Be Proud!

 by Sasha Rainer

Be strong with your hopes,

Be brave to pass slopes,

Be heard with your voice,

Make thoughtful wise choice.

Be mindful of love,

Be looking above,

Be failures allowed

But always be proud!

Peace, Joy, and Love by Trevor Paal

 

To always be calm with abundant white seen 

everywhere

warm, soft blankets wrapping around

a feeling of happiness washes over everything

jumping up to the orange sun and

coming back down, crashing into the earth, and

exploding

a comforting pink touch caresses a cheek 

reminding everyone to love one another

love brings joy and joy brings peace

Plagued dalliances by Aiden Levy

 

Walking home in my neighborhood,

I face incognito stones

Trying to trip agile runners,

Nosy dogs declaring authority

Over uncharted land,

Gaggles of geese

Mapping their route away

From decidedly endless, frozen pandemic days,

Where astounding numbers of lives have been lost.

I’m not dead, except in creativity.

Short Time by Miller Laffoon

 

Snow settles on the earth.

Stillness sets in.

Mommy sits near me so softly,

and reading begins.

Soup simmers on the stove.

Cookies are baking.

Another soothing day,

in the making.

Snow softens the world,

and slows its spin.

I dream of this pace,

to forever begin.

In this soft, still time, the world is better.

It slows the madness and stops the chatter.

In this time, the real things matter.

In this time, the world is soft like butter.

The house is full of goodness and clutter.

The house is warm and the fire is blazing.

So many things happening, that I find amazing.

Families together and singing their songs.

The earth is removed from all of its wrongs.

For a simple short time, the world is right.

Oh, how I hope for more snow tonight.

Desires Oracle

 by Ruhi Khanna

I find the game of love,

Less then any accomplishment,

I find the appeal of love,

Calling some to abandon hope.

I find the reign of pure time,

Negative to hilly rocky roads,

I find the stillness of haste,

Makes the cage tighter.

I find the withered roses,

Say the tale of rancid games,

I find the leaning of mind,

Tames the adventure spirit.

I find the kindness of expression

Elevates the humble heart,

I find the lasting noise,

Fills me with gratitude.

Waves

 By Kaavish Kapoor

“Every wave only gains size by playing in the shallows. Any potential obstacle seems to make the wave stronger. Similarly, people become more resilient with hardship. "

A Letter to Damar Hamlin from Brielle Stewart

 By Brielle Stewart

 

Dear Damar, 

I am fifteen years old and have non-speaking autism. I am also a huge Bills fan. I was lovingly raised in the shadow of the stadium where I learned to type to communicate. The Bills have always inspired me. They are often overlooked or underestimated. That is what it is like when you can't speak. Damar, I was watching on TV when you got hurt. I began begging Jesus for your life to be spared. When you woke up it was a wondrous answer to prayers. When you wrote your first words I understood how you felt. I cannot speak, but my words reveal I am in here. I have a nationwide circle of friends who type to talk too. We meet quietly on Zoom every Thursday to chat about books. I try to make them all Bills fans. My friends are like the Bills, they never quit. I wish you so many healthy strong days ahead.

Signed

A Silent Fan,

Brielle Stewart