438 Literary Magazine | Issue 1 | Winter 2024

Issue 1

438 LITERARY MAGAZINE WINTER • 2024

438 Literary Magazine Issue 1 Winter 2024 438 Literary Magazine is a collection of poetry, prose, and visual art that is written, edited, illustrated, and designed by students in the creative writing club at Columbia College in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on unceded xwməθkwəyəm (Musqueam), səlilwətaɁɬ (TsleilWaututh), and Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) territories.

438cwc 438creativewritingccc@gmail.com Issue 1 Contributors Writing: Abiud V. Pulido, Brainy Thy, Komal Toor, Muzammil Sanwal, Pawandeep Kaur, Rad Karim, Sayyada Sadiyah Fatima, Teresa (Wing Sum) Tse, Tim Yernar, Troy Adela, Violet Charlotta Illustration: Abiud V. Pulido, Rad Karim, Violet Charlotta Layout Design: Rad Karim, Abiud V. Pulido, Violet Charlotta Inside Photography: Komal Toor, Abiud V. Pulido, Rad Karim, Jocelyn Truong Cover Photography: Rad Karim Back Cover Poem: Rad Karim

Table of Contents.

Acknowledgments 02 Land Multiple authors

Playing: The HOME, My HOME 26 Now Teresa (Wing Sum) Tse

Choices: A Gratitude Journal 04 Three Teresa (Wing Sum) Tse

Chemist 28 Owl Abiud V. Pulido

I Stemmed From 05 Where Pawandeep Kaur

Mind's Blurry Cloud 29 The Sayyada Sadiyah Fatima

Saddar 06 Old Muzammil Sanwal

30 Genesis Brainy Thy

Sky 07 Twilight Muzammil Sanwal

a.m. September 31 2Violet Charlotta

08 Sorrow Muzammil Sanwal

Mills 32 Coffee Abiud V. Pulido

I Think 10 Sometimes Muzammil Sanwal

Greatest Enemy 33 God's Tim Yernar

Am a Happily Married Man 12 IMuzammil Sanwal

35 Places Abiud V. Pulido

56 13 Kilometre Abiud V. Pulido

Will We Start to Live?

36 When Brainy Thy

corduroys.

14 yellow Rad Karim

38 Olivia Violet Charlotta

in Winter 18 Goodbye Tim Yermar

Vacuum Cleaner 41 The Violet Charlotta

Horror 19 Closet Violet Charlotta

42 lost Rad Karim

Lake: My Favorite Doctor 20 Garibaldi Komal Toor

Library 43 ATimBurning Yermar

Existence 23 My Komal Toor

Grew up Together 44 They Troy Adela

Light 24 Frosted Brainy Thy

49 Author Bios

Mist and Its People 25 The Sayyada Sadiyah Fatima

Land Acknowledgements

Land Acknowledgements 02

Land Acknowledgements

Abiud V. Pulido Hope Hold it Because time Is folding back The people cannot Deny past mistakes Nor hide such beauty that is The feathers you carry and survive Grab your drums, gather and celebrate “We flourished here before, and we’ll again.”

Brainy Thy Sand scraping under the socks brings you back To the families of first nations xwməθkwəyəm, səlilwətaɁɬ, Skwxwú7mesh Suffered from the loss of land Gratitude from our heart To the people, seas Trees and rivers Forever Treasured Land

Muzammil Sanwal She started seminar acknowledging the land we live on which has beautiful peaks, oceans, rivers, and forests xwməθkwəy̓əm, səlilwətaɁɬ, Skwxwú7mesh thanking the indigenous peoples we are grateful to them, sharing their land. excuse me, it’s not sharing, you occupied it. shame on you for saying it through your second face.

03

Three Choices: A Gratitude Journal

Three Choices: A Gratitude Journal Teresa (Wing Sum) Tse

What are three significant decisions you’ve made in the past six months?

The first decision is participating the community connections program in Columbia College. It helps me to gain real life experience in non-profit organizations.

With the support from career advisor, I have developed a resume and cover letter. It is a wonderful experience from reference letter to entering the real workplace. I’m glad that I have met a group of support colleague during my externship. It is definitely a step of comfort zone.

The second decision is being a violin teacher starting from September. Since I was small, I did not feel confident in my violin skills as I thought I lack competence even I have a grade 8 certificate. Until I tried to be a violin teacher, I feel the sense of accomplishment as I can visualize my ability by teaching others. Not only teaching other the skills, but also encourage myself to be more confident. Every time I go to work, it doesn’t feel hardship as I enjoy being a violin teacher. I am thrilled to be there for my students, and I hope they also can gain what they want in their learning.

The last decision is owning a schedule book in this year. To be honest, I am not an organized person when comes to my daily routine. I always forget my chores and appointments. Therefore, starting with a schedule book helps me to organize and emphasise the important things in my routines. If you also think you are a messy person, grab a schedule book or planner and I believe it can help you to ace your goal too!

04_Teresa

Where I Stemmed From

Where I Stemmed From Pawandeep Kaur I am from a Multicultural Land, I am from the City Beautiful, The nation with welcoming hand The city whose people are joyful.

I am from a culture with diverse ethnicity, Where people live together With peace and harmony, Where on festivals, people gather.

I am from the heart that is kind, I am from the peaceful mind.

Concern about other’s emotions, Can melt down if experience affections.

I am from a mother’s womb, Come here to gloom.

Wish I could go back soon, Where I came from!!!!

