Cover Photo by Will Sleavin
Was It Ever Enough? by Anonymous 2
Where I’m From by Clare Heinze 4
Perfect World? by Jacob Tong 6
Photo by Will Sleavin 7
Grocery Shopping by Elena Brough 8
Our Ride by Anonymous 13
Family Time by Aleina Nardi 14
Where I’m From by Angela Harris 15
Photo by Will Sleavin 16
A Credit Card by Elena Brough 17
Inhale, exhale
You’ve done this before
You are a well oiled machine
Your stomach doesn’t twist in sickness when you wake up
You heavy eyes don’t beg yourself to go back to sleep It’s simple really
Ignore the aches in your legs from the practice you went to the day before Don’t mind that you didn’t eat this morning
Your body isn’t telling you something is wrong
No
You are stronger than this Get your work done Wring out every cell in your brain
Hate yourself for not being able to just get it done
How will you go to college?
How will you ever build a life for yourself without straight A’s? Your future is at stake
You keep telling yourself you're giving everything you can Are you really?
Come on
You know your better than this Feel the sweat dripping down your face
Seep into your eyes until it burns
Your body knows no other pain like this Your lungs feel like collapsing
Your legs are screaming at you to stop But you still have another mile to run
To get “happier”
That’s what they tell you running does
Do you really want to dip out on yourself?
Why can’t you just be motivated enough?
Normal enough?
Pretty enough?
Why can’t you just be enough?
Why aren’t you enough?
Why will you never be enough?
I rise from the warmth under my blankets; from cotton threads and cozy wear.
I am from the sanctuary at the end of the cul-de-sac, from the hydrangea bushes and the lust fresh air.
I can be a character in Christmas story readings; or be considered one of the hard-workersthanks to Timothy and Tricia and the love that they blossomed.
I dominated at the late night sports games, and danced through the never-ending jam sessions.
I learned that “if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all” and “if you work hard you can achieve anything.”
I relaxed on the back porch on quiet sunday mornings In my land of New England, From warm family dinners, to on-the-go snacks.
From the piece of finger my dad almost lost to Annie the “perfect dog” to the ultimate question; “is this stove hot?” I lie in the piles of the atticand I couldn’t ask for anything more.
In a perfect world, what would be? Would you want me? Would you love me?
Would there be a me for you to love? To hold? To cherish? To be one with? Would I still exist in a perfect world?
Do you wonder, too, who we would be if we were perfect? What we would be if we were perfect?
Do you wonder how much I would change in a perfect world, as much as I do, you?
I don’t have to think much, about the changes in you and I.
I, better, you, unaltered. How exactly do you do it? How can I do it too?
So we can be in a perfect world together, perfect.
So I am deserving of your love, me, perfect. Will I ever be enough to be in a perfect world with you?
It raises the questions:
Would there even be a me for you to love?
To hold? To cherish? To be one with? Would I still exist in a perfect world?
A woman, 35-40 years old, is looking through apples on a fruit display in a grocery store. She picks up an apple, thoroughly examining it, before placing it back down. She grabs another and does the same. The third apple she places in the plastic produce bag she has been holding after examining it. She continues like this for a while, when her son tugs on her sleeve. He is a teen, around 13 years old. He is short for his age, less than 4’9 (the height to be able to ride in the passenger seat in most places).
ZACH Mom.
MOM What? I'm busy
ZACH We've been here for almost an hour, and you've only got us a few apples, a bag of baby carrots, a bunch of grapes, and a few oranges
She either cannot hear him or does not care. Come on mom, it shouldn't take 15 minutes to pick some apples.
She places another apple in the bag.
ZACH I can eat a few bruised apples mom, they're not gonna kill me.
MOM Just go look for some snacks, we need more things for your lunches.
ZACH Health foods aren't snacks Look, I know that you can't taste the difference between a gummy bear and granola, but you don't get to push your weight loss goals onto
me! He huffs. Fine. He walks towards the aisles, away from the produce section.
The mother picks up one more apple, examines it, then places it in the bag, which she then places in the cart
She moves on to the broccoli.
After a bit, her son returns, now with his jacket on instead of wrapped around his waist. It is not zipped up. He is now pushing his own cart, which has a large box of multi-grain crackers, but also many health food items, with bold "low calorie", "sugar free", or "diet", labels.
