Kjerstin Anderson

LIKE YOU

Like you, the sun far east may rise from me, the soil, you grow my love. You may reach your limbs towards the sky, but do not forget I hold your roots, my love.

On earth you live, you give, you thrive. You connect, protect, purify me with the world. How men cannot see how you keep them alive keeps me estranged from their industrial whirl. How fortunate for me, that I remain below what fear I have, their intimidation of how you grow. Stand tall, my love, dance the wind, your foe. Take in the sun, I will absorb the rain, together we'll flourish

Like you, the sun far west may set Come live with the earth, give men no let.

-Kjerstin Anderson

SONNET SANDWICH

There is a sandwich shop way up on North Where hous d my fav'rite food on the earth When I walk in the bread and meat set forth Whose first taste is second only my birth

You may or might think this sonnet in jest Alas I am in all earnestness, I say That Alpine subs are all around the best I try to make it there ev'ry Thursday

I ask myself why not Alpine forthwith The thing about the divine shop is that The place is far enough to be in myth It's this that keeps me far, not fear of fat.

Its distance always leaves me craving more The only thing to do to move next door.

-AbigailNevins

THE IMAGINED, SPREAD THIN

"Let me out," mumbled Morley from the rustling pocket. "Shut up," Neil replied stiffly, out of the corner of his mouth. 'Just let me out already." "Shut. Up." "Please Neil, I don't want to be in here anymore," said Morley. "Shut up! You can't come out," Neil said as forcefully and strongly as he could, while still whispering inconspicuously and from the side of his mouth. "But it is damp in here, you must have peed in this pocket because it smells like urine. And my feet are getting cold from the moist conditions, and I can barely breathe because the pee smell is overwhelming both my nostrils, and ...

" "-f[a1's ridiculous. I did not pee in my pocket, how could I even physically do that?" "I'm cold and damp and it smells awful in here, let me out," said Morley sorely. "No." "Come on." "You know I can't. I shouldn't even be talking to you right now. People are beginning to look at me oddly." replied Neil uneasily as he continued walking. It was true, he was getting concerning looks from multiple people across the street including the Italian fruit vendor who smiled at everybody. "Is this material cotton? It's itchy," Morely complained. "If I take you out then you won't exist anymore, you stupid creature!" spat Neil, but subtly, so he wouldn't unnerve the pretty girl at the corner. Morley was silent. Then he said quietly, "maybe it's time?" "If you climb out they will see you and know there is nothing to see. Then they'll really think I'm nuts, talking to nothing!" said Neil, more to himself this time than to his companion. "I know." "I know," said Morely with resignation. "I know. I want to get out, but if I leave I'm gone forever." "You're only real to me." said Neil defensively. "I know." "You exist only if I am the only one who knows you exist!" continued Neil, his eyes beginning to get pink and his voice beginning to settle into a type of riled growl. "I know, I know." "There is no other option Morley, if you leave so will I. There is no other option so shut up," reasoned Neil, and with a sad, uneasy, defiant sort of frown glanced down at his rustling pocket. "Yes. I'[ stay in this debris-infested confinement, Neil. I always do. I just need to complain once in

a while-these are not the nicest living conditions you know. You won't let me out and I won't go. I know, Neil," said Morely. "Good," replied Neil quickly and strongly to his pocket, as a passing family glanced over, noticed him apprehensively and turned to walk on the opposite side of the sidewalk. "Let him out," muttered Neil as he walked on, laughing to himself in derisive amazement. 'And pee on myself? How could I even do thatl Ha, Morely. Stupid, silly pocket monkey. Morely, come on. What did you think I'd say? That I d let you leave me forever?" Neil wondered. People on the street watched furtively as Neil talked louder and more passionately. They saw him talking to nothing, to no one. Talking at an empty pocket that was not rustling in the least.

