2022 Wordplay Literary Magazine

Wordplay

The Congressional School Literary Magazine

Wordplay

The Congressional School Literary Magazine

Spring 2022

Editors-in-Chief

AlexKinder

KatyaOrlova

NolanKrauss

RaghavBelleTrichur

Faculty Advisor

HollyKeimig

Associate Editors

AaronHjlamervik,AnnePalmer,BrynnWindisch,CaeliBoris, CharlotteReynolds,ChristineGad,ElishaPickle,GabbyGuagenti, MaddieRumness,MillieBeaudry,MehrQudus

Cover Art By

Ashley Bicksel

LetterfromtheEditors..................................................................................

"TheWoodpecker"byRaghavBelleTrichur.............................................

"JustMe"byKarmenSnead..........................................................................

"BeLikeWater"byNisaMooganur............................................................

"PumpkinPie"byCharlotteReynolds.........................................................

"Light"byAbbyAli.......................................................................................

Suessical Stems by Maddie Rumness........................................................

"RainySideUp"byAnaHernandez-Sotore................................................

"BurningTrees"bySullivanAhn-Kitcher...................................................

"Untitled"byAnnePalmer...........................................................................

"DiamondsInHerCrown"byCarleighSullivan........................................

"Women'sRights"byEllaThompson..........................................................

"Samosas"bySaadAli....................................................................................

Untitled by Caeli Boris.............................................................................. "EndingPollutionwithSolutions"byAshleyBicksel................................. "Empowerment"byZainaGilbert................................................................

Icicles by Maddie Rumness........................................................................

"TheTaskintheOcean'sLight"byCaeliBoris.........................................

Letter From the Editors

Thankyouforreadingthesecond-everissueof Wordplay!

Thismagazinewasbroughttoyoubytheeffortsofthe CreativeWritingClub.Sincelastyear,theCreativeWriting Clubhasexpandedgreatly.

Wehopereadersofourmagazinewillenjoythecreative spiritofCongressionalSchool'sstudentsandevenfeelinspired tocreatesomethingthemselves.

Wewanttothankeveryonewhosubmittedtothe magazine.ThankyouespeciallytoMrs.Keimigforservingas ourfacultyadvisor.

WewouldalsoliketoacknowledgeMr.YassineandMs. RochkindfortheirmentorshipofCongressionalwritersand artists.

Thankyouagainforreading,andbesuretostayinspired!

-Katya, Alex, & Raghav

Spring 2022 Editors-In-Chief

The Woodpecker

Raghav Belle-Trichur

TheWoodpeckerfliesaround perchingonabough aninconspicuousbrown equippedwithanebonyarrow.

Everysooftenherapidlyfires inanorderlyfashion sendingchipsofbarkflying no,notcalculated,perhapspassion.

Hispurposeisuntold isittofindameal acolonyofblacksoldiers soobedient,almostunreal.

Hisendeavorappearstobesilent throughtheglassnotasoundisheard perhapsoutsideitisquiteaudible amatingcallforanotherbird?

Orisittocreateahole inthetree,ahaven,thehollow ahumbleabodetosurvivethefrost? No,thetreeistoothin,thesleetwillfollow.

Allthesequestionsarise fromthesimpleWoodpecker attendingthedutiesof anunerringconiferwrecker.

Itmaybethatthissmallblackfigure drillingsofocusedlyatthistree isrevealingthewoodunderneath lettingthehiddenbecomefree.

Iamtall, notskinny notfat. justme. Notplain, ordinary.

Notextraordinary. Justme. Idon’thave long,straight hair. It'sshortandkinky.

Chocolateisnotme, I’mmorelikean Acaciatree.

Just me

Karmen Snead

Personalityof Asundew. Unique Buttough. Justlike me.

I’mnot phenomenal butneitheramI ordinary. I’mjust me.

Be Like Water

Nisa Mooganur

Coolwater. Running, Trickling, Flowing.

er Endlessly.

v Orocks.

U fallen R trees N E D p A I E N

Withsmall,silverfishL Goutofthewater.

Thecreekrunsstrong. Dayafterday, monthaftermonth, yearafteryear. EventhroughR A I O I N N W W N andS and D,

Itneverslows.Nevergrowstired.Neverstopsrunning. Belikewater. Persistent, strong,and empowered.

Pumpkin Pie

Charlotte Reynolds

Pumpkinpie. Brightorangefillingandaburnt, goldenbrowncrust. Toppedwithcoolwhip thecoloroftheblindingsun. Thefillingisgooey andsmoothmeltinginyourmouth. Thecrustisflakey, crunchy, andtoastedtoperfection.

Ittastessweetlikeripefruitduringthesummer. Ithasacoolflavorlikeacrispautumnday. Icanhearmyfamilyconversing atthetable readyforaThanksgivingfeast

Ihearmygrandmaandmom talkinginthekitchen abouthowmuchpumpkinmix andcinnamon toputintothepie.

Pumpkinpieislikeawarmhug shelteringmefromthecold

Sittingdownatthetableforksandknives clenchedinmychubbyfistswaitingformy mothertocutthefirstsliceoffandpassitaround thetable.

Myfamilygatheredaroundthetable, smellingthepieandthefoodinthekitchen, laughingandtalking, Fullbelliesreadyforawarmwinter’snap.

