A Rambling Remembrance

All those afternoons spent running in the woods behind the house where deer ran and children ran and cold rivers ran all the way home where we ran to disentangle the leaves from our hair we could never escape the leaves in our hair I will never forget the scratchy feeling of leaves in my hair or the grin on my brothers face when he won the race back home, maybe I let him win the race back home I suppose that’s what big brothers are meant to do but it’s all jumbled now those summer days but by God I know I got a kick out of seeing that grin, I still remember the last time I saw it so long ago but maybe I’ll get to see it again one day soon it would be so nice to see it again, so nice to see him again. On those summer afternoons we played for hours in those woods always on some quest or competition God I hope I let him win and now it’s coming back to me I remember we buried a treasure chest beneath the tallest pine it’s so strange what I can remember after so much time has passed, so much time since I last saw that grin and ran under the summer sun and had leaves in my hair but I think my time is coming very soon now, back in those days we lived like we had forever and we looked and looked all summer but we never found the treasure but maybe together we can find it again oh how the years have slipped by I suppose someday soon my clock will hit zero and I, coming second, will have let him win again.

Char Handick

Biography: Currently pursuing a degree in English at Oregon State University, Charlotte Handick’s introspective writing style is inspired by the postmodernist confessional poets she studies. In her work she explores themes of memory, disability, and the regenerative power of language.

Artist Statement: I have found that I do my best writing during spare moments in my notes app, be it on the bus or in the walk between classes. My goal is to inspire those who see my work to pause and look more carefully at their interior world, to discover the beauty within their own mental landscape. Through my writing, I hope to celebrate the unseen layers of the human experience.

Allie Doss

Biography: I’m Allison Doss, a Political Science student at Oregon State University. I am from Hood River, Oregon, and grew up spending lots of time in nature. Thus, I love hiking, traveling, and photography. In the future, I would like to become a human rights lawyer and work to fight discrimination around the world. I am a women’s rights activist and over the last year have planned and facilitated more than ten protests and events focused on gender equity. I also love to read and dance.

Artist Statement: I began doing photography as a kid to work on slowing down and learn to appreciate more of the world. Each photograph represents a moment of connection and communication that unfolds to allow a sense of reverence for nature and our world. Ranging from National Parks within the United States to Switzerland and Canada, each photograph has allowed me an attempt to capture these moments and share the beauty that surrounds us each day. Over the last several years, this art has granted me peace, clarity, and many opportunities for adventure, usually when surrounded by my loved ones.

See more of Allie’s photography in the upcoming Prism edition, Storyteller!