Longing for Tranquility
by Emily Jaramillo
Legacy High School
Emily Jaramillo is a 14-year-old freshman attending Southwest Legacy High School in San Antonio, Texas. She began to develop the love and passion to write stories, poems, and songs at the age of 5. After graduation, she plans to study dermatology in college and possibly do writing as a side job. Her writings focus on real events that happened in her life and she write about what others might have to go through as well.
Longing for Tranquility
There was a time when paper held no weight,
When ribbons curled with careless hands,
When mornings hummed with the rustle of prosperity,
and laughter did not count its cost.
But then the numbers pressed like winter,
Thin and brittle,
Careful things -
Measured footsteps,
Quiet wishes,
Memories of what once was plenty.
She stacked her days like folded pages,
Bound in ink,
Bound in time chasing a dream too vast for hours,
Too costly for the hands that hold it.
He moved through weeks with hard working hands,
His pockets lined with empty space,
Trading time for smaller measures,
For rooms still warm,
For lights that stay.
And we, too young for ledgers;
Too small to shift the scales,
Learned the art of hesitation,
The weight of what is left behind.
Nights bent beneath whispered words,
Pleas stitched into the quiet air -
Traced them in salt on my pillow,
Folded them into the hands of the unseen.
Now, the numbers rest a little lighter,
No longer pressing quite so deep.
The cup boards hold their breath a little less,
The lights flicker,
But never fade.
Beneath the tree,
The branches still bare,
But still,
The lights remain–
A quieter kind of lesson learned,
The shape of having less,
Yet knowing more.
Interview with the Author
1. What inspired you to write this piece? What was your thought process throughout?
“Longing for Tranquility” was inspired by a difficult period in my life when my family faced financial instability. The fear of losing everything left a lasting mark on me, and writing about it became a way to process those emotions and preserve the strength I found through that experience. “Chef-d’œuvre” was born from the quiet intensity of academic life. Being an A+ student is often seen as a marker of ease or perfection, but the truth is it takes constant effort, resilience, and a strong sense of self. Writing the story helped me unpack that duality—the drive to succeed and the toll it can quietly take.
2. What do you hope readers will take away from your piece? What effects do you want the piece to have on the person, community, or society?
I hope readers walk away with a sense of understanding—that behind calm faces and achievements, there are untold stories of struggle, fear, and perseverance. From the poem, I hope they feel the quiet weight of anxiety during hard times. From the story, I hope they see that excellence doesn’t always come from ease, but from personal battles and endurance. If anything, I want readers to reflect on their own unseen stories and approach others with more empathy.
3. What is your favorite piece of fiction (short story, novel, flash fiction, etc.) that you’ve ever read? Why?
The Giver has always stuck with me—both the book and the film adaptation. It’s one of those stories that doesn’t just tell you something; it changes how you see the world. Its depth, symbolism, and emotional clarity are rare, and the idea of memory and emotion being both a burden and a gift feels so true in life and in writing.
4. If you plan on continuing to write, what are some goals/plans you may have for your future?
My main goal is to become a dermatologist and start my own business in that field, but writing is something I never want to let go of. It’s a space where I can explore parts of myself that don’t always fit into science or business. Whether it’s poetry, stories, or even essays, I plan to keep writing on the side—sharing pieces of my life and imagination in ways that connect with others.