To celebrate Friendship Day on August 6th, we asked writers from all across the world to submit their friendship-themed writing to be published on our blog. These amazing submissions are paired with feedback from our editors Bri, Smrithi, and Ava. Enjoy the crème de la crème of submissions as you reminisce on your own friendships!
POETRY
Haikus:
Honeyed Dedication
stuck to your knuckles
won’t budge; stay when needed most
through treach’rous troubles.
recognize as sweet
when times are happy, carefree--
grateful for before.
by Jules Duve
Instagram: @jules_duve
Bio: Jules Duve is a Filipino American high school student in North Carolina. They enjoy literature through many mediums: reading, writing, editing, and even the study of language itself. They plan to pursue archaeological linguistics and a life filled with writing, from typing unseen poetry in their notes app to analyzing the occasional classic.
Category: Poetry - Haiku(s)
Inspiration: This poem is inspired by my personal friendships. My friends would stick by me even when I tried to purposefully push them away. Later, I found that I admired their dedication and appreciated that they continued to support me. Many of my peers I've discussed this with have gone through similar situations, and it's my hope that others my age may relate as well.
Feedback from Smrithi: This set of two haikus is an example of how you don’t need a lot of words or pages to connect with readers- all you need is 24 words. I love how effortlessly this piece flows. The duality between the two haikus is showcased masterfully and I love the contrast between the two ideas. Both however connect to the theme of friendship and it is definitely something all our readers will be able to relate to. I hope everyone found a piece of themselves in this piece just like I did :)
Ties in Turmoil
Wrapped in fake gold foil,
Roots tangled above the soil,
Friends and foes do coil.
by Isabella Norris
Instagram: @_isabella.norris_
Bio: Isabella is a sixteen, almost seventeen-year-old from Canada. Some hobbies of hers are crocheting, reading, running, and writing. She also enjoys making niche playlists but is unsure if that qualifies as a hobby. People that inspire her are Angela Davis, Emily Dickinson, Pam Muñoz Ryan, and Sappho.
Category: Poetry - Haiku
Inspiration: What inspired me to write this haiku was a recent friendship breakup I went through. I think that is very relatable for teens, as we are at an age where we are slowly but surely emotionally maturing, and as we evolve, we are bound to outgrow people.
Feedback from Smrithi: This piece is certainly interesting as on its surface it seems like three unrelated phrases. But when you read the inspiration behind the piece and begin to unravel the mysteries of this piece, you realize there’s a lot more than what meets the eye. The implications of this short poem, the connotations of words like ‘fake’, ‘tangled’, ‘friends and foes’ - all of them create a twisted web of interpretations that together paint a picture of how friendships aren’t always what they seem like. I love this piece and I love how the author has chosen to write it!
Friendship
Filled with gratitude.
For I found a friendship like,
A blanket of love.
by Bushra Ali
Instagram: @calm_peace
Bio: Bushra Ali is a poet and writer from Pakistan. She's been living in this enthralling world of writing since her childhood. The spark of storytelling and dancing with words was ignited in heart by the countless books she read in her school library. She believes in the saying that ‘Everyone has a story to tell’, and she chooses to write her stories by her words. Bushra showcased her writings mainly through social media platforms and then made her way to a few magazines. She admires and has a passionate love for literature and all that holds. Bushra aspires to publish her own books someday. You can read more of her work at her Instagram account @calm_pace.
Category: Poetry - Haiku
Inspiration: True friendships are indeed a blessing. I am lucky because I am surrounded by people who always support me with their genuine love. Friendships provide you a home in a state of despair. A warm blanket of love that you drape yourself with on a gloomy day.
Feedback from Smrithi: This is a heartwarming short piece that speaks about the importance of friendships in our daily life. I love how the piece is written and how it flows across the formatting of a haiku. The italicization of the last line is particularly impactful as it highlights the enormity of a good friendship in our lives. Excellent haiku!
Grieving Together
Then, we haunt your flat,
toothbrush dangling from teeth.
