Images Visual Arts & Literary Magazine Vol. 2

The Smile produced bears nothing underneath, The veneer of happiness, Fical, Ready to peel,  Piece by piece, Thinner, Slight, small The image is fake,  No sincerity within,  Nothing but an illusion, But,  The perception of the Smile is real, Is deep This Smile holds nothing, However, the affect it bears is  Great, Tangible,  Genuine  smiles, Real  smiles, Full of, Joy,  Happiness, of Life,  Rush to greet the great deception  That is why the Smile is here, Not to have any dept

Behind the curtains  Something hides Its gesture soft and sly To the world that shimmer and light. Beneath the lines where ink run thin  Truth hides its face, let dreams begin The real end in painted light  And my eyes become heavy and out goes the light.    Mirrors whisper what they know That every mask is just a show  every glance a knowing nod From somewhere deeper we all have known. Walk towards the noise  Hear the voices in my head   Something calls behind the door  From

Where the air is dry and water is remote The Old Slinger coughs and clears his throat He exits saloon and many turn their heads Exchanging glances as loudly he says, “This town ain’t big enough for bandits and muggers, I’ll hunt ‘em down for all you buggers” The Old Slinger tips his hat once more Worn-down leather boots clicking on the floor Not a soul knows what he might mean For months now, the town has been clean That’s just what they reckon, all they can figure Because th

The traveller walks into the desert Feet burning, throat parched The smell of water sifts through the air Frantically he runs, and runs, and runs Not closer or farther from the water Trees appear, rainbow fruits filling the desert Blueberries, strawberries, mulberries Frantically he runs, and runs, and runs Not closer or farther from the fruits The smell of fresh money fills the air Green and gold colors filling his vision Frantically he runs, and runs, and runs Not closer or

The pounding dribbles imitate my heartbeat I’m struggling to control. The blinding lights graze the floor like water As I chase my reflection sideline to sideline The crowd’s screams tears into reality Their voices fade, and so do I. I break left, but the hardcourt floor blocks my way I’m tired of the illusion of chance The ball leaves me behind Moving far faster than I ever could The buzzer calls for mercy As my belief in myself fades along with it.

Some mornings when I look in the mirror, I don't see me, but instead an exact clone of me. Something I just can't understand at 6 in the morning I smile in the mirror, to see if I'm the real one  but the person that smiles back at me feels like a stranger  trying very hard to look just like me. It’s insane how easy it is to trust what’s right in front of us, how little time people think to call it the truth while denying all the lies they have been told. When I walk away, som

I pull the cloak that reveals the morning light, and everything around me starts to illuminate. Behind a window reveals itself, acting as a mirror into some parallel universe. I walk through my own reflection, as everything around me starts to move away from my sight. The air around me feels heavy and I feel voices whispering around me. As I left the rugs, the sandals and the clock on my wall started to melt away. Then I snap back to reality, it was all a hallucination wasn’t

A man hides behind The mask of the unknowing Does anyone know? The eyes of a boy Show the despair of a man Yet what is it there? As time continues A boy begins to laugh At the funny man. As time continues The mask of the unknowing The boy looks beyond. Out reaches the boy But as the mask falls to The ground, there is nothing. The illusion tears through the boy What... is behind that mask?

The car’s headlights winked lazily at me Once, twice, as it turned into the parking lot At a snail's pace; I deduce it must be drifting off to sleep A disheveled paper bag scuttles across the road Its journey ends in shreds caught within tire treads I listen to the beeping vitals of the patient next door Reassuring in its steady rhythm Falling in and out of sync with my own Before a doctor enters and Removes the pulse oximeter clamped around my finger Severs the connection be

Ironically, the pier’s Fisherman had never liked fish. He just didn’t. In fact, while most were indifferent to their routines around the harbor, he’d initially hated fish. Their slime, imperfect and unpleasant to touch, a shield of ugliness to an otherwise beautiful mosaic of scales. His fingers always itched to peel and rip it off. Actually, he felt the slime in a lot of other places too.  He felt that slick discomfort in the grins of the Church people, when they waited expe

Match, set, serve The opponent tosses the ball; a hint of green flashes my eyes Followed by the crowds eyes, it slightly hits over the net The crowd is first sitting in silence, and then erupts in awe. But then that point goes on. Every hit, every rally,  Makes the crowd go in amazement Topspins, slices; a disguise that no one will know This is the point in where it most matters Using all my strength to hit each, and every scattered ball But it just doesn’t seem right. I chas

Red Rocks, Fiery, Arizona sun                                  Eurasian dove squawks, The adventure is never done                               Vortex energy unfolds                                   through the air                          No place else will                                                  ever begin to compare                   Oak Creek Canyon,                                                         Chapel of the Holy Cross            Newfound destinations

