By: Chloë Malinofski (TikTok: @clov.er29) Dear Reader, These guide lines are specific to who I was in middle school and what I wish I would have known at that time, inspired by the essay “Ten things I’ve been meaning to say to you” by Jason Reynolds. I hope it can be applicable to people of any age, just particularly those experiencing the labyrinth of junior high for the first time. You are only as pretty as the words you speak. People will not remember you by how trendy y

By: Ella Grimes (TikTok: @not_egrimey13, Instagram: @ella_grimes11) Grief, as a living creature, would not be as ugly as many would paint it. Sure, it would be rough around the edges, And the ink might be smudged, But it is still a creature. It has a heart, And it beats. Its heart aches from how ugly people make it out to be. Because people struggling only see the hard edges, And smudged ink, But people who survived, They see the bright pink headband the creature wea

By: Lea El Hajal (TikTok: @lea_lhjl, Instagram: @lea_elhjl) I am not chosen—I am not chosen when they arrive like spring in borrowed skin, I am not chosen when they speak my name like it might stay. I am not chosen when laughter sits between us, alive and warm,I am not chosen when it feels like finally, finally, something stays. But it doesn’t stay. It doesn’t stay when the words grow thinner, it doesn’t stay when the silence learns my shape, it doesn’t stay when I start to h

By Samantha Merchan Technology has been the sacred devout, We have dedicated our lives about. Every twist and every turn, Has been to get ourselves to this thing we so dearly yearn– Yet we will soon begin to comprehend, As it is our life, it will be our end. "The end of the world" seems so far away, But do not let your thoughts be left astray, We are closer to it than we would like to admit There is something so lovely on our resistance to cease to exist.

By: Anonymous My lover was beauty and grace itself If she was a butterfly I was a moth Floating aimlessly towards her light If I was an emperor She would be a goddess And if she so allowed, I would be her loyal worshiper My lover was soft and loving If she was a sunflower I would be a mere weed If she was a queen And if I were oh so lucky I would be her jester If she was fresh fruit I would be compost My lover was gentle and caring To all others To all bes

By: Anonymous I just wanna cry I wanna feel like this gut wrenching emotion will pass by I want to feel the tears racing down my face I wanna have an outlet so my feelings can displace Im sad, but apparently not sad enough Im heartbroken, but without puffy eyes it feels like a bluff I want proof that Im not okay I wanna see the red nose, the falling tears, the swollen eyes, out on display I wanna know that Im not numb I wanna make those healed videos, to be able to see what I