The Scop, Spring 2022, Volume 82

THE SCOP

The Scop is a literary magazine run out of King’s College. It is entirely run and created by undergraduate students from a variety of majors. Its members believe in fostering creativity of all forms, including poetry, prose, and visual arts. The name comes from the term for an Old English bard or poet. This is the third year that The Scop officially accepted submissions nationwide.

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Letter from the Editor

The beauty of The Scop is this: each and every piece is unique. The artists, by submitting their work, send us a part of themselves along with it. Every word holds a different story, individual experiences and perspectives coming together to create something new and wonderful.

This leads to the one commonality shared by the works featured in this issue, the thread that links them together. There is a beating heart in all of them. Every poem, story, photograph, and work of art is alive.

To showcase what is living is fitting for this time. It seems we are all emerging from the darkness and relearning how to truly, deeply live. Once more, we can fully love, laugh, cry, adventure, and create in togetherness. That spark of hope is reflected in our art.

The ice will melt away. Soon, life will begin again.

Brandi Naprava

Editor of The Scop

Cover and Divider Photo Credits

Front and Back Cover

Tabitha Kenzakoski

Inside Covers and Dividers

Josh Ulanoski

Submission Guidelines

Write what you know. Go beyond your comfort zone.

Give us something new and surprising. Read past issues to see the type of material we accept.

We only publish works within our genre. Avoid the typical features of our genre.

We take a minimum of twelve months to respond. Do not send your work elsewhere while it is under review.

Only send us your best work. If you do not hear from us after eighteen months, you may safely assume we are not interested.

We only publish works by [insert social group]. We support diversity.

We take pride in publishing debut authors. We accept 0.25% of unsolicited works.

We receive 1,500 works weekly. Our monthly print run is 25 copies.

This is a non-paying market. Contributor copies are $9.95 plus $6.95 S&H.

We look forward to your complete and utter submission!

Mark G. Dziak

The Things the Tide Left Behind

Mark G. Dziak

To you, this old toy or this old book may just be a bit of plastic or paper. To me, it’s a bit of plastic or paper with a little magic residue on it. I got that old toy or that old book back when they were new and I was new, too, and they’ve been with me all these years. We grew up together, sort of.

I understand people who don’t go for nostalgia, and I admire the “live for the moment” attitude, but it’s just not me. I like to think of myself as a continuum; I like my present to sit between my memories and my hopes. I like to feel like an unbroken line.

But I don’t. Aside from a few handfuls of old Polaroids, some blurry home videos, and memories probably meandered into fiction, I’ve lost contact with the early version of me. “Kid Me” is a foreign body in my timeline.

What I still seem to recall, though— no doubt with a lot of retrospective rosiness—is a time of wonder and wildness. Walking around with wide eyes, using my imagination to picture the world beyond me where my brain and body weren’t ready to go yet, and invent other worlds that weren’t really real at all. To dabble in magic.

Imagination—that mental muscle that is gasping for life now when I’m middle-aged and believe 93% of the world is basically the same and 93% of people are boring assholes.

With toys and books in my tiny hands, I was a space captain and a warrior and a monster. I could become invisible or I could be world famous at the snap of the fingers, a spin of my whim, whether I was crouching behind the couch or standing in the back yard yodeling.

I still have some of these old toys and old books, old junk that’s survived the years that changed me so much: pieces of games and crayon drawings and weird hoozits and doodads I invented when I sneaked into Grampa’s garage. These were the things I collected in my travels, both in the cozy little real world of a happy childhood, and

in my many imaginary worlds. All worlds I’ve left forever, and all worlds I miss.

This old toy was my sidekick once. This old book was my passport. I held them in my little hands when I went places I can only pine for now, now that I’m big and old and dull.

Mark G. Dziak is a 2003 graduate of King’s. He’s currently a NEPAbased professional writer of educational materials, and writes a variety of fiction and nonfiction after work.

Genel Gronkowski is a King’s College Alumni (2014) currently pretending to write in North Dakota. When not avoiding her dissertation, Genel can be found hiking with her dogs, journaling, and saying “Just one more chapter before bed can’t hurt.”

Does a Birch Tree Bear Fruit?

