Preface

Welcome to The Elixir. This is our inaugural edition, called “Caelum et Terram,” translated to “Heaven and Earth.” This edition started being written during COVID, and then due to the lockdown, paused production. We are pleased to report that we will be publishing an annual edition going forward each year.

I’d like to first explain the origin of the name The Elixir. The word “elixir” originates from Arabic, from the word “al-iksir.” An elixir, as you know, is a cure for an ailment. A panacea, if you will. We believe writing to be healing, for both the writer during the writing process, as well as for the reader. We believe poetry and literature to be one of the best natural elixirs in the world. To be able to connect with another human in written word format, and to feel what he or she feels, is the antidote to loneliness.

Reading and writing were personal elixirs for us during COVID, and as a result, you’ll see the evolution of our lives from lockdown to present reflected in the chronology of this journal. We start with poetry and prose in the section entitled “fear.” We wrote these pieces in the midst of the nearly two year lockdown, which left an indelible psychological mark on our generation.

Then, we move on to “solace.” How did we find solace during the lockdown, as children kept home from school, away from our friends and activities, and living in a state of uncertainty as to whether our lives would ever return to normal? Many of us found solace in nature, and you’ll read our reflections from our solitary hikes during the lockdown.

Finally, we emerge, back in society, in the section entitled “reesurfacing.” You see glimpses of our lives - our relationships, our travels, our hobbies. We also tackle sensitive yet important topics that affect us as young people, including mental health, child abductions, police brutality, and social justice.

Lastly, we include a few miscellaneous but entertaining sections, including “folklore” “novel excerpts,” (a composite of initial chapters of novels currently in the works by our writers), and “Playwright’s Corner.” At the same time, we sought to inform with a few “opposite the editorial page” pieces.”

Fittingly, our first issue is named “Heaven and Earth,” as our content explores our relationship as human beings with Mother Earth. It also examines the purpose of life and delves into the depths of how we perceive and interact with one another.

Our team has pulled together a phenomenal composite of original art, both digital and handmade, as well as stunning photography, that take our team’s writing to new heights. We hope you can feel the heart and soul we poured into every brushstroke and every click of the camera.

I’d also like to acknowledge the outstanding accomplishments of our writing team this year. We have had two writers self-publish their first books with #1 bestsellers on Amazon. Our team has also won honors this year such as Honorable Mention in the 2022 Chicago Young Writers Review writing competition, First Place in the Taradiddle Fall 2022 writing competition, First Place in the VFW Patriot’s Pen local chapter’s writing competition for 2022-2023, Honorable Mention in the Stone Soup Magazine writing competition in 2023, the Sunnyvale Public Library’s 2023 Journey Into the Future writing contest, and most recently, a commendation from the Mayor of the City of Santa Clara.

I’m so proud of this team for their hard work and dedication. We might be a small team, but we are as mighty as they come.

We hope you enjoy reading our labor of love as much as we relished in creating it.

Your Editor-in-Chief, Isa Hasan

Postscript: Our journal operates differently in some ways that others. First, we rely on peer editorial review, and therefore our editorial team and our writing team are one and the same. Second, this is an inclusive journal. Inclusiveness is one of our core values as a team. A literary magazine’s purpose, in our view, is to share the diversity of the human experience, which would be severely limited if we didn’t give a platform to our differently abled peers and friends. Therefore, every member of the team receives at least one publishing credit to their name.

LOCKDOWN BY FATIMA E.

At first I was like: I don't know

I don’t know I don’t know where I’m going to go

If COVID-19 grows

Then; It grew COVID-19 had an outburst An outburst of peoples Growing sick, Not wanting to pick This choice was not theirs.

Now I still don’t know, I don’t know when this will end. Just tell me

Tell me how this’ll end

At least tell me what’s happening Because I don’t know.

TWO WORDS BY HUSNA B.

It was a fine day during spring break I had gone out to play and was wondering which snack I should take

Then, I was told two words that changed my mood from warm to cold my happiness flew away like a bird

My Life As A Ghost By

UNAYSAH RON

As I watched the news, like I did every day, there were words about a new disease spreading. I stared at the television, where the news reporter was talking about the virus like it was the most exciting thing in the world. But as the reporter continued talking, all I could feel was frustration. COVID-19, COVID-19, COVID-19. The coronavirus was old news, and everyone had been talking about it for weeks. Was that all they could ever talk about? When would the good stuff come on, like who won the newest sports matches and political tension, both of which were way more interesting than a virus. I mean, would it actually affect me? It was all the way in China, practically on the other side of the world! However, as I came to know later, what the reporters were talking about, it would affect me in many ways.

