3. I
N
T
R
O
D
U
C
T
I
O
N
2019 - 2021 has been a couple of years that we will not forget. We
spent time at school with friends and time at home working from
our computers. Even through all of this, the Fine Arts community
has continued to thrive! The authors and artists in this edition of
Voices have continued to create masterpieces in both literature
and art. A special thank you to everyone who contributed and the
English, Spanish, and Fine Arts teachers who helped! Enjoy!
Aldo Espino and Meridith Hartsfield
Fine Arts Prefects
Artwork by Kayla Johnson - SCS Class of 2020
Voices | 1
4. Editor's Note
There has never been a point in time in
the history of our school with as much
change and as many challenges as the past
two years. While being stuck at home and
taking classes online was very hard for a lot
of us, the fine arts lived on despite all of
this. We still managed to amass dozens of
pieces of writing and artwork that
demonstrated great creativity and free
expression. The new situations this period
has brought have led our students to create
some of the most creative pieces of writing
and art this school has ever seen, and we
are very proud of all our students have
accomplished under these new
circumstances. At school or at home, the
great writing at SCS always stayed alive,
and the amount our students have worked
deserves to be celebrated.
This literary magazine serves just that
purpose, to showcase the artists and
authors of Santiago Christian School.
Making this magazine has only shown us the
ability and talent that this school has. We
are proud to be able to help grow and
flourish the fine arts program. Each of the
pieces has a bit of the author in them and
portrays who they are or their emotions.
This year started off with many
suspicions about how the fine arts program
would work, but this magazine proves to
show that nothing can stop people from
showing their immense talent. In any case,
we are proud to present Voices: The Artists
and Authors of SCS.
Romans 12:6
"Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them"
Voices | 2
5. INTRO FROM MRS. DAVIS
Students were asked to imitate Romantic
elements in the poems they wrote.
Romanticism was a movement prominent
in the 1800s which valued independence,
the self, emotion, nature, expression,
freedom, the supernatural, and rebellion.
Many of these elements remain as
characteristics of modern culture and
have strongly influenced modern arts,
politics, and culture.
The student poems below reflect
students' attempt to incorporate some
of these elements creatively in an
original poem. As they (and we, the
readers) recognize the influence of the
movement, they (and we!) are more
equipped to evaluate the values and
beliefs expressed in Romanticism and
hold them to a biblical standard of truth
and goodness.
Artwork:
Top - Sinyoung Park - 11th grade
Bottom - Anabel Gonzalez- 12th grade
Romanticism
Voices | 3
6. HAVE YOU HEARD THE SONG
ON THE WALLS?
“ I h e a r d t h e r e w a s a s p e c i a l p l a c e
W h e r e m e n c o u l d g o a n d e m a n c i p a t e
T h e b r u t a l i t y a n d t h e t y r a n n y o f t h e i r
r u l e r s . ”
H a v e y o u h e a r d t h e s o n g ?
T h e r e w a s a s p e c i a l p l a c e
w h e r e m e n c o u l d g o ,
B u t i t ’ s n o t t h e r e a n y m o r e .
T h e p l a c e , o f f s p r i n g o f m y b l o o d , s w e a t ,
a n d t e a r s ,
w a s a n e w w o r l d f o r p e a c e a n d r e f u g e .
B u t I l o s t i t , i t w a s s n a t c h e d a w a y
f r o m m y e m b r a c e .
O h , t h e b e a u t i f u l d r e a m ;
M y u n f i n i s h e d s y m p h o n y
w a s n e v e r m e a n t t o b e .
W o r d s b u i l t t h i s p l a c e
a n d I b e l i e v e d t h e s a m e w o r d s c o u l d u n i t e ,
B u t I l e a r n e d t h a t i n t h i s w o r l d ,
T h e o n l y u n i v e r s a l l a n g u a g e i s v i o l e n c e ,
A n d s o I w i l l s p e a k t h a t l a n g u a g e .
I f I c a n ’ t h a v e i t
t h e n n o o n e ,
N o o n e
c a n h a v e i t .
M y u n f i n i s h e d s y m p h o n y ,
f o r e v e r u n f i n i s h e d .