05_Pawandeep

Old Saddar

Old Saddar Muzammil Sanwal I am from a big room. with tv and couple of big beds I am from cool nights where I am watching dramas with my family in a yard. while eating rice with mangoes I am from the steel bridge that rattles whenever a train passes.

I am from the garden where my brother watered a plant for months and I snapped it. it was an unfortunate mistake.

I am also from the society where my aunt could not get a divorce despite enduring domestic violence. yes, it was not a tradition in her in-laws.

I am from the house that got robbed once and it was so exciting! They locked us in a room and me with my brother are having fun while thieves are looting outside.

I am from the time where I am eagerly waiting for my sister to come home after school. so that I can play with her.

I am from the festivals where me and my brother are wearing matching clothes. also getting similar toys.

I am also from the society where women are considered a burden on men’s shoulder. so was my mother on her father, but she fought. She is a fighter.

I am also from the society where religion dominates, one gets in trouble if they don’t follow. so, we faced.

I am from the time when I used to get annoyed being called “muzi.”

I am from a family where my parents are always fighting. They both are good but different. my father is an artist, my mother is matriarch. I love both.

I am from the place from where we moved to the city and then everything changed.

I still miss the taste of water, where I am from.

06_Muzammil

Twilight Sky

Twilight Sky Muzammil Sanwal

I see you in the twilight sky, Your beauty is like a fluttering flight of a butterfly.

Your glimpse in children’s joyful cries, Your touch, while the cold breeze gently closes my eyes .

I know you are miles away from me, You need to hold my hand and we should flee.

You know, I am not caged but in love, Exploring the skies like a lonely peaceful dove.

Our hearts together are dancing so sweet, How peaceful it would be when our souls finally meet.

Let’s make this distance between us a rocky walkway, Leading to a friendship that will forever stay.

07_Muzammil

‫‪ | Sorrow‬غم‬

‫غم‬

‫مزمل سانول‬ ‫میں جب دیکھتا ہوں اپنے آس پاس‬ ‫تو مجھے دکھتا ہے غم لوگوں کی آنکھوں میں‬ ‫ان کے مسکراتے چہروں کے پیچھے‬ ‫کسی اکیلے مسافر کے دل میں‬ ‫کام پہ جانے والوں میں‬ ‫کام سے آنے والوں میں‬ ‫بچوں میں‬ ‫پرندوں میں‬ ‫ہر سان لینے والی چیز میں‬ ‫مگر دیکھا جائے تو یہ غم کیا ہے؟‬ ‫کیا کسی کو یاد کرنے کی کیفیت کو غم کہتے ہیں‬ ‫یا کسی سے خود کو بھولانے کو‬ ‫یا کسی کے پنچھائے ہوئے دکھ کو‬ ‫یا پھر کسی شخص کی غیر موجودگی کو غم کہا جاتا ہے‬ ‫سوچا جائے تو لوگ کیوں غمگین ہیں؟‬ ‫کچھ کھویا ہے اس لیے؟ یا کچھ پا نہ سکے ہیں؟‬ ‫یا پھر سب کچھ پا کر بھی خوش نہیں‬ ‫یہ کیسی کیفیت سے گزر رہے ہیں‬ ‫انسان‪ ،‬جانور‪ ،‬پرندے اور میں۔‬

‫‪08_Muzammil‬‬

‫ | غم‬Sorrow

Sorrow Muzammil Sanwal When I observe my surroundings, I notice sorrow in the eyes of people, Behind their smiling faces, In the heart of a lone traveler, In those heading to work, In those returning from it, In children, In birds, In every living thing.

But if we were to define this sorrow, what would it be?

Is it the feeling of remembering about someone?

Or is it the act of losing oneself?

Or is this the pain someone has caused?

Or is it the absence of someone's presence?

Upon reflection, why are people filled with sorrow?

Have they lost something?

Or were they unable to gain something?

Or perhaps, despite having everything, they are not happy.

We are experiencing a certain state, Humans, animals, birds, and I.

09_Muzammil

‫‪ | Sometimes I Think‬کبھی کبھی میں سوچتا ہوں‬

‫کبھی کبھی میں سوچتا ہوں کہ میں کہاں سے ہوں‬

‫مزمل سانول‬

‫کبھی کبھی میں سوچتا ہوں کہ میں کہاں سے ہوں؟‬ ‫کیا وہاں سے جہاں میں پیدا ہوا‬

‫یا وہاں سے جہاں میرا بچپن گزرا‬

‫یا پھر وہاں سے جہاں مجھے عشق ہوا‬ ‫اگر ایسا تو دیکھا جائے کہ انسان کتنی بار جنم لیتا ہے‬ ‫اور اپنا ہر پرانا مردہ خود میں ہی دفن کرتا ہے۔‬

‫مگر سوال اب بھی یہی ہے کہ میں کہاں سے ہوں؟‬ ‫لوگ کہتے ہیں جہاں آپ کا دل وہاں آپ کا گھر‬

‫تو پھر دل کہاں ہے؟‬

‫جہاں میں نے جنم لیا‪ ،‬میرے بچپن کی جگہ یا پھر جہاں میں نے عشق کیا‬

‫تو کہاں سے ہوں میں؟‬

‫‪10_Muzammil‬‬

‫ | کبھی کبھی میں سوچتا ہوں‬Sometimes I Think

Sometimes I Think Muzammil Sanwal

Sometimes I think, where am I from?

