Fall Perspective 2021 Bolles Creative Writing

atuation M

a r u t t aPerspective 2ion Mall 02 1 F

reative W rit s C in lle g o B

cover art by Yancin Chen '24

Letter from the Head Editor...

"Maturation" builds on the idea of an individual's continuous development. Whether this development is shaped by events from childhood or general moments of growth from life experience, maturation contributes to our moral, physical, spiritual, mental, or creative journeys. The theme for this issue is expansive, as we all can contribute our development to universal occurrences: difficult decisions, family traditions, hobbies, hard work, and more.

Please enjoy our "Maturation" Issue!

Emma McAdoo '22

Where to look for...

Katrina Adewale '22........................ 40 Louis Body '22................................... 37, 38 Carys Cook '22................................. 23 Myles Johnson '22............................ 25, 41 Emma McAdoo '22........................... 6, 14 Alexis Metzger '22........................... 3, 17 Peixin He '22...................................... 1 Emma Stasiak '22............................. 27 Hannah Edwards '23......................... 42 Dalia Ibrahim '23............................... 43 Thomas Karvounis '23.......................2 Zoe Lieb '23....................................... 31, 32 Breeland Madison '23...................... 7, 30 Saoirse Murphy '23.......................... 33 James Zebroski '23........................... 28, 34 Katherine Asbury '24........................ 4, 19 Alex Boutwell '24.............................. 20 Chloe Brown '24............................... 24, 39 Hailey Christy '24............................. 2, 11, 12, 35 Olivia Janse van Rensburg '24........ 21 David Luttropp '24............................ 2, 10 Anabella Platt '24............................. 5, 18 Nasir Zaidi '24.................................. 22, 44 Chloe Hollander '25......................... 13, 14 Eva Petr '25........................................ 26

1

He Peixin '22

Peixin He '22

2

"I have gained peace by not pressing to

How have you gained peace thus far in your life?

always be the greatest.

I work like the greatest, but I don't rush the process in life or in anything else. I take life one small step at a time."

David Luttrop '24 "I am learning to gain peace by being thankful for the things I have in life."

Hailey Christy '24 "I try to gain peace by taking my life one day at a time."

Thomas Karvounis '23

3

Face Value Alexis Metzger '22 When you've never done it before.

Sometimes you have to take things at

Like when you ride a rollercoaster for

face value.

the very first time,

Not everything has to be personal, even if

Your gut is filled with fear and your eyes

it feels that way.

scan every small movement.

You’re always going into a world that’s

You want to be safe, secure.

going to refuse you, That tells you no.

Society refuses to evolve.

The roots too deeply set, With no one truly putting in enough effort to rip them from the ground.

I shouldn’t care, It’s not worth it.

Or at least that’s what I try to tell myself.

Seems silly though, Because everyone cares about a variety of different things.

Some are simple and others are complex.

It’s like when you see a child watch a snowflake fall for the first time.

To them, it’s earth-shattering, Like someone just changed their entire reality.

But to you, It’s just a normal day filled with white.

Every snowflake looks just the same in your eyes.

Maybe it can remain special, But it’s not new.

Yet you also want to thrive, living in adventure.

It’s the happy medium between thrill and risk.

But what if you didn’t get to pick the rollercoaster?

What if you were strapped in against your will?

The seat belt strapped too tight, And the seat sticking to your skin.

There’s no release, It just goes on and on.

Until it stops, Until the thing holding you captive no longer has a hold on you.

So the seat belt falls off, And you rise from your seat realizing this is the moment where you could either take offense, Or you could not take your adventure at face value.

You could understand the importance of a bumpy ride,

Yet that’s when life is the most exciting,

Even if it has repeated one too many

When it’s new.

times.

4

Accidental Heirloom Katherine Asbury '24

A chain with a charm to bedazzle the throat and satisfy fidgety digits, spontaneously gifted to an unexpecting youngling; a present predicted to be misplaced forgotten half of a decade left along with the memory of the gift now M.I.A. passed along with the gifter.

