Snap—
Click!

Ruth clicked the top button on her new Canon camera and it snapped a picture of the lion. She looked down and smiled at the lion standing tall and proud in the photo. She continued to walk down the path to visit the bird section in the zoo. A blue toucan perched on a branch stared intently at her. Ruth decided that it would be great to take a picture of this toucan and show it to her friends.
 
Snap—
Click!

This was the 18th picture Ruth had taken today with her camera, but when Ruth looked at the storage space, it wrote: “34/1000 spaces left.” She scratched her head, confused, and decided it was a glitch, so she walked on with a skip in her step. 

“Ma’am, would you like to get a picture with this green bird we have here?” The man standing in front of a small stand gestured to a beautiful green bird. 

It was October, 
but Margo was still wearing 
short summer skirts. 

It was one that had
Turquoise blue flower prints,
the one that didn't 
go past her knees.

Another one that she wore
was with a red plaid print,
the one she would wear all the time
with her worn out leather sandals. 

And then she had the white flowy skirt,
the one that swirled around her ankles
glimmering in the 
soft autumn light.

She loved her skirts
And missed the warm breeze
Blending in with the smell of 
sea salt waters. 

She would wear it outside,
sitting on that old wooden rocking chair,
and feel the autumn wind
brush through her hair. 

Because that's just Margo
She would wear her
short summer skirts
​everywhere. 

Bittersweet is the feeling of something sweet but with a hint of sadness and pain mixed in. And if you asked how does bittersweet taste like I would say...

If I could taste the feeling of bittersweet, it would be the flavor of a passion fruit. It would be the feeling of tasting the passion fruit seeds in your mouth where at first it tastes sweet, but as you start chewing, the sour flavor comes out and you swallow it right after. 

But then it could also be like lime ice cream. When you first bite into the soft gooey consistency and swirl the ice cream in your mouth a bit. Lime ice cream is like bittersweet, where it tastes sour and your tongue gets all tingly. And then the ice cream melts in your mouth and that hint of sweetness shows itself. 

 

The snow falls slowly blanketing the earth
And the cracking of branches is what I heard
As we walked barefoot outside hand in hand.

The tiny lights along the edge of the cabin
Frame our faces in pale yellow, I imagine. 
And I close my eyes breathing in winter air. 

The birds glide in the air, in flight
The crickets sing their song in the night
As we skip together back inside the cozy cabin. 

 

The sun set into the ground
and left behind a trail of colors.
Crimson red and soft orange
Clashed with the pastel pink.

But we sat together
On the old wooden chairs
creaking as they rocked back and forth. 
The tiny lights
along the edge of the cabin
framed our faces in pale yellow light.

We stood up
and I leaned toward you for support. 
Walking barefoot,
the rocks dug into my skin
and the wind
stung pleasantly on my face. 

We stopped at the tree
and I reached out a hand,
my fingers brushing the rough brown bark
and then everything started to dissolve. 
The world breaking apart. 

I opened my eyes with a start,
blinding white lights hung from the ceiling
a heart monitor beeping,
and white curtains to my left. 

I spread my fingers open,
feeling soft white and blue sheets underneath them. 
Then I looked up

The pandemic has been going on for about two years now and we’ve been on lockdown for about a year and a half. But now as we emerge from lockdown, we find ourselves wondering things such as “What kind of clothing is trending?” and “What should I wear?” The answer? Wear anything you want. 

Before the pandemic hit us, the clothing and shoes you wore defined you, especially at school. I remember in 6th grade (before the pandemic) girls would compare who had better shoes. Some had Nike, some wore Gucci or Luvuiton, and others had Adidas. Personally, I think clothing and fashion isn’t something that defines us, and we shouldn’t feel limited. Instead, it should be something that allows us to express ourselves. 

A pit-pat then shhhh…
It’s sound of clear rain rushing
Down the hard pavement

 

      How does the sun rise out of the sky?
   In the morning there’s a faint golden glow
    That would lightly illuminate the blue sky. 
       The sun peeks above the horizon. 
                     But just a little bit. 
                        Then it rises,
                           Up and
                              Up. 
 

It’s raining tonight. 

Hard.
I can hear the soft
Plink-plinks 
Where the rain hits
The roof. 

I can hear the
Soft whisper,
The shhhhhhh……
Where the rain water 
Falls onto the 
Ground. 

This is a 
Calming sound. 
The type that makes
Your breathing
Slower,
Your muscles
Relax,
And your fingers
Lightly tingle. 

This is the 
Pretty music. 
The type that is created
By nature. 
Where the soft
Footsteps outside 
Become harmony. 

The rain,
The melody,
Sings quietly. 
And it sings me to
Sleep…….



 

Darkness
And Bars
That let you see
The light of the
Outside. 
The golden 
Brightness,
Streaking in
Like rays. 

You try to slip out
But you can’t. 
You watch
But you’re helpless. 
You can’t do
Anything. 

You want to escape. 
You’re banging 
Against the
Bars,
But you can’t
You’re a prisoner. 

You’re trapped in 
Your own
Thoughts
Emotions.
Feelings.


You’re stuck.