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An on-set photo of my friends short film

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The Film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOw6kajs73Q&t=277s

During 2023, I spontaneously took this image of my friends on set for a school film. It was not during filming, but while they were talking casually during a break.

The short film in question is about 3 friends (2 in the photo) having to pick their universities. While they want each other to pursue their dreams, they all are willing to sacrifice their own. At the end they are force to come to terms with the impossibility of that future.

Somehow this photo feels like part of the film; The lighting, framing and body language all feels intentionally depicting a late night between 2 friends simply enjoying each others company one last time. In a sense, it probably feels that way because it's true, it is a moment between friends nearing our graduation. It might be on set, but we were hanging out, enjoying each other's company in the dead of night. Now that I have become the futures of the characters, I cant help but see the unintentional poetry in this accidental image, how it represents the film, the feelings behind the film, and the reality all at once.

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i take photos of my friend taking photos

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i take photos of my friend taking photos

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we climbed 6 floors to this café in a concrete apartment built during the period of french colonization, just to look at our hometown from a new perspective. the city itself is pretty, the nostalgia of them capturing the scene is prettier. look at the flowers in the background, these are moss-rose purslane, the tower is a church.

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This teddy bear keychain, slightly faded and clinging to a rusted silver ring, carries the marks of many journeys. Its soft, worn fur and quiet jingles tell tales of past adventures, making it a poetic reminder of enduring memories and the simple, constant companionship it offers.

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 I took this photo from the bridge above a lake in the Nitobe Garden in UBC. By looking at the photo, it seems like the fish are in hurry. But in reality, the fish were unmoving, enjoying their peace and serenity, as opposed to the moving ripples in the water. And I observed this phenomenon as the representation of how many of us feel in the modern society as well. The society tells you to keep moving forward in life and everyone seems to be progressing, when you feel like you don't seem to grow as much as others. But I also believe that everyone has their own pace, and like the fish in the water, you can find peace within yourself, it's alright to take some time and be patient with life. 

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Hey guys, just wanted to get in on this fun. So this is a photo I took from my window this afternoon. I really enjoyed the concept of the red mixing in with the faint blue of the sky, the aura of the sun, honing in on the forbidding nature of the clouds high above our heads. It honestly acts like a juxtaposition of the tranquility of the environment, to the tiredness and time for rest on these end of days.

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Hi, my name is Stan Cooke and I use he/him pronouns. This photo is from a dog walk during the winter break. Despite the ground being covered in a total frost, I loved how clear the sky was this day. I thought this was poetic because of the contrasting image of the lifeless natural ecosystem with trees without leaves compared to the vibrant blue sky and the bright sunlight entering from the right of the frame.

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My name is Lexian Shuai (she/her). I just joined this course, and this week I visited Stanley Park with my friends.

Beautiful views and nature have always been my greatest inspiration for writing and poetry. This time, it was sunset, and we were rushing to return our bikes before the rental shop closed. We didn’t stop to take perfect pictures, but sometimes the beauty finds you when you least expect it.

As we biked along the seawall, the sunlight felt elusive—appearing and disappearing behind curves and barriers. Each turn was like a question: would the light return, or would it vanish again?

It wasn’t exactly during this moment, but later, still by the sea, I noticed a strong smell. It was like dried squid or grilled fish with heavy canola oil. It wasn’t a scent I particularly liked, but it felt strangely fitting. The paradox that struck me was this: the smell of the sea reminded me of these cooked foods, but at the same time, those foods contain the sea itself. Whether it’s seawater or the creatures within it, the sea exists in them too. It made me wonder—was the sea in the food, or was the food a part of the sea? It felt like a chicken-and-egg question, an endless cycle where one contains the other.

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My name is Piper she/her. My Mom has had a sudden love for white orchids and have since decorated our entire house with them. In my mind they are my replacement when I'm away at school:)

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I took this photo last weekend while on the chair lifts at Manning Park. The snow-covered slopes stretched endlessly before me, with the trees dotting the landscape like brushstrokes on a canvas. The moon hung faintly in the blue sky, as if it had paused to take in the view alongside me. There’s something about mountains that always feels grounding, their silence, their stillness, their timelessness. Sitting on the chair lift, with the crisp air brushing past me and the crunch of snow faintly audible below, I felt a rare sense of calm. The ski lifts themselves looked so small against the expanse of the mountain, but they carried people steadily upward, each one seeking something, thrill, peace, or maybe just the view.

- Katrina

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I love nature. I love the trees, the paths, the shrubs, the forests that surround our campus. Last Friday, I thought about this, how we built the cities from ground up, and have created the concrete mass that strangles our souls into the chains of the depressive grey. The grey which we've drafted. I believe that this is poetic, just as any loss, and any weakness which we've imposed onto ourselves, just like how we've traumatized newer generations from creating newer things. Poetic argument which this picture shows is the fact that the nature is losing the battle against the large monster of grey, made of concrete. I miss the nature, and the colors it shows, and fear that it will continue to disintegrate as the time goes...

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Hi! My name is Jasmine Nagy (she/her). This image is poetic to me as it captures something quite mighty about the sunset. There is an interplay between light and shadow in this photo, the shadows seem to further emphasize the warmth and golden radiation of the sun. While many beautiful sunsets are filled with colour what interests me about the sunset is the light and the dark. The view of the land, ocean and sky bathed in honeyed light of the sun to me captures the sublime aspects of the natural world.

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I was drinking my chai tea latte when I noticed the barista gave me a cup holder that says caution: hot content although the drinks filled to the brink with ice. I love irony in poetry so I find irony in smallest things poetic.

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I was sat at the cozy Italian restaurant for my friend's birthday dinner, my stomach's depravation akin to a flower in desperate need of watering. Amidst long-awaited conversations about recently failed romantic endeavours or prospective countries to study abroad, our first dish spawned onto the table. The bowl of alfredo gnocchi, the first dish of which was shared between five of us, is a delicious amalgam of sauce, pasta, and garnish. The initial warmth of the dish represents a tender duality: both its temperature and the bond between myself and my friends. Much like a starving stomach commands a reminder of the warmth of a freshly cooked meal, I am enthralled and grounded by a lovely dinner with my friends.

Patricia (she/her)

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Hello, I'm Brisa. It was a cold day quiet day when I took the picture, but the sun shone through the trees just right and it was the perfect moment for me. Nature is always poetic to me, but this trial specifically is special to me. I walk, run, and speed walk through it (if i'm late for my bus) almost everyday. It’s always been there. I walked through the mossy, cracked cement path and realized it would stay and has stayed. The seasons change but nature and it’s continuous cycle remains.

