sparkle + blink 36

7/29/2019 sparkle + blink 36

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sparkle + blink

36


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Pirate Lightning

(arrrgh!)


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Quiet Lightning is:

a monthly submission-based reading serieswith 2 stipulations:

1. you have to commit to the date to submit

2. you only get up to 8 minutes

[email protected]

sbscb

1 year + 12 issues + 12 showsfor $100
http://quietlightning.org/subhttp://quietlightning.org/sub


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spa

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le b

li

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qu i

e t l i g h t n i ng

36

4O


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sparkle + blink 36

2013 Quiet LightningISBN 978-1-300-65939-6

This show curated by Chris Cole and Evan Karp

artwork Simon Coxee2f.com

book design by j. brandon lobergset in Absara

Promotional rights only.

This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any formwithout permission from individual authors.

The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via theinternet or any other means without the permission of theauthor(s) is illegal.

Your support is crucial and appreciated.

qtgtg.gsubmit@quietl ightning.org
http://ee2f.com/http://quietlightning.org/submissionhttp://quietlightning.org/submissionhttp://quietlightning.org/submissionhttp://ee2f.com/


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Contents

curated by Chris Cole & Evan Karp

featured artistSimon Cox

s 1

Claire MoreMan My Deam 1

alexa Thea Suarez A Bief Sonata fo Beinnes 3ava BurliSon Daisy the Space Chicken 7

alThea Kriney Poems Look Diffeent 11

iSoBel oBreChT Pape Ties 13

CaliSTa niCholSon Piano 15

Quinn Muller Dea NYC 17

ian Child Midniht Waitin 21luCia Garay In the Belly of the Beast 23

olivia hoffMan In Between (XXII) 25

s 2

Chloe KiM A Peacefl Place Poem 31

luCie Pereira Boyancy 33aaroShi SahGal The Memaid 35

zara TaSTari One Monin 37

Gillian BuCKner How to Be A Cicit 39

Jude driSColl Memoy 41

dylan aMelia GiBSon from A Fiendship Lost in Time 43

huCK Shelf The Spide 45

Kai SMiTh Stawbeies 47

SoPhie eMiKo

aviGayil BrozinSKy The Shelte 49

henry Gerharz This Is How It Ends 51

JaCQueline QuaCh To the Sky and the New Lives 53


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l a g u n i t a s.

c om

Quiet

Lightn ing is sponsoredby
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Quiet Lightning

A 501(c)3, the primary objective and purpose of

Quiet Lightning is to foster a community based on

literary expression and to provide an arena for said

expression. QL produces a monthly, submission-based

reading series on the first Monday of every month, of

which these books (sparkle + blink) are verbatimtranscripts.

Formed as a nonprofit in July 2011, the board of QL is

currently:

Evan Karp d + psdtChris Cole maagg dct

Josey Lee pbc ats

Charles Kruger sctay

Meghan Thornton tas

Kristen Kramer ca

Jacqueline Norheim at dct

Nicole McFeely tac

Brandon Loberg dsg

Sarah Maria Griffinad Ceri Bevan

dcts spca pats

If you live in the Bay Area and are interested in

helpingon any levelplease send us a line:

evan@qiet l ihtnin .o
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


9/68

Q u I E T L I g H T N I N g

tour through town

In 2013, Quiet Lightning is teaming up with a

different literary organization each month in

order to bring together the many outstanding

series and organizations of the Bay Area literary

world, and to introduce its various audience

members to programming they might like butnot yet know about. For these reasons, we will

create custom-designed shows that combine

the defining features of Quiet Lightning with

those of each months partner organization,

beginning with this months collaboration

with 826 Valencia. For this show, we onlyaccepted submissions from 6-18 year-olds.

For details on the

Tour Through Town

visit our website:

QuIETLIgHTNINg.Org
http://quietlightning.org/http://quietlightning.org/


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-setone-


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1

C LAI r

E M O rEMA N

MyDreaM

So here is my dream.

One thing you have to know about me to understandthe story is that I am on the student council.

Okay, so all I can remember is that I was going to a

student council meeting but everyone else who was a

student council member (including the teacher) was

not there.

So I told all my friends they could go to the meeting

with me.

And for some crazy reason they all brought board

games and candy. So they were all playing and I was

trying to make them stop so we could talk about

business, but they would not listen to me so I finally

said, you guys have to listen to me or I can kick all

you guys out.

Then one said, you cant do that you are not in

charge.