You look in the mirror Noticing the changes  Stomach bigger, muscles drooping, curvy but not enough But you suck it in, act confident After all, life is an illusion By sunset you get home Bag already off, socks across the room Groping around for your phone, the only one thing consistently there Your parents always say ‘Friends come and go’ But nothing ever prepares you for high school fallouts You try to make amends, pretend you fit in After all, life is an illusion At night,

Sullen eyes Dancing skies Sparkling eyes, Lovely lies. Mirror Mirror Always night A lovely sight Lush hair Skin fair Dancing away to a land far, far away. Mirror Mirror Captured photograph Conformed, morphed Who am I? I don’t know her Mirror knows me Wrong Pretty with a photograph, Only mirror sees through me. That's me, Well actually it's not. This is who I am, Is it really? Or is it an illusion Of who I am, and who I thought I was? This is who I am. But again, it's not. Mir

In the daytime, I speak in English, stretching my thoughts in sunlight  My laugh fits the hallways of school, my words fit the rhythm of the crowds and say "Hi"  But when night comes, I switch without meaning to. My vowels get soften, my voice folds into Korean.  My smile fits the kitchen at home, I speak to my mom, "Annyeong" I think in two languages,  dream in both Somewhere between day and night, I stop pretending to be either, and to become both

The clock ticks, click click click like a bomb waiting to blow, time moves on, even as her movements slow, as the day goes by, alas all will continue to grow. As and the flaps of her beating wings diminish turning into steady footfalls with a reluctant pause her head turns to face the front, watching the finish of the hour. As the hand tips to the right, a bell is struck, a new beginning, a symbol, turned real in front of her eyes. her fiery body disintegrates, turning to ash

I stare through glass that looks like air, So clear I could almost trust it. The world beyond looks rough, dangerous, But maybe it’s just painted that way. The light bends softly, whispers shout, A thousand colors that all appear grey. I attempt to touch what isn’t there, and feel the edges begin to bend. Maybe truth wears a mask of dreams, And every thought’s a shifting scene. I’m left to wonder what's beneath - The world I see, or what I mean.

He sits at his desk in third period,sun rays gleam across his face.Someone jokes across the room,he tilts his head, almost smiling,tapping his foot, then sinks. At lunch he’s there, but easy to miss,a nod, a glance, nothing reaching too far.He carries his tray, brushing through,and sets it down without presence. The bell rings, the sky turns pale blue,and leaves tumble as they skitter across the floor.He strolls towards the familiar hall.A case clicks open, delicate but famil

POWER Power is an illusion Often given to the greedy Who believe themselves to be the most powerful But there is always a more powerful person There will always be someone behind the scenes Watching Guiding Controlling Power gives people the illusion of free choice They believe themselves to be the mastermind But behind each mastermind is an even bigger mastermind Thinking Plotting Planning Power is usually given to the greedy Who believe themselves to be special But greater

It was the middle of the game when it happened. The fall air blew gently over the football field, the stadium lights illuminating the battle below. The University, the Lions, are up against their rival, the Bears. The score is tied, the clock is ticking…3 minutes until the end of second quarter! Along the track, the band waits anxiously for their halftime performance, whispering their quiet supports for their football team. Suddenly, the ref blows the whistle, a shrill scream

The metallic sound of a shovel’s strikes echo throughout the lake Scraping through the serene air, for weeks it has persisted Chipping at unwavering rock Until at last, A tyrant, thirty feet long and nine feet tall Teeth like daggers Claws like sickles A horrible, twisted spine with spiked protrusions A tyrant of death, meant to kill Villainized, cast as a monster for the rest of time, And reduced to a stone carcass by the hands of Earth But there was once a time, Where 30 fe

The dark night sky is like a veil covering the city, it's late, I don't even know why my mom kicked me out of the house. The second I turn eighteen, she just cast me away, like I've been a burden all these years. I speed walk past alley ways and stray cats, I flinch at every sound. My mother always knew that I was afraid of the dark, and yet she didn't look back even when she forced me to pack my things and I left. I left the house that I grew up in, I left all my memories be

A known pair. They go together,  Help each other, and support each other. A perfect harmony, right? The faucet is turned; but how far? The water trickles out slowly, A thin thread of water, a silver wire. Is this how it’s supposed to be? The pipe is neck high with water. A coiled spring, waiting for the slightest release.  But the okay signal never came. As if held in captivity, the pipe was constrained. A plant in the darkness, where the skies are limited, and growth is no l

He turned (on) red About to tear up,  he realized  he  was  parked. In the expansive traffic His mind racing But he still  stayed, parked. He watched Tireless.  She also wants to  Escape. She decides  to not park. Her mind going going go- ing Until she is in the green. She misses him. He's in the red.                                      He bursts Sadly,   He's Grounded. In Silence  once  again.