ZACH I finished shopping for you. Can we go now?
MOM I'm busy getting the broccoli.
ZACH Mom. Let's go home now. It's getting stupidly cold. And we're not even near the frozen section. He begins moving things from one cart to the other.
MOM I'm getting the broccoli! Be patient!
ZACH Oh my- MOM!
MOM Fine!
She grabs a random head of broccoli, moves to the tomatoes, stuffs some in a plastic bag, and throws both in the cart.
MOM
Did you forget anything?
She begins to ruffle through the cart's Contents.
Good afternoon shoppers! We would like to apologize for any sudden chill. Some of our fridges have broken, and we are trying to keep the food from spoiling while we fix them. We appreciate your patience. Thank you for shopping local!
ZACH Come on mom! Let's just go.
The mother picks up a bag of chips. It does not say "low calorie", "diet", "fat free", or anything like that.
She throws it onto one of the vegetable displays.
ZACH Come on! I was going to buy that one with my own money!
His mother does not respond and continues shuffling through the cart's contents.
MOM You forgot the hot sauce!
ZACH What do you need hot sauce for? Pretending you can taste it? We can get it another time. It's freezing!
MOM You'll be fine. Wait here with the cart.
ZACH But
She walks away before he can respond. Zach shivers and zips up his jacket, putting his hands in his pockets for warmth
ZACH You can't even taste the difference between pickles and tortillas. (He is not really talking to anyone)
People have begun moving to the store's entrance. One of them stops next to Zach,
PERSON Are you okay?
ZACH Hm? Oh, yeah. I'm fine, just waiting for my mom to get some hot sauce
PERSON What? It's freezing
ZACH It's fine. I brought those heat-pack thingies just in case my Mom turns the car AC to really really cold. He pulls out a small bag of candy
ZACH Nope, that's not it. And y'know I'm not tall enough to sit in the front seat yet, so I can't change it
He digs into the pockets. Keys jingle, wrappers crinkle, maybe a few wrappers fall out, and he keeps shuffling through the contents of the pocket. Eventually he pulls out one of the heat things out of his pockets and shows the stranger.
PERSON Wha- I- Okay?
ZACH She can't feel the temperature. Or much else really. Got weird nerve endings or something I don't even know why she always gets hot sauce, 'cause she can't taste it. The person stands there, visibly concerned and confused, not knowing what to do, before walking towards the exit doors.
Zach keeps waiting for his mother.
He fiddles with the heat packet.
He takes the bag of candy out of his pocket again, looks around, and quickly opens it and dumps the contents in his mouth.
He tucks the wrapper under a vegatable.
His mother returns, with a bottle of hot sauce.
MOM Okay, we can go now.
ZACH Finally. They begin moving towards the doors. MOM Why are you wearing a jacket? We're inside.
ZACH Did you not hear the announcement thing? The fridges broke.
MOM Hmm.
She doesn't care
END OF PLAY
Would you like a ride?
I’ll take you to the other side
Your thoughts will fade with the smoke from my steed
As life drifts away, all remaining is you
Let me give a ride
You’ll go to the other side
I’ll be no bother to your ride As you are the guide
Please take a ride Travel to the other side
As your thoughts slip, instinct will hitch a ride Taking you further than you could go alone with your conscious mind
Would you like a ride?
You’ll go to the other side
No prayer or demand, begging for salvation
As your instinct is the guide, all will be clear
The ride is your only Your last Your first Your life
Now I must thank you, For this wonderful ride
I am from the freezing winter mornings and the cold ice breeze, From snow days, and christmas music, and attending mass every Christmas eve.
I am from the simmering summer heat, From the bright green grass and dandelions that often made me sneeze. I am the two and half month summer vacation, when students are free.
I am from homemade breakfast, lunch, and dinner, From McDonald’s kids meals and spongebob shaped craft mac and cheese. I am the ketchup addiction which flooded every meal I ate
I am from my mom's secret recipes and famous meat pie, The cooking competition between my parents, which occurred about every night.
From Beau Jo’s Mountain Pie Pizza, and its traditional honey crust.
I am from blond barbie dolls and friends lego sets, From begging my parents for toys and constantly getting upset.
I am from the bone cracking rumors and cherry seed lies.
