Haiku- Nolen Ayres

Snow begins to fall 

Winter is finally 

White covers the trees

The lamp’s glow by Zak Buck

A lamp hums on the desk

Spilling its golden light

Onto the cracked wood,

A moth keeps circling the magic glow

Forgetting each cycle 

That the light does not love it back,

Some nights,

I am the moth

Drawn to what warms me

Even if it burns.

The Moment Between Waves by Zak Buck

When the ocean breathes in

And out,

Between the waves

There is a stillness

A moment where everything is perfect

And waits,

Everyone chases it

That tranquility

But they fear being caught

In the vast ocean. 

Untitled by Ciera Dugan

The sky is covered in a heavy gray,

The sun is hiding far behind the clouds. 

The light feels faint and slowly fades away,

And all the world goes bowed. 

The wind moves gently through the dim, cold air,

The shadows stretch across the lonely ground. 

It feels like time is paused there,

With not a single bright or cheerful sound.

But in the gloom, a calm begins to grow, 

A peaceful break from days that rush and run. 

The sky reminds us it is okay to slow,

To rest a moment when the light is gone.

Through dark clouds hang and block the sun on high,

There’s still a gentle beauty in the sky.  

The Student by Eme Gamez

In a school with walls dark and bare

A sea of faces lost in silent plight

The classroom was filled with students, except for one empty chair

That student, in the halls, looking down from the dim light 

A heavy heart, a spirit yet unfree, 

Each step gets heavier with dread 

From tasks that loom, like a shadow on the sea 

Yet that student goes home and gets pulled to bed

Every struggle is hidden deep

in each slow step

A mental cliff getting too steep

The battle getting louder with every rep

A student walks slow

Avoiding a test on everything they “need to” know

The weight of honor by Kayden Goodman

A solemn vow in a quiet light

Guiding spirits throughout the ever dark night

Not born of boast nor won by praise 

But forged through decisions in uncounted days.

Honor is the anchor, firm against the tide

Where principle and reasoning reside

Car Crash by Olivia Harvey

Sixteen

driving age,

A token of freedom.

Music blasting,

giggling spilling

through the car

like air through vents.

Passing signs,

pushing the limits,

As the speedometer climbs.

Arising in slow motion

A small rush of heat 

spills through chests.

Screeches echo loudly

against the road.

Eyes close until impact.

The casualty of freedom?

The fatality?

The mortality?

Axiom: Entropy by Thomas Perry

Eyes, always watching your failures.

Ears, always listening for your cries of pain.

Hands, always feeling the heat of your fury 

and the chill of your despair.

Nothing escapes notice.

Gore, rotting away into the starved earth.

Blood, running into diluvial rivulets and

converging into grim waterfalls.

Everything you are,

everything made by your hand,

will crumble into nothing.

Everything 

becomes nothing 

becoming everything.

No exceptions.

Axiom: Imperfection by Thomas Perry

There is nothing that is perfect.

The most perfect gemstone 

has a flawed facet.

The most perfect ingot 

has a minor impurity.

The most perfect sphere 

has an infinitesimal error in pi.

The most perfect person 

lacks an indescribable quality.

There is nothing that is perfect.

And yet,

the most perfectly imperfect thing 

has a redeeming quality, 

somewhere.

Night sky by Ares Vue

The moon bright in the sky,

shining upon the stars as each appears.

Shooting stars pass the moon one by one

the night breeze blowing against trees,

showing the night sky behind the woods.

Many little lights upon the tall grass,

dragonflies appearing one after the other.

Little lights flying with the shooting stars

the woods glowing with lights,

Cooling under the night sky.

The world feels like it’s slowing down,

making everything appear slower.

The wind whistling like a lullaby

into your ear, calming.

Watching in peace as shooting stars pass the night sky.

Blaidd by Landon Zimmer

There’s a festival of war

I can see blood

He who was once called the strongest

We fight, sword and fang

Just do what you feel is right.

You’re strong of arm. But ask yourself… what harm can be done

My only purpose is to fight 

Time to douse your little flame.