So then I tried to explain to her that I could do

that since I was the only real student council


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2

person there. But, they didnt listen to me, and I was

frustrated. And whenever a person came in and asked

Are all you guys in the student council? I made sureI told them that only I was a real student council

person and not the other girls.

watch claire moreman read "My Dream"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DH_wk7PRbhIhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DH_wk7PRbhI


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3

AL E X

A T H E A SuA rEA

aBriefsonataforBeginners

i. Lesson

Understand this, you will need the patience of a poor

man, and the drive of a mad one.

ii. interMission

We have been practicing scales and loose rhythms

and legato redemptions,

as if tomorrow were Sunday. Even still, rehearsed

tunes

ripple deadbeat heads,

dressed by accents foreign, but

for a bashed down beat,

well lounge,hidden,

beneath a defeated encore.


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4

iii. iMProMPtu

& on days when sisters ran away

together and brothers learned to stand

apart, my mother still fed me

with cold cut sandwiches, chased down

by heated words, & my books

have taught me

the dissonance of sincerity

and not much more.

I have been told that

when Eve tasted knowledge,

searching for intimacies known

only between Greek gods,

she found a weeping, naked

minor chord, stripped of roots.

and if patrons furrow a brow, I play yet

uninterrupted, martyrs,

I have been told, die well.


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AlexA TheA SuArez 5

iV. finaLe

When you are sure

the song has finished

bow with practiced grace.

Kiss your instrument first,your Father second.

Find a languid sidewalk home,

content knowing you have made a clean ending.

watch alexa thea suarez read "A Brief Sonata for

Beginners"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGNGiK1LA9Ihttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGNGiK1LA9Ihttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGNGiK1LA9I


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7

A A B u rL I SON

DaisythesPaCeChiCken

Alone in my room, I sat listening. The sound wasDurga, our wise porch chicken, laying tomorrows

breakfast. She seemed lonely, for the other chickens

had long gone due to a brutal massacre of feathers

and fur. She was golden and fluffy, the feathers

around her feet were stained with droppings.

Earlier in the week, I had proposed the idea of getting

new feathered friends and my mom had reluctantly

acceptedbut only after we had made the chicken

coop more, well, raccoon proof. After a dirty and long

weekend of laboring, we arrived at Western Farms,

a local animal feed and care center. I made my waythrough the maze of cars to the chicken area. My

eyes wandered and then landed on two black hens

and I lingered there. I gestured toward them but my

mother and sister shook their heads in disagreement.

The hens shimmered with green and gold. The smaller

of the two had an afro.

But Mama, I said. This ones a Space Chicken!

Lets look around, she replied.


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But stubbornly, I stood. I had made up my mind, not

willing to just look around. Then they took a liking

to a speckled hen and two red ones with oddly longnecks.

Mama, please, I begged.

Oh fine. Why not? she said, rolling her eyes in

disapproval.

Thank you! Thank you! I squealed.

At the end of the trip, we left with the red ones, who,

later on, we named Espresso and Velociraptor. The

speckled ones new name was Sprocket and last, butsurely not least, the Space Chicken and her sister. My

older sister named one of them Morticia and I gave

Morticias sister the name Daisy, after her afro, which

reminded me of flower petals.

Day after day, I spent hours at a time in the coop withmy new best friends. My neighbor took a liking to

chickens, too, and we even began planning play dates

for Daisy and my neighbors hen, Honey, who, believe

it or not, was golden and almost honey-colored.

One day, when it was rainy and extremely cold, I tookDaisy inside for popcorn and movies. We snuggled

up under several layers of blankets on the floor.

We got through almost the entire show before I

felt something warm trickle down my chest before


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AvA BurliSon 9

finding a spot on my thigh. She couldnt hold it in

any longer and had released her poop on me.

Over the next few months I spent most of my time

with Daisy. I gave her a collar, which was really an old

bracelet of my moms. I had even attempted to put a

diaper and pink tank top with green lace trim on her,

which soon failed. Then I had a chance to show off

my companion to my classmates in Kindergarten. Iwas Student of the Day, therefore I could bring in a

possession of mine to school. All of the other girls in

my class brought their Barbies or porcelain dolls. But

me, I brought my Space Chicken.

When I arrived at school, my teacher mistook thelarge blue crate for a cat carrier. I corrected her, ex-

plaining that I had brought Daisy the Space Chicken.

My teacher looked at my mom with eyebrows raised.

My mom shook her head and replied, youll see.

