Echo Magazine Volume VI, Issue 2

MAGAZINE Volume VI, Issue 2, Spring 2020

Conscious and Dreams

Table of Contents Introduction to the Theme.............................................................................................................. 1 In the Woods, Kiki Friedbauer ’20..............................................................................................................2 Sunset, Margot Klug ’21.................................................................................................................................3 And We Were Just, Ripley Bright ’21......................................................................................................... 4 Torn Apart, Lucy Zhang ’22..........................................................................................................................5 Rivers to Fill, Elena Ferrari ’20....................................................................................................................6 Dawn or Dusk, Sophia Tang ’21....................................................................................................................7 Song of Our Hearts, Fly Eternally, Ripley Bright ’21................................................................................8 Ancient, Anni Taylor ’20................................................................................................................................9 War on Repeat, Ripley Bright ’21...............................................................................................................10 Hummingbird, Sophia Tang ’21.................................................................................................................. 11 Unbound by Gravity, Elena Ferrari ’20....................................................................................................12 Dreamscape: Outside My Window 2, Elena Ferrari ’20........................................................................13 The Late July Pool Party (a multitude of limericks), Ripley Bright ’21..............................................14 Intel Inside, Ben Rowe ’21...........................................................................................................................15 Kneadable Eraser, Vivian Chuang ’21.......................................................................................................16 Floating, Lucy Zhang ’22............................................................................................................................. 17 Corona Eclipse, Rosie Schrag ’21................................................................................................................18 That Night, Was it a Dream?, Ripley Bright ’21......................................................................................19 Universal, Ashley Luo ’20........................................................................................................................... 20 Maybe Stella, Audrey Wu ’21......................................................................................................................21 Dreamscape: Outside My Window 2, Elena Ferrari ’20....................................................................... 22 A Young Boy, Swinging, Ripley Bright ’21............................................................................................... 23 Misplaced, Lucy Zhang ’22......................................................................................................................... 24 Little Piece of Everything, Elena Ferrari ’20........................................................................................... 25 Giraffe, Ella Thompson ’22........................................................................................................................ 26 The Process of Extinction, Ripley Bright ’21........................................................................................... 27 Hot Springs, Sarah McPeek ’21................................................................................................................. 29 Blue Springs, Elena Ferrari ’20.................................................................................................................. 30 Gninrael, Theo Wallach ’20........................................................................................................................31 Pandemic School, Aviva Pearlmutter-Bearson ’21................................................................................ 32 Nest, Sophia Tang ’21...................................................................................................................................33 Only We Knew It Was the End of the World, Ripley Bright ’21.......................................................... 34 Mamba/Kobe, Davin Roy ’20..................................................................................................................... 35 Death Is a Supernova, Ripley Bright ’21.................................................................................................. 36 Flower, Margot Klug ’21...............................................................................................................................37 Untitled 3, Kiki Friedbauer ’20.................................................................................................................. 38 Illusion, Elizabeth Amaratunga ’20......................................................................................................... 39

