THE ORB 2015-2016

AS NIGHT FOLLOWS DAY

TRUTH AND DISCOVERIES

IDENTITY

DISCOVERING ME

TRUTH

A HIGH TOP DYSTOPIA

TRUST

LEARNING THE TRUTH

HUMAN

BEHIND THE CURTAIN

I AM

PIECES

LIFE

THE MAN IN THE MASK

REALITY

ON THE SOCIETY OF TODAY

GETTING OLD

WHO WE ARE

HOLES

THE UNREVEALED TRUTH

THE TRUTH

WHEN WILL YOU NOTICE

DISCOVERY OF THE TRUTH

CHANGE

FINDING YOU

DESIRES

STORM LINE DANCE

As Night Follows Day

Adam Bakst

Mr. Phillip Fell spoke hush-like to his personal friends Mr. Harvey Time on the

telephone early Saturday morning.

“He was right here… just some weeks ago.” Phillip Fell mourned.

“I know.” Harvey Time confirmed.

“Junior did no wrong Harvey! He was sixteen, just got his license! Why Harvey?!” Phillip

Fell pleaded.

“Listen. Phillip. I know. He was your only son. He didn’t deserve to die… they never do…

but it was God’s will. It’s unchangeable. We can’t help you. I can’t help you…”

Mr. Harvey Time cared about his dear friend, and (of course) he was upset about Phillip

Fell Jr.’s tragic death. It was just, the two have had the same conversation at least three times a

week for the past six months. And though, try as he might to be sensitive and to assist, there

really was only so much comfort one can give to an unanswerable question.

Harvey Time was not alone in this situation either. Being that the now Mr. Phillip Fell

was once mayor of Hidden Peak, the whole town had (in some way) tried their best to comfort

him. But, unfortunately, time was not well to Phillip Fell. He grew sadder and sadder and soon

poor Phillip Fell’s friends found themselves more peeved than practical. And hastily they found

themselves guilty because they frankly became annoyed by the sobbing man. And when asked

by others or by their guilt, they’d reply “Oh… better for him to be alone.” And this (for the

moment at least) seemed to appease everyone.

“He was my only son!” Phillip Fell began again.

“Look,” sighed Harvey Time “We talk all the time about this, I know how bad it hurts, I

just can’t think of anymore things to say to you-“

The phone call stopped abruptly. No noise of hanging up, just still silence.

“Hello? Hello?!” Pleaded Phillip Fell.

He went to dial again only to stop himself by seeing a nostalgic photo of Phillip Fell Jr.

and himself at the Little League fields off River brook Rd.

“I ought to go there, just to see it again.” Thought Phillip Fell out loud.

As it was just November, Phillip Fell found his finely fit fleece sweater and ventured

outside. The door swung closed and he strolled down the street which still filled Phillip Fell with

such fond memories. Like how he taught his son to petal right there in front of Mr. Thomas

Pete’s Ice Cream shop, or the time Phillip Fell picked up fruit for Mrs. Fay Daisy at the small

corner market. What a kind kid. These thoughts Phillip Fell was feeling felt so vivid that he was

sure others on the street could hear them fall from his brain. He glanced around to see if

anyone saw him. Only there was something strange.

There was no other people on the street.

“This is odd.” laughed Phillip Fell uncomfortably.

The Fell residence was one of the few houses to fall on Main Street. The only time

Phillip Fell wouldn’t see people on this road was Christmas morning or Thanksgiving evening.

“There can’t be no one…” He thought.

He hurried over into Mrs. Barbra Bethel’s diner (a local hot spot for the town) just to

deny his ridiculous suspicion. But when Phillip Fell walked through the glass door that the town

recently donated money to replace after vandalism of unknown suspects, he was greeted only

with empty stools and blank booths.

“Hello? Hello?!” Pleaded Phillip Fell, but heard no response.

