Many thanks to the students of Ms. Runyan's 8th grade class from Atla
ntic Middle School in Iowa. They sent in their very fabulous and creative poems based on the following picture. Writing magazine published the photo as part of its September 1,000 Words feature. Great job!
Nothing Left
Touching the sun,
Feeling like you're controlling the world,
But it's all backwards.
Black is white,
White is black.
Nothing seems the same.
You’ll never feel the same,
You won't feel like anything is working.
Nothing works,
But yet it all works,
And you just don't know it yet.
--Derek Von Seggern
What?
God,
Is that you?
Is that the star the angels sent down?
Are you sending a message?
Why are you playing with my mind?
Is this a sign?
God, who are you trying to attract?
Am I messed up?
Am I just crazy?
Is this the end of the world?
Whom am I kidding?
I’m just a teenager from earth
Without a darn clue.
--Anthony Robinson
Phenomena
The eclipse so high,
Just hanging in the sky.
Trying to capture its strength,
For as long as its length.
Changing the world,
If only for a moment.
Making white look like black,
But in minutes its back.
Taking your hand from the sky,
As the world passes by
When you came inside
The outside world died.
You get back to your job,
As your heart starts to throb.
The phenomenon was forgotten.
—Paige Kennon
The Black Diamond
The white hand glows bright.
The black diamond burns all night.
They join day and night.
--Malachi Wickman
The Dark World
There was a young lad,
Who indeed was very sad.
The world was so dark and cruel,
And that my friend is not cool.
The boy wanted some color back,
In the town that was certainly whack.
After many years,
And many tears,
The color was back,
And that ...
Is that.
--Sara Forster
Seeking the Darkness
Looking up at the evening sky,
I thought I saw it way up high.
The darkness swallowing up the sun,
As though the light had been shunned.
It was frightening there at first,
But soon I had such an insatiable thirst!
The thirst for darkness, to disappear,
Away from the light, there was nothing to fear.
I wondered vaguely, maybe if,
I could reach there, up there,
To make it shift.
So that I wouldn't be so tempted to feel,
That black darkness touch,
That shrouds like a veil.
So engrossed in my thoughts was I,
I did not take heed of those clouds in the sky,
They poured their black raindrops in their wake,
So that the ground below me seemed of a lake.
But this lake was dark, fearsome and swift,
But I soon felt that it was a gift.
I wanted to jump, to fall through the dark,
To reach the inner depths of the black water’s heart.
I must step back, away I must race!
But of course, the darkness held me in place.
Against such beauty, all reasoning is gone,
My twilight kingdom, I've waited so long.
You held out your arms to welcome me,
Here I must stay, I could never leave.
And when I reached for that cold embrace,
I felt the darkness enveloping my face.
My eyes and hair turned midnight black,
My skin so cold not a diamond could crack.
Quite suddenly the sky shone a white light,
Bright as the gods, to banish the night.
Angelic figures descended the skies.
The heavenly fighters shining up high.
A battle cry tore from my lips,
I drew the sword that hung at my hips.
I leaped in the air to fight my light foes.
We fought for an eternity,
Despite my everlasting woes.
At last the sky was black and cold,
I was left standing in battle throes.
I smirked heavily when the twilight,
As brave as it be,
Looked as one surprised might,
And welcomed me.
But forever deep down,
In my sorrowful heart,
I knew that light wore a crown,
Just like the dark.
And evermore, even after the world's ended.
Light and darkness shall always be contended.
But I would fight,
I would not take flight.
Just like those of you,
Who battle for light.
--Mistery Fleagle