Conscious and Dreams Table of Contents, continued

A Trick of the Light, Aviva Pearlmutter-Bearson ’21............................................................................40 Virus, Camille DeStefano ’20.....................................................................................................................41 Arizona Desert, Michelle Mejia-Levy ’20............................................................................................... 42 Babies, Michelle Mejia-Levy ’20.............................................................................................................. 43 Beast Train, Michelle Mejia-Levy ’20.....................................................................................................44 Rio Grande, Michelle Mejia-Levy ’20...................................................................................................... 45 End Family Separation, Michelle Mejia-Levy ’20................................................................................ 46 Border, Michelle Mejia-Levy ’20.............................................................................................................. 47 ICE, Michelle Mejia-Levy ’20................................................................................................................... 48 Bare Hands, Elena Ferrari ’20................................................................................................................... 49 Emergency, Elena Ferrari ’20.................................................................................................................... 50 George Floyd, Ellora Roy ’21.......................................................................................................................51 Sunshine, Aviva Pearlmutter-Bearson ’21............................................................................................... 52 The Charming Colors, Lucy Zhang ’22.................................................................................................... 53 The Many Adventures of Shlosh Bergin: Part Two, Tomás Wright-Katz ’22.................................. 54 Pigment Bubbles, Elena Ferrari ’20...........................................................................................................57 Glowing, Aviva Pearlmutter-Bearson ’21................................................................................................ 58 Can I Come Out Yet?, Aviva Pearlmutter-Bearson ’21......................................................................... 59 Snowy Birches, Sophia Tang ’21................................................................................................................ 60 Unlock My Reflection, Ripley Bright ’21...................................................................................................61 Untitled 1, Kiki Friedbauer ’20.................................................................................................................. 62 Don’t Joke, You Don’t Know, Ripley Bright ’21...................................................................................... 63 Untitled 2, Kiki Friedbauer ’20................................................................................................................. 64 Kind Words, Aviva Pearlmutter-Bearson ’21......................................................................................... 65 Chromesthesia, Jack Abruzzi ’20.............................................................................................................. 66 Look Up, Audrey Wu ’21............................................................................................................................. 67 Eyes Down, Aviva Pearlmutter-Bearson ’21........................................................................................... 68 Church, Margot Klug ’21............................................................................................................................. 69 Even in Your Sleep, Noah Brauner ’20..................................................................................................... 70 Sleeping Haiku, Michael Timmins ’20...................................................................................................... 71 Memento Mori, Elena Ferrari ’20............................................................................................................. 72 Here Lies Juniper, Ripley Bright ’21..........................................................................................................73 Teacup Love, Elena Ferrari ’20................................................................................................................. 74 Reminisce, Ashley Luo ’20...........................................................................................................................75 Contributors............................................................................................................................................... 78 Magazine Staff............................................................................................................................................ 79 Faculty Advisors........................................................................................................................................ 79

Introduction to the Theme

Consciousness and Dreams We are very excited to present the Spring 2020 issue of Echo! Our theme for this season was Consciousness and Dreams. We try to make our themes as accessible as possible to a wide audience, and what better theme to help us do that than this? We have thoroughly enjoyed looking over all of our wonderful submissions this season, and were thrilled to get to read and look at such talented pieces. Thank you to all of our fantastic contributors, who make this magazine happen.

We chose to publish it digitally instead of sending out copies to people so that it would be more accessible, and so that we would get it out to everyone before graduation. We hope you’ll virtually flip through and see the amazing work inside! Enjoy!

Ripley Bright ’21, Vivian Chuang ’21, Elena Ferrari ’20, Aviva Pearlmutter-Bearson ’21, Rosie Schrag ’21, and Audrey Wu ’21

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In the Woods Kiki Friedbauer ’20

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Sunset Margot Klug ’21

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And We Were Just Ripley Bright ’21

The sun was shining, blinding us hiding the truth, And the air was hot and cold at the exact same time.

The snow was crisp white and shining like diamonds And the trees were tall and towering over us, our strongest protection.

And we were young and innocent and just‌ there for once.

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Torn Apart Lucy Zhang ’22

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Rivers to Fill Elena Ferrari ’20 I’m suspended on wings of smoke I was never too attached to life let’s close our eyes to see a lagoon of promise because I leave my melancholy on a railing tonight.

The night stars will finish, too, until I find myself trapped among mortal things.

Once we’re drunk on starlight, we can step through all the ages of life without being dragged around by time.

The sweet abandonment of bodies.

Explain to me how I got here, reviving myself in the air, gazing clearly into the eyes of my fragility.

I know a city that empties itself of sun, shards of light trapped in each butterfly.

The cracks the craters have made, those are my rivers to fill.

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Dawn or Dusk Sophia Tang ’21

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Song of Our Hearts, Fly Eternally Ripley Bright ’21 When golden embers from blazing fires fell from gilded branches When emerald swords who’s warring spirit were lain to rest When the warm breath of freedom whispered of unforgiving times That was when they retreated to the cracking stucco and the dusty stone When hardened skin paled from lack of sunlight When joy was drained from raw, pained faces When white lace was the gown of the town That was when they stopped making tone-deaf music without beat or melody When sparkling bursts of delight once again began their dance When the blue wrapping silk of earth deepened in color When airborne feathers fluttered joyously above That was when hope was sewn in the seams of new soles When calm hands bound the warmth and kindness into bursting green When silver slivers mixed with brilliant gold When the sound of shining pipes called for a loving cease of action That is when the song of our hearts did fly eternally

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Ancient Anni Taylor ’20

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War on Repeat Ripley Bright ’21 Decades ago, hidden under trees Across fertile green mountains And stormy blue seas There is a warrior, clad in sunlight beams Whose face is only visible In your wildest dreams Behind her an army, Horses stamp their feet Accompanying them are restless fleets “Surrender, surrender!” they cried and beseeched.

