Minnetonka High School Issue #13: SPRING 2025
MUSE Magazine 2025 Edited by Silas Srnec Advised by Tara Charlton All works featured are original contributions from Minnetonka High School students. Powered by Marq
Cotho Santia Kaleb Flores Kavya Gardiner Stardust
Amelia Kogan Cotho Santia Rekaa Gomez
Writing
Elizabeth Reed Salma Ali
4-11 12-14 15-16 17-21
Themed Submissions
Art
22-24 25-31
Table of Contents
33-36 37-47 48-57
Cotho Santia
Page 1
MANDALA Edited by Silas Srnec Advised by Tara Charlton All works featured are original contributions from Minnetonka High School students. Powered by Marq
Hold the sand within your grip and Wait for just the perfect moment Watch the clock and count the time A thousand dots come into focus Grainy film and golden light will Wrap you up and keep you safe But here it comes, be ready—now you CAST THEM UP AND WATCH THEM FALL In violet, white, and Persian blue A color you have never seen The splendor, such a brilliant thing A picture forms, of lavish life In palace halls and shining temples CAST THEM UP AND WATCH THEM FALL Around you, making perfect circles Feel the chains of sacred fate Direct your hips and shift your weight The haze, it blurs your every vision This is where the gods awaken Every day and every night To work in whispers secret efforts Sink beneath the land ancestral Soil will rise in consecration These vibrations shake the ground And make an everlasting sound All around the room is water Right below the floating chamber Walk you forward, take the pouch Upon the table in the center Now prepare your eyes for sight Remove the sand, and hold it near To enter our dominion, you shall CAST THEM UP AND WATCH THEM FALL And bow in awe, obey in reverence Golden candles lift above The dome is lit without a touch Behold a beauty sacramental Hear you bright the fading call, you Cast them up and watch them fall
Page 2
Sink beneath the land ancestral Soil will rise in consecration These vibrations shake the ground And make an everlasting sound All around the room is water Right below the floating chamber Walk you forward, take the pouch Upon the table in the center Now prepare your eyes for sight Remove the sand, and hold it near To enter our dominion, you shall CAST THEM UP AND WATCH THEM FALL And bow in awe, obey in reverence Golden candles lift above The dome is lit without a touch Behold a beauty sacramental Hear you bright the fading call, you Cast them up and watch them fall
Brumous is the air Reflected in those towers, glass and steel All around the park Converging in the moment Boiling circles about the center, infinitely overcast Spirals painted in watercolor The lake is still But bubbles form upon the surface Work awaits, but I cannot Just as soon, my tie is gone And my suit, too, and my briefcase To dive with mad wonder into the water It burns and sears But does not hurt or harm My eyes awaken and see clearly For the first time since the turn of the century Golden coins fall past me Deeper still toward the bottom Rich is the blue with shining things Breath can wait, breath can wait for me to sink SUNKEN WORLD BENEATH THE ALLEYS LIGHTS WASH OUT THE COLOR FROM THE SKY WARNING FLASHES BLIND ME SLOWLY I DIVE DEEPER STILL TO CHASE THE HIGH HEAVY PULSES FILL THE WATER FLOOD MY HEART, THE GRAND AND VAST ARRAY I CAN FEEL ELECTROMAGNETS TAKE ME, LIKE A CURRENT, FROM THE DAY NOW I SEE A SHINING CITY MONUMENTS ARE SINKING FURTHER DOWN WATCH THE DIAMONDS FLOATING UPWARD THERE HE IS, THE KING IN CORAL CROWN UNDERLYING AQUACULTURE TEEMS IN EVERY CORNER OF THE LAND I CAN ALMOST REACH HIS FINGERS AS HE NOW IS BURIED IN THE SAND SOUND ERUPTS FROM METAL DISHES SCATTERED THROUGH THE UNDERWATER STREETS SUPERSONIC INFRASTRUCTURE RUSTS AT EVERY POINT THE WATER MEETS HOLDING TIGHT HIS WRISTS OF SILVER PULLING WITH THE STRENGTH OF VIOLENT BREEZE FEEL HIS SKIN, TRANSLUCENT, RIPPLE SOFTLY, AND ILLUMINATE THE SEAS BEACON ALL ACROSS THE RUINS SHOUTS IN DESPERATION FOR MY ARM HIS, A BODY SWEET AND LIQUID GIVING LIGHT, PRISMATIC, WITH A CHARM NOW I SEE HIS SHEER COMPLEXION BIOLUMINESCENT, MADE OF SCALES FEEL MY TOUCH AGAINST HIS CHEST, MY SENSE OF BALANCE FALTERS, THEN IT FAILS TREASURES FLYING PAST ME, RAPID, RICHER THAN THE VAULTS OF EARTHEN WEALTH DOWN AND DOWN WE TRAVEL FASTER FIGHTING ALL THE SIGNS OF BETTER HEALTH Still I see the stars above me Constellations glowing overhead I can trace the streaming path that Follows close behind the way we’re led Kingdom gates obey his orders Spoken with a gentle, soothing tone I cannot avert my vision Sinking far from everything I’ve known Transfixation now ensorcels Every passing second that I wake “Welcome to my world,” he whispers, Gently guiding every step I take
