The Literary Magazine of Western Reserve Academy 2014 -‐‑ 2015
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
BUFO The Literary Magazine of Western Reserve Academy 2014 - 2015 2 BUFO 2014 - 2015 EDITORS Anna McMurchy & Taryn Washburn FACULTY ADVISOR Todd Gilbert STAFF Caroline Babbin Charles Prendergast Madeline Maneval Austin Rand Hannah McKenzie Chung Hwa Suh Kristina Nazarova Katherine Zandee SPECIAL THANKS TO The Dads’ Club The Pioneer Women The Green Key Society 3 4 I have no words powerful enough to describe what words mean to me. These combinations of letters on a page have the ability to transport you to any kind of place. My infatuation with stories centers around this unique opportunity for escape. The most fulfilling part about all the work I have done to pull BUFO together throughout the course of this year has been reading the submissions from my fellow students and discovering new insights into the journeys of others. C.S. Lewis, the author of one of the greatest fantasy series of all time, said “Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘What? You too? I thought I was the only one…’” By reading my classmates’ heartfelt pieces, I feel that I have become more in tune with them and with the emotions of the human race as a whole. Words can do that. I can think of nothing else that can say the same. Putting this magazine together has been an absolute joy. Whether it be peering into the inner workings of Erin Dockery’s mind through her Glimpse page, or running around orchestrating the most successful BUFO coffee house in WRA history, I have had a great time; I truly believe that I am a better person because of this project. Mr. Gilbert and I organized the first six-word story contest this winter, a fun competition which I hope will continue for years to come. The depth that some students could contain within such a small snippet of prose amazed me, especially since so many submissions came from people who might not normally submit to BUFO. Our general submission process went digital this year, which turned out to be an absolute success. I cannot wait to see how the story of BUFO develops over the years, and I hope this wonderful opportunity will always have a warm place in the heart of WRA tradition. It has certainly found one in my own. Lick and enjoy! Anna McMurchy 5 Bufo, a journal of young creative writing, is distributed annually by students at Western Reserve Academy, and was published in 2015 by Western Reserve Printing of Hudson, Ohio. This edition was printed using the Palatino Linotype typeface. Editors can be reached through Bufo Advisor Todd Gilbert c/o Western Reserve Academy, 115 College St., Hudson, OH, 44236. 6 CONTENTS 2014 - 2015 POETRY Erin Dockery, Clean 12 Simon Ong, All the World’s a Stage 14 Taryn Washburn, Death in the Living Room 15 Anna McMurchy, The Fears of Which We Speak 17 Wren Zandee, To Exist 18 Kristina Nazarova, Smoke Signal 19 Noah Kontor, It’s Always Breakfast Somewhere 20 Hannah McKenzie, Two Coats 21 Jessica Babbin, Willie P. 22 Taryn Washburn, Sports Bras 23 Max Forsyth, Whipped Back in Place 25 Sarah Zimmerman, You Said You Wanted to Climb 26 Noah Kontor, Lifeguard 27 Max Borrmann, Why Not Tea? 28 Hannah McKenzie, How We Came to Be (Downstairs) 31 ART Neva Onysko 34 Taryn Washburn 35 Sandra Spurlock 36 Kelsey McKracken 37 Sandra Spurlock 38 Neva Onysko 39 Taryn Washburn 40 Sandra Spurlock 41 Kai Stewart 42 FICTION SIX WORD STORIES First place winner: Max Borrmann 44 Runner-up: Irina Kopyeva Darcy Kuang 45 Sarah Smith Kyle Buseck Kali Chapas Anna McMurchy 7 Erin Dockery Marc Franquesa Zachery Bloom Dakota Gibbons VERY SHORT STORIES Sarah Zimmerman, Out of Tune 46 Caroline Babbin, Chartreuse Kristina Nazarova, The Real Reason Grant Foskett, No Fishing 47 Alec Rubin, HEADLINES Sarah Zimmerman, Bubble Mint 48 Caroline Babbin, Dammit Jessica Babbin, Robert Harrington Psy.D. Eric Beuhler, In the Kitchen 49 Naz Ferdhusi, His SHORT STORIES Sam Haseltine, The Siren 51 Joey Mylott, Ice 53 Anna McMurchy, Stirring 54 Jessica Babbin, The Harbinger 56 Hannah McKenzie, Claustrophobia 57 Chung Hwa Suh, The Nobles of the Palace 59 Grant Foskett, Field of Flowers 61 Kristina Nazarova, (A/De)ttatchment Blanket 63 ONE-ACT PLAYS Hannah McKenzie, Frugality 68 Kristina Nazarova, Blinding Sun 77 Alec Rubin, Background Noise 87 Cover art by Sandra Spurlock ‘16 8 9 10 POETRY 11 ERIN DOCKERY Clean I thought there was an egg, in that red haired knot, that Pauly wore atop his head, it’s funny I should notice, that wired red nest, because 