5.28.12

images: 

Each week, YWP publishes your best work with our media partners: Rutland Herald  and vpr.net (Monday); Times Argus  and The Valley News (Tuesday); St. Albans Messenger (Wednesday); Addison Independent, Colchester Sun, Essex Reporter, Stowe Reporter and Waterbury Record (Thursday); Brattleboro Reformer and the Hometown section of the Burlington Free Press (Saturday); Rural Route Today (every other Wednesday) and the Charlotte News. Support your local newspapers! Buy 'em! Support VPR, listen!

Week of May 28:  Click here to READ THIS WEEK'S SELECTIONS or click Solutions,  Non-rhyming poetry and General Writing to read all recent submissions. To view or download the pages below as pdf files, click the newspaper's name in the attachments below. See the Weekly Photo gallery.

To view last week's Newspaper Series index, click here.

If I could solve any problem in our town of St.Albans I would put an end to all crimes. Lately there has been many robberies, kidnappings, and killings. I am heartbroken every time I turn the news on and hear another story about a robbery close to my house. It is very sad to think that this little town is not as safe as it use to be. I would find all the people that have been committing these various crimes and put them in jail forever. 

The game was soon to begin and my nerves were off the chart!

I pulled my mask over my head, the cages gridded my face. The team was ready and coach was drawing the plays down on his small whiteboard. I closed my glove severall times in quick motions. I was leaning back and forth on each skate, and the buzzar rang through every lokceroom signaling it was time to get on the ice. Our team lined up near the door. They were letting me get into the front of the line, and it was game time.

    Butterflies

graceful, light 

monarch, colorful

beautiful,caterpillars

cocoons, delicate

    wonderful 

There will always come a time

when you realize who matters,

who never did,

and who always will.

So don't worry about you past,

because there is a reason why

those people dont make it to your future.

All problems have a solution

It starts with you

And begins with me

First we must notice

Then make a change

Sometimes it's not easy

To leave our own comforts

To forget a mistake

To really listen to others

To do something different

To find and fill a need

To take the chance

To forgive someone

To change who we are

To be positive even in pain

To be an inspiration

So, today I will start

And go an extra mile

To help someone else

It begins with a smile

I know your name still lingers on my tongue.I know your sapphire blue eyes still twinkle in the light. Is it really Goodbye? Our hearts beat in sync. Your pearly smile still beams in my mind. Your arms were a place where all who needed comfort could be. I can never let go. Never. I know you'd want me to,but my heart cannot grasp the truth. You are gone.As I watch this crazy life pass me by,I can only think goodbye is the hardest word of all. To lose something,though it’s all you've ever known,feels like a thousand thorns are piercing your soul.Take me back to the crisp summer days on the luminous lake,with you by my side. My eyes are drenched in salty tears waiting to stream down my cheeks. I slowly hum to myself goodbye, Grandma.

Dylan Potter          5-17-12

“Solution”

If I could solve one problem in the United States it would be to end the drug trafficking from Mexico to our country. We should have better inspections of our border guards to ensure that they are protecting us. We need strong security at our borders so when the guards are bribed by drug dealers they will uphold American values.

I wouldn’t suggest having people in the airport that have had a record of stealing or using drugs because they might help other people to get money. In other words they should have clean records. I believe in how the body scans help prevent weapons and drugs getting snuck onto the plane. The security area should be protected by checking each person’s pockets before entering the plane even after the body scans.

I could start a fundraiser in my town to raise money for the war against drugs right here at home so I know I live in a safe environment. I could start a car wash and have desserts and drinks for the people getting their car washed. This way they can cool off while contributing to stopping the drug war. I hope to raise a lot of money so that I can help my hometown be free of drugs.

It makes me feel so angry,
so upset.
How people think how people are.
They think how Charlie is,
      how he is dumb.
He has this operation
And he gets a little smart
And he gets a lot smart
And he gets really, really smart.
And then he deteriorates
       Into the man he was before.

I feel like Charlie should be dumb,
      because that is who he is.
I feel a strong connection with him.
Because 80% of the time I feel like him,
        plain old dumb.
When Charlie was dumb he depended on other people
but he was kinder.
I like how he realized people were treating him poorly
and he quit his job because of it.
He had a lot of dignity, then,
           when he was dumb.

