a story by [theo, shea, essence, & drayshawn]

Once upon a time there was a girl going through the forest. She was lost and scared. She was also hungry and tired. She was searching through bushes and trees for food. After she found her food, she stumbled upon a weirdly shaped house. She went inside and no one was there. She turned on the light and went upstairs to find a bedroom. She found someone in the bed — and he was sexy!

He popped up and asked, “Whoo are you?” all dreamy and smooth-like.

“I’m just a lost princess,” she responded.

“Oh no! Do you need any food or water?”

“No thank you. I would like some help getting home, though.”

“Oh no!” he whined. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen a girl.”

He leaned in to try to kiss her and she slapped him.

She runs away and he chases after her.

“No! Don’t leave me!” he shouts.

What he didn’t know is that she was running to the freezer to get an ice-pack. She felt bad for hitting him so hard.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a guy, too,” she said as she took care of him.

Princess Selena decided to stay with the man, Enoch, instea of going home to be pushed around by royalty.

For a short while they had their happily ever after — until a foreign army started attacking their small house in the woods.

“They must know I’m the lost princess! They’ve come to kidnap me!”

“It’s okay, I know a way out!” Enoch told Selena. He pushed the kitchen table against the wall, and a trap door appeared on the floor. He opened it and went in first to see if it was safe. After he realized it was safe, they traveled through the tunnel to find a river and a boat. They got on the boat and saw the enemy helicopter spot them.

“The only way for us to be truly safe is to return to the caste,” Selena told him.

They sneak back to the castle and Selena tells her parents that Enoch rescued her. They reward him and keep the couple safe from the foreign army, and they’re able to be together forever — at the price of staying in the kingdom forever.

a poem by [christian]

Have I told you yet…
How much you mean to me…
Have I told you yet…
About all the happiness you bring…
Have I told you yet…
That you mean the world to me…
Just in case I haven’t…
I want you to know…
You are the best thing that
has ever happened to me.

You make me smile,
you spark up my life, my world,
When you’re around I feel a pleasant vibe,
I feel set at ease with you,
I don’t know if you have a clue,
On your special day let me say,
You are my first and last thought,
I love you.

a story by [danae]

There stands a tall, brown-haired, white-teethed, bearded, blue-eyed, caucasian man on the other side of the room. He looks suspicious and edgy, like he’s hiding something. What is it? Maybe he has a secret identity and doesn’t want nobody to know; or he a undercover CIA agent and he don’t take too kindly to criminals. Or the last one: a regular normal man who’s just here to live life to the fullest. I like my first idea. Ooh! or maybe somebody’s coming to take me and he’s here to save me. I hope not. I’m’a be in the car singing Take Me To the King. But anyways. I’m just sitting wondering who are you and could you please tell me. Please.

a story by [taya]

When John leaves Butler Writers, he goes home to feed his dog. He has a German Shephard named Toby Braxton. After he feeds his dog, he warms up some ravioli. Then, he watches Dr. Phil and falls asleep with ravioli on his pillow. When he wakes up, he says, “Ah shucks, I gotta wash this pillow now.” Instead, he throws it in the garbage.

John is 32 and married. His wife’s name is Ashley. Ashley is a mouth doctor, but not a dentist. John and Ashley live in a nice townhouse apartment with gates and stuff. They drive a 2013 silver Chevy Impala.

On weekends, John and Ashley do fancy stuff like go to the canal, eats steaks and asparagus, and take long walks in the park. On vacation, they go sailing in the Caribbean, and go to Niagara Falls to try different foods.

They like to watch Ellen because she’s funny and relatable. Sometimes they go painting and make pottery. On Thanksgiving, they go to John’s mom’s house and pet her little dogs. His dad likes to tell lame jokes to everyone, and they all pretend to laugh.

a poem by [mikea]

You said you so sick of love songs and so sick
Of feelings and to be honest I can’t blame you cause I
Played you, see you thought
You was my rider you thought I was ya die
But really I just loved your thighs
I remember when I promised you
That I would never leave but promises are
Broken when your with a G. I remember
Late nights when you told me all ya secrets
Like a nose that wouldn’t stop bleedin
and then I met ya moms
And told her how I really loved ya and told her
How I will never put another girl before ya
But damn I realize that I can see it in her eyes
That she really really trusted me to make her
Daughter smile. Not tryna sound poor and not tryna
Sound rushed, but its 2017 and my heart done took
Enough. Got attached to the game gotta plait it
How it go and I can’t be catching feelings
That’s the route I took before

a poem by [deja w.]

I woke up cool my hair was all over
My head. I went in my bathroom brushed my
Teeth looked in the mirror at myself and went
On with my day. I used the bathroom washed
My face and talked to my mom about how
We’re moving or whatever. She told me
Goodbye and she loved me which she don’t
But alright I looked at the time did my
Hair and thought about how my friend
Sorta kinda betrayed me then I got
Dressed and walked to the bus stop got
On the bus walked into school with a
smile on my face like always my
Friends greeted me and the one that
sorta kinda betrayed me came and
Laid her head on my shoulder and
I felt some type of way because
Like she really doesn’t know what
She did but whatever I’m supposed
To let it go right…? Anyways
I had a normal day Just
Was really quiet in most of my
Classes and got all my work
Done now I’m right here
Writing in Butler Writers, Hey
To whoever’s reading this!

a poem by [tamia]

Man I’m tired of the long nights
trying to figure out what’s wrong
and what’s right, and in the end
finding myself in the dark with no light
I mean I try to put up a fight
but ain’t much you can do when you’re blinded
by what I need to come back to reality
and that was hell on earth
(trying to hustle without getting put in dirt)
don’t wanna come home to my mom
in a body bag but the streets is callin’ damn
I gotta feed my fam
I won’t ever ease up
I hope the angels watch over me
in case I mess up

a poem by [tamia]

I’ve been through a lot even though I’m a child
I been through the hustle been through the struggle
been locked up twice that’s what life does to you
but you gotta keep your head high
you gotta have faith cause it’s written in the sky
now this is where things get deep
this is where everything lays in the sheets
my parents split soon after I was born
5 years later I’m with my dad chillin’ like a villain
it was never bad cause it felt so good to know my dad
2 years later doctor room visits, I’m so impatient
to find out information—wish I’d been mistaken
and I’m sure my mom did too, m.s. and cancer too
I would cry myself to sleep like I didn’t know
what to do and it was all for you
just imagine being in my mom’s shoes
2 kids no support what was she supposed to do
so I hit the streets selling, had a couple stings
but that was not for me
I had to keep going to get my education
I need that degree but they don’t wanna see me
make it so every chance I get I gotta take it
no faking