DigitalCommons@C.O.D.

Tausz, Anna

The Prairie Light Review 
Volume 44 
Number 2 Spring 2022 Article 19 
Spring 5-1-2022 
Childish Things 
Anna Tausz 
College of DuPage 
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Recommended Citation 
Tausz, Anna (2022) "Childish Things," The Prairie Light Review: Vol. 44: No. 2, Article 19. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol44/iss2/19 
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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. 
Tipping over       Bankul Banerjee
That winter long ago, dressing your two-year-old
in a pink snowsuit and purple snow boots, 
you let her go. She tipped over in two minutes
surprising you but you were quick to catch her.
 
On one frigid, snowy morning, you were
lifting the heavy nozzle to fill your gas tank, 
it snapped back at you trying to tip you over.
 
This summer afternoon, your dysfunctional 
spine lacked the strength to tilt the bag of rice,
exactly twenty pounds, from the grocery cart 
to the trunk of your car. You were about to tip over.
 
Then, remember the scene from Kolkata? 
A man was stacking a dozen bricks on the head 
of a frail, kneeling woman. She stood up slowly 
hobbling for hundred yards, to the high-rise 
under construction. Consequences would have been 
dire if she tipped over.
Childish Things (above), Anna Tausz
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Tausz: Childish Things
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English

Childish Things

Lindhardt, Becky

The Prairie Light Review 
Volume 44 
Number 2 Spring 2022 Article 21 
Spring 5-1-2022 
An Orange Tragedy 
Becky Lindhardt 
College of DuPage 
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Recommended Citation 
Lindhardt, Becky (2022) "An Orange Tragedy," The Prairie Light Review: Vol. 44: No. 2, Article 21. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol44/iss2/21 
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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. 
An Orange Tragedy        
Becky Lindhardt
Nothing rhymes with orange, which I find very strange.
With all the rhymes in the world, there should be a wide range.
The fruit may be nutritious,
and the color is delicious,
but anyone who tries to rhyme it is probably deranged.
 Is there a way to move around, a way to rearrange?
Can we redo the alphabet and find letters to exchange?
No… that is too ambitious…
Nothing rhymes with orange. 
What can we do to fix this err, so we may make a change?
For all the words that do not rhyme, in which orange is estranged.
It’s lonely and malicious,
to help would be judicious.
Because here lies the disappointment of this very age:
Nothing rhymes with orange.
Tiger Lilly, Linnea Sardina
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Lindhardt: An Orange Tragedy
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An Orange Tragedy

Jameel, Briar

The Prairie Light Review 
Volume 44 
Number 2 Spring 2022 Article 39 
Spring 5-1-2022 
Turning Towards Myself 
Briar Jameel 
College of DuPage 
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Recommended Citation 
Jameel, Briar (2022) "Turning Towards Myself," The Prairie Light Review: Vol. 44: No. 2, Article 39. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol44/iss2/39 
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. 
Turning Towards Myself
Briar Jameel
 
I was never taught to love myself
Or the messy parts of my existence.
And so, I scrutinize my flaws under a microscope,
picking myself apart while writhing in resistance.
Until there isn’t much left of
who I really am.
For I am no perfect being.
I am no exception.
I refuse to adhere to a notion of Me
I am only human. Figuring it out along the way.
I am myself, you see.
Not an image or production.
I wrap my tired arms around my cautious being,
holding this body with a loving firmness.
This vessel that has never failed
 to stay for my higher purpose.
Destiny Ring, 
Carine Risch
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Jameel: Turning Towards Myself
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Turning Towards Myself

Risch, Carine

The Prairie Light Review 
Volume 44 
Number 2 Spring 2022 Article 40 
Spring 5-1-2022 
Destiny Ring 
Carine Risch 
College of DuPage 
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Recommended Citation 
Risch, Carine (2022) "Destiny Ring," The Prairie Light Review: Vol. 44: No. 2, Article 40. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol44/iss2/40 
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. 
Turning Towards Myself
Briar Jameel
 
I was never taught to love myself
Or the messy parts of my existence.
And so, I scrutinize my flaws under a microscope,
picking myself apart while writhing in resistance.
Until there isn’t much left of
who I really am.
For I am no perfect being.
I am no exception.
I refuse to adhere to a notion of Me
I am only human. Figuring it out along the way.
I am myself, you see.
Not an image or production.
I wrap my tired arms around my cautious being,
holding this body with a loving firmness.
This vessel that has never failed
 to stay for my higher purpose.
Destiny Ring, 
Carine Risch
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Risch: Destiny Ring
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Destiny Ring

Marrazzo, Morgan

The Prairie Light Review 
Volume 44 
Number 2 Spring 2022 Article 52 
Spring 5-1-2022 
Occupied 
Morgan Marrazzo 
College of DuPage 
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Recommended Citation 
Marrazzo, Morgan (2022) "Occupied," The Prairie Light Review: Vol. 44: No. 2, Article 52. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol44/iss2/52 
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. 
Untitled 
Bailey Jordan 
 Only men who have felt ultimate despair
are capable of feeling ultimate bliss
so answer me this
without truth to fear
does limbo exist?
 
