the fireworks that never flew,
sparks that died.
the classrooms that never filled,
children that cried.
the friendships that never grew,
promises that lied.
the memories that never formed,
smiles that tried.
prime age seemed to slip away,
each and every day wasted.
staring at screens in a haze,
fear twisted into hatred.
when gazing at a mirror,
education looks like grievance.
outside looks like freedom.
celebration looks like treason.
i look unfamiliar.
stolen pages from our lives,
rewritten in scribbles and blotted ink.
chapters left to become extinct.
incomprehensible archives,
that feel incomplete.
the hope that ends.
the joy that halts.
the loss that begins.
yet it persists somehow-
the will to overcome,
until the nightmare is done.
By Phoebe Anne Reiter
Phoebe is a second year UCI student who enjoys writing poetry that dramatizes her life. Writing poetry is an outlet for her, as it gives her a chance to tell a hidden, elaborate story behind a few words.