.

At the end of the day I‟ll know that I survived

I‟ll know my heart got better

Sometimes all you need to do

Is get through that bad weather.

Artwork by Rhiannon Edwards

5 Time

By Carol Medel

I wonder what it could have been. Never knowing what the answer

could be. Now it‟s time to look at the future and decide what I‟ll be-

come of me. I‟m guessing that there‟s no tomorrow, well at least for

us. But I‟m always hoping that we can bring back the time. The

time where love was true. But I also remember that past-present where

I sat there to cry and wished that there could be hope for us, which al-

ways kept me alive. Now it‟s time for me to decide my only true

fate.

Running out of choices.

Waiting for the end.

For someone that can

Make my heart mend.

Running out of words to tell.

You don‟t know how I feel

That pain that no one can heal.

Dreaming of the door to happiness

Where I will stay forever!

But then I ask myself when

And my heart responds never.

By: Carol Medel

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The War, My Thoughts

By Sarah Butterfield

I can hear it now, pow.

The war that has just begun.

The blood pouring out, I got shot.

I can smell the smoke.

Feeling the blistering gas makes me shiver.

Hearing dirt crumbling beneath me.

Stuck in this trench makes me feel lost.

Sweaty people crowding around me.

Poisonous gas choking me to death.

Artillery shells tumbling out of the box.

Rocks sticking to my body

I am getting weaker and weaker by the day.

I get the pigeon to fly my letter to my family.

I say “If I don‟t make it, I love you.”

If I get shot again I don‟t know if I‟ll make it.

Artwork by Rhiannon Edwards

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The Little White Rose

By Amanda Mathis

In the middle of a grove,

Surrounded by the brown and gray,

Sits a single white rose,

Just waiting for day.

Sharp are the thorns,

Fragrant the smell,

Of the rose that sits,

Defying hell.

But along came the giants,

And plucked her right up,

The little white rose,

Forced to give up.

Artwork by Kate Bryant

8 The Summer I Died

By Kaylee Boyd

It was the summer of 2011. I was 15 and tomorrow morning I’d officially be 16. My

best friend Emily had insisted on staying the night, and I had made plans for us to sneak out.

“Thank God your parents went to bed early, and are heavy sleepers, Kasey.” Emily whispered.

I giggled silently. “I could drop a bowling all and they wouldn’t wake up.”

None of this was new, we always snuck out, but something was different. Something was out of the ordi-

nary.

“Hurry up. Kasey!”

She opened up my back door wide, and I grabbed my coat. I rushed outside and I could feel the cold

wind circulating me. I took a deep breathe. “Okay, here we go.” I said to myself.

I walked outside, the first thing I noticed was the sky it was an inky blue and there

were a few street lights turned on. However you could still see the luminous stars in the night sky. There

were so many of them.

“Will you stop staring at nothing already?” Emily said while twirling her house keys around her finger.

“Okay sorry let’s go.” I responded irritated, and still staring at the endless sky.

We were going to Emily’s house, that’s where we kept our crappy bikes. As we were

walking there, I looked at Emily. She has extreme curly red hair, and deep sea blue eyes. She always stands

out, and speaks up, she’s also very popular.

That made me stop and think about myself compared to her. I have short pixie length

brow hair, brown eyes, and I’m a towering 5 feet and 7 inches. Plus, I never say a word to anyone, except for

Emily that is.

I’m a Nobody compared to Emily and she’s a Somebody.

“Come on let’s keep it moving, you’re only 15 for a few more hours.” Emily winked.

“Okay then, but I don’t know if I wanna be 16…” I responded.

“What?” She gasped.

“Uh nothing forget I said anything.” I muttered.

“Sixteen is a time where we can be free…” Emily began Oh no, not another one of her speeches, I thought!

“You’re so right being sixteen is amazing, can’t wait!” I immediately cut her off.

“Glad you think that way!” She responded and we both laughed.

Truthfully though, I really didn’t wanna be sixteen. I wanted to stay 15, forever and

always. Ugh, I really don’t wanna be 16. Although this may not have been the best year ever; what with peo-

ple calling me Skyscraper. Emily had been there for me, every single day. It just felt like she was going to

leave me like everyone else had. I was all alone in this world without Emily.

Finally we got over to her house, and we pulled our bikes out of her garage. However

her bike didn’t look like her bike. Actually it looked nothing like it, I stared at it a bit longer this bike was

different, and it looked expensive. “Hey is that a new bike?” I asked.

“Well, um.. You s-s-see-” Emily stuttered, but I cut her off.

“Did you use the money we’ve been saving?”

I ran up to her garage door, and unlocked it. I walked in, and rand over to the wall with all the shelves. I

started searching for a neon pink toolbox. Once I found it, I pulled it down and opened it up.

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To my surprise all the money there was gone!

“You did do it! We’re supposed to be saving that money to fix the Old Challenger!”