Anarose Davidson

Does the birch tree bear fruit?

I don’t know

I’ll have to look it up Later

Wrapping my legs tightly Around

The slender white trunk I shimmy my way up.

I have always loved birch trees Though my love is A bit of a bitch.

It scrapes my thighs Red raw

On the insides.

I smear the blood pale-pink And try to climb again.

The white skin looks Paper-smooth

From a distance. Pressed to my breast

It roughly rucks my shirt up Brutalizes my ribs And lets me fall.

The birch tree still stands tall.

Does the birch tree bear fruit?

Does it matter?

If it does?

The birch is slender

Cold, and tall. It has no broad arms To bear me up Into its crown. The climb’s a fall. Fruit that sweet Or bitter bit Doesn’t matter At all.

Does the birch tree bear fruit? I catch my breath. And decide To climb an apple tree Instead.

Exhaustion

Exhaustion like a child is Tugging on your skirts Until it grows and cuts your wings And pounds on you And hurts.

It heavy on your shoulders sits And tries to bring you down On every aching muscle pulls And pushes you To ground.

Fierce struggle cannot pry it loose Exhaustion you can’t best Your victory, to not resist. Your only weapon, Rest.

Anarose Davidson

Queen Anne’s Lace

White lace for the slit-throat queen

Anarose Davidson

Your fair head bows, Upon it a thousand tatted crowns. But the sinuous stem will not break clean Sharp pepper blood crushed out, bleeding down. Henry has named Anne his weed Blossom from the throat cut down.

Daucus carota, radish flower, bitter grief, Feast the dirt and eat the sun

Upon your head, a hundred flowers

A thousand little griefs made one.

Anarose Davidson is a sophomore double majoring in Mass Communications and English Professional Writing. She is President of Campion Society and part of WRKC radio. She enjoys screaming about how good or bad various books and movies are, regardless of whether people are willing to listen.

Little Pine Boat

Jess Gittens

Send me out to sea in a little pine boat. Run with me in the dead of night. Run with me until we reach the morning light, And run with me until the foggy morning air leaves our faces feeling dewy. Until our voices scream so loud that the clouds part and the rains pour A wailing sob from heaven.

Jump with me from the mountains that kiss the sun, Fall with me until we hit the water And our clothes cling to our freezing bodies. Because when you crashed into me you brought the entire ocean. It hit all at once and then there was calm, The soft lull of the sea pulling itself back together.

Oh So Sweet

Jess Gittens

The soft tear done by an angel that feels oh so sweet. The slicing of strawberries, The splitting of a pomegranate. Slowly and methodically pulling out seed by seed, Pulling away the fruit from its fleshy membrane, Stained red but oh so sweet. How thin the line is Between love and rage and violence. There is no one who swallows pain like us women.

Jess Gittens is a History major who studies at King’s College. Her favorite area of history to study is all things Scotland, as well as revolutions and rebellions in European history. In her spare time, Jess loves to write poetry and read classic literature. Jess’s poetry takes on the many challenges and undefinable struggles that come with the territory of domesticity, mental illness, womanhood, and femininity.

Time and Love

When younger, he said:

Noah Krubitzer

“The night sky is wavering. Stars scatter, obscure, and seclude in the vast dark, only a few gleaming at once.

The mysteries are hidden snug behind millions of miles, Crouched behind centuries of fatal folly.

Worrying about it must be useless, as I will always have your eyes, and the deep wonders behind them.”

When older, he said instead:

“The night sky may be wavering, But so are we, far faster. Our lives are whispers in a meager draft And those stars are gales of their own. I will not know your eyes forever.

But my dear, be not disheartened. In this finite world, Nothing may be endless And nor would I wish it were.

There’s a value in the finite, for I must be truly blessed to live in your brief bright light.”

Noah Krubitzer is a writer from Wilkes-Barre, in the twilight of their time at King’s College. A history and theology dual-major, they are once again writing after studying abroad. When not writing, Noah is either reading, browsing the internet, or obsessing over professional wrestling.

Who Cut Down the Tree?

You know something has changed when home doesn’t smell like home anymore, even if you’ve moved before. It’s different this time.

