Young Writers Project is a creative, online community of teen writers and visual artists that started in Burlington in 2006. Each week, VTDigger publishes the writing and art of young Vermonters who post their work on youngwritersproject.org, a free, interactive website for youth, ages 13-19. To find out more, please go to youngwritersproject.org or contact Executive Director Susan Reid at sreid@youngwritersproject.org; (802) 324-9538.
The World Starts to Bud
Kayleigh Briggs, 15, Rutland
Do you see how the world is beginning to bud?
Sparkling white dust starts to melt away from the snow.
Water begins to creep away from its capture,
flowing freely.
Warm rain falls from the fluffy, pink clouds that float about in the light blue sky.
Leaves on the trees begin to bud.
Flowers and bugs rise from the soil.
Butterflies emerge from their chrysalis.
Ants drag food to their hills.
Baby birds learn how to fly.
Gardens flourish once again,
their gardeners tending to the roots and crops.
Farmers plant fresh seeds.
Bees dance around in their hives to communicate with each other,
collecting pollen from newly risen flowers.
People trim bushes and mow lawns, beginning spring cleaning.
Frogs start to thaw out from the winter.
Tadpoles swim in the ponds.
Maple is harvested, placed in jugs, and served,
sometimes with ice cream.
The northern lights put on a show at night for those who admire its beauty.
Several animals go from light-toned to dark-toned for the upcoming seasons.
Everything in spring is beautiful,
no matter where you are,
where you live,
or where you’ve come from.
There’s always a brighter light at the end of the everlasting fall of the white dust.
And at times, more than others,
you’ll wonder at how much
this season really means to us.
As the snow melts away,
we, too, can be like water,
flowing freely
after the winter capture.
The world is starting to bud.