Lago Iqua Edited by Silas Srnec Advised by Tara Charlton All works featured are original contributions from Minnetonka High School students. Powered by Marq
SUNKEN WORLD BENEATH THE ALLEYS LIGHTS WASH OUT THE COLOR FROM THE SKY WARNING FLASHES BLIND ME SLOWLY I DIVE DEEPER STILL TO CHASE THE HIGH HEAVY PULSES FILL THE WATER FLOOD MY HEART, THE GRAND AND VAST ARRAY I CAN FEEL ELECTROMAGNETS TAKE ME, LIKE A CURRENT, FROM THE DAY NOW I SEE A SHINING CITY MONUMENTS ARE SINKING FURTHER DOWN WATCH THE DIAMONDS FLOATING UPWARD THERE HE IS, THE KING IN CORAL CROWN UNDERLYING AQUACULTURE TEEMS IN EVERY CORNER OF THE LAND I CAN ALMOST REACH HIS FINGERS AS HE NOW IS BURIED IN THE SAND SOUND ERUPTS FROM METAL DISHES SCATTERED THROUGH THE UNDERWATER STREETS SUPERSONIC INFRASTRUCTURE RUSTS AT EVERY POINT THE WATER MEETS HOLDING TIGHT HIS WRISTS OF SILVER PULLING WITH THE STRENGTH OF VIOLENT BREEZE FEEL HIS SKIN, TRANSLUCENT, RIPPLE SOFTLY, AND ILLUMINATE THE SEAS BEACON ALL ACROSS THE RUINS SHOUTS IN DESPERATION FOR MY ARM HIS, A BODY SWEET AND LIQUID GIVING LIGHT, PRISMATIC, WITH A CHARM NOW I SEE HIS SHEER COMPLEXION BIOLUMINESCENT, MADE OF SCALES FEEL MY TOUCH AGAINST HIS CHEST, MY SENSE OF BALANCE FALTERS, THEN IT FAILS TREASURES FLYING PAST ME, RAPID, RICHER THAN THE VAULTS OF EARTHEN WEALTH DOWN AND DOWN WE TRAVEL FASTER FIGHTING ALL THE SIGNS OF BETTER HEALTH Still I see the stars above me Constellations glowing overhead I can trace the streaming path that Follows close behind the way we’re led Kingdom gates obey his orders Spoken with a gentle, soothing tone I cannot avert my vision Sinking far from everything I’ve known Transfixation now ensorcels Every passing second that I wake “Welcome to my world,” he whispers, Gently guiding every step I take
Page 3
HOLDING TIGHT HIS WRISTS OF SILVER PULLING WITH THE STRENGTH OF VIOLENT BREEZE FEEL HIS SKIN, TRANSLUCENT, RIPPLE SOFTLY, AND ILLUMINATE THE SEAS BEACON ALL ACROSS THE RUINS SHOUTS IN DESPERATION FOR MY ARM HIS, A BODY SWEET AND LIQUID GIVING LIGHT, PRISMATIC, WITH A CHARM NOW I SEE HIS SHEER COMPLEXION BIOLUMINESCENT, MADE OF SCALES FEEL MY TOUCH AGAINST HIS CHEST, MY SENSE OF BALANCE FALTERS, THEN IT FAILS TREASURES FLYING PAST ME, RAPID, RICHER THAN THE VAULTS OF EARTHEN WEALTH DOWN AND DOWN WE TRAVEL FASTER FIGHTING ALL THE SIGNS OF BETTER HEALTH Still I see the stars above me Constellations glowing overhead I can trace the streaming path that Follows close behind the way we’re led Kingdom gates obey his orders Spoken with a gentle, soothing tone I cannot avert my vision Sinking far from everything I’ve known Transfixation now ensorcels Every passing second that I wake “Welcome to my world,” he whispers, Gently guiding every step I take
Kingdom gates obey his orders Spoken with a gentle, soothing tone I cannot avert my vision Sinking far from everything I’ve known Transfixation now ensorcels Every passing second that I wake “Welcome to my world,” he whispers, Gently guiding every step I take
Page 4
noi de la nit Edited by Silas Srnec Advised by Tara Charlton All works featured are original contributions from Minnetonka High School students. Powered by Marq
the polaroid i took once of you sleeping peacefully it now has edges burned but the picture never fades you take melatonin every night and lay down in bed, in your quiet room but for tranquil birdsong rest, sandhill crane you, the mute swan white aestivating in the dark fountain wrapped warm in soft blankets burgundy is the color i see when you close your eyes and drift away floating on the open ocean dreaming of better places than we are now a beautiful smile almost forms, only when you sleep the furthest you’ll ever be from pain hold it now, use it, use it to run away escape to a better place, even if only for the night tears pour out, the heartbreaking reminder you’re still the boy i love the sadness won’t go so easily but now, just for now, be at peace i sit at your side, i watch and protect i’ve always seen the february stars in your eyes
tears pour out, the heartbreaking reminder you’re still the boy i love the sadness won’t go so easily but now, just for now, be at peace i sit at your side, i watch and protect i’ve always seen the february stars in your eyes
Heaven-sent hellfire Edited by Silas Srnec Advised by Tara Charlton All works featured are original contributions from Minnetonka High School students. Powered by Marq
Kaleb Flores
