o s t a l ig a
o s t a l ig a
nostalgia
Nostalgia is a term that refers to the wishful and sentimental yearning for the past; it is a term synonymous with the word reminiscence Nostalgia is a powerful tool that invokes strong emotions from the re-caller, and it is often used by peop e as inspiration in writ ng or art. Whether it is the nostalgia of their own past or relating to the nostalg a of another person, every person is influenced by characteristics of their past.
Nostalgia can provide an escape from one s current circumstances, a lowing the person to feel the emotions they yearn from their past. They reminisce about the fee ings they experienced during that specific moment in time where they fe t happiness, contentment, or joy. By f nding the positive feel ngs associated with the r past, nostalgia activates areas of the bra n that triggers a sense of self and connection. These connections allows people to relate to each other through the shared experiences they've encountered in their past, h ghlighting the power of nosta gia to allow strangers to resonate with other.
This magazine s composed of creative individuals who have experienced the power of nostalgia and transformed those fee ings into the r works. Nosta gia is part of the driving force and inspirat on that has shaped their craft into the beautiful words, shapes, and ines in th s magazine. We hope that you wi l be able to resonate w th each artist's work and experience fee ings of nostalgia and connection through each page.
--Grace, Just ne, Natal a
thanks
Specia Thanks to:
Mrs Mar a Boyd and Mrs Josephine DiGiambattista for foster ng the talents of our artists;
The English Department: Ms. Patr cia Sack, Mrs. Jessica Sh elds, Mrs. Carol Restifo, Ms. Hayley Kazlauskas, Ms. Caitlin Mattera, and Mrs. Katie Cho for inspiring their students;
All the writers and artists who submitted their work to this year's magazine, for putting their minds and hearts into the work that makes this edition of Image Explosion
m ission
The development of Image Explosion begins as submissions are collected from any and all members of the student body from September through February. The staff seeks to elicit a w de var ety of talent and to represent all grade levels with n the magazine, including younger students and those not pursuing an advanced curr culum.
To achieve these goals, staff members read each submission individual y without knowing the writer?s identity. A collaborative discussion then determines wh ch pieces wi l be included in the current ed tion U timately, the staff va ues and seeks to reflect creativity and diversity of thought w thin the magazine The spreads are collaborated on by members of the ed ting staff.
The v ews and opinions expressed in Image Explosion are those of the authors and artists.
Pennsylvan a Schoo Pr ess Association (PSPA)
All State Award: 1998, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013
Gold Medalist Rating: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
Colum bia Scholastic Pr ess Association
Gold Medalist Rating: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017
All-Columbian Honorsfor Design: 2009, 2010
All-Columbian Honorsfor Design, Organization, and Content: 2011, 2012
All-Columbian Honorsfor Organ zation and Content: 2013
All-Columbian Honorsfor Design and Essentials: 2014
National Council of Teacher s of English (NTCE) Realm Contest -Superior Rating
colophon
Every year since 1996, each ImageExplosion staff has worked to produce approximately 627 copiesof Merion Mercy Academy?s literary magazine The magaz ne scompiled ent rely during in-school and after-schoo sessions This edition was designed using Marq software. All text originated in Google Docs All content, titles, and head ngs within the magaz ne are in Merriweather.
WHEN I LOOK AT M Y ID
By Emma Anthony
When I look at my ID
my name ooks back bas c boring barren.
But I like my name
I like the way t sounds in others?vo ces when they say a quick hello or when they playfully scold me for saying someth ng dumb.
Somewhere in my parents closet hidden by sh rts and pants and shelves and shelves of Jawas
there is a whiteboard w th ideas for my name perfect y preserved even though they were wr tten in expo marker
I wonder how my parents d d it when my own belongings are worn and broken and faded even though they are half the whiteboard?s age
The board is fi led w th opt ons for g rlsand for boys my gender then only known by God. I must have excited them becausethey waited for my arrival asa ch ld wa ts for Chr stmas each name awish ist of attributes they hopeI acquire
My namem ght seem bas c boring barren but it is a display of my parents?love and care and excitement.
