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.
My morning of dancing in the rain
Maelyn Slavik, 15, Burlington
I felt pretty this morning, and
danced around the room to
“Girls Just Want to Have Fun”
in my skirt and polo, and
tried to brush my hair while still
using it as a microphone,
brushing the stars
across my eyelids and
Chapstick onto my lips,
thanking the universe for
my perfect little morning,
as I walked around in my
Darn Tough socks, smiling
with my teeth
at no one in particular,
rereading one of my favorite books
while eating granola, sitting
in my favorite armchair
with my feet tucked up beside me.
I felt pretty this morning, even though
there was acne on my forehead, and
even though it was raining, I
rode my bike
in all its turquoise-and-pink glory
to school, and kept on dancing,
wind rushing past my face and
already composing this poem
in my head,
even though it’s kind of
just a ramble.
I think, though,
that some mornings simply deserve
such a poetically messy ramble.
