L ( E G ) I T M A G

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 2: SPRING 2013

MOUNT ST. MARY HIGH SCHOOL’S LITERARY MAGAZINE

Letting Go...

Cove

r art

by H

eath

er K

eene

3…….………… A Note from the Editor-in-Chief

Featuring… Miley Durbin

4………………. Poetry

Featuring… Kevin Nguyen, Carolina Andrade, Hala Riley, Coach Keilty, Katie

Shores, Miley Durbin, Kayla Green, Martin Parizek, Ellen Mills, Ms. Kalmar,

Mackenzie Page, Claire Smith, Bailee Bronson, Chris Niles

8………………. Short Stories

Featuring… Josh Maddox, Chris Conner, Robert Johnson, Zach Randall, Chris-

tian Monk

11………………Connections

Featuring… Trini Dean, Christian Monk, Mr. Carter

12………………Club Information

Featuring... Jamie Wright

Enjoy! 2

*sigh* Life. It’s

pretty cool, don't ge

t me wrong, b

ut sometimes, it

just

gets so...tir

ing. Whether it’

s school, fa

mily, friends, o

r living up to expec-

tations, lif

e can be downright HARD. W

e often spend so much time

looking for an

swers as to

what to do, an

d only after lo

ts of str

ess and

hassle realize

that we just n

eed to LET GO — and it’s like a b

reath of

fresh air. This le

ads us to the fourth install

ment of our literary

magazine.

Students have poured their h

earts out expressin

g what “

letting go

”

means to them. Lettin

g go is a

beautiful conclusion to the most c

ompli-

cated sto

ries. It can be liberati

ng, scary, fre

sh, freeing,…

It is my pleasure to bring to our student body the works of our fellow Rockets, who have taken past hardships and made from them art. It’s per-sonal, real, and amazing. I hope you enjoy reading their works as I have. Enjoy!

Miley D. Durbin Editor-In-Chief 2013

3

The Good Days

by Kevin Nguyen

I remember a time as a child

When my life was normal and untroubled,

Living life without worry

Of making it to tomorrow.

My future set in my hands,

I went on without any plans.

Those were the good days,

When I ruled my world,

In control of my life.

Never had doubt

In my youth,

Always sure of what was ahead,

I went on living those good days.

I remember a time I grew up.

At ten, I saw a change.

My mom lost her mind

And fell to insanity,

And world turned to calamity.

I tried to find answers to my confusion,

But instead, found endless illusions

And my certainty was gone

As I moved on.

Those were the good days,

When I ruled my world,

In control of my life.

Never had doubt

In my youth,

Always sure of what was ahead,

I went on living those good days.

Three years passed as my troubles went on.

I saw the world I built crumble away

As the days went on.

I didn’t know how to fight

This hopeless war

Of trying to put rationality

Into my mom’s broken mind.

I saw myself lose the motivation

To keep marching on,

To live that life I once had

Of living without fear

Those were the good days, When I ruled my world, In control of my life. Never had doubt In my youth, Always sure of what was ahead,

I went on living those good days. Then came a new challenge, High school, a chapter I thought Was filled with hope. I thought I found the answer to my troubles.

But instead, They became unavoidable. Once again, I felt the loss Of motivation. So I turned to a good friend,

Looking for a place to lay my head. He saw my pain and despair, And made it lighter than air. Those were the good days, When I ruled my world, In control of my life. Never had doubt In my youth, Always sure of what was ahead,

I went on living those good days. Rebirth was now present For my future. I saw a new life ahead Filled with hope, Without space for me To fall back Into the grim days Of no prosperity. With You

by Hala Riley

The memories that lick at my brain

The tormenting thoughts

The painful pictures

Letting go of the ideas

The ideas to go back

To erase the words

Written

Said

And heard

I can not escape my past

But yet

I do not want it back

I like where I am

I like where my heart lays

It lays in a beginning

A beautiful new life

I will let it go

I won't let the past

Mock my thoughts

Or

Ruin where I'm at now

Here I go

To a new beginning

With you

Artwork by Jonathan Martinez

Parting by Carolina Andrade

Hands slip Fingers reach Reaching Reaching But just out of grasp

Eyes wet Lips whisper Whispering Whispering A sad good-bye

Poetry

4

IN PRAISE OF NEW ROCKET TEACHERS

BY COACH JOHN KEILTY

HOW IS IT POSSIBLE --THAT YEAR AFTER YEAR,

OUR PRINCIPAL HIRES TEACHERS, WITHOUT ANY FEARS.

