summer camp
mom's handwriting
my only comfort

the serpent
basking in the sun
wave of grass

Kennth Albin (6)

little boy
takes the church bulletin home
to save his drawings

Matt Swofford (9)

cute lifeguard
sends me down the slide
. . . I get back in line

Courtney Burress (13)

five years old
I steal the moon
from my friend’s house

his hand upon my cheek
but another's hand
upon my heart

the alarm goes off
I roll over . . .
regret lays beside me

“Drink Me”
liquid on her lips
she shrinks in surprise

sewing on
the bottom of his shoes . . .
Peter Pan's shadow

Emily D'Ambrose (5)

thought of dumping him
he just
beat me to it

Alex Buchko (4)

my old lyrics
what was
I thinking

fourth try, the car starts
she decides
to have a good day

Charlie Decker (6)

I let her
enter the scary cave first
ever chivalrous

Darien M. Sloat (11)

she floats towards me
her face alight
through the fog

returning from school—
hedgehog
still in the bathtub

Jordan Caulk (8)

ActressDoctorSingerTeacher
I just wanna be
me

close inspection
he leaves the pimple
as it lies

 
last to the monkey bars a rotten egg

Kelsey Meredith

cookies
or ice cream
. . . why not both?

Jordan Caulk (3)

a small circle
the pipe comes to her
slowly . . . she puffs

3 weeks late
her life
or theirs

Amanda Lee (7)

ties and socks
the only thing he
wants for his birthday

Jonathan Robertson (2)

going out
a constant contest
who is the hottest?

 
Ihavenoideawhattodosomeonehelp

Emily Crutchfield (5)

reunion
sitting down to talk
nothing has changed

Emily D'Ambrose (4)

out with friends
searching for
cheapest thing on the menu

pitch-black bedroom—
i recognize
your soft lips

Jordan Caulk (5)

the evening beckons
flats exchanged
for sky high pumps

casting a Christmas pageant
young boy softly chants
“please, not judas”

Darien M. Sloat (14)

you whisper to me
a daydream
of me in white

Courtney Burress (11)

I go back
to another mistake
my hair warms his pillow

Randi Mehrmann (8)

candlelight
quiet voices
of the choir

left right
up down
I like circles

Molly McCullough (4)

the hardest choice
speak my mind
or close my mouth

Randi Mehrmann (6)

to be
or not to be
I wish it was that easy

pages flutter
in the wind
the plot thickens

Molly McCullough (8)

to nap
or not to nap—
is that even a question?

flopping and squirming
on my beach towel
dying fish

Therese O'Shaughnessy (4)

taking my grandma to surgery
she assures me
it will all be ok

Emily Crutchfield (5)

can't we
just decide . . .
together?

 
But . . .
Idon’tknowhowtodriveastickshift.

Randi Mehrmann (10)

emerald green vest
how many cookies
should I buy

Sarah E. Kisly (10)

i boldly try asparagus again:
nope.
still awful

Darien M. Sloat (10)

dressed up for dancing
my date offers his arm
hi daddy

Alex Buchko (9)

wringing out my bathing suit
trying to spritz
the tourists below

i didn’t choose you
instead
you found me.

fearing exile
at a college party
a cup of plain Coke

I change
into my work clothes
and play grown up

Emily Crutchfield (7)

mosquitos swarm the streetlamp
free samples at
Sam's Warehouse Club

the divorce . . .
an icicle
finally drops from the gutter

Charlie Decker (4)

a bat flicks
in and out of sight
the stars

midnight cupcakes
the little red hen lets me
lick the bowl

Randy Brooks (5)

bounding after the white rabbit,
she falls
            into
                  the
                          abyss

she cusses at her child
aisle seven
cringes

Charlie Decker (11)