SCF Venice — A Literary and Arts Magazine
by Dr. Woody McCree
You have been bombarded, my friend,
Like the moon and mars, which bear the scars
Of asteroids pounding 4 billion years past.
But you, unlike these wounded giants, bear few such visible scars.
You are alive, ever in motion, always healing,
Ever reinventing yourself.
You are always under revision.
by Lexxa
Roses are bloody
Violets are gutty
Stabbing at your flesh
Slicing off your parts
Happy Anniversary
You little slut.
by Wesley Strall
I have these thoughts.
Magnificent words.
A symphony in my head.
Endorphins release.
Pleasure takes root.
Then they are gone.
I can’t remember them.
As hard as I try.
They stay hidden in my mind.
Only to return when I unlock another.
Shortly after, they leave me again.
An eternal game of cat and mouse.
I grow so very tired of chasing.
There is but only one way to end this pitiful game.
By forcing these thoughts out with a piece of lead.
Bio: My name is Wesley Strall, I was born in Sarasota, Florida and I am 19 years old. Cheers.
by Brandon Henry
Gargantuan gassy globe,
Like a Cyclopes,
Ever staring into the
Deep vast expanse of the universe.
With a large red eye,
Containing
Violent anticyclonic storms,
Churning the atmosphere
Like butter for at least 400 years.
I get a glimpse of you and your
Four largest children,
Lo, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto,
Appearing as an olive on a tooth pick,
Bathing in a martini.
While gazing through his larger
Eye,
Galileo discovered you,
From your light,
But Simon named you.
Shining brighter than the nearest star,
365 million miles away,
Makes you seem not so far.
Come next year,
Juno
Will be paying you a visit.
Once she is gone,
You will remain alone.
Forever soaking in the black void
You will stay there,
But I will continue
To watch you from here!
by Annette Kinship
My moments of fear
Are fragile like a lake
Carefully I tread
Into the dark of the sight
Remembering the pain
On the other side
Tremulous woes
‘board my ship
They move about
Tipping and longing
To suck me in.
Moments of fear
As a thief
Into the depth
Of the dark.
No candle, no star
No flicker of lightning bug
As I tiptoe
Fear
Under my feet,
My heart knowing
I could freeze
If a crackle
Beneath defeat.
I tenderly
As if walking on air
Steel my thoughts
Searching for
The memory of light.
A feather if dropped
With the cold night air
Could shift the thin
Frozen sheet of water,
I must stay my mind
Or the chill air
Will become my fate.
I walk with all grace
I lift my weight to God
I tend to my soul
With the strength
Of Love.
My ship does not tip
My feet do not sink
The thief cannot steal
Darkness loosed.
Carley Baker
My name is Carley and I am 19 years old. I graduated from high school in Massachusetts in 2014 and moved back here after that. I like watching movies, reading,writing, and listening to music. I’m going to major in English but I don’t think I know what exactly I’m going to with that yet. I want to be able to do a lot of different things so I don’t get bored. I know that I’m not any good at science or math, though. In high school I had to build a catapult for a physics project and I duct taped a ladle to shoe box and it didn’t go well. I also like animals and the rain and I know how to juggle.
Danielle Dean
My name is Danielle, and this is my second time taking this sort of class with Professor Masucci (College Magazine and Production II). I’m twenty-one years old, was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, and moved down to Florida with my family roughly two years ago. As an English major, I’m a bit of a fanatic for reading and writing, and aim to one day be able to publish my own books. Professionally, I’d like to work n the publishing industry, whether as a reader or an editor. So really, this class is perfect for me!
Taylor Hill
My name is Taylor, a born and raised Floridian who graduated in 2014 from Venice High School. I spend a lot of my time working as either a gymnastic coach or a sales associate at Pacsun, and going to school finishing up my A.A. When I have time though, you can find me hunched over my computer or in front of my TV crying over my favorite shows and movies, reading, writing, and the if I’m feeling adventurous, outside exploring and adventuring. At this point I am still trying to figure out what I really want to do with my future, right now I’m on a route to majoring in English and maybe a job in editing or publishing in the future, who knows, I could want to be a champion mountain climber tomorrow. At this point I’m just trying to take one day at a time and live a full life.
Kimberly Liechty
My name is Kimberly, I was born and raised in south Florida and I graduated from Sarasota High School in 2015. I enjoy spending time with my family, hiking, gardening, and going to museums. I love to read and write in my free time which, one might guess, makes me more inclined to English and history rather than science and math. I love movies and television shows as much as a good book. I look forward to one day knowing what I want to do with my life. However, at this point, I have absolutely no idea. I have a genuine interest in the history of mankind and I hope to travel the world and learn about as many different cultures as I can.