Arein’s E-Web rattled in his hands as it spat fire at the advancing Swarmer horde, joined with the pounding of the base's defenses. The seemingly endless tide advanced slowly and deliberately, reshaping in response to anything. The blaster emplacement was effective against all but the imposing Mammoths, outsizing any walker they had. One of them fired its massive shoulder cannons at an AT-MA next to Arein’s base, ripping through its defenses instantly. He flinched as its remnants blasted up and past him, but kept firing. One of the base’s turbolasers blasted the same Mammoth, but it didn’t take long for Swarmers to fix the gaping hole left in it. It turned and fired at his base, causing the turbolaser above him to explode, showering him with debris. At the same time, heavy Swarmer fire forced Arein behind his parapet. He couldn’t risk manning the gun again, several constructs could pierce what little shielding he had on the gun, and it only had to happen once. Suddenly, everything went silent. Risking a peek over the parapet, every Swarmer was now frantically searching the sky. Frantic usually didn’t describe the cold coordination from Swarmers, so he couldn’t even guess what was causing this. Without warning, a bright blue beam appeared for a fraction of a second, and the day lit up. Arein instinctively covered his eyes. The flash was so bright he could hardly believe it, it was like the sun was setting early. That wasn’t even mentioning the shockwave that physically knocked him down onto his back. After quickly righting himself, he was shocked to find a huge mushroom cloud rising into the sky. The system shock delivered by the loss of so many Swarmers made the entire horde begin thrashing violently. Over what he had left of his hearing, he heard… cheering? There was much yelling, but cheering as well. That was when he saw one of the other E-Web operators near him looking up and celebrating. Suddenly, a body-shaking fog horn rattled through him, which he felt in every bone in his body. He finally got a chance to look up, and saw it. AD-A615. More commonly known as Archangel. The nigh-unstoppable flying citadel had been beaten only once, but its mark six upgrade ensured that would never happen again, and it was here. It floated silently far above them, weapons and fins neatly folded for firing its laser core. Looking back at the Swarmers, they had regrouped, and were now reshaping themselves while staring at the drone. Just a beat later, all of the remaining four Mammoths there ripped the air apart with their guns, aiming directly for Archangel. Several fireballs engulfed it, and every being there waited with bated breath to see the result. The smoke cleared, and Archangel was unaffected, staring directly at the horde. It technically had no blindspot, but being looked at with its focusing eye was universally known among Final Empire troops as the sign that you were being vaporized momentarily. Immediately after, every arm, wing, and gun it had unfurled with a dazzling, practiced precision, including its railgun, which was forward with a flourishing motion, and cracked open the sky. Before the sound of the shot even reached Arein, a Mammoth was immediately torn in half, and the true fight began. Swarmers lit up the sky again, shrouding Archangel in puffs of smoke and sparks from deflections. From this cloud, eight lasers came searing downwards. Four heavy, split between high-power and incendiary, and four blue super-heavy lasers. The previously struck Mammoth was shredded in the onslaught. Next, several heavy laser bolts slammed into various smaller constructs, bringing down many simultaneously. Finally, a single, massive ball of purple energy tore through the air, splashing down with a shockwave. The conscious attack satellite left deep score marks in the ground, cleaving through whatever its internal logic deemed the highest threat. Arein could do nothing but stare in awe at this destructive force, finally being used against something other than The Final Empire. Suddenly, several barking orders rang through his headset, and the fight between the Swarmers and The Final Empire was back on. This time however, they had help from the deadliest force on the planet. Some time after the daylight ceased, other weapons began to fall silent. From turbolasers to other E-Webs. Arein considered doing the same. The Swarmers were almost annihilated, and were actively retreating. That didn’t stop Archangel of course, who was intently pursuing the retreating machines. Made sense, considering they were retreating into Coalition territory. When no more Swarmers were left in Arein's range, he took several breaths of relief. With an aching body from repelling the offensive, he finally stepped away from his defensive position, and turned to enter the base.
