When I first entered this course, I was unsure of what to expect. Writing had always been something personal to me, but I never considered myself a creative writer before this class. Most of my experience with writing came from school essays that focused on structure, grammar, and analysis rather than emotion or storytelling. I […]

I Learned Anyway On my first day of second grade in the United States, I quietly sat at my desk while words I couldn’t understand filled the classroom. Every voice and instruction felt like a puzzle I couldn’t solve.  Anyone can learn, but not everyone can teach effectively. For a child entering a classroom with […]

In and out The night felt too loud for something that was supposed to be simple. Music bled out from the house behind us, muffled now by distance but still pulsing like a second heartbeat. Streetlights lined the block in uneven intervals, some flickering, others dead, leaving patches of darkness that felt deeper than they […]

Not Asking to Be Loved I am transgender, and I wish to speak outFor those who cannot, for those left behind.I wish for equality and nothing more.Safety has always been our only goal. Disgust flows through the veinsOf those whose only language is hatred. Expectations for everyone are the same:You’re either a boy or a […]

Between Two Tongues  They say language lives on the tongue,but my Albanian hides behind my teeth.Somewhere between school bells and subway brakes,my mother’s words began missing trains. I still remember the gateway greeting-the warm mirëmëngjes floating through the kitchen,steam rising from strong black coffee,spoons singing against old white cups. Now my mouth stalls at family […]

Blink of an Eye The days slip by within the blink of eyes,And those once close grow distant with the years.We think there still remains abundant time,While silence slowly deepens all our fears. No harm is meant when friends forget to call,Nor do they wish to leave our hearts alone.But crowded hours begin to build […]