Poet Aiden Livingood and artist Cynthia Matzul-Saloj are our feature of the week on the Creative Corner. Be sure to check out Kenwood’s past creative writings and art published in our annual literary magazine The Bluebird Voice . This is the fifth year of the return of the Bluebird Voice here at Kenwood High. Interested student writers and artists can learn more about publication opportunities with the newspaper, yearbook, and literary magazine here at Kenwood by seeing Ms. Glenn or Ms. Cooper in the English wing. 

Cacophony of Numbers 

By Aiden Livingood 

 Let the bell ring in your head, whether you be young or old. 

Let the bell ring. Let the pens clash and let the theories scream. 

The numbers, letters and understanding are far too simple but demanding. 

Let the bell ring. Ring for freedom once.   

Ring for anxiety twice. 

Ring for dread thrice.  

Ring for failure last.  

Upon all the screaming, clashing, and ringing, yet my ears be still. 

When my heart beats like a racehorse, the thoughts and numbers  

that I all understand with methods instilled–all too simple. 

 Let the bell ring one, 

Faster, better, faster, finished.  

Let the bell ring two. Gone, forgotten, undone, and frayed. 

Let the bell ring three. Faster, slower, head down. 

Let bell ring four. Burned, despondent, and dead.   

Clash and burn, scream and undone. 

No time to check for why. Understand. Good. Better and faster,  

less and less time. No time for error. One mistake leads to the downfall.  

Let the bell ring once, twice, thrice, and last.  

Head empty, mindless. Pencil to paper with a cacophony of numbers.