Welcome to the Université de Neuchâtel’s Introduction to Creative Writing course literary magazine. This course is offered to second- and third-year Bachelor’s students who are studying English as a foreign language. While some of the students have written creatively before, many are writing poems and short stories in English for the first time. The work you see here was produced during Fall 2021 in response to weekly prompts. In the course, students can write about any subjects they…
“Ready?” I asked her.
“Yeah, go ahead.”
Before turning the hair clipper on, I held back a waterfall of tears.
Well, I actually became a rockstar. Let me tell you my story, the story of a girl who came from a small town in Switzerland, and became as much known as Queen.
Every prisoner facing death penalty has multiple rights, which usually reflect their last wishes. During his last 24 hours, the prisoner can choose his last meal, his own way of execution, who is able to assist to the latter, pray aloud with a priest and finally, to write a last letter.
I am in his mother’s house, in the front door, as if I was greeting intentionally other guests. He is not. I am pushing the stroller, as I am trying to call him… I did not know I could do that too, I guess mommyhood gave me superpower…
Aiden and I met when we were respectively 32 and 34 years old. I know, it’s not the typical story of a couple, but it’s also great that way. Not belonging to a habit, an expectation. We are originals, at least that’s how I like to think of it.
The time on the car shows 17:12. It’s only been six minutes since we left, but my body seems to have been sitting for hours. My legs are already tingling, I’m sitting awkwardly, and I don’t know where to put my hands.
My father sits alone at the kitchen table. The sun set hours ago, but he has not bothered to turn on a light. He utters not a word, nor stirs a limb.
Three years ago – November 1st –
A party of tenacious comrades
undertook a spontaneous expedition,
aiming for the forest’s pinnacle.
Baboo? Baboo, what did I do?
I didn’t say that. I didn’t mean to.
I was running around and my energy grew –
I whistled at every parrot that flew
through the bobbing branches the tired breeze blew.