freedom

Poetry·Lillian Power — A speaker finds freedom in the ocean, leaving behind the defensive armor worn on land, preferring the vulnerability of water to the safety of shore.

Poetry·Marielle Miller — A speaker rebels against expected questions (what, where, when) and instead asks 'why,' exploring the tension between curiosity and conformity.

Poetry·Sylvie Zubaty — A meditation on weightlessness and tranquility builds through philosophical comparisons until the speaker climbs a mountain to grasp the sun and fall.

Poetry·Nirali Yedendra — A young writer explores consciousness, emotions, and human existence through a stream-of-consciousness meditation on the brain's power to liberate us through thought and speech.

Poetry·Ivy Yang — A child from Mars describes their home on the Red Planet, revealing complex feelings about Earth through contrasts of color, freedom, and beauty.

Story·Sol Smith — A mare discovers humans have tagged her foal for removal and escapes the stable with him, joined unexpectedly by her best friend.

Poetry·Saketh Lingisetty — A vacuum becomes a metaphor for life's unpredictable forces, pulling us toward unexpected paths while dandelions spread their seeds against the current.

Story·Sarah Iwanaga — A young wolf befriends a human boy despite pack warnings, discovers his father made the same choice years ago, and must decide between two worlds.

Story·Natalie Yue — A daddy longlegs trapped in a shower fears death when children find him, but one girl carefully releases him outside, granting unexpected freedom.

Story·Cecilia Hodgman — A brainy fifteen-year-old plans her escape from a witch-ruled kingdom after being offered an apprenticeship she can't accept, discovering she has magic when crossing the border.