By Kristen H., TIWP Student I was taughtto shrink my voice,into something polite.To fold my anger like a noteand slide it under the doorinstead of speaking it out loud. I learned earlythat speaking up was “too much.”Don’t want too loudly.Don’t reach too far.Softness was strengthbut only when it stayed useful. They handed us a rulebookwithout […]

By Zara Quiter, TIWP Student Boys liked P.E.,and so we were supposed to hate it.Boys religiously played video games,and so we were supposed to get destroyed by them.Boys messed around in class,and so we were supposed to sit still and listen.We learned. I feel sorry for boys like that,and in vain, I hope they feel […]

By May B, TIWP Student Being a girl without a father means seeing one present from your mom on your birthday. Being a girl without a father makes you wonder if you’ll grow up to be the woman that social media labels “a whore with daddy issues.” Being a girl without a father means never […]

By Payton Posner, TIWP Student there is an orchardthat grows on the bottom of a lake.no one remembers how it sank,whether a storm dragged it underor it simply forgothow to stay above the surface. down there, the trees still stand,their branches lifting like tired handsthrough the greenish dim.fruit hangs heavy, swollen with water,too burdened to […]

By Katelyn H., TIWP Student “I’ll light up my soul with a match and let it sing.” — Anne Sexton I’ll light up my soul with a match and watch it glow in the dark.I’ll see it fading in and out to the rhythm of my heartbeatand watch it become the bonfire of a campsite where […]

By Kristen H., TIWP Student Lime green feels prickly.It’s lighter than regular green in a candy-sweet, sickening way,like recovering from a sickness but you’re not all the way better yet,like your body forgot how to feel normal and picked something sour and airy instead. My head feels very light and I can feel my pulse […]

By Oriana, TIWP Student The truth they will not want to hear isit might not be true, even if everyone around you is saying it is.The truth they don’t want to accept isif most of us continue to sit back, nothing will change. The truth that everyone ignores islooking the other way when someone is being […]

By O. Deng, TIWP Student I am hungry for vanilla almond oat cluster cereal and mangos, for mixed berry cream cheese on sourdough toast, for something sweet, for comfort I can taste.
 I am hungry for coffee or a matcha that hits and meals that feel like home.I am hungry for laughter that doesn’t feel […]

By Avery Corey, TIWP Student It’s an unseen mountain growing on your shoulders, grain by grain,until even breathing feels like lifting stone.The pressure stacks, threatening to crush me under its weight. It is impossible to break free,clinging like a shadow welded to my heels,following even when the sun is gone.what if one can or will no longer stand […]

By Lina Norris-Raman, TIWP Student We roll to a stop, dust settling quietly,I force my neck out the window, craning to see thebison herd, to witness the indisputable peace.It’s a warm day, sun heavy on my skin,and everything should be simple.But there, by the lapping current, is one lone bison,letting the stream’s water lick its […]