Willweeverfindlight?

Willlifeeverbethesame?

Idon’tknow. Newsreports. Radiostories.

Thousandsofdeaths. Hospitals,notbigenough. Nobodyissafe.

Atfirstitwasthreeweeks, thenthreemonths, nowit'salmosttwoyears. Howlongmustthisgoon? Howlong?

Whereisthespark?

Thelightweoncehad inthisneverendingshade?

Apeoplenotbroken, butapieceofart, unfinished.

Light

Abby Ali

Everyoneshouldhavetherightto situndertheirownvine andfigtree andnooneshouldmakethem afraid.

Buthow? How,whenI’mflyingofftherails?

No.

No, notwhenI’vebeendoingthisfortwoyears. TwoyearsI’vebeentryingtohavehope, nowIfinallyhaveit, andnoonecantakeitawayfromme.

Itwasayearfullofhatred. Butitwasalsoayearofsuccess. Iwouldn’tchangeanythingaboutthisyear. Inyearsfullofhatred thereisalwayshope. Aspark. Alight.

Suessical Stems

Maddie Rumness

Rainy Side Up

Ana Hernandez-Sortore

“...Andwe’relive!”

“Goodmorning,FortMeade!SalBrett herewiththeweather!”Sallookeddown athisdesk,rummagingforhispaper.Oh yeah…heforgot.“Today,wehaveall clearskies!”Hisco-workerslookedathim likehewasinsane.“Imean,rain!Yeah!” Okay, Sal. Just keep acting, hethought. "Today,itwillrainfrom…uh…” “Whatishedoing?”

“IsSalokay?”

“Allday!”Salblurted.Hisco-worksshook theirheads.“No?Okay,Uhm...It’sgoing tobewindy!Right?”Salsighed.Maybe weatherwasn’thisthing?Helovedit,but hewastoo...forgetful.“Sunny?"

Burning Trees

Sullivan Ahn-Kitcher

IntheAmazonRainforest, Slothswereburblingandgurgling, Monkeyswerehowling, Birdswerescreeching.

Therewascranking,clanking,andshouts, Clankingandcrankingofmachines, Andsuddenly, Therewasaboom.

There,aslewofbirdsflewaway With a gust of wind that felt like a hurricane. Slothsandtigersalike Crawledawaytoescape. Thenaboomand Aplumeofsmokefurledupwithascent Like Aburningtree.

Thenextdaythereweremorebooms, Andplumesofsmoke. Onandonitwent, Alwaysmorebooms, Andshouts, Andplumesofsmoke, Andburningtrees.

Thenitstopped. Slothskeptonburblingandgurgling. Monkeyskepthowling. Birdskeptscreeching. But Theyknewthebooms, Shouts, Plumesofsmoke, Andburningtrees Couldcomeback.

Wouldyoulikethistohappentoyou? Maybenot, Right?

Youcanchangethis Bymakingless, Booms, Plumesofsmoke, Andburningtrees.

Untitled

Clamoring,chattering

Aggravation

Fading

Rising

Tidesofinsanity

Thenoise,

Oh,thenoise

Ican’tescapeit

Isplinter,

Chipping,

Crackingmeopen

Ittriestoreshapeme Ichange

ButIresist Iemergedistinct, Notoneofthem

Alien

Itrousesafire

Hellfire

Itsurges, Swells, Iwon’tunravelmore

Ican’t Iwon’t

ButI’malreadyfraying, Fragmenting,

Anne Palmer

Trappedinafracturingmirage

Looped, Unabletoescape

Thenoise

Thenoise

Thelowdinmocksme Enough Toofar Itried Idid

Nomorechances

Theyshatteredme

Drovemetothelimit

Nomorefighting

Nomoreresisting Iletitignite

Theywillfeelit

Thisfire

Hellfire

Andtheywill burn

Diamonds In Her Crown

Carleigh Sullivan

HerHourglassfigure

Shouldneverbebigger

Waistsynchedslender

She’swatchedbyeverygender

Twentypoundslost

Caloriescutforanycost

HerHairburnedbottleblonde

Heartalwaysindespond

Foundationpaintedon

HerImperfectionsgone

Self-esteemdeeplyforbidden

Hermindstuckhagridden

Alwaysharassed

Shefeelsoutcast

Giventoomuchlove

She’salwaysbeingtouched

She’sfirstinlineattheparty

TakinginsultspermanentlikeSharpie

She’sgotaReginaGeorgefacade

Neverallowedtobeflawed

Blushdustedprettyandpink

Wishingshecouldshrink

Herlipsmattered

Toobadshe’sdead

Hermakeupstronger

Needtowearitlonger

Constantlyforcedtobehave

Shecouldn’tbesaved

Peasantsnealdown

Tyrantswatchherdrown

Itwasinplainsight

Whenshediditthatnight

Theoneswhogaveherdemands

Havebloodontheirhands

Tearsturnedtodiamonds

Causedambulancesirens

Theygaveheracrown

Thenbeatherdown

Hernightmareiseveryone’sdream

Godsavethepromqueen

Women’s Rights

Wonderful

Optimistic

Mighty

Eager

Nevergivingup

Whatareequalrights?