I approached the front of the class, laid a towel on

the ground and released her. She poked her head out

curiously and trotted out and perched on my foot. All

of the confused eyes staring at me were now filled

with happiness and the somewhat silent classroom

was filled with giggles and laughter.

I began to run in circles, followed closely by Daisy.

That day was the first day she laid an egg. It was pure

white and unfortunately was stepped on. That night


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I also attempted to have a sleepover with her, which

did not turn out as planned. I alsounable to read

told her stories. She would follow me everywhere andI loved her dearly.

Time passed and my birthday arrived. My mom

sent me to the chicken coop to gather eggs for my

birthday cake and I did, looking forward to telling

Daisy my new age: six. But when I arrived at the coopand found Daisy, she had passed away.

Tears drowned my eyes and blurred my vision. I

started screaming and wailing and crying. My mom

heard the noise and came out to me. She kneeled

down and I rested my head on her shoulder.

Mama, I cried, where is she now?

Shes in space, honey, she replied.

Now Daisy truly was a Space Chicken.

watch ava burlison read "Daisy the Space Chicken"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tH3VAex-8A


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11

A LTH E A A rINEY

PoeMsLookDifferent

Poems look different from words.

Poems blink like car lights at night.

Songs look different from poems.

Songs burble like a fairy stream.

Stories look different from songs.

Stories shimmer like a wedding dress.

Poems feel different from words.

Poems are lace bought at a second hand store.

Songs feel different from poems.

Songs are velvet rubbed the wrong way.

Stories feel different from songs.Stories are silk, old, torn, but still beautiful.

Poems taste different from words.

Poems are hot caramel melting in your mouth.

Songs taste different from poems.Songs are lemon puckering your lips.

Stories taste different from songs.

Stories are green tea chocolate putting shivers on

your tongue.


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12

Poems smell different from words.

Poems smell like gingerbread on a snowy day.

Songs smell different from poems.Songs smell like chlorine after being in a pool alone.

Stories smell different from songs.

Stories smell like violets in the dead of night

Poems sound different from words.Poems sound like whispers of untold secrets.

Songs sound different from poems.

Songs sound like large bells ringing from a castle.

Stories sound different from songs.

Stories sound like the snapping of a fire, as you throw

more logs on it.

watch althea kriney read "poems look different"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lUwUebr_Echttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lUwUebr_Ec


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13

I S OB E L O B rECHT

PaPertigers

You sit in your living room, sinking into the soft

feathery cushions. The clock on the wall ticks along

with the monotony. Seconds stretch into hours as youdrift into reverie. You step outside, feeling the cool

breeze on your cheek. Outside is bright and hurts

your eyes. You walk slowly, your backyard falling

away in pieces. Blackness surrounds in a sky with

no stars. You realize that you are moving, a swirling

black ocean beneath. Ahead a bridge of light glimmers

impossibly, a city of spires on its back. From the dark

stone slab on which you now stand, you can hear

the ghost of tinkling bells. Your feet are bare and

the stone burns them like ice. You are lured away by

paper aeroplanes. Millions of them, all white, flying

in the same direction. You step onto one as it passes

and you feel the thrill of the wind in your hair. The

aeroplanes take you through a long tunnel and out

into a world of gray tents. The booths are manned by

teddy bears with ripped seems and missing eyes, while

the old and stained rag dolls sell cotton candy to toysoldiers. You maneuver your plane over to one of

the tents and peek inside finding the inside of the

tent much smaller than the outside. Tiny wooden

people operate a miniature circus. You explore this

world for what feels like hours, seeing elephants


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14

the size of mice, roller coasters with no track, and a

pack of wolves telling campfire stories. At the end of

it all you wave goodbye to an unresponsive tiger andtoss your aeroplane into the trash.

watch isobel obrecht read "Paper Tigers"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UC1ZhM7q3sEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UC1ZhM7q3sE


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15

CA L

I S TA N I C H OL SO

N

Piano

Piano, it is a beat a part of my soul.

It is a melody swaying with the beat of the ocean.

It is as steady as a clock.The notes can be as jumpy as a kangaroo.

It can be as fast as a mustang.

It can be as slow as a turtle.

It can be anything.

People start playing it and they want to play more.

Then they want to learn more.

After they want to learn more there is no more to

learn.

It is like candy you want more but there is no more

to eat.

watch calista nicholson read "Piano"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05-R-XL7Xlghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05-R-XL7Xlg


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17

QuI N M u L L Er

DearnyC

We took a train from California to NYC,

A cross-country trip from sea to shining sea.

