DigitalCommons@C.O.D.

Solis, Janine Orihuela

Sudden Stop

Sana, Adam

Faceless

Gratitude

Back Cover - The Color of the Garden

The Prairie Light Review 
Volume 46 
Number 1 Fall 2023 Article 2 
Fall 12-1-2023 
About 
Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr 
Recommended Citation 
(2023) "About," The Prairie Light Review: Vol. 46: No. 1, Article 2. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol46/iss1/2 
This Prefatory Note is brought to you for free and open access by the College Publications at 
DigitalCommons@COD. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Prairie Light Review by an authorized editor of 
DigitalCommons@COD. For more information, please contact orenick@cod.edu. 
About
The Prairie Light Review is the liberal arts journal of the College of 
DuPage. This biannual journal seeks to showcase the diverse work 
produced by creative individuals surrounding us. Our publication exists 
entirely because of our loyal community, as we only accept submissions 
from District 502 and rely on our team of student editors to edit, format, 
and produce the literary journal. Each piece submitted is evaluated 
anonymously in order to ensure objectivity. 
Join
To join our Editorial team, enroll in English 2210 for the upcoming 
semester! 
Direct additional inquiries to: 
 Trina Sotirakopulos, Faculty Advisor
 sotirakopulost@cod.edu
 630-942-2177
Rolling Submissions
The Prairie Light Review accepts submissions throughout the academic 
year. We accept submissions of any in the following categories: 
original fiction, nonfiction, essays, drama, poetry, graphic essays, 
black and white and color photography, and 2D and 3D artwork of 
any medium. If you are interested, please submit all work to:
 prairielightreviewsubmissions@gmail.com
Scholarship Info
The Budilovsky Literary Scholarship provides one $500 award per 
semester in conjunction with being published in the College of DuPage’s 
Prairie Light Review. To be considered for this award, the entrant must 
remain a student at COD the following semester and have written a 
quality piece of any type (i.e., essay, poem, short story, etc.). Preference 
will be made to pieces that are autobiographical in nature.
More at: 
        
                      @cod_plr
        
prairielightreview.com 
cod.edu/student_life/publications/prairie_light_review
Editorial Team
 Editor in Chief 
 - Bee Bishop
 Production Editor 
 - Alex Albillar
 Marketing Editor 
 - Cuyler Martin
 
 Associate Editor
 - Noah McBrien
 Assistant Editors 
 - Danielle Fugate
 - Isabella Sarussi-Barys
 - Mia Maglicic
 - Joseph Conroy
 
 Faculty Advisor 
 - Trina Sotirakopulos
Editor’s Note
 Prairie Light Review is a lot more than a literary arts journal. 
For most, it is the embodiment of the creative spirit of Community 
College District 502. For some, it is a stepping stone to a further 
career in the arts. For others, it is a way to share secret depths within 
themselves with others. For me, it is a snapshot of the community at this 
specific moment in time. A snapshot of the hopes and dreams, of the 
fears and conflicts, of the triumphs and the failures. 
 The thing about snapshots is they only represent what hap-
pens in one specific moment. Meaning we still have a chance to grow, 
to change, to be better than we were before. This PLR issue stands as 
a reminder of where and who we are, and the past issues remind us 
of where and who we were. 
 This fall semester, the world has faced some terrifying 
challenges, most of which we are still working through. I hope that 
this reminder inspires you all to go forth and chase those hopes and 
dreams, to face those fears and conflicts, and to accept those triumphs 
and failures. 
 The PLR editors would like to send a special thank you to all 
our submitters who have sent work to PLR over the years. Semester 
after semester, the editors chose the pieces that stood out to us and 
spoke to something deeper within ourselves. Such an incredible jour-
nal like this stands out because of the creative, talented, and dedicat-
ed community that we have surrounding us. 
 We’d also like to say a quick thank you to our advisor Trina     
Sotirakopulos, for her help in guiding us in making this issue a reality. 
On behalf of all the editors here at PLR, I am pleased to present 
Volume 46, Issue 1 of Prairie Light Review. 
-Bee Bishop, Prairie Light Review Editor-in-Chief
32
1
et al.: About
Published by DigitalCommons@COD, 2023


