[Y]oung Writers Project, an independent nonprofit based in Burlington, engages young people to write and use digital media to express themselves with clarity and power, and to gain confidence and skills for school, the workplace and life.
Check out the most recent issue of The Voice, Young Writers Project’s monthly digital magazine. Click here.
Each week, VTDigger features a writing submission – an essay, poem, fiction or nonfiction – accompanied by a photo or illustration from Young Writers Project.
YWP publishes about 1,000 students’ work each year here, in newspapers across Vermont, on Vermont Public Radio and in YWP’s monthly digital magazine, The Voice. Since 2006, it has offered young people a place to write, share their photos, art, audio and video, and to explore and connect online at youngwritersproject.org. For more information, please contact Susan Reid at sreid@youngwritersproject.org.
Ben Stoll, 17, of Georgia, writes about the struggle of the early morning ritual before school – and then a pleasant surprise.
Good Morning
By Ben Stoll
6:00 a.m.
My eyelids split open,
The sticky sleep,
Peeling slowly off me.
My eyes adjusted
To the damp darkness.
6:06 a.m.
I found myself
Exiting my bed.
Scooping up my
Pile of school clothes
Off the ground,
I stood up,
And slammed my head
On the edge of my dresser.
6:08 a.m.
The dull throbbing
In my head
Finally quelled.
I hoped the
Red curse words
That flew from my lips
Did not find their way
To the ears of my
Sleeping kin.
6:10 a.m.
Through the darkness
I found the bathroom;
The lights flashed on
And burned my eyes.
6:11 a.m.
My eyes adjusted
And I caught sight
Of myself in the mirror.
Good morning,
My reflection hummed.
I hope you have a horrible day.
That’s what you deserve after all.
Another horrible day.
6:13 a.m.
I was in the shower now.
I sung a meaningless pop song.
Maybe I should take
Singing lessons.
6:20 a.m.
I gelled my hair,
And remembered
I forgot to do
Fifth period homework.
You idiot,
The gel squished softly.
You’re going to fail that class
If you don’t get it together.
You’ll fail,
And make nothing of yourself.
6:28 a.m.
I was dressed now,
Hair finally dry.
I checked the time.
I took too long in the shower;
I’d have to miss breakfast.
6:29 a.m.
I laced my shoes,
And grabbed a
Can of soda.
I snapped it open
And took a sip,
Then stepped outside.
6:30 a.m.
Something landed on my cheek.
An invisible kiss,
Of a lover long forgotten.
I blinked in surprise,
Not believing what I saw,
What I heard.
There were no put downs,
No snarky remarks
Lashing out at me.
Instead,
The first snowflakes
Of a new Winter whispered,
Today is going to be a good day.
