When the Sky is Blue by Anvi Patil

The sun doesn't rise when you wake up,

with the stillness of silence and the steam from your cup.

The coat of night looms above, it shimmers

from the millions of needle-poked holes that glimmer.

No matter the day, no matter the time.

You are always doing something sometime.

The sun doesn't stay when you sleep down,

The sun never waits when you're around

So, for once when the sky is bright and blue,

take a breath.

Take the time for the steam to sizzle, maybe try something new?

When the sun is up and its bright and blue, 

when sometimes there's streaks of red and night doesn't loom. 

You're not the sun that must go up and down,

someday you'll see the sky bright and blue,

not from a dark, dank room. 

When the sky is blue. Where are you?

When midnight comes by Julie Liu

blue is the color of my dress

and it shimmers as i rest

my head on the cold stone bench

blue is the color of my shoes

glass slippers that i threw

away in the yard out back

blue is the color of my tears

slow slipping as my fears

come true before my eyes

blue is the color of my dreams

tinted deep dark sheens

cracked and shattered like fragile glass

The Watchman's Walls by Anna Wu

Life is simple. Thought is dull. Every cup is always full.

A world's worth of smoldering stars are hibernal seen from afar.

Love is petty. Grief is stale. What mean they in the final tale?

Guilt's as dire a fault as trust. 

Unthwartable, the revenge of dust.

The fire's put out, the ashes cleaned, Ra sunken in the ravine

To return to his office duly with the banal morrow.

"Come, see the jungle's flower—bathed by the light tower,

Come offer your fruits and wine 

In blind mockery of the divine."

To arms, ye poor and jaded men! Toil ye through storm and fen!

All fall in the mighty Harvest, be the field won or run. 

But none, none among them, may gaze at the glass bedewed

With cloying red rubies, and say:

I have ever lived a day.

Change will wither, and bow, and age. Man remains infallibly tame.

The tide's song away from shore seems a pitiful, torpid roar. 

Falling leaves and paper sheaves swim through smoke-stacks' ashen reefs. 

Order is a clement lord;

Obeyed is his surest sword. 

Eyes will lie. Storms will tire. Gilded faults escape Versailles. 

The heathen whispers of the crude are shared by the great and shrewd.

In the dark room, does not every fleeting fancy inscribe a tomb? 

Chained by maudlin zeal, you

Forget which Janus-face is real. 

Cloaked processions set the carillons rattling tiredly in their shawls.

The fleeing man's abject plight is bathed in pale illusions' light.

A life is but a fleck of coal; its end takes naught from the whole.

To the hero of this rhyme:

Fear the intrinsic friction of time.  

The Side of the Path by Jacqueline Zhou

It is spring

Or rather winter

When the sun is full

and shining

and large

and shaped like that bowl of soup that I spilled–

So many times– 

And the wind blows like the delighted laughter of babies

And the ground, the dirt, the soil, the earth and the world–

It breathes–

It is dad’s birthday

I am alone in the back living room, where I pull the meaning from things, and then they are lifeless–

Emotionless and barren–

But they are useful.

I am making a paper cake from the remains of a manila folder–

Cream, pale friendship-rose yellow–

I tell myself it is for my presentation at school

That I am being productive

That I am doing something with what I know

That I am applying myself

-

That summer, when we walked home

And you walked to the side of the path–

Where the grass and the dandelions blend like paints in a bottle–

And when you came back

The fluffy seeds have already floated away

But I smile

And you smile

And I take the empty flower head anyway

-

Mother calls you

Po po is excited to hear your voice

But I work on

-

The flap of a butterfly’s wings, tracing itself around me;

Your voice when you don’t just leave me alone;

I was at your door that night,

Did you know?

Listening to your life 

And where did I put mine

I let you leave without a word of concern

Because now life says I ignore you

You cannot give me words anymore, and neither can I

Knowing all the names of your friends–

And all the names of your emails and your instagram and you–

Your name–

I called your name, once

You saw me, but life saw you too

And then you pulled away

And all I had left was your name

And then, when you left–

What was my name?

