by Marlin Muñoz

          —after Diane Di Prima

My love
when you make your way to me
if you’re lucky you’ll find
a book filled with unread pages
not quite one with a genre.

I am not a fool to promise
you’ll never get disappointed
nor that you won’t be broken
on each
breaking
line

but I am willing to show you
my love
enough of me
to make you regret being with me
forever

Marlin Muñoz is in her first year in LaGuardia Community College and she’s majoring in Dental Hygiene. Regardless of her major not being related to literature, she has a passion for writing. Writing has become a form of escapism for her. Marlin’s favorite author is Colleen Hoover. Colleen has an amazing way to connect with her audience. And that is what Marlin strives for when she writes. She wants her readers to feel the emotions she felt while writing. Marlin’s motivation when writing is her own life experiences. Her motivation is also her family and friends. Marlin was born in Colombia so proving that she has what it takes to accomplish everything she puts her mind into is really important for her.

Image credit: “Love,” Yoann Jezequel. Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

by YUI

And I hear your name,
Whispered,
In the wind,
Gently makes its way,
Through these spring trees;
I’m sure I’ll never forget you.

And I feel you,
In the heat of this sun,
As I look into the blue skies,
Wondering what you were thinking;
I’m sure I’ll never stop hoping.

I see you,
In the crash of the waves,
That never stop,
Nor be conquered;
I’m sure I’ll never stop wanting.

And in my heart,
As I feel,
Love and pain like no other,
I look into these clouds,
And know
I can’t wait to be beside you once more.

Why are you so far away?

YUI is an anonymous writer who writes to capture moments and feelings to share with one another. Although we may all have different paths in life, it is comforting to know that somewhere in this world, there is someone who feels how you feel. Maybe you’ll find that in their poems and remember it is okay to feel as you do. Remember to always live true; your truth is as sincere as another.

Image credit: “Ocean Waves,” Quốc Đỗ thái. Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

by Angelica I. Ayala

Months of cold hail and wind,
slicing.
My world was
an icy cave
with no light or warmth
where hope gathered
in droplets only
to freeze.
A trembling man
enters like an avalanche
and begins thawing hope
using only his breath and hands.
When I ask why
he takes my hand and tells me:
to sow love,
the permafrost must melt.

Starting at LaGuardia Community College as soon as online learning began, Angelica I. Ayala has been on a journey to find a major that best suits her. From starting as Intent to Vet Tech, then taking courses for Education: Early Childhood, she has found herself in Creative Writing. While searching through all the thoughts that she often pushed aside, Angelica found a way to put them all together in poetry. With the help of Dr. Conners (ENG 271) and Dr. Fink (ENG 270), she was able to interpret, learn about. and then create her own poetry pieces.

Image credit: “Sun Flare,” Avital Pinnick. Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

by Clare Kenefick

Those in black cloaks make silly jokes
Of the possible pains of poverty,
Sky tribes use sky miles for far as the eye can see
Right or wrong their own rights never wronged, such audacity

Down low lay the gutted in the gutters
Where such skyscrapers cannot be seen
A pack of smokes paired with jokes of one’s own broken dreams
Spilling shining stories colored black, gray, and green

Below the eyes seem wider…but honest? I wonder
Suppose it depends on which pair you see
Both as far as a moon to a star
Each to the other “how awful that life must be.”

Clare Kenefick is a native of Cork, Ireland. She is a 2022 graduate of LaGuardia, majoring in Criminal Justice. She is passionate about criminal justice and advocacy for reform. Clare would describe herself as a quiet and sensitive poet.

Image credit: “Polar Opposites,” Corrie White. Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

by Morgan Beck

the mind and soul
twists and contorts,
into shapes not even god
could newly dictate.

such an abomination,
the choked wheeze beckons
for salvation and pleas turned
demands are unheard.

tight-lipped with
the throat clasped tight,
you are a blight
with a plight.

appears the knight whose plated
armor casts beams of
light upon hidden savagery,
smites presented atrocities by
your inferior edict.

so selfish for wanting
to be set free.

Morgan Beck is a twenty-one year old hobbyist writer born in Hackettstown, New Jersey of Brazilian origin and is currently residing in New York. Creative writing has ultimately been one of her favorite hobbies since attending William Cullen Bryant High School in addition to that school’s writing club. Her favorite genre when it comes to her writing has always been fictional or otherwise fantasy pieces fueled by intense emotions or imagery. As of 2022, she is anticipating graduation at LaGuardia Community College with a degree in Secondary Education with a concentration in English.

Image credit: “Color Twists,” Iclower19. Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.