May June Be Jolly

After nine treacherous months of sweat and determination, June is finally blossoming! May June be jolly as we wrap up these concluding days of work until we can reach the beach. We are proud to present these last few selections from the tough students at Holicong that have fought through the countless snowstorms, power emergencies, and finals and look forward to the warm, comforting air of summer! Of course, we couldn't help but include some last puns, so be shore to enjoy and have a whale of a time as you read these final submissions! We'll sea you next year! 

Blue Confessions

The wind played with my hair, twirling it into its layers of air. My jacket buffeted around me, the blue neon sign glowing in the grim air. I hurriedly pulled onto the door of the place I loved so much. 

“The usual, Ashe?” Liam’s kind face smiled at me.

“Yes.”

He turned his back on me, his faultless hair moving with his movements as he prepared my drink. My eyes stared off into nothing, thinking of the chances with the person I loved. Their figure appeared in the back of my mind, permanently stamped. I would never be able to forget about them. As the foam brimmed the edge, he stuck an azure-striped straw upon the silky drink.

“One milkshake, half vanilla, half espresso. Anything else?” he rubbed his hands onto his worn, stained apron.

“Thanks. I’ll just sit somewhere here,” I said, grabbing the glass.

He nodded me off, and I sat by the window, which was mimicking the chilly air outside. Sipping the drink, I felt the grooves of the cup, the frosty condensation burning my palms. They would always tell me it was crazy to drink a milkshake in the middle of winter; little did they know I only drank the milkshakes to see their face every day. I heard the light jingle of the door open yet again, but instead of a regular pedestrian, it was her. The one who would be the girlfriend of the barista. Abby ran, giggling with anticipation, as she flung herself onto Liam. Surprised, he spun her and kissed her forehead. Perfect. She turned and met my gaze, smiling as bright as her personality.

“Hey, Ashley. How are you?” She curled her hair endlessly. She fixed her hair, even though it didn’t need to be.

“Nothing. Still struggling with Mr. Bracer’s homework though,” I responded.

“Same. What even is the purpose of knowing each specific person who helped in the Russian war? Confusing,” she added, looking back over at Liam.

I noticed she wore the cobalt jacket we bought together, her delicate frame curving effortlessly with it. She hugged me, insisting we hang out again.

 No one knows. But I always admired from afar. Yet if I interrupted, I would make things more complicated. I always looked back on the moment and thought to myself, what could have happened? To walk up to the person I loved? They walked as a pair nonstop, everyone gushing on about their future. It left a bittersweet taste, so I drank up other things in life that were better. Friends. Family. This milkshake. After Liam went for a break, I hesitated. He left. Better off him not hearing this.

I walked up to Abby with her beaming face, creating her freckles to dance. Her cerulean eyes were persistent, ready to take my words in. I took a breath. Nothing could stop me from saying my thoughts. She should know.

“I love you.”

by Carolyn C., Grade 7

Artwork by Sarah Z., Grade 9

Exam Anxiety

A Sonnet

The test paper is put in front of me.
I glance at all of the questions and graphs,
I take a breath and start to bob my knee.
Thoughts swirl in my head with nervous laughs.

I start, my unpreparedness becomes clear.
No, that’s not the answer that can’t be right,
My own crushing self-doubts fill me with fear.
My eyes hold back tears in the harsh white light.

In my stomach butterflies flap their wings.
I slowly walk up and turn in my test.
The ending bell laughs at me with its dings.
I wonder why I was cruelly assessed.

My teacher hands back the evil exam,
Wow-- I failed-- education is a sham.

by Brandon L., Grade 9

A kite is the freest of us all.
It can soar higher than us
into the third dimension.
Its only limit a measly cord.

We see it as amusement;
no more than a child’s plaything.
It is of no significance to us.

Yet, it holds unimaginable power:
the power of joy,
of happiness.
It can brighten the day
of anyone that looks up.


It is with this in mind
that we can finally realize
how much of our lives

are in

the hands

of others.

by Lucas S., Grade 7

Bodies of Water

She is the ocean on a mild day,

Swaying lazily, yawning on the sand,

The water lifts and everything's okay

Enveloped in Mother Earth's gentle hand.

She is the sea on a stormy evening,

Churning angrily, pummeling the shore,

The water spirals, always deceiving,

Crashing and miming the chaos of war. 

She is the creek on a hot afternoon

Splashing joyfully, licking at the rocks,

The water twirls and dances to a tune,

Each memory a song in life's jukebox.

She's got liquid feelings that ebb and flow,

That girl's a body of water, you know. 

by Jordan MacConnell, Grade 9

Colors

I like the union of colors,

the way, for example

they blend to enhance the world around us;

taupe with a dash of pink, a smiling face

arcs of gold, eyelashes in the sun, 

deep blue shadows in the snow.

I like the warmth of neutrals,

anchoring the mind in reality,

stirring up memories of swaying trees

And homemade apple pie.

And the energy of neon,

shining amongst the endless sea

of grays and browns,

the spotlight of every gaze.

Even grays are never bland,

just feathers shading in shadows,

an absence of color,

an appearance of depth.

There is a sadness to blue,

one that suffocates the heart

in bittersweet honey,

stealing the warmth of the soul.

And I never fail to be impressed

by the innocence of white,

fresh and untouched,

the purest of this world.

A fiery sunset on a chilly evening,

one sunflower gazing into the sun,

a sad song that pains the heart. 

by Rachel C., Grade 9