Reading is like space endless and beautiful 

I pick up a book

Running my hands over the book cover 

My hands grip the pages 

my eyes dart around soaking in the words

Desperately wanting to know what’s next

Only, there’s an addition of a million floating lanterns around you.

It makes you feel like you’re laying on the softest, safest bed you’ve ever been in.

My mind strays from all the bothersome thoughts of the world.

And my hands glide gently through the soft, cold water.

I feel like I’m floating straight through a cold breeze.

My mom and my brother are making sandcastles on the shore.

My sister is warming up in her already-damp towel, from a full day at the beach.

Bright and cheerful 

 My hair is sweating under my cap while my tongue enjoys chocolate ice cream.

 My arms feel enlightened by the cool breeze.

 I think about enjoying the pool when we are done at the welcome center. 

I also admire the palm trees, new and beautiful

Their green leaves dancing in the breeze

I am amazed by the beauty of this abnormal state 

When it is time to leave, we pack our stuff the day before

Not wanting to go back to the snowy state of Michigan 

We all load into the car

More tan than we came

Blankets and pillows in hand

Ready for the long drive

Back home. 

     breaking the law of physics, 

defying gravity.  

Skiing is like the color white 

crystal clear snowflakes dropping from the sky.

Skiing reminds me of lying down on the sofa

 drinking water on a warm day.

My feet cramping into my boots 

walking into a winter wonderland 

sore, but happy 

feeling of the soft sand hitting your face

 melting and leaving a wet mark representing happiness. 

The feeling of warmth of the heater inside the hut eating warm food

 as your breath leaves a mark on the air slowly dissipates.

When I leave 

it feels like entering reality 

I give my one last goodbye, 

knowing that it will be there next time.

 

 Just to purchase one thing you wait forever but it gets slower and slower. Like a grandma driving on a highway.

My feet are crying, wanting to rest.

My head is yelling and telling me to leave.

My ears hearing people complain.

My face is dying from boredom.

My eyes sagging like wet paper bags.

I feel my feet hurting from standing all day long.

I feel my neck cramping.

I feel the hands hurting.

I think about how long it’s going to take.

I think about why I’m here.

I think and wonder if I should go or if I should stay.

        

We stand here and watch, and wonder why we are here. We ask ourselves if this is really worth it.

As I move closer I can see the cash register and hear the cashier ask, how are you today? I complained and said good, just had to wait in a humongous line. Then I walk and cry.

Is like walking through a hallway with ever changing pictures,

Like seeing the world in a mirror,

Like finding a diamond in the rough.

Carefree, inspired, and elated. 

Living and breathing, 

Like the flowers beneath me.

Free from burdens, and guilt,

I am truly me when I am yellow. 

Other days I am deep, dark purple- 

Hiding in my own mind, 

Retreating back to the corners of my brain when disaster strikes,

I am distant and lost, watching myself from the outside. 

Filled with blazing hot jealousy and frustration,

Guilt is all I feel, when I am lonesome purple.

adventures awaiting inside.The welcome of Walt Disney was like music to my ears and Florida was just like a new friend to me to 

adventure with.

The intense pressure of scorching hot air as the wind breezes past 

my face thrills me with joy. 

My mind is going through a rollercoaster of fun!!!

I feel the urge to meet new friends to be more involved in 

Florida.

They make the time fly by and It is awesome to have summer almost all year with friends and food like hotdogs and ice cream.

We always would end trips with a big pizza night. Then I reflected on how grateful of an opportunity for a few years to visit Florida on an adventure that started my childhood and also

impacted my culture of foods and sports.

     Feeling perfect and brand new

     Laughing and no worries but a few

     A happy kid— 

           Talking with everyone you knew

Like the sunshine in everyone’s life

Grateful to be on this earth

Other days I’m a deep dark gray

    Nothing can just make me say yay

    You are to empty to even get out of bed

              To drained to have thoughts

              To exhausted to speak

You can see the gray all over your face

         You just feel out of place

    

     

Joyful and carefree 

Vibrant and alive

Inspired and hopeful

Overjoyed to be around people and share memories 

Ready to start the day with any adventure

Other days I feel light gray

Lost and drained

Confused and hopeless 

Distant and lonely 

Too afraid to touch the surface

Way to paranoid of what others think

Quiet and content

Gentle and proud

Free of anxiety and having fun

Grateful for my life and stress free

But the other times I’m not this way I can be a different way.

