Spring is fading into June, but the tree through my window, after a hearty hibernation, finally stretches its limbs to allow buds to burst from its veins. Its brothers lining the street already loosed their white petals, lining the sidewalk like pollinated snow. My tree waits, awakening alone and spectacular.

Dawn Parker earned her Bachelor’s in English Creative Writing from California State University Fresno. She is the recipient of the 2025 Larry Levis Poetry Prize and the 2025 Fresno Fiction Undergraduate Prize.  She has published poems and stories in hais: a literary journal, Elephant Eyes, and Behemoth Magazine, with more to come. Within her writing, primarily in fiction, she focuses on experimental forms and themes of family.  Dawn served as the 2024-2025 Co-Executive Editor for the San Joaquin Review journal.