rhythmic prose

Poetry·Callen Bailey, age 12 — A five-year-old battles wind and waves in a canoe during an Adirondack storm, discovering strength and joy amid the chaos.

Poetry·Kate Choi, age 12 — A morning meditation in an oak tree by a brook, where the listener discovers that silence is filled with nature's whispered wisdom and calls to action.

Poetry·Natalie Lam, age 12 — Rain transforms from mist to downpour, its gray fingers reaching through fog and pine trees, as the speaker celebrates the wet beauty of their Pacific Northwest home.

Poetry·Nicole Guenther, age 12 — A girl contrasts her fearless swing-jumping with her cautious friend, capturing the exhilaration of flight and the dizzy joy of letting go.

Poetry·Ross Mangels, age 11 — A catcher describes the thrill of throwing out a runner stealing second base, celebrating the physical and mental demands of playing behind home plate.

Poetry·Anamaria Grieco, age 13 — A child drifts to sleep in a hammock, moving from stillness through sunset to starlight, cradled by gentle swinging and soft sounds.

Poetry·Emina S. Sonnad, age 12 — A girl reflects on her bond with her rescued dog as he sleeps in her lap, remembering their difficult first day together and recognizing their mutual need.

Poetry·Emily Riippa, age 13 — A solitary climber battles altitude and exhaustion on a snow-covered mountain, driven by determination to reach the summit and its promised view.

Story·Bonnie Leigh Cruser, age 13 — A thirteen-year-old girl wakes before dawn to ride her pony bareback through woods and fields, finding renewal in their secret morning gallop.

Story·Catherine Babikian, age 12 — A girl runs thirteen miles home from the hospital where her mother is dying, haunted by the unspoken response to her mother's final 'I love you.'