Joyful and carefree 

Vibrant and alive

Inspired and hopeful

Overjoyed to be around people and share memories 

Ready to start the day with any adventure

Other days I feel light gray

Lost and drained

Confused and hopeless 

Distant and lonely 

Too afraid to touch the surface

Way to paranoid of what others think

Art is like drinking a nice glass of water on a hot day, it relieves stress

 My grip on the pencil, scratching against the paper.

My mind once wandering but now at peace.

All the pent up emotions overflowing occasional tears falling down my cheeks.

Finding it easier to breathe as time passes.

Understanding my emotions a little bit better, never completely though.

A small smile will grow as I finally feel relaxed.

Drawing after drawing, tear after tear I begin to feel sane again.

I begin to realize I am not crazy, I'm just a little girl with big emotions.

But soon after, I feel the need to go back to drawing since my chest feels tight and breathing is once again a struggle.

So I pick up my pencil, and repeat the same steps.

Comfort overflowing me, like a mother’s hug.

It makes me happier than ever.

And that’s why I love art.

My wrist flicking, 

while I shoot jumpers

My lungs on fire, 

during the fourth quarter

My feet shuffling, 

to keep up on defense

I love the sound of a perfect swish

I think about what I will do with the ball

I feel locked and focused in to the game

The game ends when the buzzer goes off

With either a win or a loss

I walk off the court into the locker room

Full of happiness and joy

Then I unlace my shoes and get back into normal clothes. 

swimming is like cleansing the mind,

the smooth blue water,

your teammates laughing all around you, 

your swift push off the wall, 

the feel of your cap pulling at the ends of your hair, 

the raw fresh goggle marks,

my one true love 

putting my cap on,

strap tightening up my goggles,

the material of my suit suffocating my body, 

getting on the blocks,

diving in,

the feeling of the chilling water engulf my body,

my one true love 

it’s like an addiction, 

addition being the physical challenge of the water,

the control the water has over your body, 

getting out of the water, 

pushing out of that comfort zone,

not accepting failure yet learning how to deal with the feat that is failure,

the feeling that is raw pure success,

my one true love

mentality,

the failure that comes with success,

mental blocks holding back all the built up greatness,

the desire to win,

 every single thing on your mind,

just win,

my one true love

I put my hands on the steering wheel

Put my foot and the gas and go 

My head slows down I start to breath slower 

I see the green flag and I go 

I see the track to what I need to do 

Do I need to go higher or lower

I think about going into the corner

I go low because the track is wet 

Then out of the corner I see the white flag 

One more lap to go 

I think about every going in the corner 

Them I see the checkered flag 

And it’s over 

I get out of the car 

And wait till next weekend 

My hand twisting the throttle 

My left foot shifting

My right ready to break for what’s coming next

My other hand let’s the clutch in and out so I don’t stall 

When I’m racing I feel happy but nervous at the same time

I always know anything can happen

This could be my last race or finish and move onto the next one

I come into the check-in seeing the checkered flag

I know the race has ended 

I ride over to our camp spot

I get all my stuff off

 We wait for the sheets to be put up

Then we pack up and leave

And now I wait and train for the next race

It’s like finding treasure because you find things you’re looking for.

I pick a song and gather cleaning supplies 

My hands move around as

I quickly organize things and arrange things

It’s like I’m taking off

  and gliding to peace and silence.

It makes the world around me disappear

It is knowing what to do without a right answer

My fingers buckle the blue life jacket with a “click”.

My arms push the kayak

  into the cool, quiet water.

As a warm breeze 

  gently ripples the lake, 

  my legs sit down in the black foam seat,

  while my palms grip the green-tipped paddle.

And all I can make out

  is the faint “sploosh”

Of water slipping off of 

  the two-sided spoon that’s my paddle.

While I glide, the stress dies away,

  diffused by the silence around me.

After the time flies,

I go back to my life

Away from the feeling

  that I cannot compare to anything.

Anything that I’ve ever felt before.