seeing beauty in the ordinary

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·Katie Ferman, age 13 — A girl catches fireflies on a spring night, trying to contain their light in her hands before releasing them back to the darkness.

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·Adam Rowe, age 13 — A bored five-year-old on the Titanic wanders below decks, meets a young mechanic who helps her understand her strict governess, and gains a new perspective on their relationship.

Poetry·Amanda Johnson, age 13 — A camping night unfolds through sensory moments: smoke rising, crickets chirping, a marshmallow catching fire, and finally the warmth of a sleeping bag as the fire glows through the tent.

Story·Abbie Brubaker, age 12 — A hunting party sets out to trap a unicorn using a maiden and golden bridle, but when the moment comes, none can bring themselves to kill the magical creature.

Poetry·Olivia AscioneD'Elia, age 13 — A century-old house becomes a living archive of memories, its rooms layered with photos and stars, transforming from pink dusk to dark ink as night falls.

Story·Sophie Stid, age 13 — Every Saturday, four-year-old Elsa and her four sisters walk through Boston, collecting bagels, moon cookies, and laundry, until a broken carousel forces them to create their own magic.

Poetry·Anna Preston, age 12 — A frog on a lily pad becomes a graceful dancer, tensing and leaping through rain to catch her dinner with a flick of her tongue.