Bryan Duong Milstead

fly away, melody

fleeting reverie
music and mind intertwine
notes and tones enshrined

tempo tempts psyche
cherish each perishing note
melodies take flight

embrace the songbird
euphony drips from its wings
halcyon trickle

nurture its whistle
reverberant memories
new ones are composed

Bryan Duong Milstead is a 15-year-old Asian American student based in the Shenandoah Valley. He was a national winner of the 2022 NASA "Power to Explore" essay challenge and has had two journalistic articles published on the "Virginia Association of Journalism Teachers and Advisers" (VAJTA) website, displaying his immense enthusiasm for writing. In the future, he aspires to pursue a career in engineering or biotechnology while still maintaining a passion for literature.