Inspired by the poem, “Joy Chose You” by Donna Ashworth By O. Deng, TIWP Student Joy doesn’t care if you’re sad, hungry, tired, or ugly. She’s like a small explosive at the back of your head, that you sometimes forget about but when the time is right she bursts, leaving you wondering how long the high […]

By Aya Riseman, TIWP Student I used to play on the floor with plastic letters. At a time when the world was meaningless and I had nothing important to do, I played. The time I spent, the time I wasted, it didn’t matter.  Back then, the letters were just colors and shapes. I would drop […]

By Lina Norris-Raman, TIWP Student The highway unfolds before us, a dark ribbon under a sky dusted with stars. Wind screams through the open windows. For a fleeting moment, I am boundless. Infinite.  The blasting song begins to fade. I can hear the ocean from outside. The tears I’ve been holding back finally spill over, blurring the […]

By Lina Norris-Raman, TIWP Student In a sea of faces, the noise of laughter and whispers dance through the air. Yet the solitude sits heavy, an unseen weight in a crowded room. Eyes scan the floor, avoiding connections that never truly form. A hollow echo resounds inside. I am alone, yet surrounded. Conversations ebb and […]

By G.G. Gallagher, TIWP Student I write what I know. And what I know are the moments with you. I’m sure I could find plenty of other things to write about, but those moments I have pictures for. When I take pictures, it’s because I want to remember. I fear forgetting. So those big moments, those […]

By O. Deng, TIWP Student I’ve been corrupted by social media. I know it. Every time I open the app, I get hit with a rush of dopamine that intensifies every time I swipe at the screen with my finger. Until one hour goes by. Then two. Then three. And I realize that I’ve wasted […]

By Zara Quiter, TIWP Student Inspired by Sarah Kay’s Ted Talk If I should have a daughter, I would take her skipping through the trees, racing through the daisies, just to hear her laugh. I’d take her every year until she was sick of me just to catch a glance of her being young once […]

By Zara Quiter, TIWP Student I’m sorry. Yes, I agree. It is my fault that I didn’t feel like trying today. That I woke up and wore a mirror image of yesterday’s outfit. That I spent no time fixing my hair. Or trying to smile. Or trying to coexist. And it’s also my bad for […]

By O. Deng, TIWP StudentI wonder what would happen if women ran the world. I would probably feel safer knowing that the place I lived in was run by people similar to me. Instead of feeling unsafe and unheard, maybe I would feel included and valued. I’m so tired of hearing men saying they are […]