Elizabeth - Heat

You cannot escape the heat here is in the city

Humidity strangles anyone who dares to go outside

The sun is blazing

And water is evaporating

The heat is everywhere

It permeates every location

Not even the shade is a safe haven from this omnipresent heat

You can buy a snowball

But it will melt within a few minutes

Of stepping away from the stand

You can go inside into air conditioning

That only makes the situation worse once you go back outside

Here in the city, we embrace the heat

Albeit, it feels like your skin is melting

And your hair is frizzing

Until you look like some sort of demented bride of Frankenstein

Only in this city will people be decked out in winter gear

And complain about the cold when it’s 70 degrees

Down in New Orleans

Escaping the heat is impossible

Which is why this city has adapted to and

Embraced the unnaturally hot temperature

In the city that we call home

Elizabeth, age 17

Elizabeth - NOLA Greetings

How’s ya mamma?
This is what people say
When walking down the street
Who cares if they are your best friend
Or a complete stranger
New Orleans is the biggest small town in the world
Here, everyone is a family
Everything about our city is unique
The food
The music
The culture
And the greetings are no exception
So next time when you’re walking down the street
And see a crowd
Make sure you say, in the typical New Orleans way
Hey yall

Elizabeth, age 17

Elizabeth - Down in New Orleans...

Down in New Orleans, our lives are consumed by food
At breakfast, we think about what we are eating for lunch
At lunch, we think about what we are eating for dinner
And at dinner, we think about what we are eating the next day and about all the food we ate that day

Down in New Orleans, Mardi Gras is the best week of the year
It is the one time where acting ridiculous isn’t considered weird
Seeing all the floats
Shouting and fighting for plastic beads
Taking pictures with people dressed in ridiculous costumes
The city truly comes together during this time of year

Down in New Orleans, there is never a dull moment
There is constantly something to do
The music is only part of what makes this city so great
There isn’t a city like it anywhere else
The feeling of community is indescribable
The city’s spirit on the day of a Saint’s game cannot be contained
The music, the food, the history is all unique to the city
Down in New Orleans, everyone loves their city and is proud to call it home

Elizabeth, age 16

Elizabeth - NOLA Myths

New Orleans Myths

I live in New Orleans so therefore I must
       Own a pet alligator
       Eat beignets every day
       Wear Mardi Gras beads year round
       Live in the Bayou
       Practice voodoo
These New Orleans myths couldn’t be anything further from the truth
No one owns pet alligators
       No one eats beignets every day
             Only tourists wear Mardi Gras beads year round
      Most people don’t live in the Bayou
And I guarantee that there are very few people who actually practice voodoo
Well I guess every place has its stereotypes right?
One must live in the city before truly understanding what
New Orleans is about
Everyone assumes all we do is party on Bourbon
There’s so much more to the city than that
Great food and music, Supporting the Saints, A feeling of family and community, and an
Atmosphere of happiness
There is no other city like New Orleans

Elizabeth, age 16

Elizabeth - Winter in NOLA

As the holidays are drawing near
Everyone is filled with joy and cheer
Snowflakes, light, decorations
Woohooo the Christmas season is sweeping the nation
The streets of the city are filled with the holiday spirits
You can hear carols, bells, and laughter
The delicious food in the city does not stop at the holiday season
It just gets better
Friends and family are smiling and having a great time just being together
Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year

Elizabeth, age 16

Elizabeth - Atmosphere

In the atompshere…..

There are lots of things

Planets

Stars

Sky

Clouds

Everything is there

Just floating

Not really doing anything

But still really important

 There’s a feeling that you are alone

But you’re not

You have other people

And animals

And plants

And everything else on the Earth

That is just the Earth, you are forgetting about

Everything else in the entire universe

So do not feel that you are alone

Even though there is loneliness in the air

For everything in the atmosphere

Feels that way too

Feeling useless

But still so incredibly important 

Elizabeth, age 16

Elizabeth - I Will Defend

I will defend!
I will stand up for the gleeks, the nerds, the hipsters, and the rahtards
I will love all
I will defend the floral wearing tree huggers, the flower children, and the lilies of the Nile
I will defend the people who are made fun of for liking cats
I will defend!
I will hug the sad, the lonely, and the huggable
I will stand up for the fallen
I will defend!

Elizabeth, age 16

Elizabeth - Anticipation

Waiting for the day to come
Soon it will be Friday
Anticipation

The day draws nearer
Nervous chatter among the high school
Brings around rivalries
Anticipation

Who will win?
Best dance?
Most spirited?
Dodge ball champion?
Best costume?
Greatest cheers?
Anticipation

Intense, suspenseful and FUN
Making posters
and costume skirts Friday morning
Anticipation

Today is the day
It has finally arrived
Anticipation

Learned the dance? Check.
Made posters? Check.
Completed the costumes? Check.
Anticipation

Finally the competition begins.
The dances are finished, dodge ball has been played
Which grade will come in first?
Anticipation

The judges deliberate
The winner is announced
And it is……

Elizabeth, age 16