Mercedes High School Speechless

This issue contains writing and art from Mercedes High School students & faculty Spring 2009.

Issue # 1

2008 - 2009

Cover Art by Albert Anciso

Speechless is MHS‟s new literary arts magazine but not the first of its

kind on campus. The last time MHS had a literary magazine was in

1989. It was called Creative Bits. Back issues are available at MHS

Library. This is an opportunity for MHS to showcase its artists. Art is

subjective and means something different to every single person. It is in

a constant state of change, so you can never really pin down what it is.

Speechless would like to send a special thanks to Ms. Gutierrez and Mr.

De Anda for letting us express ourselves through this magazine, along

with Mr. Root, the entire English and Art Departments for introducing

Mercedes artists to our community. Thanks again to all our writers, art-

ists, and the Speechless crew for checking “yes or no”.

Speechless NOTE:

Speechless will be coming out every semester and

will hopefully become an after school program for

creative writing at Mercedes High School next year.

No work or any part of this issue may be

reproduced (quoted, copied, photographed, video-

taped, or broadcast) without the written consent of

the artist or writer.

All letters to the editor are welcome; however,

please limit the length of each letter to one double-

spaced page of which some may be published in our

next issue with your consent. Include your name

and e-mail address.

For more information on Speechless contact E.

Noyola, B 4 or e-mail.

SPEECHLESS INTRODUCTION

Page 1 SPEECHLESS

Speechless

The Sins Issue

Issue # 1

Spring 2009

Speechless members

at large:

Arechar, Priscilla

Banales, Jose V.

Barrientes, Jennifer

Gutierrez, Diana

Noyola, Esmeralda

Robledo, Celina

Root, Robert

The views reflected within this issue do

not represent the views of Mercedes

High School; in fact, the views ex-

pressed by any speaker or character in

any statement, poem, drawing, photo,

painting, or short story do not necessar-

ily reflect the views of anyone at MHS.

This is art.

Drawing by Anonymous

Cartoon by Albert Anciso ~~~~~~~~ Page 9

Yes by Anonymous ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Page 9

Random by LeoVela ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Page 10

Friday Night by Jose V. Banales ~~~~ Page 10

The Search for a Great Love by Jade ~ Page 10

Art by Monica Ybarra ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Page 10

Alright by Jose V. Banales ~~~~~~~~ Page 11

Sin = Pride by Baldemar Garcia ~~~~ Page 11

Art by Albert Anciso ~~~~~~~~~~~ Page 11

Romeo by Jose V. Banales ~~~~~~~~ Page 12

The Man I Never Knew

by J. Barrientes ~~~~~~~ Page 12

Cyclopes by Julie A. Rodriguez ~~~~ Page 12

The Tragedy of Barbie

by D. Gutierrez ~~~~~~ Page 13

Envy by Anonymous ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Page 13

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Cover Art by Albert Anciso ~~~~~~~ Cover

Wet by Anonymous ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Page 1

Child Fist Photo by Anonymous~~~~~~~ Page 2

Sleep by Kiara Morales~ ~~~~~~~~~~~

Oppressed by Jose V. Banales ~~~~~~~~ Page 3

Ourselves that Scream

by Alex Hernandez ~~~~~~~~~ Page 3

Have you ever, have you

by Narcedalia Ramirez ~~~~~~ Page 4

...Sin by Sevi. Roque ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Page 5

...Sin Art by Sevi. Roque ~~~~~~~~~~~ Page 5

Lit by Krystal Rincon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Page 6

The Sins of a School Hall

by Coach Pete Martinez, Jr.~~~ Page 6

More Like You by Jade ~~~~~~~~~ ~~ Page 7

Loves to Eat By Isaac Grimaldo ~~~~~~ Page 7

Cartoon by Albert Anciso ~~~~~~~~~~ Page 7

Aguitado by Jose V. Banales~~~~~~~~~ Page 8

Shout of Sin by Alex Hernandez~~~~~~~ Page 8

Deep by Baldemar Garcia ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Page 8

Cartoon by Albert Anciso ~~~~~~~~~~~ Page 8

Love Into Hate by Maria Zuniga ~~~~~~ Page 9

Remember That by Jose V. Banales ~~~~ Page 9

Page 2 SPEECHLESS

Photo by Anonymous

By Alex Hernandez

Ourselves that scream

Hidden-

within the open air, the atmosphere

Lurking-

amongst the gracious beauty

of the world, of life

Creeping-

into our lives, our gentle minds-

at awful times

beckoning-

a murky shadow

to cloak ourselves.