Only you remain.
by Rachael Aimee
Instagram: @rachaelaimee.art
Bio: Rachael Aimee is a young writer based in South-East London with an interest in unravelling the body to find what lurks beneath, through experimental form, sticky language, and grief.
Category: Poetry - Haiku
Inspiration: This haiku is about finding rock bottom, struggling to do the smallest things to keep going, and a friend remaining there when everything else is lost. the power of friendship is often underestimated in life, but grief is a time where it shows itself to be stronger than we'd all thought.
Feedback from Smrithi: I am in awe of this piece. In three sentences, the author manages to convey a feeling with multiple layers and many different aspects of it. I love the idea behind this piece and how the author has chosen to execute it. It conveys both a melancholic and an eerie atmosphere at once, and leaves an impact on the reader. Excellently done!
Everyday
Ice cream on the roof,
relishing in the sunset,
our backs to the world.
by Chi Le
Instagram: @lychee_sept
Bio: Chi Le is a Vietnamese high-school student who enjoys reading, watching and reading. She is fascinated by English Literature and all small, everyday things that pique her interest.
Category: Poetry - Haiku
Inspiration: This is the image that would pop up in my mind whenever I think about friendship. Having your best pal beside you, you just know instantly that they will always have your back, even if it means that they have to turn theirs on the world.
Feedback from Smrithi: This piece immediately brings a single and vivid image to our mind- one that we all would’ve experienced in one form or the other. A day with our friends, carefree and happy, as we take in the comfort of not being alone in the world. I adore how this is written and how it brings up memories for the reader. Splendidly done!
i’ll always want to do your makeup
Love is the lipstick
In my hand, tracing your lips
With soft devotion
by Andrea Wagner
Instagram: @redpandrea
Bio: Andrea Wagner is a graduate student in English lit and rhetoric as well as an editor for Penumbra, Stan State's literary journal.
Category: Poetry - Haiku
Inspiration: It's a queer piece about loving a girl and doing her makeup. Might seem basic, but I feel like the simplicity of a haiku really captures the fragility of the moment.
Feedback from Smrithi: As the author mentioned in their note on the inspiration, this short poem captures a single moment in time. The choice of the moment, the phrasing of the sentences, the title - all of it corresponds to paint a picture more effectively than a longer piece could’ve. I love the underlying themes and messages behind this poem- how the author illustrates that love isn’t grand gestures or outlandish dates but a simple moment that symbolizes mutual trust and affection. This one made me smile and I hope you smile too :)
From me to you
From me to you,
a binding thread of fate,
a bridge that melds our souls.
by Alice
Instagram: @aliceswips
Bio: Alice is an aspiring young writer from Italy who has been pouring her heart on paper since her childhood. She is a night owl who lives in her own wonderland and draws inspiration from her experiences, passions and emotions.
Category: Poetry - Haiku
Inspiration: “In a few lines, I've tried to describe the strong and unbreakable bond between two friends, symbolized by both a thread and a bridge. The thread, woven by fate, aims to represent a tight connection between them that's nearly impossible to break, while the bridge symbolizes the overcoming of differences and distances to create a solid link and direct communication between the two individuals.”
Feedback from Bri: Short but sweet. I love the complexity of the words, even though seemingly simple, they can mean a variety of things. The mention of the folklore is beautiful and how it represents a path between two people and remains connected; the idea of souls meaning it’s deeper than just two people physically being together in any way and things can be overcome to bring people together.
