family plans suffocate
the 2nd oldest
she hides behind
a performance of
cisgendered straightness

breakfast
crafted by 
a mother’s
loving hands
in an unfamiliar home

Eden Niebrugge

7 years behind
as the autumn turns again
I can’t help but want
to be the same
as them

he stood above the clouds
blocking out the horizon
as the sun went down
a fragile little man
is sitting in his place

Josh Lowe

childlike laugh 
bursting out 
the dog and I 
play a game of chase 
in the living room 

the laugh of a child
bursts out
the dog
chases me
through the living room

green waves crash
onto purple skin
back into the water
goosebumps, a boogie board
and me

Leah Flint

the high heeled shoes
leave blisters
on my feet
womanhood
shouldn't hurt

the last break 
before
the finish line
responsibility and change
is what remains

the last break 
before the finish line
at commencement
responsibility and change
is what remains

McKenna Beals

there one second
and gone the next.
pulling out of the driveway,
my aching heart
already longs for you

swimming under sunny skies
my earliest memory
cut
in two by
a sharp seashell

Skylyr Choe

your hands full
of my laundry basket
you never mind being
the strong one
for me

lightning flashes
my puppy whines
I pull her close
soft and warm
we’ll weather the storm together

Sophie Nicholson

out back
behind the burger joint
teenage workers
commune with the elements
howling at the moon

naming the way
her aunt
taught her
to swim
Jenny arms

Randy Brooks