Unsuspected-

inside our emotions, that

determine our day

Lurking-

around in the humanity

of our hearts

Slithering-

into our spoken words

Beckoning-

a murky shadow

to cloak ourselves.

Shadows-

seeming simple yet, reality shows

the opposite

Struggling-

to lift also, difficult to mangle

the murky shadows

that scream:

Demanding and Crucial-

To lighten-

our souls, to feel

our heart-pound

with every beat-filled

with selfless grace

to lighten-

the path

to heaven.

Drawing by Kiara Morales

Page 3 SPEECHLESS

Oppressed

Everyday I must face being oppressed. If it ain‟t the color of my

skin, it‟s the way I‟m dressed. It‟s an everyday thing. Walking

in da parkin‟ lot, white woman locking her doors, store clerks

followin‟ me around the store. Didn‟t Cesar Chavez end dis crap

or is it kuz I‟m young? People pass judgment quickly everyday.

Sure the country I live in I love, but lovin‟ it makes u grow up

fast enough. Still, no one‟s getting treated fairly unless u gots

money or a white name like Michelle or Steven. Listen, I gotz

sum things I gotta get off ma chest. Y R we fighting a war over

in Afghanistan when Mexicans, blacks, and whites R killing

each other? Did we 4get bout the war in dis country? What

good is freedom if the rich just keep gettin‟ more freeah? Mi

raza and my gente runnin‟ around with no place or tierra. White

rich old women strikin‟ the lotto again is on the news everyday.

Why don‟t they do a human relations piece in the barrio? No,

they take their time interviewing more rich people.

By Jose. V. Banales

956 Pelon

"My hope in my life is to strive for beauty without vanity, strength without insolence,

courage without ferocity, and kindness

without pretense."

-Dante's The Divine Comedy

Have you

Would you notice

All the presents

Would you believe

The fake promises

Have you ever met

HER

Have you

HER that comes as the form of a reaper

in the form of one of these shadowing

HER every move

ANOREXIA

BULIMIA

SELF-MUTALATION

SUICIDE

Waiting

For that final moment

So doom can be HER demise

If you have met HER

Would you ever

Try to understand

And if you would

Could you

By Narcedalia Ramirez

Have you ever met

An

Anorexic

Have you

Would you notice

The skeletal frame

Would you hear

Its crying stomach

Or

Its whisper “shut up. You don‟t need more.”

Have you ever met

A

Bulimic

Have you

Would you notice

The yellow teeth would you hear

The toilet flushes

Could you smell

The decaying breath

Have you ever met

A

Cutter

Have you

Would you notice

The wristbands

Would you strain your ear to hear

Its cry

Not of the physical pain, but of the emotional

Have you ever met

A suicidal

Have you ever, have you

Page 4 SPEECHLESS

Loves to Eat

I love to eat

I love to eat

I love to eat

I eat everyday

Every second

Every minute

Every hour

24 hours a day

365 days a year

I love to eat

I love to eat

I love to eat

I eat when I‟m hungry

I eat when I‟m full

I eat when I‟m bored

I eat when I‟m excited

I love to eat

I love to eat

I love to eat

I eat when I‟m asleep

I eat when I‟m awake

I eat in my dreams

I eat in my nightmares

I love to eat

I love to eat

I love to eat

I eat when I‟m inside

I eat when I‟m outside

I eat when I‟m nowhere

I eat when I‟m somewhere

I love to eat

I love to eat

I love to eat

By Isaac Grimaldo

…SIN

..There are seven

And each one is just as bad as the last

Unified, yet each one stands alone

Watching…waiting

Singing their sinister songs like harpies

Trying to crush our souls onto

The burning rocks

Seven ingredients that

Form our downfall…

Envy who we ourselves grow and harbor…

He who drives us to horrible actions

Which we’ll come to regret.