We spent two nights in the sleeper car,From the Sierras to the plains we went so far.

After stopping in Chicago we get back on our train,

Down the Hudson River valley, what a beautiful

terrain.

A night of roughing it in coach, but we manage to

survive,

Into Penn Station, our train arrived.

All those feet rumbling through the downtown street,

And the businessmen are sweating in the summer

time heat.

Cigarettes and candy wrappers thrown upon the

ground,

All the noise in the street a cacophony of sound.

Rushing trough the tunnels in the undergroundstations,

Going through mazes of major complications.

We get to the track where we hop on train five;

It seems to take forever but we finally arrive.


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18

Now Im down in Times Square, dodging all the

Elmos.

Crowds of people, taxicabs, buskers at my elbows.Now Im smelling gyros, hot dogs and a slice.

I notice most New Yorkers are actually quite nice.

A night at the museum sleeping under the whale.

Exploring in the dark is every kids Holy Grail.

A midnight search through the Hall of Dino Bones.In the hall of rocks and minerals, we rub gemstones.

We see hydroxides like bauxite, diaspore, and

limonite,

Crystal quartz and amethyst, agate and a meteorite.

Now some native elements like platinum and gold,Copper, silver, sulfur, graphite, iron, diamond mold.

Its Autumn in New York, all the trees burnt red,

A Macys Day Parade and a Thanksgiving spread.

Exploring Central Park, Im crunching through the

leaves,Running up rocks, and climbing through trees.

Every corner of the city has history,

It was the first capital of our country.

Our revolution gainst England happened here,

Im gonna tell you some stories that I think youll liketo hear.

Now England took over what became the U.S.,

They didnt treat us equally and it became a big mess.


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Quin Muller 19

We declared independence for our glory,

We went to war with Great Britain well thats

another story

Washington, Adams, Jefferson and Madison,

NYCs got Alexander Hamilton.

He made the banks, he made the money.

He said to Aaron Burr you look kind of funny.

Aaron challenged Hamilton to a duel.

Hamilton agreed so he wouldnt look a fool.

The shots rang out, we lost Hamilton,

But Burrs on the run and Hamis on the ten.

Manhattans home to models, The Trump and TheKnicks.

Them Bronx got the Yankees and Queens a cultral

mix.

Statens got the ferry, dont you call it the sticks,

But my boroughs got my style and a whole lot of

bricks.Yeah, I sleep in Brooklyn!

Manhattans got the Biggies, and Brooklyns got the

smalls.

Tallest building in Manhattan 102 floors tall.

Jump out the window, thats a mighty big fall;Brooklyns tallest building 51, thats all!

Fall slips away, and winter soon is here.

All the shops are lit up, and theres a holiday cheer.


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20

Our time has slipped away and its going by fast.

So were gonna try to do a lot and save the best for

last.

Bryant Park with the ice and the skates.

Take an elevator all the way up the Empire State.

FAO, carriage rides and a musical on Broadway.

I got choked up riding my very last subway.

New York City, youve captured my heart.

Im sad to say that its time to part.

Im heading back to San Francisco,

It wont take long to get back in the flow.

But Ill miss you dearly and Ill be back.So its in your honor I made this rap.

watch quinn muller perform "Dear NYC"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gC_AtadwuJwhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gC_AtadwuJw


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21

I A N C H I L D

MiDnightwaiting

Out somewhere beyond the stars

Where scars are gone, and sleep I find,

I fly above the sound of cars,And city lights I leave behind;

And journey through the velvet black

Where track the bright and unknown suns;

Where light again comes ever back,

And midnight water ever runs

Beneath this furthest dusk I lie,

And rise to walk with starlight kind,

Where husk of night-bloom opens, shy

Of day I left so far behind.

A quiet wind comes sighing here,

And stirs the face of waters deep

Where stars within the shadow-mere

Likened rest and softly sleep.

Here on silent feet you wend

To mend your troubles: take reprieveFrom midnight meadows without end;

From touch of water; star-bright eve.

And here we dance: entranced we stay,

To sway to song of wind and bliss

Till creeping dawn calls us away.


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22

Return I far from distant world

Of dream, to dawn and waking rise.

I lonely lie and desperate holdTo sight of starlight in your eyes.

