The Beach

A cool breeze, whistling to me

Water vapor softly cooling my face

Sand beneath me, between my toes

Not scorching, as it usually is on a hot day like this

But giving me warmth

Spreading throughout

As I lay, looking out

Into the vast, glistening ocean

Sparkling, as if a thousand crystals were dancing on its surface

Certainly enjoying themselves

As am I

On this wonderful afternoon

At the beach

Water trickling down jagged rocks.

Birds jumping from tree to tree.

The sun edging through the trees.

Moss permeating through the dead plants.

A light mist hangs in the air.

Deers convene in a spring.

The water glistening under the sun.

Clouds racing through the sky.

The wind howls by.

A panther calls for his kind.

This is the jungle.

By: Ella Keenan

Once young and bright

Your formerly pink, blush fur

Now matted and gray

From all those late nights

Protecting me until day

Stuffing now lost

From countless hugs,

Trips, and washes

Now your back is curved

To fit under the crook of my chin

Your short, clumped fur

Once lavish and bright

Though faded,

Still soft and soothing

Like a feathery pillow against my skin

Your gentle aroma

Only noticeable by me

Releases gusts of my childhood

Smelling like laughter and play

Your light brown nose

On the tip of your pure white snout

That could once pass as a mound

Of freshly fallen snow from the wintry sky

Now dusted with gray

But still manages to retain its softness

Due to endless kisses

Causing it to feel like velvet under my skin

You were always there

In every moment

From when I was on cloud nine

To when I felt like I hit rock bottom

Your floppy ears

Danced in the air

When you soared

Around the room

Like an angel

In my arms

The top of your head

Has absorbed what feels to be

Waterfalls of tears

Over what seems to be

Endless years

And although invisible

To the human eye

I can see your compassionate, tender smile

From light-years away

You watch the days go by

Watching all the endless dawns

Of morning rays

Followed by ceaseless sunsets

Revealing the lavish night sky

Each day, you sit and look back

On the good old days

The days where we would do nothing

But sit and play

Now,

You sit at home alone

From the crack of dawn

To the pitch black of night

I see you watching from the shelf

With pity in the black voids

You call eyes

I sometimes hear you

Call out in sorrow

As our laughable moments

Slip away

Day by day

Years go by

Less laughter

Less tears

You wonder where you will be

In the next few years

You watch the scary movies

From your spot in my room

You watch in awe

As I no longer pear over the covers,

No longer hiding my face with fear

You realize that I no longer

See the shadows of the trees outside

As monsters

From under my bed

You watch as I no longer

Jump from chair to chair

Fearing the floor

Is a pool of lava

Waiting to sear my skin

All you see now

Is my lifeless room

Until the day’s chaos slows

And the late night starts to show

Except now,

When I leave in the morning

I can almost hear the faint whisper

Of your non-existent voice

Soothing, gentle

Softly begging me to stay

Although worn with age

Your once pink, blush fur

Now matted and gray

From all those nights

Protecting me until day

Then it dawned upon you

No one could love you

The same way

By: Emily Lam

I nervously reach the leather seat.

My fingers tremble above the white and black keys.

Without further thought, I brought myself to play.

My fingers swiftly run across the piano,

in accordance of each note in my music sheets.

From flats, sharps, and naturals,

I gradually play at roaring volumes.

The cool, cold pedals enhance the sound,

while I occasionally check my pace.

I make a mistake,

and desperately attempt to continue playing.

My body gets much tenser,

and my fingers feel like a doll’s.

I end the song carefully,

then I slowly stand up to bow.

By: Elise Chang

The sun shining

A flashlight in my eyes

The aroma of a pink, cloud like treat roaming through the air

As I wait in this never ending line

My hands shake tremendously

A gust of wind passing me

Carrying the sound of screams that came by

All of a sudden I am in a metal cart

A metallic bar separating my escape

The cart thrusts forward following the tracks to my doom

My eyes petrify with horror as the cart takes an unforeseen turn

The cart comes to a halt as I slowly regain consciousness

The silver bar now free as I make my escape

My feet relax on the motionless ground that is below me

As I turn to take my next journey of torment

By: Shivang Kulkarni

Shades of green all around

Covers people from the sun

Bright, beautiful trees

By: Shivang Kulkarni

Roaring like lions

Sending shivers through the ground

Waves endlessly crash

By: Shivang Kulkanri

White, wispy clouds high

Like a canvas in the sky

Staring back at us

By: Srishty

Waiting for the sun to set

for the lingering warm hues of day to fade

out of the sky

like water trickling

through a stream

in the woods

Only to be replaced

with the inky black dome

of the night sky

Like a blanket

with a myriad of stars

piercing through

Those beacons of light

seeming to us

inside our encased

cocoon-like worlds

as though they were still

living entities

and not only remnants

of long gone souls

somewhere in the universe.

Isn’t it funny?

that our stories

our myths

and our history

are intertwined

with points of light

that are memories of what

there used to be.

Then again,

should we not all aspire

to have such lasting legacies

as do the stars?

Even though

their light faded

like a dying flame

millions, billions, trillions of miles away

the vestiges remain

as a reminder

and a remembrance

We can only hope

that the memories

and the stories told

after we leave this world

are eloquent as the ones

told by the stars in the night sky

By: Diya Parikh

She stretches her arms out,

Of this cage called world,

Staring up at the sky,

Knowing that she was meant to fly,

The stars peak out from the clear night sky,

They were a thousand diamonds to the little girls eye,

The cool nights breeze tickled her feet,

For she knew the spirits were dancing to a beat,

Her wings will grow,

Like the universe a long time ago,

For beautiful creatures cannot be confined,

Everything will be alright with a little time,

Once again she looked up at the night sky,

Like a kid does to apple pie,

As she tasted her cold, salty tears,

She hoped to not have to wait for years,

The girl wiped her eyes,

And was taken by surprise,

Her wings had grown back,

And was dancing in the sky