The sun will be setting soon

Gabriella Grinbergs

The sun will be setting soon.

Yet, It shines relentlessly. Between parting gray clouds, hanging heavy in the late afternoon sky, rays fall through endless, swaying branches overhead, like the neighbors old windchimes. A cool breeze brushes my face with the gentle thumbs of a soulmate.

I close my eyes.

                                                                       In

And

Out                                                                  

Wind fills my chest and leaves just as quickly and a peace I’ve been a stranger fills its place. A rabid birdcage of thoughts falls still for just a moment.

I open my eyes.

Trees of pine and fir reach fearlessly for the cerulean sky above, their scent clinging to every breath. Nothing is out of place here. Not the tangle of roots weaving in and out of Earth’s handmade rug. Not the disks of fungi round and protruding curiously from tree trunks like records peeking from their sleeves, waiting to be played. Not even the patches of moss that eat everything it is able to touch. Somewhere nearby, a creek sings a soft, jumpy tune.

Everything simply is.

This place feels like religion and I can’t decide if being here is an act of worship or profanity but the Earth holds me anyway. I wonder if everyone feels this way in places like this one – the deepest of welcome homes. I don’t want to leave here and in a strange calm way, I feel like I’m never meant to. I turn back to face the rise and fall of the path behind me.

The house that will no longer be home peeks over and reminds me:

The sun will be setting soon.

Kyra Smith

Biography: My name is Kyra Smith, and I am currently a second year geology major. I am a self taught artist, and I hope to continue setting aside time for creating art in the future.

Artist Statement: I understood the theme of “Roots” as a connection to the Earth in some way. This initial idea is what inspired me to focus on animals, specifically birds, in this piece. The medium that I used was decided as the process went on, as I used supplies that I wanted to use in the moment. The process of creating this piece was more important to me than the completed product.

Gabriella Grinbergs

Biography: I am currently a senior at OSU, earning a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing, but have been writing since I was in the fourth grade. After college, no matter the career I end up in, I hope to carry my love for literature wherever I go.

Artist Statement: This flash fiction piece was originally written in the Spring of 2023 and was inspired by the PAC hiking class I was taking that term. Amidst a very steep emotional low, this class forced me to spend time in nature once a week, which slowly became something I looked forward to as it taught me how to ground myself. In revision, this piece became more about preparing to leave a place that you have grown out of. This piece embodies “Roots” through its stillness and how the narrator grounds themself as they prepare for the journey ahead, acknowledging the place that is and once was.