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I boiled some eggs this morning, and they came out to be perfectly soft-boiled. This was pretty unusual for me since I always overcook them a bit. As one of the people who think it's a crime to hard-boil the eggs (no offence to anyone who likes it), this has been a very satisfying result for me. Although it's nothing particularly special or grandiose, it has allowed me to start the day in a good mood. The reason I found it poetic is because I think poetry is about finding meaning in these small daily things.

- Yun Kim

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Hello everyone! My name is Jessica and I am a second year Arts student majoring in Psychology. I joined the class late but am excited to get things going with this class! I went to the lights at Lafarge in Coquitlam and remembered seeing this lamppost when I went and thought it was very poetic. I don't know where my photo went but I was able to find it on google! The lamppost bending over with an umbrella gave me a sense of protection and kindness because its as if the lamppost is waiting for someone or something to be protected from the amount of rain we get here in the Lower Mainland. This photo also seems to represent selflessness. While the lamppost is helping someone or something that decides to sit on the bench stay dry, the lamppost itself is still going to get soaked by all the rain as it decides to put the bench-sitters first before itself.

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My name is Joanne Hu(She/her). This photo shows a busy city street, with an ancient and elegant building standing quietly in the middle of modern cars, buses, and bicycles. The exquisite design of this building reminds people of the hard work and precious time they put in to build it in the past era. Meanwhile, life on the streets is lively and busy: pedestrians pass by in a hurry, cars come and go, and buses head towards the next stop. This fusion of old and new, the quietness of ancient architecture and the bustle of streets, in contrast, makes people wonder how cities can continue to carry the memories of history while constantly changing and developing. This picture is both peaceful and vibrant, as if it shows us how time and life intertwine in this place, forming a unique urban rhythm.

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My tarot cards. They are mushrooms themed, and the illustrations are hand painted. Each suit is connected to its element, which is in turn connected to the kind of mushroom on the card. They are whimsical and beautiful, and give wonderful helpful advice about any situation. This reading was about love and success. 

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Hiii!! I'm Hina, and here is a very fat squirrel I saw while on my way to the SRC studio. It is either pregnant or eating incredibly well (good for her)!

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I went to the garden and found a lake that called to me, I turned my music off and listened to the sound of water and the waterfall flowing. It seems poetic to me as it inspires me to create a story of two lovers by the waters separated by the lake

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This mound of hundreds (maybe thousands, if you could see through the grass and down either side of the pavement) of ants was on the sidewalk of a very busy road that I used to walk regularly. There is little foot-traffic generally, so when I walk along usually I feel very minuscule, with so many cars speeding by me. These ants I nearly mistook for a pile of dirt, and only saw them when I really looked down. The contrast between me, and the ants, and the busy road, along with the similarities, is very poetic to me

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I took this picture when I visited Arizona this last December. I find it very poetic because of the beautiful landscape (much more striking in person!), the contrasting colours such as the blue of the sky and the black of the cows’ fur, both natural, and the position of the cows. They were walking in a line, one behind the other, and I don’t know anything about cow behaviour or body language but they looked very happy to me! I thought it was the sweetest thing. I feel like getting to admire animals being carefree and enjoying themselves is a very precious and pure gift.

— Mariana (she/her)

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Here is a potato that I was going to cook for dinner. I saw a small bad spot so I peeled it away, which in turn revealed that the instead of the potato had gone bad. The mold was woody and smelled like a woodshop more than rotten food. This was poetic to me because it was unusual and something I had never seen. I also liked the way that even though I am normally quite squeamish to spoiled food, this didn’t make my stomach turn (as much)

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This is my dog, Griff. In this photo, he looks at me with blank emotion. I found this image to symbolize the ambiguous nature of life, capturing the emotion of emotionless.

-Tate (He/Him)

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I'm Jennifer Johnson.

This leaf marches across the road, a print in time that anchors me in the present while reminding me that life is fleeting.

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I took this photo when the double rainbow caught my eye as it peered over the city and arched across the uncharacteristically blue sky. Rainbows have always held a poetic gesture as it provokes thought and searching of the other end of the rainbow. Looking at this photo automatically triggers a chain of bustling noises of people getting by through car, bus, and foot.

-Shannon (she/her)

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Hi everyone, my name is Ellie. This was taken at Jericho Beach on Saturday. It was completely deserted and quiet, so my friends and I took a moment to admire the scenery. This was quite special, given I'd never seen this Jericho beach like this. It's usually very lively and bright during the summer. The light's reflection created a rainbow on the water, contrasting with the night's darkness. The clouds seemed to be hiding something, and the boats were at a halt. When I took this image for a moment, everything felt like it was paused.

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Hi my name is Adam. The photo of this sunrise was taken before school one day. The pink/orange hues were blending and covered the sky and it really looked surreal. It felt like I was in a painting. I have always loved looking at sunrises and sunsets. They always give me a a sense of peace and serenity when I’m feeling stressed out. 

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Paper chair designed for a cardboard chair 

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This image is poetic because it represents all the small steps we take to achieve an end goal. The final product of this prototype was a full-sized cardboard chair, that a team had put many g\hours into planning, prototyping and creating.

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This photo was taken outside of a car window driving around the south coast of the island. Other than the beauty of the sunset, this photo represents the end of an adventure. After spending a few days traveling, the setting sun reminded me of the ending of a good book!

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Hey everyone, my name is Torin. This was taken on my trip over winter break in the capital city of Ecuador, Quito. This art piece was created using thousands of spikes from an agave plant. This artist was able to translate living materials, into fantastic artwork. I believe this piece shows deep creativity and resourcefulness in finding aspects of art in all different facets of life.

Aspirations to create, a hunger for newness. Green turned brown, sultry turned piercing. From afar it appears elementary, but each step forward reveals a new intricacy.

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My name's Karys and my preferred pronouns are she/her.

I was walking around campus getting to know some students when I heard construction and felt compelled to look up. Sometimes the most beautiful thing we can do is see something, and I don't mean to see and recognize what we know of something like how we see an apple as a apple. But instead let our minds melt into wonder and witness the possibilities over the limitations of our world in the same way we see galaxies; that kind of seeing.

The person who is working on that building is probably used to what they do, but to me, I see sparkles and cosmos erupting from their hands. Where they are doing another days work to some, to me they hold the light and my wonder at how there is magic in the everyday if we lay our eyes bare to all life's potential.

If we opened ourselves up to the evolution of our knowing in all its context of emotion, story, and teaching rather than just plain old textbook knowing---the love we could hold for each other would be revolutionary. Maybe with this we'd shine, realizing that just because this light that we hold isn't untouchable like the stars and isn't known in all its glory---doesn't mean it's meaningless.