From the place I was born, Or from where my childhood passed, Or perhaps from where I fell in love.

If that's the case, it's seen that a person takes birth multiple times, And buries their every old corpse within themselves.

But the question remains the same, where am I from?

People say, "Where your heart is, there is your home."

So where is my heart?

Where I was born, my childhood place, or where I fell in love?

So, where am I from?

11_Muzammil

I Am a Happily Married Man

I Am a Happily Married Man Muzammil Sanwal I am a happily married man, Married to a woman.

I work but she does not.

I go out for work.

She stays home and take care of it, She takes care of me, She takes care of my children, She takes care of my parents, She takes care of my family.

She is a housewife.

She doesn’t work.

She makes me breakfast when I leave for work.

She cleans my house after, she cleans my clothes she cooks for the day.

But she doesn’t work.

She has spent years just doing this and not working.

I have worked 8 hours a day for years.

She has spent 16 hours a day, doing things for me.

But she doesn’t work.

Even though I pay for everything, I don't remind her every day; however, she understands and doesn't spend much on herself.

She doesn’t have ambitions; I guess, but I have never asked though.

She has no dreams as of I know; she never told me, though.

She doesn't go out, she doesn't have friends, and that's good; that's what I wanted.

I think she loves me; that’s why she is doing all this.

I love her and that’s the reason I am not allowing her to work.

I am such a nice man who doesn’t let his wife work.

She is not working, and I get so tired of working every day.

I think a working woman is too hard to handle.

I like peace; that’s why I asked my wife to leave her job.

Independent women suck; you cannot control them.

Who will take care of my children if she is working?

Who will cook for me, wash my clothes, do my dishes, and other stuff, you know.

That’s why I work, and my wife doesn’t, and I am a happily married man.

12_Muzammil

Kilometre 56

Kilometre 56 Abiud V. Pulido I'm from the North and South I'm from yellow underground pipes and oil wells I'm from Narcos and gas burners in the middle of the hills I'm from the wet heat that suffocates to the safety of 4 walls and air conditioner I'm from the endless summer that waits for the time “when the sun goes down” I'm from stuffed monkey souvenirs and teddy bears with bow ties I'm from screened cartoons and gameboys I'm from the obsidian zanates and tiny scorpions I'm from possums who fought fire and forever young axolotls I'm from butter avocados and mango trees so abundant fruit rottens on the ground I'm from seeds in the garbage and the flowers blooming out of them

13_Abiud

yellow corduroys.

yellow corduroys.

Rad Karim

14_Rad

yellow corduroys.

disease.

I got infected That one October day

Your smile ...contagious Your excitement ...radiation It spread through me ...cancer

I caught a deadly disease For which I want no cure

15_Rad

yellow corduroys.

dandelion.

Her costume was a dandelion Peeled back I saw a rose Echoed in thorns Piercing

16_Rad

yellow corduroys.

daydream.

You’re beyond my reach I know that Our paths can never cross in the way I wish it to

But I still find myself lost in a daydream Hoping for a life where you’re there By my side

Yet I know the reality There can never be a ‘you and I’

17_Rad

Goodbye in Winter

Goodbye in Winter Tim Yernar

The long days of summer mellow my wish to enjoy the last days of it.

The yellow beams of dog days are displaced by foggy and depressing evenings.

As pumpkins are harvested, and folks thank, the days of fall come through, the drizzly and misty sky swirls into an endless night.

And when the snowflakes start descending into an endless carpet of snow, the warm evenings by chimney will be leading me to leave you for dozens of winter days.

18_Tim

Closet Horror

Closet Horror Violet Charlotta I am from the moments crying underneath the sheets of sorrow, moments hollow.

Vision breaking into pieces, separated by tears I'm forced to swallow.

I am from the gentle tapping, silent sobbing, on the shower walls are charcoal; Screaming water, strokes are black emotions bleeding on my soul.

I am from the tiptoes and the constant hiding, songs and poems tucked in stashes.

Shut myself inside my bedroom dreaming of when I'll turn to ashes.

I am from the ever new unhealing wounds from following the path less taken, walking to the siren's call, and hoping it was not a path mistaken.

I am from the lulling whispers to myself, protecting her from all the danger of the world that's always shouting, for to myself I am no stranger.

I am from the hours wasted from depression, sitting idle, thinking hard but never finding what I want now my motivation has gotten scarred.

I am from the culmination of the sorrows, memories from where I've come With every moment inscribed in time, I look back to where I am from.

19_Violet

Garibaldi Lake: My Favourite Doctor

Garibaldi Lake: My Favourite Doctor Komal Toor It all started from a talk. One day I just talked about the courses with my Hello! Hii! Friend. He told me about a course, in which there is a lot of outing. I was really excited to know about it. But this is only available in the fall semester. I eagerly waited for it. Finally fall came, I register for it by collecting a lot of courage. It was not easy as there were physical and mental challenge to complete the course. Soon, it started.

As the course proceeding, I came to know about my hidden values. One of the biggest values is deep connection to Nature. I completely forgot about it. With this deep connection to nature, which I can directly connect with my home back in India. That beautiful greenery around my house, that cool air in summers without Air conditioners. Whereas in winters, this cool air made me very sad, but sun was my best friend with his warm light.

