Poems

1. Poems

2. Taking Chances By: Doreka Vaughn The chances that we take, Equal the choices that we make, We do what we must just to survive, And we try everything just to stay alive. Every day is a brand new day, A fresh path to show us the way. We should learn from our mistakes, Change things around, mix and shake. Nothing is written in stone, Our lives are our own. To share with someone we love, To give to god in heaven above. If I had to take a chance, A sneak preview of the future in advance, I would jump right in with both feet, And be happy with whatever I meet. This Poem shows that we should not regret the choices we make but to look on every choice as an opportunity. We should not regret, we should just learn. Arnold later in the book realizes that the chance he took gave him choices that he never could have had before.

3. Risk By Michelle Mckee There are no guarantees Life throws things at you You can catch or miss them But they will come, ready or not I always looked for the real thing Never trusting in the possibility Risk-taking not my forte Staying safe at all costs Even playing it safe is not certain Safe has hurt me Zero risk gets zero gain Sometimes playing it safe costs you more It has me, In not fighting the battle you may lose the war In not believing in a dream You may never sleep peacefully again So let go of the fear Reach out for the flame So what if you get burned Better that then numb for life Better to remember passion and joy Along with the pain and tears Then to have no memories worth Remembering So to hell with safe I am going to gamble and bet Until I win back everything I lost And my life is what it was meant to be This shows how Arnold’s attitude changes as the book progresses. At first he tries to fit in with everyone else and not take risks. Yet, that was never enough for him as he realized that it won’t get him anywhere. After things went well at his new school, Arnold was ready to take risks regarding anything. He put himself out there to try and get an old friend back, he challenged his old school and he went on tv.

4. Running From Me By: Rodshanik Brown Painfully aware, of all my peers The pain, the pressure, creates real fears Trying to escape so many eyes and ears Over thinking so much, my mind is seared Afraid of the judgment, so my voice has no sound Dodging harsh eyes so MY eyes find the ground This lingering emotion, I can not define They say mind over matter, but I say matter over mind I'm running from something, I jump into my dream In that happy place, I can be exactly what I seem I finally understand what this emotion must mean Because I figured out what I'm running from... I'm Running From Me This shows how Arnold overcame his fear of everything. He had so much to battle against. His whole tribe hated him for leaving and betraying them. Yet, in the end he was just battling himself. Once he realized that it was okay for him to be different, nothing else mattered and he was happy.

5. Starting Again By: RanitaJazmine They told me I could make it through any storm i'd triumph. When I finally fell; it hurt. I didn't want to get up again. Why brush away the dirt and grime when it is the only constant? I trekked through the dirt and mud to find myself where I am today. Alone, tired and cold. I fell head over heels, face first in the dirt. when suddenly, there you were. Taking my hand you yanked me up. Pushed me to start again. It was really difficult for Arnold to take a risk. Even with his parents supporting him, it was difficult and terrible for him to take a risk and go to a school full of rich white kids. Everyone including the teachers bullied him. Yet, once he found a friend. They helped him up when he felt down. It became worth it to keep trying.

6. We Choose Our Destiny By: Dave Cocks If we fail life's tests within We will remain alone and lost. Not getting of life's roller-coaster We become followers not leaders. To leave a great legacy we must take risks therein. Our signature left as footprints are our beliefs. hopes and dreams. Are we swimming or drowning in the quicksand of unbelief? Why admit defeat when we fall down? We all become whatever we choose. Despite everything he knew would happen, Arnold chose to take a risk. As a result, he make himself into someone. He will have opportunities to do things with his life. He chose to be someone.

7. Choices By: Raj Mathias There comes one moment in your whole life, Where you have to make a decision, This choice is neither wrong nor is right, And yet we manage to waste that chance, In haste our world turns upside down, All thay you once had is on the ground, You try to look back and turn back time, Search for anything that you can find, But now what has happened is done and gone your soul is in shackels, tattered and torn, Now everything has fallen apart, Should you just quit? or should you just restart Now that moment has once again come, But will you be strong or turn and run? At first Arnold thought he chose the wrong decision by going to a new school because he was bullied and alone. Not only that, but everyone from his old life hated him, including his best friend. He wished he could go back in time and change his mind. Yet, he chose to be strong and to keep going. After a while, he realized that it was all worth it and he made the right choice.

8. Sunrise By: RanitaJazmine You can change your life, in just fifteen minutes. Just open your heart. Forget the trials. Forget the strife. There's a sunrise in your life. So keep watching. Keep Watching. I walk alone on these busy city streets again tonight. Just thinking of you. Those memories they hurt to much to talk about, but look to the skyline. There's a sunrise. A Sunrise. On the hill top, on that sky line, keep watching, keep watching for that sunrise. Keep watching. Keep watching, for that sunrise. Arnold learns that you need to look for the sunrise when things are dark. He learns to be hopeful that things can change; therefore, he is not afraid to take risks anymore.

9. Risk By: Author Unknown To laugh is to risk appearing the fool To week is to risk appearing sentimental To reach out to others is to risk involvement To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self To place your ideas, your dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss To love is to risk not being loved in return To live is to risk dying To hope is to risk despair To try is to risk failure But risks must be taken, Because the greatest hazard in life is to do nothing. The person who risks nothing, Does nothing, has nothing, and is nothing. They may avoid suffering and sorrow, But they cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, live. Chained by their attitudes, they are a slave, They forfeited their freedom. Only the person who risks can be free This shows how it was necessary for Arnold to change schools. Although it was really difficult and he was thought of as a trader, he finally got to live. All the others that stayed in the reservation, they were too afraid to do anything with their lives and as a result they gave up. They had nothing and they became nothing, but not Arnold.

10. Citations • "About the Poem." Poems on Life. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 June 2014. • "Best Teen Poems, Running From Me, Fear Poems." Family Friend Poems. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 June 2014. • "Starting Again." Starting Again, a Poem by RanitaJazmine. All Poetry Poets. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 June 2014. • "Sunrise by RanitaJazmine." Sunrise, a Poem by RanitaJazmine. All Poetry Poets. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 June 2014. • "We Choose Our Destiny." We Choose Our Destiny, All Poetry Poets. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 June 2014. • "Choices. by Raj Mathias." Choices., a Poem by Raj Mathias. All Poetry Poets. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 June 2014.