_To my beloved wife and children:_

_As patriarch to the esteemed Labash Enterprises, a dynasty that I've spent the better half of my 89 years building, your presence is requested for a _**_special_**_ family meeting. _

_As you all know, I've been preparing you since childhood for my untimely though inevitable passing -- the day when one of you will be forced to fill my custom Oxford shoes. _

 ...

On one side

the world is Right

And the other

All is Left

There's a Portal in my body

Shines from one world

To the next

Say you raise a glass

Right-handed

The other crowd

They have it flipped

On the right

Your smile's lovely

On the left

It starts to tilt

On the right your shoulders shrug

And

On the left they're far too wide

On the right, you seem to _wink_

The left?

There's something in y...

I am 

The “Look”

A _noun _

or _verb_

And sometimes

Then

A “See”

They say 

that I’m

An “Everyone”

But never

Just

A “Me”

I am 

A “Gaze”

A “View”

A “You”

But when am I

An “I”?

Well…

Not an “Eye”

I’m “Hand”

I’m “Thigh”

But,

None of those

are mine…

I am the

“Look”

Both _noun_

And

_Verb_

I am the 

“Inbetween”

A shame

To live

As "Everyone"

And

Never

Once

Be

_Seen_

...

_"If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?"_

...

Governess Pemola, the Witch belonging to El Rosa Peak, had grown to hate humans almost as much as the trees did.

She hated humans' snide manner of speech, the arrogant drawls of men making claim to her forests.

She hated their violent steps, crashing through plots of mud, uprooting ecosystems if only f...

It's often said that language is the embodiment of experience. In Japanese, _Komorebi_ describes the action of sunlight peeking through the trees. The Urdu word _Goya_ depicts the moment fantasy becomes reality and _Kilig_, in Tagalog, manifests the feeling of butterflies in your stomach.

**Write a poem or story inspired by a made-up word with an incredibly interesting meaning.**

...

"Congratulations, Class 62-00..."

Amidst the boom of his voice, Professor Găunn's oversized white coat swept across the floor like a pocket rag.

"On your _first official assignment._"

Selah joined her colleagues in a round of cacophonous applause.

Today she and her classmates would be transitioning from Brighteners into Catchers, the ultimate promotion for a first-year.

While a Brightener, ...

_Once. _

_Twice. _

I blinked back against the warm sunlight spilling from my bedroom window. Then, in a lazy lawn, stretched stiffly against the bubblegum headboard.

"You're finally awake..." A low voice mused.

I snapped forward instantly, stunned into a strangled scream. When the comforter glided to the floor with a cartoonish _plop,_ my satin pink pajamas were left on full display.

At the f...

"Still waiting on someone, sir?" The rosy-cheeked waitress wondered.

Her brown eyes darted wearily to the empty booth across from me, concern curling each eyebrow.

"Yes, thank you. He should be here any second now."

I brought the steaming mug of English Breakfast to my lips, sipping slowly before giving her a tight-lipped smile.

_Bitter. _

_Much_ more bitter than usual.

"Actually, dear...d...

Visiting my grandfather in North Carolina was nothing short of a civic wonderland. Before my feet had even crossed the flaxen welcome mat, I was being ordered, per our routine, to list each US state and capital in alphabetical order.

"_Let's hear it, Cheyenne..._" he would govern.

And, like a soldier appeasing his Lieutenant, I would begin to rattle names off.

"_Alabama, Montgomery. Alaska, ...

Did you forget?

Tucked under a sweater

Not your favorite, but it used to be

In that box you never visit

In that corner you never think of

Covered in dust

and losing what lasts of me

You left me here

Did you forget?

Perhaps you had lost track of me back then?

Or had you been looking ever since?

Was I so replaceable?

Was I something not worth finding?

You would stay up all night looking for a pen...