Images in light and dark By NANCY GREEN © St. Petersburg Times, published August 27, 2001 School is back in session, and those lazy days of summer are a fading memory. Take a break from your revved-up routine to ponder the art and poetry in today's open-themed Xpressions. We hope you'll be inspired to submit your own work for consideration. Check out the instructions below. PDF file 1 PDF file 2 *You will need the free Acrobat Reader from Adobe for viewing. We want your work Xpressions is our monthly showcase for the art, writing and photography of students through the 12th grade. It appears the last Monday of each month in this space. Please read the following instructions carefully before submitting your work. The work must be based on the month's designated theme. Here are some upcoming themes and postmark deadlines: SEPTEMBER: OPEN THEME -- Summer is still upon us, so anything goes as far as theme requirements. Send us your creative work on the theme of your choice. Deadline: All entries must be postmarked by Sept. 10. OCTOBER: HALLOWEEN HAIKU AND SCARY ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY -- If you are moved to words for this month, they must be in haiku form. Artwork and photos are welcome as well. Try your best to scare us, without gore, of course! (Haiku is the Japanese verse form requiring three unrhymed lines of five, seven and five syllables respectively.) Deadline: All entries must be postmarked by Oct. 8. NOVEMBER: OPEN THEME -- The subject is up to you; be creative. Deadline: All entries must be postmarked by Nov. 5. Please send your work, theme suggestions (WE REALLY WANT TO HEAR YOUR IDEAS FOR THEME SUBJECTS) and comments to: Xpressions, c/o Nancy Green, St. Petersburg Times, 1000 N Ashley Drive, Tampa, FL 33602. All work must follow the designated theme and be your own creation. Artwork must be on white, unlined paper, with the medium stated on the back (oil, pastel, crayon, etc.). Be sure to include your name (printed legibly), age, school, grade, address, ZIP code and phone number, with area code. IMPORTANT: PLEASE NOTE THAT YOUR WORK WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED WITHOUT THIS INFORMATION. Stories must be no longer than 150 words, preferably typewritten. We will return work only if you indicate that you want it back. * * * All poetry today is from Dunedin High School, written during the 2000-2001 school year Behind what you see There is a pain behind what you see, and what you see is not me. You don't know my struggles don't know my pain don't know how I get through You think I have this perfect life that doesn't exist and never will. Throw off the blinders, open your eyes, you might see something that before you couldn't find. -- By CARRIE SELF, 12th grade Fight it off Go on living fight the urge ignore the words, the evil stares and I'll go on living as long as someone cares put me in a box watch me run around it's all the sanity that's hangin' around so fight the urge live another day but what happens, when someone wants to steal it away there is no way to make it go as long as you don't show them what they really want to know if you can fight it off and prove to yourself you can go on hold on to what's left and show me where I went wrong just fight it off put it away and I promise you I'll go on living for another day -- By JENNA FITZGERALD, 11th grade Never-the-les All I can compare it to is a stringParochial threads As strong as chains stronger, actually -- It's a nice community paradox Latexed to stretch through all lives repressed infinity fall of feeling passions and weakness -- A plague and a witch hunt and a cycle continues overlapped, full yet undeniably empty; my love for you -- By ANNA LUTHER, 11th grade Why not Why not inhale magic?Breathe in the essence of Earth and Nature the smoke of life swirls through my throat and lungs tickling on its way down It puts me on a plane well away from the rest of the world Away is where I want to be At a place that time cannot touch only life may penetrate when I'm away Away from that which unjustly disturbs me in a time of peace Gone from the reality created for me by those who Know not of me Why not abandon a life that Has been spoon-fed to me? I never asked for it It landed in my lap as a meteorite lands on Earth, With the fire of a phoenix and the crash of symbols. * * * -- By ALEX DOBSON, 10th grade Another wa Have you ever thoughtthat there might be a different way, an alternative, another road to take? Why only listen to the first doctor if you can get a second opinion? Go in the opposite direction, be an individual instead of following the crowd. Live life as it comes but remember to look both ways. Untitle Sickening hair and makeupenough to make a grown woman cry twisting and pulling their personalities to fit the human mold it's too far a stretch for me to them, I'm lost away forever a complete space cadet orbiting the real world to me I'm at the center of it spontaneity, coincidence, chaos the things that make the world go round I continue to buzz through life quickly, leaving matters to themselves not worrying about petty concerns the rains come swiftly Dropping sweet water upon the ground hairspray, powder, lipstick, rouge, perfume, clog The storm drains Black clouds part and sunshine plows through before me are the masses naked to the world and shivering with cold their true selves exposed * * * -- By ALEX DOBSON, 10th grade A dark presence . . . A dark presencecaught in ropes of brain mass I cling to these walls a bit reluctantly Needing to be let go need to be snipped free when I'm true I soar with colors displayed, spiraling radially among other sharp, tricky beings, present with me in the Void. when I'm quiet I miss out don't wanna miss out on this Life this change misty glances croak through the silence and spray sharp feelings onto an open wound I cry and release and let go, flowing a little too long, letting go a little too late but ok feelings stretched and time unrolled I'm leaving things undone * * * -- By MARIKA SADDLER, 12th grade Past 14 Days March 16, 2008 March 15, 2008 March 14, 2008 March 13, 2008 March 12, 2008 March 11, 2008 March 10, 2008 March 9, 2008 March 8, 2008 March 7, 2008 March 6, 2008 March 5, 2008 March 4, 2008 March 3, 2008 Search further back Here's the rest of today's Xpress Images in light and dark This 'Scorpion' too short on action 'Bubble Boy' bounces over little kids' heads My secret life