Ifnotstatedotherwise,clipartisfromCanva DuskLiteraryArtsMagazine
BlakeMiddleSchool Hopkins,MN
PublishedApril15,2025 ThirdEdition
FrontcoverartbyOllyBower
BackcoverartbyNataliePalmby
Editors
OllyB. OlympiaB. MadelynF. MorganF. JosieH. SabihaK. TeaghanS. AmandaT. LillyT. SophiaW.
SpecialthankstoMsDerricottforhelpingusset everythingup!!
Thethemeforthe2024-2025releaseis...
TheShambles,York,England Mr.Somerville
Photograph Anonymous
CatinGreece BenKeller(6)
DigitalDrawing AureliusButler(8)
DominicanRepublic______________________AmandaTarakji(6)
DigitalDrawing JosieHou(8)
byMr.Paterakis
bySophiaWidge(8) (editedbyCarolineWang[8])
Mostpeopleseecitiesasbuildings. Large,expensivebuildings.
ButIthinkacitycanbemorethanabuilding. Forinstance, Isacolonyacity?
Ifitis,acitycouldbeseenassomuchmore.
Coloniesinspace–ofants–offungionlogs. Isacityjustskyscrapers? Ifso,why?
Whomadetheserules?
Wholetacitybesuchasimplething? Itcouldbesoexpansive.
Thestarsformacityoflight,againstadeep,darkblack,liketheplumageon aloon’shead.
Thefeathersofthebirdkeepthecreaturewarm, Asoftlandscapeofdownprotectingitfromthesnow. Thesnowfallsinpatterned,perfectcrystals. Likethepatternsandlinesofacitymap. Imperfectstreets,curvingeverywhichway.
Thealtitude,thepositionofstreetlamps,thedepthofpondsisallunknown. It’sjustabig,wide,bare-bonedviewofsuchacomplicatedmachine. Mechanicalstructuresoffleshandbonescreateamachineweallknowlike home:
Ourselves.
Simultaneously,couldthebodybesaidtobeacity?
Canveinsbestreets,runningthroughaflesh-and-bonelandscape; encompassingskyscrapersofbothminusculeandinsignificantbeingsof hair?
Imaginegazinguponthosestructuresasifyouwereatardigrade. Theirtoweringentitiesonlygrowinginsizeovertheyears.
(Continuedonnextpage)
Comparedtothosesimplestrands,Tardigradesarequitetiny. Justastheworldisverybig.Onecouldevensayit’ssupercolossal. Biggerthanthebiggestcity,biggerthanyou’dthink. Imaginewalkingacrosseverycity,onthisplanetofearthonyourowntwo feet.
Itwouldbequitetricky,yes? Itwouldtakeyourwholelife,andthensome.Afterall,humansdon’treally liveforthatlong.
Youcouldspendlifetimesofmovingfromplacetoplace,justtoexplore everycity.
Though,isthereanotherchanceafterthefirstone? Isiteventhefirst?
Andforthefirstfewyearsofyourlong,tiresomejourney,youwouldn’t evenknowyouweredoingit!
You’dbecompletelylostandconfused,likeatouristinanunknowncity. Butwhattypeofcity?
Afterall,whatevenclassifiesasacityanyway? Justbuildings?
Large,expansivebuildings?
Filledwithpeople,whosebodiesarecitiesoftheirown? Sure.
Afterall, Mostpeopleseecitiesasbuildings.
PERSON1:Ateacher
PERSON2:Acarpenter
PERSON3:Amailcarrier
(Threepeoplesitonabench.)
PERSON1:Ifonlytheworldwerereal.
PERSON2:Isitnot?
PERSON3:Ithought…
PERSON2:Butofcourse!Hereitis.
PERSON1:Thiscannotbe.
PERSON3:Whatdoyousee?
PERSON1:Iseetheworld.
PERSON2:Itstaresyouintheeye.
PERSON3:Look!
(Theylookaheadandseesomethingspectacular.)
PERSON1:Ifthisistrue…
PERSON2:Thiscannotbe…
PERSON3:Yesitcan.
PERSON2:WellImustgocloser.
PERSON1:Ishallaswell.
