YWP Newsletter-1/1/21
Hi Everyone! Welcome to the January Newsletter!
As we move into this new year, and hopefully near the end of the pandemic, remember to pause and take a breath. We made it this far, and now 2021 is (finally) here! As the holiday season comes to an end, it is still so important to stay healthy and safe, and that includes giving yourself a break from the hectic events of life every once in a while. So I invite you to sit back, relax, and enjoy some of the amazing writing and art YWP members continue to create and share.
This newsletter highlights writing, audio, images and any happenings in the YWP Community. We are a small band of YWP Community Leaders who also help create Challenges, select Daily Reads, Recommended, and work for Publication. As the editors of the newsletter, our role is to bring you, authors and artists, extra audience and shine, and to bring you, readers, some special pieces of work. Please pass along this newsletter or the links to the stories to bring the authors even more viewers. Enjoy!
Writers and artists featured in this newsletter: Ezra M-S, Yellow Sweater, Eloise Silver Van Meter, NiñaEstrella, Vicarious, Batman, Cedar, IceQueen, and infinetlyinfinite3.
YWP News:
Join eyesofiris and Yellow Sweater for another awesome Oh Snap! virtual open mic here!
Check out episode 28 of Line Break here!
Join poet Reuben Jackson and teaching artist Alex Muck for a fun writing salon here!
This month's Book Club pick is Black is the Body. More here!
READ ALL THE NEWSLETTERS HERE!
Photo Credit above: Birds of No Color by Ezra M-S
by Yellow Sweater
I build cities from dancing ribbons,
breathing wind into the tiles of recollection and imagination:
cold bricks, warm clay, wet lips.
I want to be Marco Polo,
to map my memories with extraordinary facts.
The silk road was a solid delineation,
a moving line of moments.
Nonfiction is Nonsense. Nonsense is Nonlinear.
A narrative flows like silk, like a road, like a city:
cold bricks, warm clay, wet lips.
Photo Credit: With Love by Eloise Silver Van Meter
by NiñaEstrella
because I like the idea of being a queen,
grapevines twisting around my heart,
southern noons painted in pointalism,
beauteous con artists bringing me briny gold
and sand that I trailed over my checkered marble.
and if I ask take me out to the middle of the sea
so my petticoats float around me, as a jellyfish would sting, I scream into the salt.
because when the rain falls it's a queen's bath,
drops evolving into wet petals when they hit the heat soaked gravel
queens don't ask to wear shoes.
evenings covered up in veils that cloud me in confection.
4:30 am dances on balconies, twirling and teetering and tipping towards the weeds.
mid-day heat steaming through the floor of my white leather car.
open the windows and breathe until there's too much bay air in my lungs,
like sails billowing with whomping breezes.
the harbor is my home.
queens don't ask to walk on water.
they just do.
Photo Credit: Lake Champlain by Vicarious
by Batman
Poetry
which sits,
on the lips of flowers,
on the tongue of a hummingbird.
Poetry
which wanders,
through a field of yellow dresses,
through a forest of tangled hair.
Poetry
which slips,
between drunken pages,
between the sheets of a baby's cradle.
Poetry
which calls,
through a haze of anger,
to a lover's sleeping ears.
And poetry
which falls,
through the cracks of the city,
through the window of a man,
who sleeps, eyes open.
and finally
falls from the mouth,
of a child left, waking.
Photo Credit: Millard Nullings by Cedar
Has anyone ever wondered why "abbreviation" is such a long word?
- IceQueen
Masks, people. It’s not that hard.
Thank you, that was my TED talk.
- infinetlyinfinite3
YWP Newsletter 12/3/20
Hi Everybody! Welcome to the December Newsletter!
