Marian BURN Literary/Arts Magazine - Spring 2024

[v.14] [i.2]

Marian Literary Arts Magazine

table of contents

Cover: Rage by Lilly Italia ’27

0-1: Table of Contents: Auras by Eden Smith ’24, Bedsheet Boos by Karis Simon ’25

2-3: Western Sunsets by Sienna Maiers ’26, Just a Girl and a Sunset by Sienna Maiers ’26, “Perfect Day” by Moira Harr ’27, “Those Days” by Lily Biggs ’24

4-5: America the Beautiful by Catherine Buescher ’27, Oracle by Abigail McGuire ’25, “Our Last Summer” by Mia Ramirez ’24, “Worn” by Madeleine Smith ’24

6-7: Where the Horizon Disappears by Addison Ostronic ’25, Mask of Blue by Scarlett Wharton ’24, “Enough Said” by Majieahna Winfrey ’25, “Night Owl” by Sophia Sturek ’26

8-9: Whole World in My Hand by Tong Yual ’24, Hualong by Piper Schroeder n’26, “The Mirror” by Dominika Kouassi ’25

10-11: Vulnerable Heart by Brynley Jaros ’27, Don’t Blink by Claire Pogge ’26, “Phoenix” by Zoey Rumbaugh ’26, “I’m Not Crying for Me” by Moira Harr ’27

12-13: Oh Sister, Sister! by Tori Schenkelberg ’24, Telephone by Sarah Esquivel ’27, “A Letter to My Childhood Friend” by Madeline Wear ’24, “Forever” by Chizora Okolo ’24 14-15: The Drama by Scarlett Wharton ’24, Buckley by Lilly Italia ’27, “Know Me to Love Me” by Layla Wilke-Conant ’25 16-17: Starlight by Grace Comstock ’24, Thus a Sun was Born by Grace Comstock ’24, “Love like Icarus” by Caitlyn Dunham ’24, “For Mom” by Layla Wilke-Conant ’25 18-19: Silent Cottage by Brynley Jaros ’27, The Arch by Sarah Egan ’26, “Penelope” by Katherine Dietz ’26, “Dreams” by Ruby Scanlan ’26 20-21: Dumb Luck by Reagan Graeve ’24, Horse by Sofia Bostrom ’26, “Bedroom” by Sophia Sturek ’26, “Being Called That” by Yena Kelly ’25

22-23: El Mismo Sol by Nora Coffey ’25, “If I Could Do It All Again” by Rowan Hamm ’25, Mount Fuji by Piper Schroeder ’26

24-25: The Whale by Maya Zier ’24, Light it Up by Kenadie Rudloff ’24, “Burned” by Lilly McAndrews ’24

26-27: We Have a VERY Special Guest by Tong Yual ’24, “Ser Amado” by Majieahna Winfrey ’26, “Secondhand Smoke” by Hayden Blaney ’26, We Are All Dancers at 5 by Greta Justice ’25

28-29: Running from Time by Bridget McGill ’24, “The Bond of a Sister” by Jane Rohling ’27, “The Wandering Wonderer by Jane Rohling ’27, Misty Mountains by Eva Kriener ’24

30-31: Equivocal by Crystal Gonzalez ’24, Creek by Sarah Egan ’26, “Worrier’s Lullaby” by Macaire Harr ’24, “The Doe” by Rowan Hamm ’25

32-33: Ancient Dreams by Kaylene Bialas ’25, Envy by Ruby Scanlan ’26, “Réveilez” by Leah Helton ’24 “Love Ache” by Coventry Thompson ’25

Back Cover: My Mind Burns with the Cedars as I Descend into Solitude by Elizabeth Buescher ’25

[sculptures by karis simon ‘25]

auras

spring 2024 burn staff editor team: Chizora Okolo, Kenadie Rudloff, Eva Kriener, Madison Shaffar, Elizabeth Buescher, Yena Kelly, Karis Simon, Eden Smith staff: Mary Beatty, Hayden Blaney, Sarah Egan, Lea Fals, Lucy Mendenhall, Claire Pogge, Ruby Scanlan, Piper Schroeder, Hannah Taylor, Kaylene Bialas, Sylvia Borgmann, Abby McGuire, Mary McKay, Hannah Nutsch, Coventry Thompson, Lily Biggs, Caitlyn Dunham, Macaire Harr, Riya Kumar, Lilly McAndrews, Mia Ramirez, Maddie Smith, Scarlett Wharton

