J.N. Burnett's Literary Magazine Club // Volume 5, issue 1: HOME

ft. works from the jn burnett student body

jn burnett's literary magazine club

home.

november 2020

5-1

editor’s note

The idea of home embodies warm feelings of joy and comfort, yet paints a unique picture for each individual. For some of us, home is a theatre of our private lives, where we awake, where we drift off to sleep, and where we live and eat and return to at the end of the day. To others, home can be found in a loved one’s embrace, or the pleasant aroma of their signature dish. No matter where life leads us, we return to our kindred spirits time after time, people we love unconditionally and with whom we feel free to truly be ourselves.

In the past year, all of us have spent more time at home than we ever could have expected, staying indoors to help keep those in our family and community safe. In JNB Lit’s first issue of the school year, we hope you’ll be able to experience the calm aura of home through a new lens, while exploring fresh artistic perspectives from our school community.

Louise Cham and Maya Uyeno JNB Lit Magazine’s co-editors-in-chief 11/30/2020

table of contents the only place // sam santos editor’s note contents the team jam packed r.e.m. // armaan khunkhun home // tracy yang un-attached // alyssa wong honey haven // julia zhu cozy day // jessie lan red umbrella // yuyu lu the bear necessities // samantha cham the eviction of marco yolo // destiny lang happy birthday // samantha chow home intruder // cadence lung warmth // adrianne namuco the only place // sam santos cuddles // anika ng how are you spending your time at home // bernice guan counting down the days // tiany li in the heart of the country // luca morris you are my home // riley j. dahl tranquil corner // delďŹ a tingala i am hopeless in online learning: a reverse poem // destiny lang new normal // eliana barbosa thank you

the team louise cham maya uyeno samantha yeung claire hung tayla barbosa mary ortega eliana barbosa eunice wan adam title

writers: artists:

photographers:

editor-in-chief editor-in-chief creative + visual director secretary + treasurer social media manager graphic designer graphic designer graphic designer general executive

destiny lang, luca morris, bernice guan riley j. dahl, delďŹ a tingala, sam santos, yuyu liu, armaan khunkhun, cadence lung, samantha chow, tiany li, eliana barbosa, jessie lan, tracy yang adrianne namuco, alyssa wong, samantha cham, julia zhu, anika ng

jam packed: for when you think of home

stay here home happening coming home take you home from me, the moon coffee for now octopus’s garden life goes on cups don’t worry be happy slow motion this december come out and play the light stuck with u (with justin bieber) for lovers who hesitate sweet to me if the world was ending ft. julia michaels

gaho seventeen AKMU diddy baekhyun lav beebadoobee lauv the beatles BTS anna kendrick bobby mcferrin charlotte lawrence ricky montgomery billie eilish chptrs ariana grande JANNABI summer salt JP Saxe

search “spotify:user:jnblitmagazine” to listen to our playlists!

r.e.m.

armaan khunkhun

home

tracy yang

un-attached

alyssa wong

honey haven julia zhu

cozy day jessie lan

red umbrella

yuyu liu

the bear necessities

samantha cham

The Eviction of Marco Yolo destiny lang

Nothing beats the unparalleled joy of returning home. Freshly plucked from a snowy evening, the warmth melted traces of ice on my red jacket as I strolled through the door. The grand building loomed above other houses in the suburb, illuminated by a few faulty street lamps. How I had longed for my return while I was at work! I can only imagine my bliss as I sink into my memory foam mattress. The smell of coffee jolted me awake with hunger, a pleasant distraction from my headache. A perfect hug to rid me of the chilling drafts.

The sweet elixir did the trick! I could feel heat returning to my fingertips, a hint of sweat on my palms. The familiar comfort of chicken meatballs with a side of mashed potatoes relieved my growling stomach. Mindlessly scrolling on my phone, I missed a broccoli floret twice with my fork before I stabbed the vegetable successfully. Apparently, the snowstorm would worsen over the weekend. I closed my eyes and sent my best wishes to anyone who would be out and about; may everyone be dressed warmly, may no traffic accidents happen, may weary children find joy on a snow day and take a well-deserved break from their studies‌ I could not be one of them, for I intended to stay holed up in my home, reading to myself in my pyjamas with the unmerciful winter approaching.

The lady at the library had been kind enough to recommend Edgar Allan Poe to me; the instant gratification of reading short literary classics after work allowed me to reconnect with my childhood of reading chapter books under the covers, flashlight in hand as I flipped through pages until dawn. Walking through the maze of corridors, I found my favourite green beanbag chair in one of the living rooms. If you do plan on visiting me, you may lose yourself in the confusingly intricate maze. I, however, am a master of navigating the mysterious and the mind-boggling, which was how I earned the nickname of Marco Yolo.

Settling into the beanbag chair, I found my limbs to be stiff; perhaps the coffee prevented me from relaxing. Seeking more comfort, I turned right down the hallway and pounced on top of one of the many mattresses in the room. I picked up where I left off in Poe’s collection of short stories — “The Fall of the House of Usher”.

The narrator in Poe’s story described some sort of cracking in his mansion.

