Took It For Granted By Charisse Ross

 TOOK IT FOR GRANTED by Charisse Ross

Didn't know I would miss it

Maybe I took it for granted

Simple things

Like sitting on the church pew while the choir sings

The joy that your physical touch brings

Being able to see you face to face

A long warm, loving embrace

Standing cheek to cheek

Conversations face to face

Didn't know I would miss it

Maybe I took it for granted

Watching little children swing on swings

Holding hands in the park and the joy it brings

It's just simple things

Like sitting in a restaurant hearing and seeing people chit chatter

Sharing the taste of my lunch entre or dinner platter

I can't believe that at one time it didn't matter

And now its a deadly situation that keeps getting sadder 

My personal space was my choice

But now my face mask muffles my voice 

I feel like I was forced to be instantly  converted

From extroverted to introverted 

But is it really worth it?

And now the death toll rises

There are no more surprises

As the COVID-19 virus spreads fast

How much longer will this way of living last

Didn't know I would miss it

Maybe I took it for granted

Crowded festivals, wedding receptions, and hayrides at Blake's cider mill

Dancing at clubs and parties, people cuddling close to get rid of a cold chill

Live music concerts and cheering loudly for my favorite team at a live sporting event game 

Everything has changed, nothing really stayed the same

COVID19 seems like a bad dream

But I wake up everyday to the same quarantine

A prisoner in my own home

I'm a hermit, destined to die alone

Paranoid to go outside

The sound of my cough conjures up fear

Praying I live to see another day

Didn't Know I would miss it

Maybe I took it for granted

COVID19 took so many lives

I'm just hoping it doesn't take mine

Nostalgia by Rachel Fry

Nostalgia by Rachel Fry

A formal goodbye to my childhood,
As I walk through the old neighborhood.
Hearing the ghosts of shrieks and laughter,
As we played hide n' seek and chased fireflies after.
I remember the peaceful weekends at the lake,
Fishing, swimming and tubing with Jake.
I remember the holiday parties and field days at school,
When slurpee runs were frequent and silly bands were cool.
From basketball practice in the winter and cheer in the fall,
To asking "is your refrigerator running?" on a dumb prank call.
The days were long and the summers were endless,
A time was life's possibilities seemed to be limitless.

7-1-2019 by Anonymous

7-1-2019 by Anonymous

I Hate You.

An Anti-Valentine's Day Love Poem by Jillian Law

An Anti-Valentine's Day Love Poem by Jillian Law

I love you every day, not just February 14. Not just when greeting cards say I should. I love you when we're both tired and fighting. I love you when you make me unload the dishwasher. I love you when we watch The Bachelor. I love you in your pajamas, hair messy. I love you 365 days a year, not just one. So let's skip Valentine's Day this year, okay?

Stages of a Friendship Breakup by Jillian Law

Stages of a Friendship Breakup

I. You don’t remember the last time you talked. Was it six months ago? A year ago? Was it last Christmas? You can’t remember, and it still feels strange. You can’t remember the last time you talked to her.

II. Your instinct used to be to run to her when you had a problem. You called her countless times, crying and panicking. You used to believe she’d always answer. You don’t anymore.

III. You don’t talk, but she still wishes you a Happy Birthday on Facebook. She still uses your Netflix account. You pretend like that doesn’t sting.

IV. Your friends say you should call her, that you should reach out because she’s not mad at you. She’s just busy. But you don’t. You’re tired of reaching out. You called her every week for two years. You’ve done this work before. It’s her turn.

V. You’re mad at her, and she didn’t do anything. You’re mad at her because she didn’t do anything. You’re mad and hurt, and you don’t know what to do with either emotion.

VI. Over Christmas, your friends go out to a bar. You skip out, but she goes. Your other friend tells you that she was sad that you didn’t go, that she was looking forward to seeing you. If that’s true, you think, she could see me whenever she wants.

VII. In conversation, you used to refer to her as your best friend. For years, she was “your best friend”. Now, you don’t know what to say. Sometimes, she’s your “ex-best friend”. Sometimes, she’s your “high school best friend”.

VIII. You still can’t badmouth her. You’re not sure you’ll ever be able to. When you talk about her, you tell people she’s brilliant. You talk about the giant green truck she drove in high school that you named the Green Hornet. You make excuses for her: that she’s a bad texter, that she’s super busy with med school. You still give her the benefit of the doubt. You still feel like she’s earned it. (But you know it’s running out.)

