Smiles Ignored, again, what did I expect? I blend into the shadows And am annoyed by all But wait, what is this? A boy, not too nice, yet not too mean Not too cute, not too ugly Not too popular, not too geeky I think I shall exit the shadows For I have discovered that life In itself isn't all bad But I fear to be noticed I fear to be hated But wait, what's that, A smile, a smile on my crush's face For me! A smile for me. I no longer fear to live life I no longer fear to speak up One smile was all it took A smile from me to you A smile of pure love for you So take this smile and cherish it For no smile is the same No smile can ever be the same I love each and every smile I receive I now notice all the smiles I get everyday For the new me This lovely new me And all because of the boy I crush on The boy I want to ask out He has brought me out of that shell That horrible shell I was stuck in He showed me the light By a smile A simple smile that tells a thousand words No one can beat the power of a smile Not even I I, the one who hates all That no one knows But now all know my name Or at least some The ones I have befriended The ones I now cherish beyond words And who I hope reciprocates this love — Emily French, 15 Reed-Custer High School   Submit your poetry, artwork and photos for publication on WebStreetCafe.