I was livid, the Old Challenger was my dad’s broken down car. We’d been saving money to

fix it up, we had about $2,000, but it was all gone now! If we had paid to fix the car my dad

promised he’d buy us a brand new car of our choice. I was thinking about never talking to

her again, I mean seriously $2,00 for a bike!

“Listen, I can tell that your mad, but I needed the money to get a bike, and I couldn’t wait!

I didn’t say a word to her.

“I promise to pay it back. Kasey?” Emily whimpered, and gave me a puppy-dog face.

I gave in and said, “Well if you’d waited a while longer we wouldn’t need our bikes. We’d

have our licenses and a brand new car.”

I turned away from her, I could barely even look her in the face.

“I’m sorry, can’t we just head out to the pier? We shouldn’t fight on the first day of sum-

mer.”

I took a deep breathe. “Okay, let’s get going then.”

Our bike ride down to marina’s pier was long and silent, but little did I know those were

going to be my last moments with Emily.

Artwork by Morgon Smith

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It Was War

By Kaylee Boyd

It w as such a glo r ious b at t le t hat d ay.

There w ere t housand s o f t hem ,

p our ing out f rom t heir f o r t , und er m y b ed .

I grab b ed ho ld o f m y n if t y w eap on nam ed t he alm igh t y Dust er !

I sw ip ed at t he f ron t line o f enem ies, and t ook out m ost o f t hem .

How ever , t o m y d ism ay, m ore and m ore ap p eared .

One o f t he f o rm id ab le m onst ers even had t he aud acit y

t o lunge at m e. He’ d go t t en m e b ecause I st ar t ed choking.

It w as suf f ocat ing m e and I need ed air !

I r ip p ed t he villainous d ust b unny aw ay f rom m e, and caugh t m y

b reat h .

That had b een t he f inal st raw . I w as go ing t o t ake care o f t hese

p esky d ust b unn ies, once and f o r all.

It had t aken hours, b ut f inally t he b at t le w as over . I lay cough ing

on t he ground ,

and not a single d ust b unny w as in sigh t . I had a f ear t hat t hey’ d b e

b ack lat er .

Th is w as a b at t le f o r t he ages, and a w ond rous clean ing d ay!

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My end is near, I can feel it.

The very air is thick with fear, here in our dark home.

All of my brothers and sisters are huddled around me.

We exchange quick glances.

No one offers comfort.

Why would they?

We all knew this day would come; it’ s what we were made for.

There have been survivors, they were the lucky ones.

They were just thrown away with the bag, never eaten.

Suddenly, we were plopped on what I guessed was a kitchen counter.

With a loud screech, the bag was opened.

This is really the end, I think . . . I know.

The light shines on us from above, blindingly.

A Hand reaches in and grabs three of us chips.

The three unfortunate victims whisper their goodbyes to my family and I before being consumed

by the dreaded Hand.

Another Hand plunges in and seizes more of my family.

My little chip heart has quickened, I struggle to breathe as a Hand closes around me.

This is it then.

Goodbye, everyone, I wish you well.

Here ends the life of Dorito #467,900,675,234,009…

CHOMP!

Christen Dahl

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A Face By Jodi Blankenship

Looking in a mirror finding someone’s

Face staring right back at me.

A movement from one copied by the Other.

Questions covering both faces.

Who is this stranger I see looking

So very similar to me?

I see my smile, but it cannot be mine.

For it is too crooked with danger.

Oh those blank blue eyes looking through the black rim glasses!

The eyes look like a broken sunset.

No happiness, no warmth, no love,

And no one to help to fix

That hair. That brown frizzy

Hair making her look like a Mess.

How could this person look so free of expression outside, but be so Trapped?

I don’t know who she is, but I hope

the face doesn’t belong to me.

Artwork by Morgon Smith

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Guilt By Amanda Mathis

Raise your glass, share a toast,

Another young life lost.

Celebrate! The war is done!

Don’t think about the cost.

Innocent blood stains your palms,

So quickly hide them from your view,

It doesn’t matter in the end,

That she died because of you.

Go about your happy life,

Spare not time for regret.

And in the night, when you’re alone,

She won’t let you forget.

The poor lost girl you sacrificed,

Will haunt you ‘til the end.

You sent a child to end a war…

And she thought you were her friend.

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Artwork by Luis Macias

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I AM

By Alexandria Witherspoon

I am the student you bullied at school,

I wonder why you treat me so cruel?

I hear that you’re really a stupid fool.

I see you play in the halls,

I want to one day see you trip and fall.

I am the student you bullied at school,

I pretend like everything is alright but

I feel like I want to cry,

I am the student you bullied at school,

I dream I’ll never be cool.

I try to keep it in,

I wish it wouldn’t happen again.

I am the student you bullied at school.

