XIE, CINDY
Cindy Xie
Age: 13, Grade: 8
School Name: St Luke’s School, New York, NY
Educator: Caroline Muro
Category: Poetry
“schizophrenia: A Sonnet” ; “Growing Older: Villanelle”
Schizophrenia: a sonnet
You, gum, stuck to the outsole of my heel
Do you know the pains of walking along?
Screams of constant stick, stuck mixes the way I feel;
Years of dragging here there, oh how I long
For the gum to sleep, slump, and pause its speak!
To wake and attack my wanderlust soul.
You build up cities of muscles but weak;
spies and secrets buried in pigeonholes.
Hours upon hours—I have lost track.
I’m not dangerous, nor deadly. Please stop.
It is not the ability I lack,
It’s my head spinning like a top nonstop
The reality I work for, the life
The one you have—my absent muted mind
Growing Older: Villanelle
When did we forget the old dragonfly?
For the days will never lay down to rest
Ringing timers keep calling us to die
Once flying daily, to come home to pie
Then the first summer… got the best of him
When did we forget the old dragonfly?
You never thought you’d see them say goodbye
Forgot your nest and now you are depressed
Ringing timers keep calling us to die
Once Roaring 20’s, now watching time fly
Sometimes being excited is a test;
When did we forget the old dragonfly?
Wise with wisdom, protecting his pond. Why?
Laid some eggs, now for your one last request.
Ringing timers keep calling us to die
Do you remember when you’d laugh and sigh,
“Is this forever?” and stare with such zest
Settle down, water splash, turn to the sky
“When did we forget the old dragonfly?”