childhood

Poetry·Enni Harlan — In a grocery store's frozen aisle, siblings shiver in T-shirts while their mother shops, finding warmth in imagined tastes and makeshift shopping-bag capes.

Poetry·Enni Harlan — A girl brings a curtain rod to school as a cane after injuring her foot, transforming recess into an imaginary voyage across seas, inspiring her friend to seek the same...

Poetry·Gianna Guerrero, age 7 — A child's poem captures Santa's journey through sound and motion — wind blowing, sleds trailing, rooftops clicking, presents clattering down chimneys.

Poetry·Gilbert Huang, age 9 — A young writer explains how the tooth fairy works, from the fairy's tiny wings to the exchange of clean teeth for money under pillows.

Poetry·Molly DellaValla, age 10 — A child observes a busy beach day filled with family chaos, snacks, sandcastles, and the ocean's constant presence, capturing summer's sensory overload.

Poetry·Elizabeth Sughrue, age 7 — A child resists bedtime, drawn to the night sounds of peepers, owls, and frogs, until finally answering their mother's last call.

Poetry·Eden A. Marish Roehr, age 9 — A child's ocean memories with parents transform into longing as music triggers dreams of returning to those carefree moments of jumping waves together.

Poetry·Mia Ba-Lu Hildebrandt, age 12 — A young girl walking to school becomes enchanted by a brown-and-white tabby cat following her, despite her mother's urgings to hurry along.

Story·Tiffanie Goh — A five-year-old helps prepare instant noodles at her aunt's apartment, finding magic in the simple ritual of breaking noodles and sharing the moment with her younger brother.

Poetry·Candace Huntington, age 13 — Three cousins play Monster Tag in overgrown summer fields, transforming into predator and prey as they chase through bushes and around corners.