seeing beauty in the ordinary

Story·Claire Hekkala, age 12 — A bored boy on a wildlife reserve trip follows his tennis ball off the safe path and encounters a wild wolf, sharing a moment of connection before his parents call...

Poetry·Jonah O'Hara David, age 10 — A prose poem explores the color black through a series of sensory images, from crows to horses, culminating in a meditation on loss and racial identity.

Story·Jamie Geng, age 11 — A family hikes through scorching heat to a waterfall, where the narrator climbs rocks and discovers a breathtaking view of the shimmering river below.

Story·Emily Grant, age 13 — A girl watches wild horses from behind a rock, naming each one and calling them her 'silent friends' who don't know she exists.

Poetry·Elizabeth R. Herndon, age 10 — A child lies in cold grass on an autumn night, imagining herself as a falling leaf among bare trees and scattered leaves.

Poetry·Ruhi Sah, age 11 — A pomegranate transforms from fruit to jewel case as the speaker cuts it open, revealing seeds like drops of blood that taste of heavenliness.

Poetry·Matthew Brailsford, age 11 — A child at the beach reaches out to touch the sunset and wraps it around their shoulders like a coat, transforming sensory experience into wearable joy.

Poetry·Cammie Keel, age 13 — A winter morning arrives through skeletal trees, a crow's shriek, silver air, and frost-cocooned grass until the last leaf falls on white ground.

Poetry·Abigail D'Agosta, age 12 — A chicken investigates a strange furry creature through the coop wire, stretching its neck cautiously before pecking the cat's ear.

Poetry·Jeremy Long, age 13 — A homeless speaker finds beauty in rain-soaked streets while others hurry inside, seeing Picasso in puddles and mythological figures in storm clouds.