finding joy

Poetry·Sevi Ann Stahl, age 10 — A dog named Roo races through a yard in ecstatic motion, turning corners, leaping, and becoming pure joy before skidding to a stop.

Poetry·Brooklyn Jeffcoat, age 12 — A young person captures the intensity of friendship through sensory snapshots — ice cream sweetness, rushing downstairs, laughing until breathless, then returning to solitude.

Poetry·Nicole Guenther, age 12 — A girl contrasts her fearless swing-jumping with her cautious friend, capturing the exhilaration of flight and the dizzy joy of letting go.

Story·Isabel Sutter, age 12 — Two sisters race across neighboring lawns, the older rediscovering the pure joy of running barefoot through grass on a summer day.

Poetry·Nicky Cannon, age 12 — A poem cataloging moments of joy and freedom — from fireside reading to summer swimming — before an alarm clock shatters the dream.

Poetry·Nicky Cannon, age 12 — A roller skater crashes into a puddle but celebrates the joy of the ride despite the muddy, bruised ending.

Poetry·Alexandra Orczyk, age 11 — A girl swings on a rope swing, crashing through bushes and spinning wildly, finding joy despite scratches and the threatening branch above.