By Leighton Tanaka, TIWP Student Among the stars, cocoons of light ascend released by mourning, shaking, perished hands connected to a slight, bony body drowned in the sky above. As the light of life falls below the surface, these burning, golden lanterns, filled with smiles, calls, shrieks, whispers, and sounds of joy escaping their cracked […]

By Cyra Rahman, TIWP Student Under her watchful gaze,Secrets are told in the safety of shadowsPeople admit their true feelingsShow their true selves, emboldened by the darkness that she brings She rises upOvercoming her dearestDestined to never meetHer lover sinks, below the horizonNot to be seen until morning She brings gentle lightNot as intense as […]

By Yuki Akemi, TIWP Student Under the apricot tree you standWaiting for meYou smile a thousand sun smileI wave and say hello Sweet and kind like honeyDelicate beauty like a glass flower I wave and say helloYou are eager to talkAs always I happily listenHoping the silence will be drowned out by your voice Sweet […]

By Cleo Springfield, TIWP Student Just a normal dayGina watches her silly little kid showsCarrie struggles to fit into her favorite shoesI read the book I checked out of the library Police sirens tune out our voices and the TVScreams echo through the neighborhoodGina whimpersCarrie freezes in place My book falls on the groundThe house […]

By Cyra Rahman, TIWP Student She tries to use the last of her energy to put on a brilliant showUnder her, many things happenLove blossomsLives beginBeauty reveals itself She uses her slipping energy to throw out a show of pinks and oranges in the skyShe sets it alight with her beautyThe clouds only magnify the […]

By Cleo Springfield, TIWP Student My sisterBeautiful, elegant, perfectionMy sisterCharm never faltering My sisterA car going too fastMy sisterNot saved fast enough My sisterScreams engraved in my mindMy sisterAmbulance not quick enough My sisterKind and caringMy sisterJust a lifeless body My griefConsuming and unforgivingMy griefProminent even ten years later

By Leighton Tanaka, TIWP Student blood pours from the bullet, roses bleedon the ground. standunder the ire of the sun, slowly drifting away; eternalrhythms of erasure. listless and lamenting tea-stained wallscompressed between weeping, rising towers. suffocateto replenish the weary, holding the ardor in between shaking,fragile fingers. wind yanksthe dandelion loose. travel far to reach the […]

By Zara Quiter, TIWP Student Cutting through friendship is like cutting through rockNormally the cut is rough and jaggedBut for once, I can just walk away unscathedAnd the rock I cut is as freeing as finding a diamond

By Ava Moga, TIWP Student her hair is straw, glistening and yellow.her eyes are pools of soapy ocean waves.her nose is passed down from those beforeand her body is built on years of nourishment and activity.she has felt a million different feelingsand expressed a million different things. her hands have touched other hands.they’ve touched the ground,water,and […]

By Sarah Hawkins, TIWP Student The soft breeze rattled the trees.As the grass swayed,the water rippled and distorted my reflection as I stared back at myself.The world was quiet.Nothing existed outside of this moment,a perfect moment of serenity away from everything.I reached out toward the water almost to capture it, but as my finger touched […]