SHE SEEMS TO HAVE A KNACK, TO TELL FUTURE STARS FROM DUDS,

THIS LADY HAS TALENT, TO KNOW WHO’S THE NEXT STUD (OR STUDETTE…

POETIC LICENSE-THANK YOU VERY MUCH)

SO AS SUMMER RAPIDLY APPROACHES, FOR OUR NEW TEACHERS OF 2012,

AND AS WE OBSERVE THEIR CLASSROOM, AND THEIR DISCIPLINES AS THEY DELVE,

FOR THE BLESSING OF ANDY FISHER, OR COACH FISH AS HE IS KNOWN,

A PASSION FOR TEACHING BASKETBALL, TO OUR KIDS HE HAS SHOWN.

HE ONCE TAUGHT AT ST. EUGENE’S, AND HE WAS A COACH OF THE IRISH GREEN,

BUT NOW HE IS A ROCKET, AND ONE OF THE BEST WE’VE EVER SEEN.

FOR THE GIFT OF COACH HARMSEN, TALENTED TYLER MAKING HIS MARK,

TEACHING SOME FRESHMAN ALGEBRA, THIS ACE TEACHER’S PRETTY DANG SMART.

WE ASKED TYLER TO COACH CROSS COUNTRY, TO TEACH OUR KIDS HOW TO RUN,

HOW TO WIN AND HOW TO ACT, HOW TO TRAIN AND HAVE SOME FUN.

AND THEN THERE IS COACH LYN HEPNER, WITH HIS CLASSROOM ON WHEELS,

AND A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE IN FOOTBALL, THIS COACH WAS SUCH A STEAL.

YOU WILL SEE COACH TRAVELLIN THE HALLS, WITH ALL OF HIS TEACHING STUFF,

AND HE HAS SHOWN ALL OF US ROCKETS; COACH IS QUITE THE HISTORY BUFF.

MRS. KINSLOW NOW ONE OF OUR COUNSELORS, KEEPING OUR KIDS ON THE RIGHT TRACK,

FACHAITTE CAME TO US WITH ENERGY, AND A DETERMINATION TO GIVE BACK.

SHE JUMPED RIGHT INTO A JOB, THAT WAS SO VITAL TO A KIDS SUCCESS,

AND TO KEEP OUR STUDENTS HEALTHY MINDED, SERVING WITH YOU WE ARE TRULY BLESSED.

AND CHECK OUT COACH CODY MCDANIEL, TEACHING OUR KIDS WELLNESS AND WEIGHTS,

AND INSPIRING ALL OF OUR KIDS, TO DO SOMETHING WITH LIFE THAT’S GREAT.

HE HAS TAKEN A BIG ROLE IN FOOTBALL, COACH REALLY UNDERSTANDS OUR GAME PLAN,

AND IN THE HEART OF OUR STUDENT BODY, HE HAS SHOWN US HIS MOTTO “I CAN”

AND OUT OF UCO EDUCATION, COMES A STUDENT TEACHER SHAMARIE REID,

TEACHING WITH HIS HAIR ON FIRE, KIDS LEARNING TO SPEAK SPANISH WITH SPEED.

MR REID SO LOVES THOSE KIDS, HE BELIEVES IN EACH AND EVERY ONE,

HE TELLS THEM TO STAY CLOSE TO GOD, AND TO IN LIFE HAVE LOTSA FUN !

JOE SINE COMES WITH GREAT CREDENTIALS, HE’S BEEN A PRINCIPAL DON’T YOU KNOW,

NOW TEACHING OUR FROSH RELIGION, AND HELPING FROSH SPIRITUALLY TO GROW.

IN CATHOLIC ED JOE IS A LEGEND, A FUTURE CANDIDATE FOR THE HALL OF FAME,

CUZ HE LEADS CHILDREN IN THE ONLY WAY AND THAT IS THE PATH IN JESUS’ NAME.

AND THEN UP THERE IN ISS , COACH TRUE AS HE IS KNOWN,

MATT COACHING OUR FOOTBALL TEAM, BRINGING NEW LIFE TO OUR FOCUS ZONE.

