Poetry

Spark Ghazal

by Kevin Henning

The wires collide and generate a bright yellow glow. The beginning of a spark,

Suddenly, time again appears, ticking unyielding metal hands, to combat spark.

The daydreams of a right, bright, young man, blasted away through a hammer-forged barrel.

In the time where he, swamped in sludge, pleads for a glow. That man is denied by that spark.

Flings of thought coming and leaving, noses deep in life, seeking for that unique sight.

Repetition, reclusion, recession, and once in lifetimes, the dazzling spark.

It’s kept fathers up at night, their crippling bodies ensnared in polyester.

Pondering about legacy, wondering if they will have a frazzling spark.

To recognize that light for the first time, in setting, in self, in soul, in science.

New eyes set on a fantastical journey of seeing the first, then latest spark.

Spontaneous roars in the vast void, like a chain of light, all across the cosmos.

Each chain now points toward you, Kevin, for it is the time to forge the faintest spark.

Kevin Henning is a Freshman at UALBANY. Currently double majoring in Criminal Justice and English, he enjoys writing constraining poetic forms. Kevin is the upcoming Community Service advisor for the Albany Business Organization.

Autumn Sunrise — Zoe Falcone

Zoe Falcone - is currently attending the University at Albany as a freshman after graduating from New Paltz High School. In her first year she won an award for academic achievement after earning a 4.0 GPA. Zoe enjoys reading, writing (of course), and baking in her free time.

Feline Fatale — Kaitlyn Kessinger

Sticky Bun

Kaitlyn Kessinger - is finishing up her undergraduate degree in English at SUNY Albany. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, she has infiltrated the university's writing programs and aims to exploit them while she still can. Once an intern for ARCH and twice published there, she takes great pride in her poetry and her newly formed revision process. She is especially enamored by the idea of feminine writing, often intersects femme fatale and natural world influences. Kaitlyn hopes to continue enjoying the Albany writing scene next fall before she graduates and greatly appreciates the influences from faculty, nature, and her friends.

Emma Ottendorf

“Girl in a 1977 Photograph”

“Shhhhhh.”

Retrograde

“Left, and later forgotten an object assumes a brief beauty”

하늘의 선택 / The Choice of the Heavens — Kate Bucek

Valentines Day

Kate Bucek - is an East Asian Studies major with minors in Korean Studies and Creative Writing. She takes inspiration from the various ways people are connected to each other around the world, as well as the unique flows and rhythms present in different languages, since she knows English, Korean, and Spanish. While her main focus is poetry, she also works in short fiction when inspiration strikes. In 2021, she earned honorable mentions in the Scholastic Writing Contest for two of her short stories.

Nights on the White Deck — Jasmine Buenaventura

Just Writing

Latch Onto

Jasmine Buenaventura - Jasmine Buenaventura is currently a junior pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a minor degree in creative writing. She was born in the Philippines, and has lived in the U.S. since 2017. She writes creatively as an outlet for her experiences, and her thoughts of the future. Jasmine uses figurative language to try to kindly accept, and let go of what her feelings deny to concretize.

Morgan Lynn

Kaleidoscope Vision

myth’s

Ol’ McDonald

Morgan Lynn - has been writing for fun since she was young, beginning at 12 with an Instagram account dedicated to sims fan fiction. Besides her love for writing she studies Biology with an interest in evolution. Morgan likes to illicit an uncomfortable feeling from her fiction and poetry, she pulls inspiration from classic novels.

Alice’s Dream