English

About

The Prairie Light Review 
Volume 46 
Number 1 Fall 2023 Article 3 
Fall 12-1-2023 
Rolling Submissions 
Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr 
Recommended Citation 
(2023) "Rolling Submissions," The Prairie Light Review: Vol. 46: No. 1, Article 3. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol46/iss1/3 
This Prefatory Note is brought to you for free and open access by the College Publications at 
DigitalCommons@COD. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Prairie Light Review by an authorized editor of 
DigitalCommons@COD. For more information, please contact orenick@cod.edu. 
About
The Prairie Light Review is the liberal arts journal of the College of 
DuPage. This biannual journal seeks to showcase the diverse work 
produced by creative individuals surrounding us. Our publication exists 
entirely because of our loyal community, as we only accept submissions 
from District 502 and rely on our team of student editors to edit, format, 
and produce the literary journal. Each piece submitted is evaluated 
anonymously in order to ensure objectivity. 
Join
To join our Editorial team, enroll in English 2210 for the upcoming 
semester! 
Direct additional inquiries to: 
 Trina Sotirakopulos, Faculty Advisor
 sotirakopulost@cod.edu
 630-942-2177
Rolling Submissions
The Prairie Light Review accepts submissions throughout the academic 
year. We accept submissions of any in the following categories: 
original fiction, nonfiction, essays, drama, poetry, graphic essays, 
black and white and color photography, and 2D and 3D artwork of 
any medium. If you are interested, please submit all work to:
 prairielightreviewsubmissions@gmail.com
Scholarship Info
The Budilovsky Literary Scholarship provides one $500 award per 
semester in conjunction with being published in the College of DuPage’s 
Prairie Light Review. To be considered for this award, the entrant must 
remain a student at COD the following semester and have written a 
quality piece of any type (i.e., essay, poem, short story, etc.). Preference 
will be made to pieces that are autobiographical in nature.
More at: 
        
                      @cod_plr
        
prairielightreview.com 
cod.edu/student_life/publications/prairie_light_review
Editorial Team
 Editor in Chief 
 - Bee Bishop
 Production Editor 
 - Alex Albillar
 Marketing Editor 
 - Cuyler Martin
 
 Associate Editor
 - Noah McBrien
 Assistant Editors 
 - Danielle Fugate
 - Isabella Sarussi-Barys
 - Mia Maglicic
 - Joseph Conroy
 
 Faculty Advisor 
 - Trina Sotirakopulos
Editor’s Note
 Prairie Light Review is a lot more than a literary arts journal. 
For most, it is the embodiment of the creative spirit of Community 
College District 502. For some, it is a stepping stone to a further 
career in the arts. For others, it is a way to share secret depths within 
themselves with others. For me, it is a snapshot of the community at this 
specific moment in time. A snapshot of the hopes and dreams, of the 
fears and conflicts, of the triumphs and the failures. 
 The thing about snapshots is they only represent what hap-
pens in one specific moment. Meaning we still have a chance to grow, 
to change, to be better than we were before. This PLR issue stands as 
a reminder of where and who we are, and the past issues remind us 
of where and who we were. 
 This fall semester, the world has faced some terrifying 
challenges, most of which we are still working through. I hope that 
this reminder inspires you all to go forth and chase those hopes and 
dreams, to face those fears and conflicts, and to accept those triumphs 
and failures. 
 The PLR editors would like to send a special thank you to all 
our submitters who have sent work to PLR over the years. Semester 
after semester, the editors chose the pieces that stood out to us and 
spoke to something deeper within ourselves. Such an incredible jour-
nal like this stands out because of the creative, talented, and dedicat-
ed community that we have surrounding us. 
 We’d also like to say a quick thank you to our advisor Trina     
Sotirakopulos, for her help in guiding us in making this issue a reality. 
On behalf of all the editors here at PLR, I am pleased to present 
Volume 46, Issue 1 of Prairie Light Review. 
-Bee Bishop, Prairie Light Review Editor-in-Chief
32
1
et al.: Rolling Submissions
Published by DigitalCommons@COD, 2023


