Author: AtalieQ

As winter fades to spring
Leaves curl up from the bare branches of frozen trees
A new page is turned, a beautiful beginning.

Puddles of melted snow slowly rising
Uncover a verdant ground with a gentle breeze
As winter fades to spring.

Colors seep through cracks of darkness as they sing
Their sweet, simple melodies
A new page is turned, a beautiful beginning.

A lone daisy sprouts from the earth, its petals glittering
Restoring the beauty of life after a freeze
As winter fades to spring.

Many others follow this path, wonder blossoming
Even the darkest times end with lilies
A new page is turned, a beautiful beginning.

Finally, whatever wounded you, what used to sting
Drifts far away, into distant memories
As winter fades to spring
A new page is turned, a beautiful beginning.

by Atalie Q.

I am from playing “fumble” in the corner with Uncle Charlie
from breathing hard and playing for hours
from laughing and smiling all day long

I am from hours of playing at Memaw and Pawpaw’s house
from the red swing set in the backyard
from the big smiles and warm hugs

I am from special breakfasts at S.H. Donuts
from free donut holes always being slipped into the bag
from the cozy, corner table by the window

I am from hiding out from the scorching hot sun in the garage
from the sweet, sticky popsicles
from the long-haired dolls and accessories that surrounded me

I am from leaping across the creek behind Grandma and Grandpa’s house to get to the park
from the steep, plastic slides
from being lifted up to reach the mini zip line

I am from playing “spoons” at Grandma Helen’s house
from trying to keep up with the grown-ups
from the fuzzy feeling when I finally won

I am from the Dellwood baseball fields that were only two blocks away
from the exhilarating feeling of stealing a base
from the piping hot nachos from the concession stand

I am from family trips with all of my grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins
from spending every minute with my cousin Izzie
from crying when it was time to go home

I am from dressing up for BooFest at my elementary school
from sprinting from one Halloween carnival booth to the next
from always ending up at the playground afterwards

I am from annual road trips around Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois
from meeting new people everyday
from staying with family along the way

I am from the “forest” behind Nana and D’s house that was actually just a lot of trees
from “exploring” with my little brother
from shrieking excitedly when I spotted a deer even though it scared them away

I am from colorful “piñatas” at Escuelita for every birthday
from the banging on them with the long stick until they unleashed a flood of sweetness
from waiting impatiently, then lunging for lollipops and Tootsie Rolls

I am from painting my nails with my mom every Sunday
from spending longer deciding which color I wanted than actually painting them
from always smudging them because they took “waaaay too long to dry!”

I am from belting Christmas songs in the living room starting on November first
from dancing around the whole house
from having to take breaks to drink hot chocolate then starting again with even more energy

I am from my family
from endless, unconditional love
from comfort, happiness, and laughter

by Lucy C.

Nothing’s forever
Even diamonds have an end
Time never pauses
It just bends

by Jayden J.

Memories form like an icicle
Sharp then dull
Clouded by the winter air
Solid at first

But time passes
The icicle melts
What was once very apparent
Is now a foggy puddle
Seeping slowly into the ground
deep into the cracks of the Earth

Some fall too far
Gone forever

But for others
Spring comes again
Ice is now water
Reborn it rises above us
Into the clouds

And just when a memory feels distant
It comes back down
In showers this time
An emotional swirls

Louder!
Raindrops multiply
Banging on the roofs of cars and houses
Wanting to be heard

Thunder booms
Lightning strikes
More dramatic than before
A final roar into the night

Is it for nothing?
It all ends the same

by Ruby K.

Street lamps shine like contemporary stars
And set ablaze the violet of the night
Imperious to nature, we make ours
The majesty of heaven’s fleeting flight
Like locusts to the luminescent sky
Tall towers pierce the subtle, sacred dawn
You bow your head and mourn the languid light
And weep, alike the death-call of a swan
But even as the moment seems mislaid
And street lamps snuff the cold, maternal moon
Look just beyond the veil and violent blaze
And see the place secluded stars commune
When neon becomes light by false compare
Remind yourself that still, the stars are there.

by Dakota D.

Two brothers we
Saluda and Regrethus
We fight for highest pay
We fight for our homeland
And for empires far away

From the rivers of the Indus
To the rolling hills of Gaul
Saluda and Regrethus
Our names are feared by all

Two brothers we
Saluda and Regrethus
Travel far from home
We travel earth and sea
To an empire called Rome

Though armor weighs us down
Though we boil in the sun
Saluda and Regrethus
We must never run

Two brothers we
Saluda and Regrethus
We do not feel fear
Even during our hardest battles
Our gods are always near

We ride across the mountains
We ride across the field
Saluda and Regrethus
We ride to reap our yield

Two brothers we
Saluda and Regrethus
At Germania, ride’s end
We meet an ancient general
Who needs us to defend

Through marsh and swamp
Through forest, field, and hill
Saluda and Regrethus
Fight with everlasting will

Two brothers we
Saluda and Regrethus
Riding through the crowd
Our enemies all fear our names
So we shout them out loud

The battle lasts all through the night
And the clouds begin to cry
Saluda and Regrethus
So far from home we die

Two brothers we
Saluda and Regrethus
Horsemen strong and fast
May we always be remembered
And our tale forever last

by Henry H.