Across this vast prairie, the enemy retreats Travel back to homes hidden under the heath.

But, yet again, war will still come: Peace is the mother of restless young.

New brandished swords, they run and they run Banging their shields to the beat of the drum.

To these fledglings, a fight is a new form of fun And bring with them halos of golden sun

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Hummingbird Sophia Tang ’21

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Unbound by Gravity Elena Ferrari ’20 sometime it feels like certain minds are bound by gravity. mine, for example.

I see the people around me, their thoughts flying into the ideal sky up, up they float, never punctured like a clown’s balloon red as an artificial cherry my balloons are the kind that you inflate with your ebony lungs, they don’t have enough helium in them to fly, carbon was always overrated.

I bet we could survive off of dreams, the misty substances tying us to more reliable birds than balloons, and my weakly bobbing thoughts would be replaced by cloudy hopes and a mind unbound by gravity.

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Dreamscape: Outside My Window 2 Elena Ferrari ’20

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The Late July Pool Party (a multitude of limericks) Ripley Bright ’21 I began to look into the pool And did not see me to be true The water rippled in miniature waves That broke what was once perfectly paved Shattering to shades of sky blue Once I was broken in two A new kind of person came through With golden braids And silver pains That with them kept painful tattoos She opened her mouth No words came out Put her hands on her throat Imitating the rope What happened next was a shout

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Intel Inside Ben Rowe ’21

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Kneadable Eraser Vivian Chuang ’21

Don’t let the eraser in your mind control you…

Don’t let this eraser scratch out your most desired dreams…

Yes, get the necessary things done first.

But no, don’t let the eraser wipe out your greatest aspirations.

You must always be diligent, Focusing on your duty in this world.

But when it comes to YOUR goal, YOUR dream…

You will be tireless and unstoppable.

Understand the world around you, The balance of consciousness and dreams, Comprehend the fragility of us, How we work together with our peers, friends, colleagues, co-worker, family, comrade, partner, enemy, chaperone, teacher, assistant.

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Floating Lucy Zhang ’22

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Corona Eclipse Rosie Schrag ’21

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That Night, Was it a Dream?

Ripley Bright ’21 That night Cold and with strong winds Blowing midnight in our faces Snowy boughs, our winter canopy This red velvet dress where the roses lay elated That night Free from boundaries Gnarled fingers reach to brush our cheek Cinnamon swirls in the air It carries dreams of a peaceful sleep That night The dewy grass The glow of us iridescent Reflecting the thousands of shimmering diamonds embedded in our navy sky That night A hazy silver mist rolling in It is the stage of in-between A vague voice like silver bells Beckoning us from the dream state From the colossal crashing waves But all nights Every breath we take Every step we make Every moment we are living in this perfect disaster called life Is another milestone

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Universal Ashley Luo ’20

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Maybe Stella Audrey Wu ’21 how does the world sleep eyes sealed by golden light wrapped warm and snug at twilight’s tuck each whispered lullaby does crescent scowl behind her drapes when stars collide with nightmares? would Aquarius turn out his light not dare unravel life? dusk starts to fray from black to blue so Stella stops to yawn. young destiny draws up her blinds the golden hour’s begun

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Dreamscape: Outside My Window 2 Elena Ferrari ’20

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A Young Boy, Swinging Ripley Bright ’21 Feet push off the ground Is there a force more powerful than that first push?

Slowly, then faster Gradually gaining speed Lean, Back Back Back…

And then forward Hair whipping behind across his face Legs tucked under the seat Hand gripping the chains Till his knuckles turn white Whooooooooooooooosh!

The wind hits the ears The sound of triumph Defying gravity Then suddenly Racing to the ground at an alarming speed Plummeting down Screaming, It seems like he might die

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And then Up again So far back that you can see the pole So high up, You might fly into the sky The chains might break at any second, And you would still go up Then, falling again Gravity is dragging him down He is flying faster than the birds And now he’s going up again Over And over And over Once more He is not thinking about the future Or the past He is flying back in time Then forward again But he doesn’t know it He is here, now Swings have the power to do that

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Misplaced Lucy Zhang ’22

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Little Piece of Everything Elena Ferrari ’20 tomorrow, do the same! don’t turn away from our little piece of everything. kaleidoscope glass will smash into narrow viewpoints and widen them until they’re filled with all the colors of human desire. as your rose garden blooms in fanatical paint splatters, you will, too. the five-year-old version of you with finger paint and nostalgia would be proud as you grow into a curling-bark birch tree, my torso will be untied from yours and I’ll climb your branches into the blue. released into the sky, perfectly grounded.