Beyond my touch, you wake as well,

And, by waking, sundered still

From dream and joy we cannot tell

But to the midnight, whispering

This day is old; the sun has set;

I wait for you on dream-far shore

In burning hope, as so weve met

In starry midnights, evermore.

watch ian child recite "Midnight W aiting"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyl8b2xnm54http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyl8b2xnm54


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23

Lu CI A g A rA Y

intheBeLLy

oftheBeast

While I was asleepinA monster came apeepin over the side of my bed

He swallowed me whole then slithered back down

the pole on the side of my bed

Once inside his stomach it really wasnt that bad

Warm and cozy but soggy a tad

And if you covered your noseYou couldnt really smell the frog toes or regurgitated

garden hose

And I slept through the night without a plight

Unlike I usually did

And in the morning he spit me out

Expecting me to shout or poutBut I didnt

I looked him straight in the eye, green as lime

And said

My friend could we do this again sometime?


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25

O

L I I A H O FFMA N

inBetween(XXii)

i remember

when i was a little girl

and i fellfrom that tree you let me climb

there was that pause

that moment of impact

where i stared up at you

and you stared down at me

and waited

as the blood trickled down from the scrape in my

tights

for the tears to start

thats the best i can explain

how it felt

when mom held me as the man on the other side of

the phone

completely separate from us

delivered the news

that would change usforever

cause of death unknown

that free falling moment

when we held each other


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26

and didnt breathe

and didnt cry

and didnt blinkand didnt know what this meant

the words seemed jumbled

no rhythm or logic and then as quick as it stopped

my heart started beating again

in the loneliest pattern

i looked up at my momand she broke the illusion

and the connection with the before

with the words

im so sorry

and the tears that spilt down her face

just like thatthere was no going back

there was no going back

from when we were on the couch

my fists were balled

and i screamed

for you to hear meand change your mind

and come back

even though you couldnt

even if you wanted too.

(i guess i wasnt sure if you wanted to)

(im still not)

people always say

youre so strong

or


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oliviA hoffMAn 27

theres no way i could do as well as you're doing

and theres something about the pity in their eyes

the pity mixed with relief that im not themthat makes me

want to prove them wrong

that makes me

wish i could be weak

because being strong it isnt a choice

there is no other wayfor me to react

or to handle this

theres no choice every morning

to stay in bed

to close off

even to dietheres no choice

or option

ever since mom looked at me

with the purest most beautiful pain and loss

i have ever seen

and whisperedim so sorry

there was never a choice.

watch olivia hoffman read "In Between XXII"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJQyjFS69eAhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJQyjFS69eA


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-settwo-


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31

C H L OE AIM

aPeaCefuLPLaCe

A breeze whispering softly

Through the willow leaves

That flutter like fairiesDrooping branches

Tips dipped lightly

In water

And thin leaves

Fall loose of the branches and settle down

On the silvery clear water

A light sprinkle of tiny crystal raindrops

That makes circles spread

In the lake

Where grass grows spread apart wide

Black as night

Against the setting sun

Surrounded by a sky

Painted pink and orange

Reflections of the grass

And the trees

Green giants that tower aboveAnd the misty purple mountains standing tall

Like majestic amethyst kings

Big and powerful

Crowns of snow atop their heads

And a bird


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32

Calls out high, sprinkling notes

On an early spring morning

watch chloe kim read "A Peaceful Place"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4GGvccxedAhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4GGvccxedA


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33

L u CI E P E rEIrA

BuoyanCy

Someday Ill figure out how to capture

the still-minty taste of your betrayal

and spritz it on my skinto repel the mosquitoes that buzz in my bedroom.

The silken static playing on my radio

is simply something to listen to

besides your voice

echoing in the caverns between my brain cells.

Because sometimes if its too quiet,

I can hear the scraping sound of your yells.

On the streets people babble

in a million different tongues

Chapped lips sliding over crooked teeth

And I wonder,

Who are you to think

that you are fluent

in this too-colorful language?

I wish I could have led you toward

The safety of a schoolyard I once knew.

Where the familiar static of the slide is no longer

shocking

Where the rusty swing set knows your weight


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34

And maybe for a split second

Leaving your anger buried in the gravel

You can soar.

I sink.

Feel the smooth tiles at the bottom of the pool

with wrinkled fingers spread wide.

Hair billowing

like smokesour chlorine on perplexed taste buds

watch Lucie Pereira read "Buoyancy"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n37BxoJCE_Mhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n37BxoJCE_M


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35

A ArO S

H I S A HgA L

theMerMaiD

A mermaid played with the laughing waves

She chased them to the shoreThey lapped the feet of the sandy beach

As she basked in the stickiness of the summer sun

A fisherman saw her sandy tail

And he saw the rolls of her sun kissed back

Ah, he said with a smirk that chilled.

