freedom

Poetry·Lillian Power — A speaker finds freedom in the ocean, leaving behind the defensive armor worn on land, preferring the vulnerability of water to the safety of shore.

Poetry·Sylvie Zubaty — A meditation on weightlessness and tranquility builds through philosophical comparisons until the speaker climbs a mountain to grasp the sun and fall.

Poetry·Nirali Yedendra — A young writer explores consciousness, emotions, and human existence through a stream-of-consciousness meditation on the brain's power to liberate us through thought and speech.

Story·Sol Smith — A mare discovers humans have tagged her foal for removal and escapes the stable with him, joined unexpectedly by her best friend.

Poetry·Saketh Lingisetty — A vacuum becomes a metaphor for life's unpredictable forces, pulling us toward unexpected paths while dandelions spread their seeds against the current.

Story·Natalie Yue — A daddy longlegs trapped in a shower fears death when children find him, but one girl carefully releases him outside, granting unexpected freedom.

Story·Cecilia Hodgman — A brainy fifteen-year-old plans her escape from a witch-ruled kingdom after being offered an apprenticeship she can't accept, discovering she has magic when crossing the border.

Poetry·Ian Maduff — A kinetic poem follows a car journey across the Bishop Ford bridge, past landmarks and exits, building speed toward a hidden quarry pit.

Story·Ava Shorten — A river blocked from the sea becomes a puddle who befriends an aging frog that shares stories of the ocean and ultimately carries the puddle to its destination.

Story·Tatum Lovely — In 1826 New Mexico, ten-year-old Narna and her blind sister Lana escape their father's cruelty with their mother, finding refuge and community with relatives in a small adobe village.