Fighting Corona

g n i t h g Fi a n o r o C

Poetry and prose by the young writers from H.W. Harkness Elementary in conjunction with 916 Ink.

Fighting Corona Poetry and prose by the young writers from H.W. Harkness Elementary in conjunction with 916 Ink.

© Copyright 2020 by 916 Ink. All rights reserved.

Published by: 916 Ink 3301 37th Avenue Sacramento, CA 95824 ISBN: 978-1-952127-16-8 Cover art: Angela Tannehill-Caldwell, Shutterstock.com

About 916 Ink 916 Ink is the only arts-based literacy nonprofit in the greater Sacramento region dedicated to providing creative writing workshops for youth, ages 5-25, to transform them into confident writers. We empower students to become the authors of their own lives, one published story at a time. Since 2011, we have served over 3,000 kids in the Sacramento Region, and published more than 100 publications. Our mission is to empower children and youth through creative writing. We envision a Sacramento region where every child and teen is given access to a creative writing program that leads them to believe in themselves and to understand the power of the written word. Learn more about us at www.916ink.org, or send an email to info@916ink.org to learn how to become involved.

DISCLAIMER

This is a work of fiction and poetry. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The author and publisher hold exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. Copyright 2021.Â

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Dear Reader, What you hold in your hands is the hard work and dedication of a community of youth and adult writers working together to tell stories that inspire, entertain, and heal. At 916 Ink, we teach young people how to write, listen, and support each other in the pursuit of creating literary art.

The words in these pages are carefully chosen and crafted to reflect their unique voice.

This book is a celebration of “taking the yes,” which is a motto of 916 Ink students. “Taking the yes” means that students are unafraid to collaborate with each other and themselves. It might sound weird—how does one “collaborate” with his or her own self? By shutting down the inner critics in our head that tell us that we aren’t good enough, our stories don’t matter, or what we might say is stupid or unnecessary. Stories are how we create meaning and make sense of the world. What’s better than to teach young people how to tell stories, create meaning out of their lives, and understand the world?

Creative writing carves a path to a better life. Writers know this, but maybe the rest of the world doesn’t. A writer is someone who truly gets to live twice—once through their senses and once through the page. Everyone needs writers. Favorite television shows? Go thank a writer. News articles?

Thank a writer. Education? Writers wrote the curriculum. Business? Can’t happen without writers creating marketing tools and business plans. Writers make the world go around.

By reading this book you’ve supported the growth of a writer. Thanks. Please consider making a donation to this great cause on our website at www.916ink. org if you’d like to further our mission of populating the planet with youth who can “take the yes,” and lead a happy life.

Ink-tastically yours,

The 916 Ink staff, the Board of Dreamers, volunteers, and youth writers

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From the Wordslinger Dear Reader, This publication you are about to read is a testament to the resilience and undying positivity of the young writers here at Harkness Elementary. After the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, school shifted online.

Learning over Zoom brought forward unimaginable challenges. Yet, these writers faced them head-on with laughter and bright smiles.

At Harkness, Brenda and I stepped into the undefined online after-school space. A time that already feels like limbo, even in person! But these students showed up eager for this program. Their excitement and positivity grounded us and gave life. Even after long, frustrating school days, they would show up week after week, ready to write. At the end of our calls, they would ask to stay a few minutes longer—just one more prompt!

I would also like to thank Christina, who was our volunteer Inspirator. Every Thursday, she hopped on these calls while simultaneously spearheading 916 Ink’s new ReadOn! program. Her contribution to the classroom culture and student confidence cannot be understated. Christina, you are appreciated!

I am so delighted to present this anthology. These students’ eagerness for storytelling and passion for justice defines their writing. They see the failings of our world, but instead of dwelling in the negative, they envision a brighter, better future for us all.

Now curl up grab some tea or cocoa or coffee and find someplace nice to read.

I hope you will allow the words of these young people to speak to you as much as they have spoken to me.