He dizzily ran across the street to Jim and Dona Pinckney’s Hardware store. Hoping to

see the normal hustle of the local residence getting supplies for their weekend projects. He

surged past the front counter. But, again, found nothing expected nails and screws without a

single soul to purchase them.

And so Phillip Fell ran from store to store. Into the library and fire house. On to friends’

porches, through neighbors’ backyards. No one, not a single person. Like a ghost town, willed

with absolute, unfiltered absence. Lifeless truancy. Complete loneliness.

Dazed, with now no direction, Phillip Fell found himself face to face with the steps of

City Hall. And it brought him back some seven years. Back when Phillip Fell found himself

mayor of this fine town. And it reminded him of the night of his inauguration, the night

everyone was present.

From his personal friend Mr. Harvey Time to Jim and his new wife Dona. To Mr. Pete

and his friend Mrs. Daisy, and even Barbra Bethel was there (he remembered this because that

was the same night her diner door was destroy by a group of unknown vandalizers). Even

strangers and towns people he has never seen came to shake Phillip Fell’s hand. His best

friends, his family, his son. All of them! It was tremendous. All the cheers and joy from a room

full of people. And as tears of joy ran down his cheek, Mr. Phillip Fell thought “This is

happiness, in this moment… I am immortal.”

But that was seven years ago… and now it was the present and Phillip Fell remembered

that photo of his boy: he remembered had a mission. And so he ventured through this ghost

town to get to those fields. Passing through the vacant sidewalks and open landscapes; he

eventually made it to the Little League field off of River Brook Road.

The fields, the diamond, was as barren as the rest of its town. Phillip Fell stood looking

outward to the clay and reminisced. He day dreamed of his son’s first homerun, and how after

passing home plate he ran straight into his arms. He remembered the time a pop fly gave his

little boy a black eye and he told him jokes till his laughter made him forget all about the pain.

He thought of all the junk food they ate there or all the games of catch they played… he

remembered, his son’s smile.

Phillip Fell closed his eyes and, finally feeling peace for the first time in six months said,

“That was happiness… in that moment… you were immortal” and then tears of acceptance

dropped from his eyes.

“What was that Phillip?” said David Richards, waking up Phillip Fell. “Hey, are you

okay?”

“Where were you?” asked Mr. Phillip Fell

“Where was I?” Mr. David Richards said slightly laughing “I was right here…”

“But where were you?” Phillip sniffled.

Truth and Discoveries

Darius Williams

It’s better to tell the truth than to live a lie.

When you discover your true friends

they will come to you to help

and be honest with what they are saying to you.

Your true friends won’t stay in the shade or stab you in the back.

Being honest is key to having a great discovery towards

your peers and yourself.

Identity

Mathaus Ricardo Gaston

Discovering Me

Anonymous

I never thought that it would go this far

People in my head demanding their expectations, trying to higher the bar

As I count backwards I’ve replayed this movie in my head over 1,000 times

Imagining all the faces that’ll be filled with weeping cries

The pressure and painful lies that have been said, and for some reason I give my lack of

confidence the credit

But yet my confidence is not the only thing I lack

The deadlines screaming in my head are both weighing on my neck and my back

How can I focus?

With no one here to discover the truth of me

I lie here so hopelessly but so desperately

Can’t seem to find the truth within me, maybe someone else will discover it for me.

Truth

Jasmine Johnson

All I ask from you is the TRUTH

Through time and will

Our love will grow through TRUTH

Bring forth the special growth the TRUTH

You have everything you need

The TRUTH is like planting a seed

And it begins to grow

As my love for you will also

A High Top Dystopia

Ian King

Trust

Malik Herrington

Who can I trust

Where can I go

The voices of you

Negatively hurts

My soul but

I know one day

I will become

A king and live

On getting the

Finer things…

Learning the Truth

Natisha Johnson

From the day you are born

To the day that you die,

There will be a truth and discovery happening every day.

Whether it’s the truth about Santa Claus,

Or the discovery about our parents putting a dollar

Under your pillow every time you lost a tooth.

