Despite the stumbles and difficulties this academic year has thrown at us so far, Tallwood Lions have still been writing, composing, and creating!  Here are the featured works from the fall and winter issues.  See more amazing creations by your fellow students or submit your own work at https://tallwood-lit-mag.weebly.com/!

Autumn:

Your Expectations

By Hunter Tufarelli

It’s like a test, like a sudden trial 

You have to admit you want me to fail

What is it all worth? This harsh denial 

you have set on my mind with no avail

What do you want to accomplish? Enough 

of this completely unexplained nonsense 

How would you do this? Would you act this tough?

How far will you take this? At what expense?

Do you believe I am incapable

of telling my side? Or proving myself?

You realise this is inescapable? 

You have initiated this yourself

We both know this shouldn’t be happening 

You know you are wrong, I know I am too

Winter:

Friends I’ve Left, Feelings I’ve Lost

By Kyleagh Peralta

All these faces and masks 

They haunt my memories and thoughts 

When all I want to do is look back,

I know all I ever have to do is ask 

But all these little red dots… 

They mark all the feelings and emotions that I lack

Some days I watch as the skies change colors 

Feeling who I am fade slowly away 

As I leave these new friends behind in my self-made dark 

These shadows of my doubts and self-toxic thoughts grow taller 

Watching as all the colors around me turn to blacks and grays 

Leaving bright red prints and marks 

For only my eyes to see 

The person whom I wanted to become, stare at back in the mirror 

One that’s cracked, showing all these sides

I’ve never known 

Looking around, seeing all the chains that’ll forever keep me from being free 

Keep me from moving to thoughts and mirrors that’re clearer 

And all that I could’ve been is all I’ll ever be shown 

Friends I’ve left behind 

They never understand when I explain 

So I watch as they change their path 

Never seeing as I start to go blind

 Don’t they notice all my pain 

No they don’t, leaving to fight on my own warpath