October 2019 issue:

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Undefined lines cut through the darkness, perfect beams of light. A hand moves once, twice, another line pierces through the thick fog. Forward and backward, side to side, circling in the dark. Two lines meet and an explosion of light erupts from the depths. Swiftly moving but never stopping, the lines cut through the darkness and leave sparks hanging in the air. A dark shadow comes forward only to be pushed back by another flash of light. Lines struggling to find each other in the darkness. Neither one ceases to fly as the lines meet again. Another blinding flash and then darkness. Silence. Soft breath like wind in the darkness. For a time it seems that the lines have stopped. A sudden flash and the circle begins again, light within light, dark within dark, yin and yang together in a endless cycle of lines undefined. The shadow encroaches as the lines search for one another. Small embers fly through the air, providing what little light there is down in the depths. Dark turns to light as one line overpowers the other. Crowds cheer and in the corner of the small room one man smiles. A loud voice echoes off the walls. “May I introduce this year's winner of the jiu jitsu tournament.” As I exit the dojo I unsheathe my friend, a perfect, undefined line.

by

Miranda Smith and Rose Campano

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the siren songs

slip through the leaves

and penetrate my keep

they come as dreams

as silent screams

and greet me in my sleep

where my spirit travels

as consciousness unravels

may always be unknown

i know even in light

a remnant of the night

will guide me as i roam

my eyes come open

nothing is amiss

i've been left no token

no great message from the abyss

life continues

ever moving, never stalling

but through the refuse

one day

i'll find the way

to where my dreams have been calling

by

Chase Kirk

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From a distance everything seemed fine.

She sat up straight like normal and wore the same ponytail as she normally does.

While she seemed like the average girl, normal looking but secretly beautiful,

She was heartbroken, and she felt betrayed beyond what a smile can cover up.

If someone actually took the time to understand what was behind her eyes,

Maybe they would see that she was far from okay.

She had had enough, she had been hurt too many times.

While others danced around her, she was far from able to get up

And even if she wanted to find a dance partner she couldn’t.

They were all taken.

If she wanted to find a lab partner- one that would let her do the work too,

She couldn’t find one. Because no one wanted her.

But she was mistaken.

It wasn’t that she wasn’t good enough for them, it’s that she looked beyond the outside

And looked within.

Where others couldn’t shine their light, she could already see.

She had already figured it out

She knew who she wanted to be.

So while she sat alone

Seeming normal

Everything the same

She could light up someone’s world

If they would only ask her name.

by

Hannah Blackburn

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I Believe in 1 Peter 5:7.

1 Peter 5:7 is my favorite verse in the Bible. It says, "Cast all your anxiety on Him, and He will care for you." I worry a lot, from doctor's appointments to tests, and I tend to overthink things. I specifically remember being in the eighth grade, sitting in the doctor's office, waiting to be called. My sister was sitting next to me. She knew I was nervous, so she recited the verse because she was learning it in school at the time. In that moment, it hit me that I don't have to worry when I have a relationship with God. My fear washed away as I gave my fears to Him. Since then, whenever I'm scared, I speak the verse to myself and know that God cares about me.

Ava Sloan

I Believe we should take care of our planet.

I believe that we should take care of our planet because this earth is our home. God made this amazing world for us and our job is to respect it and take care of it, just like we would our physical home. We have seen many signs that our earth is struggling, (animal species going extinct, trash filled ocean, etc...) We talk about them, but we aren’t doing anything about it. There are so many simple things I do that that everyone can do. We can all recycle, reduce our plastic use, reuse things, take public transportation, and so much more. We can also educate people on what is going on, because many people don’t know the severity of our earth’s condition. Now is the time to start doing our job and taking care of our home.

Eva Graham

I Believe in music.

Music has always been a part of my life. I started playing the drums in 1st grade and since then, I have started to play other instruments such as the bass, guitar, and piano, but the drums have continued to be my main musical focus. The moment when I first realized my passion about music was when I played a concert in 5th grade. After the concert, I decided that I wanted to play music for the rest of my life.

Jake Tallent

I Believe in running.