Greed who comes in forms of bad motivation

He causes us to squeeze our loved ones to the core for more.

…He’s always competing with Envy…

Lust, which convinces us that she loves us…

…but she’s a terrible liar…

Wrath…who invokes himself

Even when we don’t deserve it.

Pride, she holds envy’s hand

Forever unified…

Complementing the attributes

That drag us down ever so slowly.

Sloth…oh she’s a clever one.

The way she wears her mask

To lure us into a rhythmic numbness.

Oh how nostalgic…

But the most universal of the seven…

Could very well be the worst.

Glutton. Who agitates us more.

So similar to Greed yet profoundly different.

He lives like a parasite…

So as by their strength

Of their illusion

Will draw us into confusion.

And so we shall know security….

…Our morals’ closest enemies…

by Sevi. Roque SPEECHLESS Page 5

Lit

Brother,

Hermano!

porque me mataste?

never

think

alcohol

body

light me up

Mad

haunt

CRAZY!

With hate,

Sister By Krystal Rincon

Drawing by Sevi. Roque

The SINS of a School Hall

As I walk the halls the sights and sounds are Sins that frighten even an old school teacher.

A student walking the halls or sitting in the cafeteria and going no place, that is a sin.

The teacher that sits by the computer instead of standing by the doorway to greet the students and won-

ders why the halls are so congested, that is a Sin.

The boyfriend that makes his girlfriend cry and forgets the pain his mother may feel because the tears

are seen at home, that is a sin.

The teacher who doesn’t reach out to a student instead belittles the child into thinking they will never

succeed, that is a sin.

The student who complains about the food and leaves it on the table knowing that in another part of the

world a mother cries because her own body cannot create the nourishment for her hungry child, that is

a sin.

The teacher who gets to school late or even to the classroom yet writes up the student for being tardy,

that is a sin.

The student who is afraid to speak English because others giggle at their pronunciation and yet their

own Spanish sounds like a high school text, that is a sin.

The teacher that hates to change their teaching ways hoping that the new curriculum will disappear,

that is a sin.

The students who think the easy way can be found in drugs, alcohol and easy money, that is a sin.

The teacher who smiles only at the end of the day, that is a sin.

The student who sits alone and has no friends while others walk by without even a glance, that is a sin.

To have “No Pride” in your school, that is a sin.

The greatest Sin is the student that wastes his God-given talents and never gives his mind a chance to

create and share with others.

The unforgivable Sin is the teacher that does not give their “Heart and Soul” to his or her profession.

SPEECHLESS

By Coach Pete Martinez

You may find these words simple and meaningless, but I feel a need to share them with you.

Let me tell you of the joys you bring to my life because I know that in you, I will always find someone I can turn to for

acceptance and understanding

You are simple and humble and your beauty lies deep within

You criticize yourself for not being formally educated, but your experiences make you wiser than anyone I know

It lightens my load knowing that you are just a phone call away

You have helped me through some of life‟s little tragedies more times than I could ever repay

We have shared so many wonderful moments

And some I would like to forget

There have also been some secrets and jokes I simply can not forget

You have a gift for healing and mending broken hearts with words that lift my spirit when I felt I could no longer go on

The way you share yourself is something I wish I could

you are so enduring of my pains and good times too

Your words are reassuring and bring back a smile to my face

Because of you, I know that life‟s simple pleasures should never be taken for granted

I have a mother of my own, but somehow I wish she could be more like you.