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Giraffe Ella Thompson ’22

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The Process of Extinction Ripley Bright ’21 Today, we lay on our deathbed Each and every one of us Helpless A pathetic pile of fading green sheets They began to turn brown Ages ago And yet, We were too weak to lift our heads and notice.

Today, we lay on our deathbed Without a nurse or doctor to save us Because it is impossible to cure the end of the world No matter how hard we try Or don’t try Today, we lay on our deathbed Some of us chose to remain Oblivious To the imminent tragedy That awaited us Tomorrow, Physically, we will lie on our deathbed This sinking earth But truly, we will not be there Our spirits will be hanging sorrowfully above us A mass genocide With none to blame but ourselves They will be looking Looking down at the fiery ball that was once our home Then, Looking for heaven But it is here no longer So we look for hell Maybe that is what we deserve But we just left hell For hell is that ball of fire that now floats dangerously close to the sun BELMONT DAY | Echo, Volume VI, Issue 2

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Where do we go now?

Are we doomed to float for eternity, Tortured by our wrongdoings?

Will we continue to wander the universe Visiting places previously unknown to us?

Or will we be stuck searching for somewhere to rest Endlessly looking for the afterlife Forced in between life and death And never transitioning?

For where do you go If your destination dies?

This must be what happens when you go extinct

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Hot Springs Sarah McPeek ’21

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Blue Springs Elena Ferrari ’20 blue springs bring pale mist into motionless mountain air, spring ideas of peace of mind into our minds. we don’t mind. alone in deep dewy air, I inhale droplets and think of turbulent whale gray oceans, burnt russet ashes smolder deep in our chests as the fires burn out. all that remains is air with droplets catching sunbeams shining on old blue jeans.

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Gninrael Theo Wallach ’20

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Pandemic School Aviva Pearlmutter-Bearson ’21

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Nest Sophia Tang ’21

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Only We Knew It Was the End of the World Ripley Bright ’21 They said the wave would not come We looked out to the sea We saw the cloud of gray And heard the sound of defying silence But they did not believe us They said the ground would not shake We felt the tremors We watched the leaves fall in alarming piles And saw earth pilfer the rocks down into gaping holes But they did not believe us They said the wind would not blow We heard the howling We observed the fallen leaves sweeping once again to the sky And understood the meaning behind howling cats and dogs But they did not believe us They said that devastation would not fall We tasted the bitter flavor of tragedy We felt the cloud of gloom hanging over us And savored the remaining moments of a serene life But they did not believe us They should have The day after, the waves came an unstoppable force Determined to strip us of our homes The day after, the ground shook Coming to claim the part of us that was rightfully theirs The day after, the wind blew Pulling our spirits up to the heavens The day after, devastation fell But none were left living to know it Only we knew it was the end of the world

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Mamba/Kobe Davin Roy ’20

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Death Is a Supernova Ripley Bright ’21 Watch, look up, there we are our reflection is a newborn star.

Observe the spinning world above Do you see?

Close examination, and then you know each and every one of us born a star dies a supernova.

Our light twinkles off and on and off again.

Winking eyes then showers of sparkles exploding, now wait for it...

Boom.

Supernova.

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Flower Margot Klug ’21

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Untitled 3 Kiki Friedbauer ’20

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Illusion Elizabeth Amaratunga ’20 she’s strong but they don’t see she’s a shadow not quite real her silent tears are drowning her every day is weakening they see her perfection they don’t expect she’s cracking under pressure it’s hard being who they think she is she isn’t happy she is truly struggling but they think she’s succeeding she’s overwhelmed and in pain she’s not here she was gone long before anyone could see that she wasn’t okay - This poem can be read forwards and backwards -

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A Trick of the Light Aviva Pearlmutter-Bearson ’21