Together, We Drunk the Sun
she was late for tea
and the moon remained un-pink.
but warmth? we’re a choice.
by Christopher Tang
Social Media: @chris.tang15 (Insta) , chris_tang15 (Twitter) Bio: Christopher Tang is a Writing MA student at Warwick university, where he also writes for The Tab and was appointed Editor-in-Chief at The Tab Warwick. Specialising in poetry/non-fiction, he intends to pursue art and entertainment journalism in the future, and later publish his own debut poetry collection. His creative work can be found in numerous publications such as Outlander Magazine, Seaside Gothic and RUBY Literary. Category: Poetry - Haiku
Inspiration: “I met my best friend over two years ago now. We decided to meet for bubble tea and watch the famous pink moon rise on our university campus. But she was late for 10mins for tea, and the pink moon never appeared. it was just normal moon coloured. Yet, it didn’t need to be pink, and she didn’t need to be on time. Everything she does for me, as my best friend, is enough. Her simplicity is perfect. And despite that cold, barely Spring night where we stayed up to try and find the moon, I had never felt warmer. I think this is what speaks to youth nowadays - we’re always told to be something MORE, when in reality, we are just enough. we are warm. we are on time. we are pink.” Feedback from Bri: A raw yet warming, profound piece. I love the idea the friendship is about forgiveness, staying when things don’t always go right and choice. I think being late to meeting with someone is something common and important in friendships but it can be forgiven through compassion and maintain a strong friendship; appreciating that someone is enough even when they’re not always meeting expectations. The message that people are always told they can be more can be abused so I love that you recognise that and bring home the message that we’re always enough.
Sounds of Summer
Windows down, fresh air,
fountain drink fizz, quaint laughter—
Summer night music.
by Xalynn Perez
Instagram: @xaeforshort
Bio: Xalynn is a writer currently residing in New Braunfels, Tx. She enjoys local coffee shops, reading, and film photography. You can find previous work published in the Fall ‘22 issue of The Creative Zine.
Category: Poetry - Haiku
Feedback from Ava: Three descriptive lines that capture the platonic ideal of friendship. Reading this haiku allowed me to be transported into the scene that is described. The quintessential feeling of friendship without need for a mention of another person. Everyone has had a moment like this with their friends and this haiku produces a sense of nostalgia for those times.
Conventional Poetry:
Lose a Friend
It’s always sad to lose a friend
I just know that they’ll forget me.
And I always think that the next time I see them
They’ll act like they never met me.
I’m not saying it’s their fault, I know I’m pretty forgettable.
People will come and they’ll always go, I just find it so regrettable.
That I’ll keep missing people, That won’t even remember that they lost me.
And we’ll all keep moving on, and I won’t really acknowledge what it cost me.
That I’m not even a footnote in their stories,
While they were a whole chapter in mine
And I’ll never really tell them,
But I’ll still talk about it and rhyme.
And life will just keep moving on, like it’s been known to do.
But if I ever finally write a book, just know that one of those poems will be about you
by Mayhem
Instagram: @w.rite.now
Bio: A writer who is always wrestling with the thoughts in her head, in an effort to mold them into a form of expression that may or may not be understood by others
Category: Poetry - Conventional
Feedback from Smrithi: This poem is absolutely beautiful! I have a soft spot for poems with rhyming couplets because they always read so effortlessly and like a song. This poem conveys such a simple idea in a profound way and I love the choice of words- especially the contrast between a footnote and a chapter. The last line had me smiling in a bittersweet way. As everybody would’ve lost friends at some point or the other, I’m sure this poem will be relatable to a lot of our readers! Know that if they were meant to leave, there’s nothing you can do to make them stay </3
Heart Invasion
we sat on a bench at the park laughing to every
stupid thing we said.
we talked about life, about people.
i said I don't like people invading my privacy.
she replied,
yes, I don't like people invading my privacy
too, and the most private thing to me
is my heart — but you already claimed it.
by Adedokun Ibrahim Anwar
Twitter: @IbraaheemAde1
Bio: Born on a Friday in October, Adedokun Ibrahim Anwar is a homeschooled Nigerian, a teen writer who was born and raised in the suburbs of Lagos. He writes in a voice that is meaningful communication, for himself, for those who seek to be touched in places where humans can’t. His work has appeared or are forthcoming in literary journals, including Brittle Paper, Eunoia Review, African Writer Magazine, The Kalahari Review, The Shallow Tales Review and elsewhere. If you don't find him catching up with late night deadlines, you find him building bricks with toddlers.
