As I was putting my dog outside one day,
I realized how perfect my backyard looked in the moment.
The snowflakes that were falling from the clouds
Enough for one to notice, but subtle enough so you’re not distracted From the rest of the scene
My backyard
The same backyard that’s littered with wiffle balls in the spring
The one with lounge chairs and hammocks in the summer.
And the one hidden by a thin layer of snow
That my dog is destroying with every step.
But the flakes don’t seem to notice.
Because they continue to fall from the sky.
Nestle themselves in between blades of grass, and other snowflakes Erasing the paw prints
Like she wasn’t even there.
Caroline Palys // MY BACKYARD
Owen H. // STILL, THE SEA GRASS GROWS
The sun was the last thing to leave him;
the loss not lost on him, yet.
Not even the beach brought him peace of mind,
one more boundary for the sea to transgress.
The sky? A waste of a canvas!
The beach but a smashed hourglass.
Let it be! said he, watching sea-grass grow.
All things must pass.
Then he fell, parallel to the ocean.
Blink. Enveloped in black.
Waves tear at the spot where his feet were once planted
for that of all things brings him back.
All things must pass.
Jennifer Li // LIGHT
Light is a wavelength of radiant energy,
The flicker of a lamp within sightless night,
A flashing streak of brilliance followed by the grumbling of the sky,
The glowing of coal which bursts into flame.
Light is a gleam of white sun upon a frozen lake,
A glinting reflection suspended in ice from a frozen rooftop,
A droplet of water slipping shyly down a freckled window,
The sharp crack of crystal upon pavement.
Light is a brilliant blue sky,
A delicate red rose bathing in winter sun,
A crumbling orange leaf forgotten from the month before,
A shuffling indigo boot through flakes of white.
Light is a weightless feather carried by wind,
A fluttering winter bird gliding through whispering air,
A green balloon lazily adrift in winter sky,
A delicate snowflake in search of earth.
Light is dead weight lifted from the mind,
The touch of fingers dancing across a piano,
The gentle hand of a friend resting on your shoulder,
A small joke shared between friends.
Light is what you make of it.
Nick Porter // WHAT WE DON’T SEE
Like a baby bird
Harnessed to its nest
Humans when young
Cannot see much else
Blind at first
Their eyes only see one thing
The bright light of the sun
Is all that seems to be
With the passing of time
Comes the gain of sight
Now there is darkness too
That consumes the light
Jumping out of their nest
They fall far from home
Hurt by this cruel new world
Seeing past what’s bright
Oriane Cayron // AWAITING
My hungry cat Mowgli
Who proceeds so slowly
On the crunchy dead leaves
Hoping for a slight breeze
So he can spring and pounce
With that amusing bounce
On his prized catch
He’s yet to match
Collin M. // THE RING OF KERRY
Rolling hills, filled with green
Water rolling in on the shore,
Sunlight reflecting a golden sheen,
Climbing to the top, making me sore
One day lapsed
Only 7 more to go
Exhausting heat, I almost collapsed
How much more can I take? I don’t know
The third leg of the journey is underway,
Slightly late, overslept
Headed west all day,
Towards the sea we crept
Got lost, not surprised
Started to dim, we could see
A never ending night,
On our way to Killarney
Joshua Lo // MY SONG
Every season, I would try to sing, but
Out of tune,
Out of rhythm,
Out of breath.
I never wanted to learn-
What’s the use?
Out of pitch,
Out of harmony,
Out of tempo.
Day by day,
I would play out onto the open field, where my next meal lay
Innocent like a pig,
Ravaged by a group of humans.
Month by month,
The leaves would fall,
Just like the feathers of my youth.
Year by year,
While the others were learning:
Articulation,
Dynamics,
Melody,
I wouldn’t care.
Spring,
Summer,
Fall,
Winter.
Five years have passed,
All my friends have families-
Around spring,
I see them build their homes,
For their many children-
Why don’t I have a mate?
Vince C. // THE MOUNTAIN TOP
The cold wind rushes past me
while I stand on the mountain top
looking up into the star filled sky
feeling like I can fly.
Standing on the mountain top
is like no other feeling or thought
the glare from the moon and peaceful snow
puts you in deep thought and my mind glows.
On the mountain top
my feelings go wrong
my mind drifts away
and I feel gone.
Jenny Jin // CAPTIVE BIRD
The wind lifts and swirls,
waking up the slumbering world.
Flowers bathe in the mellow sun,
brushing their blushed faces.
Behind the cold metal bars,
I perch
with despair.
My legs are fettered
and my wings are wounded
by the bullet of power,
caging my freedom.
I have torn my throat
and rasped my voice,
exhausted and desperate.
Freedom flaps its wings,
leaving me without a goodbye.
Matei Golesteanu // CELERY
Let them be as candy,
Always sweet and appealing,
but unhealthy.
I’d rather be a celery,
Green and powerful like the hulk.
To have fed millions of people around the world,
To be full of good nutrients,
To have kept so many people healthy and active.
I’d rather be disliked, and if
then avoided by everyone ,
than to be an unhealthy piece of candy,
Which is mass produced
by humans and not by nature.
I’d rather smell of the earth and soil
Than of food coloring and sugary crap.
If I could know I kept people healthy,
I’d rather be a celery.