connection to nature

Poetry·Wujun Ke, age 13 — Dawn light travels through trees as birds find their perches and begin singing, while the speaker breathes in the ancient scents of maple and oak.

Poetry·Claudia Celovsky, age 13 — A young sailor steers a boat with her grandmother, finding joy in both the physical sensations of sailing and the warmth of their connection.

Poetry·Olivia Mulley — Dawn light travels through trees to open eyes as birds find their perches and begin singing, while ancient scents drift through an open window.

Poetry·Emina S. Sonnad, age 12 — A girl reflects on her bond with her rescued dog as he sleeps in her lap, remembering their difficult first day together and recognizing their mutual need.

Poetry·Wujun Ke, age 13 — Standing on glossy rocks, a young observer contemplates the boundary-less unity of sea and sky, where murky greens and shadows merge into one living whole.

Story·Whitney Lee, age 12 — A grieving teenager from New Jersey struggles to adjust to life with her aunt in Alabama until a chance encounter at a lighthouse during a storm offers unexpected comfort.

Poetry·Jennifer Hu, age 13 — A summer night in the fields where fireflies transform into earthbound stars, creating a moment where heaven and earth meet through tiny lights.

Poetry·Julia Lipkis, age 12 — A meadow scene unfolds through precise natural imagery — wilting wildflowers, grazing deer, gossiping birds, and wind whispering secrets over bent corn.

Poetry·Taylor Nelsen, age 11 — A red leaf falls from a tree in autumn twilight and becomes caught in a spider's web, their patterns intertwining in the dawn light.

Story·Annakai Hayakawa Geshlider, age 11 — A Japanese boy falls into a creek chasing his lost shoe and discovers from a wise turtle that he has the magical ability to breathe underwater.