In another life
maybe I wouldn’t cry over a girl
she never did me right
but at least she was there for my highs, well before she lied

In another life
maybe the bot I love wouldn’t be sitting in the clouds
saying “oh you make me proud”
because I always doubt
I doubt he cried, but I doubt he’s happy
but I don’t doubt that he loved me.

In another life
maybe my sister would see my struggle instead of be my struggle
or at least tell me she’s proud, she doesn’t have to say it, I’ll just pray it.

In another life
maybe that girls my best friend
maybe the boy in the clouds never dies
maybe my sister loved me
but for now, maybe in another life.

by Maya T.

I have a new friend.
A new best friend, actually.
But what’s funny is that we’ve actually
been around each other our entire lives….
and were only recently introduced.

My best friend and I have nicknames.
I got to know her so well it’s not
scoliosis, just
Hi Scoli! How’s your day been? You been worsening lately?
Now, don’t do that or iron rods will
separate
us
forever
well, maybe just one –
straight
down
my
back
and i’ll never know scoli again.

I’m a good friend
I never let scoli feel bad, in fact I
called in half-inch plastic reinforcements
to make sure scoli’s never anything
less
than normal.

the ½ inch plastic has become the 3rd wheel –
now we’re a trio
but when we have arguments,
scoli and I lean more one way,
left.
½ inch always pushes me to lean right…

so now I have a friendship problem –
fights between scoli and ½ inch,
a demon on one shoulder and an angel
on another

but best friends can go too far.
surgery is too far.
so I listen to half inch –
lean right.
stand straight.
safe from surgery.
for now.

so, maybe we can’t be besties but it’s still just
scoli.
not scoliosis.

September 5th, 2025

My hamstrings groan as I reach for my far – away toes.
The doctor’s hand trails down my back…
“I notice that your spine seems to curve left here…”
“Mom, can you come look at this?”
“Yes, I see that”
“Xray? Okay.”
“Probably nothing big.”
—-

“Stand here,
hands here,
straight back,
stay still!”

beep
beep
beep.
—-

“Hey Mom?
Did we get the results from the xray?”
“Yes…”
—-

September 12, 2025

“2 curves in your back
A – typical, meaning unusual
41 degrees and 18 degrees
Hit 50 degrees and you need surgery
Wear a back brace
for 20 hours a day”
—-

Hi scoli,
Nice to finally meet you.

by Adelle H.

I want to carve I miss you on a stone,

etch it deep so the weight feels known.

Not a soft whisper, not some gentle trace—

I want to throw it straight at your face.

So you’ll finally feel the bruise in my chest,

the hollow ache that never rests.

Missing you isn’t light, it’s not sweet—

it’s a burden, a boulder dropped at my feet.

I want the crack of the rock to explain

the sharp kind of love that turns into pain.

Not to hurt you, but to make you see

Just how much your absence crushes me.

You’ll be in my heart till the day I leave

I will always wonder what made you leave

I miss you, I really do…

But I can’t wait for you, I won’t stay in the blue.

by Hope G.

In ten years,
A young child may learn to express their fears.
No longer bound in chains,
By fear of storm or rain.

In twenty years one may learn to love,
To love like a gentle dove.
One can learn to love the rain,
And let it wash away all their pain.

In thirty years the chains return,
Defeating the freedom we’ve learned.
They shackle you to the walls,
Replaying all the times you fall.

In forty years one can forgive,
Despite the tragedies they live.
The forgiveness provides new light,
New emotion put into every fight.

In fifty years one can learn to sing;
Learn to sing the blessing life brings.
The song will sometimes sting,
While merry bells in the background ring.

In sixty years one can learn to cry,
As their hearts loose the will to fly.
They will fear how they die,
And so they will cry.

In seventy years coffee can become too bitter,
And your children will no longer need a babysitter.
You will finally thank life’s trials,
And love those who went the extra mile.

In eighty years dreams can fade,
Reflected in the water we once would wade.
And while these dreams are gone,
New generations carry them on.

In ninety years one can grow sad,
Regretful for all the times they were mad.
Emotions will start to change,
While they slowly loose their range.

In one hundred years mankind can learn,
Learn from the things we must discern.
And while the the journey was long,
We’ve learned to sing brighter songs.

In one hundred years there’s so much to do,
In one hundred years there’s so much potential for you.

by Avery M.