The season of fall — when the day becomes shorter and the nights become cooler. This moment brings memories back with the faint light and cool breeze it brings. It is the perfect season to sit back, grab a cup of coffee, and reminisce. What does fall bring to you?
Sincerely, Amarela
Golden: the first letter to myself
Written by: golden gelato
Artwork by: Jill A.
how can we explain a once small twinkle
which now burns red, passionate, majestic?
shall we call it a cosmic miracle
or say it’s some kind of unknown magic?
no, my dear, it was anything but that.
it was years and years endured in dark space,
changing, becoming, perhaps falling flat,
uncertain of its true and rightful place.
but look now at the planets it commands.
witness a galaxy brought into life.
see power so strong, absence it withstands,
that even the moon is drunk on its light.
and while it pales still, small and lackluster
against greater stars, if we should compare,
while centuries more it has to conquer
darling, mustn’t we all begin somewhere?
p.s.
the lucky ones may find it in their hearts
to know we are suns, to believe someday
that we are worth loving, each nook and part
whether we’re shining or just on our way.
step out
Written by: golden gelato
Artwork by: Jill A.
as pebbles rest
beneath my patterned soles,
noon glows amber
and hope is worn by the trees
like a coat of warmth.
the earth bathes
in a crystal haze;
the sky basks
in the newness of midday.
suddenly (though inevitably),
a streak of light floods my eyes
and for the slightest moment,
I see
the universe as it is—
all at once
a mystery hidden
behind the fall of dust,
but a gift,
shining
and so gloriously sunlit.
To the Core
Written by: golden gelato
Artwork by:
White candles glow
Along a graveled path
Melting glass cages and
Warming porcelain hearts
As I try and try
To steady my shaking hands
Liquid heat flows
And at once my tongue is lost
No painful gasps and
No bloody sighs
No sound in silence even as
The white glowing candles
Marry and scald my flesh
Love still grows
In the shy golden blaze
But invisibly veiled behind
The white candles’ glow:
Weak matches and
Torched fingers (mine)
Burning quietly for beauty’s sake
Then secrets spill
Blurry memories remind me
White candles can glow
Too warm and
Too fast—
Scarred and trembling my hands
Meet in the middle of my heart
And my ghostly whispers
Echo prayers through the dark
Do I put out these flames
And forever live cold
Or do I fan this fire
Until I am ash in its wake
Trigger Warning: The following piece contains mentions of Sexual Harassment and Rape.
I'm there again
Written by: Kissa R.
Artwork by: Kissa R.
I’m on my bed in a room
My breaths are even and I close my eyes hoping to fall asleep soon
The moment I close my eyes I’m in the Room
I know it’s night right now but I look out the window and it’s late afternoon
My skin feels like a costume
I feel their hands on me and it does not make me swoon
It makes me want to cry and scream and vomit and just forget what happened in this room
I scream when I wake up and I see that I am no longer in that Room
I smell the sterile alcohol and remember that I am in a hospital
They tell me that I am safe and they can no longer hurt me at all
But every time I close my eyes I am in that room again like I never left at all
I have never felt so small, it makes me want to curl up into a ball
They looked soft and innocent, who knew they could do this
I just thought it would be a kiss
But they wanted me to feel a certain type of bliss
But I did not feel that at all
Thinking what happened in my Room makes me bawl
They said “she should take it as a compliment”, “well she was asking for it” and it made me feel like a doll
I close my eyes again and see myself walking in the hall
I am back in that room again and I feel their hands on me
Touching me where I don’t want it to be
I want to scream but they gagged me
Then guess what, they raped me
I never left that Room
Even though I moved and go to a different school
I am still in that Room
I have nightmares of what happened in the Room
I scream when I wake up thinking they’re here but they’re not so I throw up in my bathroom
I am in a different place, in a different room
But whenever I close my eyes I’m still in that Room
And I go through this process again, and again and again
Memories of Home
Written by: Blue Star
Artwork by: Blue Moon & Sophia P.
What is home?
For most, it is a four-wall structure
Where one resides permanently
And seeks comfort and shelter.
But to me,
It is more than just a four-letter word
That is synonymous to the term “house”
Home is something more than that
Home
Is a room full of chairs, books, and lockers
Where all you would hear is hustle and bustle
Of classmates trying to finish a paper
Home
Is the company of my best friends
As we share our favorite stories and inside jokes
Over our favorite cafeteria meals
Home
Is walking down the busy hallway
With the sight of students walking in different directions
Trying to make it back to their classrooms on time
Home
Is where the bell rings at a certain time of day
Which is a subtle reminder that it is time to leave
And that we have made it through another day
Time has passed
And things have greatly changed
All I have now are memories of home
Etched in my heart and are there to stay
For as long as
The sun continues to shine
I will keep dreaming
Of the day I come home again.
My Wishful Night
Artwork by: Anonymous
Just like a pack of wolves that share the night together, we shared our dreams with one another. Never scared but rather fazed of the dark night, because with the moon comes this bright dazzling light.
Tears
Written by: Written Amarela Piece (WAP)
Artwork by: Sophia P.
If only I held on.
so I would never have to say,
“I thought you were the one”
… until you went away.
Just like the moon,
My thoughts orbited around you
Your words, playing like a tune
Leaving me feeling blue
All the nights I cried,
I wish I could forget.
Promises that died,
The dreams that I regret.
I am worthless.
I wish I never believed,
You were my only purpose,
You would never leave.