-Rachel Dranoff

o

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-Jasmine Skamser

LEMON SOUR AND CIRCLE VICIOUS

Lemon sour and circle vicious. The polar bear falls through the thin ice rcalizingthere are more fish in the sea than she had ever imagined. The sea filled to the brim as she plunged into nearly cold-as-ice water. But only nearly, for if the water was cold as ice, it would be. And she would freeze into the water

black as an abyssal night until bright the eternal day. Her beauty beheld in the celestial, twinkling eyes above her. They admire her stuck in mid-stride like time continued to be nonexistent. No one ever noticed her in the white, white snow.

-Raphy Reynaud

BETWEEN TWO STICKY FINGERS

Between two sticky fingers she could feel the fly's heartbeat. The furious twitching of its wings tickled her chubby skin. What a stupid little fly, she thought, debating whether to release the creature or end its life. Instead, her fascination with the fly caused her to reach for the empty Mason jar that rested on the floor by her feet. She placed the jar upside down on the table with the fly inside. It flew up to the corner and busied itself with the remnants of strawb erry jam. The little girl flicked the jar. The fly remained still. What a stupid little fly, she thought. "Clarity, come on! We're going to Jeff's!" Clarity forced herself out of the purple chair, trudged over to her fraytngChucks that swallowed her tiny feet, and ran out to the red pickup. She did not want to go to Jeff's.

"Annabelle, will you tie my shoes?" she asked, waving two chubby legs in Annabelle's face. "Not now, I'm trying to drive. And can't you see I'm smoking? I'11 tie them when we get there." Clarity sighed, and shifted back into the passenger seat. 'According to this, I'm not supposed to sit up front until I'm twelve," she exclaimed, pointing to the sticker on the broken visor. Annabelle glared at her, releasing a puff of smoke. "Look, I know you don't like going to Jeff's, but you don't have to be such a brat. We won't be there long." Clarity propped her head on her hand and looked out the dirty passenger window of the pickup. She could already feel Jeff's calloused hands smothering her rosy cheeks. Her shoes were never tied. Jeff's trailer exuded bourbon. Of course, Clarity didn't know what bourbon was, but she knew she didn't like the smell. Jeff's feet hung over the edge of his tattered brown couch. He was focused on the boxy TV that rested atop a milk crate in a dark corner. Between the static, Clarity could make out two men boxing. Annabelle hurried over to the TV and turned it off. "Where's the money I asked for, Jeff?" she asked. "Well, hello to you too, dear. You know, I was watchin' that." He sat up, scratching his scraggly beard. "I don't care what the hell you were watching, Jeff, I need the money. She doesn't exactly pay for her keep," Annabelle replied, motioning to Clarity. "Well, hello there, Clarity. Come over here." Clarity knew not to refuse. She walked over to the couch with her head low. Like always, Jeff slid his enormous right hand over her jawbone and forced her face upward until their eyes met, taking a swig from the bottle in his left. "Why, you just keep gettin' more beautiful every day. You've got your Momma's eyes." Clarity squeezed them shut. "There's no need to be afraid of me. You know me," he seemed to command. Annabelle snorted. "Yeah, she knows all about you, especially how you never pay me. Come on Jeff, do you have the money or not?" Jefflimped over to Annabelle and slid his hands around her waist.