PERSON3:AndIwillstayhere.
byMs.Derricott
Whentimecomesthelightsgoup,whentimecomes thelightsgodown.It'slightwithnolights,it'sdark withmanylights.Thetownglowsfrominsideoutwith lampposts,sparklinginthemiddleofthenightasifit wasadiscoballataparty.Afterdarktheworldhasa silenceonlybrokenbythemagicthatappearsinthe middleofthenight.Afterdark,shinylights.Afterdark, magic.
bySamMorris(8)
by:EllenRippe(8)
Itiemybeaten-down tennisshoesinatriple knot, probably tighter thanIneedto.AsIput one foot in front of another, I feel my breathfallintorhythm withthecrunchingof leaves underneath my feet.Whileitwasnearlysilentontheoutside, exceptfortherustling ofleavesandoccasional squirrel scurrying by, mybrainwasfarfrom quiet.ThehousesthatI hadrunpastcountless timesbefore,nowreminded me of all the thingsIwouldhaveto leave.Thecoolfallchill in the air that’s just enough to rose your cheeks,butnotenough toputonajacketonly made me think about afas
think about how Florida’swarmweather will probably never evenmakemeshiver.I wonderhowDadcould dothistome.Hewants ustoleavetheplacewe have lived together sinceIwasbornjustfor somejob.Hewantsus toleavetheneighborhood and community thatsupportedusthrough everything we’ve beenthrough.Hewants ustoleaveMom’sgardenandtheneighborhoodshechoseforme togrowupin.Hesaid wecouldhavea“fresh start”andthat“itcould be nice,” but I don’t want to live in a neighborhood whose streetsaren’tlinedwith memories of Mom teaching me how to rideabikeandtorun withtheproperform. Daddoesn’tunderstand thatwewouldn’tjustbe leaving our 2-story brickhousewithcreaky floorsandcreepyhallways. We would be leavingthehousewhere heandMomtaughtme
howtocookmacand cheese and where I watched Home Alone forthefirsttimewith myheadlyinginMom’s lap, covering my eyes duringthe“scaryparts.” Ifeltatearrolldown my cheek slowly as I passed the house that was Mom’s favorite. I watcheditsoakintomy cottont-shirt,leavinga smallsplotchofgrayon myoff-whiteshirt.The housewasaprettypastel teal, but Mom always saiditwasrobin’segg blue.Whenwewenton runstogether,itwould alwaysbethehousethat Momwouldletmetake a rest at. I remember collapsing on the tree stumpintheboulevard infrontofitsperfectly trimmedhedges,breathingheavilyandwishing Icouldstaythereforever.Momwouldalways smile at the spacious frontyardandverdant garden before pulling me off the stump to continuewithourrun. Iwouldalwaysaskher whyweranoncoldor qefw
rainy days when all I wantedtodowascrawl intomywarmbedand fall back asleep. She alwaysrespondedwitha cheesyquotebysome athletethensaid:“But really Charly, we run together because we can.”
Ismile,thinkingabout ourrunstogethermade mefeellikeshewasstill here to tell me that everything was going tobealright. I turn the corner and see my house. The overgrowngardenhad mum buds poking up into the air, and the flowerboxeswerefull ofthePetuniasthatDad planted this spring. I walk up the cracked steps and open the rusty,browndoorwith acreak.Inside,Iuntie my shoes and place theminthedustyboot bench next to Dad’s blackwingtips.Iwalk into the living room and sit down on the wornoutleathercouch. As I reach for the remote, I glance at qffdsb
something else. A pictureofDadwithhis armaroundMomwith me on her shoulders. Wewerestandingnext toamarqueesignthat said,“Thememorieswe make with our family are everything.” When we were in Arizona, Dad insisted we pull over to take a picture nexttothatsign.Hegot the old lady who workedattheMcDonaldsnextdoortotake thepictureandit’sstill his favorite family photo. When I asked himwhy,hesaid,“Most photos only help you remember one or a couple memories, but that photo helps me remember all of our memoriestogether.” Ilookatalltheother photosonthesidetable: my first birthday with my face covered in brightredfrostingafter smashingthecakeinto myface;theselfieofus on the Santa Monica Pierduringourtripto California;andmyfirst trackmeet,meholding
mysecondplacemedal proudly. All of them remindedmeofspecial memorieseventhough I’m not in the place thattheyweretaken. EveninFloridaIcan still remember Mom just as well, even thoughI’mnotliving inthehouseIlivedin withher.Icanstillgo on runs and imagine I’mrunningwithher evenifI’mnotinthe same neighborhood. I canstillrememberthe memories with her because they are everything. ScholasticGold Keywinner!
byAnonymous
ByCatherineSmith(7)
Theworldcouldusemorekindness, lessshoutingpeopledown, andmoretryingtounderstand, lesspersonalattacks, andmorefriendlyconversations, lesshate, andmorelove, lessshouting, andmoretalking, lessfightingthosewhodisagree, andmorehelpingeverybodyyousee,
Theworldcouldusemorenature, lessfactories, andmoreforests, lessmining, andmoreplanting, lesstaking, andmoregiving, lessconcreteandmetal, andmoredirtandplants, lesspipelines, andmorecleanrivers
byEffieMcMillan(8)
byMr.Somerville
byBenKeller(6)