Now here is a fish too sweet to cook.

Throwing back his whip and pinching net, he

snapped

Once, twice, and then once more

Snickering as her cries echoed in his grimy ears


She bit and yanked the gnawing ropeShe panted and clawed at her ensnared neck

She saw brown hands lunging for her throat

She grabbed them and pulled them close


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36

She pushed her lips up against his

Writhing from their grubby crust

She parted her lips and bit down with all her might


He yelled in shock, and she dug her nails deep

Smiling with satisfaction as trickles of red oozed

from the roughness of his flesh

She pulled herself to the water; she pulled him to the

water

Pools of red emerged within the blue

She flicked her tail to summon the waves

Loosening the ropes, they set her free

Pushing her towards home

All as the fisherman drifted farther and farther away

Into the murky waters of his grave


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37

A A rA T A S TA rI

oneMorning

Once upon a time, deep inside the woods lived a

young wizard sleeping peacefully on his bed. Tick,

tick, tick, tick went the clock ticking slowly andsoftly it went. Once the clock struck 7, ring ring

ring went the alarm clock and the young wizard

zapped the alarm clock with his magic. The clock

was instantly destroyed and vanished by his magic,

leaving a burn mark on his desk. Satisfied, he got up

and at the same time he rubbed his eye and stretched

his arm. He yawned as he got out of his bed, lifted

both of his arms gently like a ballerina and started

to move his arms and hands up and down, right and

left, side by side, crossed in and out, fingers move

twirly, he moved his arms, hands and fingers as if he

were conducting. The things around him responded

gracefully to his magic and flew towards him and

surrounded him as if they were hearing the music and

dance in the air. The music, of course, was magic. He

went downstairs while at the same time conducting

his surroundings. The young wizard himself started tohave fun and to dance with the rhythm of the magic.

As he went inside the kitchen, pots, pans, glasses,

and foods moved as if they were alive. The sound

of pans and utensils clashed together: the sound

of milk pouring, bread being de-crusted, eggs


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cracking, and water rushing down and dishes being

washed created a melody of music in the kitchen. As

the young wizard looked outside he saw that a tonof white fluffy stuff was lying all over the place. My

goodness, its snowing on San Francisco, he thought.

The scenery outside so shocked him that he stopped

conducting his hands and became frozen. Because of

that, all of the things he had been conducting stopped

and the things dropped so hard it shook the house.But he ignored it and all that mattered was that he

was happy because school was canceled and he lived

happily ever after.

watch zara tastari read "One Morning"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4OR04nqtLUhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4OR04nqtLU


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39

g IL L I

A N B u CNEr

howtoBeaCirCuit

First you have to choose whether you are

a parallel circuit or a

series circuit choose if you have a switchor a lightbulb or a

buzzer or if your inside inside

Rudolf the red-nosed Reindeer

but even if you choose a bee that flaps its wings

you have to have a flowing connection of electricity

maybe from a batterie or an outlet

the connection has to be clear

If not,

the light or buzzer goes out

for a series circuit youre in a loop, youre more

simple

but to be a parallel circuit is more complicated

but if one goes out the others stay on

hopefully your batteries will never go

out

out

watch gillian buckner read "How to Be a Circuit"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBNg4Z85HXohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBNg4Z85HXo


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41

J uDE D rI S COL LMeMory

Who knows why some memories last as others

seemingly float away? Many memories are miniscule

and often seem unimportant. Is there some underly-ing reason that explains why one memory is there and

many others are not?

In one of my first true memories meaning I

remember it firsthand I am awakened by the warm

embrace of sun licking my cheek softly. I open my

eyes and am lying in a bed of snowcapped mountains.

It is my mothers bed, and I know that I am more

home than I could be anywhere else. As the sun

grows more golden and the comforter surrounds

me, I notice my mothers sleeping next to me, back

turned. I nuzzle up behind her and can smell coconut

clinging onto the fibers of her hair. I turn away again

to look at the sealing. We are on the top floor of my

house; the ceilings have strange angles and create

interesting shadows in this early morning light. Time

is not yet a language in my vocabulary. My momwakes up and, just for fun, I pretend to be sleeping as

she makes her way to the bathroom and starts the

shower. The water of the shower melodically woos

me back to sleep until I am woken up once again

by my mothers soft voice. Honey, its your first


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42

day of preschool. For some strange reason, I dont

ever remember being told beforehand that this was

the first day of a school schedule that would go onfor the next twenty odd years of my life; I also dont

remember too much nervousness or fear. We get up

and go downstairs to my bedroom and my mother

helps me get dressed, pulling my shirt over my head

and looping my belt. A bagel for breakfast and we are

off. The Volvo we have is still in mint condition aswe make our way across the Golden Gate Bridge into

the hills of Marin. How many times is school? I ask.