Paige Gould

Maybe your dog barks at you when you walk in instead of greeting you with a wagging tail and wet nose kisses.

The tree in the front yard that you swore was there the last time is absent from the forage.

The slip of a tongue when your mother refers to your apartment as home

or how you slowly transition from using one address to the other.

It happens so gradually that you may not even realize until something snaps you out of it and thinking back all you can see is the difference is so vast that you can no longer pinpoint when it all changed.

All you know is that this is life now, and though it’s neither good or bad part of you mourns.

Paige Gould is a fourth year Physician Assistant student, president of the GSA, and chairperson for the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee. She had her first professional literary publication in the Spring of 2020 in “The American Writer’s Review.”

La Soñadora

I think of dreams Like if they are normal Just because I am in love, and Just because I am missing mi tecito, and It began like this:

Estaba en el pasillo, y de una vez lo vi al té justo ahí. Lo abracé, lo tomé de él cuello, y tenía una vestidura blanca. Then I rested when I put my face On his shoulder.

Keila Escalante

As I rested, I was holding it in my hands, And Tea told me: “I’ll go on a run right now,” I wanted to give him a kiss, but I did not, Because of my education, Because my mom’s room was right at the end Of the hallway which reminded me why I must not!

He went to the bathroom to wash His hands and I was Crossing the hallway and kissed him, And I told him: “I missed you. Be careful and go now So you don’t come home late,” Because it was around 6 o’clock.

He left, and my mom said:

“I thought that you were downstairs with el té, que vestía de negro.”

Yo le dije: “No, yo no,” ella dijo: “Lo vi, besando a alguien y se fue

en un vehículo con ella.”

I said: “El té vestía de blanco y lo vi cuando se iba caminando y vi los de ahí abajo, y no era él. Now I am awake, I woke up… ~Desperté junto a la taza de té.

Translation: The Dreamer

I think of dreams

Like if they are normal Just because I am in love, and Just because I am missing my (little, affectionate) tea, and It began like this:

I was in the hallway, And I instantly saw the tea right there. I hugged it, I held it by the neck, and it had white clothing. Then I rested when I put my face On his shoulder.

As I rested, I was holding it in my hands, And Tea told me: “I’ll go on a run right now,” I wanted to give him a kiss, but I did not, Because of my education, Because my mom’s room was right at the end Of the hallway which reminded me why I must not!

He went to the bathroom to wash His hands and I was Crossing the hallway and kissed him,

And I told him: “I missed you. Be careful and go now So you don’t come home late,” Because it was around 6 o’clock.

He left, and my mom said:

“I thought that you were downstairs with the tea, that was dressed in black. I said: “No, it wasn’t me,” and she said: “I saw it, kissing someone and it left in a car with her.”

I said: “The tea dressed in white and I saw it when it was walking. I saw those downstairs, and it wasn’t him (tea). Now I am awake, I woke up…

-I woke up next to the cup of tea.

Keila A. Escalante is an English Literature undergraduate junior at King’s College minoring in French and Spanish. She is a firstgeneration and Dominican student from Hazleton. Keila enjoys drawing, nature, and animals. In her free time, she reads the Bible, listens to music, and writes poems and short stories.

Red Succulent Book Wyrm

Genel Gronkowski

The Service Dog Tarot Art

Genel Gronkowski

Sir Baudelaire

Jessica Henderson

Mask

Sean Crane

A Perfect, Natural Backdrop

Andrew Bowden

Isabelle Glacier Lake Andrew Bowden

A Sight Worth a 6 Mile Hike

Andrew Bowden

University of Colorado, Boulder Andrew Bowden

Contentment

Isabella Gibbon

Duck Prints

Isabella Gibbon

Contrast

Josh Ulanoski

Ecstasy Without Me

Josh Ulanoski

On Fire

Josh Ulanoski

Portsmouth Light

Josh Ulanoski

Horseshoe Bend

Josh Ulanoski

Pinecone Tabitha Kenzakoski

Wintertime

Tabitha Kenzakoski

Visual Art Contributors

Jessica Henderson

Jessica Henderson is a senior Biology major here at King’s College. Art has been an outlet for her as soon as she could pick up a pencil. She loves drawing portraits and her favorite medium is colored pencils.