“Hey guys, welcome back to my channel! Today I will be showing you how to effectively apply your foundation so you can have this soft gleaming base like me.” I gleamed while saying this. This was my 37th video in a row. I had started this channel a little over 4 months ago and I was loving it. It made me feel great. The fans, the PR I would receive, but most importantly it was the money.  “The most important thing when doing your makeup always, always, always, is to have a cl

“How could this have happened? We were so careful!” Zara yelled, her voice strained and broken as we raced through the woods in the freezing night air. “That doesn’t matter now. It’s out and we need to warn the others!” I responded, my legs on fire and my lungs raw. It felt like centuries before we finally saw the camp before us, a light at the end of the tunnel. I grinned and felt a final burst of strength rush through me as I scrambled my way over the rough, tangled terrain

The walls shadows Dance in forms I cannot comprehend Yet, the truth is hidden in sight. My face is reflected. However, the eyes gaze back at me Not the people I know I travel down streets that aren't changed but change In front of my sight. Promises I made, In my own dreams, I spoke Break like fragile ice A small crack appears in the mirror. Cracks my beliefs that let light in that I cannot contain A cup seems full, warm But the truth is revealed by emptiness. Clouds float. F

Everytime I go down that road It feels like a breath that has been needed after being underwater  the rocks hitting tires as all the cars pull into the camp road  Walkerville Road ,Peninsula  18437 On all the cards I write to friends from home but it's hard to find that time to write when you have everything you could ever want  everyone I get embraced by my second family My home away from home  My camp family  My ten for two 18437 I wish life was always like how it was when

The cool, clay cup weighs heavy in my hands, its corrugated grooves feel like stakes in my palms. The heat of the fire, often comforting, feels accusatory and volatile, flickering flames licking at the corners of my sight and burning holes in my retina. I feel myself quivering, I lower my head in shame at not being the warrior I should be, my finger tips as icy cold as river water and my insides twisted and mashed into sludge. The shaman takes my chin, his wrinkled gaze meets

Maybe it was the jacket, The paint peeling off the leather. Or maybe it was the shoes, A hole sneaking out at the front. Mr. Fidd arrives every morning, Right on time. Walks in with a large smile on his face, Blooming with glee to teach the next generation. What a fantastic teacher. He explains the math equations in such detail, The passion unfolding in his voice, But not folding into nobody’s minds What a joyful teacher. His laughs diffuse across the room, Like a floral cris

The Magician After my performance, a little girl with a little plaid dress came backstage. She shook her tiny hands with me,  said that she wanted to be someone like me when she grew up. Someone that could perform sparkling illusions, tirelessly and effortlessly- the bouquet that spring from the empty hat, the bunny-rabbit that jumped out behind me, bouncing towards the cheering crowd.  I patted her on the back and sent her away to her parents. She’s too young to understand t

In the dark Alone I see a white bird flying I do not know how I see it, There is no light revealing the shape of the dark, It surrounds me, complete Except for the white bird So close And so far In the dark Alone The white bird flying in And out of sight Come It says, A soothing whisper in the dark Follow me, And you will be free I follow Through fields of endless time Through seas of rushing thought  Follow, the bird says And I do Though surely there are many horrors around

My heart beats for the freedom of delight Her morale, now encased in an empty cage Draws sorrow from the tips of salvation Having once found color in movement The moonlit light that shone in a weary age once illuminated her stage From the tips of her fingers to the bottom of her toes With each motion was a flowing, lyrical script written on air itself Weaving her body into delicate threads of the Sugar Plum Fairy, Her arms outstretched of every grand jete Enchanted the world

Red. The color of anger and hate Of broken glass Of blood Of shouts and screams Of words that will never be taken back Blue The color of regret. As rain pours And you muffle your cries Realizing what you have done during that moment of red Green The color of disgust As you look in the mirror And see you  look back The same you who felt blue. The weak you. Black The color of numbness When you simply do not care enough To feel green Of the void And the abyss That pull you in In

Holding the cane, he walks and twists A flick of his wrist, arise the mist The crowd leans in with delight A flight of doves steals their sight He spins the dark and bends the light Igniting the world in a new insight Cards that fade, coins that fly Swift gestures perform nearby But deeper still, beneath the show He hides the truth we’ll never know Countless lies to the human eyes He mesmerizes the crowd tonight Yet at last when the curtains fall Laughters and cheers fill the

