# data[].attributes.body
CRASH
The waves hit the sea cliffs with force.
They lowered into a calm just as fast.
The beautiful beaches still see thunderous rain clouds
Gray covers everything.

Where is my family?
Why am I alone?

The sun dances out; the tides are low.
A blue sky radiates happiness.
I feel a warm embrace.
Gray clouds roll out, smiles fade.
The tide wipes out sand castles as it rises.
A chill runs down my spine.

How did we get here?
Will it all work out?

The cool air of the night wind blows.
The beach is empty; where did everyone go?
Why am I all alone?
My eyes open.
I feel the warm sun on my skin.
The cool waves on my feet.
A smile covers my face.
I'm with my family. I was never alone.

# data[].attributes.body
Blaring TV, crying children
Mom just left for work
The smell of cheap bleach is strong
The foamy mattress feels rock hard as I twist and turn trying to block out the crying ringing in my ears
"Mom" someone cries out for me
I see my sister, we lay in bed together asleep
I dream of another family

# data[].attributes.body
Twinkling lights.
That's all there is to see.

All clustered together as they spill out their glee.

Bright
White
Orbs

They dance in the heavens
Rejoicing over being united
And mourning over those that have turned dark

Small
Straight
Strips

Weaving through the stars like a needle and thread
Linking their hearts together

So that they may be as one

Chained together in a string of luster

Never shall I forget such beauty

So close together, these groups of glow
So eternally bound to one another through blood and trust

And yet

So far apart

Seperated

In different galaxies
You see different things
Different stars

But still
All stars are the same

Because they all are part of their own little universe

# data[].attributes.body
She was funny right?
She
was
Hilarious,
amusing,
Entertaining in fact
Is how I described my amazing Grandmother.
Smoke is emerging from the grill. While my grandfather grilled, the stench of the hamburgers and hot dogs made everyone more ravenous by the second. Whilst  The children are playing with Grandma. The hilarious, amusing, Entertaining Grandma.

How did that happen to her face?
Yes, I think our dinner maybe
done
soon
In the mean time lets play Wii sports with Grandma. She always loved playing Wii sports. She loved games , monkey barrel and some made up games. She had so many favorite games. While she is popping jokes for the pleasure of her grandchildren's laugh.

How did she even get cancer?
I think the macaroni is the best,
amazing,
Unbeatable,
Macaroni
Nothing in the meal compared. Not even just the burgers or hot dogs. I was eating snacks at the second stool at the stunning bar. The clean, spotless, shiny, gleaming, flawless, bar just how she liked it.

Was this all a dream?
Finally!
The burgers
and hot dogs
are done!
She asks if I want chocolate milk, of course as any logical person I say yes.Then I turn to get my food as I turn back around to talk to my grandmother she is almost angelic like. She told me that everything is alright. Then she flew as gracefully as a swan.

Was any of this real? Was I even alone? Who or what was causing me to relive this?

# data[].attributes.body
I was young then, but I still remember.

Sweet,
bubbling,
soup, filled with carrots and green onions, the steam coating the room like an early morning fog.
My mother walks into the room, a weary smile on her face. She picks up a ladle, and serves the soup in bowls. My favorite ones, pink, with tiny cats. The signs of childhood innocence.
"I'll always love you, never forget," she says, patting my head.
I sigh. "I knowww mom, I've heard it a million times,"
Suddenly I'm falling
down,
down,
down.
Words in a language I can't yet understand. My mother, crying. And new people, two of them. Who are they? What's happening? Won't somebody h
e
l
p
?
I'm taken to a new house, with new people, who are now my parents, they say.
...But are they?
One decade later. A screen shining in my face, blue bubbles full of text. Full of all the words we wanted to say in person but couldn't.
And those words again sent through a screen, a country, an ocean, a distance all too far and yet so close.
"I'll always love you, never forget."

# data[].attributes.body
The creamsicle rays
reflect off the crisp water.
On the horizon,
there it lies.
The perfect opportunity
to take in the beauty.
There in the sand
lay my father.
My mother is clinging
onto him like a barnacle on a boat.
They are laughing with each other
as the wind whips the sand into
their faces.

On the horizon,
there it is at half mast.
The rays grow stronger.
I remember it more
clearly now.
They were right there,
listening to that one song
I have always hated.
My mother had her flowery sundress,
father with his old swim trunks.