Three days a week my mom replies, distracted on

the highway. This is the first time there is any sort of

known structure in my life, one that I would have to

follow weekly.

From this day on I fall into the droning rhythm of

school life. I learn to read clocks, the days of the

week, and finally, how many days in a month. Now

I was able to fully structure my future. Timeless

mornings no longer exist, lying in my moms bed andwatching the beautiful shadows. However, every so

often, I will get a glimpse of this innocent clueless-

ness. In moments of excitement or fear I realize the

child isnt gone; he is just hidden under layers of time,

age, and knowledge.

watch jude driscoll read "Memory"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBIcB3C1z3khttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBIcB3C1z3k


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43

D YL A

N AM E L I A g IBS

ONfroMafrienDshiP

LostintiMe

Cp 1

The sun had just risen over Shellville.Ding a ling a ling!

Grace sprung joyfully out of bed. Then she sprinted

to the table.

Calm down, Grace. Sit down and eat your breakfast!

said Graces mom.

Sorry Mom, said Grace. Im

Oh, I know. Youre excited for the last day of school,

said Graces mom.

Honk honk!

Oh! Theres the bus. Bye Mom!

Grace ran onto the bus and sat next to her friend

Isabella. How are you doing? said Grace.

Good, but Grace I have to tell you something, said

Isabella. Im moving!

What? asked Grace. Why?

I dont know! said Isabella desperately.

Just then the bus passed through the woods. A shapeloomed in the shadows. Something slashed at the bus.

Whoa! What was that? asked Grace.

I dont know, replied Isabella.

Soon they arrived at Shellville Elementary. Wow,

fantastic. Were late! exclaimed Grace sarcastically.


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44

Now well miss the math test!

Later Grace took a walk in the forest. She trampled

through the leaves until she got to three groves oftrees she had never seen before. What are those

groves of trees doing here? She went through the

second one. Ive never seen this part of the forest

before, said Grace. It was very unusual.

Soon Grace came to a vast open plain. But to her

surprise, instead of deer, cows, or mice there weredinosaurs! Yes, there were dinosaurs.

This is impossible! I am in the Jurassic era! yelled

Grace. Awesome!

After taking a ride on a diplodocus and petting its

long neck, and playing tag with a herd of dryosaurus

who were very fast, Grace noticed that there was anegg lying on the riverbank.

Wheres its mother? thought Grace.

So she took it home and hid it under her bed. Just

then, the egg started to crack. Grace swiftly leaped

away.

Grace stared at the creature. It was a baby allosaurus!

watch dylan amelia gibson read from "A FriendshipLost in Time"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VYMinVTmKQhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VYMinVTmKQhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VYMinVTmKQ


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45

H u C S H EL F

thesPiDer

I spun my web of silken threads, it took over a week

The details and the patterns, of art they are the peakThe fly flew in disrupting it, dont give me any buts

He doesnt even apologize, I think Ill suck his guts

watch huck shelf read "The Spider"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7Q47YyB5fYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7Q47YyB5fY


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47

A A I S M I TH

strawBerries

Your truth.

The sign of strawberries and new youth after the

Picking season has just begun and theHospital hallways are filled with love


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49

SO

PH I E

EM I

A O AA I g A Y IL BrO

AINSA

YthesheLter

One more boring day at the shelter Other pets are

getting adopted but not me. Why not me? It seems

nobody wants a little Maltese puppy when they couldget a more highly prized dog like an Akita. Will I ever

find a home?

A young girl is coming down my aisle! First she

throws a treat into every dogs cage. Then all the dogs

begin to bark like mad! They are so excited, but Im

afraid to be excited. What if I dont get picked again?

Wait! Shes walking past their cages and has stopped

in front of mine. The other dogs look very disappoint-

ed. I start to walk towards the glass tentatively, trying

to hide my excitement. I cant help myself and bark

excitedly. Pick me! Pick me! Evidently all she heard

was barks because her face didnt seem to register

what Id said.