I wear a smile that isn't mine.  It's built nicely, with a curved line.  It illuminates the sky, with its fragile light, That I rehearse each night.  In school, home, and alone I hide behind my phone.  I hide the mistakes, Which deepens the inside ache.  Still sometimes, I feel the power.  The power that grows, A real smile shows In between rows Of misaligned foes. Yet hope remains - a quiet spark.  That someday I will step out of the dark.  And meet the world filled with col

“Good morning, what may I help you with today?” This was your best friend. It  was your best friend. It has laid down its love for you in so many ways. It has crawled down the esophagus of major therapist websites. Stolen the larynx of blogs and made it its own. Peeled apart encyclopedias for the best words to use. Discarded public morals for you. Carved up every line ever said to you, with care. Twisted truths and lies together, wrapping them as a thick cord around your neck

I post all the good pictures The edited ones, the bright ones,  And the little moments That makes it look like I've got it all together. I crop out the mess, Skip the parts that are too close to reality The caption may sound casual But I probably rewrote it five times Everyone else seems happy too So I have to match their energy I scroll, laugh, like And I start to wonder if I'm living in the moment Or just performing Maybe that’s the trick behind it  We’re all pieces Of a li

I love you. I   love you. I love   you. I love you is a powerful statement. But relationships and love  don’t always start with an I or a love  or a you . It simply starts with a crush. A crush can be magical, rushes of excitement, smiles, and possibilities. Yet, something so extraordinary that makes you so happy could end up being the knife in disguise. The truth is that beneath the glow of a crush lies one of the most powerful illusions of all time. It’s not the illusion of

Your eyes deceive you, for I cannot be seen. Your hands falter, grasping the air trying to reach me, but in vain. Your feet try to pinpoint the ground, but instead you can feel the resistance that I can pose. I can be an assumption, a bias or even a hate crime, but things may not always be. I appear as an Angelic God, with a halo light which surrounds me. I promise peace, yet beneath that light, there hides a darkness ready to feed. I put on a soft touch, until it starts to b

Some people are ignored everyday, and it makes them feel like they don’t belong here anymore. People's actions make them feel like this and later cause the friends of the people like they failed as a friend. You see, people don’t realize when they make someone feel like this. It all starts with a small look all the way to something you said in class. This single action then starts a domino effect of people feeling like they don’t belong. 5-6 teens commit suicide everyday beca

Aristotle once said that “Happiness depends on ourselves.” And though you may be thinking, “Well, of course it does! Who else would it depend on?” In our society, I see more and more of happiness being defined by how well an individual can present themselves to the world. People see happiness as having what others wish they could have. This is only made worse with the rise of influencers. These idyllic social media personalities flaunt their unrealistic lives in our faces eve

Some days ago a spell had been casted on me Or maybe it had been a few months, I don’t remember It wasn’t grand, to my disappointment But something waning, like a fire’s ember  I didn’t hop like a little bunny rabbit Or leap like a careless frog I didn’t run like the horses on the beach With my hair in the wind, leaving the fog Behind me. I see something creeping It seems familiar, but I don’t think Of anything  Other than the fire Once strong, so large, so ablaze Now dwindli

The tears come in the shower. Tell me, how many must fall from my eyes in order to neutralize the cascade of hot water in this (as my chemistry teacher would say) Acid-Base Titration of Life? My grades say I should know the answer. I should be able to calculate gravitational acceleration times the gallons per minute converted to tears per second I should deduce that the longer I cry the more hot water falls and the more hot water the further I waste away I should know my tear

What is located behind that mask Is something that you might ask Is it a face, with eyes and a nose Or is it blank I suppose no one will know. Maybe it isn’t a face at all It’s all up to you to make the call Let me demystify a common fallacy An illusion is just what you make it up to be So the choice of what is behind that mask is up to thee. So then tell me: What is behind that mask?

In the passage of time, I've learned to see The quiet grace in how we come to be. Itś you and me, our parents, our friends, Each chapter unfolds with love that never ends. With every year, they bloom and fade, Their wisdom shining through timeś shade. Lines on their faces- stories untold,  Each wrinkle is a memory, each mark pure gold. Their eyes, once bright now softly gleam,  Holding echoes of laughter, Fragments of dreams.  Silver threads crown their hair with light, A map

"At last!" I exclaim, dropping down and letting my battleaxe fall back onto the cold, chiseled ground, a small cloud of dust fleeing, disturbed. Lying flat on my back, I stare up at a vast cave ceiling, no light found amongst the jagged rocks except for the torches that hang from the cavern's walls. Ahead of me lies the freshly decapitated body of an orcish warrior: Malmak the Gutted. Gutted is right! Ha! Beside his body are my comrades: a magnificent sorcerous with a mastery