Marian presents Burn, a literary arts magazine that strives to showcase the original art, photography, and creative writing of our student body. Burn is published in print twice a year and online at https://burnmagazineonline. wordpress.com. We accept submissions from all grade levels. Our submissions are judged anonymously, and those that are selected are subject to minor grammatical revisions. Burn is a forum for creative student expression. Our goal is to give students a place to publish their work and a place to have their peers appreciate their work. Burn is printed by Interstate Printing Company in Omaha. For the 2023-2024 school year, there will be 800 copies printed per semester. All titles of pieces and page numbers are set in Hiragino Sans W8 font. The writing is set in Avenir Light. The softwares used were part of the Adobe Creative Cloud suite. Our adviser is journalism adviser, Mrs. Marsha Kalkowski. For inquiries, call 402.571.2618 ext 1134, email us at burn@omahamarian.org or write to us: 7400 Military Ave, Omaha, NE 68134.

Visit our website at burnmagazine.org to see honorable mentions, music submissions and more!

[film photo by eden smith ‘24]

just a girl and a sunset

[digital photo by sienna maiers ‘26]

“those days”

[poem by lily biggs ‘24]

Oh, I miss the days

That I used to swim at the public pool

Waving at the lifeguards on the diving board

And being yelled at not to run

God, I miss the days

I used to hang out at the library

Back when I read in my spare time

Instead of being stuck in literature class and wanting to run

Please, I miss the days

I’d laugh and swim and smile at the lake

Make fun of the boys on ATVs

And try to stand on hot sand that would make you run

Stop, I miss the days

Making and filling out a summer bucket list with my best friends

Screaming lyrics out the car window over the speaker at night

And cursing the world for making us go back to school during sleepovers

But those days are over

I’m leaving for college in four months

I feel betrayed by the two I loved the most

My best friends hate me for doing the same thing as them

The future now looks like a monster instead of a sanctuary

I don’t even know what I’m doing anymore

My childhood is over

And this time I can’t run

westernsunsets [digitalphotobysiennamaiers‘26]

“perfect

days”

[poem by moira harr ‘27]

I could live a thousand perfect days

Perfection in a thousand different ways

Some days don’t have enough hours

Like a garden overgrown with flowers

I wish to see more in the everyday blur

And to make my perfect days occur

“worn”

[poem by madeleine smith ‘24]

I am well worn

Well loved, thoroughly felt. In a second hand store I sit on the lowest shelf.

In a second hand store

I am noticed, I am seen. Just like before, These new arms fit perfectly.

I am patched up; Corduroy and silk, denim and yarn. I’ve been sewn shut, Shaking hands healed my bleeding scars.

I will wait for the perfect arms to hold me when I feel small

And I will wait for the perfect friend to run with down the hall

Just because I was already loved doesn’t mean I can’t be loved at all.

Just because I was already loved doesn’t mean I can’t be loved at all.

I’ve seen the world:

Bedrooms and farms, forests and cities of light.

I’ve held the world:

Held her close as she held me tight.

I will wait for the perfect arms to catch me when I fall

Just because I was already loved doesn’t mean I can’t be loved at all.

I’ll always remember the sound of the rain

I’ll always remember the song of her pain

Her tears stain my faux fur, her laughter possesses me

Another life waits to bring me to my knees.

I will wait for the perfect heart to become the perfect friend,

Just because I was already loved doesn’t mean I can’t be loved again.

I will wait for the perfect arms to catch me when I fall

Just because I was already loved doesn’t mean I can’t be loved at all.

I’ll always remember the sound of the rain

I’ll always remember the song of her pain

Her tears stain my faux fur, her laughter possesses me

Another life waits to bring me to my knees.

In a second hand store

I am noticed, I am seen. Just like before, These new arms fit perfectly.

