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Contents

Bats and Pearls

Raindrops fell from the dark velvety sky, dropping delicately onto the world below. A few clouds drifted through in the gloom, covering the moon and few stars that had escaped the light of the city that flourished down the river. Five fruit bats glided through the air, each trying to find enough food for themselves [...]

Mirror, Mirror

Ellie leaped from the incubator warmness of her covers to get ready for the day that lay ahead. The sun was rising and the day was still in its infancy, offering a new beginning, and new challenges. After spending some time in her closet looking for just the right combination of shirt, pants and boots, [...]

The Boarder’s Battle

  As the boy dropped down from the icy ski lift and slid down the slope, you could already see the adrenaline pulsing through him like an aura of energy. This would be his last run of the year, and he knew it would be spectacular. As he glided over the snow on his board, [...]

Where My Family Is

I sat alone in the dark, feeling the boat rock from side to side. The hollow sounds the boat made as the waves hit it told me how deep the water was beneath us. “Creaak, Creaak.” What was that noise? “It’s nothing,” I told myself. “It’s nothing.” But it is something: the sound of a [...]

The Forgotten Fort

“But you’ll be home to visit?” Ken looked hopefully at his brother, Tim. Tim hugged Ken thoughtfully. “’Course I will,” he said. “College won’t be so much fun that I won’t want to come back from time to time.” “I’m proud of you, son,” said their father. “It’s time for you to see the real [...]

The Delivery Boy

A furious gust of wind howled down the moonlit lane, sending a cascade of freshly fallen snowflakes tumbling from the treetops, up and over the rooftops, whirling around the lampposts, before finally slamming into the row of houses that lined either side of the street. The houses strained against the frigid blast, creaking and groaning, [...]

Breaching the Wall

There stood Grandpa Wilson, his old yet strong form slightly hunched over, while his gaze followed our car as we pulled up to the house. The light drizzle dripped off the old tweed cap he liked to wear. As I clambered out of the car, a grin appeared on his face and he opened his [...]

An Indian Monsoon

“In a few minutes, we will be landing at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai. Please fasten your seat belts. Thank you for flying Air India and hope you have a wonderful stay in Mumbai,” the pilot’s voice echoed. As the plane descended under the clouds, I looked out of the window and got my [...]

The Storm

Brilliant splashes of yellow light Spewing all corners of the earth With a radiant glow of scarlet Then darkness A shield of gray Then the rains Pounding relentlessly On the cold Damp Ground The wind Slowly growing With every passing second A clap of thunder Vibrating the water-drenched ground Then peace The storm retreats.

Hanging the Laundry

Sunlight Dapples the long white laundry line. Holding the plastic basket On my sore hip I lift a battered, hand-knitted Cream-colored dishcloth And hang it on the line. A monarch butterfly flits about the yard And a daring mourning dove Tries to settle herself On the laundry line. I watch the line Swaying in the [...]

I Taste the Sky

We fly like falcons over sheets of soft snow Listening to the distant kinks and grinds of steel against rails The scent of snow cools my mind And I taste the blueness of the sky

The Joys of Love

The Joys of Love, by Madeleine L’Engle; Farrar, Straus and Giroux: New York, 2008; $16.95 When twenty-year-old Elizabeth is offered a chance to work as an apprentice at a summer theatre, she is overjoyed and feels as if she is experiencing a whole new world. There’s more going on at the theatre than just acting—Elizabeth [...]

Hiroshima Dreams

Hiroshima Dreams, by Kelly Easton; Dutton Children’s Books: New York, 2007; $16.99 “I have the gift of vision. It was given to me by my grandma, handed to me in a lotus seed, a pod that felt as big as my five-year-old hand.” Lin’s unique gift of vision, which she describes in the opening sentences [...]