On the horizon,
there it dies.
My once in a
lifetime opportunity.
Everything has faded.
They were just there,
now all I see is empty sand and water.

# data[].attributes.body
Did you ever have a tradition?
A tradition so constant it is a reflex?

The sweet smell of Sunday night muffins sweeps through the air like a soft breeze.
You think,
this is warmth,
this is comfort,
this is family.

Did you ever have fond memories?
Memories so vivid and vibrant they colored your dreams?

The sound of faint laughter
echos
around the living room while the shrieks of outrage dwindle.
Monopoly is like a river;
it never slows for anyone, not even a sliver.

Did you ever take it for granted?
The sweet smell of Sunday night muffins mixing with the sound of faint laughter?

I did.

Game night is inevitable but it wont be forever.

# data[].attributes.body
The pearl shines through the knife's blade
The oysters surrounding you are clueless
and unafraid.
Thank your parents for all the good memories and
for you being made.
Never doubt your parents' love...
for you, they have always prayed.

The scorpion surrounds the sizable and                                                 savage forest
The unaware spider slowly moves and
sings the song,
of the sorest
As your parents' love for you will always be the purest
The spider is clueless as the cunning scorpion...
surrounds the forest.

The Sun is bright yellow, leafs' green as
emeralds
For the rain that has poured, leaving muddy
puddles
As you can forever count on your family to be with you
during times of struggles.

As you run through the damp Jungle
You trap your foot in a puddle and stumble,
Others will laugh and giggle, but your family will never let you feel humbled
And this is the truth, of the vast Jungle.

It doesn't matter if you are together or                                                                      apart
You can stay... or depart
Because no matter where you are...
Their fond memories will always warm your heart.

The pearl shines through the oyster's cut flesh
For some, this pearl can cause
distress
While it can also allow...
someone to start afresh
Alas, with your family's memories... you
shall always feel
blessed.

The pearl shines through the Knife's blade...
The oysters surrounding you are clueless... and unafraid.
Thank your parents...
for all the good memories and for you...                                                            being made.
Never DOUBT your parents' love...for you
they always have...
prayed.

# data[].attributes.body
A group of beautiful trees,
some old and falling,
some young and growing.

The forest is always there.

He needs his forest.
Its strong sturdy support,
its warm soft love,
the knowledge and wisdom carried within the trees.

The forest is always there.

He loves his forest.
He loves that it is always there when he needs it.
He loves that he can run to it for anything.

The forest is always there.

There are all kinds of trees in his forest.
Some thin, some wide, some with green leaves, some with orange leaves.

The forest is always there

Some of the trees have deep roots that have been around forever,
some have roots that just started growing.
He knows the trees won't last forever. But the roots they have will always be a part of him because they shared them together.

The forest will always be there.
Because he will share the old tree's knowledge with the young trees.

The forest will always be there because his forest is unlike any other forest. His forest is special to him.

# data[].attributes.body
Baking Cookies By:Kyra Heyser

Do you make cookies?

One thing I love the most are cookies,
especially how she bakes them.
They melt and crumble in your mouth,
like no other cookies do.

She makes them just right.
perfect for how we love them to be.

The smell of the cookies and apple sauce,
in her calm, cute, and cozy kitchen,
flows into her good-looking living room,
where fun games are played.

The place where happiness is communicated,
and it shows in peoples faces,
when they light up like a star,
like the flowers in vases.

The homemade apple sauce,
even gets some talks,
Grandma's food is just so delicious,
it will always be approved

# data[].attributes.body
Have you ever lost something?
Like maybe a sock
In a lost load of laundry?
Or
A lucky hair-tie you won
every game in?

I have.
I lost a bracelet,
when I was 4.
It was a pretty bracelet.
It was shades of green,
like the deep color of trees after it rains.
I don't know where
It is now;
but I know it is safe.

Sometimes,
I miss my bracelet.
I miss the shimmer it had.
I miss how it glistened.
I miss how it sparkled.
The shade of green was almost emerald
but with hints of taupe.
Oh
How I miss my bracelet.

A lot of people have bracelets,
but none of them could
ever
compare to the significance mine had.

I only had it for 7 months,
but nothing could ever replace it.
No bracelet had a smile like mine.
No bracelet had the beautiful, shining, emerald eyes like mine.
No bracelet woke me up in the middle of the night with its cries, like mine.
No bracelet could ever be like mine.