Running has always been an escape for me. I started Cross Country in 6th grade when I was extremely out of shape. When I started I was able to run only a mile, but now with everyone encouraging me I am able to run upwards of 6 miles per day. Encouragement to yourself and to others has a huge impact on whether you push yourself or not. It’s been an escape ever since then, because whenever I go on my long runs, I will be alone with my mind to just ponder. Especially when I’m running for time on the track, my body kind of slips into this stage where all I’m thinking about is the rhythm of my legs and my breathing. When I break my personal records, it just really feels good, because I know I’ve accomplished something more than I ever could before.

Nolan Hall

I Believe mountains are the most beautiful thing in the world.

Four years ago was the first time I went to Breckenridge, CO. Instead of sticking with my dad and brother, I decided to go a different route. This turn was a desolate path with no one in sight. As I went along the trail, the terrain began to open up. The narrow path took a turn, and there it was, the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. Straight ahead, out in the far off distance, were colossal snow capped mountains. The whole skyline was filled with a vast amount of these peaks. I sat down so I could fully take in the moment. No one was around, the sky was bright blue, and fresh powder was all around. Eventually, I got back up and skied down the steep slope. Once I was down, I found my family and immediately took them the same route. I will always remember their expressions when they took that turn. Looking back on it, we all say this was our favorite family trip and reminisce on the beautiful sights we saw.

Kate Shelton

I Believe in life.

I know that may sound weird at first, but there is more to the statement than the words. I believe in life, because it's beautiful. I went on a camping trip this summer and noticed how much life there really is around me. On my second day of the trip, I sat outside for a few hours observing everything around me. I noticed how delicately the sun danced through the empty spaces of the trees, how the morning fog danced above the pond when the light hit it, and how cool and fresh the day was when the wind brushed my face. Everything looked unbelievably serene. As the light fell and stars sprung out of the navy blue night, the crickets began to sing, and the frogs followed not long after the crickets. At the end of the night, I thought about how much I never paid attention before. Therefore, I believe in life.

Eva Jennette

I Believe in outdoors.

I've grown up in the woods and on the sea. I plan on becoming a hunting guide and a sea captain. There's just something about waking up before the sun comes up and climbing into a stand or stepping onto the boat. The smell of coffee in the air with the crisp morning dew on the ground and the majestic way the sun rises over the trees and water makes you feel like you are on another planet and puts you at peace no matter the circumstances.

Sutton McGehee

I Believe in talking to older people.

When I was growing up, my neighbor Bob used to sit under his carport in a fold out lawn chair all the time during the summer. Whenever I saw him sitting, I would walk over to his garage and grab my lawn chair. I would sit next to him and talk to him for hours. He usually picked on me, and he would always use big fancy words when he was speaking. However, he always would listen to anything I had to say. I always enjoyed my time with Bob, because he showed me love and was always there for me.

Emma Markus

I Believe in the power of experiences.

My family takes a trip every summer for two weeks to a place of my mom's choosing. So, this past summer, she decided for us to go out west to Washington State and Oregon. We had already been to Washington state, but we went to a different part where Mount Rainier was located. We climbed almost to the top, and it was very cool. As we climbed, we saw many animals and climbed through many piles of snow. Nearing the lookout, we got to a spot where you could either climb on the glacier or go the other way and climb on top of a rock wall. Apparently the sign had been flipped. It was pointing to the glacier, when really we were supposed to go the other way on top of the rock wall. So, we had to climb up a glacier. I slipped many times and fell right on my bottom. But once we made it to the lookout, we could see in all directions. It was an amazing sight. As I was sitting there looking out in front of me, I realized how blessed I truly am. It hit me at that point in time. I realized that not many people have the money or get to fly all the way across the United States and get to camp for two whole weeks. It also hit me in that moment of how great God is, and how magnificent His creation is. As I looked out in front of me, there was no pollution. You were able to see four other mountains. They had specific names, and one of them even used to be an active volcano. I also got to spend this trip with my family. It was a great time. We all just spent family time together without being distracted by our phones because of no phone service. Family is everything to me, and I truly value every second I spend with them since I will be heading off to college next year.

Autumn Robison

I Believe in saving the environment.

I have seen terrible trauma marine life goes through as a result of all the plastics and microfibers ending up in the Gulf of Mexico. Ever since I went on a mission trip during sophomore year, my family and I have been recycling as often as we can, because I believe that if we don't start taking care of our planet soon, then it won't be here for future generations.

Layton Jackson

curated by the Lipscomb Academy yearbook mizpah staff

faculty advisor : Erin Rickelton

Lipscomb Academy

https://www.lipscomb.edu/academy