Archived: Trixie Mattel by Ashlen Livingston

Biography: I’ve been attending Aims since 2022 and have greatly enjoyed my classes and professors. The drawing Trixie Mattel was done in my Drawing 1 class with Mr. Luna. My inspiration for this piece came from the art form of drag, and more specifically, RuPual’s Drag Race. I think drag is a beautiful expressive outlet…

Archived: Crimson Gaze by Kat Smith

Biography: My name is Kat Smith and I’m an artist aiming to be a tattoo artist. Art is a huge aspect of my life and I have my grandma Susan to thank for it. She got me into painting and drawing as soon as I could hold a pencil and now I’m here. She helped…

Archived: Vortex by Angela Dunn

Biography: Hello, My name is Angela Dunn I am a part-time student. Below is one of my paintings. This is my largest painting and is about 3ft in diameter. It is acrylic paint on what is essentially plastic. Most of the paintings I do are on recycled drum heads which is useful and provides a…

Archived: The Truth Of A Burning World by Kyleston J Bran

People try hard To see the true card But life is just a prison That goes down rea far Another one’s tale Is another one’s gain But when the tail ends So does other people’s game Emotion impacts all But not all that are good People don’t see the true curse Of the world being…

Archived: Loss by Marian Hesse

Trapped in a body I cannot flee My mind yearning to be free The teeth of age ingest the remaining fragments of my  mind The loss I cannot feel The joys that pass me by   Biography: Marian Hesse is a professional musician actively involved in writing and photography. Marian began taking classes at Aims…

Archived: Silken Strokes by Gabriel Heberer

  Biography: Hello, I’m Gabriel Heberer. I can’t say I am at AIMS for one particular reason, and that’s exactly why I’ve found it helpful. Right now I am about get a LAA degree. Photography is something I have recently become involved in and it has been incredibly fun for me. So much so that…

Archived: Ageless Beauty by Dave Sordi

At birth, life is full of joy, hope, whimsy, As we embark on a wonderous journey of the spirit. But years bring challenges to the soul, Transforming our body and psyche, testing our resolve. But with maturity comes wisdom, brightening the horizon, And laughter and smiles burnish our heart. Leading to a breathtaking metamorphosis, As…

Archived: The Baby Tree by Shannon Foster

She stands in the sun Proudly displaying her branches and leaves But one of her branches is sick It has to be cut off so she can live We cut off the sick branch And as if by a miracle She has grown her remaining branches In the space the sick branch used to be…

Archived: Alone by Elliot Clamp

People talking, not to you People looking, not to you People laughing, not with you People hugging, not to you People hate you, to you People don’t care about you They already have enough friends You are always going to be alone  Only talking to one person, all your life You want people talking to…

Archived: Life Continues by George Elliott Joyce III

There exists on Earth A hole deeper than Hell A hole carved by the masses Carved for the dead to dwell And so, Life continues And those who don’t Slip Slipping down a hill of People Sliding down the hole Falling to their hell And in hell lies torture A pain unknown to most A…

Archived: Too Busy to Cry by Brooklyn Capuano

Your thoughts flow like waves in the ocean New waves every second, every minute, every hour Rushing waters; rushing thoughts Rushing time that’s rarely still You told me you never cry And that made me cry for you I keep you in my dreams at night And in my thoughts during day You’re there at…

Archived: Fresh Birth by Brooklyn Capuano

Like the first fall of leaf Or the first drop of snow Cry deep into the sorrow of something that’s missing Mislead into a light that’s darker than a seed in soil ‘Sprout kinder than that’ as I’m told The world blooms against the tides The moon shifts the tides backwards Swallow the sun whole…

Archived: Mother Nature’s Tantrum by Brooklyn Capuano

The sky has fallen onto the porch And the world had begun its rampage Tears of something empty drop like sticks on drums And the somber sky now plays it’s melodies Flashes of silver cause cries of gold; The performance has now begun Shooshes of air drift over one’s lips And the unplayable harp causes…

Archived: Soul’s Vessel by Emma Kim

Having a body is such a strange thing, The moment you become aware- Of your soul’s vessel; There is much more to consider. In youth we move freely; As we’re older we contain the creativity, That yearns to burst free. As dancers our bodies are used to communicate, But so often we scold and reprimand,…

Archived: Late by Matthew Gagnon

Oh how I’ve waited for this day to come, no more crawling and mulling around for scraps! To have somewhere I can call home. Yes! A home! How that word fills me with joy. To have somewhere I can belong, where friends and family await with bated breath for my return. Each room filled with…

Archived: Grandma Kaye by Jeff Thatch

It’s not a lot, this house doesn’t need many decorations. just one strand of lights the big colorful glass bulbs (Red, blue, orange, yellow, green) glow in the plunging darkness of a cold Wyoming night the green cord, a yuletide snake, winds itself along the handrail illuminating a way to the big green door, a…

Archived: To Silence by Jeff Thatch

I love Silence. Silence is forgiving, She does not judge, or pressure or command I can be myself with Silence, She is my friend many people fear Her, despise Her, chase Her away I invite Her in, comfort Her, as she comforts me sometimes She disappears and i have to find Her She likes to…

Archived: Greality by Liz Webb

The September haze rolls in, a cold hold on the valley. Trees twist through cumulous forms, grocery bag braids hang below. The decades contained in a single day sing in one refrain; Greality’s thoughtless Xerox machine is fixed on an endless page. This September day, the same as the next, the same as the last,…