"Come on now, darlin', give a man a break. I'll have it soon." He looked desperately into her eyes. "Soon's not good enough, Jeff. They're laying people off at the plant, and I could be let go any day." Jeff kissed her neck. "You've got like three jobs, Annabelle. I think you have enough to support yourselves." Annabelle's hand cut across his face like a burst of wind. "You're such an ass, Jeff," she spit, storming towards the door. Clarity hopped off the couch and ran to Annabelle. But Jeff's hand caught Annabelle's, sucking her back in Iike a carnivorous vine. "Don't you talk to me like that in my house!" he bellowed, forcing her against the wall. A tear trickled down her cheek as he planted his lips on hers. "Stop it, Jeff! Let her go!" Clarity cried, tugging at the denim around his ankles. He shook her off. "I want her outta my house, Annabelle." She looked down at Clarity, pleadingly. "Go wait outside, Clarity." "But, Momma!" "Now, Clarity!" Clarity stormed out of the trailer. She slammed the door behind her, collapsed on the faded brown grass, and watered it with her tears. The slam of the trailer door brought Clarity back to consciousness. She looked up and saw Annabelle emerge from the dark trailer, wiping blood-coated hands on her denim skirt. Clarity quivered. "Momma ... wha ... what's ... what's going on?" Annabelle wiped furiously as she headed toward the pickup. "Say goodbye to this place, Clarity. We won't be coming back." The man at the liquor store had looked up from his lottery scratch-off and was staring at Annabelle's hands. They had faded to an unnatural shade of pink, with most of the remnants of blood on her skirt and the steering wheel. She completely ignored the man and instead grabbed a new pack of cigarettes and a box of Jujubes. She pulled some money out of the wallet from her back pocket and slapped it on the counter. The man's eyes stuck to her hands like the blood that wouldn't wash away. "I was cutting meat," she growled. "Not that it's any of your business." The man rang up the cigarettes and candy without even glancing at the register. "I thought you were vegetarian. Last week you came in here and told me that the burger I was eating would give me a heart attack. And I told you that smoking kills. And candy rots your teeth." Annabelle snatched her purchases from the counter. "It was for a friend...Who can't cook. Come on, Clarity." Clarity grabbed her mother's pink hand. "Her name is Clarity?" the man spat, shifting his toothpick from one side of his mouth to the other. Annabelle turned around and glared at the man. "She's the only thing that makes sense in this world."

Clarity had forgotten all about the fly. It lay on the table with its legs dangling in the air, having given up all attempts to escape. Clarity lifted up the jar. "Go! You're free!" she whispered, but the surrendered creature remained still. She tapped it with her index finger. It twitched. The wail of an approaching siren seeped through the trailer window, and tires brushed over the lifeless grass. Clarity picked up the fly. She felt its heart pulsate. "What a stupid little fly," she whispered. She pressed her thumb and index finger together until they were stained red.

- Dana Langhans

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-Mike Howe-Ebright

NURTURE

It's a kingdom found within a plastic, pink kitchen. It's my friends becoming my offspring and family. It's building a house of worn out cushions and blankets. It's creating a home out of people and your imagination on1y.

While watching a mother who raised me, I became inspired. The one person at the center of my life That my entire family was dependent on, I pretended to care for my fake children, And cook dinners of fictionally appetizing food

In my Easy Bake Oven. It's why I held that Bitty Baby in my tender arms As if she were my own. I wanted to torture it with tacky, velvet jumpsuits And cockatoo-styled ponytails jutting from the crown Of its inexperienced, innocent, untouched locks of brown hair. I wanted others to be dependent on me, I wanted to carry that burden of responsibility. I wanted to be justifiably bossy, Telling my pretend kids which clothes to fold And what room to clean. It gave me authority in the most compassionate way. I wanted to care and love someone as much as she loves me.

-Annelise Ryan

NEXT TO YOU

Next to you, I am a shadow in your burning glow. I patiently follow your shining path.

By your side, I am a sapling to your Redwood beauty, My Polly Pocket figure is no match for your Blonde Barbie brilliance.

As we stride the streets, All eyes cling to you, No matter my effort, Not for my lack to try. All the while,

The gold goes to your smile I sport my silver With a genuine grin.

You are known by few, Wanted by all, But I am patient in your shade, Because my love outweighs all envy,

-MyaNovelle

ASHEN EYES

Ashen eyes Why was I cursed with his eyes? Grey As if the angels that were in charge of putting the elegant colors into the eyes of the unborn knew that he didn't deserve them in his ashen eyes, colder than the stone in his stoned eye. I just want to sit and enjoy this joyride We call life ups and downs Rollercoaster Wait! Here's a coaster for your glass, shattered against the wall tears of glass stream down the wall the shards drip onto the wood hard wood floors cold against my cheek they become crystal clear crystal sharp like a splinter under my skin invisible to your ashen eyes.

-Katie Lofgren