To My High School Principal Who Was Like A Father To Me

To My High School Principal, Who Was Like A Father To Me

Words cannot express my gratitude.

Shakira Cross
Shakira Cross Feb 11, 2019
1686
views

You're from the age of the birth of hip hop

Crisp Adidas, shell toes with long white crew socks

Turned into leather laced up oxfords and clean black suits

Never afraid to admit your roots

that produced fruits for students to enjoy

Biting from apples filled with knowledge, wisdom, and compassion

Screaming "Black boy joy"

You've deployed

A sense of warmth and gentleness

A gentle poetic giant

Who was an advocate for access and progress

Success

When I needed you

A "How are you doing Ms. Shakira?"

Took the cake for a girl who didn't know what sweet sincerity tasted like

You were present at every moment

Constantly making sure I was growing

And well spoken

To be a Poet

You made sure that I watched the life I was leading

To know the difference between LIVING and BREATHING

Even in the midst of grieving

You had comfort words that hit the hearts of many like warm blankets when it's chilly

You were the Fresh Prince of Fresh Breath Air there was no need to be in Philly

But really

I got a recognition,

Recognize

That your legacy is a hard act to follow

You were the Obama at the time that made the halls of Hickman High hollow

You were always there when we needed you

A congratulatory when we didn't

You were everything a principal needed to be and more

You were fathers to young black boys and young black girls

Who has never seen the face of strength and resiliency

And I am glad to say

That I will never forget the impact you have made on my life

And I am glad to know

That there's a village of students you fostered that you get to call your own

Thank you, Mr. Johnson.

Your one of many daughters

I truly believe that you made all the difference

Shakira Cross
Shakira Cross Feb 11, 2019
At University of Missouri

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To The Friends I Won't Talk To After High School

I sincerely hope, every great quality I saw in you, was imprinted on the world.
Julia Muccini
Julia Muccini May 31, 2016
56740
views

Hey,

So, for the last four years I’ve seen you almost everyday. I’ve learned about your annoying little brother, your dogs and your crazy weekend stories. I’ve seen you rock the awful freshman year fashion, date, attend homecoming, study for AP tests, and get accepted into college.

Thank you for asking me about my day, filling me in on your boy drama and giving me the World History homework. Thank you for complimenting my outfits, laughing at me presenting in class and listening to me complain about my parents. Thank you for sending me your Quizlets and being excited for my accomplishments- every single one of them. I appreciate it all because I know that soon I won’t really see you again. And that makes me sad. I’ll no longer see your face every Monday morning, wave hello to you in the hallways or eat lunch with you ever again. We won't live in the same city and sooner or later you might even forget my name.

We didn’t hang out after school but none the less you impacted me in a huge way. You supported my passions, stood up for me and made me laugh. You gave me advice on life the way you saw it and you didn’t have to but you did. I think maybe in just the smallest way, you influenced me. You made me believe that there’s lots of good people in this world that are nice just because they can be. You were real with me and that's all I can really ask for. We were never in the same friend group or got together on the weekends but you were still a good friend to me. You saw me grow up before your eyes and watched me walk into class late with Starbucks every day. I think people like you don’t get enough credit because I might not talk to you after high school but you are still so important to me. So thanks.

With that said, I truly hope that our paths cross one day in the future. You can tell me about how your brothers doing or how you regret the college you picked. Or maybe one day I’ll see you in the grocery store with a ring on your finger and I’ll be so happy you finally got what you deserved so many guys ago.

And if we ever do cross paths, I sincerely hope you became everything you wanted to be. I hope you traveled to Italy, got your dream job and found the love of your life. I hope you have beautiful children and a fluffy dog named Charlie. I hope you found success in love before wealth and I hope you depended on yourself for happiness before anything else. I hope you visited your mom in college and I hope you hugged your little sister every chance you got. She’s in high school now and you always tell her how that was the time of your life. I sincerely hope, every great quality I saw in you, was imprinted on the world.

And hey, maybe I’ll see you at the reunion and maybe just maybe you’ll remember my face. If so, I’d like to catch up, coffee?

Sincerely,

Me

Cover Image Credit: High school Musical
Julia Muccini
Julia Muccini May 31, 2016
At Texas A&M University

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Writing Saved My Sanity

Write it all down when you can't talk to anyone.

Emilly Maitland
Emilly Maitland Jun 20, 2019
696
views

I love writing.

I have since elementary school, and I've dreamed of becoming a published author. I started off writing stupid plays in elementary school, then it grew it almost writing a full-blown novel in middle school. I have no idea where that thing went to. It was all notebook paper and bad writing. In high school, my writing was kinda pushed to the side so I could focus on school. When I entered college, I started writing small poems about my now ex-boyfriend.

I was scared to express myself to him sometimes, the intensity of my feelings for him scared me. So instead of telling him, I wrote them down. When I tried to share them with him, he hated it. He thought writing down feelings was weird and creepy. So I didn't share anything else with him. When we finally broke up for good, everything just poured out of me. What I couldn't express verbally, I wrote or typed out.

I always have ideas flowing through my head. They never cease and I wouldn't want them to. Writing gives me an escape, from stress, work, school, or fights. It gives me a place to vent and to be open with everything. This is a reason I love writing for Odyssey, not only has this place brought me amazing friends but revived my love for writing. I'm never without my notebook anymore, I'd get distracted in class by an idea and have to write I think then and there.

I love sharing my more personal writing with close friends, especially my poems as of late. I found that I have a voice for young women who find themselves in a toxic relationship much like mine was. I want to speak out and show them that you can grow from the bullshit. It may take some time, but you will be better.

Writing saved my sanity. It allows me to express myself without having to use my actual voice. Anyone who knows me, knows I hate public speaking. I tend to psych myself out leading up to it. My current projects include writing for Odyssey every week, I'm in the process of trying to continue my short stories, and I'm excited to announce that I'm currently working on my very first poetry book!

Writing has given me so much, and I'm so looking forward to making a career out of something I love so much.

Emilly Maitland
Emilly Maitland Jun 20, 2019
At Longwood

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