So I love my name
If I wasn?t
I don?t know who I?d be
28
REM AINING IN THE DARK
By Kaitlin McCul agh '27
Graphite
By Kaitlin McCul agh ?27
A BLACK GIRL ATTENDING A PREDOM INANTLY WHITE INSTITUTION
By Sahana Registre 27
This m ndset has bled nto my sophomore year, especially r ght now As you can see, I am wearing my natura ha r in a norma afro and to be transparent, I don't love my hair and I detest the way it looks I despise the maintenance of it, its texture, its ength, how it makes my face appear b gger, and how it makes me seem younger and ?unkempt.?
I am a black gir that attends a PWI (Predominantly White Inst tut on). In today s society, being a Black g rl who attends a PWI can nf ict serious harm to one's self- confidence; this was something I was not prepared for I knew that I was worth peop e?s respect and my own self- love but, to what extent?
Nonethe ess, I am stil on my journey of self- worth and se f- discovery It s not easy and t is far from complete So, the lesson here for b ack girls n a s milar situat on: Don t change who you are to appea to others. Be who you are, to the fullest. Love yourse f, always.
LOVE THE BLACK GIRLS AROUND YOU
By Sahana Registre 27
love the black girls around you:
During my first- year at Merion, I wasn?t too focused on my ooks ma nly because I was more so ndulged n ad usting to the high schoo atmosphere. But, after the first semester, I had become adjusted and became more self- conscious about my appearance. I was always jealous of how the girls n my grade had the ultra- fine jewelry, the smooth and s lky ha r, the neat shoes They embraced the person I wanted to be, so I started to mold myself into that person I started to coerce my mother to et me indulge in stra ghtening my hair to resemble the smooth and silky hair that I admired so much; styling my ha r in braids when I couldn t stra ghten t, hoping that the length and and fee ing of the smal plaits would fill the void of my hair not be ng straight; the jewe ry, the way the gold ewelry complimented my caramel skin and, in my head, made me feel more accepted.
This m ndset has bled nto my sophomore year, especially r ght now Asyou can see, I am wearing my natura ha r in a norma afro and to be transparent, I don't ove my hair and I detest the way it looks I despise themaintenance of it, its texture, ts length, how it makes my face appear bigger, and how t makes me seem younger and ?unkempt.?
Nonethe ess, I am sti l on my journey of self- worth and se f- discovery It is not easy and it is far from comp ete So, the lesson herefor black g rls n a sim lar situation: Don't change who you are to appeal to others. Be who you are, to the ful est. Love yourself, a ways.
By SahanaReg stre '27
love the b ack g rls around you:
love the black girls around you for you never know the sacrif ces they ve made to somewhat f t into your cruel standards
love the black girls around you for they a ready fee the tension or as if they?re on thin ice within this community
love the black girls around you because they have to work 20 times harder for things you are naturally granted by society.
love the black girls around you because they are ust like you? just with a different skin tone. apprec ate them for who they are? not for who you assume them to be.
By then, I didn t not ce that I was stripp ng away the one characteristic that made me different from the rest, my blackness. I didn t appreciate the g ft of being Black. My ha r, its natural curl pattern and d stinct texture; the way that I ta k, my s ight accent; the way that I present myse f, as a strong and conf dent Black woman who knows her worth; and ultimate y, the way that I look at myself? a young woman, loving her gift and using it to sh ne bright. I was embarrassed to be who I was in fear of what the other girls n my school would assume about me I shaped myself nto this person who d dn't look ?less- intel igent or mpecun ous,?and essent ally, less ike the stereotypical ?Black person ?
love the b ack g rls around you for you never know the sacrif cesthey've madeto somewhat fit into your cruel standards
love the b ack g rls around you for they already feel the tension or as if they?re on th n icewithin th s community
love the b ack g rls around you because they have to work 20 t mes harder for things you are naturally granted by soc ety.
love the b ack g rls around you because they are just like you? just with a different skin tone. apprec atethem for who they are? not for who you assume them to be.
LOVE THE BLACK GIRLS AROUND YOU
By Elisabeth Bailey
BRAINSTORM
By Emma Anthony 28
My bra n is a storm
Where thoughts ripple my mind
Like a breeze on a pond
Where frogs jump over binds
And my dreams are l ke frogs
Only the frogs do not fa l?
Do not fade. Do not d e?
