Sometimes, courage can be broken. Stories I’ve read felt like it happened. Words could not be spoken at that time. Where would this life lead me? Is it to the sea of worries or a world of spells? I shouldn’t doubt myself. Anger erupts in my mind, but what I let out is the great lion’s roar. But somehow, it was never heard. Even a pin drop sends ripples into my mind, A collection of questions, some not always answered. The magic of a child and a pet is so deep that it could never be lost in life. There is hope! People don’t share their secrets because they’re the greatest luxuries one can keep. It’s not like we have nine lives like a cat. It’s unbelievable how, in one lifetime, you can feel it all. Fates are created in the galaxy. Clouds of thoughts start to rain. A giggle machine paints smiles on faces. What’s it like to be called a smiley face? What is it like to feel a feeling with no name? Thoughts, feelings, and experiences can never be taken away because they are yours once you feel them. You own it!
My Liberating Brain
The brain is an organism that lives. We are creatures; we deepen our arc of knowledge. We can tumble into an image of fantasy, best yet, commotions, emotions, I communicate verbally. Welcome to reality. It’s a place where dreams stop or continue, It’s a blank page of a story with no proper ending. This feeling of tension burns up into my body. It’s something I cannot quite name. Could it be an emotion’s name? Nope, it’s untitled, unleashed, a vulture flying through the winds of our hidden passion. We are just souls scattered throughout the universe, As compared to Mother Earth. We are less than a dot, We are smart, We evolve, There are too many things to keep count on. It’s a beautiful world. With a wish I carry my cats. I carry a backpack full of my sparkling joy, My wings enable me to fly and shine throughout my time. I am satisfied with how I control my feelings and thoughts, my actions, my communications, A brain gives us the freedom of speech; it gives us liberty.
The Elements of Friendship
A trusting lion and a cautious tigress have an adventure with a sneaky snake In a deep, dark, and dense forest there lived two friends—a lion and a tigress. They had been friends since they were cubs. They went on many adventures together. This story is about one such adventure. Lion was very trusting, but kind. Tigress, on the other hand, didn’t trust people so easily. Now, in this forest lived another animal—a sneaky snake. Sneaky Snake had not had a meal for a week. He was anxious to find a big meal. He had his eyes set on the biggest animal in the forest. Who else but Lion? He was looking for an opportunity to trap the lion. He knew he couldn’t beat the lion in combat, so he needed a clever plan to trick the lion. He knew the lion was gullible and trusted everyone easily. Sneaky Snake hatched a despicable plan to trap the lion. One beautiful Friday morning, Lion remarked, “Tigress, do you want to go with me for a sprint?” “Sorry, Lion, but I can’t come right now. I have to finish the cooking and clean the house.” “Okay.” Lion sprinted away. It was a very humid day, so when Lion was halfway across the forest, he got tired and thirsty. Sneaky Snake was keeping a close watch on the lion. Just as Lion was taking a break, Sneaky Snake approached him. “Why hello, great Lion! You look exhausted! I am happy to offer you a drink in my air-conditioned home. It’s right around the corner. You are welcome to come.” “Thank you!” Lion thought Sneaky Snake was so incredibly kind and helpful. Lion sprinted after the slithering Sneaky Snake to the snake’s house. * * * When Lion and Sneaky Snake reached the snake’s house, Lion could smell delicious spices simmering in a big cauldron. Sneaky Snake liked flavorful meals, after all. When Lion entered, Sneaky Snake locked the door. Click! Lion finally became suspicious. “What are you doing to me?” “I’m going to eat you! Don’t you smell the spices in the cauldron? You’re going in there!” “Oh no!” Lion was trapped. He roared his most ferocious roar. In the meantime, Tigress was wondering what was taking Lion so long. “He should have been back home by now.” She set out to look for him. Just as she was strolling past Sneaky Snake’s house, she heard Lion’s roar. “That’s my friend!” She ran and broke open the door with her claws. She grabbed Lion out of Sneaky Snake’s house and they both ran and as fast as they could through the forest back home. * * * Blue Water Droplets At home, they heaved a sigh of relief. “Lion, now you know that not everyone can be trusted. You should trust people you know well. Take some time to get to know people.” Lion handed Tigress a glass of lemonade he had made. “Thank you, my friend. I have learned an important lesson.” Lion and Tigress sipped lemonade on their porch watching the sun set.