Category: Poetry - Conventional
Inspiration: I was on a call with a loved one. She was staring the things she dislike, then I mentioned something, her reply sparked the poem up my head. It's a piece you wouldn't want to have it in your submission file without publishing. You are hungry for this, I know.
Feedback from Bri: I love the simple yet profound themes of this piece. The choice of first person really helps to make this shine and as you said in your explanation, it does well in discussing different feelings. I love the reciprocation between two people to demonstrate what a friendship can be too. It’s not just having a good time, but having a sad experience and sharing it; being vulnerable, intimate and sharing private things.
two
There was something special about tonight:
I saw you there, under the dim lights,
the reminiscing memories started to shine
and once again, your soul ran to mine.
Your hands lift my heart: it feels less heavy
than it did in the void of your absence.
Your voice takes me away from madness,
it will make me love again, when I’m ready.
I didn’t know words could sew
the cracks on my tongue, but yours do,
and no kiss, no touch could heal the bruise
like the sole standing next to you.
If our ghosts could tangle together,
I would wish for a swiffer path to heaven.
by Teresa M Medina
Instagram: @louvre_in_blue
Bio: She is a high school student and (occasional) poet. Too busy and too tired.
Category: Poetry - Conventional
Inspiration: I think the most important thing about the poem is that it doesn't treat friendship as a kind of relationship less valuable or deep than romantic love, which is something that is often shown in media. I wrote it about a friend of mine, and I believe this kind of relationships are beautiful and deserve to be written.
Feedback from Bri: A heartwarming piece. I enjoyed the gradual introduction with the context of time and how the relationship was introduced and particularly, the idea of two souls. The emphasis on how the person feels better when they are with the other person is lovely and very relatable. I also love the idea that this person is unique and they want to be together.
Connection
Connections, like red thread
Tied together, non-binding
Easily broken, yet
It grows stronger at every bullet point
Wear and tear
The red string's been through it all
Colors fading into merging grey
Still, it stands tall.
Bonds unbroken
strings out of shape
A connection so frequently called upon
It's best friends forever
by Deeksha
Instagram: @wizardee.in
Bio: Deeksha is a teen writer, poet and an aspiring author. If she's not on her computer frantically writing then she's probably on the couch reading another book or taking a long walk. Some of her other hobbies include driving, coding and art.
Category: Poetry - Conventional
Inspiration: The anime show "your name" inspired the red-string theme. In Japanese culture a string is always used to demonstrate bonds and I find that to be very intriguing, very beautiful. It was also inspired by Taylor Swift's song "invisible string" I don't believe in fate but I believe that when you meet someone and form a connection with them, the string is attached and even though it might end up being broken someday, all of us know that the string never really detaches from inside us. Friends are these unbroken but severely worn threads, and some of these threads will never break, as though they were never meant to..... "isn't it magical to think that there was some invisible string attaching you to me?”
Feedback from Bri: A sweet piece. I love how you took inspiration from the idea of the red thread of fate and described the red thread and the persistence of it through beautiful descriptions. The beautiful metaphor really lends to the piece when you discuss how the colour faded into a grey, yet the friendship still persists.
Room 930 (or, movie night at Phoebe’s)
Six girls pile on a twin XL,
half-watching Ladybird/Twilight/Pitch
Perfect. I am basking
in the hum of the projector and the chorus
of gossip/laugh/cry.
I, an only child never short of
sisters. Family magnolia
blooming and sap-dripped over the
glow of a film that bathes us
in the too-tight dorm.
(I was once thirteen, atheistic girlhood praying
for joy like this, crying
it will get better,
it will get better,
it must get better.)
by Brianna DeLima Ifland
Instagram: @briannaifland
Bio: Brianna Ifland is a Filipino-American creative writing and multimedia production student at the University of Arkansas, where she has proudly founded the Film Honors Society. Her work is marked by interpersonal relationships, culture, identity, and mental health. Despite her theatre-heavy background, she now focuses on expanding her storytelling to prose, poetry, and film.
