DigitalCommons@C.O.D.

Scolaro, Manuela

The Prairie Light Review 
Volume 44 
Number 1 Fall 2021 Article 66 
Fall 12-1-2021 
Memories 
Manuela Scolaro 
College of DuPage 
Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr 
Recommended Citation 
Scolaro, Manuela (2021) "Memories," The Prairie Light Review: Vol. 44 : No. 1 , Article 66. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol44/iss1/66 
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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. 
Dementia 
Bittersweet memories. 
A fire in my soul, yearning for who I once was.
Days, months, years have gone by. 
All now I can see is a blurred image of what used to be.
What used to be a free mind is now trapped. 
Memories are supposed to last a lifetime.
This is not true.
Words fade, and photos burn.
What was and what is will never cross paths again.
I can’t remember my first love’s name.
My mother’s face is not clear.
My father made me an angry person but now my silence controls 
me instead.
They are all gone from this life and from my mind.
I sit here alone.
Strangers give me pills.
I don’t know what they’re for.
They call my name, but I don’t respond.
           - Kaitlyn Riley
Memories. Mixed Media on Paper. Manuela Scolaro
68
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Scolaro: Memories
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English

Memories

Ziemer, R.G.

The Prairie Light Review 
Volume 44 
Number 1 Fall 2021 Article 73 
Fall 12-1-2021 
Watching Over 
R.G. Ziemer 
College of DuPage 
Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr 
Recommended Citation 
Ziemer, R.G. (2021) "Watching Over," The Prairie Light Review: Vol. 44 : No. 1 , Article 73. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol44/iss1/73 
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. 
Watching Over
On a bank of the Fox where the river narrows 
The great dark Potawatomi leans into the wind
Hunched in a rough robe of bronze
Cradling in one hand his cold calumet.
The People of the Fire have named him Ekwabet, 
or Watching Over, 
As if his solemn gaze and strong demeanor
Offered some protection to this city on the water.
Despite his stoical expression he is surely stunned
To wonder at the crowded world before him,
Lofty buildings of brick and stone, 
Copper-topped pavilions, towers, arches and gazebos,
Throngs of people scurrying like ants along the avenues,
Traffic wheeling slowly over the Main Street bridge.
Who could blame him if he turned and cast a wistful look up-
stream,
But there’ll be no going back,
his children’s children gone the other way,
Just like his fathers’ fathers, 
all that water over the dam,
To foam and swirl like memory along the concrete piers and foot-
ings
Before continuing downstream. 
And so loyal to the land, true to the river, 
The Indian holds his pose and keeps his vigil 
Over the home fires and the waters of the Fox.
      - R. G. Ziemer
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Watching Over

The Prairie Light Review 
Volume 44 
Number 1 Fall 2021 Article 3 
Fall 12-1-2021 
About 
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Recommended Citation 
(2021) "About," The Prairie Light Review: Vol. 44 : No. 1 , Article 3. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol44/iss1/3 
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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: 
 Adam Fotos, Faculty Advisor 
 fotosa@cod.edu
 630-942-3167
Rolling Submissions
The Prairie Light Review accepts submissions throughout the 
academic year. We accept submissions in any of 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
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About

Cerney, Kristen

The Prairie Light Review 
Volume 44 
Number 1 Fall 2021 Article 15 
Fall 12-1-2021 
Bee 
Kristen Cerney 
College of DuPage 
Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr 
Recommended Citation 
Cerney, Kristen (2021) "Bee," The Prairie Light Review: Vol. 44 : No. 1 , Article 15. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol44/iss1/15 
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. 
Bee. Photography. Kristen Cerney
Mary Quite Contrary
Mary’s passion,
contrary to
the popular old poem,
was not a garden, it was
a Harley-Davidson’s
hard saddle
under her ass.
Sitting astride it,
riding, riding
nowhere and
the only garden’s silver bells
and cockleshells were
tattooed on her arms.
Mother Goose, you should tell it so,
hard and true to the times
and leave the prissy miss
where you found her.
   - Jack D. Harvey
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Cerney: Bee
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Alshorah, Mona

The Prairie Light Review 
Volume 44 
Number 1 Fall 2021 Article 20 
Fall 12-1-2021 
Abstract Joy 
Mona Alshorah 
College of DuPage 
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Recommended Citation 
Alshorah, Mona (2021) "Abstract Joy," The Prairie Light Review: Vol. 44 : No. 1 , Article 20. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol44/iss1/20 
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. 
 Abstract Joy. Sculpture. Mona Alshorah
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Abstract Joy