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Virus Camille DeStefano ’20 We should never give up Though we’re alone and isolated We can fight this virus It’s as strong as a brick wall, but it will let up Soon we will be back at school with friends And going about our lives as we usually do We will have all forgotten about this Virus Like words on a page It will go fluttering away Not even caring that it killed so many people in one day Not even caring that it changed people’s lives Forever Together we can do this Even if we aren’t together in a way we usually would be This virus will make us feel more grateful For our friends and family We will be more connected as a nation Even when we’re isolated from the world - This poem can be read forwards and backwards -

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Arizona Desert Michelle Mejia-Levy ’20

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Babies Michelle Mejia-Levy ’20

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Beast Train Michelle Mejia-Levy ’20

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Rio Grande Michelle Mejia-Levy ’20

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End Family Separation Michelle Mejia-Levy ’20

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Border Michelle Mejia-Levy ’20

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ICE Michelle Mejia-Levy ’20

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Bare Hands Elena Ferrari ’20 the tree split open and I saw every pair of open arms I’ve ever known some innocent most decapitated and decaying, they skulked towards the version of me that asked for a glass of water. opaqueness hid my reflections in the neon-lit bathroom mirror, burying memories with bare hands when I thought no one was around. all my inward intentions and times I forgot to forgive myself, forgot there was a future made of a folded tablecloth.

I saw how I consumed but was rarely nourished, how the notebooks rang out like cathedral bells. how I fell asleep among measuring cups and mixing bowls, ready to make something of the next day.

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Emergency Elena Ferrari ’20

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George Floyd Ellora Roy ’21

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Sunshine Aviva Pearlmutter-Bearson ’21

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The Charming Colors Lucy Zhang ’22

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The Many Adventures of Shlosh Bergin: Part Two Tomás Wright-Katz ’22 June 15th Dear Diary, I woke up at 6 a.m. today. Or, about 6 a.m. There weren’t any time keeping devices in the jungle, so I just woke up when the sun rose. Back in the desert, we had a rock that’s shadow indicated what time of day it was. Here, there is no such rock. Nnukles got up soon after. We prepared breakfast and headed out. Twenty minutes in, we spotted a small worm wriggling through the ground. I barely noticed it. I mean, worms wriggle all the time. It’s kinda what they do. Then I saw another worm, this made me curious, but not super surprised. I just assumed worms were common here. Then I saw another, and another, and another. Soon there were hundreds of worms all traveling in the exact same 5 foot stretch of land. I was stunned. Nnukles didn’t seem to know what was going on either. Remember, Nnukles had never even left his own house!

As we stood there, unable to move because of all the worms on our feet, a giant bird, like one I had never seen, jumped out of a tree and started going wild. For clarification, this bird was probably two feet tall and who knows how many times larger than I am. Nnukles, while he could have stood a good chance against the bird, cowered in fear and shrieked every time the bird took a step. I went white. There was a bird, larger than any bird I had ever seen, about to chow down on a meal, that we were right in the center of. I ducked as the bird took a dive and swallowed 10 worms at once. Then the bird looked at me. In a moment of panic, I picked up a worm and threw it at the bird’s eye. It squawked then centered its gaze right back on me, even more intensely than before. Finally I had no other choice. I ran. I ran like a maniac. Like a gazelle runs from a cheetah, like a turkey runs from a car, like a, well, like a shrimp runs from a 2 foot tall bird. As I neared a cliff, with a 10 foot drop on one side and a ravenous beast on the other, I did what only made sense. I closed my eyes, held my breath, and pushed Nnukles over.

He plummeted until he hit the bottom. When I saw he was O.K. I jumped in after him. We just narrowly missed the bird’s sharp beak as we hit the bottom. Finally, the bird gave up and we made camp. Tomorrow we’re gonna go farther into the brush, and maybe even make it to the green hills.

Still white with fear, Shlosh Bergin

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Dear Diary, We made it to the green hills. On the way we saw an old, weary, traveler trying to find his way.

He said his name was Randy and he had quite a story to tell. “I was an explorer all my life. I had always enjoyed living right on the edge. Just a hair’s length away from death. When I reached the age I enrolled in the squirrel army (he was a squirrel) and fought off the raccoon clan that had been storming our tree for the last few months. I also helped invent new ways to treat the sick and injured and eventually became a medic. One time I found a squirrel with a broken leg. He had been in contact with a dog and had suffered mightily because of it. I told him I’d do everything I could to save his leg but in the end, it fell off. For the rest of his life, he walked around by tying a stick to the upper half of what used to be his leg and using it the same way he would a normal leg.

