Nishmi Abeyweera
The Place
by Maya Peña-Lobel
I know a place Where the green grass twinkles And the pebbles shine and the dewdrops sing. I know a place Where weeping willows don’t cry And diamonds are what the blackbirds bring. I know a place Where the water is clearer Than the silver flash off a silver wing. But this place that I know Is one where not even I can go, Because what keeps it so brilliant and so bright And fends off the comings of the night Is that neither you nor I am welcome.
Under the Canopy
Becca Buehler
Nishmi Abeyweera
Dinnertime
by Jacob Ott
Dragonflies erupted from switchgrass blades at the sounds of whirled wings and throttled caws An ambush The starlings struck just before the sun dipped below the haze of Texas horizon Dinnertime Dragonflies scattered, died, and rallied as the birds’ hunger-crazed raid was lit crimson Bombing runs on windburnt lungs Cramming beaks Swallowing Swarming and diving dragonflies dragged up their brethren, beat on to broken drums but… Attrition The hordes of dragonflies turned wounded bands and before long the frenzied feast was done The starlings stuck around, though, their scornful claws dug in to the blades of the dragonflies’ old field, to the dead yellow patches covering my backyard
When I was little, my brother and I were playing in my backyard and out of nowhere there was this battle between a flock of starlings and a bunch of dragonflies. The scene was so huge and loud and happened right in my yard. There were so many dragonflies at my house back then, but now they’re gone along with like 50% of insect biomass.
Jacob Ott
Nadine Oury
Feeling
by Noah Secondo
Months before I had heard the Snow touch my nose And had felt the freeze Grab my tongue. Now Rain smashes into my eyes, My eyelids unflinching but unaware, And even soaks my clothes But I don’t feel the Rain against my chin. My legs soaked cold Yet I know I am now how the rain is to me— Numb.
A Blade of Grass — Noah Secondo