Ithinkit’s beingwhoyouare anddoingwhatyouwantwhenyou want.

Notbeingtoldwhattodo, nodenyingit. Standupforwhatistrue, notfightingthroughit.

But itwasn’talwaysthisway.

Womenwerecreatedjustlikemen. Youwouldthinktheycouldbe doctors, politicians, engineers, dreamers.

Ella Thompson

Wewerestucktakingcareofthe house, notourchoice. Youwouldthinkwehadavoice, butweweresilenced.

Everythingwomenwanted, menwereeffortlesslyhanded, rightinfrontofthem.

Womenarebeautiful, amazing, powerful people. Don’tforgetit!

Samosas

Saad Ali

Asamosaisacrisptriangularmeatypastry,neatlyfoldedandgoldenbrownon theedges.Thesamosahasapale-coloredcenterwithinthetraditionalfried appearance.

Assoonasyougiveintoyourimpulse,yougraboneandfeelthehotandcrispy triangletingleyourfingers.Asyoumoveyourfingersacrossthepastry,thegrease andflakescoatyourfingers.

Finally,asyoutakeabite,immediatelythefirsttaste,youfeelthespicy,savory flavorflowintoyourmouth.Asyougoinforsecondbitesandfocusontheflavors, thepocketofdeliciousnessbecomesmeatierandjuicer.Beforeyoucancontrol yourself,youareprofuselygrabbingthesamosasandcrunchingandcracklingthe pastry.Asyoucrunchthepastry,yourparentsputmoreinthepan;soontheysizzle andpopintheoil.

Onceyourealizethatyouhavedevouredthesupplyofsamosasyoualsorealize thatthesamosaisbuiltasapyramidofflavors.Fromthecrisppastry,tothethinlayer ofgrease,tothefinallayerofchewyandspicedkeemabeef.

Haveyoueverwonderedhowtomakeyourfavoritefood?Oneday,Abrisk morninglightstreamedthroughthewindowsasthetimerwentoffforthelittle pocketsofmeatwecallsamosas.Mygrandmawalksoverandtakesanibbleintoone ofthesamosasandshesays“doyouwanttomakesomelatertoday?”Iwaselated.I lovesamosasandtomakethemwouldbeamazing.

Thebestthingisthatwhenyouhavecompletedyourjourneyofflavor,you reflectonwhichpartwasthebest.Youthinktheblendofspicesmakesthisdish. WhenImixthebutterypastrywiththelayersofthecumin,coriander,andother spicesI'veneverheardof,Icanonlybeamazedatthegreatnessinfrontofme.

Untitled

Caeli Boris

Ending Pollution With Solutions

Ashley Bicksel

Piles, mountains, ofdirtyplasticandelastic. Wearediscovering thatplastichasbeencovering theocean. Ifpollutionweresolid, andyougatheredit fromaroundtheworld, itwouldbecome amountainrange ofjust pollution. Habitats arebecomingmore andmorepolluted everyday, butpeople keeppollutingtheoceans anyway.

Thispollution landspeopleinconfusion. Let’ssetthisstraight toendthisdebate. Everystepyoutake, surroundsyou withcontribution. Thisproblem isbecomingmore andmore severeeveryday,

andpeople keepthinking it’sokay.

Everypieceofplastic thatsomeonemightuse, canstillmakeadifference. Anyone canhelpsavethisplanet, solet’sthink aboutwhatyoucando. Weneedtostop andthink beforeusingplastic, becauseevenone plasticwaterbottle canhurtthisplanet.

Soinconclusion, toendthispollution, everyoneneedstodotheirpart, becauseYOU canhelpsavethisplanet.

Empowerment

Zaina Gilbert

Asthisworldgoesbeyondourlimits, thatdoesn’tmeanwecannotdream beyondourreality,dream ofourfantasy.

Empowermentbringslivelihoodstogether. Wonderingsimplyexpandsachild’smind todreamoftheirfuture.

Whatifwehadletgo oftheempowermentweonceheld, thefutureweoncedreamedof, thejoysofother’semotions weoncefelt.

Wealljourneydownthepathofourlives, butwealways comeacrossapathwithburningflames, steephills, andexoticcreatures.

Buttheeasiestway tomovepastthegrievingpaths wecomeacross, istosimplybeempowered, toknowthemeaningoflifewhenyouhaveit, thefeelingofhappinessofothers, andtobringjoyintoitsrightfulplace, yourheart.

Icicles

Maddie Rumness

The Task in the Ocean’s Light

Caeli Boris

Theglowingdomeofthebubblewastheonlylightinthedarkexpanseof water.Itwasmyfirsttimeeverseeingthebubblefromthisside.Itwasstrange?Itwas beautiful,butinanoddway.Itwastranslucent,showingthecleanwhitecitybeyond, butthedomewasn’tperfectlyclear.Itwaslikewhitebutseethrough.

“ComeonJames,wehavetogetgoing,wehaveatasktodo!”Violet,mybest friendandpartnerforthistask,called.

“Iknow,Iknow,I’mcoming.Icouldn’thelpit.I'veneverseenitfromthis sidebefore,”Iretorted.