There is a truth and discovery being made every day.

The discovery of knowing that college is approaching rapidly.

The truth of living in a single parent household.

The discovery of knowing who you really are.

Be careful, because soon you will know.

Human

Sanjana Ravi

Who are we to judge

When our beating hearts are the only glorious things about us

Flaws Flaws Flaws

Are we to stay lost? To stay Human?

Today the skies screamed out

Thunderous roars that echoed through my veins, throughout my bones

And for a second, my heart stopped

Had I become nothing? Become smoke?

So I looked up, through the rain, through the sheets

Towards the gray clouds that reflected my mind

It spoke “We are alive” “We are heard”

Are we here to find? To stay human?

Later I realized

That It was our beating hearts that made us glorious

That

After flaws, we grow

After rain, we shine

After losing, we find

Behind the Curtain

Ian King

I am

Torrin King

I am

A thousand points of light they will see and fear

I am

The whisper in the dark that some hear, but only few will listen

I am

The tool that those who see beauty use to carve their name into the hearts of man

I am

More lasting than bronze

I have sung songs of kings and queens, of love lost and love found

In me you will find madness, darkness, light from the heavens

I am that I am

And those that know me will find me

Hear my voice between the cracks of their broken hearts

I am

The works which heal, break, and destroy

Pieces

Julia Saxton

Life

Timothy Harris

As you open your eyes you see bright light

You hear people talking but don’t understand

You feel a pinch and start crying because you’ve never felt pain

You start screaming and at the height of it all

A beautiful woman embraces and holds you comforting you

You don’t know it yet but she will be the one person to never leave your side

As you grow you find out you came out of this woman and you are one with her

She loves you and puts up with everything you do no love compares to hers

And you realize this at a young age

As life goes on she teaches you, comforts you, and helps you through problems

Everyone has one of these women in their life believe it or not

But not all have the one you have so you should love this woman in your life more than anyone

This woman would literally die for you cry for you and will never lie to you

This woman is your Mother.

The Man in The Mask

Ian King

Reality

Sierra

The Truth, the whole truth and nothing, but the truth

The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth

is what the law demands,

But the law is based upon the truth by which it issues own commands.

The truth is based upon Reality where there can’t be any idea of falsehood.

Reality is in fact the Absolute or Supreme Being that is really all Godhood.

On The Society of Today

Paris Moreland

Society has played an evil trick on you and your emotions,

first you weren’t good enough so you change,

then you were loved everything was rebooted,

Now you’re no longer accepted and you’ve hit rock bottom.

You went back to your old ways but your once bright light is now dim and dull

You now carry the invisible rain cloud over your head, you are emotionally drained.

Life is now almost like your enemy because you’ve had your perfect path now you’re lost and

confused,

you sit in the class in your own world just barely getting by now

you sit and wonder what life would’ve been like if you would’ve never fallen off,

what if you fell into the right crowd, or even stuck with yourself?

Now there’s something you stumble upon, the new girl begins to try and befriend you

the same people who pestered and nitpicked you try and do the same thing to the new girl but

she simply ignores them

and you envy but admire her all in the same breath because you could’ve done that.

Society made you feel imperfect when you felt perfect,

they forced you to make a change now you’re full of regret

and self-hate.

Getting old

Willie Mason III

My voice has got deeper, and so have my thoughts

I don’t play with toys or fighting robots

I’ve grown, I’m different than I was before

I’ve discovered I’m not the same me anymore

I’m getting older too fast to realize

All the things I thought about adults were lies

I didn’t know adults are all the same

Just getting by in this video game

I’ve discovered what all former kids now know

It isn’t a joke getting old

The Truth

Emmanuel Simpson

The truth is diabolical

For those who hate the truth.

But the further a society drifts

From the truth

The more it will hate.

Telling the truth

Becomes a revolutionary act.