Yet, with time, a new gifter surfaced bearing a chain with a charm seemingly replicating the last or maybe never lost

"We don't mature through age;

rather accidentally found.

Nevertheless, it is back

we mature in

and the gifter feels near as the necklace.

awareness."

Bryon Katie

5

Winter Wonderland Anabella Platt '24

I don’t know why I remember

I glance down at the ground

Wandering through my

Even when I know I shouldn’t

Winter Wonderland

And suddenly

The cold nips red at my fingertips

So suddenly

The snow crunches beneath my boots

The height is worse than the cold

Big Ben chimes its long seven in my ears

But then my mother is there I don’t know why I remember

And she wraps her arms around me

My golden glowing rounded stable

This height doesn’t seem so daunting

My trusty wooden steed

Anymore

With her garland of roses

This whipping wind doesn’t feel so sharp

So regal and red

Anymore

Her saddle shining silver and bright blue Swirling with color

And as the rug zips down the twirling metal slide

I don’t know why I remember

At the end

As I ascend to the top of the tower, the

My father waits

Clank

He lifts me up

Clank

My fingers brush the clouds

Clank

I’m flying

Of my boots upon the metal

I’m laughing

The roughness of the rug As I prepare to slide

Now I know why I remember

6

Metamorphosis Emma McAdoo '22 Blue hydrangeas sat patiently at my back porch.

A window, from which I observed them, temperate leaves, a subtle breeze, and butterflies placed on those petite petals, kept them from longing.

The blue hydrangeas remain clear in my memory, Sitting as they always were, patiently waiting to find something...

I contemplate their quality today, If they are healthy or unnurtured.

Are the flowers peaceful? Or destructive...

Soon a change will further my life; Like transformation of those hydrangeas from my youth.

Along with the placement of butterflies present on those petals.

Metamorphosis, to say

I will leave my cocoon of home Grow new wings, perhaps, recharge my limbs and mind.

Utilize free will, light a path To shed the importance of my say in it all.

The blue hydrangeas live through me, I wish to tell them I am grown I am in peace.

I have moved on.

7

Left on Me Breeland Madison'23 I heard an airy voice call to me,

Not knowing it would be the last time I

my name floating through the air.

would see my summoner,

I approached

I showed my anger,

met by a hug and smile—

my petty anger,

a hand took a firm hold of my head,

and I spoke words I regret to this day,

tussled what little hair I had.

even now as you read this, wherever I’ve gone to now.

I felt a sharp pain on my forehead, and felt trickling down my head (a red stream, weakness leaving the body).

Now the same voice that called out to me, could be heard frantically apologizing, and the anger washed over me, as if I were a sandcastle, a proud, beautiful castle— that took all day to create, rage was the red wave

Although it was accidental I was left a gift, I did not have it long, and I wish it would’ve lasted as long as the pain I wore bravely and happily for as long as I could, and even though it's invisible to the eye, I fill with my grief,

that knocks down the newly built walls—

and see with my heart,

and filled the freshly carved windows,

the gift that was left to me,

and when the wave finally pulled back,

my beautiful scar.

nothing remained, not even a bridge.

8

A Wasteland With Dreams Anonymous The barren wasteland, A place of despair yet tons of opportunities.

Only the forgotten and wasteful end up on the dirty and dry bricks.

Scorched by the sun, melted, exterminated.

Leaves and others to try and cling onto dear life but fall into the wasteland anyways.

Insects cower in the face of it as they see their brothers get squashed by the godlike monsters that roam it.

However, some have made it through the challenge, and for that they have reaped the rewards that most insects could hardly dream of.

They are revered, but only so few of them complete this challenge.

The gargantuant monsters seem to not care for their pleas to give them safe passage, and when they try and fight back, it is a worthless endeavor.

All they can do is hope and try and try.

As the wasteland they are surrounded by, seems to have no end to the pain it inflicts.

9

Adults Anonymous There's nothin' you can't do.

Know your worth.

Never settle; you deserve the best.

Never let people’s assumptions or expectations stop you.