Let me tell you my journey of 10Km to up hills to the beautiful- Garibaldi Lake. It was a big physical challenge for me as I already knew about every situation that what will happen to me when we were about to start our hiking with the heavy backpacks on our backs. I remember …I showed so much courage at first. Soon we start climbing. Oh my god! It is so tough for me…...just within a minute, my legs were crying… I was literally about to cry but one thing I constantly told myself inside, “Komal, you’ll do it".

20_Komal

Garibaldi Lake: My Favourite Doctor I think this is big joke that people say that there are no more good people on this earth.

Thanks to my buddies who gave me courage to complete this hike and help me through out the way. Even everybody has a different kind of courage to do it. Though it is necessary to complete the course, everybody knew these consequences.

We have reached there within 4-5 hours……with so much tiredness, pain, exhaustion, cold, as everyone is doing their best. When I saw the lake, oh my goodness..... I was like I got something very precious in my life. Even I went to too many lakes. But this much struggle to reach this lake make me feel so different. I love the thing that there is positivity around me. Soon, we fix the tents and completed our dinner. It seemed like I did these things before, and nothing is new for me.

It was very beautiful lake with clear water green trees in symmetry and mountains covered with snow. It was like there was an artist who did this who put all the trees in symmetry, pour water in a lake and put glue on the artificial mountains. It was very cold at night and so much pain in the body. It was really very hard to beat this cold, but we have to sleep even we have luxury of sleeping bag and warm clothes. I was thinking about the homeless people, how they survive so hard to live in the cold snowy winters. It made me so empathetic. Next day, I woke up early and packed up myself with a lot of layers of clothes and went out to spend some time alone. Oh my God, I got a great gift , my best friend, SUN, ready to give warm heat. Oh god! especially my legs are hurting so much, but now these got relaxed, even I hate sun in summers but this and you treat that thing as usual thing.

21_Komal

Garibaldi Lake: My Favourite Doctor Next day, we came back, I was appreciating the beauty of nature, even I spent my 18 years around it still I forget the values. I really appreciating my parents who made my childhood full of nature, which is a free healer. I know as an international student it is hard to get emotionally, physically, and financially strong but believe me life is too short not to enjoy this beautiful creativity of nature. Though this trip was only for three days but it gave me the best solution to all problems in my life. My best suggestion just to try this free and valuable medicine once a one time……. give a tight hug to nature... and see the magic.

22_Komal

My Existence

My Existence Komal Toor

I am from long green meadows, carrying large trees.

Sweet smell of soil while cultivating the fields.

I am from the sun rays facing in the morning With a sweet mug in hand full with hot tea.

I am from the small fights with my younger brother to loud screams and yelling at each other just for getting more candies.

I am from the small world where everyone love to admire the nature from the real beauty of the greenery to the fake nature wallpaper of iphone.

I am from a home where I sit with four angels and enjoy three time meals where we five crack the jokes while watching the funny tv serials.

I am from a small room with two small windows and a small messy table where I create my big dream and now I am far away where I was from It is hard for me to create new I am from but I am really trying my best to make this new earth mine to make new people mine to make new routine mine I wish I can write my new I am from.

23_Komal

Frosted Light

Frosted Light Brainy Thy

Weird that people follow dreams, Not the other way around, Weird that you imagine, Never truly see them, Somehow you feel it.

A car is derailed into a ditch, Not because of the wind, But a will of passion; Through a framed frosted glass, It can be seen from afar, When the world is a shadow of dullness, It is a beam of light from the star, That drowns you in a pool Of fear and uncertainty; Yet you drive to every length to glimpse it: Of the visions you long to see Of the places you long to be

24_Brainy

The Mist and its People

The Mist and Its People Sayyada Sadiyah Fatima

The mist just looks like its people Faded away in its fog Like a blind spot to be sudden Seen no where, Oh to be in amidst of fog Where no path leads, Oh to be in fear That not even any shadow Can give sight of hope, For these people That dissolve in thin air Oh where you vulnerably blind?

Probably you were out of your own sight, Terrified with your own hands That felt calmity of own well being, The hands that never felt calm Scary how everything around was calm

25_Fatima

Now Playing: The HOME, My HOME

Now Playing: The HOME, My HOME Teresa (Wing Sum) Tse I’m from Hong Kong, New Territories the region that people think we ride cows I’m from 600- , 100- , 400- , 150- , 300- apartments playing barbies and cars with my brother

I’m from a English book in kindergarten learning the second language even I cannot speak proper

廣東話

I’m from a dirt, brown wood-made 2/4 violin that has been used by my cousin They said I am not a great learner But I reach the 8th grade when I’m 17 I’m from the determined mum who raise me and believe in my talent

I’m from my family with my little brother, sister and mother they were evil but the memories are wonderful

26_Teresa

Now Playing: The HOME, My HOME

I’m from the locked door that never open again I find myself beyond the locked door My mother is a hero She never give up with a locked door I’m in Vancouver, the city looks like Hong Kong It is not Hong Kong, obviously People said Canada is the new home Where is, what is a real home I am running down the street there is only real trees and rock I am from here or there The lovely cities in the world I’m from the photo next to the drawer When I went back to my Hong Kong apartment, 300-ft The baby face I have Three smiles in the photos Mother, father, and myself Has gone since we grown.

27_Teresa

Owl Chemist

Owl Chemist Abiud V. Pulido

Alchemist Delicate, engaged Researching, creating, experimenting Life is her subject Chemist artist

28_Abiud

The Mind's Blurry Cloud

The Mind's Blurry Cloud Sayyada Sadiyah Fatima My mind caught upon the blurry cloud echoes and voices of blame In a blink tears of blurry vision, Oh these knees have bled so much Partially saw too much Wished to hear the lies That wouldn’t be ice Of pain, Oh soulful You Fearful ?