[mixed media by abigail mcguire ‘25]

“our last summer”

Cozy summer nights with a fire underneath my chin

Wrapped up in a blanket I can feel my teeth shiver

It’s finally warm again but I feel under the weather

A heavy storm is coming, for who knows how long

It’s a 4 year long memory run

I can’t believe it’s over in 3 short months

The clouds are gloomy but I can see the glimmer On a sunny afternoon when we all say “Don’t you remember?”

burn

where the horizon disappears

[digital photo by addison ostronic ’25]

“night owl”

[poem by sophia sturek ’26]

people always ask me “why do you stay up so late?” i think the answer is simple the daylight is loud the daylight is expectations and worries and conversations i don’t want to be a part of however the nighttime is quiet the nighttime is peace where i can be myself while no one else exists

“enough

[mixed media by scarlett wharton ’24]

said”

[poem by majieahna winfrey ’26]

I hid from myself

I hid from my people

I hid from my heart

I hid from my thoughts and I hid from my soul

Yet I said before you

As 100% myself

Honoring 100% of my people

Holding 100% love in my heart

Respecting 100% of my thoughts

And embracing 100% of my soul

That should be enough said

About my growth

My prosperity

And my persistence

And how pain is 100% temporary

[digital art by piper schroeder ‘26]

“the mirror

[poem by nika kouassi ‘25]

Every day long hard-worked sweat drips down my skin

But not because I’m exercising

Not because the sun is beating down my skin

I’m swearing because I’m -

Every day I fight for my place but not because I’m angry

Not because I want to

I’m fighting because I’m -

Every day, I have something to prove

But not because I’m expected to

Not because I don’t work hard

I always need to prove myself because I’m -

Every day, I look in the mirror

But not because I’m self-conscious

Not because I have impurities I’m looking in the mirror to remember

whole world in my hand

[painting by tong yual ‘24]

Remember the woman before me

The women after me

The woman in the mirror

I’m adoring the woman in the mirror to remember

She who has sweat.

With the sun beating down on her back

She who has fought.

For a place at the table, a place on stage

She who still has to prove herself, Every day.

She who look s in the mirror and seems to think she lacks

However,

When the reflection of her breathing, loving, everlasting body

She stares into her own eyes

She needs to remember, she is beautiful being Black.

“i’m not crying for me”

[poem by moira harr ‘27]

I’m not crying for me

Well, that’s mostly true

These tears are for your pain

And everything you’ve been through

The condensation in my eyes

Is because my imagination holds details

Because silence is deafening

Yet every single word fails

I’m crying because it’s permanent

And how do you comprehend?

How do you in future years

See pieces you can’t mend?

I weep because your life is changing

It flipped completely upside-down

Now and forever there are plans

That will never come around

I cry for the moments you had

For all the moments you’ll miss

And I know you know you have to live

With all the moments like this

Water gently rolls down my cheeks

My heart goes out to you

And I sincerely hope you don’t forget

To cry for yourself too

The sweet warmth of fire Destroys my homeNothing but ashes to call it now.

But it’s going to be ok.

Because we don’t have nothing. We have each otherand that’s enough.

So we’re going to wipe our tears

Dust off our ashes pick ourselves up And pull ourselves out

Because now it’s time. It’s time to rise upHand in handand build ourselves a better life.

oh, sister, sister!

[digital photo by tori schenkelberg ‘24]

“forever”

[poem by chizoro okolo ’24]

forever comes and goes like the blowing wind in and out side to side here and gone again forever was only a second or maybe it was three filled of bliss and love sorrow and pain lyrics and melodies forever waved hello and then goodbye again forever is constant and spontaneous ending and beginning filling and barren forever is a concept like love and happiness forever is a lie sinking deeper into an abyss

“a letter to my childhood friend”

[poem by madeline wear ’24]

[pencil drawing by sarah esquivel ’27]

telephone

I drive past your house every day

And the circle where we learned to ride our bikes

I see all the games we used to play

And the trees we climbed on our hikes

I miss the summers spent together

And the winters outside

We were friends in every weather

Standing together against the changing tide

We thought we would never leave each other

We made promises to stay

But time led us to another

And we drifted away

I have never stopped worrying about you

Not that you’re doing anything wrong

Just because our conversations are so few

And I don’t know how you’re getting along

This is all just to say

I miss you

And I hope that you’re ok

buckley

[acrylic paint by lilly italia ‘27]

“know me to love me”

[poem by layla wilke-conant ‘25]

I am not clay. You don’t need to mold me, To change me to fit your desires, So you can love me.

