water

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·Deeba Kord, age 10 — A child runs barefoot along a muddy riverbank to a flower meadow, picks blooms, wades in the water, then wakes from what might be a dream.

Poetry·Abigail Rose Cargo, age 13 — A boat being pulled from water becomes a meditation on the narrow margins between opposing forces—connection and separation, life and death.

Story·Luke Zellman — A five-year-old girl contemplates the nature of waiting after missing a horseback ride, discovering through conversation with her father that waiting gives life meaning.

Story·Annie Strother, age 12 — A five-year-old girl sits by a lake at sunset, contemplating why everything in life requires waiting, until her father helps her understand its purpose.

Story·Emily Heninger, age 11 — A seven-year-old girl reluctantly tries water-skiing again on the Mississippi River and finally succeeds, discovering the joy she'd been missing.

Poetry·Danny Musher, age 11 — A pond at dusk becomes a cradle of stillness as autumn winds rustle reeds, rushes peer at their reflections, and night settles like a soft blanket.

Story·Liza Brown, age 11 — Four children at a beach each find their own source of joy: Sally plays fetch with dogs, Jordan helps his brother find a lost pet, Rita collects seashells, and Todd...

Story·Mandana Nakhai, age 11 — Twin siblings reminisce on their last night at a summer lake house, discovering through shared memories that their 'boring' summer was actually filled with adventures.