Only leap Never bawl
For their breeze s more calm
Than the thoughts and the pain?
More sweet and more gentle
Than my tired, stormy bra n.
RESTING PLACE
LATE NIGHT DRIVING
VIBRANT SUNSET
26
Photography
By Hannah Turek '26
Photograph
By Ju ia Gargione '26
Graphite
VIBRANT SUNSET
By Elisabeth Bai ey 26
Photography
LATE NIGHT DRIVING
By Hannah Turek 26
Photograph
By Azul Cornejo 26
In a crowded room, I turn to my twin flame,
The one that took away al the pain
Through shame and b ame, she stayed,
I hope th s bond of fami iar ty doesn?t fade.
WHEN RAIN FELL ON LOVE
By Azul
Corne
o '26
Rain poured down as our love met tsend,
My broken heart your love cou dn?t tru y mend,
But know with n me, you?ll a ways havea friend,
Even if our story couldn?t qu te transcend
Where you see starts, I see the night,
When I see darkness, you show me the ght.
In a blink of an eye, you captured my heart?s core
Promise me we?ll never fal apart, now and forevermore.
Your secrets I?ll guard t ll my grave,
Your heart is ever so kind and brave.
Unt l my last breath my ove w ll remain,
For you, I would get on any train and any plane
Fly across the world just to soothe your pain.
FALL M ORNINGS
By Grace K lleen 28
Photography
SANDY SUNSET SHORES
By Made eine Hilferty 27
Photography
We tr ed aga n, hoping o d cracks would seal,
But somewounds of the past, timecou d simp y not heal
What felt like afa rytale proved to be surreal,
A dream I chased that turned nto an ordeal.
Two heartscaught chasing afading llusion,
Bel ev ng we could last waspure delus on
Morning and n ght, I sat n confusion,
Wondering if I should drift into sec usion.
On a wishing star, I made a vow I could never hold,
Wh te liesand false hopes madethis ove turn cold,
Yet your faults are secrets that by me wi l ever be told
Our ta e c ose to my heart I?ll ho d as if it were gold.
15
TWIN FLAM E
SPIRIT OF ARES
By E isabeth Bai ey 26
Thebloodspilt uponmyspear Spirit of Battle
UNTITLED
COTTON CANDY SUNSET
By Soph a Leuzzi 27
Photography
By Ju ia V llarreal '25
Photography
INTO THE AM PHIBIAN EYE
By Ka tlin McCu lagh 27
Chalk Pastels
CAN I TOUCH YOUR HAIR?
By Am ra Wardlaw '26
"Can I touch your hair?" Absolutely... not. You may not touch my hair or any other part of me simply because your curiosity has clouded your udgment You may not touch my hair because "it looks so coo " or maybe because no one ever told you that t s cruel to ask such a question A question that can be categorized as a microaggression, but to me the feelings that stem from that question couldn t be farther from "m cro". I look at her and I k ndly say "no", because how shou d I be labeled f I choose to throw how I feel at that moment back at a seemingly clueless girl?How is she supposed to know that my ha r is an extens on of myse f and not just a book on a shelf that she can pick up and examine any t me| she wishes to earn more?How s she supposed to know that the question she just asked me s another part of my experience that I wish would go?To a place far far away, a place where I cou d ive through my days without hearing that phrase?One that my mom and her mom and her mom's mom just can t seem to shake?She looks back into my direct on and asks that same question... this time w th a please.
One that I can only assume is supposed to put me at ease This time I don't even ook n her direction, I ask myself "how has she not made the connection?" This aggress on s one that stems from my people s oppress on. It may not seem like a big deal to you, but to me it's like I'm a patient w th an incurab e d agnosis of the flu.
