I've always,

kind of always

subliminally, inherently

known that I knew it,

growing more instinctively

aware

of what I should have known

before.

I have learned to a greater degree

that the person next to

me is

in my reality

more important to me

than me

my joy

my life

my everything

is

be there

for the one

who asks me for help

I have learned that I must

learn how to keep myself

from indulgence

at the expense of others

meaning

I must live by the truth

I have learned

to do this

is easier by

refraining living a lie

involves suffering

and sacrifice

making my goal of

living

by the truth

so much more easier

As we grow up we begin to fear silence

Afraid to be alone with ourselves

As kids silence was a time for imagination

Now it's an internal examination

Ever wonder why so little take the time to pray

Probably because we're trained to keep our thoughts at bay

We are constantly staring at screens

Or engaging in shallow conversations

We hardly notice the time fly by

Rarely stop and ponder "who am I"

So worried about our image that the surrounding eyes reflect

That we don't self reflect and behind our own eyes inspect

With others opinions we'd be less concerned

If we took the time to look within and learn

Who we are and who we want to be for ourselves

And quit letting others determine our self wealth

Let the burdens of our lives

Fly away with their unnecessary weight

Live with the weight of a bird

For life only happens once in a while

Let the kisses lovers sent

Disappear inside photo albums

Put away in wardrobes

For love comes and goes in little pieces

Let the weight of your own body

Lighten for your soul should be able to fly

On its way back to Heaven

If you carry burdens, they will broke your wings

Let the hands that caressed you

Caress other faces

’Cause if they left because of reasons,

They are no longer yours

Let those thoughts that cloud your vision

Disappear with the winds of temperance

Learn to be foolish

So once you’re old you can be wise

Let the words that trap hearts and minds

Be released and forgotten

They shall not tie you up to corrupt destinies

They shall not stop you from growing as Divine

Let yourself go, let it be freer

Because from heart through mouth,

Body results just a burden

Let it go...

DA 2015

Gleaming gold eyes raked the bright lights of the city below. Silhouettes of crooked trees distorted the shape of a winged human-like creature. A small smile formed on thin lips.

“It’s time for redemption.”

*******

“That was perfect! I’m sure you’ll do great on the test!” Amy praised the sixth grader. The girl beamed up at the student teacher and turned back to her work.

“Fabulous, Amy!” Mrs. Saison congratulated her. “I can tell that the kids will love you!”

Amy shrugged modestly. “I just love to work with them.” It was her third day as a student teacher and she was enjoying the pleasure of helping students learn. Her mentor began to say something else, but Mr.Quinn suddenly bolted into the room. His tie was askew, hair rumpled, and a wild light shone alarmingly in his eyes. The entire class gaped at the usually impeccably dressed math teacher, but he took no notice.

“Sarah, Amy,” he beckoned them to the bookshelf near the back. With a gulp, he whispered, "I was watching the news in the lounge. Two high schools and a middle school around here have been attacked. There were no survivors.”

"You’re joking, right?” Mrs. Saison looked at him dubiously.

He glared at her.“I do not joke about these things. I only joke about calculus.”

Amy paled as the news sunk in. “Are you kidding me?” she murmured. “What could have done that?”

Mr.Quinn twisted his hands. “Henry will be making an announcement soon. We will be evacuating to the gym. I have already alerted all the seventh and eighth grade teachers. Good luck and Godspeed.” He hurried out of the room, leaving everyone staring after him.

“Chop chop!” Mrs. Saison was the first to react. “Stand up everyone and leave your things here! We’re going on a trip to the gym!” The students rose slowly, confused. Just then, the loudspeaker chimed for the first time in the school year.

“This is not a drill. Please begin lockdown procedures and evacuate to the gym. This is not a drill!” Ear-piercing alarms sounded as students began pouring down the hallway.

Amy cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted to Mrs. Saison. “Lead them! I’ll stay in the back!” The teacher nodded and gestured for the class to follow. They did, too scared and confused to make much sound.

She prodded and pushed the last of them firmly down the hallway and then the staircase to the gym as she fought hard to conquer the rising tide of panic inside. “Stay calm,” she told herself. “If you lose control, what will happen to the kids?” She held on tightly to her unaffected demeanor, and some of the students seemed slightly reassured by her relaxed posture.

She spotted the thick double doors a few moments later. Assistant Principal Sandra stood in the middle, guiding the flow of human traffic. “And that’s the last of it,“she told Amy. “You’re the last class.” They entered the cavernous gym, keeping close to the left wall. Mr. Wall, the gym teacher, closed the doors behind them and locked it. A thick metal chain was looped around the handles and secured. A collective sigh of relief was heard. “One entrance, one exit,” Sandra commented. “The thing that got the other schools is going to have a hard time getting us.” They seated themselves on the floor along with everyone else.