I t w a s s i m p l y
n e v e r m e a n t t o b e .
Y u m i n H a n - 1 1 t h G r a d e
A r t w o r k b y D a n i e l S a n t a n a - 1 2 t h g r a d e
M I N D I N O B L I V I O N
A f a c e i n t h e m i r r o r ,
I h a v e n e v e r s e e n h e r b e f o r e ,
B u t s h e s e e m s s a d .
B e a d y e y e s a n d a b l a n k s t a r e
R e p e t i t i v e m o t i o n s s h e p e r f o r m s ,
C l e a r l y a n a t t e m p t t o e s c a p e t h i s
f o r e s t .
H e r c h i l d r e n a r e u n a b l e t o
w i t h s t a n d
S u c h a n i m a g e o f d e c a y .
T h e y c a n n o t , h o w e v e r , i g n o r e
H e r h e l p l e s s d e s c e n t .
A v e r y d e p r e s s i n g i m a g e i n t h e
m i r r o r .
I f e e l s o r r y f o r h e r ,
I c o u l d n e v e r f a l l i n t o s u c h a s t a t e .
I s a b e l l a T r o p i a n o - 1 1 t h G r a d e
Voices | 4
7. Bring Them Back Oh Mountain
O mountains of my misfortune, of my pain and
my eternal mourning
O mountains, bring them to me again, bring
those who overflow my cup of joy
I need them like you need water to live, I need
them to heal, to feel
O raise them up to those who died in terrible
disgrace
From my curse, bring them back to me, give
them back
Or I will lift lands and seas, and winds and
storms
May your branches and your noble pastures
strike
And there will be no more life between your
valleys
Nor water between your paths
If you don't bring those who encourage and lift
my being
As the dawn brings light and life to earth
Bring them back, O mount, and you will live
forever!
Sofia Gandara - 11th Grade
Voices | 5
Art
work
by
Miguel
A.
Blasco
12th
grade
(bottom)
and
Sophia
Rogers
10th
grade
(top)
8. Windy nights, staring down the wooden
path
I see a light , not bright but warm. Is it
here for me? Is it here to take me?
The light is warm but I run, run away.
Why am I running?
It's a comforting warmth, feels cozy,
like a mother’s hug,
it felt pleasant, the kind of satisfaction
that no other source of energy has
given me before.
I want to run, I need to run
I stop. it's here to take me home, I let
it.
Nothing in this humane world has ever
made me feel so explosive,
feelings I didn't know were buried
inside of me were coming out.
I close my eyes.
A spaceship, I was in a spaceship
This feeling of home, deep inside of me
had never left.
I just knew it in my heart, this is where i
belong
But where do I belong?
Here? What is here?
What is this place?
how can a place so uncommon and
never before seen by my eyes and mind
be so...
...comforting. I don’t get it.
It gets dark and dark… and darker
And then… a light again, the light
The same warmth that i felt before,
except, now I feel complete
It's a world, A whole different universe.
I had been living in the wrong planet
my whole life
This was home.
Fernanda Diaz - 11th Grade
Voices | 6
JAVIER A. GUZMAN - 10TH GRADE
HAROLD PORTILLA - 12TH GRADE
9. A ghost lost in the body of a girl.
Breaking her apart.
Tearing her into pieces.
As she slowly lost herself.
She was in the middle of nowhere.
Trying to find herself.
The loneliness comes from inside.
As it broke her down.
But It was too late.
She was lost in the evil.
He owned heart and her mind.
She was no longer herself.
It was too late.
She became what he wanted her to be.
She became his possession.
It was too late.
Camila Cabrera - 11th Grade
Why should there be chaos?
When someone above is protecting us
He is always watching
Why did you rebel, Lucifer?