(Be yourself.)

"You’re too inexperienced."

"You don’t know what’s best for you." "...too stupid to know what you need."

“You’re not eating enough,” they say.

“You're being dishonest with yourself.” “...acting out for attention.”

“You need to be evaluated.”

“You can trust us,” they say.

Lies.

All I hear are lies.

We live in an arrogant society.

People think they know what’s best for everyone, they can’t be bothered to educate themselves, or know the whole story.

Making decisions without communication, making decisions that aren’t theirs to make.

We get it. Adults are older and know what’s “best”, yet the actions I’ve observed tell a different story.

If adults want this title of “decision-maker”, then they need to be educated, open and understanding (not everything is their business), prove they can be trusted.

There’s nothing you can’t do.

Don’t let adults or others’ assumptions stop you.

10

First Grade David Luttropp '24 As 1st graders, we cared about everything living.

Dogs, trees, flowers, elephants all had a special meaning.

As 1st graders, love for animals often consumed one’s life.

Some even dreamed about being the hero in an animal’s life.

The snapping turtle that could’ve been "dead as a doornail."

The snapping turtle’s life was just as important as your own.

The 1st grader who saves the life wants the reward of keeping it.

Most of the time, they soon learn that animals are better off in the wild.

Why is it that when we grow older, life isn’t as valued as it was when we were the 1st graders who played on the swings and never had to worry about where to sit in the cafeteria, and all we worried about was what was for lunch?

11

What is one thing in your life that you have learned to accept?

In my life, I have learned to accept fear. No matter how hard I try to avoid it, fear is always present. I try to run from it, but by running, I am just allowing it to grow. The only way to overcome fear is by accepting its existence.

"Do one thing every day that scares

Hailey Christy '24

you."

Eleanor Roosevelt

12

Stuck Hailey Christy '24 I stay on the walls, stuck with nowhere to go, no one for company, blending in with my bland beige surroundings.

I’ve gotten used to it.

I would love to go out, meet new people and see new things.

But maybe this is just where I belong.

I stick to my wall, my home.

Maybe one day I’ll leave, crumble down from my molding.

They shaped me until I could not move, and left me there to collect dust.

But for now, I will not leave.

I have nowhere else to go.

The ground below me is not much brighter.

I see light above me, a vast blue world.

Though I don’t think I can reach it.

13

Chloe Hollander '25

Chloe Hollander '25

To Overcome

14

Emma McAdoo '22 Oh, staircase of a mountain, Let temperatures rise... allow the ice to comfort your nature, Bolden your spirit.

Commence the climb to the sky... an ombré of a creator's art.

As you take a first step, the wind whistles, chilled ground shatters.

Left stranded, you seek a prayer to make.

You glance toward your useless limbs, Immobile feet attached.

Then to the sky, its reflection in your eye... brighter than the pristine earth, her surface enlightened by the snow.

Your pupil dilates and heart turns warm...

The essence of cold has transformed.

Now, it encompasses your nature, and fills your body with courage.

I am the ice.

I am the sky.

I am hope, love, suffering, regret.

I am new.

Art by Chloe Hollander '25 '

15 "My identity has shaped my maturity in its entirety. The situations that I have gone through aren't meant for a child; therefore, I was pushed out of childhood.

Maturation is not a natural occurrence.

You are either pushed into it by trauma, bullying, or trying to fit in. In reality, no one is mature on the inside. It's a society standard to "act like an adult," and that mindset is forced onto people as the idea of success and how to succeed. Truthfully,

"Identity is

maturity has many sides, whether you're mature when you handle situations that are stressful, or fights, or how you speak and your language, or how you carry yourself. Although there are many lenses

such a crucial affair that one shouldn't

to maturity, it is all centered around who you are in the end, what you have been through, and what you are going through.

It all plays a part. My identity is shaped because I was forced into being mature, maybe not by what was wanted, but it is all part of a greater plan."

Anonymous

rush into it."

David Quammen

16

Amour Anonymous Amour.

