Archived: Fills the Cracks with Gold by Dasha

He walks across the fire With strides wide and bold He reaches for my hand And fills the cracks with gold He sees the person that I am He knows my truths untold He sits down here beside me And fills the cracks with gold He wraps his arms around me And protects me from…

Archived: Vylona by Elizabeth Richards

She smelled like herbs and sunlight. Like failed attempts at gardening and healing salves. She sounded like lullabies and the forest. Like warnings and black bears. She looked like impulsive decisions and brash words. Like soft spoken, begrudging apologies and life-risking loyalty. She felt like warm hugs and carefully bandaged wounds. Like anger veiled by…

Archived: Sweet Tooth, or Stomach Ache by Lillie Irene Hernandez

Your lips are burnt sugar,  glazed with vanilla the texture of whipped syrup. Your cheeks are like pieces of silk draped over a crooked wireframe. Your eyes are like pools of stolen moonlight, only they hide rigid daggers beneath them. Your tongue is contracted to a script, only so effortlessly written that my heart dances…

Archived: The Tailor Patched by Zoe Coats

A woman of rhyme without reason Was Miss Melanie Bleu She wore their scorn well— The woman who was taboo. He’d left her at the altar With naught but a festering feast; To another who stays gold His heart was only leased. To the tailor she went a-calling She’d dress fit for a queen Her…

Archived: Paint Me Back to Life by Eliza Bratt

She’s different now.  I used to see her in chaos The bustle of people on the street The laugh of a child in the theater The bark of a dog in a winter park The hum of a car outside my window. Now I find her in silence In every frostbitten morning In every sunrise…

Archived: To-Do List by Elizabeth Dorst

It’s nice when I can count the worries on my hand I look at my list (my digits) and I know where I stand Then I can start to check them off one by one, Using a knife I cut my worries from my hand (very fun) I’m left with a beautiful perfect red stump,…

Archived: Cry, O Young One by Elizabeth Dorst

Sweet sap fills the air he sees, Through the thick mist and trees, He sees the bear-man, strong and tall, The little tenderfoot drools, He wants it all. But alas, his small feet are weak, He can’t express his love, His spirit is meek, He runs away when the bear-man is near, From shyness and…

Archived: Letter from an Ex-Gifted Kid by Elizabeth Richards

Please stop calling me smart. I don’t like it, and it’s not a compliment. Every time those words leave your mouth, I want to peel my skin off, Open up my skull and show you What those words have done to me. The scars on my self-love, The minuscule paperweight I call my self-worth, (The…

Archived: The Unknown by Kristen Kolb

She wakes up finding herself on her porch surrounded only by the sounds of the storm. It is still dark out and she looks at her phone to see it is 3:30 in the morning. It is typical for her to fall asleep on her porch, she sits out there for hours listening to the…

Archived: And so, it Began by Robert Beeks

A young man’s joyful laughter can be heard as the beating of hoofs tear down the beaten path along the calm river. His joy reflected in nature around him as he rides a beautiful brown mare through the brush. A kind and soft face can be seen under a wide leather hat, his gentle eyes…

Archived: Get Out by Alexis Begeman

My palms were sweating and my heart was pounding at 100 miles per hour. I had never felt this way before. The thought of telling my mother made me sick to my stomach knowing there was no way to tell what she was going to say. After all, I am her child and she always…

Archived: Blue Monster by Alexis Begeman

My first day off in weeks seemed like a breath of fresh air. With nothing to do and nowhere to go, it seemed only fitting to wear my favorite Linkin Park T-Shirt. As I slid on the shirt, I could feel the intense love from the hug of my best friend. With her being away,…