A FORMER COLLEGE PLAYER HIMSELF, WHO UNDERSTANDS DEDICATION AND WORKING HARD,

MATT HAS QUICKLY MADE AN IMPACT, IN THE MOUNT ST MARY YARD.

WILLIAM WALKER DOWN TEACHING OUR MUSIC, LOTS OF KIDS DOWN IN BAND ROOM,

DRUMS BANGING OH SO LOUDLY, SOUNDS APPROACHING A SONIC BOOM..

BUT TIS THE PASSION OF THIS TRUE PRO, THAT MAKES WILLIAM SUCH A STAR,

AS HE CONTINUES TO CARVE HIS OWN WAY, AS THE ROCKET MUSIC CZAR.

AND SO WE THANK OUR FIRST YEAR TEACHERS, FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS,

FOR YOUR KINDNESS TO OUR KIDS, YOUR PERFORMANCE OFF THE CHART.

WE THANK YOU FOR THE PROFESSIONALISM, YOU SHOW EACH AND EVERY DAY,

WE THANK YOU FOR THE FRIENDHIP AND FOR BEING HERE TODAY.

THREE CHEERS FOR OUR NEW ROCKET TEACHERS

HIP HIP HOORAY!!!

5

Forever 15

by Kayla Green

You've been gone for almost a year now,

Memories were passed on and on,

To watch faces light up and glow,

Talking about you,

The one we use to know.

It's been a hard step for all of us to take,

And man, has it been a crazy escape,

From reality to catastrophe and back,

We all slowly made our way up to acceptance.

It's an emotional subject,

You are,

Just because of how loved you were and still are.

Not a day goes by that each and every one of us don't think of you,

And that, my friend, is true.

We all shared some great times with you.

You were true to all of us,

A true friend, brother, and lover.

You made us laugh and smile,

Knew when to joke more than once in awhile.

You were an important person,

To all of us,

And as this almost year comes up on us,

Just know that letting go

Is so much harder than anyone will know.

You will forever and always be with us,

Forever a Rocket,

Forever our Blake.

It’s Time To Let Go by Martin Parizek

It’s time to let go,

If you are in need of help

You just have to ask. It’s time to let go, God is always there for you, Let Him be your strength.

It’s time to let go,

Give up your anger and hate,

Please give Love a try. It’s time to let go, To start flying on your own, A young bird takes wing.

It’s time to let go,

Of that clingy electron,

Become Positive!

Moved On

by Ellen Mills

How does one smile?

Smiling while you're in pain,

Happy while sad.

Ah, I see --

They have moved on.

How does one laugh?

Laughing while your loved one is gone,

Laughing while crying.

Ah, I see --

They have moved on.

How does one keep smiling?

Living while you're not there,

Living while dying.

Ah, I see --

They have moved on.

How does one move on?

I now understand.

One must let go of pain,

Let go of the sadness,

And let go of the death.

That is how one moves on,

Living a life of happiness,

Living for the loved one,

Living for the life of oneself.

Finally,

I have moved on.

Saturday Night by Miley D. Durbin Within my stomach anchors your life’s stress

And from my eyes, your sadness starts to well. And Dear, my heart can feel your loneliness, Which makes our distance even more like Hell. But greatest suffering is when I find That I can never take away your pain. My actions, motives, genuine and kind And yet, your past’s old demons still remain.

I want to hold you in my arms so I Can shield you from your ghosts, so cruel and vile. And with my kiss, those memories will die And all you can feel will be my smile. You’d think within your arms is where I’d be,

But Dear, I want you wrapped up safe in me.

My One Wish

by Katie Shores

Let go of your fears,

Let go of your tears.

Let all of your worries wash away.

Time for a new pace,

To meet a new face,

Let all of your worries wash away.

Don’t be afraid to show who you are.

If you do, you will surely go far.

Let all of your worries wash away.