A home that is a person

The unrestricted love

Not a place

From creation to creation

Amour.

Galaxy to galaxy

Romance

Amour.

Friendship

The feeling between two friends

Family

Two family members

Amour.

Two strangers

A controlling sense

Amour.

Of ease

The feeling of being torn

The strive to improve for your companion

From what your heart wants

Amour.

To what your body necessitates

Like a war

Amour.

A war with cakes and tea

The endeavor for love in a young girl

A war where both sides love each other

That desires to love and to feel loved

But still can end

So sought

Ghastly

Feeling hopeless

And aching

Because she cannot discover it

Amour.

Amour.

What drives the world

The love that you obtain

Illicit at times

When you are not looking

So desirable

Is the love

Amour.

That carries a home

17

A Love Bite Alexis Metzger '22 The other day I heard a girl call a

Can’t you remember?

hickey a love bite.

Did you flinch?

I know it sounds silly, but it really did

Did you want the hickey?

change my whole world.

Did you want him to love you,

I realize to some people it’s obvious

Or not?

it’s called that.

It’s not a surprise or something special, but to me, To me it was.

It makes it seem tender, Not something you do just because...

Just because you’re with a boy you

Did you want him to touch you or not?

Can you even remember?

What do you remember?

You got in the car…

Did you get in the car?

I don’t remember getting in the car.

I remember- walking into the party, And saying hello.

barely know,

I remember him handing me a drink, In the back of his car not so sure if you

He told me it was water… wanted that hickey in the first place.

I don’t think it was.

It makes it seem beyond the idea of teenage lust, Beyond the simple words of “Is that a hickey?"

It makes something simple seem like something special.

Maybe it isn’t.

Maybe it doesn’t matter.

And then I was in the car, And he was giving me a hickey.

He gave me a hickey.

There was nothing tender or loving about it…

I didn’t want it.

It wasn’t a love bite.

I want tender love, I want something special.

Whether it’s special or not, you still got

I want a love bite,

in that car.

Not a hickey.

You didn’t flinch when his lips touched

I don’t want to be the pretty girl at the party who ends

your neck...

up in the back of a boy’s car.

Or maybe you did.

I don’t want to be at a party at all, To be with a boy at all.

One Anabella Platt '24 You will stand where thousands have stood, Where thousands have stood and fallen, But against the wind, And the rain, And the thunder, And the flood, And the hunger, And the naysayers, You will stand, And stand tall.

You will not take the path trodden by thousands, But rather the path absent of a single footprint.

Where thousands grant passage to lies, You will stand for truth.

When thousands forget family, You will remember.

While thousands lose faith, You will hold on.

As thousands leave unsatisfied, You will go forth with no regrets.

Their time was then, And yours is now.

Where there were thousands, You Are One.

18

19

Future Business Leaders as Trick-or-Treaters Katherine Asbury '24 The moonlight pours in to the room with the bunk bed, the room with the carpet, the room with the trinkets.

Accumulated from Walmart runs, when the kids pop the question just before the run ends, and you can’t say no.

So you buy it for them, knowing it's useless to their lives’ purpose.

But we re-enter the room where candy is sprawled across the floor, a child guarding each pile.

They trade treats.

It’s the night when future business leaders do their best work, trading away as option traders toil.

They relentlessly barter, accepting nothing less than they demand, never accepting failure, never accepting anything less than success.

This doesn’t mean all their desires are always satisfied.

The next day, those failures are forgotten, and a new day begins.

20

Listen to Me Alex Boutwell '24 First you ignore me; then dare implore me.

Thy divine gaze would settle my unease, and God’s stolen eyes sparingly ere see.

Blind to insolence, wholly we displease.

This outlook is dull only to the abject, Yet the sullen globe halts not for them.

Distaste they plead! End with the subjectHowever, the seldom reply is naught but a hum.

See our grievance, implore our mercy, Only for obscene measures they dare to hear.

Observing are few, for this glaring controversy Out of line step none, strictly may you adhere.

See here, with holy vision and intentions wellConcede the oppression or damn them to hell.