If you ever fell like you aren‟t appreciated, or I have forgotten to thank you, please always remember my simple words;

this gift I give to you

These words mean so much to me, hope they mean as much to you

By Jade

Page 7 SPEECHLESS Cartoon by Albert Anciso

Aguitado

Me encuentro aguitado como un perro abandonado

Como quisiera borrar todo el mal pasado

Nomas quedan recuerdos de lindos pensamientos

Como quisiera explicarte todo lo que siento

It‟s sad to see you leave.

I just can‟t believe I wasn‟t there for you

like you were for me

I know I did you wrong

Wish I could take it back

If I could, then I would

Never knew what I had „til I lost it all

Still got you in my heart

by Jose V. Banales

956 Pelon

Page 8

Shout of Sin

I shout a secret

in a whisper of words to your ear

“have you ever sinned

like maybe said cheers?”

A sin is a sin

we all have our share

even when forgiven

we tend not to care

We continue our misbehavior

but stop it must

we should not hold pride,

greed nor lust

So pour out

all the wrong you think or do

to allow you through to heaven

a judging will be of you.

By Alex Hernandez

Deep

What should you do when your heart feels broken?

There are so many words that have been unspoken.

I don‟t get it, why can‟t I just be happy?

I‟m always down, always feeling crappy.

I guess I can‟t handle change so well.

I‟m acting out, can‟t you tell?

It‟s moving so fast, leaving me behind.

Why can‟t time just freaking rewind?

I try pretending like nothing is wrong.

Relying on my happiness with a catchy song.

Hoping I won‟t cry or frown, yet I cry when no

one‟s around.

I try my best not to show how I feel.

Emotions I do conceal.

I‟m hard to understand, but it‟s just how I planned.

Someday I‟ll be filled with bliss.

Not completely happy, but it‟s better than this.

This feeling has me so tired;

I believe someday my heart will get what is most

desired.

By Baldemar Garcia

SPEECHLESS

Cartoon by Albert Anciso

SPEECHLESS

Yes

I should’ve not broken up with him. I can‟t

believe you called it off the day before his birth-

day. That‟s cold. He wanted to get married. I’m

16. What does he think? No estamos en un

rancho. I‟m surprised anyone wanted to marry

you at all. Yeah. It’ll be hard finding someone

else que me aguante. What didn‟t you like about

him? Nothing I can remember. That’s stupid.

Maybe I was just scared. Scared of what? He

was too nice. Is that even possible? Yes. How

can someone be so understanding? I don’t think

he really liked me if he didn’t mind that I would

go out with my friends and other boys were there.

He never seemed jealous. Do boys have to be

jealous in order to prove that they care about you?

No, but it helps. What if he was, but didn‟t show

it? Don’t say that! That would be terrible.

Because it means you are an idiot? Yes.

By Anonymous

Remember That?

I‟ve been doing a lot of thinking lately. Listen,

this all started when I was at the park the other

day. Remember that? I saw this guy get on one

knee and heard him say to his girl, “Casate

con migo.” My Heart stopped right there when

I saw the look on her face. Baby, I swear she

didn‟t even know what to say. She couldn‟t

even breathe, but her tears of happiness gave

the cover away. I witnessed the beginning of

something so true. I wanna make you feel the

same way too. It‟s been so long that we‟ve

been together and I want to take the next step.

Make it last forever. I want you to close your

eyes. I got a surprise for you. I think it‟s time.

I feel that it‟s that time for you and me to shine.

Girl, will you be mine? Can you feel my heart

skip a beat? Just thinking about you makes me

weak. It‟s been a while. „Til this very day. It

took me this much to figure out what to say.

For some reason it never crossed my mind. I‟d

figured we always be together

„til the end of time.

By Jose V. Banales

956 Pelon

Take It Easy

Slow down, you‟re growing up too fast.

Stop before it‟s too late.

For these fun times just won‟t last.

Take it easy, have a blast.

Don‟t rush past the opened gate.


Walk barefoot on the sand or play on the grass.

Learn to love life; don‟t learn how to hate.

For these fun times just won‟t last.

There will come a day when you must fill your pockets with cash.

This is not the time to look at the date.


I‟ve heard it said there are only three things that last;

Hope, love, and Faith.