been beaten only once, but its mark six upgrade ensured that would never happen again, and it was here. It floated silently far above them, weapons and fins neatly folded for firing its laser core. Looking back at the Swarmers, they had regrouped, and were now reshaping themselves while staring at the drone. Just a beat later, all of the remaining four Mammoths there ripped the air apart with their guns, aiming directly for Archangel. Several fireballs engulfed it, and every being there waited with bated breath to see the result. The smoke cleared, and Archangel was unaffected, staring directly at the horde. It technically had no blindspot, but being looked at with its focusing eye was universally known among Final Empire troops as the sign that you were being vaporized momentarily. Immediately after, every arm, wing, and gun it had unfurled with a dazzling, practiced precision, including its railgun, which was forward with a flourishing motion, and cracked open the sky. Before the sound of the shot even reached Arein, a Mammoth was immediately torn in half, and the true fight began. Swarmers lit up the sky again, shrouding Archangel in puffs of smoke and sparks from deflections. From this cloud, eight lasers came searing downwards. Four heavy, split between high-power and incendiary, and four blue super-heavy lasers. The previously struck Mammoth was shredded in the onslaught. Next, several heavy laser bolts slammed into various smaller constructs, bringing down many simultaneously. Finally, a single, massive ball of purple energy tore through the air, splashing down with a shockwave. The conscious attack satellite left deep score marks in the ground, cleaving through whatever its internal logic deemed the highest threat. Arein could do nothing but stare in awe at this destructive force, finally being used against something other than The Final Empire. Suddenly, several barking orders rang through his headset, and the fight between the Swarmers and The Final Empire was back on. This time however, they had help from the deadliest force on the planet. Some time after the daylight ceased, other weapons began to fall silent. From turbolasers to other E-Webs. Arein considered doing the same. The Swarmers were almost annihilated, and were actively retreating. That didn’t stop Archangel of course, who was intently pursuing the retreating machines. Made sense, considering they were retreating into Coalition territory. When no more Swarmers were left in Arein's range, he took several breaths of relief. With an aching body from repelling the offensive, he finally stepped away from his defensive position, and turned to enter the base.
deadliest force on the planet. Some time after the daylight ceased, other weapons began to fall silent. From turbolasers to other E-Webs. Arein considered doing the same. The Swarmers were almost annihilated, and were actively retreating. That didn’t stop Archangel of course, who was intently pursuing the retreating machines. Made sense, considering they were retreating into Coalition territory. When no more Swarmers were left in Arein's range, he took several breaths of relief. With an aching body from repelling the offensive, he finally stepped away from his defensive position, and turned to enter the base.