In a blink Taste of sleep Was better than Sweetness of blurry minds

29_Fatima

Genesis

Genesis Brainy Thy

I am from a eight-hour drive, “Are we there yet?” once every five minutes, Impatience yearning to satisfy its ego.

I am from a lush green mountain, Washed away by the waterfall, Smacked into a rock with metal taste on the tongue.

I am from an ancient stone temple, A sunlit walk and a sunset view, A fish in a stream you never knew.

I am from a day of dreamy smiles, From a corner of a street to a corner of the lips, Late-night singing and a wish under imaginary stars.

I am from a dimly lit corridor, dead and dull, Light vanished, soul disappeared, Frivolous art and flawed wisdom.

30_Brainy

2 A.M. September

2 A.M. September Violet Charlotta

The two o’clock September breeze blows quickly like the weeks The freshness of the outside reeks, uncovered like a sneeze.

The two o’clock September rain brings droplets on the sill The night sky would be calm and still without the cloudy drain.

The two o’clock September draft the blinds breathe in a little brings wobble and a rattle as the vanes float on its waft

The two o’clock September air is gentle nonetheless.

The story’s moral, I confess is blinds are foul affair.

31_Violet

Coffee Mills

Coffee Mills Abiud V. Pulido Shrieking and grinding The mills need maintenance But the smell of coffee fragrance Takes away my patience Jumping and flying Down the stairs to the kitchen Breakfast is almost ready I wish the coffee maker quicken My cup awaits steady

32_Abiud

God's Greatest Enemy

God's Greatest Enemy Tim Yernar

Don’t know when, don’t know where… There was a God, and he had a son.

You probably heard this story hundreds of times. This one is not the one you would normally see.

God defeated Satan and his demons, and God created his best creation – a human.

Human was and is very smart. God made humans based on himself. God, humans, and nature co-existed and lived in peace. God created the best conditions for his children.

Endless oceans, juicy fruits, and delicious meat. God did everything to make his children as happy as possible. And it was possible. God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-good.

And he was happy... as years passed, as, centuries and millenniums passed. His children have grown up. The human wanted to be like his father, as all-knowing and allpowerful, and the human succeeded in this. God saw what human did in the name of God, in the name of his own parent. God saw what terrible things human did in order to have the same power as God. They killed each other because of differences of opinions and differences among themselves in general. And so, the centuries passed... until the 20th century arrived. 20 centuries have passed since the Birth of Jesus, and human has received the power that for centuries only God could have. Human has learned to change the world around him. Human acquired a weapon that could destroy everything that God had created. Human created atomic weapons and used them. It was 1945, and the A-bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. God saw this and was completely disappointed in his child. People were losing faith, people stopped believing in God. God began to lose faith in himself. He didn't know if he existed at all, or if he was just a figment of his imagination. He looked at the Earth. He looked at his child, the human. He became apathetic. Seeing how his child turned against him, he realized that his foundation would grow up the same way and stop believing in his parent. God stopped creating, that’s why our boundless Universe is so empty. God remembers. God remembers that life was not like this before. He remembers how he fought Satan and what a great time it was. The old days of glory and fighting evil... God longed to bring those days and moments back.

33_Tim

God's Greatest Enemy

God had an idea. A tower. A tower is so great and huge that it could withstand anything. He created this tower. It was more powerful than any Evil, so that it could not get out of the tower. The tower was larger than the Olympus. It flew in space, among endless stars. The bricks from which the tower was made were tougher than any stone in the Universe. The bricks were dark and murky, and the tower itself was stronger than any armor, any mountain, any walls. God created a tower and summoned Satan to fight Evil once again and remember the old glory days. The fight lasted for an eternity, but God eventually won. Feeling the euphoria of victory, God decided to leave the tower, but he could not. The tower was too strong. God created something that was more powerful than himself. And then, at that moment, God realized. God's greatest enemy is himself.

34_Tim

Places

Places

Abiud V. Pulido

If I could express what is to be in two places at the same time

In one the mundane monotony inside the bus, inside the train the duck lady gives me a blessing that I need for my next test

In the second I keep deciphering the last dream I had Where in a ballroom I was wearing goldenrod Rusty red carpets welcoming a chocolate rain when I wake up

Off the train to the delicate real rain to the spacious warmth of college a Violet welcomes me: Skytrain

35_Abiud

When Will We Start to Live?

When Will We Start to Live?

Brainy Thy To the time wasted and the space unoccupied, We dreamed of being many things.

An artist who inspires with effortless grace, A doctor who rescues people from death, A lawyer who wins every case, An astronaut who risks their life for science, A photographer who captures every corner of the world, A scholar who reads half the books in the library.

We dreamed of reaching the stars and grasping the sun, We dreamed of swimming across the ocean, We dreamed of being everything– Until we were snatched away from everything, Dreams that were once ours, Now drifting away into an unrecognizable abyss, Leaving us behind with a cold, empty void.

Too busy dreaming, we forgot to chain one to our soul, Forgot to smile at the people holding us the candles, And every dream turned into smoky coals To the words we regret saying and the days we refuse to meet the sun, Rainy days are meant to be hated, Rainy days are the reason people curse, Rainy days remind us of tears behind a dam waiting to burst, We hate rainy days.