21

So where is Waldo, really?

Olivia Janse van Rensburg '24 Where is Waldo is a children’s game almost every child has taken part in. You felt superior if you could find him first; you felt like you had it together. So where is Waldo? I believe Waldo is within all of us. You find him at different times; he is our inner conscience. He may be hard to find, but even if you are the last to find him, it is inevitable that you eventually will. You may be the child that finds him first and has their life figured out and knows what path they want to take. Or perhaps you are the child that has to look long and hard and think about where he might be. Where they might be. Finding Waldo is not an easy task, neither in the game itself nor metaphorically. But no matter who or where you are, you can trust that you will always find Waldo. You will find who you are and what your purpose is. Waldo can change and develop into different ideas and notions. Waldo is the embodiment of maturity. Waldo may seem to be right in front of your eyes at the age of six but miles away at the age of eighteen as you are trying to carve out your path. But Waldo will always be in your heart and he will always know what turn to take. Waldo is the part of you that knows. Though he may seem lost, he will always be found.

22

After the Storm Nasir Zaidi '24 The sky trembled, Hellfire rained upon the land.

I sat and wondered, As this storm rained upon me.

I thought there must be a happy ending.

But when fire is added to fire, there is only more fire.

When blood is added to blood, There is only more blood.

A negative plus a negative will always equal a positive.

But the only positive before that ends with a negative.

So as the rain poured on me, I tried to think about the rainbow that comes After the storm And the calm it would bring.

But there will never be a calm after the storm, There will only be another storm.

"After a storm... comes a calm."

Matthew Henry

23

"PTSD can come from a variety of catastrophic events. One may not be able to see it from the outside; however, in that person’s mind, the flashbacks are all too real. A plane crash can cause severe PTSD, and I wanted to portray that through the use of color and imagery that a person sees from their traumatic experience."

Carys Cook '22

24

A Handful of Roots Chloe Brown '24 I am from coffee, From candles and Swiffers.

I am from the brick house, Big, red, and cozy.

I am from orchids, Always purple.

I’m from “It’s a Wonderful Life” on Christmas Eve and constant joking around.

From Ian and Aubrey, I’m from the loud and the comforting.

From “Don’t talk back!” and “Be quiet!”

I’m from church on Easter, a family gathering afterwards.

I’m from Japan to Jacksonville, Rice and tacos.

From my great grandmother who immigrated to America from Japan and raised three kids.

The guitar my dad plays when we are with my family, scrapbooks on my grandmother’s coffee table.

The family mementos that keep us united.

25

The Origins of A Floridian Myles Johnson '22 I am from pencils From Great Value and Wii. I am from the oddly shaped pool (Small, blue, always refreshing on a hot summer’s day).

I am from oak trees, Tall, strong, immovable, and with limbs that never break.

I am from Sunday afternoon Jaguar games and blue eyes.

From RJ and Ashley I am from procrastination and courage.

From “Quit hurting your brother” and “Get off your phone.”

I am from the occasional church attendance on holidays.

I am from Duuuuvaaallllll and the Potato Famine, Grilled Chicken, Pink Salmon.

From my step grandfather's lifeguarding endeavor in Hawaii, and the time my grandfather played in the SEC and inspired me to be like him.

On our living room shelves live books upon books of photos that always bring hours of nostalgia and joy when someone happens to find one.

26

Life of a Flower Eva Petr '25 Colors: red, pink, orange, and yellow,

The colors that represent warmth envelope anyone who gazes at that plant of blazing wings and cinnamon scent.

It is but a bud for now but will one day grow to be just as captivating as its brothers and sisters.

It's Spring now.

Finally, that acorn sized past can bloom and morph slowly into a future of incomprehensible colors.

As that flower grows its wings over time,

Turning into a scorching phoenix of its own,

Crimson color fills the air, leaving traces of visible maroon pigment as the wind waltzes back and forth with the stem.

But as soon as it started, Spring is over now.

That airborne beauty will now crumble and decay into the soil.