Blue Water Droplets
iPhone 15
Blue Fear
The whispering light hangs in the shadowy trees As I fly down a golden path of fireflies Toward a pirate ship door handle that Slithers like an octopus tentacle in my palm, And I am filled with blue fear
Love & Soda
When Mom gets mad she explodes like Sprite When we get into a fight Still, her heart’s a shimmering waterfall of light
When the Light Dances
A window of light flows through the shadowy trees I dive into a bathtub of emerald green water Hidden in a canyon carpeted with soft moss Through a giant keyhole in the rock, the light dances A creamy waterfall spilled from the giant pitcher of rock
Zinnia Elegans
Aster embarks on an unexpected road trip in a self-driving car San Francisco, CA Thursday, 11 a.m. Aster had been up since 6 a.m. It was summer vacation, and her mom had forgotten to book her in any summer camps this year. Due to this, the better parts of her days were now spent sitting alone at home and watching videos about cats on her tablet. This morning, she was pleasantly drinking her decaf coffee. She swirled the foam with her tea stick. She had always wanted to be like her mom, and though it took a lot of convincing, her parents finally got her some coffee of her own, sans the caffeine. As far as she knew, she was the only fifth- (soon to be såixth-) grader who enjoyed it. She looked at her phone nervously. She picked it up and dialed her mom. The phone went into voicemail immediately. She hung up and called again. “This is Jessica—oh. Hey, Aster. Please, I’m in a meeting. Call back later.” “Wait! Mom, please, I miss you so much, can you do something? Please, Mom, please!” Aster cried. The phone was silent. “Fine, you can come here. Bring a book and you can play in an empty room. I’m sending a robotaxi to come get you. Bye.” Beep. The phone hung up. Aster breathed a sigh of relief. * * * She packed her book, her phone, an energy bar, and an apple into her backpack. She also grabbed her water bottle and darted into the street. The car smoothly parked and she climbed into the back seat. “Hello, Aster. Thank you for using Top Hat Cars. I am car number 342w7hy. Please, make yourself comfortable.” Aster settled in and looked out the window as the car drove off. She pondered the strangeness of being in a car with no driver at the wheel. For some reason, her mom liked these cars and expected she would feel the same. Aster didn’t know what she felt about them. She curled up and started to cry. “New destination confirmed. Arrival time: 3:21 p.m. Please buckle your seatbelt.” “I wish that I could be with Grandma. She pays attention to me. I wish I could be with her in Alabama!” Suddenly the car pulled into a driveway and stopped, sending Aster into a heaving jolt. She collected herself. The car made a brief humming sound and then: “New destination cannot be carried out. It is out of my controlled area. Please—” It paused again. “New destination confirmed. Arrival time: 3:21 p.m. Please buckle your seatbelt.” Aster stared. “Wait, no! Redo the location thing! No!” She was frozen with fear. She took out her phone and dialed her dad. “Hi, sweetheart! I’m sorry, I’m in a meeting. How have you been?” “Okay. But Dad, you wouldn’t guess—” “Please tell me later, sweetheart. I am a bit busy. I love you!” The phone hung up. She sighed. “Alabama, here I come.” Grosford, CA Thursday, 5:31 p.m. The car rolled through the streets. Aster’s stomach growled. She had been saving the apple, though she had already eaten the energy bar. She had to go to the bathroom. She spotted a Wendy’s restaurant. “Um, car? Can you please park at the Wendy’s across the block?” she asked. It obeyed her, dropping her off in front of the fast food place. She walked inside. She did not like Wendy’s, but because everything around here was fast food, she decided she would order something. She quickly went to the bathroom, after which she returned to the counter and ordered a large burger. She ate one half and saved the other. Then, she bought some more water and returned to the car. “Continuing journey.” “Actually, it’s getting dark. Can I sleep?” “Searching for nearby hotels.” “I can sleep in here,” Aster said reproachingly. The car purred. Its engines whirred in silence, almost apologetically, as if it had made a mistake. “Canceling search. Please get some rest.” Kingman, AZ Friday, 8 a.m. The car rumbled through the streets, waking Aster. She grumbled. “Mom, stop shaking me, I’m—oh.” She remembered that she was in a self- driving car. “Good