6

last confession

by Ms. Amy Kalmar

dedicated to Mercedes Marsee,

who dared me to try horror

i confess, i thought possession

would be less of a release, more a

short-term lease --

a rental, a break, a mental

vacation, a chance to leave the keys

and travel -- unravel -- see the sights

of a superior intelligence --

the magnificence of malevolence --

suspended safely at a distance in

my own impotency: paralyzed, no will of

my own -- sterilized, yet still

my own --

i confess, i thought possession

would be more of an undressing, vanity and

sanity stripped away, but leaving

me, essentially --

or, potentially, an oozing abscess,

a foul hole in one who's otherwise

all whole --

an incest, an unlawful but

not entirely awful commingling

of separate substances --

anything but this steady slow regress

towards that old emptiness of pre-existant

selflessness --

i think i thought possession

would be (ultimately) about

me

but i'm learning now to

let go of being and of

ego

i think --

therefore i --

oh,

no.

To Travel the Earth

by Bailee Bronson

To travel the earth, to explore the world;

To know what the locals know, how they live;

To learn of their love and why they quarreled;

To understand culture and why to give!

The blue sea of Greece, houses are so bright;

The spices of India, Tajmahal;

The dances of Africa, quite a sight;

I want to know customs, must know them all...

To hop on a plane and just go go go;

Flying above you can see the ocean!

Visit Broadway and see a "Wicked" show;

Italian women make sauce, devotion...

My urge to explore is so great and strong

Goodbye now friends, I

won't be gone for long.

Let It Go

by Chris Niles

it's a fact of life

that it ain't easy.

life is full of struggles.

things we know

never last.

life's always changing,

so why dwell on the past?

it seems like a waste.

so you have to let it go.

your life can fall apart

and you fight to hold on.

so you call for help.

but maybe,

you need help to let go

instead of help to hold on

because some things aren't worth

the time.

so you gotta let it go

letting go isn't easy

it's a struggle too.

like an alcoholic to the bottle

Or an addict to the herb

it's worse to continue

And it hurts more to linger

Just like a wound

It's best left to heal

So you should let it go

At times

Life is unbearable

And the pain is to much

What we know kills us

Then it's time for a change

When your soul is screaming

When all else fails

Just let it go.

Freedom

by Mackenzie Page

Reaching for the stars,

Exceeding the reach of Mars,

Leaving strains of guitars,

Ever fading cacophony of cars,

Angry crashing of broken jars,

Sound of clanking bars,

Entering a realm free of czars.

Escape

by Claire Smith

Screaming, yelling, fighting, finally behind.

Walking out into cold night air,

Feeling a weight lifting off my shoulders.

Finally freed from my prison.

I let go of my past,

Heading into a bright future.

7

Short Stories

Into Darkness

by Josh Maddox

Walking into the old worn-down building, a grim and mystifying sense of anxiety comes

over me. Creaking down the dark desolate corridor, decorated with only the bleak pictures of students

who once stayed in the old boarding house, I hear my heart starting to beat louder and faster. It soon becomes

the only thing audible.

The laughter starts. The bone-chilling laughter comes from what seems to be nowhere, but surrounds

me. It consumes me, buries me. It becomes my reality.

The laughter cuts off suddenly as I stumble to the end of the corridor. Looking down the next hall,

I see only the quiet, dark shadows when the disembodied laughter makes its ghastly return. I quickly look

around myself to find the source of this dark, maddening sound. I see nothing but the dark shadows

peering back at me. The laughter slowly dies down, and I continue down the shadowed passageway.

I stealthily reach the stairs, and climb up to the next floor, where I find…nothing. Just silence and

stillness in the air.

I think I may have escaped from the madness from which I had just ascended, but then I hear the laughter return,

stronger than before. My heart starts beating faster. I quickly look behind me to see nothing but the wood of the floor and the

crumbling plaster of the walls. The drowning laughter stops and leaves me to the quietness of the halls.

I begin again down the corridor, dark and bleak, silent and cold. I reach a door that's black with age and soft with rot. I

feel an overwhelming urge to open it. I open the door to the passage with a low, quiet creak, to find a room with only a broken,

rotting chair, and a mirror, fogged with age, barely illuminated by the only source of light in the room, a small broken window,

I slowly slip into the darkness.

Suddenly, without warning, the laughter returns and drives the still and quiet out of the room. Drowning and insane, the “It” is

stronger than it ever was before. Falling to the ground, I cover my ears. The laughter continues on, growing stronger.