Laugh, dance, and play without haste.

Hang with your friends. Find a good mate.


For these fun times just won‟t last By Jennifer Barrientes

Cartoon by Albert Anciso

SPEECHLESS

Random

Love is everything you could possibly imagine. It‟s pleasant, devastating, and absolutely

deadly. And because of what love is people may actually be willing to change their everyday

lifestyle in order to gain this treasure.

Truly, love is mind control. The beautiful girl in high school can easily use her charms to

control any male with a weak mind. Once a male is in grasp, the female can tell the male to do

anything and when they part the male, depending on how strong the bond is, will feel like a

thousand rusty knives just penetrated his heart. While the enjoyment was delightful, the pain was

multiple times worse. Several people wonder if it‟s worth it.

Love is a gamble. While everyone has almost an equal chance in the world to love, the

outcome of a relationship is random. Some people may do anything for love, making them do some

of the most mediocre things. Love may as well be considered blind. The only thing they see is the

person they want to be with and are distracted from reality.

One misconception made by many people is that only opposites attract. Anyone can love

anyone or anything. Love for sure has no limits to where it can reach and can be found even in the

foulest places. You can‟t hide from it.

You can see, love controls, dominates, and is inescapable. What is love? It‟s everything but

visible.

By Leo Vela

Friday Night

What is love?

Is it the feeling I get when your lips touch mine?

Holdin‟ back

…I held back on the things I knew that god meant to be true

…I never saw through the fog

…I thought to myself about those things.

I knew I loved you and god, was it true?

I keep falling in love with you.

I hated not knowing if you loved me too

…awaking one day knowing what I wanted was you.

How could I tell you? Help me explain.

My heart feels like I have been detained.

One thing I held back that was true

That I knew I needed to get through to you

…I‟m in love with you.

By Jose V. Banales

956 Pelon

The Search for Great Love

Have you ever had a great love?

Love that fills your heart with joy and

sorrow

Feeling that can lift you and hold you above

Tingle and flutter you pray will be there tomorrow

The kind of love that can make you smile and

laugh

Hurt and pain that smoothes over with just a touch

Emotions that grow and begin to pile

Bursting with fire that burns, oh too much

Words fill your head, words you‟re too afraid to

utter

It makes you breathe so hard, you heart skips a

beat

Bewildering thoughts that make you stutter

Your temperature rises like summer‟s

heat

Waiting, wishing, silently hoping,

Someday it will come, there‟ll be no more

moping.

By Jade

Art by Monica Ybarra

Alright

You came to me one day,

I felt that everything was alright

until it hit one night

It felt dark as if there was no light

Something just didn‟t feel right

My body felt tight

I thought I was going to lose my sight

Someone called and said you were in a fight

When I arrived, I saw you were alright

Then, out of sight

a car pulled up and nothing seemed right

I heard two things and saw blasts of light

I yelled hoping you were alright

I laid by your side

And cried as you died.

By Jose V. Banales 956 Pelon

Page 11 SPEECHLESS

Sin = Pride

So much pride, in your cocky little mind.

So much pride that you overflow deep inside.

Too much pride is one of the capital seven sins.

Too much pride, in a battle you will never win.

Pride is the deadliest sin of them all.

If you don‟t care, just listen to me because soon you will fall.

You walk with your chest puffed up and self-obsessed.

Telling yourself and everyone else that you‟re the best.

You think you‟re so good because you‟re cocky at everything

You have no self-control because the sin is now controlling.

It‟s pretty sad to know too much pride has gotten your sanity.

In reality you‟re just a puppet full of vanity.

You love to show a cocky attitude to others.

Especially to your own damn brothers.

You think you are superior, but you are just inferior

Look at yourself, homie, look into a mirror.

So much pride, in your soul deep inside.

Too much pride, overloading is your mind.

By Baldemar Garcia

Art by Albert Anciso

The Man I Never Knew

There you stood, tall and lean

Just like I‟ve always been told.

I don‟t remember you, I hardly even knew you.