Maybe you needed more power
You think you are better than your creator
Guess not, He banned you from the highest
place
You were looking for change
You got it in the end
For good or worse
You got what you deserve
Maybe he is letting chaos happen
Because He knows the future
John Chang - 11th Grade
Artwork by:
Left: Anabel Gonzalez - 12th grade
Right: Yumin Han - 11th grade
Voices | 7
10. Fly Little Bird
Think with the heart
The mind will be your betrayer
Lost, running away, you will find what you are looking
for
Freedom of the chains holding you down
Let out the scream of the beast roaring inside you
Run, wild and free, Never looking back
Frightened by the sad truth of the world
Trust yourself, for society is deceiving
Be the main character of your story
Break the chains of repetition in people
Create a new future of freedom
Think with the heart, follow your dreams
And you will be set free, little bird
Fly, for the world is waiting for you
Grismely Cruz - 11th Grade
Artwork by Charbel Wadih 12th grade (top left) , Carla
Lucia Alvarez 10th grade (top right), and Gavi Bautista
11th grade (bottom)
Voices | 8
11. As the sun sets in the west
And the wind blows in the east
A young girl rides on her horse to the
north
Away from her home in the south
Clip-clop, clip-clop
The sky imitates a fire
And the grass has turned to emeralds
A most perfect scene
For the most perfect escape
Clip-clop, clip-clop
The trees guide her
As the birds sing her a sweet song
To make her own home
And start a new life
Tweet tweet, tweet tweet
Her heart beats faster
As the thought of the future
And of her endless possibilities
Overwhelms her mind
Ba bump, ba bump
Melanie Pena - 11th Grade
The weather was harsh and cold
I did not know where to go
My feet were at their pain peak
I could bare it no more
When I was about to give up
In the distance I saw a light
It flickered in the night
For I know my eyes are right
I got up with all my strength
I had almost none left
Little hope I had left in my soul
When I decided to risk it all
I was on the verge of collapsing
When a hand I felt on my back
It was a warm and mighty hand
But no one was behind me
It was helping me and guiding me
Almost as if it told me not to give up
I welcomed it and kept going
And the light seemed closer now
The light grew bigger and brighter
I could almost touch it and taste it now
I felt the hand leave my back as if
saying “you made it.”
I reached out to the light, thus where
my story ended.
Kamila Madera - 11th Grade
Voices | 9
12. STANDING ALONE
I saw him fly away from me,
His wings were beautiful as he went
away from me,
Leaving me behind with all this
sadness,
Leaving me behind on the ground.
I asked myself why leave me,
Did I do wrong that he wanted to go
away from me,
This beautiful creature just looked
so precious,
But he was just going away from me.
R
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|
P
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4
Voices | 10
The creature embraced everybody
else except me,
As I stand alone in this darkness,
The only light that I could see was
going away from me,
Until I couldn’t see it no more,
Here I am standing alone.
Carlos Espinal - 11th Grade
Artwork: Sophia Rogers- 10th Grade
13. Holding Out For A Summer
He sat there near the window. The soft,
cool breeze of a spring afternoon rubbed
gently against the side of his face. It was
colder than usual; his hands could feel it.
The faint sunlight did not provide enough
warmth. He listened as the notifications on
his laptop kept ringing, one after the other.
With every sound, his heart sank deeper
into his chest. With every sound, another
homework added to the list. With a
clouded mind, he grabbed the window
ledge and shouted, “I’M GOING INSANE!”
Juan Daniel Checo - 12th Grade
Artwork by Caterina Torres - 10th grade
LITERARY
PERSPECTIVES
ON
QUARANTINE
Voices | 11
14. Everything was the same, Violet thought. Nothing
has changed. Nothing will change. It was the peace
that was driving her crazy. The quiet. It didn’t let her
concentrate. Her siblings didn’t want to talk to her.
Somehow, they had better things to do. It had been
days since she had spoken to someone properly. And
she missed it.
Violet had spent her days watching old TV shows that
used to make her laugh. She wasn’t laughing now. In
fact, she couldn’t help but think about the uselessness
of it all. What was the point? The point of life, the point
of living? Violet had never been a skeptic or a cynic, but
as she watched the twirling colors of nothingness in
her screen, she suddenly couldn’t help but notice it was
all for nothing. There was no point. She couldn’t go
outside. She couldn’t see her friends. She was stuck in a
place, surrounded by people who didn’t want to be
with her. Violet could find no comfort as she watched
her parents speak quietly. All she could think about
was all she was losing. All the good moments she was
supposed to be living. All gone. But then Violet saw her
father cry. She had never seen him cry. Emotion came
crawling back into her heart, reminding her of all the
good in the world. In her family. Reminding her to keep
fighting, if only for the sake of her family. Violet stood
and went to comfort her father.