Life in the time of COVID-19 was kind of like life as a ghost. A lame ghost that doesn’t even have cool powers, like phasing through walls or disappearing. The kind of ghost that can see everything, but can’t do anything. I felt like that ghost. Sure, I could read or paint, or do whatever else to pass the days, but none of that would ever achieve anything. It was even more frustrating than boring reporters, especially when I realized that things that I was looking forward to might never happen. I was in school back then, and I had been sick on what I hadn’t known would be the last week. I didn’t really care though, because I’d just see my friends again next week, right? But as the days turned to weeks, the weeks to months, and the months to years, I never saw them again. I still haven’t.

As I laid in bed reading, complaining to my mother that there was nothing to do, she told me to be more productive. I asked her what she meant by productive, and she told me I should learn to code, or anything else I wanted. I was initially apprehensive, but I took her up on it, and soon after, I was taking even more classes. Policy debate, HTML, CSS, Python, journaling, entrepreneurship, and many other classes. While I was doing this, my older brother was teaching other people, and while he usually isn’t very inspiring, he inspired me to do the same. I started with teaching a friend Math Kangaroo, and eventually moved on to tutoring more people.

After that year, I realized I could do anything I wanted if I put my mind to it. And while I couldn’t do a lot of things, the list of things I could do was a lot longer. And most of all, I definitely wasn’t a ghost.

Like always, this too shall pass Not for long it will last

Whether you face many problems or are failing a class

There is no need to empty the glass soon everything will be in the past Like always, this too shall pass

Your world will move on, like it always has You will find answers to questions you have never asked Whether you face many problems or are failing a class

Everything will go back to normal as it always has Even after life surprises you with a blast like always, this too shall pass

My Sweet Little Strawberry

BY ISA HASAN

Gingerly, my homely hands hold The silken, satiny stem that explodes like a small green bullet from the clogged brown earth. Dew hugs each seed, tiny patches, lingering from last night’s rain. My hand encircles the curved arch of the pail, as I gently pour life into the opened mouths of the rose-red lips. The stems, soft and furry, Bent towards the sun Arms, leaves, outstretched. Soft seeded bumps tickle my fingertips. I hold a strawberry to my nose, inhaling the ripe, fragrant smell Of sunshine and sweetness.

Tiny red buds hang Like heavy dewdrops on the vine. I pluck one wrestling it like a child from its mother. I press into it and juice flows Rapidly, blood gushing A crime scene staining my hands. My sweet little strawberry is crushed. And just as I brought it to life, tenderly making daily offerings of water and tending to its bed. In an instant, without care, worry or want, I have taken its life away. The fragility of life. As I step through the door, and towards the sink to wash away my sin. I drop to my knees. My tears flow.

BIODIVERSITY BY OMAR RON

In the desolate desert lands

Across the endless seas of sands

You may think nothing but cacti survive But other organisms attempt to stay alive

Below where the small buntings fly

Rare Saharan cypresses lie

The large ostrich likes to run

Over the ground baked by the sun

The striped hyena scampers around Looking for carcasses that can be found

Down south with camels galore

Large lions can be heard to roar

Flying above the hot hot sands

An owl dives and starts to land

Searching for its delicious prey

A scrumptious scorpion running away

All this and more lies on the sand

Most of it untouched by man

A CONSECUTIVE TAP BY RANA O.

Just a second ago

When my attention was elsewhere

My bird was found below

Like a little bear

Found a tiny ball

To entertain the cute critter

Tap, tap, tap

It goes in a row

He follows without a gap

Imitating similar moves

Oh how I long to tell him now!

“Grant me one more second!

Of your hilarious bobbing neck”

But it all ended when he flew away

WORK TO LIVE BY HUSNA B.

Eagles are known to be the largest birds of prey they hunt to eat every day but sometimes they don't find any food Then they don't eat for that day when they start to fee

On Industriousness

BY OMAR RON

The ants roam about the lands

Looking for food to put in their hands

They find a picnic, a feast!

And the humans think, “What a beast!”

They enter their grounds

Going to the storage around

Seeing the fungal farm

Underground, so very warm

Lead them back to the food

Just to sustain the brood

These go up the food chain to brown bears

The ants try to attack there

It lumbers away, unaware

Across the world ants also roam

Past the beaches with sea foam

Ants play a vital role from fens to holly

To kill them would be plain folly

MOTHER BY UNAYSAH RON

The forest has great serenity

Always shrouded in mystery

Filled to the brim with diversity

The colours are so bright

It’s always an amazing sight Maybe even a bird in flight

The rocks are large and grand Only nature can understand Such glorious, beautiful land

The tall, grand, trees

So stunning are these Blowing in the breeze

Nature can’t take breaks A lot of things it makes Things like ponds or lakes

There’s a lot we take for granted

But nature can’t be supplanted We cannot take advantage Of all that nature has planted

Kauai By Isa Hasan

Jasmine flowers and ocean breeze

Salty sand and juicy pineapple

Tender scrums and ocean spray

Grass skirt scallops and pina coladas

Bliss.

A CHANGE