When I was Edited by Silas Srnec Advised by Tara Charlton All works featured are original contributions from Minnetonka High School students. Powered by Marq
When I was 4 I idolized you. Why wouldn’t I? You were my brother. When I was 5 you let me play a game on your phone. It was a car game and I lost and you showed me how to play better. When I was 6 I recorded a video of us playing around on my iPad. When I rewatched that video 6 years later I cried. When I was 7 you ignored us. No goodbye. Nothing. When I was 8 I would ask about you constantly, “When’s Curtis coming back?” “I want to see my brother!” When I was 9 I tried to forget about you. When I was 10 I went on like you never existed. When I was 11 I remembered I had a brother and asked again. My mom told me a story that wasn’t true. About your adopted mother. When I was 12 I asked again, No answer. When I was 13 I demanded an answer from my mom. Nothing. When I was 14 I asked my sister and she told me your last name. I never even knew your last name. When I was 14 found your number, When I was 14 I texted you for the first time, and we talked and then you went to bed. When we started texting again the next day I learned you do photography. I always thought we would have nothing in common. What would you have in common with someone who’s 16-ish years older? When I learned you still love cars, I remembered you letting me play that game when I was 5. When I was 14 I invited to my performance. You said you would show up, but you never did. You never even texted me. When I was 14 I asked if you even wanted a relationship with me because it didn’t feel like you did, you said yes and that you will try harder. You haven’t. When I was 14 I invited you to my choir concert. The same thing happened again and again. I want to keep trying but you only keep hurting me. I never got my answers, and I barely got my brother. been beaten only once, but its mark six upgrade ensured that would never happen again, and it was here. It floated silently far above them, weapons and fins neatly folded for firing its laser core. Looking back at the Swarmers, they had regrouped, and were now reshaping themselves while staring at the drone. Just a beat later, all of the remaining four Mammoths there ripped the air apart with their guns, aiming directly for Archangel. Several fireballs engulfed it, and every being there waited with bated breath to see the result. The smoke cleared, and Archangel was unaffected, staring directly at the horde. It technically had no blindspot, but being looked at with its focusing eye was universally known among Final Empire troops as the sign that you were being vaporized momentarily. Immediately after, every arm, wing, and gun it had unfurled with a dazzling, practiced precision, including its railgun, which was forward with a flourishing motion, and cracked open the sky. Before the sound of the shot even reached Arein, a Mammoth was immediately torn in half, and the true fight began. Swarmers lit up the sky again, shrouding Archangel in puffs of smoke and sparks from deflections. From this cloud, eight lasers came searing downwards. Four heavy, split between high-power and incendiary, and four blue super-heavy lasers. The previously struck Mammoth was shredded in the onslaught. Next, several heavy laser bolts slammed into various smaller constructs, bringing down many simultaneously. Finally, a single, massive ball of purple energy tore through the air, splashing down with a shockwave. The conscious attack satellite left deep score marks in the ground, cleaving through whatever its internal logic deemed the highest threat. Arein could do nothing but stare in awe at this destructive force, finally being used against something other than The Final Empire. Suddenly, several barking orders rang through his headset, and the fight between the Swarmers and The Final Empire was back on. This time however, they had help from the deadliest force on the planet. Some time after the daylight ceased, other weapons began to fall silent. From turbolasers to other E-Webs. Arein considered doing the same. The Swarmers were almost annihilated, and were actively retreating. That didn’t stop Archangel of course, who was intently pursuing the retreating machines. Made sense, considering they were retreating into Coalition territory. When no more Swarmers were left in Arein's range, he took several breaths of relief. With an aching body from repelling the offensive, he finally stepped away from his defensive position, and turned to enter the base.
Kavya Gardiner
I never even knew your last name. When I was 14 found your number, When I was 14 I texted you for the first time, and we talked and then you went to bed. When we started texting again the next day I learned you do photography. I always thought we would have nothing in common. What would you have in common with someone who’s 16-ish years older? When I learned you still love cars, I remembered you letting me play that game when I was 5. When I was 14 I invited to my performance. You said you would show up, but you never did. You never even texted me. When I was 14 I asked if you even wanted a relationship with me because it didn’t feel like you did, you said yes and that you will try harder. You haven’t. When I was 14 I invited you to my choir concert. The same thing happened again and again. I want to keep trying but you only keep hurting me. I never got my answers, and I barely got my brother.
