Written by Violent Yan from Virginia, USA Such a fond lollipop-memory Childhood's beginnings all gummy drops Life sweet in its sugar packet A fairytale of possibility, of endless time Childhood's beginnings all gummy drops Before years march on to adolescence So that we wish for a return to a Life sweet in its sugar packet Before years march on to adolescence Barefoot dancing on shag carpet So that we wish for a return to Stress not enshrouding our shoulders Barefoot danci
Written by Lauren Zheng from Canada “Stop talking, young lady, or you’ll be out in the hall.” That’s my first memory of you, terror of the second-graders. I was sitting on a lint-covered blue carpet with the others. (Except the carpet wasn’t quite blue, and I wasn’t quite with them.) You were watching us make paper stars. (My paper wouldn’t fold the right way, my star deflating and crooked.) I was terrified of you. (I was terrified of being less than them.) But my mom forced