It will decompose into nothing but fertilizer and wait to nurture the following Spring's set of blossoms.

27

The Turtle Emma Stasiak '22 As he sits quietly, Alone in his shell, He had so many secrets, He never dared tell.

But while he sat quietly, Alone in his shell, He looked for a friend, Who'd never tell.

Finally he spotted one, Alone in her shell.

No one to talk to, Even if she wanted to tell.

They shared all their secrets, They'd never told.

And as it turns out, Together they’d grow old.

But both remember what could have been.

And the things unsaid, would have remained untold.

28

Do you think discomfort is essential for growth?

Definitely. If you always live comfortably and never strive to be successful, you will always be stuck in the same position. Challenges and discomfort not only can help you improve your flaws by exposing them, but also these challenges are always the building blocks to achieve beautiful things that can make your life

"Maturity is the ability to

all the better. You do not need to live your entire life within it, but if there is an opportunity that you feel is significant, sometimes you can

live in peace with that which we

sacrifice a little comfort to grow and become a better person.

cannot change."

James Zebroski '23

Ann Landers

29

Blondie Anonymous A small girl, A crush, An irresistible crush; “dating” as a child, is not dating.

It's exchanging glances and saying I like you.

But you’re young.

It doesn’t go past holding hands.

Then you develop a little; You’re a teenage girl.

The strive to please,

Another irresistible crush.

Ends in hurt and pain.

But more mature.

Everything you do is to please.

Please the guy, Please your friends, Please your parents.

You get used by teenage boys, Wanting more and more.

More attention, More touch, Every time.

There is something more that is wanted.

Heartbreak.

When your first “love” Leaves you, And takes everything from you, Every piece of you, And soon turns out to have a heart of glass.

30

Black and White Breeland Madison '23 Lines bend and fold, like the winds near the mountains.

Ink brings the words to life the same way night begets the sight of a shooting star.

One black and white vision painted by thousands of words, thousands of worlds colliding to create the marveling images only the dreamers can see.

Stanzas strengthen the page, the Sea to a raving hurricane.

Souls poured onto the page, like heavy rain in the Amazon, Like floods from the gates of Heaven.

The acidic scent of the ink fill the vicinity.

Each stroke of a pen broadens visions to share.

Every allusion a doorway to the unconnected worlds.

On the kitchen table of the family’s vacation house, laying in the calm and quiet emptiness, collecting dust that fall and winter brought, a single piece of paper, a black and white masterpiece, only deciphered by the mindful reader.

31

Tu es un rêve Zoe Lieb '23 Tu es un rêve Nous sommes un cauchemar

Tu es un risque Nous sommes une récompense

Le souvenir De ton rire, Tes douces caresses, Tes yeux, brillants avec un sourire Font disparaître tout le mal

On s'est promis "dis au revoir, pas adieu" Quand on a dû se séparer

Nous sommes un cauchemar Nous sommes un risque

Mais le tout de toi, Tu es un rêvé Tu es une récompense

32

You Are a Dream

by Zoe Lieb '23 translated by Sara Phillips-Bourass You are a dream.

We are a nightmare.

You are a risk, We are a reward.

The memory Of your laugh, Your soft caresses, Your eyes, brilliant with a smile Makes all the bad disappear.

We promised, “say see you later, not goodbye” When we had to separate.

We are a nightmare.

We are a risk.

But all of you, You are a dream.

You are a reward.

33

"Within the skateboard, there are four sections of places or moments meant to look like album covers (the beach, late nights, school, and before we met). I think it encompasses maturation because it shows how we have grown as friends and individuals not just as kids but recently and within the last year. While collecting these photos, I loved seeing all the moments we created together and thought this piece represents these moments better than any words."

Saoirse Murphy ‘23

34

Frozen Wings James Zebroski '23 His feet touch slowly down the sidewalk.

Only footsteps and tweeting birds heard in the desolate park.

Brown, classy shoes paired with a calm plaid jacket.

His oak cane presses gently to the ground, wobbling alongside his weak hands.

