darkness

Story·Ellen Wu, age 7 — A child chasing fireflies discovers a magical tree hollow that transports her to space, where she collects gold to help her friend who fears darkness.

Poetry·Necla Asveren, age 12 — After humanity reaches for the stars and drowns in riches, survivors emerge from bunkers to find a transformed world with golden moons and purple grass.

Poetry·Brooke Callan, age 10 — A speaker trapped beneath a blue night sky refuses to wait for morning and instead chooses to bring in the sun themselves.

Poetry·Jake Sun, age 9 — A philosophical meditation on the concept of nothing — its paradoxical presence in absence, its role in thought and space, and its unexpected value in our lives.

Poetry·Sofie Dardzinski, age 9 — A young guitarist loses herself in playing, as golden light fades to darkness and the music wraps around her like a quilt.

Poetry·Cora Burch, age 13 — A man barricades himself in a White House closet surrounded by weapons, flags, and symbols of power while small details reveal his unraveling control.

Poetry·Rainer Pasca, age 14 — A surreal, fragmented reflection on Hurricane Irene becomes an internal storm, where the speaker recognizes the hurricane as something within themselves.

Poetry·Ethan Chen, age 10 — Explorers ride metal lions on wheels down a black tongue into a mountain giant's mouth, where teeth drip saliva before darkness engulfs them.

Poetry·Emma Catherine Hoff, age 8 — An ambassador without mind or face sits in a walled place, contemplating his non-existence and the walls that might have hope where he has none.

Poetry·Tatiana Rebecca Shrayer, age 13 — A brief meditation on seeking shelter when life becomes difficult, using the metaphor of running downhill in a storm to find a cave with light.