Or maybe, maybe not at all…

Maybe we secretly wish for the sky to pour down water like the shower does So that every droplet could be an excuse for us to not get out of bed So the tears creeping off our cheeks could be interpreted as raindrops from the sky So that we can blame the clouds and the ground and not our delicate, fragile human form; Just like how we blame others for the words we say, If they hadn’t done that, we wouldn’t have said that, If we hadn’t said that, we wouldn't have regretted saying that We wish for the words to dissipate like they were never there in the first place We wish we hadn’t said them to the person who didn’t deserve it 36_Brainy

When Will We Start to Live?

To the scars of the past and the calluses of the future, We ponder over what comes next, We wonder if things will be different, We hope for an unequivocal clarity that good things will happen, Knowing that not everything is certain Knowing for certain that some stories are compelling to read, But never to experience; And some memories vanish like embers into ash, While others lurk behind our head, Wrap around our chest like it’s their privilege, The times when we cry and crawl to the base of a tree Trying to climb up away from a place we can’t breathe; Our feet are slippery and we slide down infinite times Finally still hugging the roots of the same old tree We sulk and cry again We scream and ask why again Our head swirls like ice in cold water Trapped, in a glass Trapped, in our own past.

We shoulder the burden, shame, pain, regrets, fear and feelings, Feelings that only anchor us to where we are; Glancing back at the phantoms of our memories We whisper silently into the cold, bitter air When will we let go?

Sighing at the uncertainty standing before us When will we start to live?

37_Brainy

Olivia

Olivia Violet Charlotta

My classmates were gathered on the benches around the well, bickering amongst themselves in a 270° arc in an arc in the ruins of the hall. With all sense of normalcy gone, they were reduced to gossip and games of rock-paper-scissors among the remains of the roof. I spent the empty days foraging for artifacts around the campus, items that were once cherished by our peers, and submitted them one-by-one into the well. For each item I brought, a new switch popped up in the interface of my holodeck.

Between a group of gatherers, I sensed the typical radiation pattern emitted by an artifact. I made slow, steady steps, hesitating. A lump formed in my throat as I picked it up. It was Olivia’s transparent hair clip, an inexpensive hair claw you’d get from a dollar store. I gripped it tightly to calm the myriad of colours fighting in my mind at her essence. I came up to what was once the auditorium’s stage, holding it up to show the crowd. They immediately recognized what it was.

The bully had fallen.

I walked down the tattered purple carpet that led towards the well, cupping the offering into my hands to feel it, before letting it fall into the darkness, hitting the water with a distant splash. A new switch appeared, with two smaller switches flanking it above and below. The upper one was greyed out, so I flipped the lower one. While this had enabled the top switch, I was attracted to a subtle glow in my periphery.

With the digital switchboard out of the way, I felt the contents of my stomach gurgle as I stared at the grotesque image of a human skeleton projected as an overlay. Suspended a couple of metres beneath the aperture before me, its porcelain white figured burned into my retinas, yet it seemed uncanny how nobody else could see it, judging by their lack of reaction. When I rushed back to the rudimentary graveyard that was previously the community garden at the heart of our cafeteria, I was now granted the ability to see the skeletons beneath their tombstones. Now I know Olivia’s power.

38_Violet

Olivia

“That’s Olivia’s skeleton,” a friend coldly informed me back at the well.

Taken aback from the very thought of seeing her skeleton in front of me, my mind flashed back to the ink-packed pages of the notebooks I had stolen from her.

One particular one was full of drawings depicting skeletons contorted in all sorts of situations and positions. That girl, morbid as she always was, could easily work in a morgue with her insatiable obsession with death. While that notebook had the highest concentration of ink, it still wasn’t the most emotional.

I pulled the interface back up to toggle the upper switch. The air in front of me began to flicker and particles lit up, swiftly swirling ahead until a humanoid figure emerged from its smoke. A pale, glowing hologram arose from a hunched pose, standing tall before me. Her forehead was framed by charcoal black bangs, lips curved into her signature sweet-but-menacing smile. She was dressed in a light, striped white woolen sweater, with a leather jacket on top, like it was cold in death. It was the face I had etched permanently into my life since childhood.

“Hello,” I greeted, “bully.”

She chuckled. “Hello there, my best friend, my worst enemy. Isn’t the school a happier place with me gone?”

“Well, I feel the opposite way.”

As Olivia pranced around me like a cat, the heartache in me throbbed, blood reverberating in my ears like my heart was a defiant drum beating in forte. While we’ve long considered ourselves frenemies, Olivia and I were practically sisters.

We held each other’s biggest secrets, knew each other’s fears, and while I constantly opposed her position as the school’s biggest baddie, she was the only girl I could trust. She was my bestie to the grave.

“Olivia,” I called, “there’s something I’ve been dying to tell you in life, something I’ve always been afraid to confess.”

39_Violet

Olivia She was intrigued, her smile growing tighter like it was asking me to spill out the words. My heart skipped a beat, knowing I couldn’t take them back, but I couldn’t possibly keep it back. I looked at her skeleton, hands bound together above her ducked head. It hurt to see how my Olivia had been reduced to this.

“Yes?” she whispered, squatting on the edge of the well.

“I wanted us to grow together, to have you by my side as your wife. Olivia, I love you.”