Why is this even aquestion? If I was to ask her if I could touch her hair, I can't even imag ne
theexpress on of surprise that'd take over If only she could see that what she s asking isn't something that you just ask It's a quest on that causes Black g rls and women to mask a
mu titudeof emot ons. Emotionsthat they have every right to feel, emotions that have come to fruition because sometimes t seemsthat wemay never hea . I rep ied this time, not so
k ndly, "I d appreciate it f you stopped bothering me " To those on the outside ooking n, it may seem that my sk n isway too th n. That there's no reason to respond ike that to a girl whose only mistake was asking a question. The reason for my anger isbigger than you and me, t'ssomething that I can t put nto words no matter how much t means to me When you ask to touch my hair, it seemsto me that you feel no need to care To carenot just about respecting me, but to care to learn about my history. Whether t's the braids in my hair, or the curlsof my afro, my ha r isa part of me. A part of methat doesnot just represent meas a person, but a part of me that my ancestors shared as well When you ask to touch my hair for
your own se f sh reasons, you ask to feel the wind when you do not yet know the season Just know that the next t me you ask to touch my hair, the only answer you wi l receive ismy look of despair.
OH TO CHOOSE
By Natalia Assetto 25 Embroidery
LIGHTHOUSE M EM ORY
By Hayden Muehl 26
Cha k Pastels
COLONNADE
By Elisabeth Bailey 26 Watercolor
BIRTHDAY GIRL
By Daisy Pinto 27
Graph te
ESPRESSO M ACHINE
By Sophia Leuzzi '27
Graphite
UP LAPORTE
By Daisy Pinto '27
Graph te
CHICAGO SKYDECK
By Emi y Beggs '26
Photography
THE LITTLE THINGS
By Hannah Turek 26
Photography
PERIWINKLES
By Alex Segreti '25
animalstold messages to fami y sp r its become friends water ate fire moon knew something she knew wind blew , stars catch stories of humans people were happy in the wor ld
Waterco or
JOY OF M USIC
By Gia Leuzz '27
Graphite
GAM EDAY HAIR
By C aire Casey 27 Ink
" for m s of life"
By Justine Weng '25
M Y NAM E IS NOT AVA
By Eva Howard 28
My grandma said it at the baby shower
But my mom wanted to pronounce t the spanish way
She liked how it sounded
Because of her decision
My name is almost always pronounced wrong
Spel ed Eva but pronounced ?Ava?
Is strange in this country
If I?m honest
Most of the t me I don?t even correct people
I?m too scared to tell them that they said it wrong
I?m a sp neless cat
Nowadays I can even respond when they pronounce it wrong
My friends always ook at me
Their eyes boring into me screaming correct them, correct them
But I don?t
In the church
Eva is the latin counterpart of Eve
I ooked t up
I f nally understand why in Italy
they say my name instead of Eve
It feels funny
When I ooked up my name
Google sa d it meant life or living one
I get why it?s n the bible
In the hebrew b b e
I can see why they chose the name of life
For Eve and me too
By Soph a Leuzzi 27
FUNNY OLD DOG
Graphite
M
CIRCA 2007- 2025
Empty yet so full of life
So changed yet exceedingly permanent
The halls of my ch ldhood
The rooms I once knew The people who now inhabit them A l unrecogn zable
And now they?ve rebu lt
Transformed from the bottom up Made for the new generation
The death of my adolescence Circa 2007-2025
My chi dhood officially ended Died with the chang ng seasons
SUPERSIZED GRIDDED DRAWING
M AC& CHEESE
By Molly Butler 28
Acrylic
EM ORY PORTRAIT
By Molly Butler 28
Colored Penc l
By Ji lian Longo '27
Graphite
By Christina Flanagan '26
AS USUAL
By Maren Muller '25
?I did nothing! I?m innocent!?
The words came out of her mouth, but she couldn?t speak, as usual G ant hands vicious y threw her into the center of the town square, where a wooden pole and a burning torch patiently awaited her arrival. It was like going through the motions of a perfect y choreographed dance. She would kick and scream and cry but no one would help her. Next, she wou d break away from the hands and run into strong arms that wou d hold her for a brief moment, with empty green eyes boring into her tearful brown ones She wou d remember these eyes had a name, but not the name Then she would say, ?Please tel them! Te l them I?m not a witch!?
But, as usual, the eyes and the arms delivered her to the wooden po e and the torch and tied her there. They then would pick up the torch and hesitate. They would look away from her towards someone, not in her v s on, and the gir prepared herself for what she knew wou d come next. He would turn his now cold green eyes back to her and hold out the torch, which he wou d hold with his left hand The hand with a ring on it The ring she put there The ring that matched hers. She would carefully sl p her own ring off her finger and toss it to the side, where the townspeople would never find it. But someone wou d, she knew it in her soul. She would then face the accusing green eyes of her beloved f ance and watch the flames grow closer ?Ally??