Category: Poetry - Conventional
Inspiration: I remember being a young teenager and envying the friend groups who would hang out all of the time. I couldn't drive, and my parents were a little strict. So, once I got to college, I was surrounded by friends. We developed a habit of having weekly, if not twice-a-week movie nights. Recovering from a breakup and the difficult transition to college, it was my friends who got me to the place I'm at now. I don't know where I would be without them. I wish I could tell my younger self that I would find people who truly understood me, and I think that's expressed pretty well in this piece.
Feedback from Ava: Beautiful imagery that really places you in the dorm room with the narrator. The joy of finding family after having wished for one for so long is palpable. I especially adore the ending parentheses and what the contents add to the piece, reflective and bittersweet, a reminder that there are so many great things ahead in life.
Love Poem To My Best Friends Who Live In
Different Corners Of The World
In another life, we play Jenga in my living room
on a Saturday evening. When you knock over the tower,
we all laugh before our second glass of fruit-punch, fairy lights
twinkling over us. In another life, our soft moments happen
in real time and not over glass screens, and I give you a hug
when I see you cry. In another life, I call you less & less
because I can always come over. I make your bed when
you can’t get up. I know what you like for dinner after
a difficult day, & what levels of spice you can tolerate.
In another life, I bouquet the stars and lay them at our feet.
I tag along for hospital visits. I make sure you catch your train.
In another life, we spend all night cursing out the coworker
who makes you cry. In another life, my world exists within
smaller boundaries, and that makes it larger than it has ever been.
by Phoenix Tesni
Social Media: @PhoenixTesni (Instagram and Twitter)
Bio: Phoenix Tesni (she/her) is a twenty-three year-old poet from New Delhi. A Best Small Fictions finalist, her works also appear in Surging Tide, Limelight Review, Sage Cigarettes, Celestite Poetry, and many other places. Phee likes to dedicate her life to consuming & creating art, indulging in all forms of South-Korean multimedia, and petting as many cats as possible. You can find her at phoenixtesni.com or on Twitter/Instagram @PhoenixTesni.
Category: Poetry - Conventional
Feedback from Ava: A poem that truly captures the longing that comes with long distance. An imagining of a life you could have with the people that you love so dearly that live so far away. The parallel structure that carries throughout the piece is a great way to show that there are so many things you could be doing with your friends but that you can’t. I fell in love with the metaphor “I bouquet the stars and lay them at our feet”. It is so visual and such a gorgeous picture of love and devotion.
friendship
Content warning:
Implied mental health struggles
the support of a friend
can mean everything.
a single soul to talk to
when the world is too busy to care.
a smile that returns a single sliver
of light to your day.
a hand to hold and pull you up,
an non-judgemental hug.
the unfailing support of a true friend
has the power to change a life.
by Luca
Instagram: @cracked.illusion
Bio: Luca(they/them) writes poetry for fun alongside being in full time education. They also enjoy reading, listening to and playing music.
Category: Poetry - Conventional
Inspiration: This poem is for people who’ve been struggling with life (especially mental health, but it isn’t explicitly mentioned) and how a friend has helped them out of it, whether they knew it or not.
Feedback from Ava: The power of friendship cannot be overstated and this poem touches on a vital aspect of that. Friends can pull you through the darkest moments of your life, and can give you the support you need in your most difficult moments. Luca does a great job of showing how just one moment of love or kindness from a friend can mean a world of difference. A well done, important poem.
To Know and To Be Friends
To know someone is one thing:
You see them in class, you’re in the same club.
Close enough for a polite glance in their direction,
Far enough for an unfriendly snub.
But to be friends is something else entirely:
Sometimes you may find yourselves miles apart,
Trapped between unspoken barriers,
Or in the midst of an argument that may break a heart.
But you will still be friends at the end of the day.
For you both share that longing closeness,
That happiness that never deserves to end.