The shadows grow darker. I feel my heart beating faster and the cackling grows stronger. Incessantly, “It” in-

creasingly gets louder and more insane. The shadows in the room grow darker and darker until all

that's there is an inescapable curtain of ebony abyss that surrounds me, that pulls me in. The last bit

of light leaves the room. The laught er grows even stronger, stronger even than a rifle shot. Then, I

see it. The source of my madness, from within the mirror. The Dark Angle himself stands

there, inside the mirror. I slam my fists into the old mirror. With a loud crash, the mirror

shatters into bloody shards. The consuming madness stops. The laughter still fresh

in my head, I feel that my heart has all but stopped beating. The dark

ness, still peering at me as I peer into it, slowly starts to retreat. There is

still the stillness of the room, now only interrupted by the con

stant beating of my heart and the occasional echo of

laughter.

Then reality set in as the dawn sun illuminated my darkness.

I realized the madness that was haunting me had been a reflection of my own.

.

8

Minifigures Story Snippet

by Chris Connor

Ceaser and his Photon Team were still trapped in the Sphere Field with Tachyon Dragon, a servant of the Shadows: an evil group of Mini-

figures powered by darkness.

“You must leave me, brothers and sisters. I must finish this fight myself,” said Photon Dragon to his teammates.

Then, Ceaser said, “Why brother, why?”

“You must let go of me,” said Photon Dragon.

Then, absorbing the energy, the Photons transported out of the dark arena, followed by Ceaser and the rest of the Minifigures. Then,

Ceaser and the rest of the Photons used their weapons to try and break the sphere field to save their leader.

“Why sacrifices yourself for them?” said Tachyon Dragon.

“For brotherhood,” answered Photon Dragon. He then screamed as he forced the energy into his own chest in order to stop Tachyon

once and for all.

Then, Papilloperative and the others started to notice that the field was getting smaller, and that Photon Dragon and Tachyon Dragon

were starting to disappear into the field.

“Let go,” said Photon Dragon.

Then, the sphere field, Tachyon, and Photon Dragon were destroyed without a trace. Ceasar put Papilloperative on his shoulder as he

cried, “He did what was best for us all.”

Po and Tigress

by Robert Johnson

Po and Master Shifu are sparring in the courtyard of the Jade Palace. Po misses a beat when he has a flashback of his parents, and Shifu pins

him. Shifu then tells him to leave, and only return when he is focused. Po, whose confidence is shaken, runs down the stairs in search of his secret

place where he knows he can be alone, but Tigress sees him leave and follows him at a distance. Po arrives at the edge of town and runs into the

forest, Tigress following closely behind. He reaches a small house built into the crook of a huge tree. He jumps up into the house and begins to

punch the tree that goes through the center of the house.

Tigress, after losing Po when he entered the forest, hears him shouting as he punches the tree. She follows his voice and finds the tree

house. She cautiously climbs the tree for fear of startling Po. When she reaches the trapdoor to enter the tree house, she finds it locked. She tries

to think of another way in and decides to try the window. She climbs around the tree house and enters through the window.

Meanwhile, Po has stopped hitting the tree and there is silence in the house, save for the sound of Tigress's footfalls. She wanders the

house looking for Po, but to no avail. She walks back to the center of the house, puzzled, but then she sees him, lying on the floor on the opposite

side of the tree. She hits herself for being so oblivious. She pads over to him and sees that he's in a fitful sleep, tossing and turning and crying out.

She kneels next to him and places her paw lovingly on his cheek. Slowly he settles down. Eventually he is sound asleep with a peaceful smile on his

face. Tigress then gets up and finds him a blanket, wraps it around him, smiles, and leaves.

The next day, Po wakes with a start, and immediately wonders where the blanket came from, but soon dismisses it as him being

too exhausted to notice. He then pads down the hall to the kitchen to fix himself some breakfast, but when he reaches the kitchen, he is worried

when he finds that breakfast had already been prepared for him. What worried him the most though, was the fact that there was a second place

setting at the table.

He quickly surveys the room, wondering whether he should call out or go look for whoever it is himself. He decides to take a look around

He wanders through the house, finding nothing amiss. He wanders back to the bedroom and is surprised to find Tigress making the bed and hum-

ming to herself with a small grin on her face. He smiles, seeing that she looks truly happy, and says, "Hey Tigress, uhh, what are you doing here?"