Coincidentally, my ears perked up to some stomping upstairs. Perhaps my neighbours were agitated by the snowfall without a book to pass the time.

Ignoring the creaking, I turned my attention back to the tale of the dragon.

To my horror, the footsteps grew louder, soles clacking on my floor. Placing a bookmark in between the pages, I swiftly leapt from the mattress and took cover underneath the bed frame. I felt my lip tremble and my palms sweat uncontrollably. In the fading light, my eyes strained to read the printed words.

In the story, a shield of metal had fallen on the floor. At that moment, the whole building shook. I theorized that someone had jumped upstairs. The footsteps grew closer, and although I dreaded reality, the intruders had entered the room. “Marco…” an eerie voice echoed. Blood pounded with urgency between my ears, adrenaline coursed through my body; in desperation, I attempted to quietly calm my rapid breathing and my shaking hands. A bright beam of white swept the floor, scanning for a human sacrifice. I imagined Roger’s shriek as his undead sister rose from the tomb, dress stained with blood as she fell onto her sickly brother.

“AHHHHHHHHHH!” Blinded by the light, I screamed as if I were undergoing an exorcism. I struggled to open my eyes, and in front of me towered three women in blue. The Fates had manifested themselves in my home, determining my doom before I could live life to the fullest. “Yolo?” Clad in red and ready to plead for my life, I raised my arms up in surrender as one of the women aggressively snipped a loose piece of thread hanging from my sleeve with her scissors.

“Sir, please exit the building immediately. You are banned from IKEA.”

rthday i b y p p a h ow ch samantha

home int ruder ca dence lun g

warm t h

sam santos

CUDDLES

ANIKA NG

How are you spending your time at home? bernice guan

Staying home is the best time to improve yourself Due to COVID-19, many of us are staying at home more than usual. This might seem boring to some people, but there are many things you can do at home.

How you choose to spend your time at home is really up to you. Furthermore, if you use your time in a productive way, you will surely get closer to achieving some of your goals. Many of us have goals, but we just don't take time out of our day to work on them. We may give ourselves excuses and say that we don't have any time, even when we actually do. Even if it's spending just ten minutes more over the weekend or taking time out of a busy weekday, it's still taking time out of your day to help yourself complete your personal goals.

Because we're all stuck spending time at home, there are two ways you can look at the situation: you can either tell yourself that it is so boring that there's nothing to do, or you can say to yourself, “Because I'm staying home, I have a lot more time to work towards my goals and help myself achieve some of the things I want to achieve but never had the time for on a normal weekday.” This is really why some people achieve so much over the summer — because they're spending their time at home wisely. Also, home is more important to us than ever before due to COVID-19. Home can be many different things to many different people, and sometimes spending time at home also means spending more time with family and with yourself. For me, whenever I have time at home, I try to find fun things to do with my family. For example, over the weekend, we went to a park and had a quick picnic. Even something as little as that can bring the comforting feeling of home. For many of us, our houses are warm, comforting, and filled with great positives. But it’s also important to remember not to take something like having a house for granted because there are people who don't actually have a house to live in. In conclusion, time at home can be better spent. The next time a friend tells you everything they've been doing at home and how much they're improving, ask yourself: “Why am I not doing the same thing?”

counting down the days tiany li

In the Heart of the Country luca morris Of course, it’s the same smell as when she left.

That aroma of fine coffee, brewed in a French press, mixed in with pleasant hints of the flowers and plants scattered around the slightly unkempt rooms.

Unkempt in a familiar, endearing kind of way.

Not much has changed except for the angle at which the shadows have set themselves.

It’s roundabout 6 in the evening, as the grandfather tells her upon her entrance.

She does not respond, because he doesn’t require her to.

He’s only the clock, after all.

She shuts the door gently and soundly behind her, to find herself ridding her body of the heavy wool coat.

It protected her in the midst of a fairly snowy day, but it’s now well warm enough in the comfort of the house.

After pulling her boots off, she steps past the wide, precautionary mat at the door.

Down the amber-lit hall and to the left in the living room she finds those two little calico shadows curled up on the incomparably inviting sofa, waiting for her to arrive.

Given an offer she can’t refuse, she sits in between the two of them and flicks on the television.

There’s someone missing, but she doesn’t mind.

She can wait.

Et c'est tellement bon d'être à la maison en premier lieu.

(And it’s just so good to be home in the first place.)

are u o

me

h y m o

y riley j. dahl

delfia tingala

nquil

tra r

n cor e

i am hopeless in online learning: a reverse poem destiny lang

I am hopeless in online learning And I cannot see how I can thrive when I learn I understand that Dwelling on the past is not beneficial No! I need to be realistic “My academic career is doomed starting now�

Thoughts like vampires, draining my energy I lacked The support I need from my teachers I felt Anger and shame on myself I let go of my Hope to do well in virtual schooling In the face of adversity, we all Melt into our beds Lay buried under piles of homework Shrouded in the privacy of darkness We lock ourselves in our rooms Vanishing from a once-crowded school

new normal

eliana barbosa

“the ache for home lives in all of us. the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.�

with love,

JN BURNETT'S LITERARY MAGAZINE CLUB