“Yeah,yeah,yeah,nowhurryup,orI’llleaveyoubehind.”Sheswamoff towardsthesurfaceinherbubblesuit.

“Areyoukiddingme?Waitup!”Iyelledandswamafterherinmybubblesuit. AfewhoursearlierwehadreceivedTheTaskfromtheElderhimself.Two peoplewerechosenforTheTaskevery10years,toleavethebubbleandgotothe surfacetoretrieveoxygensothecitycouldhaveair.ToreceiveTheTaskwasan honor.Afterwewerechosen,twomenhadtakenmeandViolettoaroomwhere thereweresuitsmadeforgoingtothesurface.Theylookedasthoughtheywere madeofthesamematerialasthebubble.

Oneofthetwopeoplesaid,“They’recalledbubblesuits.Graboneandfollow us,wewillgetthegearyouneed.”

Afterthat,wehadcollectedtherestofourgearandhadbeenledtoaweirdlookingtubethatthemansaidwouldleadoutofthebubble.Wewentinitoneata time,andthat'showweendeduphere,swimmingtowardsthesurface,mechasing Violet.Itwasnice,thepeaceandquietasweswam,thewater,coldanddarkaround us.Butitwasslowlyandsteadilygettingbrighter,andwarmer?Yes,warmer,and lighter,too.Youcouldsmellthesalteventhroughthesuits,youcouldalmosttasteit, too,thegritty,smooth,stingofthesaltinyourmouth.Andthesoundsoftheocean allaround,thegentlesteadyflowofthewater,thequietnoisesofthecreaturesthat inhabiteditand…Igasped.Suddenlywebrokeoutofthewaterandthebrilliantsun andvibrantcolorsoftheskystaredback.Ittookmybreathaway.Ihadneverseen somethingthisbeautifulinmylife.Thewater'ssurfaceglitteredinthesunlight, reflectingtheskylikeaglowingmirror.Itwasthefirsttimewehadeverbeentothe surface.Wesatthereforseveralminutesjusttakingitin.Inthatmomentthatseemed sobriefyetneverended,Idecided.Iwouldn’treturntothebland,whitecityinthe bubble.Iwouldstaywherethesun’sraysfell,andIwouldbringtheotherstoo.

“Weshouldprobablyretrievetheoxygen,”Violetsaid,soundingpreoccupied. “Yeah,Iguessweshould,''Iresponded,equallydistracted. Violetshookherself.“Comeon,wehaveworktodo.”

Shepulledoutthetubeweweresupposedtoputtheoxygenin.Icopiedher, stilldistracted,andhitthebuttontocollecttheoxygen.WhenIwasalmostdone,I sawsomethinginthedistancebarelyinmyrangeofvision.

“Hey,doyouseethatonthehorizon?”Iasked. Violetwasalsoalmostdone.“Seewhat?Idon’tseeany…”shetrailedoff.

“WaitIseeit,whatisthat?”

“Idon’tknow.”

Itwaspuffybutnotinthewayadresswas.Itwasmadeofindividualthings, anditwasgreen--atleastIthoughtitwasgreen.Ihadonlyseengreeninchildren's booksbefore,andthose“things”onitwereleaves.Yes,Irememberedseeingthemin abookbefore,whichmeantthatthethingonthehorizonwasatree.Butthatwasn’t possible,therewerenotrees,notsinceglobalwarmingandtheentireworldhad becomeonelargeocean,atleastthat'swhatthebooksallsaid.Butthatthinghadtobe atree,itjusthadto!

“Wehavetocheckitout,”Isaid,startingtoswiminitsdirection.

“Wait!”Violetcalled.

“What!”Isnapped,exasperatedandalittleannoyed.Sheglaredandpointedat somethingfloatingnearby.Igasped.Itwasaleaf.

“I’mgoingtosenditbacktothecitysotheycananalyzeit,”sheexplainedin anirritatedvoice.

“Oh,ok,buthowareyougoingtogetitbacktothecity?”Iasked,genuinely curious.

“Withthis,”shereplied,holdingupasmalltube-likecontainer.“Itwillreturn tothecityonitsown.It'smeantforsamplesorimportantthingsthatcan’twaituntil yougetback.AndIthinkthisqualifies,”shesaid,gesturinginthetree’sdirection.

Ittookafewminutestogettheleafproperlysettledinthetubeandsentonits way.Onceitwas,wesetoffatabriskpacetowardsthetree.Asweapproached,I noticedthatthereappearedtobemoregreen.Moretrees?Onetreewasunheardof. Morethanthat,Ididn’tevenknowiftherewasawordtodescribethismiracle,this impossibility.Aswegotclosertheyjustkeptexpanding,andevenmoresurprising, theyweregrowingnotonland,whichtherewasn’tanyof,theyweregrowingoutof thewater.

Wepausedalittlewaysawayfromthetrees.“Whatisgoingon?”Violetcried.

“Idon’tknow,Ithoughttreesonlygrowonland,”Ireplied,stillabit flabbergasted.