You were there when I arrived,

I was there when you departed.

I‟m not sure you really knew me either.

You are the man I call father, the man I wish

I could have called “Daddy”.

Time was so cruel to us.

Your life was short, but your gift lingers in me.

Your friends tell their stories

And Mom holds her memories and shares them with me

But, that is not enough.

I dreamt about you and in my dream

You held your arms open.

I don‟t know what to make of it

I just wish it was real.

I know someday we‟ll meet again.

I don‟t wish it soon, for I too

Have those who need me here,

And they call me “Mommy”.

By Jennifer Barrientes

Romeo,

Stop looking for your Juliet.

She will come to you.

Sometimes life may make it seem as if this isn‟t true,

but believe me, you‟ll pull through

She‟ll come to you

Just hope you let her come close to you.

by Jose V. Banales

956 Pelon

Page 12 SPEECHLESS

Drawing by Julie A. Rodriguez

"Envy and Arrogance and Avarice are the three sparks that have all hearts enkindled." -Dante's The Divine Comedy: The Inferno

SPEECHLESS

Envy

All other capital, seven, or deadly

sins pale in comparison to that of envy.

While you‟re more than likely nodding

your head, wondering why wrath would

pale in comparison to one such as envy, the

simple fact you must understand is that

envy is the root cause of the mortal sins. In

Silence of The Lambs, Hannibal Lector

questions FBI agent Clarice Starling on the

possible motives of a mass murderer;

during this discussion Lector reveals why

the wrath of this killer was invoked. “He

covets.” Lector continues to articulate,

“We begin by coveting what we see

everyday”. In this he unveiled a truth in all

of us. How is lust invoked? We covet.

Wrath? We covet. Envy of what we see

everyday forces us to covet things until the

inevitable unleashing of Envy‟s relative

sins.

SPEECHLESS Page 13

THE TRAGEDY OF BARBIE (With apologies to William Shakespeare)

Friends, women, consumers, lend me your ears; I come to bury Barbie, not to praise her. The sexist exploitation that men create lives after them, The true nature and value of the fair sex is often interred with their bones; So let it be with Barbie. The noble toy company hath told you Barbie is a role model. If it is so, it is a grievous fault, And grievously have women answered for it. Here under the leave of the First Amendment and on behalf of all women Come I to expose Barbie. She is my nemesis, a goal unattainable; But the toy company says she is the ideal, and the toy company has its finger on the pulse of humanity (able to distort the natural progression of the role of women). Barbie hath brought many captives home to Mattel, With whose hard earned dollars did the toy company’s coffers fill; Does this in Barbie seem honorable? When the poor preteens have cried for ownership, parents have cried foul; Yet the toy company says she is the ideal,

and the toy company has its finger on the pulse of humanity (able to distort the natural progression of the role of women). You all have seen her on the shelves: statuesque, blond, blue-eyed, richly dressed and accesso-rized with jewelry, shoes and purses to match, swimwear, casual wear, sportswear, evening gowns, holiday garb; Townhouse, beach house, travel van, sports car, hair salon, great friends and steady beau all within reach; An empty-headed beauty with no visible means of support or skills who plays dress-up mocking professional women spouting such empty platitudes as “Math is tough!”— An ornament, a plaything. Yet the toy company says she is the ideal, And sure they have their finger on the pulse of humanity (able to distort the natural progression of the role of women). I speak not to disprove what the toy company seeks to accomplish, but here I am to speak what I do know. Women often suffer unrest, jealousy and resentment; Perhaps it stems from the fact that we have failed to attain the ideal that is “Barbie.” For we all did love her once, not without cause; What cause withholds you then to say “NO” to the manufactured ideal? O judgment, thou art fled to blatant exploitation Preying upon the hopes and dreams of young women eve-rywhere. And men have usurped their power. Bear with me; My heart is in the coffin with Barbie. And I must pause or lose the identity of my soul. By D. Gutierrez

Mercedes High School Speechless

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Transcript of Mercedes High School Speechless