Have you ever lost something?
I have.
And not a day passes
without it crossing
my
mind.
But one day,
I will see my bracelet again;
in a better place.

# data[].attributes.body
Do you remember your childhood?
A few moments, words, and situations, but mostly, I remember the people.

My mother, surrounded by a warm coat, my siblings always in her arms.
As a crisp fall day spent in a cozy sweater, she was warm and comforting.

My father, encouraging us to jump into the leaves and sharing in our delight of the fall.
Like a warm cider, he filled our hearts with joy and brought life to those moments.

My sister, rejoicing in the pure fun of being thrown into a pile of leaves, and not worrying herself with matters of safety.
Like a book read outside on a cloudy, fall day, she transported us to another world of peace.

My brother, staying weary of the life outside this moment, but not leaving himself out of its joy.
As a scarf with a hat, he stayed protected from the cold without muddling the experience of it.

And lastly, myself, delighting in the release into the leaves and thinking of how I never want to forget that moment.
I was like the season of Autumn, cozy and joyous while being chilly and somber.

I may not remember most of my younger years, but there are moments I will always remember,
and people I know I'll never forget.

Elizabeth Gifford, 2022

# data[].attributes.body
When do you see your family?

green is plentiful

the smell of roses move through the house

chocolates lay in a dish next to

us as we talk and laugh; There color

shines through the room.

Outside we throw them, as the birds

chirp like a beautiful orchestra.

How often do you see your family?

winter is near

the breeze has arrived

a feast released

We are all at the table,

talking about school

we eat.

at the other table our parents

joke about last winter

we eat.

The turkey tastes like gold from heaven.

What makes your family special?

the lights illuminate

cling, cling

we all tear them open

The fun and laughter connect them all together.

# data[].attributes.body
THE FIELD

I opened up my phone
And there it was ...
A photo of me on the field

I looked so young
Like a baby

My mom was in it
I can still hear her cheering on the field
So loud and so supportive

I still remember the smell of the Concessions
On the field as i did a hook slide
The taste of the hot dogs ...
The joy of the snap of a hot dog brings me Memories

I miss those days
Especially my mom, at the field
I took it for granted
But my mom ...
(Crying)
She still lives in my memories

# data[].attributes.body
CLICK-CLACK

My bike chain rattles
as I ride down a rigid path
The homes I pass from the past

The scene is warm and familiar
Before me appear two brothers
Their faces stone

I stop and ponder
Do I know them?
Do they know me?

The memories are faded
Bittersweet on my tongue
Once long ago when we were young.

The sunlight was on our faces
We were brothers
But now
not now

The sun has set
the memory lost.

# data[].attributes.body
Have you ever lost a family member?
Hopeless,
heartbroken,
heartrending,

The sickness of pondering if she's going to live,
the sickness of her,
her pale white face.
Gazing at my melancholy eyes.
The sickness of the horrible hospital odor,
the clouds of Lysol,
floating through the air.
Covering up all the loss.
The sickness of my fragile heart,
recalling all of the countless,
magnificent memories.

Have you ever lost someone who meant the world to you?
All the times we've spent with each other,
crashing down on my brain.
Blowing out candles on my tenth birthday,
crying because,
I can't eat free at Steak n' Shake anymore.
On a crisp fall day,
the trees dance in the breeze,
my feet lumbering through,
the colorful leaves,
CRUNCH!,
Running,
Panting,
as I go and hug her,
at my soccer game.
Not knowing if she was going to come.
Wishing,
with my whole heart,
I could go back to these,
little moments,
and stay forever.

Have you ever thought time could freeze?
Sirens,
screaming voices,
silence
All these sounds filling my head.
But I'm frozen,
like ice cubes, in the freezer.
Standing there,
not even,
blinking.
As the pain stabs me,
right in my chest.
Wishing I could go back,
to the good days,
when she was,
next to me.

# data[].attributes.body
Family.
Family is about love,
soaring through the blue sky like a dove.
But when that dove lands,
a scorpion lies in wait.
Viciously.
Ominously.

Uncertain.

And the dove tried to flee, to escape,
but now it's too late,
and its beautiful white wings have begun to wither.

Somber.

I could once remember my dove.
The happy memories
of it flying on a sunny day;
over, under, and between the clouds,
of it chirping to itself
as it goes about its day.

Reminiscence.