Woah. It's been quite the year, but we made it! Being stuck in a pandemic during the holiday season won't be easy, but we can make it work. Send letters to your loved ones that you cannot see, take advantage of your newly formed zoom skills, and most importantly stay safe. Happy Holidays! Happy December! (:
This newsletter highlights writing, audio, images and any happenings in the YWP Community. We are a small band of YWP Community Leaders who also help create Challenges, select Daily Reads, Recommended, and work for Publication. As the editors of the newsletter, our role is to bring you, authors and artists, extra audience and shine, and to bring you, readers, some special pieces of work. Please pass along this newsletter or the links to the stories to bring the authors even more viewers. Enjoy!
Writers and Artists: Dancer, Scarry Night, beautiful, Lucylemon, Ice Blink, cedar, Treblemaker, and Crescent_Moon
YWP News:
YWP Book Club's December pick here!
Check out Line Break Episode 26 here!
Join eyesofiris and Yellow Sweater for Oh Snap! YWP's virtual open mic night here!
Let's Hope it Stays
By Scarry Night
Many times,
I have taken a look
out of my living room window.
Just a simple glance.
And what I keep seeing,
keep watching,
is the snow.
The white spots of
winter,
of cold,
that dot the sky.
I will watch them in awe and
go to sleep that night with
happy thoughts,
marvelous thoughts.
But then the next morning,
as I jump off my bed
and race to the glass,
watching my breath fog up
in front of me,
I see no white,
I see no crystals of ice.
Instead,
I see dull grass,
with leaves of brown
scattered around.
It isn't that the world around me is dull,
it is simply that I
love the white,
I love the cold,
the coziness of a blanket wrapped
around me,
the tastiness of the cocoa on my tongue.
But I see no snow.
I see no ice.
And it is now December,
the month of snow,
of cheers,
of songs,
of family.
So while I now watch more snow coat the ground,
I can only hope for one single thing.
Let's hope it stays!
Photo Credit: Snowy Trees by beautiful
Skyward,
Dive,
Around!
Life is a roller Coaster
It has its ups and downs
Starts slow
Builds up to the big peak
Shoots down
Then inches to a stop.
Will you enjoy your roller coaster?
It will be over in the blink of an eye,
Embrace life.
Photo Credit: Utopia Unkown by Ice Blink
by Trebelmaker
At 1:23 each week exactly
Robinson Moroson Georgous Mcclackly
Strides to the store to buy a few things,
And when he leaves the bag he swings
Roninson’s beard is salt peper gray
His eyes are a brown and and blue.
His grin on a wim is fantastically slim
But his heart, his heart is of gold.
‘Good day’ I would say as he strides through the doors
‘How are you Mcclackly, how well?’
:Oh fine’ he would say, as he’d swing on his way
I see you’ve restocked isle nine.
Robinson grabs the same small red cart
Or sometimes he balances things
He grabs chocolate and jelly,
Marshmallows and well he
soon has a picnic in five.
He strides to the counter,
Our giggling banter
Is heard to the back of the store
And I wish him farewell as the bag nearly swells
With the jelly and marshmallow stores.
At 1:23 each week exactly
Robinson Morrison gorgeous Mcclackly
Strides to the store for a picnic for two
One special afternoon with his daughter at 2.
Photo Credit: Dance by Cedar
So its December 1 and I'm pretty sure September was a week, October was 22 hours, and November was maybe 5 days? Is this accurate for anyone else? ~ Trebelmaker
We had a Thanksgiving zoom call with my grandparents and here's how it went: My grandmother, who has an android phone, wasn't sure if she had a google account (she did). Once we were on the call we had to figure out why they couldn't hear us (their sound was turned all the way down). Then we had to figure out why a quarter of their camera wasn't working (they had a camera cover that they didn't know about). We got a lovely view of my grandfather wiping the lens with his thumb. Lol, I love them! ~ Crescent_Moon
YWP Newsletter 11/1/20
Hello and Happy Halloween to everyone at Young Writers Project! I hope you all are well- I know it can be a little hard to stay positive with the upcoming election and health concerns still rising, but that's why staying happy is so important in these hectic times. I want to thank all of the wonderful users on YWP for keeping that community spirit going!
