Alarm. Yesterday leaks into today like static through frayed wiring– low battery light blinking on the microwave, blinking blinking. Calendar squares clench their jaws, edges grinding down the days. Hours ooze from the cracked clock. Coffee cools, skins over, a mug ring orbiting the same desk. Keys land with an empty thud. Winter light fractures through distant panes; Bare trees idle outside, their branches stalled mid-sentence. The systems hold. Grinding gears count breaths

Dear Reader, Before you jump into the beautiful writing and artwork created by our community at MCLA, we would like to thank you for taking the time to read the 2026 edition of Spires. The students here have worked so hard and every ounce of it shows through their sensational talents. This year we wanted to focus on spreading a sense of community and love, which led to our decision in this years cover, "catching up." Due to the current government's administration, the unjus

Editor-in-Chief Mya Linsky Poetry Editors Matthew Lewellyn and Del'or Ehade Prose Editors Sarah Chicoine and Joseph King Design Editor Mya Linsky Art Editor Javier McLeod Web Master Mya Linsky Social Media Mya Linsky General Staff and Special Thanks Ethan Wood, Kylan Hutton, Soliana Kinfe, Dusk Grant