Winter Crows

by fennvoice | Apr 16, 2023 | Class of 2023, Poetry

The crows set still among the darkened grass;
A once rare sight now commonplace, and now
The weather chills and darkness creeps sooner.
Clouds cover skies once ripe with colors bright
And sprawling life. More depressing tone takes
Its place, and blossoms hide their hue of past.
All else is still and silent. None dare try
To interrupt the quiet whistle of wind.
When either sunrise, sunset or between
The chills of winter move on evermore.

The simple crows know not of season’s cause.
They feel the change of heat and cold with time
And know of rain and snow and sleet and when
Their time to leave comes near. Yet they remain
in their place—barely twitching legs and wings.
As if they were bound to darkened grass and ground
Unable to take off. A thought untrue but
Appearing real. In truth, no fallen snow.
The winter’s untrue promise, used as a sign
To leave, yet time slips away, crows unaware of it.

The winter’s coming breezes frighten all.
Crows see no snow; no call-sign for the crime
No chime of the bell, no signals for the crows.
They shall leave soon; they better fly away.
The only truths of winter—cold and wind.
Haphazard weather here and there, snow sheets
Now rarer than ever, causing change in wake
True winter lasts no more; no blankets of snow
That line the forest’s ground, or snowmen built 
By little children, enjoying season’s fun.

The crows have their retreats far south from here
Tomorrow, maybe they will be long gone.
But who can tell? No one can be sure that 
They will go. Nature must decide if they
Fly away, remain, escape, stay. It is
All in the hands of Mother Nature now.

Death Fish

by fennvoice | Apr 16, 2023 | Class of 2023, Poetry

~Paul Trotto, Class of 2023

Under the waves lies the feisty blue fish
Ruler of the shallows, coward to the sea
Scup or minnows, neither stand but a chance
The schools of blue fish ravage the calm bay
The blue fish are the kings for a reason
No matter the strength of the enemy
They fight until one of their fierce lives ends

Even the sharks are but dwarfs to these fish
They are destroying all life in the sea
However there is a hope for the ocean
By another destroyer, the human kind
Yet humans have no reason to save it
So they let the fish be until they feast
And feast they do on the corpse of the killer

So the fish remain in this blue ocean
While they destroy many creatures of the sea
They also bring balance to the waves
For overpopulation leads to death
Death leads to peace but also great sadness
The blue fish are hated for their nature
But they are required for the sea to thrive

In the end the fish continue purging
And the ocean fills with fear, spite, and death
The job of a Bluefish is a thankless one
The fish is never at peace until the end
Fighting for control amongst it’s brothers

As it lurks below the sea grass and weeds
It glistens in the sun until its skinned
Under the waves lies the feisty blue fish

Swashbuckle Surprises

by fennvoice | Apr 16, 2023 | Class of 2023, Poetry

~Charlie O’Brien, Class of 2023

The sea is deep and vast with dark lone fish.
Gloomy creatures fill the chilling depths;
Succulent seaweed flows effortlessly; 
Coral and rocks razor-sharp edges.
Grains of sand setting the ground with beauty
Waves crashing beneath the full moon of June;
Smell of sea breeze and unfinished ciggys,
For all who attempt to conquer the blue.
Millions of fates have been sealed in the waves:  
Try your luck, or it may run out one day.

Endless waves and waters flood my mind,
Voyaging the seas with one perspective. 
The only troubles come with empty gin.
My Rickety boat rock forth on the waves.
A pontoon comes through and I'm in danger. 
Booming thunder, crashing waves, cowards luck.
Tsunami-type swells throw me overboard. 
Heart racing as fast as a new sports car;
Thoughts stuck with me like a tube of super glue,
Sinking and sinking, I was gonna die.

Taking in the last of the summer moon.
Sailing at dark wasn’t a good idea.
Feeling the chilling waters refreshed me;
I lacked moisture ever since was on shore.
My light became dark as I slowly sank 
A poetic death suits my final fate;
Water and fear sinks into my bare lungs
Sucking the last right from my body.
No energy and will to swim back up; 
One with the fish as the fish are with me.

Like they say about your final moments:
My years flashing before my very own eyes;
My skull thumps against a flat rock deep down;
My brain is telling me to keep pushing;
My heart knows it is time that I may rest. 
The pain of drowning starts to set in fast
Within no time my soul will be flooded,
Both with distant memories and water.

Sadness, joy, relief, melancholy mind.
My last moments were shared with a smile...

Golden Hour

by fennvoice | Apr 16, 2023 | Class of 2023, Poetry

~Harry Lavoie, Class of 2023

Above the blue is a golden skyline
Below the blue is a world that’s not mine
The ocean is the blue that coats the world
Inhabited by creatures of all size
A deep and mysterious world it is
We don’t always know where the bottom is
Our savior's waves crash onto the shoreline
They rise and crash onto land that is mine.

So I stand upon the long wooden dock
Waiting for the evening to take course
The sun rests on top of the textured water 
The moment in time is controlled by me
I try to press pause but she disagrees
She’s a mere figure walking on water
The ripples turn to waves and waves to swells

She’s a glimmering girl in fading light
She displayed her beauty and said goodnight
I stood speechless on the long wooden dock
As I gazed at her she lifted my fear
Her hair flowing in the mystic breeze
Her hair glowing in the days final gasp
She finally vanished with the last light
I won't see her until tomorrow night.

My golden girl had just been the sunset
The thought of this made me very upset
But now I can visit her every night
And enjoy the power of a days last light.

The Supermarket

by fennvoice | Apr 16, 2023 | Class of 2023, Poetry

~Charlie Gillick, Class of 2023

The boiling summer sun beats down upon
A thriving supermarket down below.
It looms above all of the other stores,
Full of all kinds of healthy food and drinks.  
Part of the plan to try attracting crowds.  
The plan has worked, it’s very popular.
With people always rushing in and out,
To try to get their food and leave quickly,
And none of them are looking at the ground.
All walking happily; this much is true.

But one man walking does not feel contempt.
For after a long morning of despair
When nothing really seemed to go his way 
An angry aura seems to come off him 
When others come near him he snaps and yells,
“Don’t go near me you dumb, annoying jerk!” 

So everybody stayed away from him,
While muttering at him below their breaths.
And even when he tried to ask for advice,
The people walk off unwilling to help, 
And he ends up alone, all by himself.
But even though he got what he desired,
He was much less relieved as he had thought;
Instead, more loneliness engulfed him then.

Because he had a bad start to the day,   
He pushed the whole world far away and sulked.
And ended up more sad than he began.
A burning flame is within all of us,
And all we humans can do is resist.