If you have a disability,
            like Charlie or me.
People should help you
People should understand you and value you.
And not just think that you are less than them.
And not just think that you
            are plain old dumb.
Because inside you are not dumb.
You are this miraculous piece of nature.

Oh, if I could solve a problem in Burlington,

I would help the less lucky ones,

The ones with less than less.

I'd give them money, they could get new clothes,

They could get a nice comfy tent,

Or some good food to eat.

Yes if I could solve a problem in Burlington,

I would help the forgotten ones,

The ones without a home.

If I had the power to solve one problem in the world I would get together a team of engineer scientists to help design and build a vehicle engine that runs on hydrogen and in doing so eliminate a huge portion of the worlds fossil fuel use and help dramatically reduce the output of greenhouse gasses since the output of the hydrogen engine would be simple water.
 

in my arms

I hold

a life

the steady rythm of a heartbeat

the rythmic whispers of breath

the wonder that lays his head upon my lap

I run my fingers through his hair

he shifts slightly in his sleep

chocolate strands fall across his face

he looks so peaceful

in contrast to his

waking self

the turmoil I usually see in those soft brown eyes

with a jerk he awakens

he looks me in the eyes

I see an innocence there

that quickly fades away

(Turns out growing up is just saying
goodbye a bunch of times)

She and the other girl are bent back to back like flowing
spokes of a wheel.
Their arms grasp each other's waists, legs straight
points & turn, as a unit, one girl over
another, immaculate.
Her partner, when she lifts off, jumps
into the air, preparing and then performing an action, but she
she just— rises; slow, smooth, strong—
hovers...
They have practiced this many times.
so much, I think, that it's no longer something they
do together— it's something they do
for each other.

(Turns out growing up is just saying
goodbye a bunch of times)

I will know this girl— no, woman for another month, maybe less
before she is gone for Cali-college
—she will continue to dance—

(Some people just deserve
a beautiful life)

The two-girl wheel makes its way turn
by
turn across the stage and almost into the wing before
they step off of each other like becoming
two people again.
They are coming back and
yin-yang-flowing on and
off, back and forth, they know
how to do what they do.

(Some people just deserve
a beautiful life)

Her hair curls
close to her head, face so
her own, like a painting, like
the music she knows how to dance to
like liberty—

(Some people are just beautiful)

Everyone here is saying goodbye to one family.
She is saying goodbye to everyone here.
She is leaving— all of this. Read more »

Lights dimming,

Eyes intensifying,

Voices fading,

Curtains opening,

The performance begins.

Even though there's many things that I would like to change

I would like to cure world hunger even for just a day

People would be happier, healthier too

There's just simple, little things that we will have to do

Give a little money, just here and there

We have buffets, they have nothing, how's that fair?

So give a little food, even if you're younger

So join me in ending all the world hunger

 Are raising gas prices a problem for dairy farmers? Dairy farms are shutting down because of increased prices in fuel. In 1950 there were over 11,000 dairy farmers, In May 2011 there were only 999 dairy farms, and now in March 2012 973 dairy farms are left in the state of Vermont. 

You walk down the hall and you take a swift turn memorizing everything
It’s your last time seeing the posters on the wall
And the little kids walking down the narrow passageway
Yeah, there will be other kids, but never the ones that barely come up to your hip
You’ll miss all this, and your life will never be the same now
Because the next time you walk down the hallway, you’ll be a visitor
And the next time you get trampled by little kids, it won’t be in this hall
You finally stop turning and glance down at your feet
A tear drips down your cheek and hits the floor
Leaving a puddle only an ant could drown in
You didn’t even realize you had started crying
You think about the times you had with your best friends in the different classrooms
You remember the fights with friends in sixth grade
And the laughs you shared in seventh
And finally the time you had in your last year
As you walk out the door, you fake a smile
You climb vigorously to the top of the stairs on the bus
And sit way in the back the seat you’ve earned from being so old
You take out your headphones, put them in your ears and crank the music up
You throw your hood over your head and stare out the window
So no one will see you cry
You go back in time to sixth grade when you finally turned the right age
Just old enough to start thinking for yourself
And you made your first mistake which led you to a fight with your best friend
And you start thinking never again I hate this, someone else will make my decisions
And you wish you were back in the simpler grade of third
Then you skip forward a little to seventh
When you finally got the “think for yourself” thing down packed
And you’re having the time of your life Read more »

Once upon a time
There was a man named Crusoe
Stong and Bold, he challenged the sea

Beat at the waves with hull and sail,
Until the sea had had enough
And threw him back to land.