She jumps at the sound of Po's voice and wheels around to face him.

"Hey Po! Good morning! I uhh… I followed you here last night. You weren’t sleeping well, so I got you a blanket. Don’t worry, I didn’t

mess with anything else though,” she says sheepishly, trying to hide the fact she's blushing, but fails.

Po notices and asks "Tigress, are you blushing?"

"Blushing? Pfft! don't be ridiculous Po!" she responds, turning back to hide the burning sensation in her face.

Po smiles knowingly and says, "Oh, ok. Well, let's go eat that breakfast then, before it gets cold."

Always Watching

by Zach Randall

Hidden in the shadows, waiting in plain sight — unseen, unknowing, they stay and follow. Detected through sight, moving faster than the eye, faster

than light. No escape. Never blink. Never lose sight. Never turn your back. Only protection against the statues? Innocence and open eyes, open

mind. Once you know, never look Always watch once you look. Hidden in the day and night, always weeping, hands covering eyes. Gray

like statues, never moving till unnoticed. Only noticed to those who know. Missing — absent — is their heel, and the key. Key to knowing

where to look and not. Always watching, never looking. weeping until they follow. Then silent screaming to the others weeping. Unheard to

us but loud to them. Resilient once been seen. Never stop till the deed. Completed starts anew. Always searching for another. Always feed-

ing, never killing. Never turn your back. Never blink or death is certain. Beware the children too. Always smiling. Always cheating. Hidden

well, children are. Sounds of laughter fill the victim’s mind. Waves of footsteps can be seen. Once seen, death is near. Nor from killing but

from feeding my fellow wretch. Best to only never look and never wonder. 9

Burning Bridges by Christian Monk

Momma was a wise woman. Cold and dis-

tant, but wise. A Seer, before there were

things to be seen. She knew that I’d be

trouble before I was born. Every once in a

while, she’d look down at me, with her

last “Kentucky Select” between her red-

painted lips and say the same thing each

time. She’d say that people like me had a

way of burning bridges. We didn't mean to

or want to, but at the end of the day we'd

be standing in the rubble, gagging on the

smoke. She would say that it wasn't my

fault, that I couldn't help being a wrecking

ball, that it was just my nature. And every

night, every single night, I would get down

on my knees and pray that she was right

— that it wasn't my fault, that my scorch

marks weren't of my will, that my doings

weren't completely my own. Now that I

look back on it, after all these years, I re-

alize that I should have prayed for the

smoke not to clear at all.

“Bane” by Jonathan Martinez

10

Letting Go

by Trini Dean

“Letting go”...you automatically get a negative connotation with these words. Letting go seems to always be associated with

losing something, but that's not always the case.

"Letting go" isn't a hard thing to do when there is someone there to catch you. Who is that someone to you? Your best friend,

your mom, your brother, your sister...those people who we always know we can count on no matter what. Sometimes we keep our list

narrow. We look at the people who we "see" day in and day out and we forget the most important person who is always going to be

there for us: God.

He is constantly helping us through the day's struggles and not asking for anything in return except for love. He is the one per-

son that will truly always be there for us. Next time you get a bad grade, lose a close family member, feel like no one’s there for you,

feel out of place, next time you simply just HURT — because there are days when even you can’t explain why you hurt, you just do —

He will always be there. In the most difficult situations remember that the God tells us in the Bible: "Behold, I am with you always, to

the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). Through thick and thin he is there and we can take comfort in knowing and trusting in him

throughout our whole lives and throughout each day. Daily struggles will come, but you don't have to face them alone.

There is a story called "Footprints in the Sand," and it tells of a man who has a dream. In his dream, he watches as throughout

his life he leaves footprints in the sand. He becomes very upset when he sees points throughout his life where there is only one set of

footprints. Going to the Lord, he asks about this, sad that God would let him face these challenges alone. Then the Lord looks upon

him lovingly and explains to him that those were the times that He didn't leave him. It was when He carried him.

This shows us how in the darkest of times, when we feel the most alone, that is when God is most present, helping us through

it all. We just have to stay strong and keep faith in the Lord. Even when we cannot "see" Him, we know he is there.

~Connections~

Weird

by Christian Monk

The thing about calling someone weird...is that it's both not enough and too much information.....