“Who attacked them?” Amy asked in a low voice. She didn’t want anyone else to hear and panic. Sandra looked at her for a long moment, then sighed.

“I’m not one to believe in God and all that, but...”

“But what?” Amy prompted. Sandra gazed up at the high ceiling as if it held the answers to all her questions.

“But if the video cameras were right, then we’re about to be attacked by an angel.”

******

It had been almost an hour by now, and everyone was getting fidgety. Amy and Sandra had moved over to the large group of teachers, closest to the door.

“It can’t be,” Mr. Wall repeated over and over. “Angels don’t exist.”

“You might want to change your mind about that,” Mrs.O’Kiel, the eighth grade counselor, said dryly. “One’s about to kill us right now.” They all chuckled nervously.

“Anyway, the police are on their way,“Principal Henry said.“They should already be here, though. They’re always slow in a real crisis.”

Mr.Real, the seventh grade social studies teacher, frowned. “They know we’re here and the...angel is targeting us next. It’s almost been an hour. Why hasn’t anything happened?”

“That’s a good question,“Mrs. Saison shook her head. “I just have the feeling that there’s more to this. Aren’t angels supposed to be good?”

“Yes, but we don’t know about this one,” Mr. Quinn put a hand on the door. “These doors are sturdy, but the power this one exerts might break it.”

“I feel like I’m dreaming,” Amy murmured. Everyone gazed at the newest member of the staff with sympathy.

“Don’t worry,“Sandra squeezed her shoulder. “We’ll be all right.” Amy glanced at her gratefully, only to watch the doors blast open and her limp, broken form sail gracefully through the air. Screams were heard, only to be silenced by fear.

“Who denies me entrance?“a quiet voice echoed through the gym. Amy and the rest of the teachers scrambled away from the smoking ashes of the charred doors. Mr. Quinn lay under them, almost unrecognizable.

“What are you?!” Principal Henry shouted. A musical laugh was heard.

“I will not answer that question yet, ignorant human. I suppose that I could ask what you are too, but that would be redundant, would it not?” the voice mused.

A dark cloud of smoke obscured the hallway past the empty door frames, but a hazy figure could be seen.

Amy gathered the measly remains of her courage. “Who are you?” she quavered. Mrs. Saison glared at her and mouthed ‘shut up’.

“Ah, finally someone with manners.” The smoke literally parted and the figure stepped through. Amy froze.

It was a character straight from her worn old book about the stars and heaven. Curls of spun gold framed beautiful yet terrible eyes, a silver cross shimmered in the dim glow of the emergency lights, and actual ivory wings lay folded against a waterfall of pearl white cloth. About seven feet tall, it towered over the cowering humans. Then it relaxed.

“Greetings all. Please pardon my rude entrance.” It smiled as if it hadn’t just killed two people with a fireball. Amy gulped. A cold, calculating murderer she could predict, but a psychotic, fireball throwing angel was a whole different story. Oh, why did she have to become a teacher in the first place?

“What are you and why do you want to kill us?!” Mr. Wall demanded. The angel sighed and flicked a finger. Gold flames erupted around the gym teacher with a roar. Mrs. Siason made a whimpering noise in the back of her throat as her colleague burned to death. She and several others moved to help him, but froze when it spoke again.

“I do not accept impudence. Any more foolishness and I will kill you all.” Mr. Water tumbled onto the floor with a thud. The angel tilted its head. “Although that is what I came for, hm? I cannot spare any, for then the survivors would carry on lying, cheating, and stealing for the rest of their miserable lives.”

“You tell us not to do that, but here you are staining your hands with blood,” Mrs. O’Keal spat. The earth shook as it drew itself to its full height.

“Do not put yourself above me,” it warned. “I am doing you humans a favor; cleansing the population. Your life is but a flash in the eternity of your death, yet your species are the cause of thousands of negative events. Death by an angel’s hand is not as cruel a fate as one you would bring upon yourself.”

“Why, though?” Amy trembled. “Why go this far?” It turned to look at her.

“Ah, Amy Ionel. You were orphaned at two, I believe? You humans have souls meant for love and peace but are attracted to hate and destruction. Weapons that massacre your own kind when they were meant to gain meat essential to survival. Horrendous crimes that only a millennium of punishment can atone for. Obliteration of land that is sacred to this planet and my brethren’s domain. Why DID you go this far?” Gold eyes softened as they witnessed her tears. Then they hardened.