Thesightbeforeuswasalmostindescribable.Itwasamarveloussight.The treeswerespacedoutandthevibrantlightgreenleavesfilledthebranchesandthetop ofthetrees.Somebrancheswerehanginglowabovethewater,somebrushingthe surface,andothersdippingin,creatinglittleripplesaroundthem.Thesunshone throughtheleaves,dapplingthesparklingwater.Butthetreesdidcastshadyspotsin theshimmeringwater.Thetreeswerespacedoutsothattheycreatedseparateshady placeswithatleastfourfeetofshimmeringwaterinbetweenthem.Thetrunks startedatthesurfaceofthewater,therootsbranchingoutineverydirection,some breachingthesurface,pokingout,thendartingbackunder.Morerootsshowedclose tothetrunkwithjustafewpeekingoutfartheraway.Afewleavesscatteredaround onthewater’ssurface.Abreezecameandfewmoreleavesjoinedtheonesonthe surface,atrulybeautiful,tranquil,peacefulscene.

“Shouldwegoin?”Violetasked.

“Sure.”Butaswedriftedthroughthetrees,Inoticedsomethingwasoff.I couldn’tpinpointitthough.Whatwasit?

“Doyounoticethatthetreesaren'tmoving,they’reperfectlystill?”Violet remarked.

“That'sit!”Ishouted.

“That’swhat?”Violetasked,confused.

“That'sbeenthethingthat’soff!InoticedthatsomethingwaswrongbutI couldn’tfigureoutwhatitwas,itwasthestillnessofthetrunks,”Iexplained.

“O...kay,Iwonderiftheleafreachedthebubblebynow,”shesaid,changing thesubject.

“Idon’tknow…”Iwascutoffasasmallwhiteglidercameupfromunderthe water.Thedomedbubblethatcoveredthetopretractedandpeoplefromthecity werethereinside,includingtheElder!“Whyareyouhere?”Iblurtedout.

Heignoredtherudenessandreplied,“Becauseofthatsampleyousentback. Atfirstwethoughtitwasaprank,butwhenwescannedit,itprovedtobethereal thing,notafake.Iwasinformedimmediatelyandweputtogetheraninvestigation partytocheckitoutandlearnwhat'sgoingon,”hesaidinacalm,sophisticatedvoice.

“Oh,”wasallIcouldmuster.

Inavoicethatdemandedcooperationandrespect,theEldercontinued,“Now youmusttellusallthatyouhavelearnedandfound,sowecandecidethefateofour bubblecity.”Hepaused,thencontinuedinasoftervoice,“Icanseetreesallaround, howisthispossible?”

“Therootsreachintothewater,andthetrunkatthewater’ssurface,it’slike thesurfaceofthewateristhesoil,thelandtothetrees,”Violetsaid,alittleunsure herself.

“Canwestayhere?”Iasked.“It'ssobeautiful,Imeanliveonthesurface,like humansusedto,itcouldbe--”

“Silence!”theElderboomed.“Youaren’tunderstanding,”hecontinuedina gentlevoice,“That'stheplan.”

“But…wait,didyousaywearegoingtoliveonthesurface?”Iasked.

“Yes,ifwecanbecertainit’shospitableandsafe,first,”theEldertoldme.He smiled.“Todothat,weneedsomeonetostayhereforafewmonthstomakesure.” Hewinked.Ismiledandmyeyeslitupasunderstandingofwhathemeantdawned.

“Yes,sir,VioletandIvolunteer!”Ideclaredimmediately.Theothersinthe partystartedandVioletgavemealook,thensmiledandnodded.

Smiling,theElderremarked,“Alright,nowthatthat’sbeensettled,wewill makearrangementstoprovidethesuppliesyouwillneed.Thisisofficialbusiness,so don’tgoofoff.”Hewinkedandwalkedbacktotheglider.“Come,weshouldget ready,”hesaidtoalltheotherpeoplearound,andtheyreturnedtothegliderand departed.

Thenextfewmonthswerehecticwithpeoplegoingfromthebubblecityto thesurfaceandback.ForVioletandmeitwasalsocrazy,butitwasawesome.We didstudies,well,Violetdidstudies,andwehelpedbuildhousesinthetrees,bridges thatconnectedthetreestogether,anddocksthatwereattachedtothebottomsofthe trees.Ofcourse,wedidthiswiththehelpofthescientiststobesurethatwhatwe weredoingwouldn’thurtthetrees.

Fiveyearslater,everybodyfromthebubblecitywaslivingonthesurfacein thetrees.Lifehadfoundanewnormalabovethewater.Everybodywasnowsettled intheirnewdwellingsandgettingaccustomedtotheirnewlife.Therewasstill plentyofworktodo,though,constructingbridgesanddocksandmuchmore.But formeitwasidyllic.Mydayswerefullofhardworkbutgoodwork,thatmademe feellikeIwasmakingadifference.Ididn’tseeVioletasmuchbutwestayedin touch.Shewasworkingwithsomeofthescientists,andshehopedtobecomeone, tofindbetterwaysofdealingwiththeweatherandchangingtemperatures.Allof thiskeptmeandVioletbusy,butwestillmadesurethateverynightatsunset,we tookatleastacoupleofminutesandjustwatchedthesky.

Return Gabby Guagenti

The Beast’s Revenge

Mia Baran-Yau

“Revenge!”IyelledasIbitintomyvictimwith mylazersharpteeth.ThenIheardthesoundI hatemost:policecars.Ihavetogetoutofhere,I thought.