77 piercings pleaded for sore words, or maybe admiration from a small few, but I don’t think that’s what the he former she was going for, but I was glad for a societal weirdo, in fact I praised Pauly for his cotton red pants and blue button down, wrinkled to a crisp, for maybe he would write words on me without carving hate too, yes, I went out that day to get a little ink, something my parents definitely wouldn’t approve of, but at least with a label, I don't have to pretend, that my insides match the out, I wanted the letters to show, so when I gulp 20 pills and sit through support group, I could simply wave my letters in surrender without saying a thing, I hoped he would understand, that to have an affliction, is a cube, and each day by the people we meet, or our bodies willingness to accept defeat, we land either feet down or heads up, with no arms or legs, to say it’s alright, I’m okay, so Pauly please write these letters on me, five steps away, still bearing my CEO nametag, I stutter my story, and click my heels, 12 as if this was a fairytale, red and sparkly, Red and sparkly like the sign of Sunny’s Tattoos, and that man named Pauly, smiled as if to say, midlife crisis, I see it twice a day, but my reasons are different, far more complex, for I surpassed mid-life five years ago, finally I raise my white flag in surrender, a crinkled white page with three capital letters, and Pauly raised his guns in fear, “Sorry lady,” said he, “I can’t tattoo someone with HIV.” I blushed for fear was my friend, “Why would you want ‘HIV’ tattooed, you’re so beautiful.” “Shut up,” I said. and walked planning to scream, “I have HIV.” 13 All the World’s a Stage A pantomime, That’s what we are now A pantomime without any action Instead all is silent. The stage lights bounce off your glistening, wet eyes. You struggle through your lines getting choked up as you do. Broken, fractured, tears roll down your face as the crowd cheers. 14 Death in the Living Room (January Thirtieth) It’s been a year since Tracey died; a year since her fingertips calcified to a pale, hard-looking yellow; since the tumors, nearly bursting, bulged on her ribs throat spine skull, blossoming beneath the skin like ripened fruit; plumbs peaches pears apples, purple and blistering like the plague. It’s been a year since Tracey died; a year since Death visited the family room -where we are supposed to eat drink, and be merry- and sucked her last breath calmly from her lungs. I had been told she would struggle and spasm and gasp 15 and I “wouldn’t want to see it,” but Death was kind enough to simply press on her chest -careful not to touch the open, bloody tumor on her breast- and let the air out. It’s been a year since Tracey died; a year since I watched Death take her in his arms; since her eyes opened and met mine as they rounded the corner on their way to my memory. 16 The Fears of Which We Speak and the Ones We Must Keep Silent Maybe I’ve got it Philematophobia No one’s ever tried What I truly fear Is that I’ll live my whole life Sans the chance to know 17 WREN ZANDEE To Exist Has it ever occurred to you That to exist is animal, but to disappear is divine This is what he says to me As I give up on the menu and blearily order a latte He mumbles on Death, he says, is in the details Human beings slowly ground down to pencil stubs Just as long as life doesn’t come for me Demanding action and reaction and thought Scientists say that the blind see white That it is light and not dark that presses against their eyelids So maybe Dying is nothing but spinning into the light Not at all the monsters under your bed Nor the stalker behind the tree The brightness That invades ou when you leave the dim church and see the sun highlighting your reality 18 KRISTINA NAZAROVA Smoke Signal Two miniscule boats drift on the world’s surface The smaller one timidly peeps out from behind, Seeking comfort in his shadowy reflection Yet she burns just the same The earth’s potent reflections of them do not mirror reality And the earth provides them with no contours or hints, For the sky and water have blended into one The two who willingly left dock, find themselves enclosed by a heavy mustard haze The can only depend on each others’ false images, painted by the earth, to guide themselves somewhere. forward. But soon the dark reflections sink, replaced by the desolate hiss of smoldering sticks 19 It’s Always Breakfast Somewhere As the ethereal orb in the placid sky Leaves from American lands, It casts its own benevolent head Upon the Australian sands.