Literal Impact, Spring 2022, Vol. 6

Literal Impact

Prospect High School’s student-run Art and Literary Magazine

Spring 2022 Vol. 6

Cover art: Untitled 1, Fidan Jabrayilova, Class of ‘22

Literal Impact Spring 2022

Letter from the Editor-in-Chief Dear Readers, Welcome back to Prospect's Art and Literary Magazine, Literal Impact, for a Spring 2022 edition. Our entire team is excited to celebrate the talented students on campus whose work fulfills the magazine.

Throughout this issue, there will be a display of thought-provoking prose, alongside emblematic imagery through photographs and art. The compilation of distinctive pieces represent a theme of infinite imagination — there are no boundaries to creativity. We hope to emphasize the fusion of abstract with concrete reality. Each piece is a culmination of the artists’ individuality and will communicate a unique response.

We would like to give special thanks to all of the remarkably talented artists who submitted their work; this magazine could not exist without you. Also, a big thank you to Mr. Fisher, our advisor, for always supporting us. And of course, thank you to the whole Literal Impact team for your collaborative efforts and for making this edition a reality.

Without further ado, we hope you enjoy Literal Impact Spring 2022!

Ishan Garg Editor-in-Chief of Literal Impact

Literal Impact Editorial Staff Editor-in-Chief: Ishan Garg Graphic Design and Layout Editors: Clay Whelan Adrienne Ferguson Business Editor: Venice Hodac Copy Editor: Clay Whelan Associate Editors: Clay Whelan Daphney Tsai Helena Fitzgerald Lindsay Pagination Proofreader: Tazmeen Ahmed Club Advisor: Mr. Fisher Web Support: Ms. Cannell

Spring 2022 Impact Award Winners In every issue of Literal Impact, the editors work together to choose up to four pieces to recognize with an Impact Award, no more than one in each of the four categories: Art, Poetry, Photography, and Prose Writing. Each of the award winners also receives a small scholarship. The award selection uses a blind submission process, whereby the editors do not know who is the artist or author of the piece, until after the winner has been chosen.

We had many contributions submitted to this issue, and many outstanding pieces. The editorial board found these works to be especially well-crafted. It’s an honor to bring you the Spring 2022 Impact Awards:

Impact Award for Art: Paperthin, Hope Wu Impact Award for Poetry: Odyssey, Sid Banerjee Impact Award for Photography: Casting, Kenny Namba Congratulations to the winners for their extraordinary creative abilities! You will find these award winning creative works, along with many other beautiful pieces, on the following pages.

Support our magazine! Impact Awards are funded solely by donations. If you would like to support the creative arts and writing at Prospect by contributing to the online magazine’s scholarship fund, please visit our donation link at Prospect High School Web Store.

Thank you!

Literal Impact is a student-run art and literary magazine that is published on-line twice a year. All Prospect students are welcome to submit their creative work! We publish a variety of art and literary works:

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Painting Drawing Cartoons Graphic Stories

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Short Stories Poetry Six-word Stories 280-Character “Twitterature”

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Photography Photos of Sculptures or other 3D Design work Scripts for Short Plays

Do you want to be featured in our next issue?

Literal Impact is accepting entries for our Fall 2022 publication. To learn about the submission process, please visit our website prospectalmagazine.wordpress.com and click on the menu item ‘How to Submit Work’.

The work featured in this magazine is the intellectual property of Prospect High School students. All ownership rights are retained by the student artists and authors. Literal Impact is primarily an online magazine; however a limited number of print editions will be made available. Please contact us through our website if you are interested.

ProspectALMagazine.wordpress.com

Table of Contents Artwork Paperthin, Hope Wu . .

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Woman in the Garden, Min Wang .

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Doljabi , Hope Wu .

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Untitled 1, Fidan Jabrayilova .

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Untitled 2, Fidan Jabrayilova .

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Comfort, Daphney Tsai .

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Poetry Through the Wind, Vani Garg

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Three Strikes, Mia Soto .