Itransformedbackintoahuman,butbythetime IranIwastoolate.Theybroughtmetoacold darkcourtroom.Luckily,Iamthesmartestbeast around.ItrickedthemintothinkingIwas innocentbysayingthatIwasdoingmy deliveriesforAmazon,andIwasrunningoutof thehousebecauseIwasgoingtogethelp. Luckilytheymissedmybloodysmile.

LGBTQ+

Gemma Allexon

Thisissomethingthatgetsalotofhate, butitshouldn't. Peoplesaytheyarenotnormal ortheydon’tbelong, butthatisnottrue. Itisnotachoicetobedifferent, youaredifferent.

LGBTQ+isnotnew, butit’sgrowingrapidly becausepeoplenowhavethecourage tocomeout.

Itdoesnotmatterwhetheryouaregayorbisexual orevenstraight. Youareyou.

Youcanbeapartofthecommunity evenifyouarestraight, justembracetheirdifferences. Letthemlovewhotheylove, letthembewhotheywanttobe. Justdon’tbemean. Letthemfeelcomfortablewithwhotheyare.

Letthemfeel empowered tobethemselves, andtobeapartoftheLGBTQ+community. Foronce,letthemfeelcomfortableinthisworld. Letthemfeelliketheyarewelcome. Letthembe empowered. TheLGBTQ+communityisthefuture, butdon’tforgetthepast. Learnfromthepast soyoudon’trepeatit.

LettheLGBTQ+communityshine forwhotheyare.

My Mother

Juliette Harris

Mymotherpushesmetoliveuptomyability, helpsmewithmyagility, makesmeeatsoIdon’tgetbeat, sheputsmeinsoccerclinics, butdon’tworryIstilldophysics.

I'malwaysonmyfeet, notimetosleep, Wakingupat5:00. Don’tworryI’llsurvive. Idothiseveryday, atleastitstopsinMay, onmybirthday.

Iamusedtothisnow. Youwannaknow-how? I’vedonethisforyears. Idon’tthinkitwilleverdisappear becausemymommakessure Ipersevere.

I’mgladIdoit, because, eventhoughIusedtohaveamillioncramps, Iworkthroughthem, andnowI’machamp. Nothingwouldbepossible withoutmymother.

AssoonasI’mdonewritingthis, I’mgoingtohugher.

Go On

Ellie Reynolds

Sometimesthingsmayseemoutofhand, outofyourcontrol. Youmightnothaveaplan, butyoucanovercomeanyobstacle.

Youmayfeelalone, stuckinadarkroom, butalightshinesthrough acrackinthewall, tellingyou, “Iwillalwayshelpyouup whenyoufall.”

Aoncedarkroom, nowlitwiththeglow ofthevoiceinyourhead saying,

“Youcangoon…”

The

Butterfly Caeli Boris

PinklikeAprilcherryblossoms

LittleheartsaroundtheedgelikeFebruary’sValentine’sday. Brownatthetips,pinkinthecenterwithwhiteheartssurroundingitlikethelastbitof winterfadingintospring.

Therustlingofcherryblossomsinthewind

Thelastdriftsofsnowmeltingonyourpalm

Likeapetaldriftinginthewindrestingonanearlybloompokingoutoftheground. Liketheearlyspringwind,withthatbitofchillofanotquitewarmday.

Thechangingoftheseasons,thegentlestartofsomethingnew. Shy,yetpersistent

Me

photo also by Caeli Boris

The Butterfly

Maddie Rumness

Likeavibrantleafdancinginthewind

Bobbingupanddown

Tumblinggracefullythroughthecurrents

Lightasafeather,itlands

It’sspindlylegscarefullyinchingalongmyfinger It’sbeadyblackeyesscanningit’ssurroundings Cautiouslytrusting,butnervousandonedge It’sscalywingsfluttergentlyinthebreeze Showingoffthehuesoflavenderandviolet Agradientofcolorsfromdarktolight Therichshadesofpurple

Remindmeofaripeplum

Thestripescreateanopticalillusion

It’swingsrustleanditdaintilytakesoff It’ssleekblackbodygettingsmallerandsmaller Until,allIseeisavividpurpleshape

Bobbingupanddown

Likeavibrantleafdancinginthewind

Cyber Murder

Lucas Testa

Theliedetectorresultswereback.Lies.Alllies.I wasn’tlying.Iwasjuststressedtobethere.The presidentofthebiggesttechcompanyinthe world,Megasoft,wasassassinated.Iwasdrivingby whenithappenedandthenwasinterrogatedbya liedetector.Igotinterrogated,andthentheylet mego.Whentheresultsreturnedtheytookme directlytoprison.Iwouldbethereforaverylong time.Whengoingtomycell,Isawamanina darkgownthatlookedfamiliarfromthenews. ThepresidentofMegasoft!

With What You Give Gabriela

Sicuranza

Thankyou, forgivingmelife, forgivingmelight, forgivingme love.

Thankyou, forgivingmehappiness, forgivingmehope, forgivingme ahome.

Thankyou, forgivingmecourage, forgivingmecare, forgivingme confidence.

Withthelife yougivemeIlearnedtotalk, Ilearnedtowalk.

