One Chance

on the hood of his car
silently
she counts airplanes

filling with passengers
ready for a new life

the whole world
for the price of a ticket
how she envies them

Can a girl have dreams?
one night and the world
is changed, forever

one thing and her world
got so much smaller

love waits, they tell her
she loves him
He walks away.

by Nora Kocher
& Tara Goheen

winter white sky
numb fingers interlaced
the proposal

icy wind mist
frozen to the core

heart-shaped bed
together we build
a family

crickets chirping loudly
baby screaming louder

robin’s egg sky
her sheltered dome
of ignorance

white hospital room
one last goodbye

Jade Anderson
& Zak Jones

cracked glasses
the boy’s hair standing
every which way.

friends by his side
they fake confidence

dim light
not recognizing
a single face

shadows pass by—
they feel for familiarity

blue night
feeling the warmth
of your hand

an unspoken bond
lingers between them

smoke break
the smoke of my lover
engulfs me

by Susie Wirthlin
& Hollie Logsdon

Tragedy

cocktail party
tears from the umbrella
into her drink

as he holds onto
his next one night stand

unwashed clothing
trashy lipstick
for a princess

as in the mirror
she sees the one
she had always hated

a chill night
the glass, shattered

the bottle of pills
ending the night
she had to relive for years

by Jordan Pennington
& Joseph Sparks

Daydream

spring breeze
young mouse
nips at a bloom

blankets blowing
on the clothesline

the shapes
in white clouds
fairy tales

old pond
little girl
kisses a frog

daydreaming
through busy afternoons

warm lemonade
we talk poetry
in the cabbage patch

by Aubrie Cox
& Wayne Chou

Moonlight Sonata

the moonlight
emphasizes
my father’s wrinkles

a sparkling tear
trickles downward

a tear soaked blouse
searching
for Spray’n’Wash

morning sun
clothes on the line

he gathers his clothes
one sock
missing

he sets the table
for two — forgetting

a tattered love note
stained by tears
remind him

from the open window
a bird’s song

moonlight reflects
wedding ring resting
on the ledge

cold silver
reflection of his heart

by Becky Smith
& Nathan Bettenhausen