letting go

Poetry·Maya Ruben — A speaker flees with something precious that transforms from innocent to dangerous, until pursuers take it away, leaving emptiness.

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.

Story·Evangeline Gustavson — A woman nurtures a mysterious seedling that grows into an extraordinary plant, dies, and leaves offspring; after her death, she reunites with the plant's true spirit—a boy.

Poetry·Madeline Male — A child watches their old house disappear through the car window as the family drives away to a new home, capturing the moment of leaving.

Poetry·Katja Muckle Eizenberg — A sunflower narrates its life cycle from bloom to seed dispersal, watching its seeds fly away to freedom before entering winter's sleep.

Story·Jaxton Goertzen — An alien student named Gooby finds a rare ancient coin that magically traps his hand in a fist, threatening his chance to become the first alien on the basketball team.

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.

Personal Narrative·Lindsay Gale — A girl stuck at home during the pandemic battles jealousy as friends text about their vacations, until rain brings unexpected release from her frustration.

Personal Narrative·Michael Chao, age 13 — A boy rescues two abandoned baby hummingbirds from a tennis court and raises them by hand, learning to feed and care for them until they're ready to return to the...

Personal Narrative·Lila Carpenter, age 11 — A girl struggles with anger and sadness as she helps her sister move into a college apartment in Bar Harbor, finding clarity by the ocean.