Best,

Zuzu

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Acknowledgments Zuzu Schmitke

Wordslinger

Brenda Nguyen

Wordslinger

Christina Nelson

Inspirator

Katie McCleary

Founding Executive Director

Michael Spurgeon

Founding Board President

DJ Waldow

Board of Dreamers, President

Dr. Beatrice Tetteh

Board of Dreamers, Vice President

Shelley Blanton-Stroud Board of Dreamers, Secretary Kathy Flynn

Board of Dreamers, Treasurer

Chris Worden

Board of Dreamers

Daniel Kaufman

Board of Dreamers

Lynn Lizarraga

Board of Dreamers

Rekha Tejpal

Board of Dreamers

Vince Wong

Board of Dreamers

Xenia Schutt

Board of Dreamers

Ian Hadley

Executive Director

Angela Tannehill

Creative Director

Allison Stelly

Director of Development

Nikki Cardoza

Director of Programming

Paulette Greenhouse

Program Manager

Jay Oatis

Program Coordinator

Emma Hoppough

Production Coordinator

Maria Gavia

Office Manager

Christina Nelson

ReadOn! Program Manager

Tory Scott

Bookslinger

Will Evans

Outreach and Development Associate,

AmeriCorps VISTA

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Contents Group Work. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Mr. B’s Vampire Family Adventures: When Blood Dripped. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Jonah Garcia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Werewolf Chronicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Super Kitty Adventures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Justice Pinkney. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Untitled. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Roberto Cabrera-Arzola. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 My Favorite Color, Blue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Bomb Box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 A Gift. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Siren Head. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Goblin Planet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Secilia “Maire” Beacamontes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Kindness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Born to be Kind and Respectful. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Always There for Me. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Selena Chen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 A Gift to the World. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 The Fate of The World. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Why me!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Life Saver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Wordslingers and Inspirators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Love from the Land of the Living. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Climbing Shoes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

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Group Work

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Mr. B’s Vampire Family Adventures: When Blood Dripped Group Story

There once was a vampire named Mr. B who lived in a castle that sat high on a big hill. It was scary and haunted by ghosts. His grandfather had carved every single brick by hand to build it.

Mr. B was searching for people to be his companions because he was lonely and he needed help for a very, very important mission. He went out to New York City to find some companions. He realized that with his black robe he looked nothing like a human, so he wore a disguise. He found himself a suit in a locker inside his castle and put it on. He looked in the mirror and saw his brown shaggy hair and blue eyes.

First, he decided to go to a vampire restaurant called Blood Donalds, and he ordered a blood burger because he was hungry. He ate it in one bite and went to a nearby apartment. There was a security doorman who said, “Show me your worker ID. There is valuable information in this apartment.”

The vampire hypnotized the security doorman so that they would let him in.

Mr. B chose the first door he saw once he was inside and knocked.

The door opened, and he saw a family: a mom, dad, and their two sons. The vampire hypnotized them so they wouldn’t be scared and then proceeded to bite them all. The whole family became vampires just like him.

While they were still hypnotized, Mr. B took them back to his castle. He made them popcorn and they watched a movie together. Afterward (when the family was no longer hypnotized) Mr. B took them outside for a tour of the castle grounds. He took them to the Great Pond that sat between Mr. B’s castle and the real world.

Mr. B told them, “This pond is filled with creatures both kind and deadly, so be careful.”

Suddenly, a giant sea monster with a dozen tentacles popped out of the Great Pond and landed on the ground. It roared ferociously at the vampires. The family of new vampires jumped back in horror, but the monster’s tentacles wrapped around them and lifted them into the sky.

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Mr. B launched into action. He ripped the tentacles right off the monster’s body with his super vampire strength and saved the family. While the vampire family lay gasping on the ground, Mr. B looked up and saw that the sea monster had regrown even more tentacles!

“Attack its eye! That’s its weakness!” yelled Mr. B. The vampire family stood there with blank expressions on their faces. They only knew how to do human things.

Mr. B realized that his vampire friends did not know how to be vampires yet.

He turned into a fruit bat (the biggest kind of bat) and used a super-jump to land on the head of the monster. He bore his fangs and pierced the eye directly in its center. The sea monster thrashed its tentacles around as they slowly dissipated into dust. A thin layer of ash floated on the surface of the Great Pond.

Mr. B launched back off and returned to the ground. The other vampires were completely amazed.

“We want to do what you just did!” said one of the sons as they all headed back to the castle.

Mr. B said, “The first thing to know about being a vampire is having to track and be good at finding things. Let’s see if you can find the secret training room.”

The family looked at each other because they were still very confused.

One of the sons raised his hands and said, “This is silly; how are we going to find a secret room if it’s so secret?!”

He leaned his elbow against a torch on the wall, and it moved!

The wall opened to reveal a staircase leading farther down into the castle. The family followed it down and saw a great training hall with vaulted ceilings.

There was an obstacle course and a really fancy ghostly spider coach with four eyes (and two monocles) wearing a suit and a bowtie.