Andrea Batlle - 12th Grade
LOST ON THE VERGE OF BEI NG
FOUND
Is it that serious, Marie thought, completing her
assignment on Google Classroom. Her fingers
continuously touch the keyboard as she thinks about
the pandemic. Her mind wanders into a wasteland
as she is tired of the assignment. She wanders into
this sunny, breezy place where she hears the waves
and smells the salty air. That’s where I should be, she
thought.
The ding on her computer breaks her from the
trance as she comes back to reality. The white screen
with letters is making her feel nauseous and
claustrophobic. I just need to go outside, Marie
thought, I have to breathe the fresh air. Marie reaches
the front door as the sun gets warmer. She sees her
mother sitting on the chair. She won’t notice, Marie
thought. As she leaves the house, everything looks
beautiful and perfect. This is where I should be:
outside. Then she sees people walking around
wearing masks and holding a large container of hand
sanitizer. I wish this pandemic would end, Marie
thinks, I want my normal life back.
Stephany Kim - 12th Grade
Artwork: Yumin Han 11th grade (left) and Daniela
Almonte 11th grade (right)
WI SHI NG FOR THI NGS OUT OF OUR
REACH
Voices | 12
15. WE WERE ONCE HAPPY
The normal streets that used to be
filled with cars and the sounds of
honking horns were no longer there.
The bare streets eerily quiet. The
people no longer walk down the
sidewalks talking loudly to their
friends. The colmados don’t blast
their music anymore. It’s a ghost
town. The stores are becoming bare
but the hospitals are filling up. But
we can dream of so many things. In
our dreams no one is sick, there are
still parties every weekend. We are
hanging out with our friends, we are
at the beach drinking smoothies and
watching the waves. We are happy
and living our lives to the fullest. Our
families are eagerly awaiting our
arrivals during spring break, but only
in our dreams. As always we are
pulled from our dreams too early
and forced to face the reality. The
reality that nothing is happening.
The world has stopped turning.
Meridith Hartsfield - 12th grade
Artwork:
Top - Noa Linan- 10th grade
Bottom - Gavi Bautista- 11th grade
R
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I
S
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|
P
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4
Voices | 13
16. Poem Translation
Quiéreme entera
de Dulce María Loynaz
Si me quieres, quiéreme entera,
no por zonas de luz o sombra…
Si me quieres, quiéreme negra
y blanca, Y gris, verde, y rubia,
y morena…
Quiéreme día,
quiéreme noche…
¡Y madrugada en la ventana abierta!…
Si me quieres, no me recortes:
¡Quiéreme toda… O no me quieras
Love me whole
By: Dulce María Loynaz
(original translation)
If you are to love me, love me as a
whole
Not for shaded or lightened quirks…
If you love me, desire me black
And white, and grey, green and blonde
and brown…
Love me as day,
Love me as night…
And in the midst of the morning
breeze!
If you want me, don’t diminish me:
Love me as I am… Or don’t love me at
all!
Anabel Gonzalez - 12th grade
Art by Rocio Abreu- 10th grade
Voices | 14
17. SPANISH
WORKS
Amor eterno
En una tierra muy lejana, había una niña
que se llamaba Hailey.
Su vida era muy dura. Vivía en el campo y
sus padres peleaban mucho.
Hailey quería salir y nunca volver. Hailey
era muy amable, le gustaba
ayudar a otros. Pero recientemente no
podía hacer nada. Se cansó
mucho.
Estaba tan agotada de que sus padres
pelearan, pero no podía
hacer nada. Así que decidió huir, hacerlo
tan lejos que no sabía
si algún día volvería. Corrió hacia el
bosque. Cuando llegó a una
parte en donde se podía esconder, se tomó
un descanso. Se quedó
en el bosque por mucho tiempo, hasta que
se cansó.
Se cansó tanto, que huyó hacia el mar.
Entró al agua y cinco
minutos más tarde, llegó un tiburón toro.
