love

Poetry·Maya Ruben — A speaker flees with something precious that transforms from innocent to dangerous, until pursuers take it away, leaving emptiness.

Poetry·Benjamin Feinberg — A young poet observes rivers, leaves, clouds, and birds, concluding with the hope that nature returns their love.

Story·Beatrix Mackil — A man awakens with no memory in a desolate landscape, recovers fragments of his past through visions, and discovers he has been dead for decades.

Story·Evangeline Gustavson — A woman nurtures a mysterious seedling that grows into an extraordinary plant, dies, and leaves offspring; after her death, she reunites with the plant's true spirit—a boy.

Personal Narrative·Carys Kim — A girl overcomes her fear to shave her head in solidarity with her grandmother who has cancer, discovering unexpected strength in the act.

Personal Narrative·Louise Johnson — A six-year-old steals money from her mother to buy a coveted tea set, then confesses through tears, learning about unconditional love.

Poetry·Analise Braddock, age 10 — A young poet explores cosmic scale through parallel structures, contrasting the singular (one mind, one world) with the multiple (thousand eyes, thousand hearts).

Story·Ellie Wang, age 9 — A cat named Mayhem creates a magical name-guessing game in a water glass to find a new owner after her beloved human dies, testing each person's true character.

Poetry·Peter Shuster-Raizberg, age 7 — A seven-year-old celebrates love, water, teamwork, and endless fun in a brief, exuberant poem that reads like a joyful chant.

Poetry·Gideon Rose, age 9 — A man without food or water, beaten and robbed, continues to think only of love—revealed to be the poet's own experience.