And besides, whose to tell me it's more beautiful to be bewitched by the unknown of strangers from afar, than knowing the outlines of my lovers palm?

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Hi, I'm Lia Zhao (She/her) and I am a third-year Anthropology student. I was walking the other day around my neighbourhood when I came across this beautiful secondhand vintage wooden shelf. I am a sucker for interior design, so, I decided to take it and it is now situated in my home and adds a perfect warm and cozy touch to the house. I think this is poetic because it comes with many narratives. The thrifty narrative of one man's trash is another man's treasure, the narrative of reusing, recycling, and how that impacts the environment, and just overall aesthetic projects that give life meaning. It invokes a lot of feelings for me, as so does poetry and the creative potential that is found within the creation of something as mundane as a random piece of furniture.

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A picture taken while waiting for the bus to go home. Though there have been very dark nights due to clouds and early sunset, the moon during the night felt like it was the brightest of the month. I have no experience with poetry or anything poetic, but this picture just popped up in my mind when thinking of something "poetic".

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For my poetic thing that's not a poem, I chose my friend Lila, with two tomatoes clutched in her palms. She is the most poetic thing I know. As I move through the world, I look at the people in it and know their lives are each so vast and incomprehensible, I know this because of her. We speak sparingly and our lives become twisted and tought, but for a moment we slow, and speak of how to extract this zest from life, how to sprinkle it to our lives. We speak of wind in trees, we sit in silence and let the sun singe us, we speak in single words, in memoirs. So, while she is not a thing, she is the thing that makes me notice everything. I see a face and know they have come from somewhere, they are going somewhere, they have love in them, to a depth I will never know--unless I say hello. Life has these unwritten constraints that become seem so ridiculous when broken. If each person has a story, and this is what we all innately seek, why is there fear in reading?

-roz <3

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Hi my name is Hayden Heales, I took this photo March of last year at wreck beach. I think this image is poetic due to the seclusion this viewpoint provides, you have to know where you are going to find this specific view point meaning there are rarely other people here. I love coming here and taking in the views as it allows me to clear my mind from the hustle and bustle of school. Only 15 minutes from campus you will find it feels like a new world, completely secluded allowing you to put your phone down and stop thinking about school and life while smelling the pine trees, dirt, and oceanic breeze. Whenever I come here I feel at peace and when this assignment was first introduced this was the first image I thought of.

-Hayden

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As silly as it is, I think this photo is quite poetic. My friend has had this pair of converse for years now and refuses to buy new ones, even though they are very evidently worn. We can draw on her attachment to these shoes and how many things, as random as they may seen, have an emotional tie to us as humans. Shoes hold memories and draw us a picture of the land we have walked on and experiences we have gone through.

Emily (she/her)

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Ok, admittedly I took this photo with my laptop just now because I didn't have any good photos saved to my computer but there is poetry in everything so I can work with it. This image is poetic because I'm not doing anything in it and yet people can and will assume so much about who I am just by looking at my plain face. You, the reader probably already made your own mini note sheet in your head about who I am. It probably took you like 2 seconds for you to think you have a decent idea of who I am and what my life is like. Making assumptions about people and being self consciousness about the assumptions others will make about us is far too common and "normal" in society in my opinion. I think we can all improve the world by confronting our own internal judgements and self conscious thoughts when they come up.

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Last term when we had a lot of mist on campus, it felt like living in a city in the clouds, with fog everywhere in sight. The whole campus felt like it was submerged in a blanket of clouds, soft, fluffy.

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a tea party in the garden- fairies hiding in plain sight 

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a tea party in the garden- fairies hiding in plain sight 

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I walked a different way home then usual after my run and ran into teapots posted along the side of a fence, initially i just thought to myself the whole scene was pretty, took a picture and went walked away. I sent the picture to my mom, she replied "thats where the fairies live". The rest of day i thought about her text and couldn’t help but feel ignorant for not playing more attention and the small joys in so blatantly in sight. I thought about past versions of myself, would she be taken so off guard by these sweet nothings?

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Blue light

Hi everyone! My name is Stacey, and I use she/her pronouns. The poetic thing that I found is a blue light shining on a wall in BC Binnings at UBC. It caught my eye since it was the middle of the day, so I was confused as to how this occurred. In a way, it almost looks like moonlight/spotlight. This effect occurred since there is a window that reflected this light, but there was some blue reflective board against the window. There happened to be enough daylight to shine through and reflect onto the wall. I find this to be poetic since I’ve never seen this, and it also has both day (since it is daytime during then) and night (the effect of the blue board against the window).

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My name is Olivia or Ollie and I use fe/fem pronouns. I took this photo to show my girlfriend how my astigmatism affects my sight, and I think trying to show someone your perspective is poetic

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Rooftop Gardens, Vancouver Public Library, Central Branch. 

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Hi, my name is Aswin Abraham (he/him) and I took this photo from the rooftop gardens of Vancouver Public Library’s Central Branch last year. This stood out to me as something poetic as during that time my ASTU class had gone over the chapter titled “Edge City” from Lance Berelowitz’s novel, Dream City: Vancouver and the Global Imagination. The chapter discussed how the City of Vancouver is architecturally designed around its stunning natural and urban scenery. I experienced this first hand in the photo which features a skyline dominated by skinny high rise buildings that did not obstruct the view.

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Hello everyone, my name is Katelyn (she/her) and this photo of a fish tank feels deeply poetic to me. The photo itself lacks a clear subject- no single single element commands one's focus, rather the sightline glides across the scene, taking in the different shades and colours, as well as the textures and patterns. This absence of a focal point invites the viewer to slow down, encouraging one to be deliberate.

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This is a photo that I took at IKB library on the fourth floor, on the way back to my place as the library was about to close. As the semester just started, it was deadly silent around the closing time. Nobody was here although it is usually full of people during regular school weeks. The windows that would lead the sunlight in during daytime did not allow me to see anything on the other side, but just to see the distorted reflection inside of the building. I could not see anyone through the reflection, including myself. I cannot tell if the chandelier-looking object in the centre has a flare-jeans-looking shape in real life or if it is just because of the distorted reflection. I could not hear anything but the sound of A/C.

-Go Nakamura (he/him).

