by Haritha V Dazzling yellow, it glows Withstood the harsh and unforgiving blows My clothes in half, photos in glass Reflects my life that was in the past It rolled through nights that had no name Through streets that whispered fear like flame Every zipper scream, every shaken hand A silent promise I couldn’t understand This sealed memory in borrowed air Where even silence pretends to care My zipper stuck halfway, stubbornly tight In a house that forgets what I call home at n

by Peña Gálvez Luana I walk through this awakening, the scent of earth and promise, each petal tells a new story, each breeze carries laughter from roots that know the language of sun and soil. Though I arrived a stranger, carried by winds I could not control, the field did not ask where I came from. It simply made room for me to grow. Here, I am a wanderer, unfurling like fern fronds, finding my place among the riot of life; a dance of uncertainty and wild, unbridled hope.

by Joanna Li “Women in Afghanistan are surviving, we are not living.”- statement from one of the 204 women that the Women for Women organization had interviewed. Ever since the United States had pulled their military forces from Afghanistan on August 30, 2021, the Taliban reemerged themselves and began reimplementing their regulations that were placed on Afghan women prior to the United States’ presence in the country. Women are denied education, respect from society, indepen

by Daini Gong On one rainy morning, a colorful little bird flew a very long way from home. If you looked closely at its beak, you would see a tiny seed that it had picked up from a field far far away, a field that doesn't exist anymore. The little bird flew and flew till it found a new field. This area was already full of flowers, forever dancing together in the wind. The bird gently dropped the little seed into the soil, right in the middle of all these unfamiliar, daunting

by Michiko Aoyama Wind blows past me as I look outside the window. It’s 3 in the midnight everyone else is fast asleep, I can’t sleep… I’m scared I keep worrying about how my new school would be, If I would make friends or not, what if they don’t like me?... sighs suddenly my dad taps on my back. ‘You want something to eat?’ he asks me with some snacks in his hand. ‘No, I’m fine, thank you’ I say. “So, what are you thinking? Something bothering you?” he asks me genially. I si

by Kaira Gulati “Wherever you go, go with all your heart”, a quote so small but yet holds a deep meaning. The idea of moving to a new place carries a lot of responsibility over you. A new school, making new friends, learning a new path to home, discovering an unknown place and so on. These are the very few thoughts that go on in our head but there is so much more than just the negatives. A new place is a new beginning, a chance to reinvent yourself into the person you wish to

by Saanvi S. Have you ever noticed how some of the most beautiful wildflowers grow in such unexpected places? They bloom along dusty roadsides, between cracks in the pavement, and across untamed fields where no one planned for them to grow. Despite harsh conditions and uncertain surroundings, they flourish with remarkable strength. This shows that beauty and strength can thrive even in unlikely places. In many ways, the journey of refugees is similar to that of wildflowers. T

by Manal Hafeez Wildflowers. Those colorful, vibrant flowers stand tall and bloom wherever they take root. Whether it's the side of a busy highway or in the scorching desert, they always find a way to grow, adapt and thrive in harsh conditions. Their resilience reminds us that unfamiliar environments provide new opportunities. Globally, 1 in every 70 people on earth is forced to flee from the comfort of their homes. Persecution, human rights violations, war, and just being a

by Shreeya Chaube “Jack of all trades, master of none” is a very common phrase used to describe someone who has explored many skills but failed to truly master any. This state isn’t very common nowadays; most students tend to pick a niche early on and dedicate themselves entirely to becoming the best in that one field. Then come people like me, those who fall in love with everything they try. We pursue each interest with equal passion and excitement, yet often fall short of r

by Lianne Viel Villanueva I was staring at the ceiling when a buzz suddenly disrupted my wandering thoughts. I grabbed my buzzing phone the second it rang. I took a glimpse at the time displayed on the screen— 12:37 AM. It was a late night in 2021, and I had been impatiently waiting for this very call all day. “Pareesa,” I smiled after reading aloud the name on the screen. She is an Afghan— a friend whom I met on the internet, the same age as me. She lived across the world an