-

Twisting rectangles around until they become cylinders

Cutting confetti until it becomes paper frosting

Hearing your voice say that everything is fine, everything is beautiful in this world you have birthed yourself into

-

Mother says you read books to me

That I tried to follow you up the stairs, but couldn’t because crawling was all I knew

That you said you wanted to be a dump truck driver

That you wanted a brother but all you got was me

-

Candles with molten wax pinned on sunshine yellow cylinder

Cake, says my eyes

Paper lie, says my brain

-

You left for the world– 

I watched you wheel into the sky like swallows flowing out of the eaves–

And while you do not speak to me anymore

And you do not tell me how anything works anymore

And my life says there is nothing to talk about anymore

And the words, they fall like stones sinking into the ocean

And when you find pebbles on the beach, worn away into sand and silt and sediment–

Then will you reply

And will you tell me later, what you’ve done in all these gray years?

Smiles and Stones by Julie Liu

Her smile is sweet and set in stone

Her kindness never falters

She harbors no malicious bones

And angels all adore her

Even monsters had no heart

To harm this precious pearl

For there has been no monster

Unenchanted by this girl

And so it went, her story spread

To kingdoms far and wide

The story of the sparkling jewel

The angels’ greatest pride

Across the globe and underground

A secret city laughed

How could there be a good so strong

To tame their witchy craft

So to her home the witches sent

Their own almighty pride

The one whose heart had ceased to beat

The evil dark as night

But the little gem, despite the dark

Still opened up her door

And happily welcomed her inside

Her loveable abode

No matter how hard that she tried

The witch could not resist

The temptation to fall for all

That she once easily dismissed

The warmth and generosity

The girl showed toward the witch

Grew all too much for miss cold hearted

Unfeeling enchantress

So even though the witch’s fondness

For the girl had grown

She let herself enjoy the last

Of her sweet smile set in stone

Succubus by Anna Wu

Our man went out late last night

into the little slumbering backstreets

and saw (he did) by the half-light

the fabled succubus’ outline 

so to-

-wards her he fell, fell, 

fell and no one dared to 

hear, cared to call him out of Hell 

no one on the slumbering streets

for which he yearned last night.

This morn our man said

a succubus he saw!

(he did) in the streets, florets red

gold red gold red

blood, wine and song

ringed around her head

And a tail, he said,

folded wings, claws;

and that with the dawn

she sank to ashes 

like the dead.

A laugh, our tale was, 

whispering ‘round tables

so when night fell again

no one followed our

man who’d seen a succubus

(he did!) into the streets 

and saw how 

when the dawn came 

to the ground 

they went

like 

the dead.

The Chase by Yohana Kim

Two little men guarding a grove, their bellies round and smiles wide

She squeezed between the Tweedles and she hurried to the other side

She stumbled past a tea party, brushed past the guests of the Mad Hatter

Disheveled, sitting side by side, with broken teacups on a platter

A looking-glass—a game of chess—the Duchess’s benign caress—

She reached out—just a meter short!—and roughly brushed aside the mess

At last! at last! she saw the waistcoat, gleaming pocket-watch most grand

He raised the trumpet to his mouth and blew the royal fanfare and 

She leaned toward him with outstretched hand—

A glimpse of white—a flash of fur—a flapping waist-coat curvature—

For all its worth was just a dream, 

But one can never be quite sure…

The Evergreen Stands by Justin Lo

Towering above the sea of green, the evergreen stands.

To the Heavens it rises, held by the hands of God.

Left to suffer, its aged roots permanently shackled to the earth.

Through wind and blaze, thunder and frost, its spine withstands.

Dead needles shower the land from above. 

A carpet of frailed thorns and dust resides for the king.

Creatures bow to the high and mighty, the tyrant of the land.  

Threads of silk, the summer snow woven around its branches.

A fresh aroma of a thousand scents captivates in the breeze.

Nourishing the ill and defending the meek, the protecting hand.

Decades into centuries can not halt its ongoing reign.

For when the time does come, the world will cease to exist.

Towering above the earth, the evergreen stands.

Morticia's Command by Shakeng Moua

Androgynous marionettes colorfully waltz beneath the chemical light

Their napes desperately clasping onto their tender threads

The walls woefully shake its paintings with contrite

A lanky, abhorred woman towers next to her macarabe wed

The music points its fingers at them, letting out sardonic chords

Faithless driveling of the perverted children flatter

The lariat swings playfully above the misericordia

Ambitionless servants hold hands on silver platters

The last name of Addams is vexingly worn gloriously

A lineage of mothers born into a vase

Sinful colors wash across the manor delightfully

The abhorred woman stands on the footsteps- she is the climax of grace

Seasons by Jason Lo

As this year begins, an old one ends.

Exhaling clear clouds of frost at dawn,

Awaits us the first rays of light on the horizon.

