By Sarah Hawkins, TIWP Student “I am not perfect. I am the perfect me.” —Samantha Ruth Prabhu I am not perfect.I mess up.I learn.I am sensitive.I am honest.I regret.I’ll do it differently next time.I feel stressed.I take a break.I cry.I let myself feel.I am the perfect me.

By Ariella Garfinkle, TIWP Student  “You know the truth: sometimes it does hurt that much.” —Eve Ensler It’s okay to feel.It’s okay to cry.It’s okay to scream.You need to feel from the tips of your toesto the crown of your head.A balloon filled to the brimwith emotionson the edge of poppingis inevitably a disasterthat’s a […]

By Ariella Garfinkle, TIWP Student  “It’s only because I’m a girl.” — Eve Ensler am I good enough? too loud? too curious? am I making the right decision? window shopping only keeps the picture pretty from a distance. “she’s so well-raised.” “such a sweet girl.” “you must be so proud.” curtains protecting glassfrom shattering. what happens when the eyes are drawn away? no one in the luminous […]

By Genet Dutto, TIWP Student The little hideawayclustered in the corner,covered with white linenand a scent of sweet rosemary.A comfortable, sheltered islandisolated from the rest.With sparks of creationtowering above,a diva-like pillow infiltratedby an iridescent look.Captured by the light,it beams joywaiting to meet again.As night falls,the eyes follow,then the body,asking the worldto stop motion.

By Kea Yoshinaka, TIWP Student Her mornings start wrapped in white silk sheets,golden hair spilling over her thin shouldersand she rises with the sun. She isn’t awake until layer upon layer of cream,serum, blushes, and powders are applied.She is not herself until she is beautiful.  As the final stroke of gloss is applied to pouty […]

By Viviana Sanchez, TIWP Student Wild nights!These strange delightsSo dark and scarlet in our embraceIn our candle lightBurning in ours eyes which 1000 of your tears cannot extinguishWe wear lace in the dead of nightSewn from a 1000 doe lashesLocked ashed fingers because we fear togetherOut the door and past the sea oh’ the sea, […]

By Kea Yoshinaka, TIWP Student I am going to let go of my hatred for you.I am going to release the way you took hold of my mind so early and slowly scrambled it into indecipherable pieces. I no longer despise you for changing the way you didand the choices you made along the way that […]

By Kayli Harley, TIWP Student She’d spent her life looking eastward,turning her face toward the sunin something like a prayer. Perhaps she was begging,or maybe she simply sought a moment of warmth and silencein a world blanketed in frigid chaos.  Either way, she looked to the sunlightto fill something in herthat has always seemed empty. The sensation of the […]

By Noah Orosco, TIWP Student I know you’ve been struggling, trying to find a little bit of emotion.Lately you’ve been thinking, I hope you hear the words through all the commotion.Let me light the dark path that seems to sway your sight.Your future can be bright, you just need new insight.I promise you this thundering […]

By Louisa Perry-Picciotto, TIWP Student Flowing throughout my eyes  comes the whisper  of the ensuing moments  captured in seconds  through the film playing  in the blank of my mind,  hidden behind a screen of deception  that is pulled back by the thoughtless mind when drifting away on a sea of the past collection of memories  […]