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Pst, are you listening?
Don’t fall asleep.
You’ll only be confined for a little longer.
Drink that week-old glass of water,
It’s been sitting there untouched.

It’ll only be dark for a little longer.
Bathe in that mildewed tub in the meantime.
Wash your brittle hair as it falls and breaks in your palms.
Scrub off your filth and rinse your body dry.

Crawl back to your room.
It should be warm now, I set it on fire.
Electricity bills are too expensive.
It shouldn’t been in flames for much longer.
Put on your ragged clothes and lay on the ground.

Slither your way to the closet,
I promise it’s not as lonely as it seems.
Shut the door and ponder.
The clothes should provide all the company you need.
The blinding dark won’t last for much longer.

Look over there,
There’s a piece of stale bread for you.
It should be enough for the week.
Don’t eat it all at once though,
It’s all you get.

The world won’t end now.
I haven’t even let you start yours yet.
It’ll be long before you look through that crack in the walls,
And see the moon running towards you.

Stop it!
That rattling is infuriating.
The door won’t unlock now,
Don’t worry,
It might eventually.
I can’t let you out now.

Laian Alam

Biography: I’m an international sophomore student majoring in Oceanography. Leaving home and traveling across the globe was incredibly hard, but I knew it was something I had to do. It was especially hard to leave my friends, and sometimes it feels like it hasn’t gotten any easier. Coming to OSU terrified me, it was a completely different part of the world I’ve never been to. It was hard to adapt at first, but I’ve made some really great friends here that have become my newfound family.

Artist Statement: Over the years, I’ve grown a great love for poetry, both reading and writing it. However, I was always very critical and insecure about my work, and therefore never felt confident enough to share it with others. This year, I made a promise to myself to get out of my comfort zone, and after taking a poetry class this fall term, I was able to break out of my shell. Poetry has been a very important part of my life, an outlet for my complex thoughts and a coping mechanism for when things got hard.

Rose Dixon

Biography: Hello there! My name is Rose (she/her). I’m a self-taught artist, a zoology major, and a proud member of the LGBTQ community. I use my art as a method of communication and self-expression. As an avid fan of horror, the majority of my artwork can be categorized as residing within the genre.

Artist Statement: An unconventional artist with unconventional methods, I try to communicate the ideas I cannot express in words through my artwork. With my art, I aim to share my experiences with mental illness, identity, and living in an often overwhelming world.

Social Media: @SpicyyBreadd on Twitter/X and wheattbreadd_ on Instagram

See more of Rose’s art in the upcoming Prism edition, Storyteller!