You can’t blame someone for walking away

If you didn’t do anything

To make them stay

Who We Are

Mathus Ricardo Gaston

Holes

Laura Wu

The Unrevealed Truth

Taylor Daniels

I felt it all hitting me at once, the worst feeling that a young African American girl could ever feel:

Embarrassment

I sensed something from the way she laughed and picked at my heritage.

I was ashamed of my natural melanin, my wooly hair, my full lips.

But today was the day that I found out the truth.

I stood there in shock as she yelled

“You’re pathetic, obviously you don’t see that black people will never be as superior as us you

should be ashamed to call yourself an American”.

I finally discovered that my best friend, a Caucasian, was racist and was only using me because

of my family’s history of wealth.

I was ashamed that I let such an evil person in to my sacred space.

I stood there as time stood still

but everyone else moved along to where they needed to be.

I fell to my knees as if I had been shot in the heart with an arrow.

That day I realized that all of my relationships had hit rock bottom

and that all love was lost

When Will You Notice?

Kiana Delgado

What do I have to do to get you to notice me?

Change my hair, the way I walk.

My clothes, the way I talk.

We’ve known each other for some time now

Yet I’m still invisible to you.

My feelings run deep and how

I wish you only knew

I see your face every time I close my eyes.

To me you just seem so different from the

Other guys.

To you I’m just a friend.

Nothing more, nothing less.

I settle for friendship in the end

Because I don’t want to make a mess.

Instead I’ll keep my secret to myself

And take my pride back off the shelf.

Until you and I were meant to be.

I’ll wait for now but not too long

Because sooner or later I’ll be gone.

So when will you notice me?

Discovery of the Truth

Willie Mason III

I am not an easy man to love

To love me is something that’s above

I am like the rolling hills steadfast

But one question will I ask

If the light never shines again

And the sky falls below the ground

Will you love me then?

I have discovered your lies and seek to know

The truth of discovering is that you must show

Show me as if I’m Columbus or Magellan

The suspense is killing- -

Me

Now that I know what I’ve discovered

The new search must begin and let our true love be

Uncovered

Desires

Sanjana Ravi

My desires seem to be out of sight

Too far into the top shelf to see

I stand on a char

In hopes of catching a glimpse of its aura

I stretch my neck

In hopes of finding something other than a layer of dust and shadows

I begin to stand on the tips of my toes

Feeling so close

Too close

To my happiness

But suddenly, I heard a crack

And felt my footing slip

Thin red streams stretched across my palms and flowed down my lips

Looking up,

My desires seem to be out of sight

Too far into the top shelf to see

I wipe my nose with the back of my hand and dry the salt from my lashes

I stand on a sturdier chair

In hopes of catching a glimpse of its aura

Change

Laura Wu

Finding You

Mathus Ricardo Gaston

Storm Line Dance

Torrin King

Look at me.

Look into my shattered mirrors, my broken windows and you will see me.

A gouged, scarred soul.

Scars that run so deep they leave shadowed places I'm afraid to go.

My heart is a graveyard, of pieces of me that died long ago.

And if you listen, if you really listen, then maybe you will hear the silence.

The unspoken words, the silent nights and dreaded mornings.

And I have learned things from these scars.

And I realized that everyone has scars, broken hearts that thump into the slow sad song of the

blues.

And I know your scars are deeper than most, that your silence is loud and, that you don't know

what song your heart is playing because you stopped listening long ago.

So I ask you, to dance with me.

I want to dance with the one who heart my silence and understood.

Whose poetry etched into my heart a monument more lasting than man.

I want to dance with the sad girl, the happy girl, the mad, crazy girl.

I want to dance with you in a storm, so you can see the raging sky, the flaming bolts.

But most of all, I want you to see the after.

I want you to see the sly,

how one can wage war against oneself and win

for the deepest scars are we jive are the ones we give ourselves.

STAFF

Editor-in-chief

Sanjana Ravi

Art Editor

Julia Saxton

Sponsor

Scott Thompson