Ally Crow awoke from her dream to her mother?s voice cal ing from downstairs She propped herself up n her bed and noticed she was sweating in her icebox of a room, as usual. She checked the t me and realized she was late. She jumped out of bed and quick y put on an outfit, fixed her hair, brushed her teeth, and paused, glancing at her jewelry box on her vanity. She was now very late, but she couldn?t leave w thout her jewelry
?Ally!?, her mother yel ed again. ?Coming!? she replied, as usual. She gingerly picked through the haphazard mess of earrings, bracelets, and ringsbefore finding theones she wanted. She picked two bang e bracelets for each wr st and a pair of witch?s hats for earr ngs. She didn?t know why she picked them until a flash of silver caught her eye inside her jewelry box.It was thering she found when she first moved here.
To Salem, Massachusetts.
She remembered the day she found thering, it was her 13th birthday Her parents had made the day extra special sincethey knew their daughter was upset about the move. They took her to thelocal town, which the governor had decided to keep as ?historical? as possible. Ally remembers thinking how dumb the idea was. She knew about the witch trials, why would anyonewant to celebrateburn ng innocent women? She also remembered moving towards the fountain in them ddle of thetown square, where achip in the marble of the fountain had caught her eye. It was a simple ring, just a silver band. The sameone seventeen- year- o d Ally now held n her palm. She stared at thering and theworld d sappeared. She heard distant screamsand ther ng seemed to burn her fingers
As usual.
She slipped thes lver band onto her left hand and smiled to herself It fits a most too perfectly on her ring finger.
?Today?sthe day?, she thought to herself
She descended the stairs towards thekitchen. She went to grab thecereal box from the counter, but was stopped by her mother?s ?mom glare?.
?Tommy?s going to be here any minute, honey ?, she said gently
Tommy Cuthbert, thestereotypical jock in any high school movie ever. Rich, cocky, bright green eyes, and thequarterback of the football team He also happened to be Ally?s devoted boyfriend, much to every female student attending Cobey H gh?s dismay
Ally exha ed, reluctantly putting the box back and grabb ng a banana, making her way over to her father sitting at the kitchen table
?You don?t need a ride home right??, he asks without looking up from his crossword. Ally and Tommy were volunteering at Cobey Elementary that afternoon since they were having their annual Hal oween party for the kids Tommy was going to drive them there, then drive Ally home.
Ally raises an eyebrow at her father ?No Not that you wou d?ve given me one anyway I know what day it is ?
?Yeah you do,? her father grins and glances at her mother.
?You two are unbelievable. We could give you a ride if you need one. We?re just ordering takeout and watch ng a movie,? her mother says, rolling her eyes and wa king over with extra napkins for the table.
?Yup. Totally. That?s all we?re doing. Noth ng else.?, her father, ever the flirt, responds. Ally?s mother whacks him with the napkins before sett ng them on the table.
A honk sounds from outside.
Ally gives her parents a quick kiss on the cheek before grabbing her bags and heading towards the door
?Do you need that one, Ally?It looks heavy ? Along with her school bag, Al y was bringing a red tote bag that ooked like t weighed a ton The honk sounded aga n, this time lasting for a few extra seconds.
?Yes Mom, it?s for ater Love you!? Ally bounded out the door towards the red Porsche parked outs de her house She opened the door, threw her bags n the back, and jumped into the front seat. As usual.
?Hey babe ? Tommy?s left hand he d thesteer ng whee and his right he d his phone He didn?t bother to ook at his g rlfriend Ally discreetly rolled her eyes She hated theword ?babe? and she hated being ca led it even more.
?Good morning Tommy ? Ally knew she sounded annoyed, but she didn?t care That got his attention.
Tommy looked up, afrown on his handsomefeatures ?What, are you mad at me or something??
Ally sighed and turned towards the window. ?No, I?m sorry. I?m ust tired,? she ied. She felt his eyes on her. ?Samedream aga n??
Ally nodded Tommy was the only onewho knew about her recurring dream Tommy put hisphone in Ally?s lap and took hold of her chin, turning her face back to his.
