nature

Poetry·Sterling Waterfield, age 11 — A young philosopher questions why things are named what they are, why humans dominate, and ultimately decides to accept the world's strange design.

Poetry·Kieran O'Donnell, age 11 — A philosophical meditation on how cold is merely the absence of heat, exploring the nature of opposites and what truly exists versus what we perceive.

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·Celeste Escobar, age 9 — A child celebrates physical connection with the earth through barefoot play, describing the planet as a mother whose sandy skin invites daily touch and joy.

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·Angelina Lu, age 11 — A dreamlike poem where nothing and noone inhabit a valley of inverted colors and upside-down trees, until someone and everyone arrive to paint the sky with love.

Poetry·Stewart Hoelscher — A child's meditation on the moon's solitude and steadfast companionship with Earth, emphasizing its loneliness through repetition.

Poetry·Andy Wu, age 10 — A child's meditation on the moon's solitude, repeating and varying descriptions that emphasize its loneliness and unique relationship with Earth.

Poetry·Nour Mokbel, age 11 — A walker observes the ocean at sunset, noting waves, seagulls, and the changing sky as day transforms into starry night.

Poetry·Sophie Nerine, age 12 — A car journey through a mountain valley becomes a meditation on the overwhelming beauty of landscape and the intrusion of human presence.