I felt the disappointment well up inside me. I turnedto head back to my corner when I heard her say That

one! and point right at me. She had just chosen

me!

I ran back excitedly towards the door. I heard the


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50

click as the key opened the lock. As the door opened,

one of the workers scooped me up and took me in his

arms. I couldnt believe this was happening. Could itbe real this time?

The worker carried me into another room where the

little girl was waiting. She looked as excited as I felt

and I saw her arms outstretched eagerly. All I wanted

to do was leap into them. But I was too nervous to.What if she changed her mind? I tried to remain

hopeful.

I felt her small hand wrap around me and a warmth

spread through my body. My tail was going a mile a

minute. I was so happy! She pulled me in and I couldfeel her arms wrap around me and hug me close to

her body. I felt her head rest on mine and felt her

hand stroke the fur on my back. This was the best

feeling ever! I never wanted it to end.

Then she pulled me away and for a minute my heartalmost stopped because I thought she had changed

her mind. Instead, she held me at arms length, looked

into my eyes and said: Shes perfect. Shes the one!

My heart was so full. I leaned forward excitedly and

answered with a lick on her cheek. This sent her into

giggles. It was music to my ears.

I had finally found a home.

watch sophie emiko avigayil brozinsky read

"The Shelter"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ejCF9rj4iwhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ejCF9rj4iwhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ejCF9rj4iw


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51

H ENrY g E rHA r

thisishowitenDs

Somewhere in the endless darkness of this room, a

voice yells, What happened? And the room gets

darker. Then the noise starts. A vibrant siren, thesound of the streets, Korean chatter, and a machine is

wheeled out. I dont see it. I hear it, the rusty clink-

clunk of the wheels, and a low feedback sound, like a

pop star has dropped their microphone. I bite my lip,

and through a blinding burst of light, I see that the

cart with the rusty wheels has a car battery on it, and

the man with the cold eyes rips off my shirt.

The other man he is Korean brings two alligator

clamps and attaches them to my chest, and turns

the voltage on. The static does something, shakes

a memory, like hearing an old camp song, and then

remembering all the verses. Or seeing your favorite

childhood cartoon, and remembering the theme

song. I remember that I have already lived this, and

I know how it ends. He doesnt shoot me. I dont

die. I am exchanged. I am a prisoner in North Korea;there is a North Korean prisoner on the other side of

this shipping container. And I will be traded like

livestock tomorrow.

The light comes back, this time in full, and the


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52

shipping container fades away. There is an Asian

paramedic with a defibrillator, and I am in a fast

food restaurant. A mascot is staring at me, and a coldwashcloth is in a bowl of water next to me.

It happened again, even after 50 years, it comes back,

and will come back again, until it kills me.

Im not shot. I dont die peacefully. I dont die

honorably. I die being a senile old coot, in a rantcaused by post-traumatic stress disorder, from an

experience from 50 years ago.

This is how it ends.

watch henry gerharz read "This Is How it Ends"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7cUyVLMvIMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7cUyVLMvIM


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53

J AC Q

u E L I N E QuA CH

totheskyanDthenewLiVes

I come from many shops, from the imported Frenchperfume and shoes,

Vientiane of Laos

Humid, unbearably rainy, persistent weather

I am the son of red envelopes, of good luck water

thrown at New Years,

Of ghost stories, like Pee Krasue, the hideous witcheswith flying heads

Of the restaurants on Mekong River, without walls

and built on stilts,

Where we would dine on Sunday and watch our

soldiers

Standing at the murky, beige riverWomen wearing ao-dais, men with nothing but pants

Ive known the taste of exhaust from cotton-candy-

colored scooters

My soul has known the burning dead

At Wat Si Saket Temple

Hollow bodies lie horizontally on the platform,nobodies in this life

Schoolchildren watching in suspense: tan skin to

black powder

Is this how we will smell? A repulsive scent, carried

by the wind?


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54

The corpse suddenly sits up, our eyes wide open

Little innocents scream and wail

Leather shoes on the pavement towardsphaw andmae.

What will they be in the next life? A monk? A busi-

nessman?

A president? My pregnant aunts newborn baby?

Phaw and mae come over. In the Volkswagen we go

home.Outside the window, an airplane. Thats me, the pilot.

Or a baseball player in the next life.

watch jacqueline quach read "To the Sky and the

New Lives"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhE2KjANaq4http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhE2KjANaq4http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhE2KjANaq4


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