Gwyneth Atkinson remembers her distaste for growing up and her longing to live a simple, joyous life, full of adventure. I never had much interest in growing up. As a way of being, it seemed lofty, tense, and brutal. As an adult now, I can say that it very much can be, but I acquiesce that there is more exhilaration in navigating your possibilities than I thought there would be. When I was nine years old, I realized I would not be a child forever. I wouldn’t be so blithely l

Upon pondering the meaning of life, the philosophy of being, and the best toppings to put on a ham and cheese sandwich, I was faced with a terrible conundrum. More terrifying, I assure you, than the potential atrocities that could be bestowed upon my fictitious ham and cheese sandwich. Fictitious, you may ask? Alas, alack, woe is me – I have been caught! There never was a ham and cheese sandwich, or, at least, I didn’t encounter one during my linguistic crisis. Though, I supp

Shall I compare thee to an airplane in the night sky, amongst a field of shooting stars. I lie upon the grass where brisk winds pass, the earth still temperate beneath my quiet frame; the sky stretched as wide as an unending sea, and I, its sole observer in the dark. Above, thou lies a path through this maze of stars, thy scarlet light beams soft and slow— like some small heart suspended in the night, a distant pulse that unlocks something within. The songs within mine e

Instead, we sit together beside the sunset, the moment and I. We are having what’s left together in that ephemeral yet timelessly mesmerizing glow, respecting each other’s presence, in the shadow of fleeting clouds already settling into memories. All the stars can align. I’m giving them my time, my captivated eyes. For once, let’s forget the distance between us, and sit quietly beside me. I won’t name you a miracle or ask you to stay— only to exist with me, as the n