The river meanders endlessly and rises and falls with the moon
It was peaceful at 10am on Sunday morning but not 12
We waved at the homeless man who lived on the floating plastic house
Until we reached the furthest downstream paddling was easy
Caressing the water with the curve of my paddle only to plunge it down into the water
At the lock Peter drove us strait into to the crashing water and despite my fear I had to keep on
paddling to not crash
The upstream journey on the way back was a fight
My arms were tight and aching but I didn’t want to be at the back; I was better than that
The old Queen Thames boat chugged past which gave a short burst of speed
That old gray dock bounced with the wake of our slender racing boats
I almost hit a few bikers while carrying my long boat through the path into the hut
They hated us
Libby Walter // MY RIVER
Benjamin Tibbetts // REMEMBER
Remember.
Remember the verdant needles
Of the proud pines, standing tall
Remember the warm air
Whispering through their full branches
Remember the cloudless azure sky
The sun illuminating the glittering water
That trickles merrily over smooth pebbles
To disappear beyond a tall, mossy rock
Remember.
Now the chill wind shivers through the
Bare bonelike branches
That point like accusing fingers towards a
Sullen sky gray with clouds
The stream is frozen,
a crude and stagnant
Mimicry of its former life
I shuffle through dead, decaying leaves
Blissfully ignorant of the bitter, biting wind
Remembering.
Thomas Ahn // FLAKE
white is
white is
the light
dances across the smooth
searing
sensation
from the cold
I realize now my hand
I let it be consumed
still I stay
hold on
for it I love
too much.
Anika Ruberti // SUMMER SUNDOWN
Sit on the dock
Orange and pink hues paint the sky
Melting into the mirror before you
Seagulls call from above
Gentle waves sway you
Weightless
Dip your toes in
Watch the ripples expand
A cool breeze cuts through the heat
Relief
Put the board into the water
It cuts like a knife
Effortless
The water is silent
But laughing is heard from the background
Long deep breaths
Floating
The last light dies
The last evanescent ripple deflates
Look at the reflection of yourself
Staring up at you
Smiling
Sharath Jegannathan // CANCUN
Months of working
Can have an effect of exhaustion
Thus we were motivated
And looking forward to this vacation
On a lonesome beach, with many footsteps that clear off over time.
I lay lazy on my hammock.
Listening to the gentle waves rise up onshore.
Oh! How beautiful is nature… I remain awestruck!
The white soft sand drifting while the wind blows.
A gentle breeze touches my face.
I kept thinking about my holiday
where I fulfill my birthday crave!
Look, I said to my brother
Let’s get to the Island
Pack your bags and get ready
We are definitely going to be stunned.
Cancun, a city of Mexico
Beautiful sight to see
And lots to explore
For tourists like me
What a refreshing vacation it was
We cherish the memories we made
Oh how wonderful it was to see such a place
I wish I could have stayed
Daniel Xu // STROLL THROUGH NATURE
He looked around the forest,
Taking in the fresh summer air.
The trees peered down on him,
He walked without a care.
He adored the songs,
sung by shimmering leaves.
But what he witnessed next,
he could not believe.
A distant figure,
too large to be human.
He crept closer,
in great confusion.
A glimpse was caught,
of his worst nightmare.
What was upon him,
a great grizzly bear.
A menace of the wilderness,
was in his presence.
It’s tree trunk limbs and scuffed up paws
were oddly pleasant.
The observer backed up slowly,
making no noise.
Eager to get home,
and tell all the boys.
Sophia Z // GONE
I ask that you close your eyes
and listen to the world
surrounding you
The chirping of the birds
The slow drift of the waterfall
The rustle of the trees
The light breeze
The clear air
Nature’s music
It’s calling for you
I want you to open your eyes.
What do you see?
The light blue sky
The glistening waterfall
The multicolor trees
No.
What you see is the damaged life
The unspoken suffering
Habitat’s being stripped away while you sit at home with the AC on.
Trees being ripped from their roots while you print out multiple copies of the next presentation.
I want you to change
To correct the things in your lives
The consequences
you can’t see it
and someday
they will be gone forever.
Katie D. // HOPE IS A WAVE
Waves come and go,
Crashing and rising,
Letting nothing get in its way
Strong, and powerful.
The calm before the storm,
The waves stop.
The storm hits
Waves rise, strengthen,
become stronger.
Hope is a wave Rising and falling
In times of need
Hope is a wave,
That never leaves.
Max Ostrowski // FOREST
The wind is soft on this hollow night
Gently pushing the strong, thick branches
Rustling the tall, thin grass
Which is just starting to freeze over
The trees towering over it all
connected with the world above and below
Anchored in the firm ground
Holding up the dark blue sky
In the sky is a distant star
Shining bright in line with the moon
It sees all on this clear night
If you took a look around
You’d see a river flowing in the distance
Or a lone wolf howling at the moon
And you’d smell the freshness of night
Sohail Mohammed // WARM COLORS
I ask people to take in all the intoxicating smells
And hear the wind whistle like a flute
Or admire the satisfying colors that nature has painted
Hear the birds and squirrels, singing and playing
Leaves crunching beneath their feet
Feel their hearts listening in peace
And eyes satisfied with the beauty
Only to realize that the tree has no more life
Hearing the leaves crunch beneath their feet
Slowing deteriorating to nothingness.
Inviting the air that brings along a cold death
Slowly freezing all the lakes and ponds
Everything comes to an end