I've tried to recreate
these memories of my dove.
But now, I can only remember
how it stood, helplessly,
as the scorpion took over the few remaining, pure pieces.

How its movements slow.
How its eyes go glassy, go dull.
How its heartbeat fades, and eventually ceases.

Soulless.

# data[].attributes.body
Do you like baseball?

Three outs and you're in
up at the plate
It's a home run
when it hits the gate

The ball soars high
just like a bird
I got the ball
and threw it to dad at third

Do you play backyard baseball?

The whole family outside
in the scorching sun
Backyard Baseball
And a late-night ice cream run

Now that we're older
It's hard to believe
I miss backyard baseball
And I really miss my family

# data[].attributes.body
Where are your family memories kept?

Family is like a photo book with endless pages crowded with memories all fighting for their place.

Family is baring with the exasperating but welcoming waves of laughter during the seemingly endless car adventures.

Family is inhaling the salty ocean air so bold that it never ceases to get old, no matter the years.

What is your family like?

Family is accepting
adoring
affectionate
argumentative

Family is scents of mother's cooking flowing through the open window on a summer breeze through the kitchen, through the living room, through the bedrooms.

Family is the camera that clicks when you are least expecting it, capturing the moments of your life to forever look back on when hair turns gray and skin gets wrinkled.

Family is like a photo book, with endless pages still to be filled...

# data[].attributes.body
Have you ever felt grief?
Warmth
from the car,
comfort from conversations,
but hilly roads make
my stomach somersault with uncertainty.
Stepping out of the car, the chilly air
bites at my finger restlessly,
looking out to view the little stones in the ground.
The grief felt like suddenly falling.
You think
you'll be fine,
until it unexpectedly,
strikes upon you.

Did you ever feel it?
The frigid air
of the afternoon,
freezing
the frosted white grass.
Chilling tears as they soared down my face,
until my eyes were raining ice cubes.
Each icicle bolts down my cheek
and gathers at my chin,
like a group of people running a race.
One chases after the other;
they're all desperate to arrive at the finish line.
One after another, after another, after another.
Tears block my vision making the world blurred,
hiding the bird that is as red as raspberries fresh off the bush,
as it swoops to a sprig so it can silently spectate the sight,
so much so, that it seemed to watch over us.

And why would that be?
Protecting us from
pain,
torment, and
aches in the heart,
that never go away.
Standing row upon row, little stones in the ground.
The frigid air frosting our breaths as my
mother presents a bouquet of freezing flowers.
My heart weeps for her and the loss of her mother.
I watch her in adoration just as the
red-winged bird watches us from its tree.

Were you ever afraid?
Hoping,
that she'll be fine,
praying that it won't
unexpectedly
strike upon her
in the same way.
Petrified that she'll be gone too.
That I'll be alone the same way she was.
So I savor the sweet taste of a new day.
The fragrant scent of a fresh breakfast flooding the house.
Every day, waking up and weaving my arms around her in an embrace.

Have you ever felt grief?
Or do you have
fears that taunt
and haunt you?
In a sense
that one day everything could be different.
That any "I love you" could be the last.
But for now, the red bird is spectating in the frigid afternoon.
And my tears freeze as they run down my face.

# data[].attributes.body
Do you ever need someone?
Shush.
Waking up without the loudness.
Again.
A call to arms.
The sound is gone.
Do you ever need someone?
Quiet family,
Grey walls,
the sound is gone.
Chasing something
that isn't there.
Do you ever need someone?
Crying.
The thought of you is a blur.
A call to arms.
Together as one.
One loud sunset.
Did you ever need someone?
Above the clouds.
Bliss
Blessed
Beautiful.
Smiling.
The loudness of your family is back.

# data[].attributes.body
Alone
The cold dark embrace of a shell, separating you from everything. The silence so deafeningly loud that all other senses fade away...    and you are left in a void of nothing.

Light
A warm heavenly glow. A hand beckoning you to come into the comfort of hope. You are understood, loved, appreciated, accepted, respected, valued, able to be yourself.

Family
A heart that never stops beating. So consistent that you don't realize it's there. Always working. Always keeping you alive, no matter what, because it's there for you. It always has been. It always will be.

Love
The taste of sincerity put into a home cooked meal. The smell of salty sea air as you watch the last rays of sun dip under water while your family holds you tight. Never letting go. A heart, always beating.

