Trees of Wishes
Trees of Wishes
A glowing tree appeared in his backyard. Its roots curled in the dirt, grounding itself and claiming the earth. The bark shimmered faintly in the light, a beautiful light taupe color, reflecting the sun covered by a thin layer of clouds. Birds he had never seen before slowly flitted through its branches, and the air smelled faintly of grass and incoming thunder. A cold wind swept through, rustling the olive green leaves and the branches, and the rain began. Slowly at first, matching the pace of the dark clouds slowly forming overhead, before turning into a steady fall. Raindrops drummed through the leaves, but the tree seemed to absorb the water instead of shaking with the relentless wind. The flash of lightning followed the thunder that rang through the air, piercing the sky like a needle through fabric. A branch suddenly started growing, sprouting leaves and an exotic silver fruit shaped like a teardrop. Promptly after rising, it seemingly detached itself from the branch and fell onto the ground. Lightning and thunder rang through the sky again as it absorbed the water from the storm, revealing the seed of another tree. It rose higher and higher, growing its own fruit and sprouting more trees. The leaves glistened with every color, ranging from dark sepia to bright orange. Together, they created a majestic forest of mystical trees, whispering words he couldn’t quite grasp, and a path formed slowly from within. He carefully tread through the forest, feeling every trunk and taking in every leaf. They were strong and brittle at the same time, creating collages of color above his head. It was still raining, but lighter now, and sunlight bore its way through the clouds and shimmered on the wet leaves. He came across a small, wooden shack, covered in vines and dried leaves. It didn’t look inviting, yet he felt as if he had to go inside. He felt the pull with every step, before finally breaking into a run and bursting through the creaking door. Inside was dusty, full of cobwebs and vines, but there was a clean table and a worn book. He picked up the book, feeling its age as he rubbed the spine and the cover. It had no title. He opened the book to find that there were only seven words sprawled across the first page. This is what the world could’ve become. As he read it, more and more images appeared: mystic animals, large plants, colorful fish in coral reefs. Then it shifted to images of war, of plastic waste, of habitats destroyed, and animals killed. He read it over and over, replaying the words in his mind: this is what the world could’ve become, this is what the world could’ve become, this is what the world could’ve become, and not noticing that all the trees outside slowly withered away with the wind, leaving just another backyard.
The Voice
October 2025
Fall '25
Shadows lengthening Air sharpening to a crisp Summer slipping day by day Something new and familiar in its place. Bags stuffed with papers Early morning bus rides Jeans and combed hair and sweaters Sc...
Comforting
Familiar is this earthly language, these archives full to the brim. It must be how the world got magic, these rhymes of life and limb. A screen is a safe place, our havens are our keyboards, and kind ...
A Little Thought on Rain When It's Not Even Raining
When rain bounces off the windshield In patterns, Drumming to the sky’s heartbeat In soft thrums, I begin to think and I now believe the melody Could be the currency Of the sky; Perhaps this, and Perh...
Let's Get Vulnerable About a Boy
I want you to kiss me until my lips bruise and pucker and purple and all I can taste is the inside of your mouth. I’m not sure if the girls you’ve been with before touched your waist like I do but I w...
Ode to the Simply Whimsical and the Unnecessarily Dramatic
Ode to those that make life into gold that bring us some sparkle as we grow old Ode to the places, friends, and small things to which credit's unequal to the joy that they bring Uproariously laughing...
Trees of Wishes
A glowing tree appeared in his backyard. Its roots curled in the dirt, grounding itself and claiming the earth. The bark shimmered faintly in the light, a beautiful light taupe color, reflecting the s...
?
was it easy for you to love me? i’m not asking about the good days, i’m asking about the whole time period in which i was allowed in your life. was i easy to love? but please, do not answer aloud; i c...
Earl: A Truck's Lament
Note: This is listed as "fiction" but all stories about Earl are real. They called me Earl. Not “the truck,” not “the old Tacoma,” but Earl. That name was chosen because it was a fitting name for an o...
Cold Mornings
Awakening to days whose foggy mornings bow to the dark hoofs of the midnight horse. Covering myself in thick blankets, attempting to divert the cold that extends itself through my muscles and bones, i...
a state of mind
my hands curl around the flimsy plastic folds of my shopping bag as I walk home through streets tight and winding. it is a sunny morning, crisp and clear, and magic. I pause, taking a moment to apprec...
The Absolute Certainty Hidden in the Uncertain
every time there is uncertainty in my life, i am extremely calm, because i know that when it is resolved, i will feel happy or sad and either way, i will feel.
The World Outside Of The Car Window
I stare out of the car window, with my life anthem blasting in my ears, but not quite loud enough to drown out the sound of my dad talking to my cousin. And I stare out at the clouds, their shapes. Th...