It's not like calling someone fat or ugly. It's not a shallow jab by someone scorned. It's the summary of what you are, based on

an uncontroversial observation. It means that you are something you have no control over. You are “other”.

Fat people can lose weight or call it a way of life. Ugly people can put on make-up or dress well. Then they're just normal peo-

ple. But you can't scrub away weirdness. You can't get on a treadmill and come off with a little less oddity. You can't hide it with nice

jewelry or a crisp pair of slacks. It's ingrained in your bones, refined in your flesh. You can't tear that part of yourself away. There

would be nothing left.

And so you persist. The worst part is, you probably have no idea. You walk around thinking you're completely normal, bliss-

fully unaware of your forsaken you-ness, until some non-weird person tells you.

Then it hits like a lightning bolt: you, yourself, are strange. You either have too much of something or not enough, but either

way, you're wrong, utterly and profoundly wrong. And you don't know why. You are handicapped by your own existence. You are

singular. You are both a glaring beacon in a uniform fog and a crack in the pavement. Obvious and unsightly. Unwanted and unneeded.

Letting Go

by Mr. Tom Carter

“It’s easy to quit smoking. I’ve done it hundreds of times.” This quote from Mark Twain reminds us that a mental decision is easy to do;

a behavioral decision is more difficult. And, as we know from Carter’s Rules for Conduct, moral decisions can be the most difficult to

make. Why is it so difficult to let go of the bad in our lives? There are the superficial things that are difficult to let go. I am partial to

comb-overs, plaid, Paleo sunglasses, bad jokes, and loud singing. These are now so ingrained (and bug the c-rap out of the students) that

I have no desire to change them. They function perfectly to establish a safe environment distance with the younger generation. There

are the defensive behaviors which lose their effectiveness over time but are continued out of habit. I will not tell students my middle

name or my age, my wife is always MRS. Carter, and I always have a seating chart because I am horrible with names. It is eas-

ier to stick with the habit (bad, or otherwise) than to admit the fault and seek change to overcome it. Finally, there are the

onerous behaviors that I should like to forego: homework, tests, teasing students, shamelessly seeking attention, and that

cursed tendency to be right all the time. These behaviors are not contributing to my sainthood. Why is it so darn difficult to

just say no and let go??? 11

summer’s almost here!

The staff of L(eg)IT MAG wishes you a wonderful and restful summer break! Best of luck to the all

seniors set to graduate in a few short weeks — may you find health, happiness, and holiness as your

pursue your new adventures in the world beyond the Mount! But for those of you sticking

around…

JOIN US IN LIT MAG FOR THE 2013-14 SCHOOL YEAR!

Lit mag meets once a week in Ms. Kalmar’s room (108) to create and critique works of art and lit-

erature! It takes all types to put our biyearly magazine together, so whether you’re a wordsmith or

a webmaster, we can use your talent and creativity. Listen for an announcement at the beginning of

the school year!

Sincerely,

L(eg)IT MAG Editors & Staff

Miley Durbin (Editor-in-Chief) * Kelsie Kent (Asst. Editor-in-Chief) * Miryam Coleman * Skarlet Per-

retti * Rebecca Perretti * Andrew Yoon * Connor Hartzell * Christian Monk * Annah Durbin *

Dominic Reyna * Courtney Barry * Karly Hensley * Ms. Amy Kalmar (Faculty Sponsor)

What Summer’s All About by Jamie Wright

On a hot summer’s day, birds are flying, Flowers are rising, as kids start to play. Rain always comes at the perfect timing; A rainbow shows as the rain goes away. With the sky so high, we dream we can fly. As dawn is showing, the love is flowing. Perfect time to cook out under the sky: Start the grill and the charcoal starts glowing. You can’t help but smile while you wish it lasts; You relax while looking across the fire, Looking at the fire thinking of the past. You realize that summer might expire... You will soon be back in the boring class, Realizing how fast you let summer pass!

Let go of all your cares...

Sincere thanks to all supporters, contributors, and editors of this is-sue of L(eg)IT MAG. And a special thank you to Mr. Bruce Pierce for his continued support… we could not do it without you!

Unfortunately, 12 pages isn’t enough room for all your

brilliance! See this magazine in full color along with

more works of art and literature at our website...

msmlitmag.yolasite.com