Young Writers Project is a creative online community of teen writers, photographers, and artists, based in Vermont since 2006. Each week, VTDigger features the writing and art of young Vermonters who publish their work on youngwritersproject.org, a free, interactive website for youth 12-18 years old. To find out more, visit youngwritersproject.org, or contact Executive Director Susan Reid at sreid@youngwritersproject.org; 802-324-9538.
There is a peculiar sense of fantasy that envelops you when you find yourself surrounded on all sides by books, for books are aspirational— they offer not only the knowledge or entertainment inside them, but imply regular leisure time to disengage from our daily routine and struggles. This week’s featured poet, Sylvia Chapman of Huntington, finds both peace and productivity within the stacks of the local bookstore.
Bookstore
By Sylvia Chapman, 17, of Huntington
I sit here,
drinking my $6 coffee,
the one that has just drained my bank account.
Looking at the books that I can’t afford,
but simply looking at them makes me feel better,
makes me feel productive.
Being present,
not for anyone but myself.
It is times like these,
in bookstores,
when I feel most at peace,
most relaxed.
Watching the people pass,
everything moves slower here,
at the pace that time intended.