I went to bed every night thinking about how if only I had tried a little harder, I could have changed his fate. Eventually I couldn’t stand to watch my patients die and lose their limbs in front of me anymore. I dropped out of the army and became a wandering traveler. I traveled the world seeing the sea, the land, the forest and the caves but somehow I couldn’t shake the memory of that oh so sad day when I saw that squirrel’s leg fall off. I tried to soothe it with more traveling but it didn’t work. By the time I realized this, I had been a traveler for so long, I had forgotten how to do anything else, and I wander the forest to this day.” We gave him some food we found on a tree and he moved on. I can’t stop thinking of that squirrel though, forever doomed to move among the trees, to never find a home. To die cold and alone. What will happen to him?

Wondering intensely, Shlosh Bergin

June 17th Dear Diary, We’ve made camp at the green hills. We’re planning to stay here a little longer so we can refuel on supplies, and so Nnukles can see a new part of the world. We picked star fruit off a tree I knew well, for one time when I got trapped in the hills, I used star fruit juice to keep me afloat long enough that a search and rescue team could find me. Nnukles cracked open a fruit and we sucked the inner juices from inside the tender, succulent core. The slightly sour taste threw me off a little bit (it had been awhile since that last time I had drunken star fruit juice) but I drank it anyway. It definitely wasn’t cactus juice, but it was something. Later on, I went down to a nearby creek and found a small colony of algae resting on the top layer of water. I swam over to the algae and brought it back to eat with Nnukles. He wasn’t interested so I took advantage BELMONT DAY | Echo, Volume VI, Issue 2

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of the situation and ate it all myself. By the time I was done, I was so bloated, I didn’t know if I could walk 5 steps before plummeting into a deep sleep. I walked over to a large leaf that I had been using as my bed. I went to sleep instantly and was right in the middle of a dream when Nnukles woke me up with a start. It was dark. I asked him what time it was and of course, he had no knowledge of time. He said that he could see a small band of warriors traveling toward us. I looked over one of the hills, and there was Tobius’ army. I jumped up, realizing that I was closer than ever to death. Even that bird didn’t try to kill me. He was just really large and happened to be right near me. This time, those soldiers had every intention of killing me. They couldn’t see me so I wrapped myself in the leaf and told Nnukles not to tell the soldiers I was there. He had a brief interaction with some guards, got asked a couple questions, and then the soldiers moved on. I got out of the leaf and considered why I was running away from these soldiers. Why should I mindlessly run for the rest of my life? Was there any other option? Dear reader, I don’t know yet, but if I find out, I’ll make sure to tell you.

Considering the point of life, Shlosh Bergin June 18th Dear Diary, I found a new food supply in the ground today. I call it root water. I drank a little sip this morning and after not getting queasy, sick, or dying, I concluded that this juice was safe to drink. Nnukles tried it and he loved it. He drank what must have been two liters today and it showed in his pee. Later this afternoon it started to rain so we took cover in a big bat cave.

When inside, we accidentally woke up a bat. We were afraid at first, but the bat ended up being nice. His name was Sheldon, a name which, in hindsight, should have been my own. Sheldon guided us around the cave and I was very surprised by the many things he had. Lying around the cave were sticks, stones, bricks, mushrooms, lint, and a pocket watch. Nnukles was very impressed and asked Sheldon where he had gotten all this stuff. “Oh I just get it from here and there,” Sheldon said. “A lot of it comes from the creek.” Nnukles looked pleasantly delighted as he realized how close all these items were. It also occurred to him that, in order to find all of these goodies, one would need a very smart brain. After much convincing, Nnukles finally got Sheldon to join our team and take down Tobius. This made me nervous, I had meant this whole “takedown Tobius” thing as a decoy, to get Nnukles to adventure more. Now I wondered, would I actually fight Tobius?

Full of fright, Shlosh Bergin

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Pigment Bubbles Elena Ferrari ’20

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Glowing Aviva Pearlmutter-Bearson ’21 Darkness And then A single spark Light Explosions of sound Twinkling lights Dizzying heights Overwhelming everything Flashes of color Fireworks fall from the sky My eyes blaze “Stop!”