And friendship is simply knowing this.
by Avery Leloup
Instagram: @avery_tortellini
Bio: Avery Leloup is a curious soccer fanatic from New England. When they’re not reading a book or watching Messi play, you might find them kayaking, cycling, or writing.
Category: Poetry - Conventional
Inspiration: I was pretty inspired to write this based on my own experiences with friendship. I know every teen struggles with friendships in one form or another, and I think they might relate to my own struggle of growing apart & even occasionally fighting those friends that I love. It’s a pretty universal experience in my opinion, so I kinda just hope the poem can resonate with people!
Feedback from Ava: A unique, but true take on friendships. This poem reminds the reader that friendship is not always a smooth road, that it comes with obstacles and issues. It also reminds readers, however, that true friendship is worth fighting for, that it rises above the difficulties. I love the progression seen over this poem: from acquaintances, to friends in a rough patch, to two people that care deeply for each other regardless. A “ happiness that never deserves to end”. Really beautiful contemplation on how friendships grow and change.
CREATIVE NON-FICTION
Telegram:
letter to my best friend
i’ve probably known you for half my life now though i’m not sure my math’s right - & it feels so much longer.
it’s in the way i know that you like to draw freckles on your face with that brown eyeliner & i know how you hate rucola & love making pinterest boards for people you love (i have one too). it’s in the way you know how my hair feels like when we’re washing the bleach out & how i hate knees & love isopods & pigeons. it’s in the way all the pictures of myself that i like were taken by you. it’s in the songs we send each other. we haven’t seen each other in so long & listening to your voice messages made my heart ache.
all yours.
by ephraim
Instagram: @phytoparasit
Bio: ephraim (he/him) is a self taught artist and occasional poet. his art revolves around the exploration of identity, space, nature, history and technology.
Category: Creative Non-Fiction - Telegram
Inspiration: N/A
Feedback from Smrithi: This piece is poignant and evokes emotion immediately from the reader. I love how they’ve mentioned the small things that they remember about their friend, thus reminding us that when we lose a friend, it’s not the big moments we remember but the little joys we almost forgot. My favorite part of this piece is the descriptive ability of the writer and how everyone can relate to this piece, even if not to the specific aspects of it. Wonderful piece and it made me feel so many different things from nostalgia to bittersweetness <3
To My Bestie
To My Bestie,
I’ve never told you how much you mean to me, nor will I ever tell you. I think we both know what we mean. Just in case you don’t, here’s a short letter. You are the person who gets me through school, life, and everything in between. You are the person I would drag to watch the sunrise at 5 am, but you would secretly enjoy it, even if you complained the whole time. I know you would. Because there is no other “you”, and there is no other “us”.
A year ago you asked me what our friendship meant. I was at a loss for words. Now I can only attempt to explain. Wherever you and I go in the future, I hope we will always stay in touch.
I hope you will remember me, because I will always remember you.
<3
Your Bestie
by Grace
Instagram: @snowflake12374
Bio: Grace is a teen who loves to read and write. Her favorite genre is fantasy, and her favorite book is Six of Crows. In her spare time, you can find her reading or procrastinating her work.
Category: Creative Non-Fiction - Telegram
Inspiration: I just really appreciate all my friends a lot, even if I don't show it to them.
Feedback from Ava: Deep friendship so often transcends words. It can be hard to articulate your love for and bond with a person. This piece is simple but carries across this idea well. An understanding unspoken but a love still obvious and prominent. I feel like this piece emphasizes the idea of expressing love through action and the little things in daily life. It's a lovely letter to all those who love their friends and want to express it.
