Feathered Creatures

 By Logan Lewis

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The Bluebird now fly high above the clouds
The Robin then spread its wings and take flight
In the brightest blue sky mixed into crowds
With them all together, all is alright 

Right into the clouds, high above the rain
Why are they all now yearning towards the sky?
High above all of their troubles and pain
Sometimes they don’t need any reason why

Straying away from the trees or the ground
They are here for each other together
Due to their bond, they could never be downed
In Harmony, they shall sing forever

To them, it is one world and one choice
Now it’s time for them all to raise their voice

About the Author

Logan is from Pekin, Illinois, and in his second year at ICC. He enjoys telling stories and writing. He’s always felt a connection to music and plays the guitar and writes songs. He loves rock and roll and his favorite band is The Replacements. He writes about things in life from a variety of emotions. His heroes are God, his parents, and Mr. Rogers. He is apparently not the best at third person writing.

Brayden #2

By Marissa Overholt

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About the Artist

Marissa Overholt is a 20 year old ICC art student. This is her fifth semester at ICC, and she will have enough credits to graduate by the end of the fall semester. She is currently working on a series of portraits for Figure Drawing II. The series is focused on facial expressions. “Brayden #2” the fourth in the series.

Maple

 By Rebekah Rademacher

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autumn pumpkin and black splotch your white fur,
fur that sticks up in every direction,
like the bristles of an old toothbrush. 

as I scratch behind your ears you yawn and flatten,
flatten your little furry body and stretch,
like pancake dough when it first hits the pan.

your squeaks and wheeks are loudest when it’s time for food,
food that’s purple and green leafy lettuce or a slice of red apple as a treat,
like food is all your tiny mind cares about.

but when life is troubling I notice longer cuddles,
cuddles where you warm my lap, curl up on my arm, perch on my shoulder,
Like you understand me more than I thought you could. 

About the Author

Rebekah is a current sophomore at ICC. Her poems have been published in Volume I of Illinois Central Review. She works part time as a barista and loves coffee. When she's not writing, she may be found reading, crocheting or hiking, and probably spoiling her two guinea pigs. 

Looking at the Past

 By Brian Miller

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About the Artist

Brian is a DACT student. He loves to play guitar and write music as well as drawing. Both of these hobbies are a great way to clear his mind. He hopes you enjoy this as much as he enjoyed drawing it. 

You

By Rebekah Rademacher

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When the night sky is clear,
Full of twinkling stars
I think of you,
Feel close to you
When it’s cloudy at night,
I know it’s silly,
But it feels like you’re far away.

When the sun is setting,
A gradient of color and wispy clouds,
I think of you
Your creativity and imagination
When it’s cloudy,
It’s hard to remember,
But you’re more creative than me.

The pale pink blue and yellow sky over the Atlantic Ocean
The deep orange blue and purple peeking through the window section of Arches National Park
The bold yellow red and orange shining out behind Saguaro cacti
The star-sprinkled sky as I’m lying on dock next to a lake
The full moon over the ocean as I’m sitting on damp sand
It’s odd that I feel closest to you
When I’m looking at the sky 

About the Author

Rebekah is a current sophomore at ICC. Her poems have been published in Volume I of Illinois Central Review. She works part time as a barista and loves coffee. When she's not writing, she may be found reading, crocheting or hiking, and probably spoiling her two guinea pigs. 

Letter from the Editor

Dear Readers,

Thank you for visiting the Illinois Central Review! I hope you enjoy the writing in this second issue as much as I do.

It’s been an honor and a privilege to serve as the founding editor of this literary magazine for students at Illinois Central College for the past year. The writers featured in this issue showcase a diverse range of imagery, language, humor, sadness, trauma, and love in their work.

In addition to the writers featured in this issue, I want to recognize the students who won the Illinois Central College Writing Contest, hosted by Student Life in spring 2022:

Creative Writing (Prose)

1^st Place: Adia Jordan for “Imagine Trying to be Perfect”

2^nd Place: Makayla Palm for “The Game Maker”

3^rd Place: Abigail Gilles for “Life of Lies”

 

Poetry

1^st Place: Teagan Osborn for “Bound to the Town”

2^nd Place: Robert Gailliaert for “Rectangle”

3^rd Place: Taegan Knetzer for “My Haiku”  

 

Documented Research

1^st Place: Robert Gailliaert Jr. for “Causes of the Great War”  

2^nd Place: Grace Walenta for “Hair Discrimination”  

3^rd Place: Taegan Knetzer for “Federalism” 

 

Paul Simon

1^st Place: Victoria Wiggin for “When Life Gives You Lemons”

Thank you again for reading. If you are a student at Illinois Central College and want to submit your writing for consideration, the deadline for the next issue is December 1, 2022.

In writing,

Melissa Grunow
Associate Professor, English

 

Towering Pines

By Rebekah Rademacher

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a strumming chord a mellow hearth of warmth
the outer rhythm crashes over fire
and even timber log may once desire
a banjo sings of old moon crater forms
as many places draw your eyes up north
so many options roast or eat toss higher
while hoping one day you will be a flier
one saying nothing sweeter than the storm
your ship will not survive the fiery sun
beware the statue and harmonica
a marshmallow will never here appear
a game of hide and seek and never won
a fear of space is almost logical
after each trip enjoy the wide frontier

 

About the Author

Rebekah is a current freshman majoring in English and minoring in creative writing. Her current writing project is the fourth draft of a science fiction book that she hopes to publish one day. She enjoys hiking, especially in National Parks. She is an avid reader of science fiction and fantasy books. When she isn’t busy, she can be found playing video games, binge-watching sci-fi shows, or crocheting.