Thick glasses shield his eyes from the cold sun.

Those eyes perch upon a cardinal, two mallard ducks swimming in the cool pond, and then his favorite chair, an old but reliable bench just like him.

It faces off towards the frigid pond, draped by the trees that once bloomed.

Only a few ducks stayed to keep him company, splashing and gliding across the somewhat clear, blue water.

Guess no use for the birdseed he brought as usual.

It doesn’t matter though.

All he usually does on this quiet Sunday is look, look into the canvas clouds, painting a picture of his masterpiece of the past.

From the smiles of his grandchildren to crazy road trips, Christmas parties to his wife’s loving smile.

Every day is something new that reflects upon him like the pond he sits near.

Dreams come and go; people ebb and flow.

But he has always stayed, with his big bright smile, an empty seat, and this time, a tear in his eye.

35

Workbench Hailey Christy '24 Inside the garage to the left.

A long narrow workbench – the staple of my childhood.

Nothing more than two old doors propped up on some broken sawhorses.

The leftmost sawhorse slowly dying, making everything slant to the left.

Rusty nails held various saws and hammers onto the decaying wall.

The window behind it was broken, but covered with Saran wrap and tape.

There wasn’t much room to do any work, the workbench always cluttered with stuff.

It might take you ten minutes to find it, but anything you could ever need is there somewhere.

On the ceiling, wood boards and PVC hung from old strings.

It is almost scary working there, Fearing that at any moment something might collapse down upon you.

Saws and blades are even scarier when they hang from questionable nails.

I wish I could say it was as grand as when my grandfather built it thirty years ago.

But the truth is that things age and as they age, they die.

36

Why is living in the moment important to you?

My freshman year of high school, I was sent to an inpatient facility for an eating disorder. All my freedoms were taken away. Simple things like going outside, going to the bathroom alone, standing, walking, sleeping in, and socializing were all

"The best

taken away from me, I had taken all these things for granted. When I was allowed outside for the first time in 3 weeks, I remember the cold, crisp Colorado air hitting my face, and the smell of winter and pine trees.

That's the moment I realized I'd

preparation for the future is to live as it there were

never take anything for granted ever again. Time goes by so fast, and

none."

things can change so quickly. Ever since I was released, I've tried my best to take advantage of everything I'm given.

Anonymous

Albert Einstein

37

La première fois séparé du nid Louis Body '22 Il débute avec adieu Faisant un signe de main à mes parents du hublot Le bus part décoller à nos aventures prochaines

C'est ma première compétition sans mes parents Sans leur observation, aide, et soins constants Comment sera mon résultat ?

Comme nous entrons notre hôtel, mon entraîneur nous donne nos colocs Un camarade de chambre sans la surveillance d'adultes Je dois partager lit, salle de bain, et salon avec un autre enfant

Ces nouvelles expériences me poussent à voler Je suis un oisillon qui saute du nid Se répandant ses ailes et espérant voler

Ce matin prochain nous prenons le petit-déjeuner On choisit nos plats parmi les options innombrables Sans les conseils de Maman, un bagel sec suffit

Nous arrivonr à la piscine et notre cycle commence S'échauffer, faire la course, récupérer En parlant avec entraîneurs et amis, la famille est laissée de côté

Devenant indépendant et autosuffisant séparé du nid

Apprendre à budgétiser et gérer une carte de paiement Tous les dons qu’il me faut pour apprendre à vivre

Mais je ne sautais pas, comme si on m’a lancé de l'arbre M’a poussé tête à l’avant vers la terre Par l'adversité, je vole dans le ciel

The First Time Separated from the Nest

by Louis Body '22 translated by Sara Phillips-Bourass It starts with goodbye, Waving at my parents from the window, The bus leaves, taking off to our coming adventures.

It’s my first competition without my parents, Without their observation, help, and constant care, What will be my result?

As we enter our hotel, my coach gives us our roomies.

A roommate without adult supervision, I must share bed, bathroom, and room with another child.

These new experiences push me to fly, I am a baby bird who jumps out of the nest.