It waved from below and said, “Hello all, my name is Mr. Ghostington.”

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“Mr. Ghostington here can teach you all sorts of things, such as how to transform into a bat for flying and how to turn invisible. He’s an expert on all things vampire and has been a tremendous friend to me and my family,” said Mr. B. “Let’s get you all some training capes,” said Mr. Ghostington, and he revealed a collection of old, sweaty, and tattered capes hanging from one of his ghostly legs.

The family grabbed them with disgust and put them on.

“Now start spinning,” commanded Mr. Ghostington. They shrugged at each other and started spinning in small circles for quite a while.

After nearly 30 minutes, one of the sons said, “Ugh! I’m getting dizzy—can we stop?”

“Absolutely not! We need to go at this for a minimum of two hours for a beginner vampire.”

Four hours later, the family all collapsed in exhaustion. When they woke up, they were finally invisible! They were very amazed.

Mr. B walked down the staircase and clapped slowly. “Looks good, but we have a long way to go if we’re going to take on Sun Blazer. In fact, we only have three days to prepare.”

He nodded at Mr. Ghostington, who nodded back at him.

“What?? Who is Sun Blazer?” asked the dad.

Mr. B took out an ancient scroll from his robes and told them all about Sun Blazer.

“He is a fearsome beast, the father of all monsters. He has the legs of a human, the body of a fish, giant wings, tentacle arms, and, and scariest of all, a huge head that is a sun. Sun Blazer has the power to control the minds of monsters.

Most vampires are allergic to the sun, but we have known of Sun Blazer for a long time and have learned to avoid him.”

The family of vampires looked at Mr. B skeptically.

“Are you for real?” the oldest son said.

Mr. B nodded. “I would never tell you something that wasn’t true. Especially something that horrible.”

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“Did you not see that giant sea monster?” Mr. Ghostington piped in his fancy British accent. “That was no accident!”

The family was shocked.

“What are we going to do?” The mother asked.

Mr. B looked at the family and at Mr. Ghostington. “We will have to train you all. And quickly, at that!”



“They are ready,” Mr. Ghostington announced.

After three longs days, the family finished all of their training with Mr. Ghostington. They could now turn invisible at the drop of a hat as well as turn into bats. They learned how to suck people’s blood, fight, and use their super strength.

“Then let’s get to it. We have the father of monsters to defeat!” Mr. B said triumphantly.

“How are we going to find Sun Blazer?” asked the mother.

“I know where he lives, and I have a special car for trips like these,” said Mr. B. He took the family to his garage. Behind the garage door was a blood-red sports car that had boosters and wings on the sides.

“Where will we find Sun Blazer?” asked the dad.

Mr. B pointed at the sky.

“Like, literally in the sun?” the youngest son asked.

“No, he is a star much farther away than our own,” said Mr. B. The family’s jaws dropped. They had no idea that vampires could go into space.

“No more questions,” said Mr. B. “We need to get the Sun Blazer’s layer before he raises all the monsters on Earth and destroys everything.”

Mr. B and the family packed into the car and took off out the castle. The sailed far above the Earth and launched past the atmosphere into space. The family was amazed.

“Hold on,” Mr. B warned just before he launched them into warp speed. In a

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few seconds, they were sailing above a giant star with massive flares bursting from its surface.

“See all of those flares?” said Mr. B. “Those are coming from Sun Blazer’s head.”

Mr. B navigated closer and closer to the star. The car had special shield that protected them from even the most powerful blasts and heat. Sun Blazer saw them coming closer and got very, very angry. As they got closer, he summoned his brother Star Gazer to help him fend off the vampires. Behind Mr. B’s car, a bright blue light pierced space.

“Star Gazer!” Mr. B exclaimed.

“Who’s that?” asked the oldest brother.

“Sun Blazer’s brother,” Mr. B said. “We have an even bigger fight ahead of us now that he’s here.”

The two powerful brothers started to grow tentacles of blue and orange fire. At the end of the tentacles of fire, the vampires saw Sun Blazer and Star Gazer summon monsters. The scariest kind, too: midnight monsters.

“Vampires,” Mr. B announced, “both Sun Blazer and Star Gazer have a weakness: blood. And that is our strength as vampires. Something Mr. Ghostington never showed you, but you can launch blood from your fangs.

Don’t launch too much or you will pass out, but we can use our combined blood to defeat these two once and for all.”