Rolling Submissions

Bishop, Bee

The Prairie Light Review 
Volume 46 
Number 1 Fall 2023 Article 6 
Fall 12-1-2023 
Editor's Note 
Bee Bishop 
College of DuPage 
Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr 
Recommended Citation 
Bishop, Bee (2023) "Editor's Note," The Prairie Light Review: Vol. 46: No. 1, Article 6. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol46/iss1/6 
This Prefatory Note is brought to you for free and open access by the College Publications at 
DigitalCommons@COD. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Prairie Light Review by an authorized editor of 
DigitalCommons@COD. For more information, please contact orenick@cod.edu. 
About
The Prairie Light Review is the liberal arts journal of the College of 
DuPage. This biannual journal seeks to showcase the diverse work 
produced by creative individuals surrounding us. Our publication exists 
entirely because of our loyal community, as we only accept submissions 
from District 502 and rely on our team of student editors to edit, format, 
and produce the literary journal. Each piece submitted is evaluated 
anonymously in order to ensure objectivity. 
Join
To join our Editorial team, enroll in English 2210 for the upcoming 
semester! 
Direct additional inquiries to: 
 Trina Sotirakopulos, Faculty Advisor
 sotirakopulost@cod.edu
 630-942-2177
Rolling Submissions
The Prairie Light Review accepts submissions throughout the academic 
year. We accept submissions of any in the following categories: 
original fiction, nonfiction, essays, drama, poetry, graphic essays, 
black and white and color photography, and 2D and 3D artwork of 
any medium. If you are interested, please submit all work to:
 prairielightreviewsubmissions@gmail.com
Scholarship Info
The Budilovsky Literary Scholarship provides one $500 award per 
semester in conjunction with being published in the College of DuPage’s 
Prairie Light Review. To be considered for this award, the entrant must 
remain a student at COD the following semester and have written a 
quality piece of any type (i.e., essay, poem, short story, etc.). Preference 
will be made to pieces that are autobiographical in nature.
More at: 
        
                      @cod_plr
        
prairielightreview.com 
cod.edu/student_life/publications/prairie_light_review
Editorial Team
 Editor in Chief 
 - Bee Bishop
 Production Editor 
 - Alex Albillar
 Marketing Editor 
 - Cuyler Martin
 
 Associate Editor
 - Noah McBrien
 Assistant Editors 
 - Danielle Fugate
 - Isabella Sarussi-Barys
 - Mia Maglicic
 - Joseph Conroy
 
 Faculty Advisor 
 - Trina Sotirakopulos
Editor’s Note
 Prairie Light Review is a lot more than a literary arts journal. 
For most, it is the embodiment of the creative spirit of Community 
College District 502. For some, it is a stepping stone to a further 
career in the arts. For others, it is a way to share secret depths within 
themselves with others. For me, it is a snapshot of the community at this 
specific moment in time. A snapshot of the hopes and dreams, of the 
fears and conflicts, of the triumphs and the failures. 
 The thing about snapshots is they only represent what hap-
pens in one specific moment. Meaning we still have a chance to grow, 
to change, to be better than we were before. This PLR issue stands as 
a reminder of where and who we are, and the past issues remind us 
of where and who we were. 
 This fall semester, the world has faced some terrifying 
challenges, most of which we are still working through. I hope that 
this reminder inspires you all to go forth and chase those hopes and 
dreams, to face those fears and conflicts, and to accept those triumphs 
and failures. 
 The PLR editors would like to send a special thank you to all 
our submitters who have sent work to PLR over the years. Semester 
after semester, the editors chose the pieces that stood out to us and 
spoke to something deeper within ourselves. Such an incredible jour-
nal like this stands out because of the creative, talented, and dedicat-
ed community that we have surrounding us. 
 We’d also like to say a quick thank you to our advisor Trina     
Sotirakopulos, for her help in guiding us in making this issue a reality. 
On behalf of all the editors here at PLR, I am pleased to present 
Volume 46, Issue 1 of Prairie Light Review. 
-Bee Bishop, Prairie Light Review Editor-in-Chief
32
1
Bishop: Editor's Note
Published by DigitalCommons@COD, 2023