Through trials and tests
though trauma I detest
who says were the best?
when life is nothing but the best
 
If life is designed to live
And the bane of life
is living
Why do we hinder the final days?
If heaven is forgiving?
 
Oceans will forever flow
Trees will forever grow
Stars will forever glow
knowledge is nothing but knowing what we don’t know
Wisdom is truth and truths are absurd
‘Flowers are only flowers’
Is all we need to know
Occupied, Morgan Marrazzo
50
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Marrazzo: Occupied
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Occupied

Muir, Elias

The Prairie Light Review 
Volume 44 
Number 2 Spring 2022 Article 59 
Spring 5-1-2022 
The Heart of Ice 
Elias Muir 
College of DuPage 
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Recommended Citation 
Muir, Elias (2022) "The Heart of Ice," The Prairie Light Review: Vol. 44: No. 2, Article 59. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol44/iss2/59 
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. 
The Heart of Ice 
Elias Muir
It was stolen but never returned in one piece,
that which shatters can never become whole and is filled with grief
 
The moment you reach for but doesn’t reach back,
grinds to a halt as the world starts to crack
 
Forget the times that could’ve been instead,
and glance up to realize you’re not right in the head
 
One step forward, a dozen steps behind,
is there a point in time where you can rewind?
 
Reach for your hand and sigh in defeat,
for no one will come to make you complete
 
To a heart filled with the urges of desire,
nothing is left but the remnants of a would-be fire
 
A change is upon you, this you realize,
so maybe it’s for the best that you just demonize
 
Grab your mind and shake away these vile thoughts,
or just clutch your heart until it freezes and rots
 
Time passes by, but one thing’s for sure,
you’ll never want to experience this without a proper cure
 
A changed person you are, but something’s amiss,
you now feel no different than a frosty abyss
 
Look around it, and see your worldview in complete apathy,
it seems to me there’s been an adjustment to your weak mentality
 
A brutal-born hatred for the other side
Wake up!
It wasn’t their fault that you were denied
 
Get ahold of yourself or this suffering will most likely suffice,
of turning your heart into unbreakable ice
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Muir: The Heart of Ice
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The Heart of Ice

Torkmani, Hala Al

The Prairie Light Review 
Volume 44 
Number 2 Spring 2022 Article 70 
Spring 5-1-2022 
How Reading Evolved for Me 
Hala Al Torkmani 
College of DuPage 
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Recommended Citation 
Torkmani, Hala Al (2022) "How Reading Evolved for Me," The Prairie Light Review: Vol. 44: No. 2, Article 
70. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol44/iss2/70 
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. 
How Reading Evolved for Me Hala Al Torkmani
     For the longest time of my life, I remember always hating reading and any-
thing that was associated with books. I used to dread the idea of having to sit in 
one spot for minutes and just read words. I never understood the feeling of going 
to a different realm in your mind while reading a certain book. During the sum-
mer of 2019, I was introduced to We Were Liars by E. Lockhart for my summer 
reading.  My opinion on books had changed drastically. This book made me feel 
something I had never felt before; it made me imagine like I was inside a movie 
in my head.
     I have taken plenty of different English and Literature classes. To start off, I 
would like to give you some background about my life with English. I was born 
and raised in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where the home language is Arabic. Now, of 
course, there is some of the English language there too, but it’s just the basics. 
Since the country isn’t very fluent in English, my parents decided to enroll me 
in an American International School called King Abdelaziz International School, 
short for AIS. From the age of 3 to the age of 12, I grew up learning all subjects in 
English, which really helped me become the person I am today when we moved 
to the United States. The main difference I noticed between the AIS school system 
and the U.S. school systems, is that AIS cared more about their students memoriz-
ing, rather than understanding the material. Whereas all the schools I’ve attended 
in the U.S. have shown me that they care more about their students actually gain-
ing something from the information they learn in their classes.
     I think the reason I hated reading so much as a kid was because of the way my 
teachers approached the materials in AIS. When I moved here, I was taught that 
we need to experience reading as a beautiful thing instead of it being a “chore.” I 
started enjoying reading because I felt like I wanted to read, and not that I had to. 
Especially after finishing We Were Liars, I felt like I needed to give books another 
chance and I’m so happy I did, because I fell in love with them. Recently, my 
favorite genre of books has been fiction. One of my closest friends, Naya, intro-
duced me to a book series called A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, 
and it is possibly one of the greatest things I’ve ever read. The attention to details 
and the amount of fantasy it has is so fascinating. Personally, the most challenging 
part for me when I read is my lack of concentration. Although I love reading now, 
I still have some trouble concentrating sometimes. I read the words, but I don’t 
understand what’s going on. My mind starts to wander while I’m reading the pag-
es, and when I realize that, I have to go back and read again from the beginning to 
understand what’s happening.
     I try to not read books online just because I’d rather have a physical copy in 
my hands to feel more engaged in the book. However, when it comes to reading 
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Torkmani: How Reading Evolved for Me
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magazines, short stories, and news, I mostly use my phone to get on social media 
platforms and find what I could read from there. Recently on TikTok, I’ve found 
this website called Wattpad, where it allows people to write whatever they want 
and publish it. I’ve been looking into that because I like writing and I actually 
started writing something of my own too. I think it’s very interesting seeing what 
people all over the world could think thrown on a sheet of paper, or should I say 
“screen?”
     Overall, I’m so glad I had the opportunity to move to the U.S. because without 
that, I’d probably still hate the idea of sitting down and reading now. My opinion 
on reading has changed so much to the point that I’m planning on getting my un-
dergrad in English before it’s time for me to go to law school. Every night, I look 
forward to sitting in the reading corner I’ve created in my bedroom, right before 
bed, to read. I’ve noticed it’s a way of helping me meditate and relieve stress, 
especially now since courses have started back up again.
In The Garden, Madelene Przybysz
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The Prairie Light Review, Vol. 44, No. 2 [2022], Art. 70
https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol44/iss2/70