I am from yearly visits to Santa’s Workshop and sitting on Santa Claus's lap, From four paged Christmas list and my hopes of being on the nice list.
I am from bull cut bangs and tiny little dresses, From booster seats and the constant need of being called ‘cute’
I am from minds filled with big ideas and bigger dream,
From the hard workers and kind hearts who never give up
I am from family vacations to Paris and Greece,
From traveling to Colorado and California to visit the other half of my family
From Connecticut and California.
I am from the ability to make mistakes and smile
Two close friends, Lillian and Clarissa, college age. They are walking down the street, Clarissa is holding a cup of coffee, Lillian is holding two.
LILLIAN (mindlessly takes a sip of her coffee. Burns her tongue. She hisses in pain)
CLARISSA You good?
LILLIAN (gestures to the coffee) Hot
CLARISSA Ouch.
At least you aren't the kind of person to sue the place because you burned yourself with coffee while driving. Melanie was talking about a lady who sued McDonald's for it once.
LILLIAN
Actually, that lady's car was completely stationary, and that is an important trial-
CLARISSA
Yes, yes, helping to establish the idea that coffee is hot and making everyone slap a label that says so on the cups.
LILLIAN How many trials do you hear about hot coffee burns on the news?
CLARISSA ... Like, just the one?
LILLIAN
Exactly! That woman helped ensure the safety of so many people that could get hurt. She had third-degree burns from a cup of coffee. The world is safer now. And I thought you'd like the idea of one of the most popular fast-food chains in the world losing 3 million dollars
because they were taking a shortcut in heating their coffee.
Oh my god, now I get why nobody talked to you in high school, you're such a nerd
LILLIAN I just like knowing things! That's not a bad thing.
CLARISSA Dude, you were so lame back then. (laughs)
LILLIAN You were friends with me.
CLARISSA Fair point. Fair point.
Long pause.
LILLIAN Remember that necklace I got you in high school? A string of pearls... you wore it to prom.
CLARISSA
Ohhhh Yeah, the one with the little heart thingy on it? I think it snapped or something, sorry.
LILLIAN No, it's fine, technically, it wasn't even mine to give.
Clarissa stops abruptly
CLARISSA Wha- wait, are you saying you stole it?
Lillian stops walking
LILLIAN No! I just, I mean Maybe?
No way, you were like, the most goody-two-shoes to ever step foot in a high school, ever Heck, I don't think you'd steal a nickel from someone, even if you found it on the ground.
LILLIAN
It was right after the fight with my mom. The big one.
CLARISSA
But your mom hated pearls, I didn't think she'd have any.
LILLIAN She had a perfectly good credit card
CLARISSA
You took your mom's credit card to buy pearls for a friend? You stole a credit card.
LILLIAN
I was pissed at her, and I wanted to make sure she knew what I did with it. I even left the receipt on her dresser I got in big trouble
CLARISSA
Good for you. You stood up to her.
LILLIAN
Yeah. It was worth getting grounded. Honestly, I thought she'd make a bit more of a fuss about it.
CLARISSA (teasing, overdramatic)
What has the world come to? Lillian, my only child, the most reasonable, responsible human on the planet Earth, stole my, her own mother's, credit card and used it to buy a distasteful piece of jewelry that broke a few months later
Lillian jokingly/gently nudges Clarissa
LILLIAN
Stop it.
No! I don't even know who you are! What other secrets are you hiding? You have a secret billionaire sugar daddy? You plan to drop out of college to pursue a YouTube career against your parents' wishes? *gasp* You're not actually allergic to black pepper and you've been lying to me and every single restaurant we've ever been to?
LILLIAN Oh, come off it.
CLARISSA Secretly British?
LILLIAN laughs and begins walking Come on, let's get this coffee back to Melanie.
CLARISSA
Before she thinks we sued the shop for not labeling the coffee "CAUTION: HOT"?
LILLIAN Shut up ( ) CLARISSA But seriously, is there anything else you haven't told me?
LILLIAN I don't think so?
CLARISSA Good. I- Good. But I've got my eye on you.
LILLIAN Do that all you want; you won't find anything on me.
CLARISSA
Just watch me, I'm a super-sleuth, I'll find some dirt.
Come on, Melanie's waiting.
CLARISSA (Sigh) Fine.
