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December 2023 issue:
an LA mizpah publication, vol 5 : issue 2
Celebrate with Lipscomb Academy the imagination & creativity of the dreamer. In this issue: submissions of ART ~ PHOTOGRAPHY ~ POETRY ~ SHORT STORY
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MARITIME TROUBLES by Logan Swiggart, acrylic on canvas
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LIGHT AND SHADOW by Esther Sisaye, oil on canvas
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SWIRL by Aspen Ravella, photography
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LION by Shelby Dodd, white pencil on black paper
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RIVER ROCKS by Matthew Rochford, photography
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LANDSCAPE by Keely O'Brien, etching
LANDSCAPE by Matthew Clay, etching
LANDSCAPE by Emi Shaw, etching
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THE FIVE SENSE OF SUNDAY
It looks like something
Different than it is,
All concrete and cement,
Forward and rustic,
Large and open
It looks a bit like
A construction site,
Except the people in bright yellow
Are smiling, waving at you
On the inside, it looks like
Tattoos and clean skin,
Smokey eyes and washed faces,
Everything from weathered jeans to billowing dresses
It looks like moms whose cars wouldn’t start
And dads who spilled their crack-of-dawn coffee
Kids who cling to knees
And kids who can’t wait to run inside
But it also looks like
Conversation, and character
Like you can see
Every
Person’s
Morning
At the same time
All in all, it looks good
It sounds like
Well, you can guess what it sounds like -
Traffic and quick talk,
Kids yelling and babies crying
But once it starts, it sounds like
A strong, steady beat
Connecting my feet to the floor
The rhythm in my chest
The buzz of the EC - high frequency, waking me up
Dreamy falsetto on top of honey alto, rising and dipping and beautiful
It sounds like
Ruffling through purses
As the buckets weave through the crowd
It doesn’t sound like giving up, it just sounds like giving
It sounds like
Shouting and laughter
And someone’s hands clapping too often
But then more laughter
So it sounds good
It smells like
Paint, actually -
And fresh wood
Most of which has been in our garage
Or on the front porch
Or in the back of daddy’s car for months
It smells like an art project,
Years in the making,
Years that I’ve witnessed, though it’s older than me
I like it - it smells good
It tastes like
Warm coffee
And sometimes hot chocolate
Bananas and Panera
And water to clear my throat
It tastes like
Honey - thin honey;
I crunch on the grains of sugar
Sharp peppermint that hurts my tongue
Once a month it tastes like
Fresh grapes and stale bread
It makes me laugh when I can’t open the lid
But it still tastes good
It feels like…
Well, how can I put it?
It feels like…
Home, though it’s not
Family, (though it isn’t exactly that either)
I feel special when I walk through the hallways
After all, I know every wall, every corner
Every fork and dead end
I know what’s behind almost every door; Least I think I do
It feels like
What it is, I guess
Someplace safe, for everyone
A slight foot in the White Door
A small
Look
Sound
Smell
Taste
Feel
Of Eden
I don’t know
But it sure feels good
by Emma Singleton, poetry
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CROSSWALK by Allie McCormac, painting
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BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED VIOLA by Caroline Bell, photography
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SEEING DOUBLE by Caroline Westerman, photography
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BICYCLES RESTING by Kaelyn Butler, photography
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SPELUNKING
Some people love spelunking. Some hate it. Most people are in between.
My guide has been through the cave before. He always holds my hand.
If we stop holding hands, it is because the path has gotten easier for a while. I am the one who lets go.
I see something shining in the rocks, and rush off to find it.
Usually I get scared by a bat or a boulder.
He always leaves the path to come get me. We keep holding hands.
When there is a tight place between the cavern walls, I tell him “I’m claustrophobic.”
“I’ve been through it before,” he says. “I pushed through and dug it out. It will be easier for you now.”
“Was it easy for you?” I ask.
“No,” he responds.
We walk on in silence. I get nervous to keep the conversation going.
“What was it like the first time you came through?”
“It was different for me,” he says. “And the same. I know that it can be scary.”
“And beautiful,” I add.
“Yes, and beautiful. You’ll see something even more beautiful when we leave the other side.”
“I can’t imagine anything more beautiful.”
“I know you can’t. Keep holding on and you will see it someday. I promise.”
I don’t believe him. Nothing could be more beautiful than the waterfall I saw yesterday. But then I decide that I should believe him. He has never lied to me.
We’ve been walking for a long time when I see a rock in our path. A big rock.
“Why didn’t you break up this rock when you came through the first time?”
He looks sad. “There are always rocks in caves. It wouldn’t be a cave if there weren’t. I broke up the most important one. This one we face together.”
“I don’t want to hold hands anymore.” I pull away. He lets me.
The rock is ten times taller than me, ten times wider. It blocks the path.
I throw myself at it. My skin breaks where the jagged edges hit me. I start to cry.
“Help me.”
He has scars. Deep scars. He’s told me how he got them: the rock that he broke, the one I don’t have to face now.
“You’re a good guide,” I say as I wipe my eyes.
He shows me how to break the rock into smaller pieces with a pick ax. When my arms are too thin to swing it, he helps me.
As we walk past the crumbled pieces of stone, I remember last month. This rock looked a lot like that one. He helped me break that one, too.
“You’re a good guide,” I repeat.
“So why don’t you trust me more?” I can hear the sadness in his voice.
“Sometimes I forget. Sometimes I focus more on the rocks and the bats, and not on your hand.”
He squeezes my hand tighter. I feel the scar tissue on his palm, a jagged circle of raised flesh.
“I’m going to hold your hand through all of the tough places in this cave,” he says.
“I’m going to let you,” I say.
“I’m going to help you try,” he says.
We walk on.
by Ella Cauley, short story
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LEAF JOURNEY by Princess McGahey, photography
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UTAH by Elijah Luc, photography
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LIGHTED LANDSCAPE by Sydney McGaughey, pen & ink and watercolor on paper
NIGHTSCAPE by Walker Cary, pen & ink and watercolor on paper
SUNSET by Brantley Cochran, pen & ink and watercolor on paper
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FROSTED PETALS by Britt Johnson, photography
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ROSE by Carter Watson, photography
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EVERY LAST DROP by Drew Rempel, mixed media
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EYE SPY by Logan Swiggart, drawing
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NIGHT LIGHTS by Dani Vance, photography
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TRANSLUCENT by Jencyn Cunningham, photography
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BASKET OF APPLES by Lily Coburn, oil on canvas
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FALL by Jordan Hairston, photography
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HEART OF A FLOWER by Carrigan Carter, photography
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MUM'S TEARS by Ari Smith, photography
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SPOTLIGHT : CONTEST WINNERS
2024 Middle TN Regional Student Art Exhibition
The students' artwork will be on display at The Parthenon from January 23 - March 3, 2024.
Ben Tallent
1st place in mixed media
Esther Sisaye
2nd place in painting/drawing
Julia Tolbert
honorable mention in mixed media
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curated by the Lipscomb Academy yearbook mizpah staff
student editors in chief : Zion Belay and Shelby Doddfaculty advisor : Erin Rickelton
Lipscomb Academy