These monthly newsletters highlight writing, audio, images, and recent happenings in the YWP Community. We are a small band of YWP Community Leaders who also help create Challenges, select Daily Reads, and Recommend work for publication. As the editors of the newsletter, our role is to bring you authors and artists extra audience and shine, and to bring you readers some special pieces of work. Please pass along this newsletter or the link to someone's blog to bring the authors even more viewers.
This particular newsletter focuses on the 2020 presidential election. There has been a lot of tension these past few weeks and so has spurred the importance of voting this year. The following writers and artists put that thought into beautiful context.
Enjoy!
This month's contributions are from: cedar, blue potato, Ezra M-S, ckodama24, Scarry Night, mm2005, and Cloudkitty.
A shout out to eyesofIris and Yellow Sweater for hosting last week's Open Mic!
Listen to eyesofIris's 24th Line Break episode with eulusivepurplepanda!
Be sure to sign up for the Online Gateless Writing Salon on November 14th with host Alex Muck!
And don't forget to read The Voice!
( Photo credit above: Watercolor Bears by cedar )
by Scarry Night
You only get one vote.
You only get one counted opinion.
You can rant and try to make people believe whatever,
but in the end,
every person gets one chance.
One chance to have a definite say in this election.
Let me tell you something
before this day arrives.
This country is living,
surviving,
rejoicing at some moments
and maybe not so much at others.
We must keep it that way,
make it better, if anything.
If we are granted the ability
to work together and choose one person
who leads us,
who helps us,
who affects us,
who fights for us,
our country,
our world,
don't you think they must deserve it?
Don't you think they need to know
what will help when things have gone bad,
when things are drowning us as a country?
Don't you think they need to have a plan,
or at the very least an idea,
of how to support our world?
Our home?
When election day arrives,
and you are about to cast your one vote,
please just think about these things.
Think about what direction our country
should take.
It isn't easy,
that's for sure.
How can we truly know what will be good for us?
What will be good for them?
The people?
The citizens?
The families?
The children?
So, I say,
one last hopeful time,
make your vote count,
because you only get one.
I am writing this because I am not currently old enough to vote,
but as a teacher once told me, I still have a say in the decisions
our country makes. We have voices. Use them.
( Photo credit: Inconspicuous Tears by blue potato )
by mm2005
I wanted to create a message for everyone.
Regardless of political party, Republican or Democrat,
red or blue,
I want people to think red, white, and blue.
Think community
rather than division.
Make decisions based on morals, ethics, what’s best for you.
It doesn’t matter if your parents vote red or blue, lean left or right,
chose for you.
Doesn’t need to be the most well-spoken candidate or the one with the best comebacks.
You don’t need to like their hair or the way they wear their mask,
pick someone who will lead by example
whatever you want that example to be.
Vote to make a difference.
Vote to make a change.
Vote to speak your mind.
Vote to empower others.
Vote to make your voice heard.
Vote for America.
Just vote,
one vote,
vote you.
I’m not asking for a lot
just one vote,
five minutes of your time
you choose.
You are the people.
( Photo credit: Birds of no color by Ezra M-S )
by Cloudkitty
Tomorrow I Hope,
that we will have solved global warming.
Tomorrow I Hope,
we will have chosen the right president.
Tomorrow I Hope,
we will have realized we are all equal.
Tomorrow I Hope,
we will stop world hunger.
Tomorrow I Hope,
everyone feels loved.
Tomorrow I Hope,
you will be kind.
I will be kind.
Tomorrow I Will Hope,
Today I Will Hope,
that Tomorrow will be a good day.
( Photo credit: Sunflowers by ckodama24 )
"The point of life is to have friends and make mistakes with them." - NiñaEstrella
"Have you ever wondered what everybody else sees? Does you life feel like your own personal movie to you like it does to me? Also did they ever teach you your left from your right? They never taught me." - SpookyCatHalloween
YWP Newsletter- 10/20/20
Spoooooktacular greetings, YWP!
