Issue #4 KaleidoscopePublished June, 2024Letter from the EditorsWhen was the last time you looked through a kaleidoscope? It’s a wondrous device, turning the world into a prism of shapes and colors, giving you a new, creative perspective on what is in front of you....
“I wrote this poem at the in-person WriteGirl event at The Autry Museum. I had never been to any other WriteGirl events and I love writing poetry, so I was excited to go. One of the prompts was to find something in the museum that represents you in some way, like a self-portrait. I found a picture of California poppies. I thought it was really beautiful and I saw myself in it. I’m thankful to my mentor who helped me make this poem even better.”
“This poem was written at a WriteGirl workshop. We’re always told to break out of the box, but what we aren’t told is that around that box, there is a circle. People are OK with people who think outside the box and don’t conform – but only to a certain extent. Only if we stay inside the circle.”
“The idea behind this song is that Headphone Girl knows that people are angry at her but she doesn’t get why. She sees their faces but she doesn’t hear them. This has happened to me many times – I’m not the best with headphones!”
Selected writing from a participant in the WriteGirl international workshop series in Kampala, Uganda.
Selected writing from a participant in the WriteGirl international workshop series in Kampala, Uganda.
Selected writing from a participant in the WriteGirl international workshop series in Kampala, Uganda.
“I wrote this during a time when I was feeling numb. I wish I could say that I was sad or confused or depressed about life, because that would make this easier. But I wasn’t. I was numb. I was falling into the rhythm of life as a Black girl and I realized I wasn’t living. I was conforming to the flow of life because I felt like I had to. I wrote this poem to disrupt the flow. Because I had to … right?”
“This song was inspired by a friend I had from fifth through sixth grade, with whom I had a very unhealthy relationship.”
“I wrote this poem for someone experiencing loss. I wanted to capture the beauty in the cyclical nature of life and the journey of returning to Mother Nature in death. It is inspired by “Cento Between the Ending and the End” by Cameron Awkward-Rich.”