I stopped to listen to life around me. I paused my scrolling when I heard a familiar story. It was a childhood favorite. So, I listened to the moment between two strangers. It brought me back to joyful times. It reminded me to be present in the moments that can only be brought back by ...

Each moment I held you in my arms was more fleeting than a rose petal’s beauty as it falls to the ground to die.  The taste of your lips, sweet as Coca-Cola, lingers like burnt sugar.  I beheld our summer days that in my youth I prayed would endure forever.  I tried so hard to pretend we could be immortal and live like kings and queens.  Every kingdom must crumble, but our story will forever live ...

“What do you want for your birthday? Are you going to celebrate with anyone?” Grandma asks me while we sit across from each other during one of our usual Sunday afternoon visits.   “Oh…I don’t really have anything planned. My friends are busy, and I have schoolwork to worry about,” I reply, rubbing the back of my neck.   Despite ...

In 2019, my girlfriend and I scored tickets to see Dear Evan Hansen, my favorite musical. As I walked into the theater, the buzz of excitement charged the air and surged through me like lightning. I had always been a fan, so the opportunity to see it on Broadway made my heart race as if ...

Opening the windows on a warm dayAnd watching the curtains flutterWith each breath of fresh airAs your house slowly revives Listening to the early-morning birdsAs they chit and chatter with the dawn,Announcing a new wave of lifeAfter winter’s dark sleep Watching as redbud trees and daffodilsLead a parade of ever-changing colors,Covering the earth in a ...

Why do these walls torment me, their screams vicious and never-ending, So shrill in my ears, consuming my vision until my eyes become blurry? What unnerving secrets do they hold that demand my attention? They’re filled to the brim, stuffed with memory after memory. They’ve seen every part of my life, from my first steps ...

Midnight at Camerhogne Park, stargazing under the vast Caribbean sky, warmed by the gentle night breeze. Days at BBC Beach, swimming in the crystal blue sea, to the sound of crashing waves. Evenings at Quarantine Point, watching the sun disappear into the horizon, the sky; a painted hue of orange and red. Mornings in your ...

I’ve been a native New Yorker for 36 years. I was born in Queens. We spent endless amounts of time outside during my childhood, running up and down the block. I rarely left the confines of my street. All my friends lived there, so our parents could keep a watchful eye on us. My neighborhood ...

*Content Warning* This story contains themes of kidnapping, drug abuse, animal cruelty, and physical and verbal abuse. Read with caution if such themes may be upsetting. *** Shelby slowly walks down the corridor into the living room, where she sits in a round wicker chair. She looks down at her feet and clasps her hands ...

a twist in your gut marks this violent path a heartbeat taken a breath driven out his smile shadows your memories and the blood that soiled his face when he died father’s ghost taunts you in the night where peace can find no purchase in your dreams thirstful vengeance marks your violent path bodies in ...