IX. It would be so easy to cut a guy you broke up with out of your life. You could delete his texts, throw out his pictures, get rid of his gifts… You cannot cut her out of your life, not completely. You have the same friends. She is a main character in your favorite stories, your best memories, your cutest pictures… She was the person you first went to Marvel movies with. She came home when you had a breakdown. You still hear Shake It Off and think of her: the two of you scream-shouting the entire time. You can’t cut her out of your life (and heart) if even you tried.

X. You wished there was a defined end to this break-up, a point where you could say, “Yeah, we’re done.” You want to know where you stand. But that’s the worst thing about a friendship break-up. Two years can go by, and you still haven’t taken her off your Netflix yet. 

2020 Valentine Weekend by Anonymous

2020 Valentine Weekend by Anonymous 



I drank and drank,

I forgot and forgot.



Lonely on a Friday,

but not lonely for the weekend.



The alcohol made me do it,

I texted him after a year without him.



He said he missed me, he said I was pretty, he said I was smart.

He said let’s try again, lets go on a date, let’s see each other.



I said yes to all his requests. All weekend I said yes to him and fed off his words.

But then Monday afternoon came. And I saw on Facebook.



He got married 2/17/2020



I drank and drank,

I forgot and forgot.

A Man Hates a Woman Who Reads by Anonymous

A Man Hates a Woman Who Reads by Anonymous


*A real tinder interaction*

Carlo: wyd

Me: I’m reading

Carlo: Reading?

Me: Yes?

Carlo: Like a book? For fun?

Me: Yes?

Carlo: Aren’t you bored?

Me: No I like reading

Carlo: “I like reading” we are the farthest thing from being compatible. You must be very boring do you ever watch movies?

Me: Yes but movies are rarely like the book

Carlo: You are right. The movies are entertaining. Unlike you I don’t have a simple mind easily entertained by a piece of paper with words on it.

Me: Okay I get it you hate books and reading

Carlo: Hate is a strong word. What I hate is people who read for fun, they are boring and simple minded, uneducated and fucking lame.

Me: Ooookay I think your attitude is very hostile and that’s what makes us the farthest thing from compatible.

Carlo: Have fun with your life bitch, if that’s possible. 

Dating as a Fat Woman by Anonymous

Dating as a Fat Woman


Let's hook up, he says

No, I say

Lol you are fat and ugly anyway, he says

Unmatched

I may be rejected by society due to my size, but I am still only seen as a fuckable object, not a woman.

Volunteering... And Zombies! by Jillian Law

Volunteering... And Zombies! by Jillian Law

“Jackson, you’re late,” Ms. Lynsky said, her face set in its permanent scowl. I ignored her. It wasn’t like I was late to class or anything. We were just volunteering.

I took my place next to Rizzo and Connie, only pumping into three people as I weaved through the crowd. Rizzo laughed while Connie rolled her eyes. She was annoyed, I could tell. I couldn’t really blame her. She called me three times this morning to make sure I was awake, and I ignored all the calls until my mom shouted that I absolutely had to leave to get to school on time for the volunteer trip.

“I think Ms. Lysnky is going to kill you in your sleep,” Rizzo whispered to me.

“Or worse, fail you,” Connie added.

“Okay, Hermione Granger.”

Before Connie could reply, I held my hand out. “Guys,” I said, wanting an end to the bickering. As much as I loved Connie and Rizzo, had been their best friend since we were eight, I was sick of their constant fighting. “Remind me why we’re doing this again.”

“Our moms are making us.” “It will look great on our college applications.” Rizzo and Connie answered at the same time. I couldn’t help but laugh.

Ms. Jackson, finally realizing that all the students who would sacrifice sleep on a Saturday morning, ushered us all onto the bus and out of the rain. I sat next to Rizzo while Connie sat with Angela Morris, a girl I had dated last year. I avoided her glare. I wasn’t good at breakups..

We talked and laughed. To us, it was just a normal Saturday spent beefing up our college applications. We were just supposed to go and volunteer downtown. We didn’t know about the virus. We didn’t know that, within hours, half of our classmates would be zombies we have to kill. And honestly, we wouldn’t have believed you if you told us.

A College Mood by Jillian Law

A College Mood by Jillian Law

I hear rain just outside the window

I don’t glance, don’t have the time

I’m running late, always running late

Bags under my eyes, my hair in knots

I do not recognize the zombie I see in the mirror

I can’t worry about that, though

Not right now

I’m too busy thinking about volunteering first for my presentation

Wishing for an asteroid to end me now

Oh, what a college mood