The vampires leapt out of the car and into space. They carefully avoided the midnight monsters. They got close enough to the two monstrous brothers and launched a fury of blood. The blood reached both Sun Blazer and Star Gazer’s head. The two monsters both screamed in pain as they began to turn purple and melt.

“Get to the car,” Mr. B commanded.

The vampires dashed to the car and got inside just before Sun Blazer and Star Gazer exploded into supernovas. The vampires were blown back to Earth, but the midnight monsters were scattered throughout the universe.

When Mr. B and the family return to Earth, they saw mini versions of Star Gazer and Sun Blazer stranded on the roof. They no longer had any powers. Mr. B and the family retrieved them and locked them in a dungeon beneath the castle.

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After defeating Sun Blazer and Star Gazer, Mr. B went around the universe collecting the midnight monsters and asking them to work for him. He needed helpers to restore the power of the vampire race on Earth. The midnight monsters, no longer having a purpose or master, said yes and worked for Mr. B. The vampires celebrated their victory by playing board games.

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Jonah Garcia

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Werewolf Chronicles Jonah Garcia

Chapter One: I Become a Werewolf You’re probably wondering, Wow, cool, can I become a werewolf? No. Just no. It was just another normal day. Oh, by the way, I am Kade the werewolf. Anyways, I was late to school (little did I know I would not be going to school that day). I put on my backpack and got ready for school, and BOOM! An explosion! BOOM! Another one. I rushed to the door. POW! A gunshot. Why so much violence?

I got outside and saw a fire. Then, I saw a robber and sprang off of my front stairs. I found the robber and punched him. I didn’t know how, but I knocked him down. Weird, I thought. I went back to my house and slept.

A few hours later...

Ow! What the heck. I am furry. Why am I furry? I am also super fast. Then it hit me. I was a werewolf. I was furry, fast, and strong.

Chapter Two: I Get Blown Up My day started out normal for a werewolf. My furry breakout, breakfast, brushing my fur, brushing my teeth, and clipping my claws.

Boom!

Eh, whatever. Just another werewolf realizing that they were a werewolf. Ack! Fire! I am hurt. I am hurt. Back up! Back Up! Then I saw a shadowy figure. I got up, tried to fight, and then a minion stepped in front of him. Yes, a yellow tiny minion. They created a fireball explosion. I was hurt, but then I got up and destroyed them. The shadowy figure was gone. I could not destroy them both.

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Super Kitty Adventures Jonah Garcia

Hi, my name is May. I´m a cat, by the way (so deal with it). Today I’m going to talk about my adventures. It all started June 19, 2012.

La la la, just another day. Huh, a crystal. Wow, I can fly now and shoot lasers out of my eyes. During the night, my owner was asleep. I called Michael (Michael is a friend, by the way). A talk later: Huh, I hear something….

“Please don’t hurt me.”

Time to save someone, I thought. I laser beamed the person who was robbing the girl, and then went to my kitty bed.

The end...for now. Enjoyed it? More is coming!!

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Justice Pinkney

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Untitled Justice Pinkney

Everyone is different. We all live differently. Like everyone is different or from a different culture. I am African American, and my friend is Mexican. So you see, no one is like you. So you might have the same name or same mom. Or same hair color. We all are different.

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Roberto Cabrera-Arzola

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My Favorite Color, Blue Roberto Cabrera-Arzola

My favorite color is blue because its favorite food is blueberries, and its favorite summer is winter. It likes blue flowers, sunflowers, and it likes to watch TV.

Bomb Box Roberto Cabrera-Arzola

I got a package from Mr. Nobody. I opened the box and a letter was on a bomb.

The letter said, “You will die.” She couldn’t run, so she died.

A Gift Roberto Cabrera-Arzola

I would like to give a gift to my cousin Ray. Ray is always there for me and helping, so I would give a gift to him. I made him a lab. Because Ray likes science. Ray is the best.

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Siren Head Roberto Cabrera-Arzola

Siren Head is dangerous. His sirens hurt your ears and make your head explode. He lives in a forest. He grabs people and eats them, so stay inside.

He looks like a tree.

Goblin Planet Roberto Cabrera-Arzola

Goblin Planet has been here for two years. It is a dangerous planet. Nobody ever went there because goblins are dangerous, and they hate use. So be careful. Blend in. It is a real planet.

