lyrical prose

Poetry·Ian Maduff — Light reflecting off wet pavement on a stormy night transforms into lasers, fountains, and aurora borealis in the speaker's imagination.

Poetry·Sofie Dardzinski — A single sentence captures a backyard workspace where ivy with emerald-like leaves points toward a brick patio, covering curved stone underfoot.

Poetry·Sofie Dardzinski — From a patch of grass, a solitary observer watches the summer solstice sunset transform into night, tracking each color shift until fireflies claim the darkness.

Poetry·Sage Surra — Fish rise from waters across the world to sing cosmic songs of life, death, and connection, pausing Earth's rotation and revealing the universe's vastness.

Personal Narrative·Amber Zhao — A skeptical traveler discovers unexpected beauty on Australia's Sunshine Coast, finding solace in wild seas, storm-lit skies, and a memorial grove that transforms her perspective.

Poetry·Xi Huang — Fragmented observations from a desk window capture April's blooming world through colors, birds, and flowers in stream-of-consciousness style.

Personal Narrative·Kayla Song — A young dancer reflects on how ballet has shaped her emotional awareness and ability to express feelings that words cannot capture, celebrating dance as authentic human connection.

Personal Narrative·Xi Huang — A young writer celebrates the everyday magic of erasers, cataloging their varieties, textures, and the quiet miracle of their ability to make mistakes disappear.

Poetry·Holly Jane Doyle — A walk through winter woods reveals tiny mushrooms listening to every sound — from robins hopping to rooks cawing to human footsteps.

Poetry·Oola Breen-Ryan — A morning walk reveals birds like phoenixes and dahlias like fireballs, ending with the burial of a bumblebee and hope for its resurrection.