When the light dawned behind his battered eyes
He saw a coast of windswept sand
And twisted trees

He rose out of the sea, and the sand fell still beneath his feet
And the mountians watched as he swept past the beach and into the
Wilderness

From a corpse on a noose he took a shirt
From a merchant he took a blade
And set out to seek the land

The roads blurred, and his burden grew
He grew a fabulous moustache
And the towns began to whisper his name

The roads he feared no more
The fen and marsh and cave
Each one an eager challenge

Then one day his name was revered
And those who feared the hopeful
Set out upon the rode with mount and blade

The shadows cloaked him as he ran
The rivers swift and silent
But he could not run forever

And so he was bound and beaten
And the mud furrowed as his arms were dragged
Into a wooden wagon
Where three more stared with baleful eyes
At the man bound and close to death
And the carriage moved under him

Carried him to a stronghold of choking stone
Children were carried inside
And the wagoned stopped Read more »

My Day At The Beach

The beach is an amazing place,
Nothing can compare,
Sitting in the shade or just out in the sun, beauty surrounds me  everywhere.

Walking on the seashore trying to find shells.
The beautiful blue water splashing on your feet.
The beautiful white sand in between your toes.

Diving in the water to cool off on a hot summer's day .
Going beneath the waves and being mesmerized of what you see ,
Finding new life beneath the waves

My breath runs out,
I rise to the surface breaking an already broken surface.
The waves crash above me.

The breeze hitting my face,
Against the tide 
The waves crashing down

So full of life so full of chaos
Never resting and never boring
And yet so relaxing

The sun beating down upon the skin,
The smell of seaweed in the breeze.
Is this paradise for which I’ve found?

Why can’t anywhere else be as pleasing?
This place so beautiful I’m seeing
My eyes, are they deceiving me?

So much time and so little to do.
This place is beautiful.
Who would truly ever care?

People see water and sand,
Others see life and wonder.
This place of beauty is truly paradise.

The clouds of white so soft and so innocent,
Dazzling light hitting them from the glory of the sun.
A blaze of fire in the sky. Read more »

One problem I wish I could fix in the United States, and the world, would be highways. As I am driving now, and finished Drivers' Education recently, lots of things considering roadways have come to my attention. People do their makeup, call others, text, and drink while driving. Not only are these things terrible to mix with driving, they can be fatal. Every year about 40,000 fatalities occur on our nation's highways. I wish people understood that could be avoided simply by making driving your only goal while on the road. To me it seems tragically simple to just drive when you are in a car. A car is can be such a destructive force when used improperly or just not used well. Drivers need to be alert and have a healthy dose of common sense. Cars need to be in good condition and taken care of when something fails with them. Better drivers and safer roads is what I would fix. It's a disconcerting problem and it seems practical to do just that.  

Blue

Her milky, blue eyes stare at me,
begging for me to look back.

She whines and swats her paw at me,
leaving red scratch marks on my arm.

I don’t understand why she won’t just leave me alone,
the whining continues and her stare intensifies.

I look down at her, annoyed.
“One more?” she seems to say.

I think I know what she wants.
I sigh and slowly rise up from my chair.

I walk to my food pantry,
she follows me,
slightly wagging the stub she has for a tail.

I reach up to get what I know she desires.
She snatches the Milkbone away
and gulps it down like water.

She smiles at me as I sit back down.
“One more?” she asks again,
and the cycle continues.

 "Did you hear?

No, what happened?

She said-

No, no, he said-

wait wait

who said what?

No way!

You're kidding me

Couldn't joke if I tried

So you mean...?

It must be true."

Yes,

it must be true

they say they don't lie

but somebody did

They say they don't lie

they only repeat what they hear

Funny

I heard something different than you

Funny

I thought she said she didn't care

Funny

she talked to both of us

how'd you get that idea in your head?