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Hello! My name is Geezelle (she/her). My friend and I were walking to the restaurant we were meeting these 3 friends at, when we noticed them standing on the staircase looking for us. I snapped a photo of it and found it poetic because of how my friends were looking out into the crowded parking lot and trying to find us, without noticing that we had already found a spot and were walking towards them. It made me think about how we often find ourselves waiting and looking for something without realizing that it's already in front of us. I also found the busyness of the world around my friends enticing, as it further added to the feeling of longing and being okay with ignoring the hustle and bustle of the world to focus on the one thing we truly want.

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My cat is often curious about all things human. He wants to try our food, to sit in our chairs, to imitate our day-to-day habits. This week, I caught him peering into a book my mom was reading with such intensity that I almost believed he made sense of it. It’s unlikely that he understood anything, but it made for a humorous yet intriguing moment. Curiosity often reflects the care and thoughtfulness one holds for another. I wonder if it transcends human connection? Perhaps, it’s time for me to be more curious about all things cat.

- Elizabeth (she/her)

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My friends and I went snowboarding over the weekend at Grouse Mountain. For most of the time, it was relatively sunny. However, a few times during the day, it turned incredibly foggy which made it hard to see nearby surroundings. Naturally, this drastic change in weather caught my eye. One moment, I was able to clearly enjoy the view down the mountain and the next moment I wasn't. It felt quite disorienting, not knowing and not seeing what you can encounter. So, I thought it was ironic that the fog was obscuring my sense of "noticing". Nonetheless, I noticed a couple of poetic aspects from this moment. Even if I couldn't see the view, I knew it was still there. This relates to the idea of trust amongst individuals. Or, this act of not being able to notice directs our attention elsewhere. Maybe it's a challenge for us to generate our own authentic perspectives. For me, this moment was a gentle reminder to appreciate the privileges that I have before it's too late.

Colleen (She/Her)

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West Side Market is my secret Vancouver landmark, the one thing that keeps me looking out the window in the 33 bus line. Colour isn't something I naturally pay attention to as I am colourblind, but I became quickly captivated by the bright sign. Whether it appears yellow or green to me, I can sure appreciate it lights up the street, whether the sun is out or it is nighttime. The flower store is almost of revolutionary beauty: a guest performer that manages to steal the show on the runway of sister-like townhouses of 16th Avenue; an act of involuntary manslaughter to the North American suburbia, allergic to the pollen of its flowers.

Jacobo Abad Gonzalez (he/him)

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Hi, my name is Liam. This photo captures a beautifully poetic moment right outside my apartment. The setting sun casts its final golden light on a broken, weathered tree stump, turning it into a glowing structure in the middle of a cold, shadowy forest. The sunlight spills across the stump’s rough edges and weathered surface, exposing its beauty and telling quiet stories of resilience. What usually’s just a forgotten stump (the old remnants of a once-towering tree) suddenly becomes something so strikingly bright and radiant. It demands your attention with its quiet beauty. Also, the contrast is striking: the glowing warmth of the stump stands out against the dark, shadowy trees around it. It’s the perfect balance between light and dark, warm and cold, almost resembling life rising from loss or good coming out of something bad. In that very short, fleeting moment, the light feels like an invitation to pause, reflect, and notice how extraordinary even the most ordinary things can be.

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Hi my name is Nathan and I use he/him pronouns. I took this picture at Blackie Spit park, which is close to where I live. I came home from school early recently, and I thought I would take a nice walk on the beach, as it's very calming for me. As I explored an area I hadn't been to, I came across this bench looking out on the horizon. Something about it spoke to me. I sat down on it for a while, and took in the view. To me, a place like this will never get old. The feeling, the smell, everything about the beach always draws me back to it, and I can't imagine a future time in my life where this setting won't be calming for me. I ended up leaving after a while of sitting on the bench, and then took this picture. I tried to recreate how I felt whilst sitting on the bench with this image, with blue being the main colour I wanted to highlight, and the bench being lower and smaller, showing how I felt compared to the vast sky and ocean.

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While walking home recently, I captured this sunset in the distance behind the Henry Angus building. What struck me most about this photo was how bright and distinguishable the sunset colours were. I have seen a lot of sunsets in my life, but none had such distinctly bright yellow and dark orange hues, nor did their colours reach so far into the surrounding sky. I think I often miss moments like this in my day-to-day life as I find myself thinking too much about the past or present to really notice things like this. I normally walk in the opposite direction to go to my car, but on this particular day, I took a slightly different route, which confidently meant I could see this sunset. For me, this image is poetic because it captures a transitional moment—one where my ordinary walk home turns into a moment of unexpected beauty.

- Jonathan (he/him)

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This is a picture of a airplane preparing to be boarded. It seemed to be a poetic moment as I thought of the airplane as a gateway to seeing the world, symbolizing freedom and the limitless opportunities to explore nature's wonders. The backdrop of the clouds and distant mountains highlights the beauty that awaits. It also reminds me of one of my favorite sayings- the journey itself is as meaningful as the destination.

Arjun

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Spotted: mandarin orange in the middle of my high school hallway during class change

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Spotted: mandarin orange in the middle of my high school hallway during class change

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Oranges themselves mean love to me. They hold memories of my dad peeling them for me when they have especially thick skin, of my ex boyfriend holding segments up to the light so he can hand me the ones without seeds, of sharing a mandarin from a friend’s lunch bag.

This photo evokes a sense of loneliness. Who left this mandarin here? Was it purposeful? If not, will they know it’s gone? Will it be eaten, or thrown away?

I felt a sense of connection with this mandarin. As if I was the only one to notice its presence. It was a bit funny to see fruit on the floor—mundane yet unordinary.

☆Sarah Li (she/her)

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Hi I'm Peter.

This is an image of 2 porta-potties I saw at thr construction site of Oakridge centre. It may seem kind of dumb, but I think it's very poetic in the how the 2 stalls stand out. If you were to stand near the construction site, you'd be overwhelmed by the ear-shattering sounds of power tools and the gigantic cranes towering over you, but these two porta-potties stand stock-still in wait. What strikes me about these two characters is their symmetry and stillness among its messily-built and constantly moving surroundings. In a way, I think the porta-potties convey a stability and confidence that comes with the company of another person. But also, they're filled with poop and many other disgusting things so I may just be spouting nonsense!

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I went skiing at Whistler this weekend, and after I’d come down the mountain, walking to dinner, I saw this snowboard propped up against a tree. From a light attached to the tree, it was bathed in a cold, glacial blue. Immediately I thought of loneliness. I thought it a little sad that the snowboard had been abandoned there, so late in the evening, without a home. Then I thought of the skiing I did that day. I had been planning to go alone, but, on a whim, I texted a friend to see if he was up in Whistler, too; miraculously he was, and we skied together. I thought about what might have happened if I didn’t reach out to him. Perhaps I would have been just like this snowboard: alone, blue, and probably very cold.

