anthopodcasts

A soldier
Away from home.
We grieve
For his absence.

Our flag
Flies for his courage.
We weep
To rid ourselves of our pain.

We're afraid
He may not come home.
We cry.
Awaiting his safe return.

Fear's Disgrace

By Moya Cavanagh
Browns River Middle School, Grade 8

Today Fear came to me,
a pretty young woman offering
lies swathed in honey, which
I never cease to believe.

Today Fear reached out to me,
with a soothing hand to ease away
my apprehension.
And when, as always, I had slipped
Into her trap,
She flicked her wrist,
brought her hand back in a slap,
So that the pain and noise echoed from
My cheek bone.

Today Fear came to me,
Swaddling me
with lightning speed,
in bindings woven
from my worst imaginings.

Today Fear spun that cord around my joints,
Her icy fingers leaving my body rigid
As a board,
And my jaw free to babble
about what she had done to me
To the outside world;
Those who cannot see her tie
the last of my bindings to herself,
So as to eternally link us.
So I will never be free of her
Face.

Today Fear took me,
and the reasoning of her persuasive voice
has festered in my flaws.
Branding itself into my skin,

This is one of the podcasts created when a few students read their work from the YWP Anthology at the recent gathering. To listen to the others, click here or click "anthopodcasts" in keywords above. -gg

The Daily Read

By Matteo Bjornsson
Woodstock Union High School, Grade 10

As I get my daily news from the walls
Of the bathroom stalls,
I read so much needless hate
That the last user felt the need to make.
Why is it people need to declare such words at all,
In this meaningless place on the wall?

Viewpoint

By Bridget Iverson
Mount Mansfield Union High School, Grade 9

It's easy
To ignore her
With the side-swept bangs
And the same type of shirt
They all wear.
There's nothing about her
That makes you look twice.

Walking arm in arm
with the friends we once made
with razor blades
and cigarette burns,
scissor marks tatter the
beauty within.

not always to be noticed.
in fact,
not at all.
the wish to
let it go

without hurting
anyone
but the person it
effects the most.

When we were five
we wanted to be like
Barbie
perfect
beautiful

plastic.

put a razor to her face?
and all you see
is a single scratch.
nothing that won't
fade
with time.

washing my legs
in the shower
I see the track marks
my mother mentions
so
scornfully.

why would
ANYONE
want to hurt themselves?

maybe they don't.
maybe it becomes
an addiction.

maybe its because
they don't want
to hurt
anyone
else.

at least
it was
for me.

Redheads

By Lauren Goldsborough
Champlain Valley Union High School, Grade 9

I have screamed
the anger
and stress
away

and it probably
damaged
your ear
drums.

Forgive me
I'm a red head.
we can get angry.

The Skating Pond
By Bethany Sullivan
Mount Mansfield Union High School, Grade 11

Snowflakes melt into droplets
Suspended on the wool fibers
Of red mittens.
Stinging fingers buried inside
Grasp at another mittened hand.

A blue glove pats the girl’s back.
She’s never been skating before,
But the boy strides backwards,
Arm extending as he tugs her after him,
Coaxing, a laugh in every syllable.
She follows, catches on,
And soon stands on sturdy legs,
Taking ambitious strokes.

Snowflakes pirouette from a young, gray sky
The sun seeps behind the mountains,
Pooling on the horizon
Like melted butter
On Christmas morning pancakes.
Snow,
Like confectioner’s sugar
Collecting in the boy’s hair
As he skates in strong strokes,
Both laughing out
Gingerbread house laughs,
Breath misty on the lively, crisp air.

Carnival colors, captive
In strings of lights,
Twine around the pond
Glowing like candles,
Flames of joy vibrant
Against the twilight sky

This is about my autistic brother

By Hugh Garrett Randall
Rochester High School, Grade 10

Living, breathing, seeing, being.
You are always there with a physical appearance and a smile
But you say nothing.
On and on you stare as each day goes by.
What are you thinking about?
You are living, I feel you.
I hear your cries; I feel the walls and the floor as they shake.
No one knows your pain, not even me.
And I’ve known you for 14 years.
I wish I could let you know it’s alright.
That you have a family that loves you,
Friends that would stick by you through anything.
But you don’t understand.
My efforts to communicate are disastrous.
I talk, but then anger takes over.
And I do things I wish I could take back.
Could you ever find the words to forgive me?
My efforts amount to nothing, and violence fills the empty void.
The harder I try the more I hurt you and the people around me
Then their efforts amount to nothing.
So the cycle goes on.

This is one of the podcasts created when a few students read their work from the YWP Anthology at the recent gathering. To listen to the others, click here or click "anthopodcasts" in keywords above. -gg

By Rebecca Valley
St. Albans Town Educational Center, Grade 8

I know
That sometimes
You think that I don’t tell you things.

That’s because sometimes
I don’t.

And there are times
When you say that you love me
And don’t feel the same love
When I say it back.

Just remember,
I do.

And I know
That you wonder
What I think about
When I sit and stare out the car window.

Truth be told,
Sometimes I don’t know,
Either.

But I want you to know
That of all the people in the world
I’ve always been able
To look up
At you.

So here’s this poem
So that you know
That when I say thank you
I really
Really
Mean it.

By Emily Lyman
Mater Christi, Grade 4

I look into the snowman's coal black eyes
they seem troubled
like the eyes of a lost traveler
far from home

He begins to cry icy tears
that sting my skin
as I reach out
to brush them away

Memories flood my mind
of that cold day
I went out
to create a living thing
that I now realize
might never make it
to Spring.

Let's Play Telephone

By Julie Boyd
Woodstock Union High School, Grade 10

Alex, I’m having a big party this weekend, my house, we’ve got soda, don’t tell too many people though.
Jenny, Meg said she’s having a party at her house, there’s gunna be stuff to drink.
Kayla, Alex said Meg’s having a party, drinks at her house, its gunna be huge!
Chelsea, Jenny said Alex said Meg’s having a party, she said there’ll be special drinks, and you have to tell everyone.
Hey Carly, Kayla said Jenny was told by Alex that Meg said she’s having a huge party, there’s going to be some nips, if you know what I mean
Noellen! Wait up, Kayla told Chelsea that Jenny found out Meg is having a massive get together at her house. I heard there was going to be a keg! Make sure everyone knows!
Sarah, Carly found out from Kayla and Chelsea that Jenny and Meg are throwing a rager, a crunk.
Two days later…
Meg! Wait you’re having a rager!? What?