Withthelight yougiveme,Ilearnedtosee, Ilearnedtobe.

Withthelove yougiveme,Ilearnedthatlove iswhatmakesme, me.

Withthehappiness yougiveme,Ilearnedtothrive, Ilearnedthattherearesomany morebeesinthishive.

Withthehope yougiveme,Ilearnedtobeme evenwhentimesaretough. Ilearnedthathappinesswillalwaysbeenough. Withthehome yougiveme, Ilearnedtobegrateful, Ilearnedtobethankful.

Withthecourage yougiveme,Ilearnedtobefearless, Ilearnedtoremaintearless.

Withthecareyougiveme,Ilearnedtobefair, Ilearnedtoshare.

Withtheconfidence yougiveme,Ilearnedtostandtall, Ilearnedtoneverfall.

Untitled

Caeli Boris

Bonds

Vivienne Bailey

Familyandfriends arebonds thatneverend. Theyformthefuture thatlastsforever.

Theyfillyourheart withlotsofjoy, andmakeyousmile brighterthanever.

I’mmorethanthankful, morethangrateful, forhowtheycreate alifeformethat’sgreat, alifethatismorethanfull.

Ifyou’reeversad, theyarethere tocheeryouup. Ifyou’rehappy, thentheyarehappy withyou.

Theytrulymean theworldtome, andIwouldn’tbehere withoutthem.

Eachandeverypersonisdifferent, andtheyareallstrong intheirownways. Theyarelike aboxofchocolates onValentine’sday.

Theyareallsospecial tothisworld andcreatememories thatlastforever.

Friends arepeople youcanrelyon, people whoareimportant toyou. Trustthem

COVID Future of Faith

Leah Kinder

Canyouseetheworldwithoutit?

Onlyconfidencecanhelpusgetthrough. Valiantishowwecanbreakthrough. It’shardtothinkoutsideofthisbox. Don’tthinkaboutthefacttheworldisunfinished,thinkabout Faithishardtomuster. Uniteonsomethingbetterthanyourowngood. Tothinkaboutthefutureistothinkaboutthepast. Unfaithfulpeoplecan’thopeforabetterfuture Roadtothefutureofhopeiscomingclose. Exactlyhowlongitwilltake,

how to fix it.

NO ONE KNOWS

OutofmymindtothinkCOVIDwilleverbegone. Forfaithishow we carry on.

Funishardtohavewhenyouseethehardshipsofthefuture. Alone,wecannotgetthroughthis. Idobelievethatthepastisthekey. Tohavefaithistohopeandtoenvisionabetterplanet. Hopeishardtohave,butthemoreyoulose,themore

hope breaks

Gory Glory

Brooks Gustafson

WhenIwasyoung, Isangasongofglory. Butitsaying’didn’tcomebackso glorious. Theywantedgoryandbloodyglory. Theywantedthepowerthatwedidn’t have. Soallwecoulddowassurrender.

Webecametheirslaves. Workingalifeofshame. But,whenwerebel, whenwerebel.

Wewillfightforourright, fightforourcountry, fightforourfans, fightforourfriends, fightforallyoulove, allyoulove.

Sotherewillbewar, knockingatourfrontdoor. But,weareprepared. Wewillfightgory, andgettheglory. We’llbuildanewcountry.

Butfirst,wemustfightforourright, fightfortheglory, fightforourcountry,(andbealittle gory) fightforourfans, fightforourfriends,(andtheones we’velost) fightforyourlovedones.(yourloved willbeproud)

They’llbehappyyou’realive. Happyyou’restillhere. Remindingyouit'snotover. Andyou’vegotacountrytorule.

Becauseyoufoughtforourrights, fightfortheglory, fightforourcountry,(andbealittle gory) fightforourfans, fightforourfriends,(andtheones we’velost) fightforyourlovedones.(yourloved willbeproud)

AndI’msurethey'reevenhappierto haveyouin, FirstCommand. Butit'snotover,it'snotover, yet.

LIZARD

Maddie Rumness

The Spooky Hayride

Connor Bethel

MyfriendsandIwentonahayridetoenjoytheautumnleaves.Wedidn’tknowwewereheaded downahauntedtrailtoahauntedhouse.Weweregettingcloserwhenmyphonerang.Itwasmy bestfriendwhogotonthehayridebeforeus.Hesaid,”jumpandrun.”Iwassoconfused.I thoughtitwasaprankoratrollsoIdidn’t.Then,Isawwhyhesaidjumpandrun:therewasa hauntedhousewithguardsandturrets.

ThiswasabigNO-NOsoIrantojumpwithalltheboyswhenweweretrappedinadome.Ok, sothisisabiggerNONOthanourlastNONO.So,wehidunderthehay.Ok,soIknowyou're thinkinglike, “Dude, you’re hiding under hay you will be found in like 5 seconds.”Look,itwasthebest wecoulddo.Justsoyouknow,wewerenotfoundin5seconds;wewerefoundin6--ha,take that.

Nowbacktothestory.Wewerestartingtogetclosertothehauntedhouseafterwewerefound in6seconds.MyfriendshadcompletelybetrayedmeandmadeitlooklikeIwastryingtoescape andhide.Iwastrulyfuming;likeliterally,Ithoughttherewassmokecomingoutofmyears. Theywereworkingforthehauntedhouse.IwassomadIwantedtopunchthemintheface100 milliontimes.That'showmadIwas.

