About
As the leading creative writing journal for UC Merced undergraduate students, The Vernal Pool provides an edited expressive space for the student body to publish original work and an open, accessible venue for audiences to read, appreciate, celebrate and respond. Current issues can now be found at: https://thevernalpool.ucmerced.edu.
Volume 5, Issue 1, 2018
The Vernal Pool
Articles
Letter By The Editor In Chief
Letter for the Fall 2018 Issue
Cover art
Photo by Justin Gonzalez.
Editors' biographies
The biographies of The Vernal Pool editorial board.
Creative Non-Fiction
Conversations with an Insomniac
Chloe is lying in her bed.
Summer Lovin'
This is the story of how I lost myself to love.
The Things Rain Brings
October of last year, there was a lot of rain.
Fiction
Shuffles In February
Sometime in the early morning, Sebastian wakes up a little disoriented.
Farside Amphibian
Upon reflection, I think I finally noticed it when I bit my tongue about three months ago.
Dove Blood
Last night, Mama told me she’ll bring me to a nice place.
A Final Cry for Johnny
He stepped over branch after branch on his way down the road, wincing at the light that stung his eyes.
His House
“It’s so nice to meet you finally!” The words muddled out of my mouth, while I stood at the foot of his white gates.
Burns vs Simpson
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT NORTHWESTERN DISTRICT OF OREGON
Springfield, Oregon
Judge Roy Snyder Presiding
Demons in His Mind
It’s the fourth time around.
Trinity's Embrace
Dawn rose from beneath a stagnant horizon.
Poetry
Melpomene
Have I lost my muse...
Missing you
Up at night flooded with worry and nausea,
thinking something dreadful is about to happen—
There is No Word
There is no word to describe the loneliness of a child...
follow-up
i remember a book from my childhood
where a boy compared
love to lemons...
Not so Super Mario Bros
I am back to where I began
With no control over my game plan.
Peter
I never met Peter, so I don’t know too much about him.
Quarters of a Year
20mg – I’ve been told that when taking lurasidone, the recommended dose range is 20mg to 120mg per day.
Written Test on Osteology
What is osteology?
A Ballad of Týr
I loved a darling puppy once,
He’d always tag along.
Under the Same Sky
Never shall I forget
the deep sorrows of those inside my house.
Black Girl
Black Girl Black Girl
Why do you look so sad...
another poem about long distance relationships
It would be nice to be held by you...
Dear Twenty Something Year Old Guy at The Grocery Store
Did you know
that you’re a millennial whose phone
is sticking out of your back pocket?
Saltwater
When I realized that I could not trust you...
Don't Put Your Labels On Me
I am not a California peach--
So please, don't put your labels on me!
Kiwi Contemplations
Looks don't matter in the
scheme of things...
Naturalis Parodiam (Natural Parody)
Bark-like and towering—but no tree,
a grotesque metal parody of
nature.
Slices of Heaven
Melodious Mandarin...
There's No Such Thing as Unicorns
The American Dream is a unicorn,
shimmering and shining
and just as make-believe.
The Shadow of My Childhood
My father— he was a redwood.
He was closer to the sun.
Falling Down to Earth
Ready?
1... 2 ...
Split-ends
Much like my hair, there has been damage in my life.
Pain
She was a girl with a broad white smile.
Sine Spiritus
Death by blue, and insanity will bloom...
Visual Art
Dreams
The cherry blossom is symbolic for growth and the beauty of life. People admire the beauty of these flowers because they only bloom during a certain period. For myself, this piece represents a period of growth in my life. I also think it's a reminder to appreciate the little things in life.
Amphetamines
Visual art.
Let's Compare
Visual art.
Reflecting
Visual art
Untitled
Picture of bees and flowers
Woodstock 1969
Man playing the guitar.
G Portrait
Close up portrait with left source natural lighting.
Acapulco Baby
Self Portrait inspired by a picture from an Acapulco Mexico vacation with my family.
Woodstock 1969: Experience
One piece of a three piece, inspired by Santanas performance at the 1969 Woodstock music festival. Also inspired by a scence from the movie: The Breakfast Club.
Flashbacks: lovely, vibrant, melancholy
Visual art