Category: 2022-23 Submissions

My dog squished between me and the couch cushions moaning and groaning,
Snug mid hug napping on my stomach soft as a feather big as a log,
My dog squished between the couch cushions all day long,
I wish it could last forever alas when someone walks in she jumps up quickly to the back door.

When days draw close
And the world turns its head
Closing its eyes
To the soft drapes
Of speckled velvet
Its people will lay down their hands
Tender and Worn from their work
To spend their night in wake
Curled in
As tears slowly fall from their eyes
When the lonely lull of night
Takes hold of their mind
To keep them awake
Till the world turns back around
To greet the start of day

The owl perches on the tree, you body fills with slightest glee.
His eyes stare down at you, gleaming yellow.
You reach your hand out, it feels like jello.
To your surprise, he flies down low and lands upon your shoulder so.
His wingspan big, his heart so small but filled with so much love for all.
He spots some mice and grabs them tight and puts them in his nest for the night.
He soars up into the air and floats up there looking down at your hair.
“Come down!” you say looking his way.
He flaps his wing as if to say, “so long!”
You wave your hand but you were wrong. You hear a peep and kind of cheap and a baby chick pops our of the nest.
Then he comes to rest upon a vest, you notice was hanging from a branch facing towards the west.
“Hoot, hoot” they call out into the moonlight.
You stay there for the rest of the night, clutching yourself tight.

A single wish floats away across the milky way.
It dances in the summer breeze.
It rests in fallen leaves.
It sings upon a snowflake.
It follows the light, ’till the very last night, where it burns so bright as if to say,
The wish, the wish.

Their souls danced together before
in another universe
when they were but stars

When I Go to the Garden of peace I feel
mellow and soft All around me.
I feel I’v found my place.
My place is the garden of peace.

The Garden Of Peace is
a place I belong.
I will always belong
in the garden of peace.
I’m the queen
of the garden of peace .

The Garden of peace is a Neverland
This Neverland is a beautiful place
Full of flowers dreams hope and love
Neverland is a place You are free
Fly to be queen or the king
of your own Neverland.
Flow through a new neverland

“Dinner time” mom yells
I clomp down the stairs
Chomp on my food,
Clomp back up the stairs,
Walk in my bathroom;
Turn on the hot water Splash
And jump in,
Wash, Rinse, Repeat
Wash, Rinse, Repeat
Soon enough I hop out,
Wrap in a warm and fluffy towel;
Brush my teeth;
Lye in bed watching TV,
Fall asleep a few hours later,
Goodnight
Goodnight
Goodni—

All the pain.
All the misery.
Going to classes even when I didn’t like
Dancing
My feet scream in pain,
And my arms moan.
A yelling teacher,
Frustrated parents
I regret my decision.
But slowly
S l o w l y
                   S
                       L
                          O
                             W
                                  L
                                     Y
Something starts to change.
The dedication I put
Less yelling,
Less frustration,
No regrets.
Dancing feels like sunshine on a rainy day
Now
It helps my mood
It helps my stress
A hobby that I can call mine.
Possessive about the art form
An ode to dance,
A cool drink on a dry desert
I get lost in the moves,
Of flowy arms and strong legs.
The way I move,
Oh it’s something else…

Oh how God has blessed me
Blessed me with a cordial soul like his
I would gather every flower in the world for him,
Even arrange them in a perfect bouquet
For he makes me happy when I am sad
He dries my tears when they roll down my face

He would drop anything
and anyone
to be there for me
Every second…
Every moment…
Until he knows I am okay

I would sell my soul if it would keep him happy
mountain
tallest and
the go
climb to
the
deepest
valley

Just to make him smile
Just like he’s done for me so many times before,
When I lose motivation
When I need a laugh
When I feel inadequate doing homework
When my parents ground me
When the world seems to be crashing down
\
He always makes me smile

When I
fall
to
the
ground
He
s
t
f
i
L
me back up
For he is the best friend I have ever had

Even though our memories are few,
Each and every one holds a special place in my heart
There isn’t one person that doesn’t like him
And I can clearly see why,
He is like a star
Even in my darkest moments he brightens my life

I would like it if you
My dearest best friend,
would stay with me for a while…

God gave me a glorious gift
You.
My everything.
My world.
My best friend.

I am from my mother’s kimchi
The food that made me who I am
A plate of red with every meal
Tangy and spicy, yet it tasted sweet
The recipe from generations, mother to daughter
An entire history inside this kimchi
The rich flavor and spice made me stronger
Knowing I had my family right beside me

I am from the bright, blue skies
Going out to play with my brothers for hours on end
Our small backyard felt like a whole park, filling our limitless imaginations
We wouldn’t mind if we got dirty for we were too happy even to care
Digging for treasure, chasing butterflies, and pretending to be spies undercover
Our only worry was the day ending
If it did the fun would end
But no worries
For the day would start anew

I am from the laughter filling every corner
Happiness, humor, jokes
Oh how it filled my tiny heart
Squinted eyes that resembled a rainbow
Smiling faces showing true happiness
Only pure laughter in the air
Every moment felt magical

I am from traveling
Years and years of exploring the world
The extravagant castles of Europe
The exotic dishes of Asia
The bustling cities of North America
Still, many more places to explore together
Following my family in a little camping car
Yellow curtains, plastic walls, a loud heater, and the scent of lavender
It was like our second home
I am from memories filled to the brim
We’ve been through it all thick and thin
Painful winters, burning summers
Finding new homes
Growing to love them as the ones before

I am from happiness
Days and days filled with joyful memories
Food, culture, family
The people I love surround me with the extraordinary
Cloudy days can’t darken our dreams as sunny days are bound to come
Building new homes happily wherever we go
For we are together