the passage of time

Poetry·Gemma Crimmins — A rhythmic poem cycles through the seasons, from winter's wind to spring's hum to summer's speed, ending where it began with winter returning.

Story·Eliana Vitti — A red hen stops laying eggs to prevent them from being stolen, leading to her selection for the farmer's New Year's Eve dinner.

Poetry·Beatrice Milasan — A train passenger watches the ocean transform from violent turquoise waves to peaceful sunset, remembering childhood drawings and contemplating permanence amid change.

Poetry·Madeline Male — A brief meditation on the paradox of 'now' — how the present moment of writing becomes the past by the time of reading.

Poetry·Madeline Male — A meditation on time as both enemy and friend, resolving to embrace each day's activities rather than mourn its passing.

Poetry·Pauline McAndrew — In early morning solitude, a teenager reflects from her blue chair, treasuring this pause before the world returns to normal and her sanctuary becomes ordinary again.

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.

Personal Narrative·Micki Mermelstein, age 11 — Alone at her family's Country House, once filled with cousins' laughter, an 11-year-old reflects on how growing up has emptied the summer gathering place of its magic.

Story·Emily Chang — A girl helping her elderly neighbor organize her attic discovers a French horn that triggers memories and leads to a medical emergency, forcing her to confront family tensions.

Poetry·Sofie Dardzinski — From a patch of grass, a solitary observer watches the summer solstice sunset transform into night, tracking each color shift until fireflies claim the darkness.