Stardust
Whenever I see someone with your haircut my heart flutters Until I realize it’s not you and am forced to turn away I feel like I see you everywhere In the lunch line In a class On my bus Your image haunts me When I do something I think of your reaction Your laugh at my joke Your small warm smile at my new drawing I feel you everywhere in my days You haunt my dreams Waltzing with me in the stars You loom over me Your warm breath on my neck But when I turn around I never see your face Just a dark lonely room I see your shadow in the sunlight I see your footsteps in the dirt I see your warm breaths in the winter days But nobody else can see you I feel like your haunting me I want to follow those footsteps and find your sandals I want to move that person's hair and see your face I want to hug that shadow and feel your warmth But your never there
Ghost of My Lover Edited by Silas Srnec Advised by Tara Charlton All works featured are original contributions from Minnetonka High School students. Powered by Marq
I want to move that person's hair and see your face I want to hug that shadow and feel your warmth But you're never there
The thing in the mirror isn’t me It never has been Her smile is too big Her face is too long And her chest too curved Whenever I see her she mocks me The creature in the mirror is trying to trick me Some days she makes her chest look bigger On others she looks like a feminine icon Like one of those girls on the magazines I stand in a room of broken glass Each mirror fragment reflecting her bright smile Her almond eyes mock me The hammer is in my hand And yet breaking those mirrors only gave her more angles to see me When I pass by a window Her presence is a reminder When I look into a puddle She laughs That creature in the mirror Oh how she loves to play She loves to toy with me Her hands go through the mirror With her hands around my neck She wishes to switch places Her stunning nails dig into my skin Making me bleed blue But I step back Because she will never be me
Creature In The Mirror Edited by Silas Srnec Advised by Tara Charlton All works featured are original contributions from Minnetonka High School students. Powered by Marq
With her hands around my neck She wishes to switch places Her stunning nails dig into my skin Making me bleed blue But I step back Because she will never be me
I keep myself in a jar as if I were an insect I poked holes in the top so it could breathe but never escape I used to collect fireflies in a jar Hoping to have a nightlight to scare away the dark They always died and never shined How selfish I was to steal their light The little girl who loved the fireflies Is now in their place I shake the jar to try and make her shine To be my safety in the night But she just withers away Bit by bit I want to let her out But the jar had been like that too long I want my firefly to fly free But the jar is screwed shut with time I try to open it but it won’t budge I try to poke more holes But the lid is now too thick I don’t remember when I put her in that jar I think she does I look at her on my shelf And wish for her to shine again Unlike the other fireflies
Fireflies Edited by Silas Srnec Advised by Tara Charlton All works featured are original contributions from Minnetonka High School students. Powered by Marq
Elizabeth Reed
Whitepine Edited by Silas Srnec Advised by Tara Charlton All works featured are original contributions from Minnetonka High School students. Powered by Marq
Found You Edited by Silas Srnec Advised by Tara Charlton All works featured are original contributions from Minnetonka High School students. Powered by Marq
Order Causality Edited by Silas Srnec Advised by Tara Charlton All works featured are original contributions from Minnetonka High School students. Powered by Marq
Salma Ali
Metro Flower Girl Edited by Silas Srnec Advised by Tara Charlton All works featured are original contributions from Minnetonka High School students. Powered by Marq
Untitled Edited by Silas Srnec Advised by Tara Charlton All works featured are original contributions from Minnetonka High School students. Powered by Marq
Nastyona Edited by Silas Srnec Advised by Tara Charlton All works featured are original contributions from Minnetonka High School students. Powered by Marq
Let's All Love Lain Edited by Silas Srnec Advised by Tara Charlton All works featured are original contributions from Minnetonka High School students. Powered by Marq
ENA Edited by Silas Srnec Advised by Tara Charlton All works featured are original contributions from Minnetonka High School students. Powered by Marq
60s Edited by Silas Srnec Advised by Tara Charlton All works featured are original contributions from Minnetonka High School students. Powered by Marq
Sheena Ringo Edited by Silas Srnec Advised by Tara Charlton All works featured are original contributions from Minnetonka High School students. Powered by Marq
This issue MUSE Magazine provided an optional prompt for artists to theme their work around. The prompt was, “Well, who doesn't want the sun after the long winter?" (from Mary Oliver's "Spring"). The idea behind the prompt was to see how different artists could incorporate the idea it provided into their own works, regardless of artistic medium. We hope you enjoy the following themed submissions, and we hope to make themed submissions a recurring part of future MUSE Magazine issues. - Silas
A Bit About Themed Submissions Edited by Silas Srnec Advised by Tara Charlton All works featured are original contributions from Minnetonka High School students. Powered by Marq
Amelia Kogan
Earrings for Princesses and Fairies Alike Edited by Silas Srnec Advised by Tara Charlton All works featured are original contributions from Minnetonka High School students. Powered by Marq