The light dies Fireworks sizzle Sounds cease Lights flicker off Cool air on my skin Darkness Never ending

- This poem can be read forwards and backwards -

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Can I Come Out Yet? Aviva Pearlmutter-Bearson ’21

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Snowy Birches Sophia Tang ’21

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Unlock My Reflection Ripley Bright ’21 Please, unlock my reflection.

Please, unlock my reflection.

I have moved, but it remains frozen.

Your rippling waters caused this distortion.

Here is where my story should grow.

Consider giving it a year or so?

But with the power of an ever-hating heart, you insist we must be kept apart.

Please, unlock my reflection.

Please, unlock my reflection.

So much has changed, yet you see me the same.

You’ve done some bad things.

Why should I take the blame?

Now we are older, ashes start to smolder and here in our path still lies the same boulder.

Please, unlock my reflection.

Please, unlock my reflection.

The world has stopped spinning.

Now I’m being framed and though you’re the one who caused it I’m supposed to be ashamed?

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Untitled 1 Kiki Friedbauer ’20

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Don’t Joke, You Don’t Know Ripley Bright ’21 Don’t joke Because you don’t know.

You don’t have to worry Because you were born lucky Look here You don’t have to have a care You will get in anywhere You don’t have to scream and shout You have the key, you can let yourself out You don’t have to wait for a blessing You can go out into the world, no need for undressing You don’t have to worry about clothes You can sit in any of these rows Me? Well…

I have to care I can’t get in anywhere I have to scream and shout Don’t have the key, can’t let me out I’ll always have to wait for a blessing And if I don’t, maybe time for undressing And yes, I have to worry about clothes Because sitting with you offends your eyes and your nose

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Untitled 2 Kiki Friedbauer ’20

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Kind Words Aviva Pearlmutter-Bearson ’21 People underestimate What a kind word can do When you’re swaying Barely holding onto the ground As wind whips at your face Smashing Mashing Dashing Hopes into dreams Dreams into dust When the monster roars Baring its teeth And shards of light turn to knives And the world cracks like an egg Leaving only you trapped inside its shell And tears stream down your face like boiling water A kind word anchors you A kind word calms the storm A kind word Pieces You Together Turns dust into dreams Dreams into hopes Calms the monster Breaks the knives Dries your tears A kind word Just one Saves you

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Chromesthesia Jack Abruzzi ’20

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Look Up Audrey Wu ’21

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Eyes Down Aviva Pearlmutter-Bearson ’21 Eyes down On the ground No looking No peeking My fate Is catching up Can’t make it Turn around But Eyes Everywhere Looking Peeking Seeing all my Flaws Faults Differences But they also see my Claws Fangs Heart And they back down Hissing Away into the darkness But I see them Waiting Watching Monsters No weakness No fear So Eyes down

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Church Margot Klug ’21

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Even in Your Sleep Noah Brauner ’20

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Sleeping Haiku Michael Timmins ’20 I do a lot of dreaming because corona makes me bored so I sleep

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Memento Mori Elena Ferrari ’20

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Here Lies Juniper Ripley Bright ’21 Here lies Juniper The one who sings “Everything is Everything” While doing the laundry.

Who arranges flowers in her hair And can read books for hours and hours.

The one who wears lipstick into battle.

Here lies Juniper Who etches messages A call for hope In the bathroom stall Who listens patiently to the sorrowful winds And comforts trees in their time of dire need The one who wears lipstick into battle.

Here lies Juniper Whose dance partner is the oak tree And whose musicians are the birds And of course, the sunset is her ballroom.

She is the one who draws on tissues And who lets marker bleed onto the table The one who wears lipstick into battle.

Here lies Juniper Who sits every night at her desk Writing countless poems and letters Hoping that someone will find them, Read them, See them.

Understand the message knitted tightly between the lines.

Who will continuously Stick push-pins into the cushion And then wears lipstick into battle.

Here lies Juniper The girl who lets silver tears Fall only with the company of moonlight.

Who holds tight to life Even in the rain, When she’s slipping The one who wears lipstick into battle.

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Teacup Love Elena Ferrari ’20 she said it was usually metaphoric when people said, “I love you to the moon and back” most people’s love barely fills a teacup, and I suppose you could stretch it out, but they tend to keep the tenacious stuff to themselves. she said, it’s a long way, you know, to Earth’s gray pockmarked shadow that never leaves. don’t dream too much, because once hearts get greedy for love they shrivel like an apple left on the counter too long. no matter how much love you pour out of yourself, their hearts just get harder until they have a cold, cruel diamond impaling their chest. and though they don’t notice you shouldn’t ever hope to turn diamond to life again.