Editor\u27s Note

The Prairie Light Review 
Volume 46 
Number 1 Fall 2023 Article 8 
Fall 12-1-2023 
Table of Contents 
Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr 
Recommended Citation 
(2023) "Table of Contents," The Prairie Light Review: Vol. 46: No. 1, Article 8. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol46/iss1/8 
This Prefatory Note is brought to you for free and open access by the College Publications at 
DigitalCommons@COD. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Prairie Light Review by an authorized editor of 
DigitalCommons@COD. For more information, please contact orenick@cod.edu. 
Cover Art: A Bite Darling, Digital Artwork _Dakoda McCallum
Table of Contents
Dhaka, Bangladesh - Offloading Books _Keith Yearman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
A Bite Darling _Dakoda McCallum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
The Invitation _Tom Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Dash _Steven Anderson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
stranger _Mia Maglicic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Examination _Elise Matlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Spring Fashion _Karlynn Rich -- Designer_ Rahaf  Damra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
The Haircut _Bee Bishop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Morya _Megha Jain  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
A Miracle _Mina Pattanaik  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
I, Mother _BrittanyAnn Schumacher  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Mother-Daughter Bonding _Natalia G. Toreeva  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Her Daughter Speaks _Wilda Morris  . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Suburban Wasteland _Dakoda McCallum  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Unusual Attribute _Dariana Rozier  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Forward _Mina Pattanaik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Iced Freddos _Hadley Weaver Rivera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
The Birth _ Kelly Kuper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
The Hand That Nurtures _Alyssa Ferraro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
To My Biological Father: a Pantoum _Wilda Morris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
A Letter I’ll Never Send _Bianca Tellez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Folk Paradiso Orsalia _Filio Zoi Milioti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Kamal Talai _Megha Jain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Still Motion _Devona Barnes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Self  _Christina Savaglio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
54
1
et al.: Table of Contents
Published by DigitalCommons@COD, 2023
Blossoming _Barbara Garrison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Fertile Earth _George Karavolos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Peace Of  Mind _Alexa Solonenko . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Guardian of  the Garden _Angel Nance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Natural Man _Abdul Malik Mandani . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  35
Kenyan Rose _Angel Nance  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
The Silver Age _Lea Sloan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
What If  _Abdul Malik Mandani . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
What’s in a Line _Christine Cianciosi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Dear Kirill _Mardelle Fortier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
President Zelensky _Marilyn Peretti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
A Spiteful Love Letter to My Mother _Bee Bishop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Home _Natalia G. Toreeva . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Ocean of  Emotion _Huma Anwar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Grace _BrittanyAnn Schumacher. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
Fish Food Critics _Joe Conroy  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Frankenturkey _Carolyn Faivre  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Jackson _Megan Novak  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
One Urban Tree to Another _Karian Markos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
I need Totem _Matt Hanson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Unknown _Christine Cianciosi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Tempting Lagoon Ring _Karlette Murray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Wyoming Night _James Bronco Emmenegger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
The Deal _Joseph Nelson  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Divine Delusion _Elise Matlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Roll For Initiative _Bianca Tellez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Farewell to Anticipation _Matt Hanson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
The Station _Mardelle Fortier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Dhaka  Bangladesh - Nail factory _Keith Yearman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
After Sexton, Stafford, Olson _Tom Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
Paper Fingernails Imprisoning My Body _Adam Sana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
untitled _Aidan Meade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Unlucky Child _Adam Sana  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Sleeping Soundly _Luiza Okarski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Fire _James Bronco Emmenegger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
After the House Fire _Sarah Kueking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Sticks and Stones _Mia Stachura . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
And This Is How I Felt _Alexa Solonenko . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
phantom _Karian Markos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Contemplative Moment By The Sea _Tania Blanco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Wandering Fantasy One of  a Kind Brooch/Necklace _Aleksandra Vali . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Not Identified _Jason Snart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Water Bonds _Samantha Valdes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
See The Blue Bird in The Garden _Tania Blanco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
notes on forgiveness _Ayesha Masood Khan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Perspective on Changing _Cuyler Martin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
A Beautiful Ghost Story _Dariana Rozier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77
Welcome Home _Sarah Kueking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Lollipop Dream _Samantha Valdes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
How Many Seconds in Eternity? _Max Ayoub . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *BACK COVER*
76
2
The Prairie Light Review, Vol. 46, No. 1 [2023], Art. 8
https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol46/iss1/8