Amethyst Flower Bouquet Edited by Silas Srnec Advised by Tara Charlton All works featured are original contributions from Minnetonka High School students. Powered by Marq
Fire Flower Crown Edited by Silas Srnec Advised by Tara Charlton All works featured are original contributions from Minnetonka High School students. Powered by Marq
Magenta Harmony Bouquet Edited by Silas Srnec Advised by Tara Charlton All works featured are original contributions from Minnetonka High School students. Powered by Marq
I Love a Shaman Edited by Silas Srnec Advised by Tara Charlton All works featured are original contributions from Minnetonka High School students. Powered by Marq
i love a shaman of the deep forest with a crown of daisies and wonderful smile he wears a light-yellow sweater, soft and wields, carefully, an oaken scepter used for things of magic he is delicate but strong in ways you could never understand just you go, and not disturb the ritual behold the great conjuration— watch now the way he communes with beauty and receives the gift of his perfect form for no price but a gentle hand his eyes glow amber and he whispers the profound, ancient words of summoning a fog seeps from his lips and seems to fill the night air moss has crept across the ground and surrounded us there is no choice in the world but to join him beneath the moonlight in passionate ceremony
Endeavor Upward Edited by Silas Srnec Advised by Tara Charlton All works featured are original contributions from Minnetonka High School students. Powered by Marq
—THE WORK Upward, and upward bound Upward we’ll endeavor, past the simple things of the savanna Nature is no match for those who move upward And build their cities high above the clouds With steam and gears we might construct tomorrow For the children—of our industry ordained It is written out in this authorless manuscript Which one day simply fell from the heavens And was written by nobody, and it says That we must stand fast and build high Skyscrapers, infinite skyscrapers Whose highest floors might have a view Of the lord we know as Hard Work And his pantheon of Determination and Merit Fields of oil spring up in bounty from the plains We joy! Infrastructure never dies! And upon such a plentiful harvest We shall endeavor higher than ever We shall seek to live among the stars And there, there in outer space— With our very own invention, it provides air And a perhaps more pleasant view If you don’t care for the cosmos The sound, it is a thing of beauty That mechanical sound of your oxygen refilling It sounds like the future, that must be it We’ve endeavored so far above the ground That we can no longer see our homes But need we, really, when we have progress and innovation When we control the glorious market
With our very own invention, it provides air And a perhaps more pleasant view If you don’t care for the cosmos The sound, it is a thing of beauty That mechanical sound of your oxygen refilling It sounds like the future, that must be it We’ve endeavored so far above the ground That we can no longer see our homes But need we, really, when we have progress and innovation When we control the glorious market —THE PEOPLE A man, a woman, a person, each with a wrench in her hand They are selected to be our patriotic inspiration Their faces will be printed en masse, on posters nationwide Above those scintillating words The man, with his youthful vigor and slim body The woman, with her fortified arms and tied-back hair And the person, with their universal smile and confident posture They’re all over the posters— Read the words Read those powerful words forever “WE WORK HARDER!” “WE ARE THE MEANS OF A NATION!” “TOGETHER WE BUILD, TOGETHER WE RISE!” “THE TOOLS YOU NEED ARE HERE!” “PROSPERITY IS OURS!” “YOU ARE THE LIFEBLOOD OF PROGRESS!” “THE FUTURE AT OUR FINGERTIPS!” “ENDEAVOR UPWARD!” “ENDEAVOR UPWARD” ENDEAVOR UPWARD
Read those powerful words forever “WE WORK HARDER!” “WE ARE THE MEANS OF A NATION!” “TOGETHER WE BUILD, TOGETHER WE RISE!” “THE TOOLS YOU NEED ARE HERE!” “PROSPERITY IS OURS!” “YOU ARE THE LIFEBLOOD OF PROGRESS!” “THE FUTURE AT OUR FINGERTIPS!” “ENDEAVOR UPWARD!” “ENDEAVOR UPWARD” ENDEAVOR UPWARD
I: Disinheritance — A white rose climbs out from between the lips of the soil She unrolls the parchment— It is scripture, and we treat it so His word is ever valued, more than that of the gods Especially the god to which the masses pray But our founder, our leader, he is duly exalted And she reads the words— No money to anyone—none of it Sink his fortune into the ground We all applaud, we almost cheer His word is the word of our heavenly guardian And then things bloom in the garden His wealth is buried, forced beneath the earth And everything begins to quickly grow, bushes sprout and flower And a single white rose emerges, we know it to be him And because it is him, because we love him, we light a matchstick II: Sickness — Spring is sick and beautiful Springtime, he said, is a thing of quick courantes with little time to become familiar before one simply is rushed from one partner to another at a dizzying pace, not nearly hour enough to steady oneself upright on the grass The wine doesn’t spill from the glass, you must know, sweet as it is, hazy as our minds become In circles and circles we spin, the joy swelling This is revelry, we’ve decided, and in sobriety we’ll convalesce That we ruin ourselves, and such we say is good Sickness is the way we spend the spring It is sweet as sugar in infinite supply But just as awful to eat— And just as blindingly bright, the dark hue of cabernet III: Primitio — And the just thing, without its meaning What now is just a thing