Ya estaba a punto de atacar.
Hailey intentó nadar fuera del alcance del
tiburón. No lo logró.
A su vez, un chico rubio que estaba
sorfeando la agarró por el brazo
y la subió a la tabla.
Hailey miró a los ojos del niño y se
encontró perdidamente
enamorada, estaba pensando en cómo
durante el pasado siempre quiso
a un chico rubio. Mientras el niño la
ayudaba a levantarse, le
preguntó: “Estás bien?”, a lo que ella le
respondió que sí...
-Cómo te llamas?
-Mi nombre es Bryce, ¿quién eres tú?
-Hailey
Bryce pensó para sí mismo: “Wow, ella es
como la puesta del sol
en la horizonte”, por lo que Bryce no pudo
contenerse y la besó.
Diez años más tarde, Bryce y Hailey
seguían casados hasta el día
de hoy. Ella todavía recuerda su primer
beso con Bryce.
Deborah Cohen, Salma Hage, Julianny
Martinez y Hannah Phares
8th grade
Artwork by Yumin Han - 11th grade
Voices | 15
18. Las vacaciones
Noches cortas
Días largos
Noches largas
Días cortos
Las disfrutas
Las añoras
Se acaban
Y regresan
Diversión
Y calor
Y regalos
Y emoción
Días quietos
Y acción
Este asueto
Inició
Alejandro Plaza - former SCS student
La navidad
Yo no quiero estar estresado
Yo no quiero estar tan cansado
Quiero dormir sin nada en mi mente
Quiero vacaciones solamente.
En las vacaciones puedo hacer mucho...
Dormir sin ninguna alarma
despertadora
Jugar con mi hermana y hermano
Hablar con mis vecinos a toda hora.
Estoy muy muy muy muy estresado
Tantas tareas, no puedo descansar
Ahora yo estoy aburrido sin parar
Ahora hay muchísimo cansancio.
No puedo aunque haya cuatro días más
Ya sueño con mis vacaciones
Ya estoy imaginando la Navidad
Yo quiero tanto el “Break of Christmas”
Caleb Davidson - former SCS student
Voices | 16
19. ¡ORGULLOSO DE SER DOMINICANO!
LA PATRIA QUE MÁS ME GUSTA,
ES EN LA CUAL NACÍ,
EN ELLA TENGO MI GENTE,
Y ALEGRÍA DE VIVIR.
LA BANDERA MÁS HERMOSA,
ES LA DE MI AMADO PAÍS,
EL ROJO, AZUL Y BLANCO,
ME HACEN SER MUY FELIZ.
ME SIENTO MUY ORGULLOSO,
DE MI NACIONALIDAD,
PORQUE SOY DOMINICANO,
MI PAÍS VOY A CUIDAR.
VIVA LA PATRIA DE DUARTE,
SÁNCHEZ, MELLA Y LUPERÓN,
QUE TAMBIÉN SIEMPRE SERÁ,
¡LA PATRIA DE VÍCTOR POU!
