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All That Is Me

By E. Farris

Occasionally I touch a flame

And let it lick my skin away

And let it eat my flesh away

And let it char my bones away.

And when I do I feel ashamed

And sometimes even feel dismayed

But most of all I feel amazed

By all a flame can do.

If it burns me down

It still lights me up.

If it hurts my soul

It still warms my heart.

If it takes apart my every word

It still breathes my thoughts into the air.

Occasionally you take a flame

And hope to burn all that’s me away

But what you hurt is not my end;

Your flame is fuel to ignite my way.

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Megan Elizabeth DeBruyn

Year: Sophomore

Piece:  Lost & Found

Major: Journalism, Complimentary Major: Spanish

Blog: sporadicinsomniac.blogspot.com

 I love the opportunity to pursue different forms of the creative writing style and, being a journalism major, I am not typically met with that sort of outlet. I also think the Literary Arts Magazine publishes wonderfully thought-provoking and unique work and I always enjoy seeing what other students regard as significant or meaningful by way of their submissions. 

I am from Boulder, Colorado. My favorite pastimes include hiking, writing, climbing things, eating grapefruits, camping, knitting sweaters, drinking coffee, cliff jumping, reading, and exploring. 

Interesting Facts: My thumbs are abnormally straight. I know how to say dinosaur in sign language. I am obsessed with grammar. I am deathly afraid of the soft spots on top of babies' heads. 

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E. Farris

Senior

Pieces: All that is Me 

            George and Helen

Theatre and Writing Major with a History minor

http://undiscovering.blogspot.com/

I like seeing the variety of responses to one theme, how many ways people can react to one thing through words. I like seeing what people create with words.

In my free time I can be found writing or theatre-ing. Or reading. Netflixing. Playwrighting. Prancing. Making up words particularly by adding -ing.

Fun facts: I am a Disney jukebox, I was second place in the Northeast Indiana Playwright Festival, and I occasionally invent holidays to celebrate with my roommates.

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Gabrielle Grubbs

Junior

Last Hour

Christian Ministries major, Music minor

I chose to submit material because the theme of this semester's magazine really resonated with me, and I felt as though I has something to contribute to the discussion. I love that literary arts combine self-expression and storytelling because I think both are integral parts of human experience. 

Most of the writing I do is songwriting, my favorite fictional character is Frodo Baggins, my favorite author is G.K. Chesterton, and in my free time I enjoy reading, playing music, being outside, and hanging out with my sisters/friends/roommates. 

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Lacey Alitheia L'Cein

"Heavenly Revelations" 

This piece was written with the intent of providing social commentary and potential eye-opening.

Her favorite literary figure is Samuel Beckett.- 

She refuses to play video games that aren't older than she is.- She probably spends too much time on the internet.- When she isn't doing something involving one of the last three things, she's writing a weird blend of folk music and electronica. Truthfully, she's got no idea what she's doing with her life, like a lot of college students.

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Trisha McHugh

Sophomore

Wake UP 

Chemistry Major Mathematics, Biology, History Minor

I believe this is an incredible outlet to display feelings and vulnerability. 

I am the older twin and I love to hike! 

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April Bowen 

Freshman

I’ll be one of you

Major: Visual Communication and Design 

Minor: Cinema and Media Arts

 I submitted this piece to the arts magazine because it's nice to see art from our hands being combined with art from our words. I am a girl who loves sketching and skating. Hit me up with a good cup of coffee and we can chat about cartoons and vegetables.

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The Sycamore’s Song

By Emily Ploetz

When life is just another problem,

When hope is just another type of

Prescription:

Popping joy,

Shooting love,

Bleeding lies.

And there I was, a sycamore tree

Digging down and reaching up,

Believing everyone had my best intentions

In mind.

But then the shadows in the forest

Crept a little closer, dug a little deeper

Trailing to my roots,

And I told myself I didn’t mind.

Whispers in a crowded room

Turned to echoes when I stood alone,

Turned to screams in the darkness.

You can only listen to lies for so long

Before they become your truth.

So yes,

There are cuts in my bark.

I know what they are.

Pretty sure that you know it too,

And yes,

I am not proud.

But somehow I’ve learned that

Grace is what He gave me

So I know I’ll be ok after all.

Life for me was just another problem.

Hope was running thinner, running out.

I believed that joy was fake.

I could’ve sworn that love was fleeting.

Shadowed lies twisted truth into shame.

And there I was, a sycamore tree.

Digging down and reaching up

But blade had cut so much deeper,

Taken hold of my roots,

And I could do nothing but cry.

The burdens of the forest towered over me

So I started to fight.

But I could not see I was fighting myself

In the pitch black night.

So yes,

There are cuts in my bark.

I know what they are.

Pretty sure that you know it too.

And yes,

I am not proud.

But somehow I’ve learned that

Grace is what He gave me

So I know I’ll be ok after all.

But no,

I am no longer ashamed.

I know what I did,

And I stand on the truth again.

And no,

I am not the same.

I have been changed,

Because every cut heals if you let it

And maybe these cuts can heal a forest.

So yes,

There are cuts in my bark.

I know what they are.

Pretty sure that you know it too.

And yes,

I am not proud.

But somehow I’ve learned

Grace is what He gave me

So I know I’ll be ok after all.

Believing everyone had my best intentions

In mind.