“I will take the children. The young. The hopes and futures of this world. Then you might learn your lesson and have a chance at redemption.” The students in the back gasped, and a few began to cry. The angel raised a hand and an orange flame blossomed on its palm.

“Wait!” Amy cried. “Don’t hurt them. They’re harmless. Take me instead.” She felt a warm hand on her shoulder.

“Take us, the teachers, the ones who taught them wrong,” Mrs. Saison said firmly. “We have sinned, not the children.” Behind them, every member of the staff nodded in silent agreement.

The angel hesitated. Amy held her breath. Then it shook its head. “I will take you all,” it repeated. “Why should I spare the children if they have been raised wrong their entire lives? They will grow up to be hateful and no better than their ancestors.” Mrs. Siason sagged against Amy as her plan backfired. The orange flame flared up once again. Then it vanished with a puff.

“I will spare only the teachers. After all, you humans place such a huge importance on life that I simply cannot bring myself to punish those who are willing to give it up for others.” It smiled a terrible smile. “I really do wish that I had encountered this in the other schools. I hope to see it again on my journey. Perhaps I will. There are thousands of other schools in this world that I must pay a visit to." It spread its hands. "Farewell, children. I will see you again in the palace above the clouds.” It spread its hands and a hail of orange and red flowers exploded in the air. Orbs of fire rained down upon the students, setting them aflame. Ivory wings stretched to their full extent and the angel soared away.

“Ohmygosh...“Amy jumped up and dashed over to the nearest student, beating out the fire with her sweater. Screams, wails, and acrid smoke filled the air. She looked up desperately and saw the angel.

That moment she would remember her entire life. It floated fifteen feet up in the air, surveying its work. A deceptively neutral face was cast halfway in shadow, robe stained crimson by the light of the fire that would eventually kill dozens, and scarlet feathers rippled in a nonexistent breeze. It smiled down at her.

“Angels always help.”

I was mad at God today. Because your tears bounced like silly putty on the floor beneath your Gypsy traveling feet, and I am airplane rides away. I believe that the hummingbirds stop mid flight when they see your sadness across these summer skies. You're the bravest star soldier I know, casting comets across fields of the world's growing pain just to brighten all our dark days. Shields of therapeutic glory. But, armor gets heavy. And cold. And we are too wild to be frozen in time. You are too much MUCH for them sometimes. But not to us misfit, broken piece kids. We. We need your blinding shine. You unbreak all the hearts, and cut yourself on all our soul's glass shards. Just so we can breathe. What about you, dancer in the dark? May I sit with you on the lonely hearts bench at the Crash Park? Here is my lionhearted laughter. Here are my listening eyes, ready to watch your story spill hard. Here is my jukebox heart. You pick the song today, Cajun blues baby. I know we are skipping together on this journey, and your every magical molecule knows you're not alone. But, it's still nice to be reminded, you know? I love you six million oceans worth.

"I still haven't figured you out... You always take such an interest in what I have to say. I share a thought and you wonder why I think those things... I just don't get it..."

"Maybe it's because I still haven't figured you out either. And there's nothing wrong with taking an interest in what somebody has to say...is there?"

"No. There's nothing wrong with it. You just make me feel like I'm interesting sometimes."

"Maybe it's because you're always interesting and too few people have taken the time to notice."

Victory

Dear Pastor Jiles,

I know that you may be going through some tough times in your life, but I would like to remind you that God is and always will be with you. Philippians 4:13 said I can do all thing through Christ which strengtheneth me. Isaiah 54:17 said No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper. This Bible verse is telling you that no weapon of sickness that may try to come into your body shall prosper.

When I was 3 years old I was diagnosed with a deadly sickness called salmonella. I couldn’t even go back to school for a year. My mom and dad prayed day and night. One day we were riding in our truck, and looked at my mom who was crying then I told her “Don’t worry mom for god has healed me.” I knew that the lord had healed me at three years old. The Man at the Healing Pool in John 5:11 says “Pick up your mat and walk.” So pick up your mat and walk for you are healed despite what your doctor said. GOD is the doctor and the healer, so go to him and be healed. I know in my heart that you can and will overcome your sickness. When you look into the mirror in the morning, tell yourself “I am victorious and I claim victory over my life!”

Yours Truly,

Juanita Chenail Mickles

PS: I may only be 16 years old, but I know victory when I see it. I saw it in myself and now I see it in you.

on the bumpy bus ride,

we are more alike than different.

we share many habits

independently learned,

but when encountered

in the other

make us think to ourselves:

"great! i'm not crazy!"

we are moving

in the same direction.