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Secilia “Maire” Beacamontes

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Kindness Secilia “Maire” Beacamontes

To be kind even if we don’t respect other people. To be kind, we shouldn’t treat other people differently because of their color. You should not be mean to other people; we should be kind and respectful to others and not be rude but be nice to other people because we want to make friends.

Born to be Kind and Respectful Secilia “Maire” Beacamontes

I do stuff with my dad, but I don’t be mean to him, because he’s my dad and I respect him like you should to other people as well. I was born to be kind and respectful and to help people when they are having a hard time.

Always There for Me Secilia “Maire” Beacamontes

I thank my family for being there when I need them because sometimes I might feel sad and bad, but they will always be there for me. That’s my sentence. I care about my family so much. That’s all you need to care about.

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Selena Chen

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A Gift to the World Selena Chen

This gift, this gift! This extraordinary, world-changing, love-filled gift! Can you guess, can you guess?! I’ll give you two tries. World peace? Nah, good, but not good enough. Free things everyone can have? Nope, also good, but also not good enough! You want to know? Ok, I’ll give the world A CHALLANGE!

To be continued...

The Fate of The World Selena Chen

One day you run to your doorstep when hearing the doorbell of your family mansion ring. Legs pumping, you run down the hall, open the door, and see nothing but a box on the dragon doormat. You pick it up and skim through a note suspiciously placed under the box. The note in a nutshell is, “WE NEED YOU!”

To be continued...

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Why me!

Selena Chen

It all began this way. I was working on my laptop and playing Roblox (now I mostly don’t) when banging came from the door and I ran downstairs and opened the doo—Wait, wait, wait; am I really going to open a door like this?

Yeah, no. So, I looked through the peephole and saw nothing, so I opened the door and fell to the concrete! Yowch! That hurt, but then I got picked up! One thought rushed to my head, and that was, I’m being kidnapped!

Life Saver Selena Chen

Dear Twiggy, Ever since the owl-that-shall-not-be-named disappeared, you have been my most prized possession. You’ve been there, by my side, even through all the troubles and consequences, the wetting and the tosses, the hots and the colds.

You’ve been there, standing in the storm, not to be taken down by anything or anyone standing in your path. Being the kindhearted owl you are, you care about me, and I care about you too.

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Wordslingers and Inspirators

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Love from the Land of the Living Zuzu Schmitke

Dear Meowfritz, You sweet, silly old kitty. I hope you found a good place to sleep. After fifteen years, you deserve some rest. I’ll miss you, though—coming home isn’t going to be the same without you. I’ll miss your broken purr and frostbitten ears.

I’ll miss your soft kitty body as it snuggles against mine through the long winter nights. I’ll miss your big green eyes and soulful meows. Yes, I’ll even miss the way you shred my paper and attack my feet.

I was eight when you walked into my life. You’ve been with me through it all. You were there through toad races and neighborhood kids. Through elementary school wonder and middle school angst. You sat next to me on nights when I really believed no one could ever love me. You watched me laugh and cry. You sat on my drawings, school projects, and computers. You were there through the long high school years and family chaos.

You even stayed after you got hit with a car and we couldn’t afford to take you to the vet. You didn’t care that our lives were in shambles. You just sat next to me a purred. You were the most supportive person I’ve ever known, and you weren’t even human.

I guess I took it for granted, because before you left me, I left you. Gone on some grand adventure to California. How I wished I could have given you one last kiss, because 2020 took you too.

Love from the Land of the Living,

Zuzu

P.S. I am so sorry I named you Meowfritz. I hope you can forgive eight-yearold me from the grave.

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Climbing Shoes Christina Nelson

Me: You are always on my mind—my sturdy, reliable, and treasured companions. My life has been less full without our partnership these last six months.

Shoes: You left me in the closet, unable to fulfill my purpose! Why don’t you call on me anymore? You are always on my mind. When will you come back to me?

Me: What news! Announcement that our special place has been allowed to reopen. I cannot wait to rekindle our partnership and solve the trickiest problems and climb the highest heights.

Shoes: What news, you say! Oh, this is a joyful day! To be molded to your feet once more, solve the trickiest problems, and climb the highest heights—this is all I have been waiting for.

Me: We might be separated for days, weeks, months, years, but trust that I will always come back to you—my sturdy, reliable, and treasured companions.

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THIS BOOK WAS PRODUCED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

WITH MAJOR SUPPORT FROM

AND FUNDED IN PART BY

The Albert and Elaine Borchard Foundation

The Sacramento Office of Arts and Culture, with support from the City of Sacramento.