Ink Clusive! Journal of Literary Arts VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE DEPARTMENT OF HUMANITITES ENGLISH Number 1 (Fall 2022) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Faculty Advisor William Roszell Journal participants: Layout and Presentation: Amielle Dela Cruz Harleen Sidhu Jade Gallano Jeevan Dhaliwal Jmie Lingat Julia Yamada Manpreet Kaur Brar Rishbhee Dabla Sejal Auluck Trisha Del Mar Tylar Neuman Revision, Editing and Submission: Alexandria King Anna Blades Galileo IV Trocio Jo-Anne Kiri Urbano Lavinia Urbani Mazin Elhussein Rachel Khanguri Serena To This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements 1 Table of Contents 2-3 FIXED VERSE POEMS 4 A Blissful Autumn 5 Spring 6 James Dean 7 Restless Minds Wander When the Sun Falls Father 8 Glazing on Frost 9 Good Enough 10 My Future 11 Looking for Good Days 12 A Spring's welcome 13 Wave 14 Death Collection Day 15 The Pandemic 16 Dream of Immigrants 17 A Once Joyful Lady 18 Duality 19 2 FREE VERSE POEMS 20 She is resilient 21 Lover 22 Radical Dame 23 Aura 24 I Remember 25 Stairway to Heaven 26 Till We Meet Again 27 Home 28 Unbridled 29 3 Fixed Verse Poems 4 A Blissful Autumn - Rishbhee Dabla Pumpkin spice lattes Cinnamon and apple crisps Sweet, scented candles Oversized warm flannel sweaters Sitting around the fireplace Warm and cozy nights Long knitted socks Listening to the rainfall Leaves changing colour Mother’s homemade soup Father’s secret hot cocoa A blissful Autumn 5 Spring -Jade Gallano O sunny spring, my favorite season. How the colorful flowers start to bloom. The beautiful weather during Březen. I do enjoy the aromatic fume. Perfect time to enjoy nature's beauty. A wonderful, colorful and crisp scene. Outside and enjoying something fruity. Light and bright sun shine on freshly cut green. Relaxing to the sound of birds chirping. Watching the clouds slowly pass through the sky. So much beauty I find so appealing. O spring, for I don't want to say goodbye. Sunny days after cold, cloudy weather. My favorite things, all brought together. 6 James Dean - Rishbhee Dabla Whiskey in the cup A cigarette burning slow He is my James Dean 7 Restless Minds Wander When the Sun Falls Farther -Tylar Neuman The day is wrapped, bow tied, and rest is near -but i never find such easy reprieve. I sink and swim, floating away from here …my mind reminds me that i cannot leave: so i awake, i shake, i ache, i heave. The good morrow arrives! The birds, they sing = the bags pull harder with each passing eve. And though I may march with a bounce and spring …I know what ceremony the nightfall shall bring. 8 Glazing on Frost -Julia Yamada She dances on ice Gliding like pen to paper Perhaps, I could join? 9 Good Enough -Serena To When will I be able to understand The flawed bending of your expectations? From the crux of your pride to your commands Your ways are beyond my apprehension I have earned trophies, degrees, and awards The infestation of rage constricts joy Unable to delight in my rewards Blood boils at the sight of your spiteful ploy My life is like a tailored performance Tippy toeing around your cruel caprice Nothing goes above your grim dominance Everything I do is a sacrifice Why do I want to prove myself to you? You don’t even care at all what I do. 10 My Future -Sejal Auluck To see the world so bright and full out there. To dream of great fortune, success, and fame. You must step out into the light and flair. Although it may seem difficult to claim, You must remember to be brave to face To show the world you’re not afraid to flame So bright and powerful just like space. For this may be a sign you must proclaim. To reach so high into the sky until you thrive So close to victory, so close to win. To get to where you belong you must drive To succeed in life until you’re in. You can not sit around and be so blue. You must make every one of your dreams true. 11 Looking for Good Days -Manpreet Kaur Brar All of my days keep on getting so worse, I am losing self-love, and my self-trust, As a routine the pain is all rehearsed, Red blood is quite ready to just outburst, My sore open wounds, scars cannot be nursed, I am unable to control my thirst, I am feeling my soul is being dispersed, How can I remove this dirt? Praying for more of life is being so cursed, That is why my desire is to die first, I wish some peace to be inserted, And all the negative thoughts to be just earthed, Let the evil spirit to be divert, Hoping for good days to be reversed 12 A Spring's Welcome -Jo-Anne Kiri Urbano Sakuras descend A pink winter in the spring The warm sun’s embrace 13 Wave -Anna Blades He loved the Sea and cannot leave it still. It gives so much but takes so much away. He dreamt of glass so clear that moved at will. The ocean calm, and quiet will betray. It hugs with hands so cold it starts to seep The charcoal brine in which old boats decay. With fear and love we look down at the deep Its churning whirlpools, spinning tightly, grasp. And reminisce on all that it does keep. 14 Death's Collection Day -Galileo IV Trocio A sudden issue leaving death in mind, The problems feigning rest so I can pray, The recollection stirs my brain to grind, Recalling of a melancholic day, As death begins to hold my hand, My health begins decaying into sand. 15 The Pandemic -Rachel Khanguyi Attention! Attention! Gown; Goggles; Gloves. A trembling voice, hardly sweeping through the windy weather. “Don’t you get it? We gotta’ get in and save lives?” Ignoring the quavering voice and striding on further. Behind the screen doors, no one knows what awaits beneath, Stepping into a deserted hallway, once filled with joy, Now guarded with a shadow of the angel of death. Harvesting souls; destined to destroy. Suddenly! The trembling voice again? “Code blue! Code blue!” Lunch boxes flying, spitting the contents on the floor, Anger screaming aloud from our faces, we have no value, The future is unknown; Victory tumbled on the floor! 