Colors of My Mind

By Josslyn Grover, TIWP Student I feel everything all at once. I am a white t-shirt at the mercy of a seven year old at a tie-dye camp, splashed by all the brightest colors until all that remains is a muddy brown rag. First, the seven year old sprays me blue, a calm that starts

The Leap

By A.R., TIWP Student If I knew that it was impossible to fail, I would do it all. I would take a chance on learning a new skill, hobby, or sport. I would break out of my shell and create bonds with those I have lost or those I wish to start. If I knew

The Garden

By Zoe Moga, TIWP Student She had always loved the smell of soil. As a little girl, her father would take her to the nursery for hours as he planned out his garden and bought plants. There she would take in the aroma of dirt. It’s deep, earthy scent full of floral and sweet and

The Witch Trials

By Riley Faust, TIWP Student The chanting outside sent chills down my spine and put fear in my heart. I could hear men, women, even little kids, all combining their voices to say a single, hate-filled word. “Witch.” I knew I should join them. I knew if I didn’t, I might be one of the

Unapologetic

By Emma Wong, TIWP Student They have tried to cast us,Cram us,Stuff usInto a mold we cannot fit, Into one where girls can’t raise their voices, One where girls must be polite and sunny and quietly accepting As society pokes and prods At the qualities they don’t like, One where girls are ridiculed for wanting

Stories Untold

By Emma Wong, TIWP Student When you stop that elderly Asian woman on the streetWho is hobbling her way down the streets of Chinatown,Carrying bags of fresh groceriesAnd a mask tucked over her face,She already knows what you will say. She has heard it too many times before. You can claim you’ve done your research:That

Perfectly Imperfect

By Ayumi Nagayama, TIWP Student When I was in third grade in Japanese class, I remember that I made one mistake. My mom is Japanese and I grew up learning Japanese so I spoke it pretty well. In class we were playing a game and I lost to this guy when I made a mistake.

Coin Toss

By Louisa Perry-Picciotto, TIWP Student Two sides of the same coin Heads or tails Heads hidden when tails is called Tails retreats when heads is beckoned Tossed into the air Flipping for the eyes in the crowdsSurrounded by the whispers Left by the shadows Of the words to come Flipping for the yells of the pastThe distant person Once called to life Lost in the

Waves

By Mira Haldar, TIWP Student Today, in the twenty-first century, there are numerous ongoing challenges to pursue. Climate change, women’s inequality, racial injustice, immigration, the education crisis, low income families, animal abuse, suicide prevention – the list goes on. But these are world challenges. No matter how powerful the individual, no single person can completely

Patriotic

By Julia Lima, TIWP Student tell me, america,what does it mean to love one’s country?is it unconditional adorationthe kind that comes with defense against anythreatening word?is it the kind of devotion that is prideful,claiming loudly to embrace its core values–equality,freedom,justice–the kind that boasts loudly over the silenced voices of those who have never experienced true equality,who have never been