That's not what she said

Funny. Very funny.

Did you hear?

No, what happened?

They say she tried to kill herself

over some stupid rumor.
 

Nightmare

Being all alone in the woods

rustles coming from behind me

something is telling me to stay

but i want to run

nothing but darkness all around me

"what was that?"

i scatter about looking for something to get me

Nothing is there

but i feel its icy cold breath shiver down my spine

my heart beats faster as the rustles get closer

then i hear a fierce growl

i stay hidden behind a tree

trying not to make a sound

then i turn around and...

i wake up from the horrible nightmare

Upon the old wrinkled finger,
Sat two rings
of meaning deeper than any other.
One ring was “five dollars”
and the other was “eight dollars”.
But the cost didn’t matter,
They were given with love
And that is what kept them beautiful
for 72 years.
Those rings have stayed strong ,
Even when they haven’ t felt the touch of their giver
For close to 22 years.
Those rings have stayed beautiful,
Upon a left hand of a glorious wrinkled women
Representing true love.

If i had the power to solve one problem in the state of Vermont. it would be all the damage caused by tropical storm Irene. Irene caused a lot of pain and suffering to many people, and many are still feeling its effects. I think one of the biggest helps to this state would be if the damage from Irene would just go away. That is why, if i had the power, i would reverse all the negative effects that tropical strom Irene had on the state of Vermont.

We stand in the bitter cold
Contemplating those like you
And every time the bell tolls
Another million gone
The snow is frozen to the pavement
Trampled
Shoveled
Untouched
Our banners screech what we stand for
And every time the bell tolls
Another million gone
A story of brokenness lies in this place
A cemetery for the lives drowned in a sea of fear
Because every time the bell tolls
Another million gone
There is no dignity in death
No health or care in ripping life away
Yet every time the bell tolls another million gone
We bow our heads to pray for you
God’s Hands to lift and tame hearts of stone
And every time the bell tolls
Another million gone
We’ve been told that “every time a bell rings, an angel gets its’ wings”
Shivers creep across our arms and it is not from the chilling wind
Because every time the bell tolls
Another million gone
We shake our heads and scrunch our eyes
We can’t believe all we’ve become
And every time the bell tolls
Another million gone
We can shake our fists at the sky
Or gather as we were
But every time the bell tolls
Another million gone
We can demand justice, plead for mercy
Or just collapse to the ground and cry
But for every time the bell has tolled
Fifty million
Gone

Imagine this,
World peace,
A huge feast,
For starving children,
Who have the least.
Imagine this,
A helpful hand,
To take a stand,
For people in need,
That need more land.
Imagine this,
A world of love,
A cooperative Gov.
For people with hate,
They just need to meditate,
Find their own nirvana.
Imagine is the term we use,
When creating a better place,
For all.

The world turns,
And I turn with it,
Every move the world makes,
I make,
I create what others can’t,
The trees,
The mountains,
The lakes,
Everything starts with me,
I am the only one that can see it,
I am the only one, who understands it,
It’s all science to you,
But natural to me,
If you want it you might get it,
If you get it hold onto it,
I provide it, you protect it,
I don’t keep everything flowing,
You do,
I am the writer,
You are the messenger.
 

The sun is beating down upon rippling water,

Glaring into space,

Severing an otherwise gloomy predicament.

The heat of the yellow ball,

Stings my cold flesh,

As I lay perfectly still amid tall grasses.

I seem to leave no imprint,

The sun ignores me and illuminates the ground beneath,

Like I am a mere shadow amidst endless light.

Why is the air so crisp, the sky so blue,

The birds so talkative, the wind so melliflous?

Evil, despair, and the torments of hatred,

Are the reality in this naturally peaceful place,

Yet I cannot help but drink in the honeyed nectar of the sunlight.

Endless dream

Dream that drifts

Drifts across the sky

Sky full of clouds

Clouds, white and fluffy

Fluffy and pure

Pure heart

Heart of gold

Gold like the sun

Sun-kissed world

World that is happy

Happy only exists in dreams

Dreams that come alive

Alive and flying

Flying like i have wings

Wings that are endless

Endless dream