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Hello, my name is Liam. This photo captures the poetic moment outside my apartment where the setting sun lights up this weathered and broken tree stump, turning it into an amazingly warm and glowing structure amidst an otherwise cold and shadowed forest. The light transforms what might typically be overlooked (an old, weathered tree stump) into a quiet, warm, and radiant scene. It reminds us to find beauty in the often overlooked parts of nature.

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I took this picture as I was driving home from school one day. I decided to take a photo of this scene at this particular angle because it looked like a drawing in linear perspective. I found this to be poetic because it shows that perspective can change the intensity and value of anything, similarly to how linear perspective gives the illusion of depth (3D) on a flat (2D) surface.

- Veronica

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This picture was taken by my residence last year. I stopped to observe these flowers day after day to watch them bloom in the middle of winter. The bold contradiction of the bright pink petals against the cold grey skies of January gave me hope for the day. One day in January it snowed, and as I took my usual path to my residence I realized I had never witnessed a sight like this. I had never in my life seen such a daring admission of life in cold winter months, especially in the snow. Though it was simple I was reminded that there was so much of life I hadn't seen. And like the flower, I shouldn't let the cold around me suck me in.

-Anna (she/her)

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On the way back from the island, early in the night, my friends and I decided to get some air on the fairy going back home. What makes this photo poetic to me is the context that it brings and the images that represent it. It was cold, there were strong gusts of wind making it colder, the sea was black, and the clouds covered the moon, almost changing its shape. As we began to see the distant sparks of light emanating from the mainland, there was a long breadth of just taking everything in. It seemed we were all pleasantly enjoying the scenery, despite its dark and drab nature. I like that the figures, my friends, look out into the sea with the moon shining down on them. Despite being a dark and eerie night it seemed beautiful, a little overwhelming, and a memory that I can always look back fondly on.

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This picture was taken during my trip to the Western end of Turkey, in the province of Mugla. The breeze of the water, along with all the merrier cherishes appeared to me, as poetically beautiful. I loved the way human beings were, there were cats, dogs, small boats, and yachts, yet everything appeared to be in balance, and happy together. I believe that this important essence remains significant enough deep within my core, that it has that poetic justification. To me, this symbolization, can accurately depict how adaptable, different, and fascinating the human nature, as well as it's interaction with the earth is. Being able to revoke feelings is what truly matters to me, thus, in engineering my poems, I take a deeper dive into feelings, and play around with them, trying to build my own system, my little castle, made of sand.

David T. (He/Him)

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I had spent 3 days on Jeju island when I took this photo. It was a miraculous moment of sun in the midst of October's rain, when I stepped out of the cafe I was in. The unique feature of Jeju island is that it's a town built upon ashes and lava, with beaches made out of black volcanic rock. As I walked along the path leading parallel to where water met rock, my eye caught onto these figures along the coast. It was 3 women, middled aged, local, foraging for shellfish. A beautiful contrast between life and death, where they searched for nourishment between the black remains of destruction centuries ago. I also remember thinking how different our lives must've been, while standing on the same rock. Me; a foreigner studying abroad this particular semester. Them; caught in the mundane routine of a day's work. It was interesting that our decisions that day led us to the same space. The amount of coincidences that bring us our daily lives. It was at this moment that I took this photo. Snap.

- Jessica Lam (she/her)

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UBC's intrinsic and mesmerizing greenhouse caught my eye on my daily walk home, I noticed the beautiful color and the well-kept plants within. As I approached it, I heard the snaps of leaves, branches, and other dead foliage coming from beneath my feet. This idea of having a greenhouse filled with healthy consciously looked after, and studied vegetation versus the exterior of death surrounding and confining its close premises.

I wondered what constituted certain plants to be deemed worthy of being inside. I asked if the plants wondered the same.

Harper (she/her)

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My name if Michelle and theres a tiny crack in my cup. A cup that I held so dearly when I first bought it. I remember I would only use it on special occasion and when placing it back on the table I would ever so gently place it down to make sure my cup was still in perfect condition. Never dented. Never chipped and never cracked. But one day it cracked. I don't know when or I don't know how but it cracked. I think this image is poetic because it reminds me that I don't have to be perfect. Everyone has cracks small or big. Maybe they are unnoticed because they're good at hiding them, but we all have cracks. Maybe not now and maybe not in a while, but sooner or later we will crack and we won't be "perfect". But that's okay. It's okay to be cracked:')

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This picture reminds me to be present and find beauty in the small, quiet moments of life. What I find most poetic in the picture is the puddles, scattered across the dirt, might seem like nothing more than remnants of rain, but they reflect the light of the sun, showing that even in the most unexpected places, there’s the potential for something beautiful. It’s a reminder that life is not perfect, and neither are we, but our imperfections can still hold light and meaning. Even the fence in the distance seems to say something about boundaries—how life will always have its limits, but there’s still an open path ahead if I choose to walk it. This picture makes me want to slow down, appreciate where I am, and remember that every moment, no matter how small or ordinary, has its own quiet story to tell. It reminds me to find peace, hope, and beauty, even in the imperfections of life.

- Chanpreet (she/her)

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On my way to class, I noticed this tree, and something about it felt special. The branches were bare but stretched out in every direction, like they were reaching for something. It stood there quietly, surrounded by the modern glass building, and made me think about how nature and human-made things exist together. The tree looked simple at first, but the more I looked, the more I saw how its twists and shapes told a story, like it had been through a lot but was still standing strong. It just felt poetic in a way I can’t fully explain.

Kuvar Dhaliwal (He/Him)

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As I strolled through the streets of Sintra, a town in Portugal, I couldn’t help but notice the countless street vendors; however, one in particular caught my eye. Against a lush green backdrop with a medieval castle standing tall in the sky, an elderly man, who isn’t pictured, was selling a plethora of vinyl, ranging from classical artists like Beethoven to more recent artists such as the Beetles. What I found poetic was the stark contrast between the eras - a range of classical vinyl records resting before a medieval castle. In my opinion, emotions are fleeting, as our moods can change throughout the day or even in mere seconds; however, with the help of music, emotions can be captured for an eternity. The castle, standing rigid and tall, is a physical testament to the culture and preservation of history in town; however, the pieces of vinyl, although physical, evoke a different sense of timelessness and preservation - one of human emotion. Whether etched into stone or pressed into vinyl, human expressions will always transcend time, one way or another. - Rohan Patel he/him/his

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I took this photo a little while ago, of a friend of mine trying to pick up a ladybug. It's innocent, truly, but there was something about this image that implied an idea larger than its context.