I am more like a book. Read though my stories, Listen to my past and be present in my future, So you can know me.

the drama

[mixed media by scarlett wharton ‘24]

“for mom”

[poem by layla wilke-conant ’25]

Mothers. They feel the sorrow, and take the pain, so we don’t have to. They grab our hands, and tiptoe us through: Sicknesses, Sassiness, Missed curfew, Anger, Detentions, Ignorance, Parking tickets, Frustration, Deadlines, And tears. All those tears. They lead us through life.

a sun was born [digital art by grace comstock ’24]

They are there for what feels like our life’s love, For what turns into our first heartbreaks. They sit in the passenger seat while we take to the wheel, And they watch as we take to our first jobs.

So daughters, Be there when mothers need it. Remember how they were there for you. From your baby steps, To your baby’s steps.

Be there. Because they were for your first breath, So you could be there for their last.

[digital art by grace comstock ’24]

“love like icarus”

I would rather live and love and burn Than exist in the frozen chill of your absence [poem by caitlyn dunham ’24]

burn 17

silent cottage

[watercolor

“penelope”

[poem by katherine dietz ‘26]

Every day, I wait for your return Every single day you were gone I waited

I fended off all those who would have me Those who would ruin our family Days Months

Years went by without a word Until you returned And while I kept my oath You did not keep yours

by brynley jaros ‘27]

“dreams”

[poem by ruby scanlan ’26]

Dreams are the most wonderful gifts Mirrors into the deepest depths of our souls

When the line between reality and imagination shifts This blessing, although have taken many tolls

When you wake up, You are jolted awake

Angry, was the dream was just beginning to build up Trying to fall back asleep is a goal you should forsake

It’s futile, it’s all pointless

[digital photo by sarah egan ’26]

[poem by sophia sturek ‘26]

she’s quite a messy person says the many cups cluttered together on the bedside table and the socks strewn about on the floor

quite a childish person too says the bright colors of the room and the mountain of stuffed animals on the bed

definitely a reader as well says the many books placed in the bookshelves and the one on the bedside table with a bookmark placed in its pages

I wonder what she’s up to now? says the polaroids of her and her friends tucked in the frame of her mirror

she’s not here right now says the empty bed and missing backpack wherever she is, I hope she’s having fun

[collage by reagan graeve ‘24] dumb luck

Like most, I was given a name. This name helps me fit in I always respond to it

Yet I feel nothing being called that.

I believed I was bound to it This name is not special to me

It’s normal

Until I learned some feel connected What they were given holds meaning

Surely, that’s not normal

Unlike most, I gave myself a name Though I stand out Perhaps I like it that way

Maybe I feel something being called that

“being called that”

“if i could do it all again”

[poem by rowan hamm ’25]

Life is short when you’re wishing for the future

Jump the fence but beware of the big black dog

Wade through the water but make sure you don’t cut your feet

Jump from every tree and don’t be scared of scraped knees, they’re only temporary

Never stop playing dolls - even when you’re told that you’re too old for them

Don’t wish to grow up, enjoy every moment of life you’re given

Pretend to be asleep every time the car door opens and hug your dad extra tight when dad carries you inside

Keep the nightlight on and don’t be embarrassed to giggle when you are warned about bed bug bites

Getting a bad grade on your spelling test isn’t the end of the world, spelling is ovurated anyways

*intentional spellings

Let your hair tangle, brushing it out is a pain if you’re too short to see yourself in the mirror

Tear through the yard looking for fairies, they hide in unexpected places

Embrace grass stains, shows you’ve braved the wild jungle of your backyard

Tell big stories and laugh as loud as you wantthis is your world to inhabit

Wearing pink doesn’t make you weak, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise

Let your lunch show and make friends - you’re one of them whether you recognize it or not

Remember who you are and take up space in this world; this life was given to you and beauty is packed into every moment

[digital photo by nora coffey ’25]

mount fuji

[alcohol markers by piper schroeder ’26]

light it up

I burned your letter.

Hidden in my desk.

I lied to you.

Your words now ashes.

“burned”

I told you that I kept it safe all these years.

Our memories now forgotten.

I couldn’t leave your letter there.

Sitting in my desk.

I crumbled it up.

Forgot your handwriting.

Forgot who we were.

I burned your letter.

I wish I could burn the desk.

The desk that kept those memories safe for so long.

