Illuminations A magazine of student, faculty, and staff creative expression Volume 9 – 2007 Southeast Community College 1 We offer special thanks to the students, faculty, and staff who submitted works for consideration. Rights revert to the author after publication in Illuminations. The content of this magazine does not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff or the Academic Education Division and the Visual Publications Program of Southeast Community College. The content reflects student, faculty, and staff work without censorship by the editorial staff. ©2007 2 The Illuminations Team Editorial Team: Heather Barnes, Renae Blum, Maddie Bromwich, Vanessa Buck, Ella Durham, Lacey Mason, Kara Rabe, Daniel Violin, Art Ortiz Project Coordinators: Kimberly Fangman, Mike Keating, Rebecca Orsini Project Assistants: Rebecca Burt, Beth Deinert, Julie MacDonald, Rachel Mason, Merrill Peterson, Bang Tran, Pat Underwood, the LRC staffs Visual Publications Team: Shane Besch, Ashley Frank, Danielle Hostetler, Ashly Lannin, Andrea Meyer, Mercedes Meza, Chrisopher Rigoni, John Schuff, Regina Stauffer. A special thank you to our printers: Lisa Vosta, Kristine Meek, Brian Piontek Cover illustration by Tanner Peregrine 3 My War – Our War (The Husband’s View) ...................................9 Jeremiah D. Behrends My War – Our War (The Wife’s View) ........................................11 Jamie L. Behrends Keep an Eye on Summer ..............................................................14 Carolee Ritter Some Days....................................................................................15 Max Reis The Tattoed Girl (A Self-Portrait) ...............................................16 Maddie Bromwich The Singer in the Trees .................................................................17 B. Neal Kirchner Skywalk ........................................................................................18 Heather Barnes The Face .......................................................................................19 Heather Barnes Daughter, Beware the Wrecking Ball ...........................................20 Stephanie Mitchell Text ..............................................................................................26 Nicole Running The Nearest Faraway Place ...........................................................27 Carolee Ritter Dad: Digger of Holes, College Professor, Role Model .................28 San Christiansen Squeak ..........................................................................................32 Nicole Running The Beauty of Feet ........................................................................33 Hannah Zetocha Hold On! ......................................................................................34 Laura Drawbaugh Adjusting Beauty ..........................................................................35 Renee Krenk 4 Mother .........................................................................................36 Mary Ann Rowe The Stallion of 1989 .....................................................................40 Arica Z. Carlson Simplicity .....................................................................................41 Connie Beall There on the Sand ........................................................................42 Carolee Ritter Sigh of Relief ................................................................................43 Matthew Eliker Venice Water Ride ........................................................................47 Tanner Peregrine Pink Flower ..................................................................................48 Danielle Beebe The Familial Clutter .....................................................................49 Matthew Hayden Jacob Glass Type ...........................................................................55 Jacob Thomas Dog House ...................................................................................56 Max Reis Stranger ........................................................................................57 Jordan Carman Erin ..............................................................................................58 Rene Krenk The Basketball Game ....................................................................59 Ashley Wooton Trouble in Mind ...........................................................................62 B. Neal Kirchner Caterpillars ...................................................................................63 Danielle Beebe Eveining .......................................................................................64 Sarah Butts 5 The Man That Walked (A True Story) .........................................65 Maddie Bromwich Omniscience .................................................................................68 Ashley Wooton Low Rain ......................................................................................69 Jordan Carman Personal Canvas ............................................................................70 Renee Krenk Five Pieces ....................................................................................71 Jeanine Jewell Rocky Mountains Bear Lake ........................................................72 Leo Sougey Intense ..........................................................................................73 Connie Beall My Memory of Him ....................................................................75 Heather L. Barnes Clay Sunset ...................................................................................76 Ashley Abramson Wild Milkweed Pod .....................................................................77 Claudia Reinhardt Rurouni Kenshin ..........................................................................78 Jenna Peterson The Death of Aslan ......................................................................79 Jenna Peterson Bright Eye ....................................................................................80 Nicole Running Wetback........................................................................................81 Luis Rios All Alone ......................................................................................85 Chris Jensen Calamity Strikes Song ..................................................................86 Ashley Krska 6 Hidden Beauty .............................................................................88 Erin Kelly The Back Roads of Me .................................................................89 Ashley Abramson A Child’s Questions .....................................................................90 Adriane Emily Richwell But I Call Him Hero ....................................................................91 Kayelon Easterday Uncomfortable ............................................................................101 Arica Z. Carlson Dwayne ......................................................................................102 Jordan Carman Eagles .........................................................................................103 Shannon Savage I Am From .................................................................................104 Ann Mohammad Motivate Me ...............................................................................105 Renee Krenk The Dissonance of a Lucid Dream and a Reoccurring Image ....106 Bryan Klopping Stellinger Nox Noctis .................................................................107 Heather Anne Williams Bedtime ......................................................................................108 Ashley Wooton Coming Home from Work ........................................................109 Vanessa Buck Cars ............................................................................................113 Laura Drawbaugh Stuffy ..........................................................................................114 Erica Zoucha Come Go with Me .....................................................................115 Carolee Ritter 7 Mug Shot ...................................................................................116 Ian Moreland Love Must Have Limits .............................................................117 Rachel Lamb Unfinished Spring ......................................................................121 Nic Batterton The Red Morning .......................................................................122 Jordan Carman Calling Her Name ......................................................................124 Chris Jensen Our Contributors .......................................................................126 8 My War — Our War (The Husband’s View) Jeremiah D. Behrends • Nebraska Law Enforcement The heavily armored Humvees growl as they pass through the gate of our Forward Operating Base. I am instantaneously on alert. It is time to get serious, or there is a real danger of not making it back alive. For the first few miles there are very few cars, people, or anything. The smell of trash burning and fuel from a station down the road mixes noxiously with the 135-degree heat. Before I am altogether and ready, we reach the downtown area. There are people everywhere on the side of the streets at the street markets. The smell of bread baking and lamb cooking flushes out the earlier stench. As the Humvee rolls down the crowded streets, I am sitting cau- tiously in the back. I am focused, as I scan my surroundings, looking left, right, and