original perspective

Poetry·Carly Vermillion, age 10 — A child experiences shifting light and darkness through ordinary moments — feeding fish, eating dinner, waking up — each scene marked by sudden changes in illumination.

Poetry·Ana Carpenter, age 10 — A girl imagines being queen of the world, floating above in moonlight and clouds, but discovers the weight of such power and chooses ordinary life instead.

Poetry·Isaiah Albro, age 7 — A lion and house cat race across continents so fast that a rock falls on the king of France, with the lion winning.

Poetry·Neel Rangan, age 9 — A young poet imagines a distant land where theatrical beings act out our dreams, created by God so humans could experience wonder during sleep.

Poetry·Rafi Mohammed, age 10 — A lost red balloon travels the world searching for the child who let go, eventually finding freedom in Antarctica among millions of other balloons.

Poetry·Tatiana Rebecca Shrayer, age 9 — A father and daughter venture into the woods to craft a bow and arrows, transforming branches into instruments that sing and shoot arrows toward stars that scamper like foxes.

Poetry·Atlas William Iacobucci, age 9 — A surreal dream sequence where thunder and chaos transform New York City, ending with whale-like creatures becoming morning doves in the restored calm.

Poetry·Gilbert Huang, age 9 — An alien's confused observations of human life, mixing up body parts and behaviors based on misunderstood information from 'a piece of paper.'

Poetry·Gilbert Huang, age 9 — A young writer explains how the tooth fairy works, from the fairy's tiny wings to the exchange of clean teeth for money under pillows.

Poetry·Gilbert Huang, age 9 — A young writer describes the physical and emotional sensations of writing, from smoothness to nervousness to the monstrous feeling of being stuck.