Archived: Philosophy by Lee Clouston

Universalizability, apply to all  Mind and body Significance of existence life? Death? Waves of constant uncertainty I see you, I know you are there, Always , do I let you swallow me whole Drag me, further down into the abyss, Or are you able to be kept at arm’s length Am I too late, Will…

Archived: Ode of the Berserkr by Ethan Johansen

I hath traded my blood for valor, My bones for hunger, my heart for courage, My lungs for fervor, my guts for rage, My mind for power. All that now remains Is soul, sword, shield, spattered guts of foe. Though battered heart ceases, and lungs now vacant Soul be my savior. The Valkyries raise me,…

Archived: Promise by Kim Spurny

I want to be intrigued And need to feel desire My future is my decision Not my families to conspire Life can be tough Others try to have a say But to satisfy others You let your dreams go astray Promise to yourself you will grow In both mind and in life In what you…

Archived: Fading Flames by Makaya Peister

Frayed edges of passion, worn out and thin, echoes of exhaustion in each weary grin. Lectures and deadlines, a relentless tide. In the sea of burnout, emotions collide. Now dimmed and strained, in the pursuit of success, oh what curse has remained. Fatigue paints shadows on determined faces, as burnout tightens its suffocating embraces.

Archived: Rib Cage by Onyx Hammond

My heart did not come from the rib of a man but from the womb of a grieving girl Thick as velvet, warm like blood young, naive visions of love: the sun is wide-eyed tangled in sheets there’s a choir in my chest. Crickets mock me with their symphonies presenting the antithesis of my imagination…

Archived: Love and Love’s Hate by Eli Lundgreen

I await that breeze, Coming from the West sunset, When it brushes right. Mine own place rings hot, But the home is oh so cold. Hath I sucked the air? Love, it doth consume. If He consumes as fire, Is love then our Lord? Breaketh His body. Let thy blood poureth out now, My sins…

Archived: The Unloved Boy by Kaylie Howard

There once was a boy, so brave and so true, But sadly, he was loved by few. He had no family, no friends to call his own, And he often felt like he was all alone. But he never let that get him down, And he never wore a single frown. For he knew that…

Archived: Whose Legacy? by Veronica Hook

Pass on Grandpa’s legacy, you say With Grandpa gone, memories and stories fade Great Grandchildren meet as babes Relationships lacking living history made   Pass on Grandpa’s legacy, you say Grandpa told enchanting stories with such jazz to his grandchildren about generations past. How will I tell his story with as much pizzazz? Pass on…

Archived: Untitled by Madison

Amidst the warm summer days, we find ourselves nestled in the shade, sharing laughter with a dear friend. The sweet, crisp lemonade cools our senses as ice floats playfully within the glass. A gentle breeze caresses our skin, causing leaves to dance gracefully around us.   In the distance the joyful giggles of children at…

Archived: The Cost of the Few by Katelea Diaz

Red, blue, and gold are the colors of the bold The few, the proud, not just a part of the crowd. Choosing to lose one’s freedom, So that others can have theirs. From completing all the chores while wearing this uniform Live in a dorm with 3 other people who call themselves leathernecks Everyone hit…

Archived: Love’s Endurance by Sarah Liess

In shadows, love resides with a troubled soul, A dance of emotions, a battle untold. Silent tears and whispers, in darkness we hide, Bound by affection, our souls intertwine. Oh, how love endures when the fiend takes its hold, An addict’s chaos, a tale to be told. With trembling hands, they chase the sweetest lie,…

Archived: Poem About Junger by Alicia Kane

Red collar hanging above the dashboard,  A mere remnant of a family dog adored. Junger was a noble canine and gave heartfelt embraces, Until cancer came through and silenced his song. A German shepherd once youthful and sleek, Eager to protect with charcoal fur shining, Quickly deteriorated into a grapefruit sized tumor, Rotted teeth, bowed…

Archived: Whole by Audra Cooper

Before this otherness in him blooms, he had hardly known it was there or perhaps he had not wanted to look. Now, though, he could admit, that in moments, small, and unguarded, he had felt it lapping, -quiet, but insistent, against his shore Some instinct had always made him turn away, had made him lean…

Archived: Hesitancy Is Holding Me Back by Jaqueline Garibay

It surrounds me in its cold embrace. Pulling me this way and that way All the while lapping at my face Crashing around me pulling farther and farther away. Guiding me to a quiet place Floating gently upon the waves Waves rippling over me Dragging me into the bottomless abyss. Below the surface in a…

Archived: Dancing With The Devil by Ixel Macias

Content Warning for self-harm. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, thoughts of self-harm, or other emotional distress, please call the 988 crisis line for support.   She loved her black dress and red heals  She loved to dance, and he knew that They were always in sync, and she liked that He spun…

Archived: Mother by Zackari Bueno

Tired, and exhausted, turning the lights on for the front porch, Moving long hair from dark eyes, holding a crying babe Rocking, shushing, silently praying for it to end To end the pain To end the thoughts of the man that left The baby continues to cry, and cannot consult Only rock And rock And…

Archived: A Miami Sestina by Stephanie Crabtree

Lounging on the beach Relaxing in the sand Soaking up the rays of sun Living in the moment on the coast Feeling the warmth on my skin Relishing in all the Miami vibes I listen to the music vibes That travel down the beach The rhythm tracing over my skin The bass reverberating through the…

Archived: The Man Who Lives in the Fairy Gardens by Renate Petitt

The most creative person I ever knew was a man of innovation. He could construct a dollhouse zipline out of blades of grass, and would do so just to see his daughter smile. He taught me that the box is dull, it’s better to think outside of it. Imagination resembles a tree with endless fruitage:…