Photography by Kaylee Boyd

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The Shadow of Loss

On a cliff far away, a mother and daughter stood

standing, looking out at the glittering sea beyond. The

daughter wiped tears away from her eyes and the mother

sighed. For they both remembered him. The father who

always had time to play with his daughter and the hus-

band who could never stop loving.

A shadow quickly darted forward but stopped a few

feet from the mourning family. It fed on the negative

energy coming from the family and started to grow. It

grew larger and larger until it was menacingly loom-

ing over their heads. Suddenly sunlight peaked out

from behind the gray clouds and burned the shadow. It

silently cried out in fright and shriveled up until it was

no more.

The mother and daughter smiled to each other. It

was the dawn of a new day.

Allison Scherner

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Artwork by Morgon Smith

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I Am

by Kaity Puhlman

I am the student you bullied at school,

I wonder why they think this makes you cool,

I hear you think you are cool but honestly I think you’re a fool.

I see you walk these halls, then you have to go and make me fall.

I want this all just to stop.

I am the student you bullied at school,

I pretend this is all just a game,

And I am just fine.

I feel like I shouldn’t complain and whine.

I worry it will never end…

I am the student you bullied at school,

I dream this will become a pleasant slate,

I try not to always be your bait,

And yet I wish this was a happy fate.

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I Am

by Tiffany Fleet

I am the student you bullied at school.

I wonder if you would stop being a fool.

I hear myself screaming and tears drop on the floor.

I see myself falling, I can’t take it any more.

I want to stop being ignored.

I am the student you bullied at school.

I pretend I don’t hear.

I feel like a ball of fear.

I worry if you live near.

I am the student you bullied at school.

I dream that you treat me right.

I try not to cry all through the night.

I wish I would just lay down and die!

I am the student you bullied at school.

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Artwork by Malik Edmonds

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I Am

by Terrell Campbell

I am the person you bullied at school.

I wonder why you think you’re so cool.

I hear from others you’re really a fool.

I see you falling off a cliff

I WANT to tell you but you won’t be punished.

I am the person you bullied at school.

I pretend what you’re saying does not hurt me.

I feel like you just don’t care.

I worry that you’ll never stop.

I am the person you bullied at school.

I DREAM that you’ll let up someday.

I try sometimes to just say hey.

I wish that you’ll say it back one day.

I am the person you bullied at school!

Artwork by Malik Edmonds

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I am

by Grace Neff, Grade 6

I am artistic and curious

I wonder what lies beyond my window

I hear the crackle of fall leaves in the breeze

I see all kinds of flags take flight

I want no more than to see the world tonight

I am artistic and curious

I pretend I can soar in the sky

I feel the breeze in my hair

I touch the sky and clouds

I worry that I won‟t get there

I cry when it‟s over

I am artistic and curious

I understand that it‟s only a dream

I say I‟m a believer

I dream of a place of beauty and no wars

I try so hard to get there

I am artistic and curious

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Artwork by Christen Dahl

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I Am

by Amirah Williams

I am the student you bully at school.

I wonder why you bully me at school?

I hear people say you do it to be cool.

I see bystanders but sometimes they act like fools.

I want them to speak up!

I am the student you bully at school.

I pretend you‟re not there...

I feel like you‟re everywhere.

I worry you think I‟m there.

I am the student you bully at school.

I dream that you would stop.

I try to ignore you till you stop.

I wish that people would tell you to stop!

I am the study you bully at school.

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25

Day

by Liz Spencer

There are people

That don‟t worry about what‟s below them or beside them,

But care more about what‟s above them:

The pure white clouds, wispy and puffy,

And the bright ball of light with its gentle rays surrounding it,

Sitting like the ruler it is,

Its magnificent glory shining down.

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Life

by Allie Cruz

We all try to do our best.

Are we really as great as they say?

All our lives they’ve

Told us the same thing:

To never give up. To always

Try, try, and try again,

Even when we think we can’t.

When we think there is no more to give of ourselves.

We all succeed and we all

Fail, It’s a fact of life.

“We’re only humans,” they

Told us. “We all make mistakes and

To be perfect is impossible,” We’re

Never satisfied with our imperfections so, we

Lose. We lose everything. We lose ourselves, our lives, for some, our

Faith. To me, faith

Never mattered or meant much. But to

Lose is devastation. Both a mental and physical bow. Our

Hope can’t help, it won’t heal our wounds or dry our tears,

But we can heal ourselves. We can heal each other. You may ask

“How can we fix the broken hearted or heal the broken spirited?” But know it

Can be done. All

We need is to stick together, because though we may

Lose so much, there is even more to find. For

What is life but a journey on which we are constantly finding and losing things. Sure,

We may get lost or mislead, but we’re

Never forgotten, we’re never gone. What we

Had in life, all the moments we cherished, and shared experiences, will let us live forever.

To Be Contin-

ued

Artwork by Morgon Smith

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Artwork by Megan Doyle