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I Hate The Way You Make Me Feel, Mia Soto. .

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Dilation, Tarini Jayakumar.

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On The Blue River, Mia Soto .

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Rather Than Hands, I'd Say That's Its Mustache, Kristin Hsi.

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Hero, Adanna Todd

Every Day Is A Blank Page, Mia Soto.

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Why I Hate Crying, Mia Soto.

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Odyssey, Sid Banerjee .

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Butter Fingers, Kristin Hsi

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Photography Botanical Garden, Daphney Tsai

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The Clear Blue Water, Anush Narasimhan

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A Bird Close, Anush Narasimhan .

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Pineapple Farm, Helena Fitzgerald Lindsay

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Pool View, Helena Fitzgerald Lindsay

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The View From the Top, Anush Narasimhan

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Suspended, Kenny Namba. .

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Casting, Kenny Namba.

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Through the Wind Vani Garg ‘25

Through the spring breeze the blossoms flew It came from me and went to you As the crisp air filled my lungs from its start As the warmth of your words held my heart I felt it around, the blossoms, the breeze As our feelings grew and grew from the roots of our tree We felt it all along, our feelings Now the summer breeze carries it, revealing Here you are and here I am From spring to summer You held my hand

Botanical Garden Daphney Tsai ‘24 10

Mia Soto ‘23

Three Strikes Three strikes —that my defiant soul has made three strikes, —that i’ve committed Strike one, being a woman What’s between my legs Determines my worth Determines my value Determines my place, in this peculiar world Strike two, being a person of color I’m inferior to them This tan skin on my arms Mortifying to their eyes These distinct facial features of mine Horrify their pure sight Strike three, being queer My infatuation with women and men, Classifies me as a sinner, a confused individual I am expected to like a man I am expected to be normal But I’m far from it From the rules I ran Three Strikes against me Three Strikes that define me Three Strikes that embody me

Impact Award for Art Paperthin Hope Wu ‘23

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Mia Soto ‘23

I Hate the Way You Make Me Feel For The One My Heart Still Beats For I hate you For making me feel the way I do I hate that you can make me laugh I hate that you can cheer me up with such ease when I’m sad I hate that I smile so much around you —and how that smile is so genuine, so true I hate that you’re always right Which is an occurrence that happens more often than I’d like I hate that you make me feel safe Provide me with an unfamiliar sense of security As if I can tell you anything, —knowing that you’ll never judge me I hate that you give me these feelings Since I can’t act upon them I wish none of this was real I wish that I could hate you But I could never

Woman in the Garden Min Wang ‘22 12

Not even the slightest bit So instead, I’ll hate the way you make me feel

dilation

by Tarini Jayakumar ‘23

Doljabi Hope Wu ‘23

our pupils widen to let in more light to see something more clearly, but when we see people we love, our pupils widen to take more of them in, to drink as much of their image into our bodies as possible my eyes change to see more of you 13

Mia Soto ‘23

On The Blue River Sounds Unreal How can a body of water be so majestic? With so much to offer Crazy, it is The way it chirps, like nobody’s business! And the comfort I receive because of the susurration Oh, it’s persistence!

Let me dare not speak on the blues So clear So mesmerizing And now, I’m hypnotized As it shouts words, so inviting On The Blue River I don’t feel I don’t fear I simply live Live the way I should have long ago Or If only this place was here before So I could experience the light Before darkness rattled my core But, who cares?

Shall I now rest as light as a feather, 14

I suppose it’s better late than never!

The Clear Blue Water Anush Narasimhan, ‘25

Untitled 1 Fidan Jabrayilova ‘22

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Mia Soto ‘23

Every Day Is A Blank Page Inspired by a phrase once said by Dave Grohl Every Day Is A Blank Page Something we write abruptly Abundant with endless possibilities Every Day Is A Blank Page Some chapters are long Some are short But we continue to write As time goes on Every Day Is A Blank Page Some good Some bad A few happy A few sad But the importance of it all Is what we learn —What we take with us When our stories, Eventually End Every Day Is A Blank Page So it’s up to you 16

What’s on your mind today?