Weaver Rivera, Hadley

The Prairie Light Review 
Volume 46 
Number 1 Fall 2023 Article 24 
Fall 12-1-2023 
Iced Freddos 
Hadley Weaver Rivera 
College of DuPage 
Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr 
Recommended Citation 
Weaver Rivera, Hadley (2023) "Iced Freddos," The Prairie Light Review: Vol. 46: No. 1, Article 24. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol46/iss1/24 
This Selection is brought to you for free and open access by the College Publications at DigitalCommons@COD. It 
has been accepted for inclusion in The Prairie Light Review by an authorized editor of DigitalCommons@COD. For 
more information, please contact orenick@cod.edu. 
It’s hard not to think about what this could have been
When my heart is full of promises we just could not have kept. 
One day I will find the words to describe what this all meant, 
But now instead of trying to, I’ll put it all to rest. 
I’ll keep each stolen moment like a collection in my breast.
And something I will never have is any one regret.
Sometimes love is fickle and can fight you to the end,
But sometimes it’s too precious, it’s better when it’s left.
Given time to exist, given space to breathe.
Giving all we’ve ever wanted even when it’s clear to see
That paths are meant to cross, 
Ours was only brief.
Pulled in and then away like we’re two waves upon the beach.
I walk into the floodpath and 
the world goes on. I take pictures of sunsets and 
the world goes on. I miss being sad because
I could pretend everything stopped when I did. 
I could pretend I was the most interesting thing 
in the room. Last week a woman walked onto 
the highway and cars swerved neatly around her 
like water against an immovable object. 
I don’t walk onto the highway. I walk on the 
crosswalk and look at the apartments where 
neighbors are arguing: big broad gestures
like actors in silent films, stuck in a tin-box 
windowpane. You could almost make a show 
of what they’re saying, soap operatics about 
cheating husbands and neglectful wives. 
I used to make a game of it. Now I don’t.
Instead I go home.
Forward _Mina Pattanaik
Iced Freddos _Hadley Weaver Rivera
Unusual Attribute (on left), Photography 
_Dariana Rozier
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Weaver Rivera: Iced Freddos
Published by DigitalCommons@COD, 2023


Iced Freddos

Peretti, Marilyn

The Prairie Light Review 
Volume 46 
Number 1 Fall 2023 Article 43 
Fall 12-1-2023 
President Zelensky 
Marilyn Peretti 
College of DuPage 
Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr 
Recommended Citation 
Peretti, Marilyn (2023) "President Zelensky," The Prairie Light Review: Vol. 46: No. 1, Article 43. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol46/iss1/43 
This Artwork is brought to you for free and open access by the College Publications at DigitalCommons@COD. It 
has been accepted for inclusion in The Prairie Light Review by an authorized editor of DigitalCommons@COD. For 
more information, please contact orenick@cod.edu. 
 I never asked you, Kirill, if ordinary Russians were hap-
py. Privately, Robin whispered that people on the street never 
smiled. She pointed out the nearly empty windows of stores with 
scarce consumer goods (most funds were focused toward mili-
tary expenses). At a bookstore, she mischievously requested the 
novel, Doctor Zhivago, knowing it would never appear on the 
shelf. Careers, our leaders had informed us, were chosen by the 
state, so none of you young men would ever have a choice. 
 Despite constant radio propaganda mumbling over the 
fulfillment of five-year plans, you must have seen the wide gap 
between fiction and reality. You must have realized that it was 
impossible to even catch a glimpse of a dream. “Put us in your 
suitcase,” Kirill and Sasha said as we prepared to leave their 
country. Their voices were fervent yet wistful, cynical; they knew 
they were flirting with a fleeting fantasy. Did you ever really 
know what freedom meant?
 Kirill, I confess: as our plane rose, as we flew closer to 
our homeland, elation lifted us high and higher. Unlike you, we 
could “move around the cabin.” Your world receded back into 
surrealism as we crossed back out of the Iron Curtain.     
 With today’s newspaper headlines (invasion of Ukraine, 
spring 2022), you exploded back into reality. My tears have 
flowed till they could flood into the Neva. How sorry I am that I 
could not take you with me, away from coercion, draft, war and 
losses of men over Ukraine. 
President Zelensky, Acrylic on Canvas  _Marilyn Peretti
4342
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Peretti: President Zelensky
Published by DigitalCommons@COD, 2023


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