by Geanne Grace Dermas Down by the meadow, Where the sun had little glow, I was shocked to see, little buds peeking from the snow, I was shocked to see, little buds that grow, Out where the sun had little glow. I went all the way down to find, flowers of all different kinds, tall, really big blues, and tiny little yellows too. Out where the cold winds blow, These flowers found a place to grow. Strong, pretty posies braving the chill. Strong, pretty posies up on the hill, wh

by Afiya Parveen My school, in this new city Is too far for me to walk alone. I looked out the window, fidgety, On the bus ride home. The driver took a different route today, And I saw something new. There on a field, lay Flowers, quite a few. They glistened As the dipping sun stared at them. And I listened To the hum of the birds that flew above them. The glaring sun was gone And only gentle sunshine remained now. This field of flowers at dawn Seemed to make the sun bow. The

by Akanksha Singh Starting over is never easy. For refugees, moving to a new country is often much more than packing a suitcase and saying goodbye. It can mean leaving behind a home, a school, friends, and places filled with memories. Many refugees must also learn a new language, understand unfamiliar customs, find a place to live, and build a new life while also missing the people they love. A tree that gets moved to new soil doesn’t grow overnight. First, its roots must se

by Bushra Zuberi There is a moment, arriving somewhere new, when the light falls through an unfamiliar window and illuminates nothing you recognize. The dust motes spin. The floorboards creak under a weight that is yours alone. Outside, the street carries its own grammar, its own texture, its own private history, and you are standing at the edge of it, unread. The feeling is specific. A tightness behind the sternum. The sense of being present and invisible at once. You are, i

by Mudita Arora - More than the Journey Upon all the facts and devastating stories shared online, has anyone really stopped to think about what it actually means for someone to be displaced from their home? How many of us dig deeper than the numbers or headlines, into the quieter parts that hold the reality of new beginnings, the process of rebuilding, and perseverance. When you think of wildflowers, you may as well think of refugees, or at least a close metaphorical image of

by Allyssa Freeman-Smith The wind has a funny way of making itself seen It blows in your hair like it does in the trees The way of the wind has its own way through seasons Sometimes a little more when it comes to freedom The people and the trees have always lived together They’ve seen each other's flaws in all kinds of weather Conditions from cold to warm Stay with the wind no matter who mourns A willow tree feels herself with the slight touch of wind She holds her spirit

by Hailey Atara The first seed Amara planted was not in soil. It was planted on the day she left her home. At sixteen years old, Amara carried only a backpack and a small notebook as she and her family joined thousands of others fleeing from conflict. The journey was long and uncertain as every mile away from her home felt like another piece of her past slipping through her fingers. When her family finally reached safety, Amara expected life to become easier. Instead, a diffe

by Hailey Atara When we hear the word ‘harvest’, we often think of fields filled with crops that grow under the guide of the sun, waiting to be gathered after months of work. But for millions of refugees around the globe, their harvest is defined by survival, opportunity, and hope. Refugees are often forced to leave behind the life they have led which include their homes, careers, and even loved ones. However, despite these hardships, there are still various refugees that con

by Sabrina Tasawar The miles that they run are for a chance A chance to survive, a chance to be alive Like how holding hands build relations close They do it so no one is alone The rain that pours that rips hope apart Is soon replaced with a soft cloth or a pot under the leaking part Cramped up in a tent full of 10 All of it to have a chance To be alive Even food needs to be eatable to be eaten But it doesn't even necessarily must be food when it's their turn The water needs

by Sophia Soriano Migrating from the Philippines to the United States might seem as though it was a hard process… And it was. This was the story of my parents; my mom who had migrated when she was less than 18 years old and my dad before he was 25 years old. Despite facing racism, new surroundings, and a little amount of people they found that they could rely on, they were able to live the “American dream.” Through this, they provided my siblings and I with a safe and loving