Ok,sowewerenowatthehauntedhousegettingforcedintowatchingpeoplegetputintojail cells.IwassoresistantIwasreadytoletthefistsoffuryfly.Thentheypickedmeupandthrew meintoamaximumsecuritycagewithcamerasandeverything,butIwassocertainIwould escapetodayandcallthecops.SoIstartedthinkingofmyescaperoute.Isawaguardholdinga tasersoIlookedaroundforsomethingtograbitwith.IsawastickthatwasjustinmyreachsoI grabbedit.Ireachedwiththestickandgotthetaser.ThenInoticedhealsohadthekeystomy cell!

Ireachedwiththestick,gotthekeys,andhidallofthestuffIgot.Ithengottheattentionofthe guardwhowasguardingmycellandtazedhim.Next,Iunlockedmycelldoorsintothemainhall sneakingaroundonebyonetazingtheguards.Ithenranoutside,foundmyphone,andcalled911.Whentheyarrivedtheykickedthedoordownandarrestedalltheguardsandmyfakefriends. Theyalsoreleasedeverybody.Iwassohappytobefreeandgottowatchthemblowupthe hauntedhouse.Ievengottogetanhonorarybadgeformybravery.Igottogohomeandenjoy timewithmyfamilyandrealfriends.

a web-spun world

Whiletheworldspinsaroundyou, youspinaworldforyou, asimpleworld ofbeauty, ofshiningdew, ofthin webbed strands, ofcapturedinsects wrapped intiny perfect coffins, ofeightlegs, and eighteyes.

Andwhileyouspin youmissthings

Youignore theworldaroundyou. Your eyes misstheaction, thelivesyouoverlook andforget. Still youlive, andstill sometimesyoumisswhatmaylead totragedy. Everyspeciesdoesthat. Humans, obsessedwiththeirappearance, withtheirtechnology, theirclothes, andwhatothersthinkofthem

Youwatchyourweb, youconcentrate almostentirely

M.E. Call on your world, butalso onbugs thatflyevercloser, thehumans thatrunby, late, orearly, orontime tomeetings thatnoonewillremember. Andthedogs thatraceby, humansfollowingclosebehind. Andthebirds whoseeyes stayonyou justwaiting foryoutomove, toconfirm yoursurvival.

Inyourlife, youmissoccurrences, afootcomingdown, anenemybehindyou, abird’sshadow blockingoutthesun.

Orlessimportantmoments, likerips inyourweb thatcauseameal togetaway, orthesharpstingof ahoneybee, orachild'shand freeing aladybug.

I Wish

I wish I wish I wish I wish I had someone to talk to I wish I had something to smile about I wish I had something to want But all comes crashing down like the waves on a rough sea like the cards in a pyramid get blown over Sticks and stones may not break my bones but I might just need a wish.

Only Believing Displays the Meaning

Stella Colic

Readingisbelieving. Therearesomanywords outthere. Theyall havetheirown meaning. Only ifyouarewilling tobelieveit. Everybook hasitsownstory. Eachstory, unique. Allofitcomes fromyourendless imagination. Only ifyouarewilling tothink. You cancomeup withyourown. Makeit empowering. Think ofallthethings youcando withthewords thatyouchoose.

It’salluptoyou. Makeyourwriting comefromyourheart. That’s whereyou’llbe thestrongest, whereyou’llmakepeople shocked.

Justbelieve inyourself. You canchange theworld withyourwords. That’show empowering yourwords are.

Ode to Paper

Andrew Ketcham

Paper,yougloriouscreationofnature. Bornfromladygreenandfactorygrey. Yourinfiniteuses aresodiverse. Isthisthepeakofwhatmancancreate?

Canmannotmake anythingmoreentertaining, useful,ormorediversethanyou?

Ithinkwecannot.

Youmakemesmile onsubpardays anddefeatanynegativeemotion.

ThewayI seeyou, andtheendlesswhiteyouprovide, arelikeasnowyfieldstretchingintoinfinity, muchunliketheinkyblackvoid ofeverydaylife. Lifewithoutyouwouldbeboring. Iwouldfeeltrappedandhopeless. Noman norcosmicdeityofnearinfinitepower cantrulyseetheextentofwhatyoucando. Thoughmanyhavetried, allhavefailed. When somegazeupon youandyour milkywhiteflesh, theythinktheyareaboveyou. Theymightsee somethingthatcanberipped, torn,orevenburned.

Asifyoursufferingmightrelievetheir sadlives.

Peopleshouldlookuponyouinenvy, because withoutyou we wouldbetheonesburning.

Thedirtcheappricethatpeoplesellyouby isinsulting.

Theyassume thatyouareworthpennies, whenyouaretrulyworth thefortunesoftherich.

Paperyouteachusthateventhemost Simplethingscanbeusedinways wecan’timagine.

Thereistrulynoendtoyouruses?

Theworldneedspages,pools,planets fullandbrimming withpaper. Howtheworldbegsfor, needsthefun,freedom, andcreativity ofyou,mypieceofpaper.

DEDICATED TO YOUNG LEARNERS