Renaissance Arts and Literature, presented by Phoenix Online
In an effort to reach as many of our Kellenberg Families as possible, Phoenix Online is now proud to post weekly poems, prose, art and photography from our student contributors for Renaissance, Kellenberg’s Arts and Literature magazine. The Kellenberg Memorial students and staff at Renaissance and Phoenix Online are proud to share these creative works. We hope you enjoy them.
“Issac’s Corner Store” by Sanáa Merritt
The rain dropped hard like metal coins
to the old city sidewalk.
Lit by the old metal lights
drooping over the street, the street smelled like rain.
As I watch the light pour onto the sidewalk
I look over to my mom and ask
what she wants from the corner store.
I tried to take as much time as possible with her:
I know what gum she wanted – she always wants the same thing –
but I wanted to see Isaac’s old but not a day old smile behind the counter too.
As I get out the car, my shoes lightly grazed
the cold deep puddles reminding me of the downs about my day.
I ran inside with the puddles behind me and the open door.
The gently flickering yellow light spilled across my eyes
and the smells of the salty and savory food, made throughout the day, flooded my nose –
the memories from my never ending summer nights, long hot walks to get icees.
Isaac looked tired and more old since last summer but always the happiness in his eyes.
We had the usual small talk and then he gave me my mother’s gum.
It was time to leave.
“It’s gonna be a while until I see you again,” I said, before taking the bag.
He looked up with a slight smile, “I know but I’ll see you in the summer. Summer always comes around.”
he dropped a handful of purple Jolly Ranchers from the jar
on the counter into the bag with my mother’s gum.
I looked at him once more before I walked out
into the almost unending dark emptiness night of memories and sighed.