Rain roaring and punching our umbrellas,

As we walk down the slippery, soaked streets.

Winter

Flowers bloom, moisture grasps the air,

Morning dew raises the fresh scent of grass.

A child blows on a pure dandelion,

Up and away the white petals fly.

Spring

School is out, freedom here we come!

The highway mirage reflects like a mirror, 

Incinerating temperatures circulate everywhere.

Salty sweat dripping from our faces.

Summer 

Dim orange light of a setting sun.

Orange invades the green,

As they make their way to the ground.

A bare, naked tree stands alone.

Fall

As this year ends, a new one begins.

A Writer or Musician by Brian Woo

The Muse sings, in bars of song

Yet shall I cry, by the pen alone

Whether it shall be plunk of a string,

Or the to the toot of a horn

Bequeath my love in letters,

While yours in notes, shall you sound

Whilst I say to you, in ink and quill

Deafened, there you hum a tune

In the delight of your own sound

Drowned out is my calls for you

Ronald McDonald House- Time for Life by Ariana Perez

A brave face is all that is required each week with time to give

I walk into the house not knowing what happened since my last visit

These are the thoughts I have before honoring my commitment

To know someone who is facing death and see them give you a wink and a nod

All you can do is smile back and live for the moment

Time for life is so precious, there is no time to grieve, cry and be depressed

A simple act, of kindness with a positive attitude, can have quite an impact.

Like a ripple in a pool of water when the stone is cast

A smile and a laugh, can take the pain away longer, than a tear and a cry will last

If you think it is difficult for me to endure and bare,

imagine them sharing their precious time with you to care.

To live a moment of true happiness is a noble quest

As a volunteer we bring, laughter, joy, and a big smile to fulfill this request

Robbing death of another second, we play games and enjoy life to the best

While in my heart I pray for their pain and suffering to go away and help them rest.

My day ends with air hugs and blowing kisses

Another day of joyful bliss the grim reaper will miss. 

Levanta Te - Huelga De Humana by Ariana Maria Virginia Pérez

I am Latina with Hispanic heritage, and this is the month given to us to celebrate nuestra raza

Escúchame bien! Listen and learn to the truth, this is not Fake News.

I look back at my ancestors with the Dia De Los Muertos and tell them our struggle continues

I tell them the Anti-Mexican Sentiment has returned from the past, but maybe it has never left us

I have learned of the Segregation in Schools, Lynching and, Murders only to hear horror stories with the march for the Frontera and border state murders

This land was our land, this land was my peoples land, from California to Texas, from the redwood forest to the Gulf Coast, Nuestra tierra no es tuyo.

The broken promise of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, now who is the thief and who is the landowner

My people have been called: Lazy, Dirty, Drunk, Stupid, and Dangerous, this is as racist as you can be

Angry calls for the Wall and Mass Deportations at rallies when aid is needed to be given for this human crisis.

We are called Illegal, hunted by ICE, and deported while criminal gangs like MS-13 do not represent us.

Even when you do have citizenship you are treated as a Second-Class Citizen by the shade of your skin

My uncle served in the Korean War and many other Mexican-Americans Served as brave veterans

All this just to have the ugly head of racism to reappear in the open even though so many hard working Mexican-Americans hold jobs, and pay their taxes.

We are the majority in the state of California, but need new leaders like Chaves and Huerta again

Do you see the human rights violations, it’s unlawful deprivation of individual rights inherent to us all?

Immigrant Detention Centers are constructed, and cages are built to hold the stolen children separated from their parents during the interrogation process.

You look to label us with your imaginary status rather than see us as fellow human beings: Green Card, Temporary Protective Status, Refuge, Naturalized Citizen, DACAA, Undocumented and illegal.

Enough is enough, Basta! The time has come to declare a Huelga De Humana! Yo declaro!

Levanta te and break the chains and cages that bind us.

