A time for shedding childhood's cloak.
A year of raging hormones and angst,
Of discovering ourselves and our own ranks.
We strutted down the halls with our new clothes,
Our hair styled just right, our makeup on our nose.
We thought we knew it all, but oh how wrong we were,
For the world was vast and we had yet to learn.
We fell in love with boys who never knew our name,
And cried ourselves to sleep when they did the same.
We fought with our parents and rebelled against the rules,
Thinking we were invincible, that we were the jewels.
But as the year drew to a close,
We realized how much we'd grown.
We'd made new friends and learned some things,
And found the courage to spread our wings.
Thirteen was a year of highs and lows,
Of laughter and tears and new foes.
A year we'll never forget,
For it was the year we truly met.
--Azariyah W., 6th-8th Grade