1st hour of the shift! Tony breathing his last, too early to lose, Not again! Oh no, sweet rose, gone is Rose. 16 Dream of Immigrants -Jeevan Dhaliwal The Struggle of immigrants is real Wishing for a moment to sit and relax They work more jobs full-time to buy a meal Got no time to waste drinking, can't collapse Save up more money, feel like tracking back Though might as well stay and build a life here Whoever achieves the highest it's a time attack Dreams of days flying the Learjet out of here Glide out to the Bahamas, and escape to cheer. 17 A Once Joyful Lady -Amielle Dela Cruz There was once a free lady of joy, Who went and played with a troublesome boy, She slipped but did not fall, The boy giggled, tripped and bawled, A lady with joy is now annoyed. 18 Duality -Alexandria King Will the loveless tide reach shores laying way? Lady skyline extends a warm embrace. Goldless shipwrecked shores; in my depths, I stay; Disguised tranquillity masking my face. What foe is this that betrays direction? The wind is full of fighting spite and toil. Water-filled ways lost in grey perception; Oh, chaos, keep your old relentless boil. Inverse, the flattened gaze stays silent still; North kisses East; South finds West to be True. Love-filled waves bring tales of the shore with thrill; The sky is close, its eyes so clear and blue. Out and in what cycle is true with quest; The set and the dawn of time, not in jest. 19 Free Verse Poems 20 She is resilient -Harleen Sidhu Why does it hurt As you find yourself In the middle Of a battlefield? Your heart still Beats without Any shield. If life was as easy as A B C, There'd be no purpose in living like a flower. Today You might not be who you are, Fighting Every battle, Hiding Every scar. Rise and shine like the sun every day. Let them wonder How you bloom like a bouquet. 21 Lover -Rishbhee Dabla Sometimes, this feeling becomes indescribable. A simple glimpse of you burns a fire in me; My heart is warm. Scars healed by the touch of your skin, The scent of cigarettes and whiskey. Your presence is timeless. My mind is at ease. You’re simply too beautiful for poetry. 22 Radical Dame -Lavinia Urbani She walks down the street with her mystical dreams, and she's so hard to compel. Waits around peering in her looking glass, thinking how it could have been. She thought she could fly but she couldn't take off, felt her heart fall like a raindrop. Pouring down, it won't stop. What can I say, She's a radical dame. Who likes to play games. She fell into a spiral, falling back into her thoughts. Given all she's learned, fall away. No mistake. No escape. 23 Aura -Jade Gallano We all have a net of unseen energy surrounding the body enchanting alluring colors, affected by psychological factors. It radiates a vibrant light, a luminous power, a halo of our spiritual vivacity. There are layers to an aura, some bright and some faded. Each color has its meaning. It's a beautiful thing. It's the unique ambience we project onto others, and the concealed characteristics that embody an individual. 24 Stairway to Heaven -Jmie Lingat There you were, lying so peacefully, hands crossed, so pale. So many words left unsaid, afraid time is not on our side. Always in my heart, you remain until the next time we meet again. 25 I Remember -Mazin Elhussein For once in space, the one thus posited. Longing took a form of serpentine along, Or like sight it was but first existed. Among three were none more; were shaped for song. Orbits her: What’s remembered? Jasmine-dusted, Aghast, scattering whence gaze fell upon. At last, betwixt all light thread for comfort Toile and stuff, storied gilt, beauty outpour. 26 Till We Meet Again -Rachel Khanguyi The elders sit in silence, bowing heads, Frail, weak bodies were shivering in the evening cold. Surrounding the earth, glaring into the dying embers, Popping and crackling sounds from the burning wood, A choking blanket of smoke fills up the air. It is a dark day for the village! Family, friends, neighbors, gathering in groups, Murmuring in crackling hoarse voices. Fireflies lighting up the skies, children diving after them, Not comprehending the somber mood, Their bedtime is long gone. It is a dark day for the village! Silenced is the fierce face that swiftly swept the battles. His lifeless body lies in the wooden box. As I give my last glance, I sense a soft tap on my shoulder, My mother, “till we meet again” says she I ponder on that thought, Really? “Till we meet again?” For the village, their voice is no more For me, my anchor is gone “Till we meet again” 27 Home -Trisha Del Mar A thousand miles away is home, The reason why I have a bleeding poem I find comfort with the fact That we are under one moon, so I act How can half a heart beat, and yet, still be so sweet? When all that are left are wounds and the mind is full of typhoons. A thousand miles away is home I may be bleeding but am never alone I'm left with scars shaped like the stars When you look at the moon Know that for you I’d kill a platoon I’d walk a thousand miles Just promise me you’ll wait in the aisles 28 Unbridled -Alexandria King Settling into a rhythm of her own creation. The gait bewildering to some. Racing the wind faster than the pinto long banished to a reality, nay, dream just beyond her reach. Alas, she takes to the fields, kicking off her shoes and sensibility, embracing the freedom of her escape. Though 'tis not running she longs for; She seeks to fly. 29