Ode to Thought by James lopez

A day passes by 

Second after second, minute after minute, hour after hour

For what seems like consuming task

Impossible, cower

So I try, I try one, I try another

I try all those that exist

I try his method, her method, whoever’s method

And I stay, unable to resist

I try to fight the paper, who is duly equipped

I fail to pierce its impenetrable shield

I slip one way or another

On uneven footing in this field

I look at the clock, taunting me

I look at the teacher reading silently

I look at the door temptingly

I look at the paper frustratingly

I go above or below looking for its achilles’ heel

I slip under and to the side looking around its tough armor

I look at my enemy in the eye and feel the fear, the desperation

The cold darkness, fear of forever imprisonment

Yet suddenly, a glimmer of light

A point of weakness, a solution to my madness

I jot down, line after line, picking my own lock

I look at the paper, with courage

I write down my answer, feeling accomplished

I defeated my enemy, won the battle

Found its achilles’ heel

As I stare on, I see more antagonists on the horizon

Yet here I am, equipped with only my pencil

The most powerful tool of all

Note to Self by Julie Liu

promise me you won’t

stay up past 2 am again

promise me you’ll

try to finish work by 10 pm

promise me you won’t

be that same old procrastinator

promise me you’ll

study hard and play a little later

promise me you won’t

let yourself fall into despair

promise me you’ll

keep your mind and body healthier

promise me you won’t

forget this on a dusty shelf

promise me you’ll

keep this promise for me and yourself

Ode to Chicago by Nichole Wheeler

Dear distantly cold Chicago, 

How chilly you are,

Where it may even snow,

And may seem bizarre,

To those who don’t know.

Throughout the centuries,

You are as calm as a sloth,

Never needing too much energy.

Although we must be heavily wrapped in cloth

In order to withstand your accessories. 

My Mirror by Nichole Wheeler

Oh, dear mirror of mine,

I see myself through your eyes.

Oh, how I am a shining star,

But then you judge my scars

From time and time again you smile,

While during others you’re in denial.

I thank you for these moments,

Where I am always your commitment.

Though you are like a security camera, 

always watching my every move.

You keep me on your mind,

So we are forever intertwined.

My Reason to Stay by Lynn Sunwoo

My first life brought me nothing but wars.

Each day, I slaved away, fighting battles that were not mine. 

Willingly was I used by others, forcingly was I a believer of good. 

Not able to stand any longer, I plunged my sword into myself, begging for rest. 

I had no reason to stay. 

To my horror, I awoke to a second life.

This time as a traveler, I avoided staying in one place for too long.

Afraid of reliving my first, I tried my best to be selfish. 

Prideful I came, berated I went. It was a sin to be kind to myself.

I had no reason to stay. 

I couldn’t die. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t die. 

Even though I begged the Father for hundreds of years, 

I lived each day painfully, watching the undeserving live a morality unscathed. 

Angrily, I swore to never stop welcoming death with open arms.

I had no reason to stay. 

But you, a mere boy, dared to cross my path.

You in your rose-colored finery and your rose-colored view.

I have seen your scars, why is it that you still insist on living?

I have never seen a sight so baffling yet so magnificent. 

Surely, I have no reason to stay…

The days I used to dread facing,

Turned into days I yearned for. 

Experiencing your affection has shaped me into something I never expected,

A grateful, happy being. 

Maybe, I do have a reason to stay. 

All throughout my lives, I was ready to die. 

I made my decision to leave as I saw no worth in this world. 

Death is now at my door, waiting for me. 

But why do I keep turning back?

Perhaps, I want to see your face for a little longer.

Yes, I think that is why I have decided to stay. 

More by Jason Dong

More

The child expected something more.

Holding a plastic figurine, 

staring, wondering if

a trophy was what it was all for.

Two thousand hours and counting

And counting and counting and

A plastic figurine,

Was all it was for.

Treading through a sea of

empty metal chairs,

certificate in hand

Was this all it was for?

Two hundred loud fights on

black and white notes

But a deafening silence

Was all it was for.

Monotonous years through virtual plains

were led by indulgent RGB mice.

And though twenty months ago,

you would find them otherwise;

their mind became a pixel hourglass

Turning, and turning,

and so full of sand.

but a pattern through time only

Flips itself over; and

Spends so much energy

on nothing at all. So

mouse in hand, treading virtual sands,

tasked with balancing escapism and reality

The child expected something more.

at the end of the day by Hanim Seok

we all want someone we can reside with

without having to think twice or contemplate

because at the end of the day

we are all humans who sought for love

even if we fall there is someone

to brighten up your gloomy day

which is nothing extravagant

but yet something we can’t shove

what if light and hope disappeared 

we’d be stuck in a metaverse of 

loneliness and darkness that

couldn’t be tended without that someone

so maybe it isn’t a bad idea to

gather that courage and

tell that person that you really are

grateful for all they do

because at the end of the day

we are all humans who sought for love 

even through the highs and lows of life

it would still be us forevermore