While her image stood up, hands over her face to hide her reaction, her body stayed put, never to stand another day in the sun. The day she held me up the wall to snarl at me was the last time she would ever touch me, and I would never feel her lips against my mouth, only her fingers that held it tightly shut, in the wrong kind of heated moment.

But remembering what she had written in her notebook, I did not doubt whether the real Olivia would reciprocate those feelings too.

40_Violet

The Vacuum Cleaner

The Vacuum Cleaner Violet Charlotta

The vacuum cleaner spoke and called a young one by the fence.

Its hose prehensile, reaching out by size it looks immense.

The vacuum cleaner’s lungs inhaled as the youth’s hand came aclose.

Its bifurcated nozzle sucks with a force I can’t oppose.

41_Violet

হারিয়ে | lost

হারিয়ে রাদিয়া করিম

হারিয়ে... আমি হারিয়ে যেতে চাই । দূরে... দূরে কোথাও । ভেসে...

lost Rad Karim (english translation)

বাতাসে বাতাসে ।

lost...

আমি হারিয়ে যাব বহুদূরে ।।

I want to get lost far... far away someplace floating along with the wind I want to get lost somewhere far away

42_Rad

A Burning Library

A Burning Library Tim Yernar

You forgot who I am, I don’t blame you for that, I just came to chat.

It’s your last breath!

Oh, your brain with experience, Suffering from long existence.

It’s your last breath!

A burning library.

You forgot your dictionary.

It is 12 AM, and you are asking, “Who I am?”

Your life, oh, so victorious, Our memories from past of us, “I am a bit forgetful, am I?” You went to MRI. The outcome wasn’t good, Your brain now is like a rotting fruit.

It’s your last breath!

Now, we are in a cease, As you can now sleep in peace.

A burning library.

Can you forgive me?

I just came to see, You are not breathing steadily, This came to an end, finally.

I forgive you.

43_Tim

They Grew Up Together

They Grew Up Together Troy Adela

Water Creative, complex Travelling, plunging, resting White burns within surface The Sky

Waterfall

One, silent Observing, mixing, concluding Blue burns within clouds The Blue They grew up together. Both were born when Earth was alive and was at its prime.

Both are alive. Both embody pure excellence. Yet, they are different.

The Waterfall and the Sky. The Waterfall is well known for its constant change of surface. Never the same. It displays the pure form of force of nature. It is unstoppable. Never resting or even stopping, only slowing down to a walk. Now, the Sky is different from the Waterfall.

When we look up, nothing seems to be moving, even though new stars keep appearing and twinkling at night, making it look bigger and bigger. It has stars that when paired with darkness, the twinkling lights against the dark backdrop, make a visually captivating and mysterious essence of the sleeping beauty Sadly, both are blind only to themselves. The Water cannot see its own uniqueness, just like the Sky. As a result, together, the Waterfall and the Sky grow up not knowing how worthy they are in such an unworthy world. They grow up with different treatments. The differences make the Waterfall and the Sky, therefore, ask themselves, “Why?”.

44_Troy

They Grew Up Together

Why is one treated differently than the other? This introspection leaves them without a conclusive answer. Without finding an answer, they start questioning why they exist at all. And so, the cycle of asking these big questions never seems to stop.

They are bullying themselves, and it's a routine. It's their second nature. They consign oneself to the lowest shelf of their esteem.

Now the Waterfall earned its name due to its consistent display of power in every way—height, flow, and the distant sound of Water. The Sky, however, remains 'Sky,' or 'it.'

However, one night, on a specific day of the year, the Waterfall sees that the Sky will have these groups of people who will pull out their picnic tables from their minimoving machine and put them on its head. And they use these two cylindrical objects on their eyes to see closely at the sleeping Sky. What people are looking at is just how big existence is. The Sky is the galaxy, and it is, indeed, the view of the galaxy, a sight that makes people marvel at the vastness of existence itself. At least, that's what the people talked about when laying on the Waterfall's head.

A twist of emotions and perspectives unfolds in this planetary connection between the Sky, the Waterfall, and the curious observers.

People hold a deep love for the Waterfall, marveling at its constant beauty and power. In contrast, the Sky, forever asleep when its beauty is praised, starts feeling a twinge of envy towards the Waterfall's constant adoration. In like manner, the Waterfall also starts feeling a twinge of envy, knowing that the Sky is loved even when it is dreaming.

The Sky, with clouds stacking up like a grudge in its heart, can't help but feel sad.

The Waterfall, noticing the Sky's occasional outbursts of strong waters, thunder, and lightning, wonders if the Sky is crying. It's amazing how after such events, the Waterfall's own body of Water becomes full, giving it more power to impress the world.

The Waterfall, the Water churning just like its emotions, also results in sadness, just like the Sky. It wonders why no clouds nor stars would be with it, to make the people 45_Troy

They Grew Up Together

adore it just like they adore the Sky. It's incredible how actually, the soft clouds and the clear Sky come from the body of the Waterfall itself.

The Waterfall and the Sky have insights into their problem. Unveiling the Waterfall's hidden stars and the Sky's silent power.

The Waterfall longs for the soft clouds and the sharp bright stars decorating its counterpart. However, the Waterfall doesn't know that the clouds and stars originate from the very essence of the Waterfall itself.

The Sky longs for the fame and recognition of beauty and power in the name of the Waterfall. However, the Sky doesn't know that the power originates from the very essence of the Sky itself.

