original perspective
— A teen searches Craigslist for a bike with a diagonal bar that defies gender categories, settling on one labeled 'women's' despite their preferences.
— A surreal, fragmented reflection on Hurricane Irene becomes an internal storm, where the speaker recognizes the hurricane as something within themselves.
— A writer with writer's block finds inspiration when their cat Rumi jumps on the table, transforming frustration into affectionate verse about the purring 'king of gold.'
— A surreal moment in a forest where the speaker's mind becomes a predatory creature that devours a bird without greeting or ceremony.
— A child reflects on feeling overwhelmed by emotions and memories in a small space, concluding that the heart needs more room than the brain.
— A bilingual poem imagines a song the world needs — one that sounds like hope, teaches strength, and moves like water.
— A girl wakes to find everything turned yellow, discovers she's colorblind, falls into despair, then inexplicably floats into the sky before landing in her mother's arms.
— A pantoum explores the isolation of depression when others dismiss your pain, repeating lines that circle like the thoughts they describe.
— A girl with a vast imagination discovers her father is the legendary Bird of Steel and must steal his power to save Riverhaven from eternal conflict between humans and magical...
— When humans sleep, kitchen objects come alive for nightly revelry — dancing in washcloth dresses, gossiping, playing ping-pong, and sneaking cookie crumbs before dawn signals their return to stillness.