morning, Aster. I am equipped with snacks and refreshments under the armrest that you can have for breakfast.” She flipped open the hatch, only to find energy bars and old candy wrappers. She wrinkled her face in disgust, slamming the armrest abruptly. “Can you direct me to a breakfast place? I’m not sure energy bars are my thing in the morning.” “As you wish. Going to: Emmy’s Pancakes,” the car replied, and turned a corner. Aster thought. She could not remember all those digits that the car called its name. Something else would just have to do. “Um, car, can I name you something I can remember? I can’t just keep calling you ‘car,’ y’know.” “Very well,” the car agreed. “Uh . . . I think I’ll name you Zinnia. It’s my grandma’s favorite flower. She would like that. You know, my mom didn’t know what to name me, so my grandma did. Mom disapproved but accepted it because it was last minute.” The car whirred and responded: “What an interesting piece of family history. I appreciate your willingness to devise a new character out of me along with a new name.” Aster snorted at the sentence. Just like an electric car would say. “We have arrived at Emmy’s Pancakes.” * * * After a filling meal of a triple stack of pancakes, a blueberry muffin, and orange juice, Aster and Zinnia took off. Aster thought. Her mom was probably worried sick. They might have called the police. She might have a squad after her! Considering she had been gone for two days made her shudder. Maybe she could call it off, tell Zinnia to go back, end this madness . . . But really? They had
The Red Planet
I am from “the Red Planet,” Mars, millions of miles from a place called Earth, which, at night, became a bright, shining star, holding hands with the two enormous moons. I am from the capital, Crater Thunder, where we played tennis on the red, red dirt, except the game didn’t go past the five-minute warmup, as wasting oxygen tanks was a crime. I am from the neighborhood right next to the launch site— we wore enhanced earplugs every night to sleep, and woke up to the rumbling of engine fire, signaling the end of a journey for tourists. But I liked Mars, my true home. Earth is too green, too blue, too brown; too overpopulated, too loud, too free; too clean, too oxygenated, too peaceful . . . . . . and too beautiful.
Calling
Oil pastel
Tye Dye Dream
iPhone 15
The City
The narrator celebrates the sights, sounds, and smells of New York City I step out of my school, and immediately noise fills my ears. The honking of cars, the steady chatter of kids as they leave, the footsteps, the wind in the trees. This is the very heartbeat of our city. I greet my mom or dad, depending on the day. We walk toward the train, the hard, gray sidewalk pushing against my feet as I walk. The wind stings my eyes, my nose, my cheeks, but I walk anyway, against the breath of the beautiful soul that is New York. Shops are crammed next to each other along the sidewalk, like people sitting on a subway during rush hour. The windows are smudged and the doors are grimy. The faded brick seems to sag, like an old man who has seen many things in his life. Delicious smells fill the air, tickling my nose and making my stomach yearn for food. Food there is, indeed. Food from Europe, Asia, Africa, everywhere you could possibly think of. I don’t have enough noses. Cars shoot past like bullets, and a train honks in the distance. We’re getting close to the station. We round the corner and duck into the deep, dusty staircase. People hurry down the stairs beside us, not looking at anyone, not pausing for a single second. They must all have somewhere to be. We turn toward the tall metal booth-like structures that you must pass through to board a subway. I pause amidst the chaos, digging through my packed backpack until I bring out my MetroCard. Spoons I stand back up again, with slight difficulty. Countless people are swarming around the entrance machines. I edge toward the machine slowly, and make my way through to the platform. I wait with my parents. People are all looking at their phones, checking for trains impatiently. I feel the train before I see it. The ground shakes beneath my feet, and the train shoots into the station. We board, swimming through the crowded car to find a small air pocket. As the train dances along the tracks, I think about how unique New York is. So many people (who really do all seem to be in a rush), so many cultures, so much food. Yep. There is no place in the entire world quite like New York City.
