Central High School (1 of 2)

Dear Creator

Dear Creator,
Make me a dolphin
but like the dolphin of dolphins
make me a silver bullet with “warmest
regards” engraved on the side.
Creator, make me a star
a burning ball of energy ready to obliterate
any and everything that comes close
…a movie star would be pretty cool too.
Make me my sister’s wedding ring
I’ve always wanted to
be inside of a pawnshop display case.
That was strange
But oh omnipresent presence, make me stranger
make me a spider
I’m already a fear of most people
so why not?
No, make me a giraffe so I can feel
water travel down my throat.
Better yet, make me into a pair of mom jeans
because we both know I’m the
farthest thing from holy.

Bre’Einda Davis


untitled

When I grow up I want to be the president of the United States.
I want to be a neurosurgeon, someone who save lives
I want to be a French teacher in Indonesia
Or an international assassin who only accepts payment in the
form of ketchup packets
I want to be a zookeeper
A zookeeper who teaches the animals to think for
themselves and rise up against “the man”
I want to be a superhero whose only power
is to explode, once, in a ball of flames and sacrifice
I want to be the wind and sky
I think I’d be good at being time
I want to be the first light of daybreak
And the first corn during harvest season
I want to be the smell of gasoline
And the taste of blood in your mouth after a bar fight
I don’t think I would be a good parent
But I want to run a school assimilating child soldiers
back into society with the power of music
I want to fly
I want to be a fly squashed by the
Queen of England
The bullet that missed Kennedy
The book that’s never left the library
The last chip in the Cheetos bag
The letter telling you, you have jury duty
I want to be

William Taylor


Sweat!

Sweat running down his body
like honey running down a biscuit
while he prepares hisself for the game winning shot
the stands roaring while his sweat steady
pouring

Devin Blackmon


Erect

Erect is a towering
blunt word, that forces you
to notice it, like a mother
counting to three on her
hands, above a small meek
child.

Erect is the awkward
misplaced wall in the
corner of your house,
a thing that everyone
knows shouldn’t be there but is
ignored over time.

Erect is a kid
standing on the tips of their
toes, trying to see
past the edges of a fence.
Small but purposeful.

Hanna Wells


Things I’m Crazy About:

laughing babies
freshly shaved legs in soft covers
hot sauce
clean makeup brushes
hot breakfast on a school day
matching socks
fresh cut grass
all white bedrooms
Christmas lights
dryer sheets
a full piggy bank
neat lipstick
long nails
loud speakers
dressy clothes
pretty pictures
field trips that last all day
motivational posters
Frappes
buttery pizza crust
energetic dogs

Paige Mitchell


Ode to My Mother’s Freckles 

Little brown specks
painting my mom’s face
Specks like a paint brush dabbed on her face
Covering her cheeks and a little of her nose
Embraced like a T-shirt she loves
She refuses to dress them up in makeup
They’re like her best friend she proudly takes around
All over her arms, legs, and back
like that cold you can’t share
or that kid that don’t go away
They make her even more beautiful
She holds her head high like they’re the
crown on her face
They are what she thinks is her best feature

Alexis Bonner


Central High School
Little Rock, AR
Dates of Visit: October 11-12, 2017
Faculty Sponsor: Sharolyn Jones-Taylor
Grade Levels: 10, 11, 12
Appx. Number Students Served: 61
Visiting Writers: Bailey Hutchinson, Rachel Thomas