[oil painting by kenadie rudloff ‘24]

[poem by lilly mcandrews ‘24]

we have a very special guest [watercolor and colored pencil by tong yual ‘24]

sitting on a post with myself who i love most i came to think of a day where i can say what i wanted to say a day where i can get lost lost in my thoughts i must where everything is up and gone up and gone like dust one day where i can wish upon something o’ so far that how i am is enough enough to shine like a star but maybe days like that will come and those days i hope to reflect on how much i’ve come to love myself because she’s all i have left

“ser amado”

[poem by majieahna winfrey ’26]

we are all dancers at five

[mixed media by greta justice ’25]

“secondhand smoke”

[poem by hayden blaney ’26]

I didn’t know

That you inhaled my secondhand smoke

Ash in your lungs

Let you get burned just for fun

You were too perfect

Too perfect for me

And it took me too long to let you go free

So as I watch you go

Please try to exhale my secondhand smoke

Right Left Right Left

“the wandering wonderer”

As far back as I can remember, As far ahead as I can see, The path I walk stretches out for what seems like eternity. I wander. I wander.

I wander this path full of sharp, thorny vines and crystal clear skies. Then I stop and I think I think then I wonder I wonder what happens at the end of this wonder The wonder that never ceases to amaze

In all of its beauty, In all of its ways

That seems to trap me in the mystery of its maze

running from time

[poem by jane rohling ‘27]

[graphite by bridget mcgill ‘24]

“the

bond of a sister”

[poem by jane rohling ’27]

The Bond of a Sister never fails

Not even when the wind is knocked out of your sails

The Bond of a Sister is one of friendship and love It doesn’t need to be that shares the same blood

The Bond of a Sister is more than all that It is one of life

One that words cannot even describe

You may get caught in the crossfire

You may be struck down

Drug through the mud

Your hands scraped and covered in blood

But here I am, your sister will protect I will shield you from the rain I will share in your pain

I will stay by your side, lend you a shoulder when you cry

We don’t need to be related by blood

Because you are my sister

And the Bond of a Sister is one of courage and love

misty mountains

[digital photo by eva kriener ‘24]

“worrier’s

[poem by macaire harr ‘24]

lullaby”

When worries seem big, just look to the stars and imagine how small they’d be on mars

I’ll stay next to you, keep you safe through the night just as the moon loves the earth but can only give light

You are small to the redwood and large to the bee but you take up my world like the lock to my key

Don’t be scared to go far or ashamed to stay close because I’ll always be here when you need me the most

So say goodbye to the day and welcome the night, because letting things leave is not something to fight

[digital photo by sarah egan ‘26]

equivocal

[digital

art by crystal gonzalez ‘24]

No matter how careful, the doe is in danger.

‘‘the doe’’

[poem by rowan hamm ‘25]

She can dream of days spent in the sun, closing her eyes gently as the warmth caresses her small face but red eyes always lurk.

The diligent honing of his senses keeps the wolf’s attention locked on sweet doe

His nose is strong enough to find her with his eyes shut as if her slaughter is his birthright

She can prolong the chase -

Teach herself the quietest route from the stream to the forest,

Learn how to listen and how to run,

How to stay out of his way and not draw attention to herself and her fawn -

But she knows how she must go.

All she can do is hope that he will have the decency to devastate her sacred body where the spring flowers can bloom through her open ribs.

“love ache”

I gave that deep love back even when there was none for me. I said “hi” when all I got was silence in response. Was kind even when it hurt my heart. Oh, my heart hurts so bad now. I wish I was too mean, too judgmental, or just too scary.

There is a cure for those things. There is no cure for the heart of a girl who loves too hard.

ancient dreams

[mixed media by kaylene bialas ’25] [poem by coventry thompson ‘25]

I always thought the reason I feel lonely is because I’m not good enough. So I tried to be. I shared my secrets. Never judged. Stood back as you got the spotlight. Said “I’m fine.” To spare you the pain. Returned every text even when I got no response.

When really all I do is love too hard. When I was with you I felt love. Real and true as the sky above me and the gravity that keeps me down.

by leah helton ’24]

Nous sommes les creatures de notre destruction? Il est trop tard pour se réveiller?

Téléphones, Snapchat, Tik tok, l’internet sont ne bon Technologie est comme un cauchemar. Premier il est un rêve.

Mais un rêve avec non s'échapper est un cauchemar instagram filtres, et AI générateurs et nouvelles Comme dans un rêve, notre réalité est déformée

Comment nous savons que est vrai?

Comment nous pouvons fin le cycle?

C’est temps à réveiller

Revenir à la réalité

Voir le monde dans la vrai vie, ne pas sur un écran

Réveillez, réveillez, réveillez

spring 2024