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Reminisce Ashley Luo ’20

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Contributors Jack Abruzzi … I created “Chromesthesia” as part of my Capstone project as a representation of a common form of synesthesia.

Elizabeth Amaratunga … My poem is part of my Capstone project on teenage anxiety.

Noah Brauner … I drew this piece because I was sick of being in quarantine and wanted to express myself.

Ripley Bright … Most of my poems are stories of my life, dreams, or nightmares that have been changed and hidden in between the lines. “Unlock My Reflection,” “Here Lies Juniper,” and “The Late July Pool Party” are all written about difficult times in my life. “Don’t Joke, You Don’t Know” was written about the struggle of being a queer woman, and a comment made by a peer. Although I forgave them for their mistake, it still sparked some anger in me that I channeled through writing. “The Process of Extinction,” “Only We Knew It Was the End of the World,” “Song of Our Heart, Fly Eternally,” and “War on Repeat” are about what is currently happening in society, as well as in my life. “That Night, Was it a Dream?” is about a vivid dream I had. “A Young Boy, Swinging” is about a childhood memory. “Death Is a Supernova” is about a realization and “And We Were Just” is about an experience. If you look closely at all of the poems I have written, you may find the true meaning behind the words.

Vivian Chuang … Kneadable erasers played an important role in our club this year, and I thought they deserved some recognition.

Camille DeStefano … I had been wanting to submit something to Echo for a while now, and when I wrote this poem for an English assignment, I realized that it fit the theme.

Elena Ferrari … My poems were all written while I was trying to explore my writing style using writing prompts. I took this opportunity to explore the theme and the different ways you could unexpectedly relate to dreams and consciousness. My photos are the results of me experimenting with editing. Hope you enjoy!

Kiki Friedbauer … These paintings were part of my exploration of influential artists through the ages for my Capstone project.

Margot Klug … I often wander around with my camera just to see what looks interesting.

Ashley Luo … It can be illuminating to look back.

Michelle Mejia-Levy … These are the seven art pieces I made for my Capstone project on immigration.

Sarah McPeek … I took this picture at hot springs I visited over the summer, and later looking at it reminded me of the Echo theme this spring, so I submitted it!

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Aviva Pearlmutter-Bearson … All of my art is digital, but some of it was never intended for Echo. My classroom scene was for an art class, and my comic was made for The Daily Joe. But I later decided they fit well into the theme, and submitted them! My poetry is the result of me sitting down and writing for a while, just whatever came to mind. I scrapped a few extremely bad poems, then arrived at these.

Ben Rowe … I created my artwork because of a fascination I have with technology; more specifically, mechanical and electrical engineering. I was going for a sort of steampunk style.

Davin Roy … I drew Kobe as a personal memorial to someone who inspired me.

Ellora Roy … This was inspired by the recent attacks on innocent people of color like George Floyd. The watercolor background represents the fire in the buildings being burned during the current protests.

Rosie Schrag … I was doing a watercolor for a social Studies assignment, and thought that it would be good to add to Echo.

Sophia Tang … I created these paintings to relax.

Anni Taylor … I was inspired by the Inktober prompts from last year. I used the prompt “ancient” as inspiration and I drew a picture of a goddess.

Ella Thompson … I’ve always been interested in giraffes.

Michael Timmins … Sleep patterns are important to me.

Theo Wallach … Trying to keep it real.

Tomás Wright-Katz … I decided to follow up on my previous writing on Shlosh Bergin because I left off last time on a cliffhanger and I wanted to write more of what I had started, not just leave it in suspense.

Audrey Wu … I got up at 2:30 a.m. one morning and an idea struck me. I started to write and this is the result.

Lucy Zhang … These drawings are ones I completed during my art class outside of school. It took me more than half of a month to complete each of them.

Magazine Staff Ripley Bright, Vivian Chuang, Aviva Pearlmutter-Bearson, Elena Ferrari, Rosie Schrag, Audrey Wu

Faculty Advisors Koreen McQuilton, Dean Spencer

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Echo Magazine is a publication of BELMONT DAY SCHOOL www.belmontday.org