# data[].attributes.body
Have you ever felt alone?
Quiet bedroom,
thoughts racing,
tears
flooding my eyes.
I hear a voice calling my name.
My brother's voice with the capability to cheer me up in a heartbeat.
I hear his footsteps.
Joyful footsteps.
Heading down the hall towards my closed door.

Have you ever had a person?
A listener,
an understander,
a comforter.
I am stressed and exhausted.
I know he won't leave until I'm better.
Even if it takes forever.
He knocks and waits.
He waits for me to turn him away but I didn't.
Not today.
I needed his advice.
His reassuring voice.
His older brother hugs.
He opened the door breaking the barrier between the light and the dark.

Have you ever actually been alone?
Creaky door,
soft floor,
bleeding light
from the hallway.
He steps into the darkness to join me.
He said he had a friendly feeling that I needed cheering up.
He opened my nightstand reaching for my lighter.
Click, click, whoosh.
He put the flame against the wick of my candle.
The smell of fresh squeezed lemonade floated freely around my room like a helium balloon floating away.
A scent so pleasing I could almost taste it.

Have you ever had a family?
Birchwood,
smooth,
grooves running up
and down the sides.
The candle's glow lit the wall up just enough for me to see it.
Mounted to my wall.
The boomerang I got for my tenth birthday.
My grandpa got a message inscribed for me.
"Throw me and I will remind you that just like I will, your family will never go far, and you will always be reunited."

# data[].attributes.body
We're all there
Dancing,

Prancing

Petals flying in disarray
Flowing gowns and sharp suits
Growing dirtier each step
The array of chrysanthemums
Stretching into tomorrow
And yet here I stand

Alone

Watching as they leave
Fading into the sunset
Saying goodbye once more
My only company is tears
And this bouquet of flowers

# data[].attributes.body
Everything has changed
it will never be the same
because you are gone.
The world is silent now.

People laughing in that room.
The beams of light glowing.
All the colors are bright.
The music in the background leaves me with joy.
You always used to make me smile.
The world was a glowing light.

Though it slowly started to dim.
Soon the world would get dark.
When I woke up that day, Poof!
You were gone.

But every time I see that dark room.
Your memory lights it back up.
When the world got dark you were the glow
Even though you're gone your glow still lasts.
The darkness in the room.
Will never overshadow the memory of you.

# data[].attributes.body
My fear is indefinitely growing! My photos different, changing before my eyes.

Is this real, did this all actually happen like this? This change jumping from photo to photo.

The sky blues switched to ashy,gloomy grays. The green grass now as black as the night sky.

My brother's face was unrecognizable,blurred, changed. I can’t see him, his real face, my thoughts boom,boom,booming constantly.

Feelings of anger,despair,regret,and sadness all sprinting throughout my mind.

My mind crumbles, tears streaming my face fast like a river as I try to recollect my true memories

This feeling destroying me. Is all this really happening?

Are these memories real? Do these truly exist?

Jogging through this album trying to figure this out.

I begin to break,crumbling,lying in bed unable to handle these feelings!

# data[].attributes.body
I'm sitting in the dark damp cellar.
When I find the old dusty box of plates.

I sit and I think of the time that there was.
Just me and my plates.

I sit and I think of how the red one broke.
I was running around, it was just a joke.

I sit and I think of how  when that plate shattered.
The blue plate had lost that one thing that mattered.

I sit and I think how the blue one started to crack.
Because when the red one shattered, it just wanted red back.

I sit and I think of how the blue bruised broke plate. Now sits and waits for the one and only red plate.

I'm sorry my plates, just please forgive me, because when I broke those plates it should have been me.

Now I sit and I think of how I shattered those plates.
And when those plates shattered, it also shattered me.

# data[].attributes.body
Is it related by blood?
Laughing, chasing, listening to our elders tell stories of the good old days around the flickering fire?
Waiting, berating, watching as you get more and more distant from each other until they are as strange and unknown to you as deep space?
Is it mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts and uncles, grandparents and cousins?
Or is it all who you've loved?
Whispers, non-related sisters, cheers as the wallflower blooms?
Crying, good-byeing, watching out the car window as they slowly fade into the distance?
Is it friends, roommates, neighbors, classmates?
Is it all who you've loved
Or related by blood?
Carefree inclusion
Or accidental exclusion?
What is family
if not both?