VICTOR POU - 8TH GRADE
DIGITAL ART BY VALERIA GENAO -
10TH GRADE
Voices | 17
20. I watched the men leave one
by one all in the same outfit
The women came to church
with red eyes
and I had to be strong
because mother couldn’t
“The suffering had been
stronger than all other
teachings”
The women came to church
with red eyes
I couldn’t understand what
happened to father
“The suffering had been
stronger than all other
teachings”
I watched with tears as other
little girls’ fathers came back
As a child I lived through the
war
I couldn’t understand what
happened to father
I watched with tears as other
little girls’ fathers came back
My father left but he never
came back
-Meridith Hartsfield - 12th
Grade
Artwork by Sinyoung Park -
11th grade
P A N T O U M S
I LIVED THROUGH THE WAR
As a child I lived through the war
I watched the men leave one by one all in the same
outfit
My father left but he never came back
and I had to be strong because mother couldn’t
Voices | 18
21. How old I am getting
My body starts to hurt
I can’t do what I want
People have to help
My body starts to hurt
I need to rest more than others
People have to help
My old age stops me
I need to rest more than others
I can’t work anymore
My old age stops me
I should retire and go home
I can’t work anymore
I need other people
I should retire and go home
But I don’t want to
I need other people
How old I am getting
But I don’t want to
I can’t do what I want
Rodolfo Pantaleon - 9th Grade
It is miserable thing to be ashamed by home
I don’t even know what home is
But it be like that sometimes
Don’t know where I’m from
I don’t know what home is
Can’t name a place where I’m from
Don’t know where I’m from
Where do I belong
Can’t name a place where I’m comfortable
Never feel in the right place
Where do I belong
Can’t put the place on the map
It’s a miserable thing to be ashamed by home
Never feel in the right place
Can’t put the place on the map
But it be like that sometimes
Harold Portilla - 12th Grade
Artwork by Patricia Cabral 10th grade (left) and
Caterina Torres 10th grade (right)
Voices | 19
22. There is a lot that goes into who
one is
And I think very much about
who I am
Being proud of myself
And the fact that I am different
And I think very much about
who I am
Thinking about the secrets I
have, and how I act
And the fact that I am different
I wonder if I am a decent person
Thinking about the secrets I
have, and how I act
I am disgusted with my calling
and my life
I wonder if I am a decent
person
I am not
There is a lot that goes into who
one is
I am disgusted with my calling
and my life
I am not
Being proud of myself
Aldo Espino - 12th Grade
ArtworkPatricia Cabral- 10th
grade
Voices | 20
23. I was weak and feeble
My dreams were concealed
from the world
Now the reality was in my hold
My conscience told me to take a
leap of faith
Forfeit would’ve been an option
Though I saw hope in myself.
The journey was tough,
dragging myself out of the mud
I have fought against all
doubters
Artwork by Harold Portilla - 12th grade
Voices | 21
My dreams were concealed
from the world
Forfeit would’ve been an
option.
My conscious told me to take a
leap of faith
The journey was tough,
dragging myself out of the mud.
I was weak and feeble
Though I saw hope in myself.
I have fought against all
doubters.
Now the reality was in my hold.
Young Sung Lee - 12th Grade
24. AFTER ALL
After all that I’ve lived
Life has taught me to enjoy its little things
To feel the breeze tangling within my curls
And to be amused by the feeling when it
touches my finger tips.
This life has taught me to fall in love with
the eyes
Because they are the only things that
never lie,
To fall in love with actions
Because it is easy to dictate without
interactions.
I have lived
Because of this I have learned to
appreciate every call
And care for them all.
These white shadows in my head reflect all
the memories in my brains
That are silver to the eye but golden to my
loves.
After all I’ve lived
I seek for every sunset as an opportunity
to try again,
Refusing excuses from those ignorant
souls.
After all I’ve lived
I have learned to forgive and love
And share my thoughts to those who
would like to grow.
Dominique Jiménez - 12th grade
Artwork:
Top: Valeria Grullon - 10th grade
Middle: Yumin Han - 11th grade
Bottom: Valeria Genao - 10th grade
Voices | 22
25. Up in the highest, most majestic mountain I opened
my eyes
It was the land of perfect light, warm and bright
But my soul told me otherwise
I refused light, I desired dark; I did not need warm, I
yearned for ice
The only way down paradise was the rebellious,
gold-stroken wind
Who knew every corner of the land, even the
darkest, most dreadful places
In my soul I was certain: an intrepid jump from the
crystal clear cliff
Would be a cry for help to the wind
As I fell, I felt my heart pump, for the first time
being alive
And there, in that split of a second, I saw her
Instantly grasping her with my mighty claws
I pulled the wind down the mountain into the
deepest, darkest cave
She fought vigorously, great blows shook my body
Up in my neck, she did not let me breathe
But even the faintest glimpse of that place spoke to
me, reminded me of my purpose
At last I tore her off, and understood her mischief
Her wondrous, gorgeous trail led right to the cave,
obscure blows scattered throughout the place
How could it be that the wind lived in this misery?