?It?s just a dream, babe.? Tommy grinned as helet go of her chin to put his hand on her thigh.
?Now cheer up. I need my DJ.?
Ally scro led through the questionable songs on his phone to find one she liked before giving up and picking something random. She p cked the right one becauseTommy whooped and
started obnoxiously nodding to thebeat. Ally laughed and shook her head. It was moments like thesewhere she fe t a twinge of doubt in her stomach
But shenever et the feel ng stay. He deserved what was coming to him.
AS USUAL
By Maren Muller '25
FOREST TRAIL
BEAUTIFUL THORNS
By Em ly Char es Cole 27
Acryl c, Colored Pencil
By Julia Gargione '26
Graphite
M APLE TREE
By Julia Vi larreal 25
Photography
CLIFFS OF M OHER
By Emi y Beggs 26
Photography
SPOTLIGHT
Ka tlin
SUNDAY AFTERNOON
Cec Corr '26
Photography
CONTROL
Violette Fratrick '25
Acrylic
By
McCul agh '27
Graphite
A STUDY IN PERSPECTIVE
Is this the flower shop?
I was just ook ng to buy some roses
I can see, there are beautifu flowerseverywhere
But where the rosesshould be, there are only a few red peta s that must have fallen off
I guess everybody wanted the roses
And there are so many other flowers to choose from
Orchids, tulips, l lies? and the sweet-smelling lavender
But I don?t want them
I wanted the roses
Well, maybe my uck w ll change next Spring
By Er n Rebbechi
M OVEM ENT
By Elisabeth Ba ley '26
Sculpture
By Natal a Assetto 25 Graphite
DUALITY
By El sabeth Ba ley '26
Watercolor
FLOWER SHOP
'28
COTTAGE
By Natal a Assetto '25
WATER IN THE STEM
By Er n Rebbechi 28
She was a young girl, ta ented by design
She wou d ook nto fash on in her spare time
Staring at the ceiling when her ights were d m
And every night, she was dream ng about him
He?d walk by the shore, taking in the coo breeze
He?d always find her ref ection in the seas
He thought of her as he ooked out his window
And saw a soft blue sky, cast with a rainbow
How he would think of her water-colored heart
And how they started a f re with one spark
Because both of them had felt it, a l along
Hearing each other?s names in the dove?s birdsongs
And you should see the way that they interact
How they?d forget all the bad times that had passed
But somehow, they?re both too afra d to confess
Even if they know they fit each other best
Messing with each other, all n good humor
The way they saw each other n the r futures
Jok ng around together with all their fr ends
They have each other, they ust don?t know it yet
And I?veseen the way shelooks into hiseyes
L ke tak ng in the world before her dem se
I?ve seen her smile spark e with inner joy
That sheknew she be onged to that lover boy
Because, hethought about her n the morn ng
Her gestures he was constant y adoring
Her brunettehair, that f owed along like water
The clouded, crystal clear memoriesw th her
And f on y he knew the thoughts in her head
When she l ed to herself, they?re no morethan friends
But at theend of they day, everyone knew
How they saw each other, and rea zed what?s true
When the sky isdark, shewishes on astar
As the lightswent out, and the world wou d go dark
Imagining h s intangiblepresence
H s soul untwined, in it?s finest qu ntessence
Someday, someday, he knew that he would te l her
Longer they talked, the harder hissoul wou d burn
He p ctured her namein the constellations
Later, in their bloodl ne for generations
But, coming upon them l kethe sun at dawn,
Was the real zation to whom they were drawn
Soon, they would realize there?s no one e se for them
Because to seethe rose, you have to water the stem
THE DOG DAYS OF WINTER
By Grace Kil een '28
Photography
Graphite
PETALS AM OUNG STARS
By VeraChen '28
Acrylic
Do you remember when we were younger?
How we used to joke around with a l your fr ends?
Do you think of me ever, I wonder, and do you look at me from a different lens?
Well, somet mes I see your mom on the news
And I th nk about everything we once were
Every time I see her, I think of you I can?t help but think how much you look l ke her
Eventually, spr ng wou d turn into fall
And everything then is so d fferent to now
It?s been years, but there?s so much I recall
And as you grew, your ha r changed from b ond to brown
I stil remember your voice to this day
And I st ll remember that ook n your eye, when you?d ask if I could come out to play
When you?d ask me that, how could I deny?
