the passage of time

Poetry·Katie Ferman, age 11 — A child recalls traveling interstate routes with her father, listening to Willie Nelson, wishing she could relive that hazy memory a thousand times.

Story·Anastasia M. Apostoleris, age 12 — A ten-year-old boy experiences November 22, 1963, through the lens of his baby brother named after President Kennedy, capturing the moment childhood innocence meets national tragedy.

Story·Caitlin Peterson, age 13 — Two sisters create a secret midnight world for their stuffed animals in the woods, rebuild it after destruction, and return twenty years later with their own daughters.

Story·Olivia Grugan, age 13 — A teenage girl recounts the day her family's beloved pond became the site of tragedy when a six-year-old Amish boy drowned during a gathering.

Story·Natania Field, age 13 — A volunteer firefighter rescues a boy from a burning house, reliving memories of being saved from a fire by his sister years earlier.

Story·Felix Zhang, age 13 — A father's harsh parenting drives his son away, and only as the son lies dying from an attack in India do they finally exchange the words 'good night' they never...

Story·Zaki Moustafa, age 13 — A fourteen-year-old Confederate soldier marches through dawn fog to ambush a Union camp, then confronts the horror of killing boys his own age.

Story·Malin Moeller — A boy in an orphanage experiences vivid dreams of a jungle that begin bleeding into reality, leading him to discover his connection to an enslaved ancestor.

Story·Katherine Roth, age 13 — A mother discovers her childhood photo album with her daughter, triggering memories of her last night with best friends before they were separated by different high schools.

Poetry·Maya Koretzky, age 12 — A speaker encounters an ancient, painted figure by firelight, and together they lie beneath stars, bridging time through shared wonder.