The world is all kinds of crazy right now, with lingering health concerns, seemingly more homework than usual (although, that's pretty much all the time for me), and of course, the Presidential election! Not to mention Halloween, one of the best evenings of the year. I mean, c'mon, free candy! And although some of us might not be able to partake in the festivities this year (ugh, COVID), try to treat yourself to a bag of candy, and a binge session of Harry Potter (books or movies, up to you!). Or y'know, write some scary pieces on YWP that give us all goosebumps. Wishing you all a treat-filled October, with minimal tricks! :)
This newsletter highlights writing, audio, images, and recent happenings in the YWP Community. We are a small band of YWP Community Leaders who also help create Challenges, select Daily Reads, and Recommenend work for publication. As the editors of the newsletter, our role is to bring you authors and artists extra audience and shine, and to bring you readers some special pieces of work. Please pass along this newsletter or the link to someone's blog to bring the authors even more viewers. Enjoy!
~~~
This month's contributions are from: AvaClaire, Batman, Cedar, Crescent_Moon, LadyMidnight, Love to write, Stargirl, Treblemaker, Vicarious, and Yellow Sweater.
Be sure to check out eyesofiris's latest Line Break podcast episode with Yellow Sweater, and sign up for the Oh Snap! open mic they will be hosting together on Saturday, October 24th!
photo credit above by Love to write
by Stargirl
Sitting
on the trampoline
lined notebook paper
a pen
in my lap
Waiting
as the rain pours down
Watching as droplets
collect
on the dark
green and red chard
mini waterfalls
gushing down their
veined stems
Waiting
as the rain pours down
The paper in my lap
melts
into pulp
water
streams down my body
plasters my hair to my back
and I stay
Waiting
as the rain pours down
Up
by the house
someone yells my name
beckons
for me to come in
Pretend
not to hear
or see them
Waiting
as the rain pours down
Feel the trampoline bounce
look over to see my sister climb on
watch
as she settles next to me
asks me
didn't I
hear her calling
Smile
tell her yeah
I heard
Waiting
for the words to come
A revelation
photo credit by cedar
by Batman
Fair is her hair on a sunday afternoon.
purple is the sky we lie under
in the evening,
watching stars but not meaning to.
dirty, eyes tired,
dazzed and confused.
not sure what we want,
but letting our bodies tangle on their own.
in the fumbling semi-dark
there is nothing as romantic as a moon,
nothing as sweet as chocolate lips,
just teeth we forgot to brush a few too many times,
and starlight.
with her arms around my shoulders,
in the dewy grass,
so many silly boys
forgotten.
photo credit by Crescent_Moon
by Yellow Sweater
Give me a pair of corduroy bell-bottoms.
Pin my heart to one sleeve
and a flower to the other,
as I pen my manifesto.
I want to smash through windows
and logic,
impaling myself on splintered ideology.
A martyr who:
traipses,
skips,
dances,
to the cross.
I want to fertilize a hopeless revolution
with bad poetry,
and proud insolence.
Quoting Lenin,
singing to Lennon,
a cocktail in one hand,
a bomb in the other,
I want to preach peace,
like it’s war.
photo credit by AvaClaire
I spent every moment I wasn't writing poetry on YWP. haha. I think I have a problem. ~Yellow Sweater
I just heard someone say pickles are just wet vegetables and thats why they're so gross and I can not unhear this. ~Treblemaker
My teacher was telling us what to do during a lockdown drill and she asked me if I did them at my old school and I said no. Then the girl next to me was like oh you'll like them! We just get to hang out, its fun! And I can't stop thinking about the fact that lockdown drills have become so normalized. I hate America sometimes. Vote Biden, please. We need gun control. ~LadyMidnight
YWP Newsletter- 9/20/20
Hello Young Writers Project- welcome back to the Community Leader's newsletter!