Harris, Maxwell

The Prairie Light Review 
Volume 44 
Number 1 Fall 2021 Article 31 
Fall 12-1-2021 
Oranges 
Maxwell Harris 
College of DuPage 
Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr 
Recommended Citation 
Harris, Maxwell (2021) "Oranges," The Prairie Light Review: Vol. 44 : No. 1 , Article 31. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol44/iss1/31 
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. 
Oranges              Maxwell Harris
The ironic part about inspiration found amid a crisp, pulpy glass 
of orange juice lies not in the absurdity behind motivation in 
citrus fruit, but rather in the reality that inspiration is imminent 
everywhere.
Like oranges, I find the messy parts of life have the most flavor. 
From being drenched in oil, listening to the crank of a turning 
motor, overloading software programs to crash and lose hours 
of painstaking work, setting fire to a PC during a simple repair, 
flooding a bathroom, or even calling poison control twice in the 
same year over home chemistry experiments gone wrong, I always 
prefer biting into a task and letting the juices flow over taking clean 
slices.
My relentless perseverance to take defeats head-on derives from 
nothing less than the bump of a measly glass of orange juice. 
Moments away from attaching my last support beam onto the 
sturdiest truss bridge I had ever designed, an act of god caused 
me to move a leg (or it just itched, I do not quite remember), 
knocking over my juice. My competition piece was seemingly 
ruined: phenolic compounds devoured the adhesive, sticky sucrose 
frosted the tips of wood fibers, and best of all, a morning-orange 
horizon printed itself across all of my white wood blocks. With 
what only felt like nanoseconds to spare, I rushed to set the oven 
to three-hundred-fifty degrees, hoping to salvage my bridge for 
the following day’s competition. After taking my blocks out of 
the oven, I had an epiphany and split open the metaphoric orange 
once again. Looking at the wooden pieces, I realized what was 
once dirty, stiff, and impenetrable was now a clean, moldable, and 
tender piece of building material. Quickly, I threw out my old plans 
and started bending my blocks into fine arcs: the most unique and 
material-efficient bridge of the whole class.
While trying after failing may seem frustrating, I remind myself 
and those around me that it is through failure that we prevail. 
Learning from my mistakes and moving forward will never halt. 
From experiences such as this, season by season, I will ripen.
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Harris: Oranges
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Oranges

Maolalai, D.S.

The Prairie Light Review 
Volume 44 
Number 1 Fall 2021 Article 44 
Fall 12-1-2021 
Night-driving 
D.S. Maolalai 
College of DuPage 
Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr 
Recommended Citation 
Maolalai, D.S. (2021) "Night-driving," The Prairie Light Review: Vol. 44 : No. 1 , Article 44. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol44/iss1/44 
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. 
Night-driving
the sleeping night-light of the city,
crisped and tinkled on the sea
and folded over Dublin
like currency forgotten
in a pocket in the laundry.
they put out palm trees 
here – I don’t know why – 
to make the beach 
feel beachy, I guess,
or perhaps
to be cruel to foliage.
Becoming. Photography. Susan Trestrail
46
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Maolalai: Night-driving
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Night-driving
the sleeping night-light of the city,
crisped and tinkled on the sea
and folded over Dublin
like currency forgotten
in a pocket in the laundry.
they put out palm trees 
here – I don’t know why – 
to make the beach 
feel beachy, I guess,
or perhaps
to be cruel to foliage.
I liked driving out to you
that way, out toward Bayside,
over the coast road at night
and jamming my hand in the radio,
desperately trying to seek out
some song I was able to sing.
driving at night
is the only feeling; the whole road
your own, gold 
from the streetlights
flowing over your hands
and then plunging them
dark again
in shadows
like buckets of caviar. 
I liked it then
and still do,
even without the 
you at the end anymore;
I don’t have a car
but I try to find reasons to borrow one – 
I move what needs moving
and come up with an excuse then to keep it
overnight.
the road
black as a river
gels forward. 
I take it
and roll like a whale.
   - D.S. Maolalai
47
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The Prairie Light Review, Vol. 44, No. 1 [2021], Art. 44
https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol44/iss1/44


Night-driving

Molina, Kendall

The Prairie Light Review 
Volume 44 
Number 1 Fall 2021 Article 55 
Fall 12-1-2021 
Climate Change 
Kendall Molina 
College of DuPage 
Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr 
Recommended Citation 
Molina, Kendall (2021) "Climate Change," The Prairie Light Review: Vol. 44 : No. 1 , Article 55. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol44/iss1/55 
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. 
Give and Forget
Are there more starving
than the stars?
At night
the sick child’s heart
runs down
like a clock unwound;
in the morn
Aurora weeps
on a crooked elbow.
More starving 
it seems
more empty bellies
than the teeming
galaxies of space,
than the waves in the sea;
infinity hardly holds them.
Our foolish hearts melt
like ice
in the sunlight
before pictures of sticks 
and stones,
travails
with an ex-wife,
the dead puppy.
But there, in
the wastelands of 
Afric and Ind,
Rio and Lisbon,
where the Tagus,
good as gold,
is a fancy name
for nothing;
there, in odds and ends,
in nooks and crannies,
in darkness,
they go on starving.
   - Jack D. Harvey
Climate Change. Photography. Kendall Molina
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Molina: Climate Change
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Climate Change

The Prairie Light Review 
Volume 43 
Number 2 Spring 2021 Article 71 
Spring 5-1-2021 
Gratitude 
Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr 
Recommended Citation 
(2021) "Gratitude," The Prairie Light Review: Vol. 43 : No. 2 , Article 71. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol43/iss2/71 
This Back Matter 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. 
  
Gratitude
The team at Prairie Light Review is grateful for the support 
of Dr. Brian Caputo, Dr. Mark Curtis-Chavez, Dr. Diana Del 
Rosario, Dr. Lisa Stock, and Dean of Liberal Arts Dr. Sandra 
Martins. The finished product of this journal would have 
been impossible if not for the unwavering support of our 
faculty, who encourage students to revise and submit their 
submissions! Much thanks to Chuck Steele, Nicole Plumtree, 
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, 
especially Jennifer McIntosh for helping distribute Prairie 
Light Review to the public during the pandemic. 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, for their care in printing this fantastic volume.
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Gratitude

Mayfield, Lily

The Prairie Light Review 
Volume 43 
Number 2 Spring 2021 Article 72 
Spring 5-1-2021 
Bliss 
Lily Mayfield 
College of DuPage 
Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr 
Recommended Citation 
Mayfield, Lily (2021) "Bliss," The Prairie Light Review: Vol. 43 : No. 2 , Article 72. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol43/iss2/72 
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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