How Reading Evolved for Me

Paulius, Mary

The Prairie Light Review 
Volume 44 
Number 2 Spring 2022 Article 93 
Spring 5-1-2022 
Tulip Underwater 
Mary Paulius 
College of DuPage 
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Recommended Citation 
Paulius, Mary (2022) "Tulip Underwater," The Prairie Light Review: Vol. 44: No. 2, Article 93. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol44/iss2/93 
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. 
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Paulius: Tulip Underwater
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Tulip Underwater

The Prairie Light Review 
Volume 44 
Number 2 Spring 2022 Article 97 
Spring 5-1-2022 
Colophon 
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Recommended Citation 
(2022) "Colophon," The Prairie Light Review: Vol. 44: No. 2, Article 97. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol44/iss2/97 
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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. 
Gratitude
The team at Prairie Light Review is grateful for the support of Dr. Brian Caputo, 
Dr. Mark Curtis-Chavez, Dr. Diana Del Rosario, and Dean Robyn Schiffman. 
The finished product of this journal would have been impossible if not for the 
unwavering support of our faculty especially in English, Creative Writing, 
Humanities and Art but across all the divisions (and the Honors Program!). Thanks 
for continuing to encourage students to revise and submit their submissions. 
Much thanks to Chuck Steele, Shannon Hernandez, Jelymar Mejia, and the Office 
of Student Life for their support and assistance with publicity as well as Jennifer 
Duda. Thanks to the CoD Library and Staff. Additional gratitude is due to Karen 
Kuhn, Cathie Walker, Paula Burns, and the Budilovsky family. We are so grateful 
to the talented in dividuals at Alpha Graphics in Lisle, and especially to Doug 
Wade, without whom this would be impossible.
Colophon
Twice a year, College of DuPage invites all COD students, faculty and staff, as 
well as the entirety of District 502 to submit original literature and artwork for 
publication in the community liberal arts journal, the Prairie Light Review. This 
year Prairie Light Review accepted works of original fiction, nonfiction, essays, 
drama, poetry, graphic essays, photography, and 2D or 3D artwork of any medium 
to be considered for publication. Students enrolled in English 2210 worked as 
student editors to read and evaluate all submissions through a fair and anonymous 
system of evaluation. The class was guided by our faculty advisor, Adam Fotos, 
who oversees class proceedings, leads hiring decisions of class officers, and 
advises on creative and technical decisions of all varieties. 
Throughout the semester, our officers- Editor in Chief, Production Editor, and 
Marketing Editor- serve pertinent roles in ensuring the quality of our publication. 
Our Marketing Editor manages all of our social media and community connections, 
ensuring that the public is aware of the opportunities available to them, and the 
details of upcoming events. The Production Editor creates the overall design 
of the journal, deciding formatting, color scheme, piece placement, and other 
technical decisions. The Editor in Chief supervises all operations of the team, 
makes executive decisions on submissions, and advises Assistant Editors in their 
work. Final edits are approved by our entire team before the finished publication 
is sent to the printers.
Cover: 80 Pound Matte Paperstock
Design: Adobe Photoshop CC 2020.15.02.1, Adobe InDesign CC, Adobe 
Illustrator CC. Composed on a Apple MacBook Air
Finance and Operation: the publication is funded through College of   
DuPage’s Student Life
Publishing: AlphaGraphics, Lisle, Illinois
Paperstock: 70 pound Matte Paperstock
Photography: All photography in this magazine is provided by residents  
 of District 502
Typography: Hiragino Kaku and Times New Roman, available through Adobe & 
paid for by Student Life
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et al.: Colophon
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Colophon

Higgins, Lisa

The Prairie Light Review 
Volume 45 
Number 1 Fall 2022 Article 3 
Fall 12-1-2022 
New Orleans, Spring Break 2022 
Lisa Higgins 
College of DuPage 
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Recommended Citation 
Higgins, Lisa (2022) "New Orleans, Spring Break 2022," The Prairie Light Review: Vol. 45: No. 1, Article 3. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol45/iss1/3 
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. 
Lisa Higgins. New Orleans, Spring Break 2022. Photograph
PRAIRIE LIGHT REVIEW
vol. 45 
no. 1
Fall 2022
1
Higgins: New Orleans, Spring Break 2022
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