Pictures of a Hometown
Photo by Athena Rajnai By Athena Rajnai I. Dog the one who skips through the cold claiming the block with his taupe coat and over bitten jaw talks much more to me than his owner about cars, mortgage, life. the grass on the front lawn defrosts into icy droplets as each one of Roger’s paws…
A Tale of Two Area Codes
Photo by Jana Marquez By Jana Marquez I’ve had the same phone number since 7th grade. Even though I’ve been calling Las Vegas home for the past 4 years, I have yet to make the switch from 312 to 702. Even though my zip code has changed, my Chicago area code remains, grounding me throughout…
Home Feels like I’m Frozen in Time
Photo by Brigita Przybylski By Brigita Przybylski Home feels like I’m frozen in time The days all blend into each other Like smeared charcoal And neighbors stay inside The suburban streets barren Yet their houses are also empty of Life or light Making me question If I can freeze time An hourglass on its side …
Para Mi Corazón
Photo by Jacquelyn Rodriguez By Jacquelyn Rodriguez “Para mi corazón” Hola mi amor, Ever since you left, I feel like my heart’s been miles and miles away. Okay, fine. I’ll admit that sounds a bit dramatic, pero (y esto es un secreto, por favor no se lo cuentes a nadie) soy bien chillona. I knew…
Seasons Change
Photo by Ash Fuentes By Ash Fuentes The end of August signifies the end of my carefree routine in which I got used to living each day without school assignments due for three months. The start of every semester is always the roughest one for me personally. I see that for most people it’s the…
Connected Through Melody
Photo by Jacquelyn Rodriguez By Jacquelyn Rodriguez Once upon a time, I was an “orch dork.” I was an avid violin player throughout middle school and high school. I joined chamber orchestra, attended countless rehearsals, and performed in multiple concerts, competitions, and gigs. I made unforgettable memories with the other orchestra kids and our wonderful…
Belonging
Photo by Bianca Bucu By Bianca Bucu Whenever I think of the word neighborhood it’s synonymous with the word belonging. The meaning of belonging shifted for me gradually as I got older. That word sometimes became a synonym for good, bad, and everything in between. But above all, that word became known as a never-ending…
Neither Here Nor There
Photo by Kleigh Balugo By Alexandra Pelas It feels like I’m stuck in between two communities, desperately wanting to be able to fit into both, but knowing that I’ll never be anything but a visitor in either. As a Latino American, I have always felt lucky to have grown up in a home with two…
Love from South Albany Street
Photo by Aiden Nelson By Aiden Nelson This series, entitled “Love from South Albany Street,” explores my relationship to the neighborhood I’ve lived in the past year and the complicated emotions I have toward it. I’ve watched two autumns from my bedroom window, memorized which yards I can cut across, the quickest route to my…
Neighborhood: Three Haikus
Photo by Greta Unetich By Greta Unetich A Haiku Trumansburg, New York I would stand in your Kitchen for one more autumn, Watching the leaves turn. A Haiku: Gold Leaves Ithaca, New York When the small gold leaves Cover the ground, I feel like I can breathe again. A Haiku: October Catalectic Haiku The light…
Hometownless Hero
Photo by Kleigh Balugo By Kleigh Balugo My parents really love to move. So much so that I’ve lost count of all the houses I’ve lived in. The funniest part though, is that the only thing they love more than moving away, is moving back. I say this because although I’ve moved around a lot,…
The Good Neighbor
Photo by Tracy Fuentes By Tracy Fuentes I’ve never been a really good neighbor. I’m always too shy and awkward to even wave hello to my neighbors. I usually avoid eye contact and pretend I’m busy doing something or that I didn’t notice them so that I don’t come off as rude. They probably still…
Kindergarten 