Poetry Corner
once upon a time
Yasmine Benabderrahmane
curled against the blaze of a dull fire,
streaks of light, shadows dance against her skin.
gathered hands for a heat to inspire,
and yet the cold and warmth here act akin.
night, she prayed for a chest with hinges,
a body with doors full of coal to blaze.
evening, she prayed for a hand that pinches,
that awakes her from the truth of her days.
she craved the kiss of the sun on her lids,
craved the stubborn smell of salt in her hair.
instead, she was met with the frost of wind,
with the cold that bit her cheeks and nose bare.
so, she curled by fire and closed her eyes,
wished of a past of poetry and rhyme,
of her mother snug and stars in the skies,
wildly wishing for a once upon a time.
Home
Hannah Grace Wang
Why are we here, mommy?
What is going on?
I miss home.
I miss the
crackling of the heater. The
space to run free.
Why are we here, mommy?
Where is home?
This place smells funny. This place
doesn’t feel the same.
This place is
foreign.
I miss home.
Sea Moss Bites
Kuicmar Phot
Toes crash through the moss of midnight wilds until wept in grains of sand
Hollow eyes stare into the blooming night like sun-seekers in a perpetual chasm
But the sun hides in trepidation, and dread swaddles my thoughts
The tide whispers my name, and I tumble into its arms
I dance into the sea adorning a rotten heart and rotten teeth
Clothes waltz with corals, and fish serenade limbs like canopies
Streams flow like molasses, conquering canyons of oxygen
The lighthouse beacon quivers through the eyelids of the tide
My fingers waver toward the algae as my body sways down into the reefs
And I melt into sea foam like sinking ships in the cavity of a storm
My heartbeat grows silent like November’s foliage of anemones
Cradled in stones, I slumber at the bottom of the ocean,
Collector of sorrows,
Where solace greets nadir,
And sea moss bites
Staff Writer (Volume 49) — Kuicmar is completing a Forensic Biology specialization and a Creative Writing minor. This is Kuicmar’s first year as a staff writer for The Medium. She usually writes for the Opinions and Arts and Entertainment sections. She can’t wait to share her thoughts, opinions, and poetry. When she’s not studying or writing, you can find her watching movies, shooting arrows in archery, updating her Letterboxd, watching F1 content, reading NASA articles, or listening to music. You can find Kuicmar on her Instagram and Linkedin.
Staff Writer (Volume 49) — Hannah is a third-year student double majoring in Communications, Culture, Information and Technology and Professional Writing and Communications. In her spare time, Hannah can be found running her sticker shop The Aesthetics Studio and listening to true crime podcasts while drawing. Hannah’s previous publications include UTM's Professional Writing and Communication official journal of creative non-fiction Mindwaves Vol. 15 and research in Compass Vol. 9. Hannah was also an associate editor for Compass Vol. 9. Find Hannah on Instagram and LinkedIn.