Musing:
Harmonizing At 2. AM
It’s hard to find friends when you usually lose them… but when you find someone— someone you really connect with— you realize they’re worth fighting for. This morning, she dm’d me about a TV show we’ve become embarrassingly invested in. She shipped two guys who were head-over-heels in love with other girls so we agreed that they’re soulmates… just in the friends way. Maybe that’s the core of genuine friendship—like it’s meant to be— the way you just “get” each other. So you send her stupidly hilarious memes while the sun still rises. You indulge in oddly intellectual discussions about The Summer I Turned Pretty while wishing for waves and moonlit escapades to scintillating seashores. You vent about your exes and plot revenge on every boy unfortunate enough to mess with the wrong girls. You obsess over Taylor Swift together: belting “AND THAT’S THE WAY I LOVED YOUUU” simultaneously… in the dead of night… even though you’re worlds apart. It’s funny how distance has little effect on real friends because, while we can’t walk side by side, our minds remain in tandem and our thoughts still resonate on the same wavelength. I could have never guessed how my failure to wrangle tickets for the Eras Tour would be the tragedy that brought us together; it looks like our companionship blossomed from the dark depths of mutual disappointment. But the concert ended yesterday and it’s 2 a.m. and we’re still singing with all our hearts.
by Claire Young
Instagram: @graceclaire357
Bio: Claire is a rather unique specimen. Her ideal habitat is the seaside but she is always up for an adventure. She enjoys running in the rain and golfing when while the sun sets. She also really loves to read and write in her free time!
Category: Creative Non-Fiction - Musing Feedback from Bri: A beautiful, rich piece. I love how you say friends and people are worth it. The exploration is beautiful in connecting the TV show with real life, making it relatable with vivid, universal depictions. I also love how you highlighted this is a friendship that’s online or long-distance and yet it can still be experienced in a rich, fulfilling way. I also love that you explained the origin story as it lends a sense of finality that solidifies the beauty of friendship.
PROSE
Short Stories:
Removed from the Nest
Content warnings: reference to Ukraine and the war, refugees, scared/traumatized child
The train rolls into Prague, its antique metal doors rattling with each bump in the tracks. Clutched against a young girl’s chest, underneath her scarlet coat, is a cardboard tube, emptied of its potato chips. Her arms ache from embracing the container for nearly twenty-four hours, taking care to keep it horizontal so the contents sit most comfortably.
Her eyes squeeze shut against the squeal of old brakes. A hand rests on her shoulder and she looks up to meet the gaze of her mother, as if to say we’re here. But she doesn’t actually say the words. Hundreds of Ukrainian refugees, and yet barely a word has been murmured the entire ride.
They shuffle behind those in front of them. The station is full of new faces, ready to welcome survivors as they pour out of the train. The girl presses into her mother’s side, holding her single belonging closer.
Then a smile steps forward, placed upon a middle-aged woman in a sterile white coat. And for the first time over these painful months, the girl feels like she can relax.
She opens her coat to the woman and offers the tube. The Czech doctor takes it from her carefully, and peeks into the container through the clear, hole-punctured lid. Inside, black eyes stare back out, swallowed by green and yellow feathers. The budgie is scared, but alive, and is going to be safe now, along with its best friend and her mother, under the roof of the avian veterinarian.
by J L Kies
Instagram: @jl_kies
Bio: J. L. Kies is a creative writing major and the editorial assistant for the 22nd issue of "juice," UWinnipeg's literary journal. Kies has a bird named “Pierogi” and special interests in horror and gaming (and, specifically, horror games), aspiring to one day work in the video game industry. Kies recently received an honourable mention from Elegant Literature, and debuted with a horror flash piece published by Litmora.
Category: Prose - Short story
Inspiration: I think it's topical for young people as it has to do with big international events (the Russian/Ukrainian war), and is based on true events. My inspiration for this piece was my late budgie and the deep, unexplainable bond we had. She was my best friend.
Feedback from Smrithi: I adore this piece. The writing is captivating and immediately hooks the reader in. The story flows seamlessly, each aspect of it unfolding as we read further. I never knew such emotion could be packed in such a short story- but this writer has impressed me beyond words. The connection with friendship is unconventional and unique and I love how the writer has chosen to express the theme. Splendidly written piece, and one that brought a smile to my face.
