The Auroras & Blossoms PoArtMo Anthology: Youth Edition (Volume 2)

By Eve Ballard, Shailey Bellamkonda, Ella Blakely and 20 more

Welcome to The Auroras & Blossoms PoArtMo Anthology: Youth Edition (Volume 2)! 

This collection of positive and uplifting written works has been created in response to PoArtMo, a year-long movement launched in 2020 by Auroras & Blossoms. PoArtMo stands for "Positive Actions Rally Thoughts & Momentum."

The Auroras & Blossoms PoArtMo Anthology: Youth Edition (Voilume 2) features poems and stories written by young creatives between the ages of 13 and 16 and who live around the world.

Contributors to this volume include Eve Ballard, Shailey Bellamkonda, Ella Blakely, Aakriti Garg, Angie Greene, Morgan Gustafson, Lauren Hacke, Grace Haller, Vivian Huang, Emily Jarecke, Tanvi Jeph, Abigail Kim, Anna Kuang, Vera Lin, Makili Matty, Paavni Mehrotra, Arden Nasveschuk, Dia Nigam, Saara Parijaat, Anika Raffle, Angel Tang, Cate Traywick, Cindy Wang, and Tatum Zola.

Release date: March 23, 2023

• Language: English
• Publisher: Auroras & Blossoms
• Release date: Mar 23, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215904268

Book preview

the crayon box rules - Anika Raffle

––––––––

short grubby hands

grab a crayon box,

grab the first color they see.

––––––––

they don’t discriminate;

purple grass, green sky

pink and brown boy from

m-i-s-s-i-s-s-i-p-p-i

––––––––

they let their drawings cry,

onyx hands and words fly

––––––––

but then big fingers come,

take their box away

––––––––

and say that the brown one can’t stay,

that house should be black,

that collar, white or peach,

those two girls’ hands should be

holding each other on the beach

––––––––

and the tiny heads nod

to retain their drawing tools.

as they create, they listen

to the crayon box rules

––––––––

then they grow

out of crayons

to sharpie signatures

––––––––

and still

they send the brown away,

place the black house outside red lines,

fold white collars around white necks,

ensure matching rings aren’t shared by two guys.

––––––––

by the colors they abide,

they draw inside the lines,

their crayon box rules

whisper in their minds

––––––––

to spread their knowledge

of the purpose for each crayon

with the next set

of reaching hands.

––––––––

the cycle will continue

until children can draw their people blue

and their drawings are showcased on the fridge,

so they can grow to love all hues

H.O.P.E - Hold On Pain Ends - Paavni Mehrotra

It can hurt you,

till you experience no feeling or emotion.

It can pull you down,

till you accept inferiority and demotion.

––––––––

It can trouble you,

till nothing seems to be going right.

It can worry you,

till everything seems to be filled with regret and fright.

––––––––

You become invisible,

you become ignored.

You become weak,

you become bruised.

––––––––

You do not know how to lift yourself