The Things of Our Season Edited by Silas Srnec Advised by Tara Charlton All works featured are original contributions from Minnetonka High School students. Powered by Marq
is rushed from one partner to another at a dizzying pace, not nearly hour enough to steady oneself upright on the grass The wine doesn’t spill from the glass, you must know, sweet as it is, hazy as our minds become In circles and circles we spin, the joy swelling This is revelry, we’ve decided, and in sobriety we’ll convalesce That we ruin ourselves, and such we say is good Sickness is the way we spend the spring It is sweet as sugar in infinite supply But just as awful to eat— And just as blindingly bright, the dark hue of cabernet III: Primitio — And the just thing, without its meaning What now is just a thing In a land of—it is acknowledged—mostly meaning But with attachment to just things Where now I ask what can be made With nothing un-bland and un-plain How measure we the May of many seasons As we chisel up the month and now divide it In the prosperous joy of labor completed, and in laughter Such a laughter of the power of the workforce, but for the leader— He is that laugher, remembering his own uncontested dictatorship To eat time, as we do, and to experience flowers But to snap warmth in half and rebuild moss This is how we go, this is the way we stride throughout the glade Without the way of the world in our dictionaries But for the words and their sounds in kind
How measure we the May of many seasons As we chisel up the month and now divide it In the prosperous joy of labor completed, and in laughter Such a laughter of the power of the workforce, but for the leader— He is that laugher, remembering his own uncontested dictatorship To eat time, as we do, and to experience flowers But to snap warmth in half and rebuild moss This is how we go, this is the way we stride throughout the glade Without the way of the world in our dictionaries But for the words and their sounds in kind
To watch grasses flattened by the shining wind on the Pampas plains of Argentina For the land to be a thing first green and second world beneath my being Level enough that I might search at every compass point and still see nothing but the faintest hill I turn my head my robes billowing, a temperate breeze goes past me and grounds me in so many ways There is a glass construction not a house, but something sacred And although the grass is soft I rush in steps entranced to the open door Suddenly there is music the subdued piano notes of growth and wonder As I enter the clear cathedral cold, dark, opaque, those words lose their meaning when the warmth and light embraces me and I forget whatever I had thought Sunbeams shine through the walls and create rainbows of light on my skin for whom I am still— as if they were butterflies and I must be so gentle to hold them It was supposed to be a magic doorway to another land, a faraway place without grain or steel flourishing madly, wild and vivid in the summertime But of course, it was made of glass And I could see right inside and know with peaceful certainty not an assertion, not a brave contention but a thought nurtured gently in the mind That within was a radiant beauty frozen in time but warm as the sun
Solarium, Windblown Edited by Silas Srnec Advised by Tara Charlton All works featured are original contributions from Minnetonka High School students. Powered by Marq
for whom I am still— as if they were butterflies and I must be so gentle to hold them It was supposed to be a magic doorway to another land, a faraway place without grain or steel flourishing madly, wild and vivid in the summertime But of course, it was made of glass And I could see right inside and know with peaceful certainty not an assertion, not a brave contention but a thought nurtured gently in the mind That within was a radiant beauty frozen in time but warm as the sun
here and home Edited by Silas Srnec Advised by Tara Charlton All works featured are original contributions from Minnetonka High School students. Powered by Marq
It’s bittersweet, The dreams we have. What we take, When we give. Watch the sun with me, Stay as I drink to the memory. It’s bitter, The pain we feel. Scars from iron fights, Black and blue, Never true. Take a shot with me, Stay as I forget the memory. It’s sweet, The love you give me. Holding me tight, Time can fly. Push your life away with me, Stay through my tears. It’s bittersweet, The hands we hold. Slick with sweat, Melting our love. Wipe the sweat with me, Stay as I scream. It’s bitter, The hatred we feel. In the mirror, We’ve changed ourselves. Hide away with me, Stay as we bury it down. It’s sweet, The nothings we share. Items in my drawers, Never returned. Will you stay with me? Stay as I fight through the night? It’s bittersweet. The love we’ve shared, The heartbreak from another lover. What we gave, What we’ve lost. Our own rhythm, A bittersweet symphony; I give you, Us.
symphony Edited by Silas Srnec Advised by Tara Charlton All works featured are original contributions from Minnetonka High School students. Powered by Marq
Rekaa Gomez
Slick with sweat, Melting our love. Wipe the sweat with me, Stay as I scream. It’s bitter, The hatred we feel. In the mirror, We’ve changed ourselves. Hide away with me, Stay as we bury it down. It’s sweet, The nothings we share. Items in my drawers, Never returned. Will you stay with me? Stay as I fight through the night? It’s bittersweet. The love we’ve shared, The heartbreak from another lover. What we gave, What we’ve lost. Our own rhythm, A bittersweet symphony; I give you, Us.
Our own rhythm, A bittersweet symphony; I give you, Us.