Why does nostalgia feel so strange, but good?
I w sh you were here with me at this moment
I recall at th s very spot, you stood
But for now, I th nk I?l wr te you a poem
PIIIIIINK
By
Hayden Mueh 26
Acryl c
NAPPING IN THE SUN
By Caro inePer ick 27
Graphite
WRITE YOU A POEM
By Er n Rebbechi '28
VACATION NIGHTS
By Grace Kil een '28
Photography
SOLACE IN YOUR GAZE
Your dazzl ng green eyes are my guiding light.
A path to a place where clouds no onger fight.
The cr sp, co d air settles like an icy sheet,
But when your arms wrap around mine, the ch ll turns to heat
For now this dalliance s ours to cher sh a one.
Wh spers surround but we?ve bui t our own throne
The wor d may not see all the qu et joy we?ve known,
But in your arms, I?ve found my forever home.
The touch of your hand makes my worries slip away,
Like melting ice on a sunlit day.
When life becomes a burden, I look into your gaze,
And f nd solace in the beauty of your tender ways
In your eyes, a fe unfolds, a life where I feel free
A life of comfort and happiness for you and for me.
I don?t know where th s love w ll take us, but I know,
That together we?l rise wherever we go
Our love we won?t keep a secret, but it?s ours to keep,
A secret shared only in moments deep.
It is true that I ove you more than words could show,
And t is my wish that you, by my side, won?t ever feel low.
Acry ic
By Azul Cornejo '26
RED SUNSET
By Sophia Leuzzi '27
OCEAN CITY M ORNINGS
By Emily Beggs '26
Photography
A SUM M ER SUNSET
By Alexandra Ratner '26
Photography
LIFE IN THE CITY
By Em ly Beggs 26
Photography
THE USE OF A SHOE
By L bby Shea 27
Sculpture
ECHOES OF AEIPATHY
By Azu Corne o '26
Our love van shed asshe left me weeping,
Alone in my bleak room, I was left gr eving
She abandoned our ae pathy to embrace another?s affection,
Our once intertw ned hearts now an ll c t connection
FOLLOW THE LEADER
By Hannah Turek 26
Photography
Our love was conditional, fraught with doubt, I was a dreamer thinking it precious throughout.
But soon enough, I found myself in bitter reverie,
Her once-charm ng dispos tion, now just a memory.
Our memories, bittersweet, Mistakes made, lessons earned, our end is complete
In the past they be ong, yet they haunt mesti l, They echo al night ong unti the morn ng?s chil
The end has arrived,
The melodiesof our old ove, now deprived.
Our tale remains untold,
But to you, I sti l ahold, my heart sti l bold.
STEPPING INTO AUTUM N
By Hannah Turek '26
Photography
EVERYTHING TASTE BETTER IN DECEM BER
By Erin Rebbechi '28
We drink hot cider we brewed together
We make your mother?s cookies with our fr ends
Everything tastes better in December
W th you, the winter never ends
We wa k outside, in a crystal wonderland
G owing little snowflakes ref ect in your eyes
We step onto the ice, skating hand in hand
Remember these as the good times
We play ho iday songs in our iving room
We start a fire, gazing far beyond
Right then, that?s where another chapter b oomed
I now see our hearts correspond
I st ll have that bear you once knitted for me
The Christmas exchange, I?ll never forget
This magic with you, I cou d not foresee
But t is one I?l never regret
By C aire Casey 27 MetallicGel Pens
TWINKLY LIGHTS
M OTHER AND CHILD
Editor - in- Chief: Gr ace Lour ie 25
Assistant Editor - in- Chief: Justine Weng ' 25
Ar t Editor : Natalia Assetto 25
Staff: Rebecca Angela Rom ussi ' 25
Chr istina Flanagan 26
Ar i Rabady 26
Payton Connelly ' 27
Julia Klein ' 27
Willow M atthews ' 28
Advisor s: M s. Caitlin M atter a
M r s. M ar ianne Rule
M r s. Katie Cho
THE STACKS
By Julia Vi larreal '25
Photography
By Kinsley Jackson '26
Photography