Existence, at its core, reflects essence. Something is because of its essence. Nothing can truly exist without its essence. Them people now think that the essence’s power is just a matter of golden grainy dust. ‘Magical!” they say. “Exist in the fairytale!”.

Contrary to this belief, true essence is owning a completeness in a presence. The Waterfall cannot be, without the Sky. The Sky cannot be without the Waterfall. They are the source of the other, and they are indeed, the embodiment of true essence.

Recognizing this profound connection, the Waterfall, in a moment of understanding, chooses to extend an apology to the Blue Sky. The Waterfall says to the sad Sky, it says, "I need you to understand and know that I am here because of you. Crying. Don't let it be because of the jealousy that you feel. Do cry because you are happy." The Waterfall continued, "As I can tell you that I'm happy that I exist now as in that you helped me. As I can tell you again that, insofar as I exist, is because of you. The fact that I was looked to deserve a name, is because of you, I owe my name and recognition to you, and for that, I thank you and apologize for not realizing it sooner. Be happy because you know now that I build upon myself, my power, and my name, it's all upon and because of you."

46_Troy

They Grew Up Together

The Waterfall counts backwards in its heart, drumming its fingers, waiting for a response from the Sky. Not a word, a movement, or even a snore from the sleeping beauty. The Sky opted for silence. The Waterfall sighed, looking around awkwardly, wondering if the Sky had mastered the art of deep sleep. Leaving the Waterfall alone with its apology, and its own presence.

Since then, they have separated from each other, even when the Waterfall knows that the Sky helps it to stay strong. The thought, however, was just brushed off from its heart, taken away by its current. The Waterfall, at the end, concluded that it was just a Waterfall and the Sky, no more to say.

It's sad that it could've been something new and improved: The once separate part of nature, now they stood together as a statement to the world that the balance of nature exists, where it is creating a symphony of just pure life and beauty, playing on the stage of the world for everyone to witness their art.

Reality is, it is rare that this happens.

They grew up together, what actually happened?

Dear readers, I want to share a dilemma with you. As I strive to tell a fair story, I'm finding it challenging to assign an equal share of challenges to both the Sky and the Waterfall. In the beginning, they were side by side. However, as life unfolded, they took different paths. The distinct treatments and experiences they faced caused the Sky and the Waterfall to change over time, and not all these changes were positive. Change doesn't always mean improvement.

So, here's the pondering part: What happens when friends start their journey together, but life leads them through unexpected treatments and experiences? Can we truly predict where they're headed? Can you tell what they are going through? Can I convey anything comprehensible in the attempt to tell a fair story, especially when the world's treatments seem so inherently unfair?

They have their own story, just like you do. Let's all strive to be good people.

47_Troy

They Grew Up Together

Thank you for reading

The End 48_Troy

AUTHOR BIOS Abiud V. Pulido (she/they) grew up in Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico and is gender noncomforming. She doesn't like spicy food and getting tanned but loves 0.5 ballpoint pens.

Brainy Thy (she/her) was born and raised in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and is majoring in computer science at Columbia College. She loves journaling and watching airplanes in the sky. She also thinks ice cream tastes better on cold days.

Komal Toor (she/her) is a juggling international student like many, who left her beautiful heaven back in India, who is trying to manage her studies as well as her art skills in Canada.

Muzammil Sanwal (he/him), a native of Shikarpur, Sindh, Pakistan, spent his formative years in Karachi. In 2021, he moved to Canada to pursue higher education and is presently engaged in the pursuit of a Political Science degree at Columbia College.

Beyond academics, Muzammil is a basketball player, an appreciator of art, and a dedicated enthusiast of poetry.

Pawandeep Kaur (she/her) grew up in City Beautiful and pursuing Psychology majors in Columbia College. She likes to introspect, have deep conversation and eat food.

Rad Karim (they/them) was born in Uttara, Dhaka, Bangladesh and is multilingual. They like to spend their free time gaslighting themself into believing they can play the guitar.

Sayyada Sadiyah Fatima (she/her) grew up in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and she studies Psychology in Columbia College, wants to major in neuroscience.

Immersed in the enchanting world of poetry, she reads with a cup of coffee on a rainy day, surrounded by the comforting aroma of warm vanilla candles.

Teresa (Wing Sum) Tse (she/her) grew up in Hong Kong and stayed Vancouver for 2 years. She is pursuing associate degree in business administration. She is currently working as a violin teacher. She likes green milk tea and taro ball (a Taiwan’s dessert).

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Tim Yernar (he/him) is from Almaty, Kazakhstan. Currently, he is studying in CC in University Transfer Program. Video games, sushi, cats and coffee are his love. 20 years old, still can't figure out the difference between highways and freeways.

Troy Adela (he/him), from Bandung, Indonesia, loves dairy even though he is lactose intolerant and enjoys playing with colours in design despite being colour blind. Troy dreams of becoming a teacher in Canada and is looking for a little assistance to turn that dream into a reality. Facing challenges of lactose intolerance, colour blindness, and being an average student, Troy's story is all about taking a detour around the problem, giving it a smile, and being ready to face it head-on, only and only then, when our paths cross again. Let’s make a unique map!

Violet Charlotta (she/her) is an aspiring artist/writer/programmer from the Indonesian city of Jakarta. She wishes to dedicate her life to her artwork.

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as the leaves turned hues of orange yellow red and brown - falling down down down we met for the very first time in that room - tucked away in the corner of the third floor

438 COLUMBIA COLLEGE CREATIVE WRITING CLUB