What a visual; a man's hands, and a ladybug. A force far more powerful than she will ever be, larger than thousands of her little bodies, and she had nowhere to go. While it is such a common thing for humans to see little bugs and scoop them up and release them after (typically out of mere curiosity), I couldn't ignore the feminist implications of this image. It is simply intriguing.

-Mia

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in terms of functionality, this teapot works fine at best. when you tilt it over any of our little floral-print glass teacups, the chamomile tea that we usually put in often opts to pour in like band of fat, floral raindrops. rather than a smooth, cohesive unit—which is more typical for a typical teapot—the drink comes out loud, matching the volume and metre of the parties it often finds itself a part of. the porcelain strawberry teapot only really comes out when new faces come in, sitting between hotpots and shotglasses. the teapot’s wonder really shines through, though, in the following morning, where the afterglow of the gathering settles on its side, casting small shadows across the seeds of its surface. if you open the lid, you’ll still find bits of chamomile sticking to the bottom. at this time, it wont have much to pour, but then again, there isn’t much left to say.

Lulu Liu (them)

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My name is Gabby and my pronouns are she/her. I took this photo walking home from the grocery store on a foggy night of picture of an older woman walking alone. I think I find this moment poetic because it hints at an unseen experience running underneath the surface of the picture. It, to me, exudes a strong sense of peace.

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On Saturday I came across a beautiful silver starry guitar. Immediately I was intrigued by this brilliant David Bowie-esque beauty of a guitar. Among all of the other guitars in the background of all different sizes colours and brands, this shiny brilliance with its matching headstock made me feel so in awe and stood out from the rest. I hope that at some point I’m able to get a guitar like this as it would be really cool to play. I can imagine the guitar shining like a disco ball and looking so gorgeous on a stage twinkling under all the lights that it reflects.

- Coral Hetherington (she/her)

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Hi! my name is Kaylee Chavez and I go by she/her pronouns. While I was on my way to Downtown, Vancouver this week, I had the most wonderful opportunity to witness the sunset from a moving train. I am someone who will take photos of the sunset any chance I get. From the bright blue skies with a hint of orange in the distance, to the full cotton candy skies. Each sunset holds an immense amount of beauty, and being on a train while watching this specific sunset made me realize how this photo captures the bittersweet moment of the day coming to an end. Normally, sunsets happen while I am on my way home and I am with people, or when I am already at home. I guess what I am trying to say is that I normally miss the sunsets. However, this time I was on my way to meet friends meaning I was alone, which allowed me to sit back and think about how beautiful our world is. We get sunsets every day but what I love about them, is how unique each of them are and how there are never and will never be two identical sunsets. The purple and pink mixing together in this photo provides a sense of comfort that is unexplainable to me. Sunsets are the one thing that will always remain beautiful, regardless of the direction your day goes. We don't appreciate sunsets as much as we should.

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This image is from last year when my friends and I were building a Lego succulent set. The set included a lot of tiny guns, which were part of one of the plants and were not really visible in the end. It’s interesting to think about how things, regardless of if they are made for harm or beauty, can be repurposed to the point where their intended form is insignificant. Weapons can become entirely new as a small part of something greater as long as someone sees that potential in them.

— Elita (she/her)

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I captured this picture at the Pacific National Exhibit while waiting in line for the "Atmosfear" ride. I had turned and noticed a ferris wheel overlooking some mountains while the sun was setting which I found truly beautiful. What I found most poetic was how a moment so mundane such as waiting in a long line for a ride can be turned into something unforgettable depending on how you view the moment. Taking the time to briefly look around made me realize that there is beautiful moments occurring constantly around you. When capturing the picture everything felt peaceful and still and the noise around me had drowned out; it is true, a picture speaks a thousand words.

-Sumeet (He/Him)

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A loud boom shook the neighborhood, and when I stepped outside, all I could see was a dark orange glow lighting up the sky. My grandpa and I, curious, decided to drive closer to see what was going on. When we got there, the flames were massive, shooting up into the sky while everyone stood silently, just watching, panicked. The fire consumed everything and what struck me most was the way it moved, with a mind of its own, something others could only predict. The heat hit us even from where we stood, and the smell of smoke filled the air. I took this photo because it felt so intense. It was a reminder how something once familiar was suddenly fragile and could disappear in an instant.

- Yash Katyal (He/Him)

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I saw the two pandas and immediately thought that they were ‘sitting’ on the table and ‘holding’ hands reflected an innate human desire to find comfort. My wandering eye seeing these two on the table slumped together personified them into reflecting intimacy and warmth I was familiar with. Donning human-like characteristics, these two panda plushies seemed as if they, too, needed the closeness of another. - Gursheen Gill

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A sunset behind the Henry Angus Building.

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While walking home recently, I captured this sunset in the distance behind the Henry Angus building. What struck me most about this photo was how bright and distinguishable the sunset colours were. I have seen a lot of sunsets in my life, but none had such distinctly bright yellow and dark orange hues, nor did their colours reach so far into the surrounding sky. I think I often miss moments like this in my day-to-day life as I find myself thinking too much about the past or present to really notice things like this. I normally walk in the opposite direction to go to my car, but on this particular day, I took a slightly different route, which confidently meant I could see this sunset. For me, this image is poetic because it captures a transitional moment—one where my ordinary walk home turns into a moment of unexpected beauty.

- Jonathan (he/him)

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I went to the Wreck Beach this week during sunset, and I’d never seen the waves so huge. This is actually a frame from a video, but I wanted to capture the moment when the wave crashes onto the rock. I thought that in itself was pretty poetic. If you look at the picture, there’s a rock on the left where a wave fully crashes onto it, completely covering the rock, while the other rock remains unaffected—or perhaps the wave crashes onto it another time. What this picture doesn’t capture is that after the wave crashes, the rock is revealed again, perfectly unchanged.

Sandy (she/her)

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A picture of the world I saw as I made my commute home. Nature gives us such beauty to look at, yet we still distort it's beauty with the harsh cuts of our buildings. We make homes in the place that gives everything we need already. This sky gave me a reason to stop, look and appreciate.

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This was one of the only sunsets I saw in November and December, when it was getting dark really early and the sun hardly ever came out. This day was a reminder that it may not always be visible, but there is always light somewhere. - Karla Ssewakiryanga, she/her

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Hey everyone!

My week has been really chaotic, so I wasn’t really able to observe things in depth in my surroundings, but I found this photo from last Thursday.

I know it just seems to be a picture of a random car’s radio, but this has context.