If only she knew, It was heaven for me
Liana Maria Portela Belliard - 11th grade
THE BEAST WHO HARNESSED
THE WIND
L I T E R A R Y
C O M P E T I T I O N :
T H E F O L L O W I N G
P I E C E S W E R E
A L L E N T E R E D I N
T H E A C S I
I N T E R N A T I O N A L
W R I T I N G
C O M P E T I T I O N
Voices | 23
PATRICIA CABRAL - 10TH GRADE
KAMILA MADERA - 11TH GRADE
VALERIA GRULLON - 10TH GRADE
26. The Poem of Me
Words
Books
Stories
I make these things define me
I twist them like a maple
branch and bend them to my
will
I nourish them, coaxing
blossoms from the wood
Water from the rocks
The scent of pages is my
choice perfume
Written words, my power
I like the feeling of this
power.
And when inspiration hits me
Like a wave on the sand
You can find me in my cave
Though I’m a million miles
away
I am the words
They spring from my
fingertips
I am the books
They influence me every day,
angel and demon
I am the story
I live a thousand lives
But in the end, my name is
just a word.
Am I my name?
Rebekah Preus - 9th Grade
Top art- Camila Cabrera-12th
grade
Bottom art- Isabella Cruz-
11th grade
Voices | 24
27. THE GIRL IN THE WINDOW
POSTMODERN
PAINTING. Stella
alternately paints in
oil and watercolor
I recall a day not too long ago
A girl, standing in the window.
The sun hit her bright blue eyes
They looked like the bright blue
ocean.
Then, the bright blue ocean was
gone.
Nothing was in the window not
the girl, not her eyes.
It was as if she had been swept
away by a storm.
Nothing was left of her beauty.
I walked passed the house each day.
I never did see the girl in the window.
I would remember her as a beautiful
painting.
Her eyes as the ocean and hair as the swift
winds.
I never knew what it was that is I saw
I was eager to find the girl.
Never again did I see her beauty.
She was perfection, until she wasn’t.
Molly Hartsfield - 9th Grade
Art by Anabel Gonzalez- 12th grade
Voices | 25
28. Is it chilly out there or is it just me
My mind goes blank and I know what you see
I'm alright, I’m okay
And I know that you're afraid
This happens all the time I’ll be okay
You don’t have to stay around and wait
I know you wanna help me with this
But I know how to deal with the abyss
Been sitting here behind closed doors
Haven’t seen my friends in eight months or so
I’m alright, I’m just fine
And I know that you're afraid
This happens all the time I’ll be okay
You don’t have to stay around and wait
I know you wanna help me with this
But I know how to deal with the abyss
I’m used to this I’ll be just fine
I know how to glue the pieces inside
I know that this is all new to you
But I know how to deal with the abyss
When you asked if something’s up
When you asked if I’m okay
When you asked if something’s on my mind
I lied and said that I am fine
This happens all the time I’ll be okay
You don’t have to stay around and wait
I know you wanna help me with this
But I know how to deal with the abyss
I’m used to this I’ll be just fine
I know how to glue the pieces inside
I know that this is all new to you
But I know how to deal with the abyss
Camila Pena - 9th Grade
The Abyss
Voices | 26
SOPHIA ROGERS - 10TH GRADE
29. "THE HAITIAN MASK"
We wear the mask of compliance
A constant struggle for life
Yet our countries are supposed to be in
alliance
The sun scorches our skin
Yet we represent no defiance
We wear the mask of relief
We were already fugitives
Immigrants from a “country of thieves”
Every day is a blessing, yet life is painful
Their children are well-fed, while ours
tumble like leaves
We wear the mask of acceptance
They let us work, but not eat at their table
It is a constant plight of internal
repentance
We are forced to wear the mask
Or else we sign our death sentence.