A Bird Close Anush Narasimhan, ‘25

Kristin Hsi ‘23

Rather Than Hands, I’d Say That’s Its Mustache The steady beat of the Chinese deli ringing through pale light that flickers and buzzes, as the cleaver thuds on stained cutting board. Thinning brow furrowed since his break spent studying his hands.

Silence treads as the woman in her new office, folding her fingers in a grasp, tells her client she’s not a fan of wasting time.

While they stare at her license framed in a black box, something sounds like a voice wondering what she’s afraid of.

The hum of machinery as the cuff inflates around an arm, counting beats with seconds, after the woman with fresh scrubs for the morning shift says to sit and “I need to take your vitals.”

Like she does, every day to the children who already lost themselves.

Soft clicks echo down, ticking away at hollow walls.

Yet, eyeing the kid, giddy to the brim, pointing with dimples and missing teeth at the analog clock, waiting for you to say it, you can’t help but put your hands on your knees and ask, “Do you know what time it is?

Pineapple Farm Helena Fitzgerald Lindsay ‘23

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Pool View Helena Fitzgerald Lindsay ‘23

Hero

By Adanna Todd ‘24 Just like a movie You’re the hero But chivalry is dead Just as deceased as heroism The world is your prerogative You do what you think is best for us Even if it leaves people broken You fight till the bitter end Never letting your walls crack You give me wings Then expect me to fly Season after season Comic after comic Movie after movie Drama after drama You’re the hero protector of the innocent No one stands in your way Whether it’s a sad ending or not I can’t be Lois Lane anymore Always waiting in the dark But the show must go on You must go on...

Untitled 2 Fidan Jabrayilova ‘22

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Mia Soto ‘23

Why I Hate Crying I hate crying My eyes burn like an inferno When a tear falls I feel the searing pain it brings to my heart And I chastise myself when it happens My head is in a cloud I try to be tough I was raised stronger So when I dare to cry I feel weak, like my vulnerability is freely exposed And little do I know, It’s normal to cry, to let it out But I still hate it I’d rather take the pain the way I have and proceed on I hate crying Exposing weakness I prefer to exhibit toughness But, even the toughest can’t endure the worst So it’s inevitable to cry Despite how much I hate it

The View From the Top Anush Narasimhan, ‘25

Comfort Daphney Tsai ‘24

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Impact Award for Poetry

Odyssey Sid Banerjee ‘23 I fear his eyes I fear his gaze that penetrates these walls I surround myself in darkness But his cold and silver light–it calls And when his celestial mouth should open, Just what words should escape?

This silence is deafening, but I feel his voice crawling through me Examining my veins and my nerves Quietly, hauntingly, maliciously His wisps creak through The cracks in this door And enter my bloodstream But he just wants more Do not trust his guiding light Do not trust his place in the sky Do not trust the God that sits Atop a throne of stars and lies

Suspended Kenny Namba, ‘23

Do not leave. Do not listen.

Fear the piercing veil Ascend into his machinery and You’ll lock yourself in hell There is no surrender, no loss And there is no death Only patience and careful limbo Scarred by a metallic breath He lives around and between me, An empty room, an evil presence But what do I fear more?

The darkness or the luminescence?

Release me, release me Anger against the dying light And I cannot explain the feeling Against this cosmic might, and And…

Impact Award for Photography

Casting Butter Fingers

Kenny Namba, ‘23

Kristin Hsi ‘23

Two coins in the drain, Keeping company from the rain. A nickel, Then a dime, Bouncing on the leaves Like a little sewage train.

Ah, but what beauty the night beholds. Why not gaze at the moon?

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Thank you for reading the Spring 2022 issue of Literal Impact, Prospect High School’s Art and Literary magazine. We hope you enjoyed it!

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