Sean Crane

Sean Crane is a junior computer science major. He enjoys reading, writing, drawing, and playing games. He hopes to one day create a manga himself.

Andrew Bowden

Andrew Bowden is a soon-to-be graduate of King’s College with a degree in Mass Communications. He is a photographer and graphic designer and enjoys spending time outdoors both while working and relaxing. Andrew specializes in nature photography and strives to find a career that allows him to do what he loves as a main source of income.

Isabella Gibbon

Isabella Gibbon is an Environmental Studies major with a minor in Criminal Justice. Other than photography, her other hobby is dancing. She hopes to one day use her photography skills to help people understand the importance of Earth.

Tabitha Kenzakoski

Tabitha Kenzakoski has been interested in photography for many years and has mainly focused in fashion and beauty, but she also loves the simplicity and beauty of flowers. Tabitha is a Mass Communications major and she has been photographing for over five years and hopes to pursue a career in fashion photography.

Editorial Staff Bios

Faculty Advisor

Jennifer Judge Yonkoski writes poetry, is an assistant technical professor of English at King’s College, and serves as advisor to The Scop and Campion Literary Society. Her work has appeared in Rhino, Blueline, Under the Gum Tree, Literary Mama, and Gyroscope Review, among others. She earned her MFA from Goddard College. She also serves as the coordinator of the Luzerne County Poetry in Transit program. Her first book of poetry, Spoons, Knives, Checkbooks, is forthcoming from Propertius Press.

Assistant Faculty Advisor

Josh Ulanoski works as the Associate Art Director in the King’s College Office of Marketing and Communications. Photography has been his hobby (and sometimes his job) for the past 16 years. When he’s not at work or taking more photos than he has time to edit, he enjoys bike riding, hiking, traveling, listening to music, and catching up on movies, TV shows, and video games.

Editorial Staff Bios

Editor

Brandi Naprava is a first-year English/Secondary Education major at King’s College. While not doing homework, tutoring in the Writing Center, or working on The Scop, she can be found searching for new books to read, staring at maps, and taking on more responsibilities.

Assistant Editor

John Barrera is a junior Theatre major, president of the King’s Players and Entertainment Editor for The Crown. Besides theatre, he likes to watch movies, drink coffee, and judge profusely. He is ecstatic to be a part of such a showcase and enjoys each and every single submission.

Editorial Staff Bios

Social Media Coordinator

Jillian Snook is a freshman Physician Assistant major at King’s College who is also The Scop’s Social Media Coordinator. Jillian enjoys writing and reading poetry, working in her local hospital, and spending time with her friends and family.

Layout Designer

Samantha Bucher (King’s College Class of 2015) is a writer and graphic designer from Limerick, Pennsylvania. She usually has paint in her hair, can say the alphabet backwards, and determines if a day is great or not by the amount of dogs she’s seen. Her written work has been published in Aurora: The Allegory Ridge Poetry Anthology, The Northeast Poetry Review, Atomic No. 26, Poetry in Transit, the Delta Epsilon Sigma Journal, and The Scop.

Staff Bios

Jessica Gittens is a sophomore at King’s College pursuing a major in History with a minor in Creative Writing. Jess volunteers at the Luzerne County Historical Society during the summer and spends her free time reading and writing poetry.

Joseph (Joe) Gacek is a sophomore English/Secondary Education major at King’s! He has always had an analytical eye, which aids him as a current member of The Scop’s editorial board! As a West Pittston native, he works as a pharmacy technician for his local CVS. During the semester, he is employed on campus at the Writing Center, where he works as a writing tutor.

Sarah Healy is a second-year Pre-PA student. She is minoring in Biology, Neuroscience, and Ethics. She is a member of the Pre-PA Society and FIMRC, and she also tutors. She loves to spend her free time with her family and friends, while writing poems when she can.

Hailey Kairewich is a freshman Nursing major at King’s College. When not in class or surrounded by a mountain of textbooks, she enjoys sitting in the sunshine with her eyes closed.

The Scop would like to extend a formal thank you to the King’s College English department faculty for their contributions during the voting process!