Shauna Longshore
My name is Shauna, I’m 20 years old. I’m from Philadelphia but I moved to this area nine years ago and graduated from Lemon Bay High School in 2014. I’ve always been very interested in journalism and all the areas surrounding it. I’m an avid reader, sometimes I’ll spend a few hours just reading an entire book because putting them down is so difficult for me. I love traveling, I went to London once a few years ago and since then have been saving to return one day. For me being able to travel and learn about all the different history and art in the world outside of a classroom is incredible. Aside from my interests, I’m also a cake decorator in a bakery! I’ll be finished with my A.A. this spring, after that I’ll most likely be moving to Orlando to finish my bachelor’s degree.
Michael Loos
I was born in Florida; I’ve said for a long time that I disliked, and even hated Florida, but that was because I was I wasn’t looking in the right places for something to love, and have lived in Venice for just about all of my life. I now find that it would be hard to live in a state that didn’t have palm trees, I adore them and the beach.
Some things I find pleasant are bike-riding, hiking (just signed up for an Environmental Ethics class,) reading/writing, and browsing the internet -_-. I also love museums, but there aren’t too many around Venice, I love looking at art and I really love the classical era; Greece, Rome. Also, the Renaissance. I also love cultures and don’t know what I want to do with my life either.
John Peele
My name is John Bradley Peele and I’m a sophomore at State College of Florida who is pursuing a degree in creative writing. I’m also interested in arts, journalism, and entrepreneurship. I’m 28 years old and I was born and raised in Bradenton, Florida. I put off college for a while, instead working in restaurants and playing in bands, but now I’m seeking my degree in order to become a professional writer and to establish skills that will allow me to do something positive in the world. I hope to eventually start my own organizations that relate to creative arts, publishing, and social awareness, once I have the experience.
Darsie Strother
My name is Darsie and I am 18 years old. I was born and raised in Sarasota and graduated from Riverview High School in 2015. I am currently an Assistant Manager at Chick-fil-a Westfield Sarasota Square Mall. I love hanging out with friends and family and I enjoy staying active. I love going to the beach, boating, rollerblading, and water skiing. Lately, I’ve been wanting to try new activities such as kiteboarding and windsurfing. In the future I plan on obtaining a masters degree and becoming a Speech-language Pathologist but for now, I’m just having a good time.
by Megan Finsel
Every scar has a story,
even the ones you can’t see
when you look at her
the ones crisscrossing her heart like a map
telling where all she has been and what all has happened.
She is a walking novel,
a compilation of the lies she has been told
and the lies she has believed
the words people have said
sketched for eternity into her flesh.
A civil war rages within her,
although she is taking up arms,
the enemy is throwing daggers into her self-worth.
While her demons
chase her in circles around the room inside her head,
telling her what all she is not,
and repeating every ugly nickname she ever had.
Bio: I’m a Special Education major with a love for books. Writing is not only a hobby, it’s my passion; it’s how I connect with the world by share my thoughts and emotions. If you want to get to know me, you need to read my stories, because I put a piece of myself into each one. My goal is to inspire at least one person with my work; then I know I’ve done my job.
By Jaime Ruehle
Bio: I am a full time student in pursuit of my DVM (doctor of veterinary medicine), and am at SCF to get my A.A. degree and prerequisites finished. I work part time at a vet office in Venice as a veterinary technician (similar to a nurse), and in my free time I study very hard in order to achieve scholastic success. This kind of a lifestyle takes a lot of determination, and I have even more than that. Poetry has been a big part of my life, and the main outlet for my emotions. I hope you enjoy my work.
By Jordan Noyes
We voiced our concern with how he left us,
With organs wrought to twilight,
As we crowded around his remains,
The children playing with stolen teeth,
Caressing dreamless eyes,
The adults kicking a soul-departed son,
Letting free the anger,
Which surpasses normality,
Each eager to indulge,
An end beyond compare,
But we found no joy,
For we were left with unkind monuments,
Monuments of bone and blood,
Sinew and sorrow,
He was lost and we jeered,
Disgusted at how he went,
In the heart of ignorance and fear,
A pleasuring death drowned our terrors,
But an ugly demise was an unfulfilling end,
And so we thirsted,
To create from ourselves,
A sight both loathsome and merry,
So we went to the roof anew,
And pushed each another once more,
Waiting for the next to fall,
Hoping death would come,
But above all,
Beauty.
( MUST MAKE STORM IMAGE)
By Jaime Ruehle
Thundering through the night crashing
in my sleep. Ideas pour down like
raindrops but they never miss a
beat. The beauty of the brain
storm in dark and lightning,
rain. Ideas, pictures
dancing, storming up
my brain. Its three
o’clock already, and
my fourth time out
of bed. Because
this wondrous
storm is tearing
through my
head. Now
I’m dragging
to my feet,
and I barely
slept at
all.
Not for a moment did I ever think
that the thunder clouds would fall.
Bio: I am a full time student in pursuit of my DVM (doctor of veterinary medicine), and am at SCF to get my A.A. degree and prerequisites finished. I work part time at a vet office in Venice as a veterinary technician (similar to a nurse), and in my free time I study very hard in order to achieve scholastic success. This kind of a lifestyle takes a lot of determination, and I have even more than that. Poetry has been a big part of my life, and the main outlet for my emotions. I hope you enjoy my work.