Xanadu
 

Where most flesh will fade, Their stone temples will remain; Their limestone fossils. Although they cover only 2 percent of Earth's surface, rainforests contain an estimated 50 percent of all terrestrial life. In the Amazon alone there are 13 hundred bird species, 427 mammal species, and 2.5 million insect species. Rainforests have existed for about 300 million years, meaning the number of species that have come and gone within them is uncountable. Even more tragic is that we

Only a few more lasts of everything I know. Anxiety high. A few years ago, we were all just starting high school and plans of the future were so distant. But when the pandemic hit, I felt lucky because it hit my area in 10th grade and I had 2 more years left. Now, I’m seventeen, almost done with the first quarter of my senior year. I’m facing lasts every day that hit me like a truck. But I do not think it is the fact that I will never experience another high school homecoming

The calm sound of waves. Yet they are not calm at all They pull me away. Waves are unpredictable. They are produced by the movement of water such as: earthquakes, underwater landslides, changes in atmospheric pressure, underwater volcanic eruptions, the movement of ships, or even fish jumping. On the beach, I witness wave after wave pass by. Some look intimidating and large while others small and weak. I listen to the swish of the waves and watch the peaceful beach. What

-at the start of my street there are sidewalks and street lamps. but once you make it down past the nice houses, not covered by trees, the sidewalks thin out and the street lamps dim. i think maybe my house isn't nice enough, me and my neighbors live in the dark with our blanket of dying trees. we walk with no safety net in the world of old sherwood, are we merely outdated ? -yes i think the man who laid out the concrete and installed the lightbulbs looked at number 35 and de

Zinnia buds all dried up in the flower bed— one still remaining. There are 20 different species of zinnia and they range in size, color, and growing habits. They are native to Mexico but are one of the most commonly cultivated ornamental plants in the world, so it's really no surprise that some ended up in my garden. They are normally in bloom from spring to early fall, but as the morning dew turns to frost on the grass, and the rest of the flowers lose their petals, a single

The temperature sits around 34 degrees Fahrenheit, clock anxiously clicking at around 2 in the morning. A vehicle or two pass by me, never asking for my name. Some will slow down from time to time, curiosity maybe? I watch as the frost begins to swell on the windshields of parked cars, blissfully unaware while sleeping the night away. Their engines off and resting. A few young characters spot me. They can’t be much older than 16. They slowly approach, cursing under their brea

Blaring hurricanes deafening the silent mind diverging the peace. The eye of the hurricane. The calmness. The quietness. The silence. It’s serene and ethereal. Like the human mind. The tranquil and peaceful mind that exists in everyone. But the peacefulness doesn’t last long. It only lasts a few hours, maybe even less, before the storm plows through. The howling winds pick up, breaking through your mind. The ear-piercing torrential rain and thunder intrudes your quiet thought

Mom would say “We’re going to Jones,” and my siblings and I would pile into the car. I was always excited to spend the day on the warm sand, listening to the sound of the waves too frightened to go in, scared I’d be swallowed by the water, but always so entranced by the small treasures left behind after the big crash. I would walk up and down the shore looking for pieces to add to my collection. They came in all shapes, colors, and sizes waiting to be taken home and placed on

I was a bright cherry red before the many rains gradually, stealthily marred and rusted my beauty. The craters that once contained my black burning rubber tires now are home to shrubs and ferns instead, entombing me where I sit. My engine that once exploded with vigor, roaring as it sent me ripping down the road, spitting noxious fumes, now lays still and near silent with the faint chirping of hatchlings living in it drowning out my sobbing. My seats that once held passengers

Flying Soccer Ball Landing softly on your foot Cushioned by the grass The haiku sounds simple, and it is. Yet whenever somebody thinks about writing a haiku it is always seen as difficult. Soccer is a lot like a Haiku. Legend Johan Cruyff said it best, “playing soccer is very simple but playing simple soccer is the hardest thing there is.” When watching, it looks so simple. A player receiving a pass? What could be so hard about that? But as a player, as the ball flies off a