I had a really bad day that day, and I was driving to my mom’s work to pick her up, and I was waiting in the parking lot ruminating. I was going through the different radio channels, and my ruminating stopped when I heard this song (Sweater Weather by The Neighbourhood) because this song was one of my top songs on Spotify Wrapped in 2021. So it kinda took me back to that year and I was kind of missing it, which is weird because people usually don’t like being reminded of their covid era (lol).

The reason why I found this poetic is because I found it fascinating that a simple things (like a song) can allow people to shut off their current thoughts and bring them back to a meaningful (or simpler) time in their lives.

Anyways, I don’t know if it really is that poetic, but I thought it could be worth mentioning!

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Hi, I'm Jisong! The photo I am sharing is one of a penguin drawing that I recently found from my old notebooks. I possibly drew this. One thing I like about this drawing is that I can never define what emotion this penguin is showing. I look at it once, and the dark, void eyes with the stare towards the sky reminds me of a penguin in existential crisis. I look at it twice, and perhaps it seems sort of shocked, surprised, happy. Or, maybe it's screaming silently. Then I look at it thrice, and I catch curiosity in its stare as if it's saying "woah." So...yes. I don't know what this penguin is feeling. It's possibly feeling something close to what I was feeling when I drew this, but I can't recall that moment, which means that I actually have no way of knowing anymore. I can guess, but I won't ever know for sure. Or, arguably, by this point, that doesn't matter anymore.

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Hi, my name is Annie (she/her)! Yesterday I tried making a batch of bolognese sauce, but I read the recipe wrong and accidentally ending up making 54 portions of it. Obviously that was not ideal, but I had a good laugh about it with my roommates, and even though it took me until 2 am to wrangle it into something acceptable, when I woke up in the morning, it only seemed like a warm, soft-edged memory. I thought about how often endearments are born out of mishaps, and how for probably the rest of my life, whenever I ate or made or thought about bolognese sauce, I’d think about that night, the three of us doubled-over with laughter under the stove light, performing damage control on my monster batch of pasta sauce. And it did feel worth it, the trouble, for a story I’d keep safe for the rest of this little life.

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I stopped to take this photo on my walk back from class, during a rainy evening. The bright pink light that illuminated the night sky, as well as the bright shine from nearby lampposts reminded me that although the sun is not out and it is nighttime, you can still admire the beauty of the world. The light in this photo is enhanced, not only to be used as an aid for sight, but to be gazed apon and admired.

-Kristin

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I find this photo of my friend and me deeply poetic because it was captured on her boyfriend’s phone. It holds a type of sentiment and beauty in the way he preserved this moment; us standing together, enjoying the sunset, and taking a picture to remember that day. I think there’s something really beautiful about this photo like the way the sunset holds both warmth and melancholy through colour. The golden hues melt into soft blues, like how the day itself is turning into night. We took this photo, wanting to hold on to that moment and admire the sky, knowing that in a few minutes it would be gone. But even the act of photographing it feels poetic, like a gesture of love not just for the sky, but for the shared memory we created. Before, this image was just a photo of the two of us in a SkyTrain parking lot. But now, this image, to me, is a celebration of being alive enough to notice something as simple, yet stunning, as a sunset shared with someone you care about.

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Hello! My name is Lorenzo. Coming home from work I noticed these two clouds adrift without any surrounding friends... I thought it was strange that they were all alone and noticed it struck my curiosity more than usual. What made this poetic to me was the idea that many of us love to notice things that stand out, almost as a second nature. We can be drawn to things that seem outside of the norm and love to explore ideas and forms that do exactly that.

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Hi my name is Nathan and I use he/him pronouns. I took this picture at Blackie Spit park, which is close to where I live. I came home from school early recently, and I thought I would take a nice walk on the beach, as it's very calming for me. As I explored an area I hadn't been to, I came across this bench looking out on the horizon. Something about it spoke to me. I sat down on it for a while, and took in the view. To me, a place like this will never get old. The feeling, the smell, everything about the beach always draws me back to it, and I can't imagine a future time in my life where this setting won't be calming for me. I ended up leaving after a while of sitting on the bench, and then took this picture. I tried to recreate how I felt whilst sitting on the bench with this image, with blue being the main colour I wanted to highlight, and the bench being lower and smaller, showing how I felt compared to the vast sky and ocean.

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Photographed is a sunset I saw this week when I went for dinner with my girlfriend near Sawmill Crescent in Vancouver.

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Hi! My name is Wyatt Brown, and this is my post for "A Poetic Thing That's Not a Poem" this week. As I was out for dinner this week with my girlfriend, I saw this sunset when we were exiting the restaurant. I captured this photo because I thought the sunset had a calming beauty, with its neat arrangement of color and light colliding into the dark clouds. I found this poetic, as it made me think about how when things are stressful in life (like this recent finals season in December), there is always light at the end of the tunnel. Even though things may seem overly important, these moments are only a small portion of your life. The trick is being able to stay focused on your goals and see the light through the dark clouds of doubt and uncertainty, as this picture illustrates.

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My name is Nathan and I use he/him pronouns. I took this photo at Blackie Spit park, which is near where I live. I was coming home early from school, and thought to myself, "I should visit the beach and walk around a bit." I really like the beach, for how it tingles all five of my senses in different ways, and find walking along the coastline to be very therapeutic. As I walked to an area I hadn't explored in a while, I came across this bench that looks out into the horizon. I thought it was a great place to sit, as well as it made for a very nice image. Something about the bench and its positioning entrances me. I feel as if its the perfect place to sit down and take the landscape in, and forget about all your current woes. I could see myself getting lost in thought sitting there, which I did. I think its cool to think that this feeling, this act, will likely follow me for the rest of my life. I can't imagine a day where I get sick of sitting at a place like this and having such a beautiful view in front of me. Every time I do, it calms me, and it's as if all my stressful questions have been answered.

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My neighbour W swims every day at our local beach with an 85 year old, Deaf woman she met who was walking by on her way to visit her husband in the hospital. The woman told W that she now had no one to come watch her swim and W said she would come and watch her. Then one day W asked herself why she wasn't swimming as well. Now they go as a group of 3 every day with another woman from W's art class. While the rest of us shivered on shore, they walked fearless and unflinching into the water and after a long swim they came back brimming with pure elation. It is a reminder that there are so many things to look forward to: new friends, new hobbies, new routines. Finding something that makes you look and feel like these women when they go swimming together.

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This picture shows a quiet street lined with red-brick buildings that shine from the rain. The wet pavement reflects the cloudy sky, while raindrops are stuck to railings and windows. A single streetlamp and parked cars add to the stillness that is broken by a walking person. This moment transforms an ordinary street into something serene, which invites a pause to notice beauty in small details. It symbolizes solitude and the silent rhythm of everyday life.

