“Dear Reader,
I am unbelievably proud of this issue. The authors, staff, artists, and designers have all blown me away. Each semester we’ve received increasing submissions from PCS students and I’ve consistently been blown away by the collective passion of the PCS community. The talent at this school is spectacular—whether student writers, artists, or photographers, students have dedicated their time to help us realize this magazine with a tremendous skill and sensibility for their work.” … Continue reading
Poetry:
Waiting Again By Devin Alessi
“this is the latest poem dedicated to the latest school shooting
to happen in our country.
By the end of this poem,
there will not be enough letters on this paper” … Continue reading
from the white noise of english class By Anonymous
“from the white noise of english class:
I am but a dying star;
collapsing in on myself,
made up of nothing besides pain
and ruins.” … Continue reading
Just Deal With it By Anonymous
“It’s not fair that those suffering must do it so silently.
Kicking, punching, and cutting so violently
Then putting on a smile, shrugging it off
And saying those words, “I’m fine,” with a scoff” … Continue reading
Untitled By Mia Bartschi
“Hello,
and by hello,
I mean, where are you, and by
where are you,” … Continue reading
untitled By Clem
“someone painted the sky for me tonight
or did they carve it, then cover it” … Continue reading
Name Vignette By Sabine Fraley
“My name is a basket of pink wilting flowers, balanced on the handlebar of a bicycle. It is like the small tattoo seated upon my ankle, irrelevant, unnoticed. My name is the smell of dewy leaves, just having bathed in nature’s tears.” … Continue reading
The Sunrise By Kimbra Johnson
“Have you ever wondered,
As you watched the sunrise,
What gives it that sparkle?
What gives it that shine?” … Continue reading
Reflection By Gigi McPherson
“I believe we live in a world of special people,
Though not all in unison, and not all are equal.
I believe in imagination, and peace of mind,
Where all is unique, and one of a kind.” … Continue reading
Being a Brown Girl By Alejandra Meza
“Because I’m a brown girl
I’m given a second glance
I’m asked
“Do you understand”
I’m told
“They probably didn’t mean it”
I’m given a hard time when I’m trying to do a simple thing
Some just assume
That brown skin means trouble
And to those who assume that” … Continue reading
Box & Girl in the middle of a storm By Katie Sarna
“box:
you can put nearly anything into a box
tie it up with tags and ribbons and paper
but some things are harder to wrestle into the box.
some of the objects have to cling to the edges of the box,
clawing desperately at it with no idea, no taste of what’s inside.
It doesn’t help much that you only have one box.
Some things escape entirely
and some things only start out with a plain brown bag
or the newspaper sports page wrapped over their little heads.” … Continue reading
The Starry Night By Shaila
“The Starry Night
Swirling colors tumbling through
a troubled yet peaceful city
the steeple reaching” … Continue reading
Fiction:
Hatter By Flurm
“1.
“Shit.”
The man watched, a mixture of fear and horror swimming around inside him, a myriad of emotions fighting to be released. Despite everything, he kept his calm.
A figure in a hat could be seen walking towards the man, his dark jacket flapping in a wind rarely found at night. The man shrank back in fear once more, but the figure appeared not to have noticed.” … Continue reading
Gravedigger By Collette Harrison
“The gravedigger sank his shovel into the loose soil. A tall stone marks the hole he digs, reading nothing.” … Continue reading
a white dress, blue jay, and lemon curd By Rina Rossi
“She was always at odds with her, herself, and she. There were so many variations of this person, as they were legally named Arlette Maired Cassel, but also took the form of Josephine Plum and Adele Moreau.
Arlette was the mysterious lady who lived deep within the ebony forests, 50 minutes from the outskirts of New York.” … Continue reading
Rotopia By WT
“If I told you about Rotopia, what part would I tell about? Would I tell about the houses, all wooden, shack like and stacked up on each other? Would I tell about the painters, swaying high above the city, coloring the buildings the way the owners desired?” … Continue reading
A Shape Like Truth By Kai Tao
“It’s hard to imagine the feeling I had when the truth arrived: as a scientist it had been the object of my search since before I can remember; to see it was so beautiful, but depression clawed at my insides all the same. Perhaps I could describe it as a fusion of the most transcendent ecstasy and unhallowed depths of nihilistic despair, it felt like love: communion, like the visions of Saint Teresa, who felt rapture so sweet it could be mistaken for pain, I believe that feeling would be what we all would possess upon viewing what I saw.” … Continue reading
thefinchmagazine.wordpress.com 