Saul Diplan - 11th grade
Artwork- Javier Guzman- 10th grade
Voices | 27
30. M Y N E W W A Y S , M Y N E W S E L F
My own new ways are better
I focus on my heart, and forget about the
mind
I don’t care about the rules, nor what
other say
I follow my heart to do what is right
My ways are always best
By leaving the cruel world of my past
behind
I will escape on my terms to find myself
I will be able to be free, to be myself
No limits, nor boundaries will stop me
I know what’s best for me, only I do
On my own path of life
The angels that guide my heart will lead
my journey
Setting me apart from the demons in my
head that surround me
No one nor nothing will bring me down
I shall be gone far into the world of my
dreams
Where I shall freely be my own star
So no one come in my way, get your own
way
My new ways, my new self is best
Emely Nuñez - 11th grade
Voices | 28
ROCIO ABREU- 10TH GRADE
31. M U S I C
V e r s e 1
S h e a l w a y s h a d a n i d e a l l i f e , c o n t i n u o u s
l a u g h t e r
S t r a i g h t A ’ s , o u t g o i n g a n d c o n f i d e n t
O h , t h e l i g h t o f h e r p r e s e n c e , a l l h e r
f r i e n d s l o v e d h e r
Y e t s o m e w h e r e a l o n g t h e l i n e s
I s a w h e r s m i l e f a d e a w a y l i k e t h e s u n l i g h t
S h e k e p t t e l l i n g m e s h e w a s f i n e
B u t o h , I k n e w b e t t e r t h a n t o b e l i e v e h e r
P r e - c h o r u s
C a n ’ t y o u s e e y o u ’ r e o n l y h u r t i n g y o u r s e l f
T r y i n g t o f i t i n a t a n i m p e r f e c t w o r l d
M a y b e y o u d i d n ’ t m e a n i t
M a y b e i t j u s t f e l t l i k e y o u r o n l y c h o i c e
B u t y o u d a n c e d o n t h e m o o n
N o w y o u ’ r e c r y i n g i n y o u r b e d r o o m
C h o r u s
I h e a r y o u b u t y o u ’ r e n o t s p e a k i n g
Y o u ’ r e s c r e a m i n g ; g e t m e o u t o f h e r e
I s a y s t a n d u p , p r o v e e m w r o n g
D o n ’ t l o o k a t t o m o r r o w c a u s e y o u g o t t o d a y
G i r l y o u g o t t h a t f i r e i n y o u
Y e a h , y o u g o t t h a t f i r e i n y o u
Y o u d o n ’ t n e e d t o c h a n g e
I t ’ s t i m e t o s h o w t h e m w h a t y o u ’ r e m a d e o f
Y e a h , s h o w t h e m w h a t y o u ’ r e m a d e o f
Verse 2
Oh, I can see that she’s falling apart
But people are always going to talk, tear her
down
Drives them crazy to see her flourish
So don’t hide yourself
Because no one is coming to save you
It’s just you against yourself
So be your own superhero
Pre-chorus
Can’t you see you’re only hurting yourself
Trying to fit in at an imperfect world
Maybe you didn’t mean it
Maybe it just felt like your only choice
But you danced on the moon
Now you’re crying in your bedroom
Chorus
I hear you but you’re not speaking
You’re screaming; get me out of here
I say stand up, prove em wrong
Don’t look at tomorrow cause you got today
Girl you got that fire in you
Yeah, you got that fire in you
You don’t need to change
It’s time to show them what you’re made of
Yeah, show them what you’re made of
Outro
To that girl once in me, I tell you
I have to let you go
I am myself and that is enough
Girl I got that fire in me
Grismely Cruz - 11th grade
Artwork by Vera Lucia Pappatera - 11th grade
"Fire in You"
Voices | 29
32. Verse 1:
Fear’s in me;
Fear of failure
Nobody knows what’s
underneath my iceberg
They see what’s on my
face but can’t see my
heart and will
I try not to hide it,
but they still don’t know
Chorus:
But He knows; before I
even know that fear is in
me
He sees my heart
underneath the iceberg
Healer of heart,cures me
with his hand
Comforter of mind,takes
my fears away (away)
Verse 2:
I feel alone;
trapped in my own fears
Surrounded by the ones
who can’t see the inside of
me
My heart cries out for
help but they can’t hear
me.
I wish someone would look
into my heart
Bridge:
He knows me; Better than
I know Him
He sees my will, mind,
heart; He is Lord
He is our Lord
Joy Jung - 7th grade
"
U N D E R N E A T H
M Y I C E B E R G
Voices | 30
33. Romans 12:6
"Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to
us, let us use them"
Artwork by Vera Lucia - 11th grade
VOICES
The artists and authors of Santiago Christian School
Volume 2