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My name is Dale (he/they), and this is a photo I took of the sky while heading to my first class on Friday of the first week. Living here in Vancouver, the weather is something that we all notice all the time, especially considering that the majority of the past two months have been dark clouds and rain. But these skies remind me of the weather when I was back in my home country during this most previous summer which I had not seen much since being back in Vancouver early last August. As opposed to Vancouver's skies which I feel are often cloudy in some way, even if also clear, the skies in my home country would be opposites, either being entirely clear or raining far harder than is found here. It therefore reminded me of my home, which I am looking forward to going back to during the summer.

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This is a past poetic moment I noticed during my time in London, England. The image captures the juxtaposition of a cage-like structure that usually represents suffering and punishment but presented as a tool for enjoyment and play. The child who chose to walk through them, under the cloak of darkness, began swinging on the installed swing. The contrast between the confining structure but its inviting bars, due to their vibrant colours and wide spatial orientation, creates an incongruity. Similarly, the playing child, which typically represents freedom, innocence, and creativity, all set within a form that usually represents captivity, guilt, and confinement, creates an intriguing dynamic.

-Anchaly Senthilvel (she/her)

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This is a photo from my camera roll that I have had for a bit, however when tasked with looking for poetic perspectives on things, not only did I look at the world around me but I also found my self looking through my past experiences in a new light. This photo is poetic to me as it has a pattern to it, with the boards all being lined up as one fence. Not only this, however they also each have their own story to them. How they ended up there, which waves they caught, and which beaches' sand scratched away at them over time. All of these aspects of the photo are what I find make it the most poetic. I am also intrigued by how poetic the image is due to the grey colours in the clouds behind, and how it makes the colours in the boards stand out more, but simultaneously makes the fence feel like a graveyard for items that no longer hold their worth.

-Cam

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Hi everyone, I’m Izabell. I’m in my second year, majoring in English, and hoping to minor in Creative Writing. The other day after studying with some friends in Bean Around the World we came across this toy truck. It was a lonely toy abandoned outside the café. It made me think of the loss of childhood that many of us are facing as we begin our adult lives. Then I started to wonder about the owner of this truck. Is this little kid worried about their favourite toy, out there somewhere, possibly never found again? Or maybe they’ll never even notice that it’s gone. They let the truck slip away, playing with new toys and moving on as if they never had a truck in the first place. Much like how we let our childhoods slip away in search of new experiences. Now the truck is alone forever, or until another child picks it up, and finds joy in their new toy.

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Hello - thanks to everyone for letting me look through the cool, strange, and mundane things that have been collected here! My name is Linda (she/her) & I'm a third year arts student here. I take the bus every single day and use that as my time to "intentionally notice" things. Where I'm from, we don't really have public transit, so now that I'm in the city, I soak up every minute I spend waiting at the bus stop. Today, my adventures brought me to this bus stop where I looked up to see this little pocket behind the boarded-up walls and the architecture of an older building. Two pigeons poked their heads out for my picture, and a few more flew in and out over the time I was waiting for the bus. I've always had a soft spot for pigeons. Call me overly empathetic, but I feel bad for them - humans domesticated them, trained them to be our pets and to carry our mail, yet today, they're considered a pest. I feel like I owe them some love to say sorry for not taking care of them as well as we used to. So, today, I dedicate this post to the pigeons at the bus stop.

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This is a photo from this past summer. I always reminisce about this little day trip me and my friends took to Lions Bay. We cliff jumped, swam in the water, laughed, made new friends. I hadn't completely noticed the view I was surrounded with until hiking back up to the car. The vastness, openness of the water. The extent to which it touches the different corners of different cities and edges of different places. I was astounded by the view I was taking in, and it was difficult for me to grasp the beauty of what I was looking at. I feel this concept and feeling connects to the rest of the world, and our lives. We are surrounded by this huge Earth, full of opportunity, allowing for blossoming of potential for something great to occur anywhere you are. We are often so ignorant of the nature around us and what this world, this humongous world, has to offer for us. Sometimes it may be helpful to take a pause, and really be present in the moment to realize how much is really out there!

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In the summer, I was on a walk in Kitsilano and while walking, turned my head to see these two identical cats both staring directly at me. I thought the moment was quite poetic, as I just stood there for a minute making eye contact with both cats, wondering what the chances were that I turned my gaze at the right time. When I look at the photo now, I imagine what the cats were doing (it looks like they're in the middle of a conversations) and wonder what it was about me that they found so interesting. It felt like one of those moments outside of time, where life feels surreal and slightly absurd.

-Serena (she/her)

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This picture is taken from the floor of my bedroom where I sat in the early morning while the rest of the house. I got one of those bursts of impulse productivity that usually happen after one has stayed up until three am scrolling through everything and nothing. The bursts of energy that convinces me it is suddenly the perfect time to organize and plan out my whole life and "get ahead on the day" while really I'm just delaying the inevitable - falling asleep at six and waking up late for my class after having organized and panned 0% of my life. Except while I was still awake with my mind full of noise and to-do lists, I looked up from my phone and saw the early morning sun peeking through the blinds. Everything was silent and my room pitch dark except for the lightly illuminated plants. And something in me just had to take a picture of this painfully simple event. Light comes in through blinds all the time, everywhere. I knew that. The little voice in my head telling me to take the picture knew that. Regardless, I raised my phone and pointed my camera at the plants and took a picture. Suddenly the noise went away and the tasks disappeared from my mind. That simple click of my camera had brought me more satisfaction than any of the impossible/materialistic tasks I started to throw upon myself. I hadn't been awake to organize my room, or finally update my resume, or start working on my essay - but, I had been awake at the same time that little bit of light decide to silently dance into my room and make me notice the beauty in such simple things. After this I went to sleep, having done none of what I was "supposed" to do but take one picture.

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Hi! I’m Mimi (she/they). I was frantically rearranging my schedule, trying to make sense of all the readings and assignments I was given. I was trying to cram and squeeze as much as I could (wanted to) into the little slice between when I knew I should be sleeping and when I wouldn’t be able to keep my head off the pillow. I thought that I could extend my productivity, or the time in which I could utilize it, without realizing that it was passing outside my window without my consent! In frustration I looked up at the ceiling, and at the LED-borne sunset halo I thought could give me an endless and perpetual sense of golden-hour get ‘er done. It’s poetic how we think we can, or even should, somehow fit more time inside of time like some sort of matryoshka doll of relativity.