M-A-S-H
It’s like this: you are raised without a liver. You are an inch too short to reach the cabinets. I am a stepstool. I am a filter and the metabolism. You are raised without a sister, and like that I was born. You are given a lover; he is taken away. I am in your room when he gives you the call. I hold you until the hunger and tears subside. Your grandmother forgets your name, and sepsis tucks her into the casket, gentle and in sleep. I drive you to your hometown, tissues sliding in the backseat. You believe there is a limb you are missing, a cigarette burn shot through the middle of the book, a second stomach that craves braid trains and M-A-S-H. You’ll end up a dentist, in a mansion, married to Jess Mariano, with two kids, a clown car, and twin fishtails swimming from your scalp to your back. You’ll end up two mountains, tectonic plates colliding and peaks yearning to touch. I am a bridge. I am a sherpa. I know your valleys and ridges. Swam in your basins. Laid in the spurs. You’ll end up learning what I’ve known all along: there is a complete world within you.
by Brianna DeLima Ifland
Instagram: @briannaifland
Bio: Brianna Ifland is a Filipino-American creative writing and multimedia production student at the University of Arkansas, where she has proudly founded the Film Honors Society. Her work is marked by interpersonal relationships, culture, identity, and mental health. Despite her theatre-heavy background, she now focuses on expanding her storytelling to prose, poetry, and film.
Category: Prose - Short Story
Inspiration: When I was younger, I was under the impression that I was somehow missing or broken and required other people. I'm still learning interdependence and the coexistence of loving and truly caring for others without relying on them and, thus, reducing myself. I wrote M-A-S-H as an almost letter from the perspective of my friends, as well as it being a tribute to unabashed girlhood.
Feedback from Ava: M-A-S-H does a great job of capturing what it is like to love your friends. To support them through tough times. To know them better than you know yourself to the point where it hurts. This story beautifully discusses how so deeply depending on others can make you lose a part of yourself. I really like the metaphor of M-A-S-H and how it encompasses nostalgia for simpler times when a blueprint for life could be laid out in front of you. The first few lines of this piece are my favourite, such a clear and gutting depiction of how vital friendship can be as a young girl, but the pains of it as well.
My Best Friend Lives Underwater
He can’t walk properly, and can’t fly either, he’s not made for the land or the sky, my best friend moved into the sea, because he feels more safe there, although he barely breathes, he dives deep, then floats and takes a breath or two, and he has built a home underwater, like life is like that and won’t get better.
My best friend lives underwater, because he’s been exiled, he says, I don’t belong among you, among those who bruised him and mocked him, and I want to bring him back, back where he was born and raised, but he won’t come back to me, he says he doesn’t need roots, he’s not a tree, he’s turned into a sea creature, and he feels safe underwater, impermeable to pain, like the sea is the barrier that won’t let sadness touch him.
My best friend swims with the dolphins and the fish and the whales, he rides the waves, like this has been his home forever, he’s safe there, he’s carefree, he’s built a home underwater, and he’s abandoned his old life, the land, me, he says he’s always been a mermaid, he found his tribe and he is happy finally, and when he waves at me, inviting me, calling me from afar, I stand still on the shore, like I’m a tree, like I have roots, and I long to wet my feet, but I am stuck, trapped, afraid and alone and deserted.
by Mileva Anastasiadou
Instagram: @happilander Twitter: @happymil_
Bio: Mileva Anastasiadou is a neurologist, from Athens, Greece and the author of "We Fade With Time" by Alien Buddha Press. A Pushcart, Best of the Net, Best Microfiction and Best Small Fictions nominated writer, her work can be found in many journals, such as the Chestnut Review, New World Writing, Milk Candy Review, the Bureau Dispatch, and others.
Category: Prose - Short story
Feedback from Ava: A thoughtful, metaphorical piece. The idea that people move through life so differently, react to their situations with such variation, but can still be friends is interesting. The image the author paints of her friend swimming free in the sea while she feels stuck and abandoned on land is really powerful. This story really carries across the concept of finding renewed life and peace somewhere new after difficulty. The reader can feel the excitement of the best friend but also the pain and longing of the narrator. Complex and intriguing.
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