Spreading his wings and hoping to fly.

The next morning we eat breakfast.

We choose our dish from the innumerable options, Without Mom’s advice, a dry bagel suffices.

We arrive at the pool and our cycle starts, Warm up, race, recoveryTalking with trainers and friends, family is left aside.

Becoming independent and self-sufficient away from the nest, Learning to budget and manage a bank card.

All the gifts that I need to learn to live.

But I did not jump, as if I was thrown from the tree Pushed head-first toward the ground, By adversity, I fly in the sky.

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The Gift Chole Brown '24 I remember receiving that necklace like it was yesterday, The day of my first communion, My grandmother sat next to me at dinner, Whispered, “I have a surprise for you.”

Immediately my mind went to a million places, “What could it be?” my heart racing.

She pulled out a small box from her purse.

Before this, my mindset was always, “The bigger, the better.”

Until I opened the box to see my forever favorite necklace.

The most beautiful one I had ever seen.

My most valuable belonging, A sign of my faith, a cross, With my birthstone gleaming in the center.

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Katrina Adewale '22

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Not What I Asked For Myles Johnson '22 She handed me a box, "Open it!"

She got out a camera, I knew it was going to be big.

I tore open the wrapping paper, and got to the box.

It was a plain white box, so many possibilities.

It could be the new game I asked for, or the clothes I wanted.

Just don't be socks.

Please don’t be socks.

I gave it a shake.

There was a little rattle in response.

I have no idea what it could be.

It definitely wasn't something I asked for.

I opened up the box, and peered within.

"What is that?"

A single pacifier laid inside.

"Merry Christmas!

You're getting a brother."

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First Kiss Hannah Edwards '23 In far-past dreams when fresh in youth, play-ground friendship diverged its route, When she dared to cross the trench between Us and Joy, reached out for me seized both sweat-slicked hands poured burning water through my heart The lifelong suffocation had scarred me deep but the first sharp breath, the deep relief, the trapdoor in my lungs gave way as I exhaled both joy and grief The roses for cheeks, the racing heart, each muscle unclenching, as my ribs fall apart, Mars bows to Venus, surrender soaks every bone, the world a shining void with us alone.

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Dalia Ibrahim '23

Twig Nasir Zaidi '24 I was walking down the street one day and found a twig. I’m not sure what was so special about it, but it just stuck out to me. There was a little moss on the end, a tiny caterpillar crawling on it, I think a bit of bird droppings, I’m not sure. If this twig were a person, it would definitely be some old guy. Other than that, there was still something interesting about it that just scratched an itch on my brain. It sort of reminded me of this stick my mom would wiggle in my face as a baby. God, that was so entertaining. Oh, what about that stick I would use to chase my brother around. We were playing pirates that one time. I think he beat me in the sword fight though. What about that one twig that I stepped on that gloomy, rainy day. Worst Valentine's Day of my life. The twig could have also been made into something, like paper. Maybe the papers that I signed for my first job. I hated that job.

The paper where I wrote my first love poem, maybe? Or the papers where I signed my divorce. It could have been that card that I signed for my mom’s birthday, or the one on her grave. Could’ve been a pencil too, like the pencil that I used to sign off the house. Such a nice house, just couldn’t pay it off. Or the one I used to sign the adoption papers. We just couldn’t handle raising another kid. Maybe, just maybe, that small, caterpillar-infested twig was made into the pencil that I even used to write my will.

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Meet the Editorial Team...

Faculty Advisor

Head Editor Emma McAdoo '22

Co-Designer

Beth Curran '94

Co-Designer Alexis Metzger '22

Editor

Katherine Asbury '24

Breeland Madison '23

Editor

Editor

Nasir Zaidi '24

Anabella Platt '24

The rest of the Creative Writing family...

Myles Johnson '22

Eva Pegg '23

Hailey Christy '24

David Luttropp '24

Olivia Janse van Rensburg '24

Thomas Karvounis '23

Chloe Brown '24

James Zebroski '23

...fin