Wow, it has been a crazy start to school. Between health checks, one way hallways, and hybrid learning I feel like school is a lot more exhausting than it used to be. But, it is awesome to finally see people my age and have regular conversations again! In these hectic times, writing and art are more important than ever. Take a moment to do something you enjoy or reflect on the crazy day you just had and share it with others- that's what YWP is here for!
This newsletter highlights writing, audio, images, and recent happenings in the YWP Community. We are a small band of YWP Community Leaders who also help create Challenges, select Daily Reads, and Recommenend work for publication. As the editors of the newsletter, our role is to bring you authors and artists extra audience and shine, and to bring you readers some special pieces of work. Please pass along this newsletter or the link to someone's blog to bring the authors even more viewers. Enjoy!
_
This week's contributions are from: Ice Blink, gaia_lenox, laurenm, Yellow Sweater, Crescent_Moon, irishjayne, Eloise Silver Van Meter, Treblemaker, and EverlastingWaves,
Check out YWP's newest anthology: Anthology 11! And, don't miss the special Anthology 11 Line Break podcast created by eyesofIris.
Attend amaryllis's free teen writing workshops!
(Photo credit above: Monochrome Flower Studies 2 by Ice Blink)
by gaia_lenox
i fell in love with a boy
in a magazine
i cut out his face
and plastered it onto
the back of a canvas
not bothering to find his name
in the article
it is nights like these
as I lay flat on my back
and let tears run into my hair
and slip behind my ears
that i wish i could
sink to the bottom of my mattress
and live in the gaps
between the floor boards
my fingers tingling
with nothing at all
my heart is the tangled city streets
of Boston
and my ribs the downed power lines
of Los Angeles
and i miss you
i miss you
i miss you
and I am definitely missing
an earring back
and some space
in my lungs
and i wish myself away
onto a crowded city metro
with a pack of cigarettes in my front pocket
from some tragic indie film
that didn't do too hot in theaters
but is highly revered in certain inner circles
instead
i will hide from
my shadow
and the pieces of myself
i don't love so much
with the missing socks
and spiders
who disappeared and left you
on edge
call me if you can, okay?
(Photo credit: Balance 2 by laurenm)
by Yellow Sweater
I found a pamphlet of thick cream paper
on a dusty undershelf of the poetry aisle.
Like dried out flowers,
the words used to be wet.
I read each word twice,
waiting for them to bloom.
But…
Dry flowers can be lovely, can’t they?
They smelled nice:
those words,
that paper.
It was all very beautiful.
But the flowers were dry.
(Photo credit: Shelburne Farms by Crescent_Moon)
by irishjayne
outside churches with slush
or in tights & the sunshine—
boston, chicago
new york, montreal
paris, and dublin.
i like them dirty & hopeful,
near liquor stores
& goodwills—
they are
pulled up hair
and some irreplaceable
childhood longing,
an undeveloped muscle memory.
all the lit candles,
every prayer not for god
but for the city herself,
with her
edges and echoes
fluorescent palpitations
and bleeding sidewalk cracks,
24 hr cvs more sacred than scripture
starless sky genesis
puddled sewer holy water
T ride pilgrimage
drunk profanity a hymn—
if only someone
were listening
(Photo credit: August Abundance by Eloise Silver Van Meter)
Potential day: either Monday or Thursday. Possible Sunday.
I've been doing a lot of fermenting in front of devices
College prep can suck sometimes
My phone died, then turned on and blasted a duck alarm, then died again, and I've never related to anything more
sleepysleepysleepy. but also want to stay up and write
-Treblemaker
A little chickadee sat on the railing on our front porch about 8 inches away from me. I said 'oh gosh' under my breath and it flew away, scared. it made me think about how small it was compare to me and how small I was compared to it. perspective.
-EverlastingWaves
YWP Newsletter -06/07/2020
Hello, bonjour, aloha, hola, YWP! 2020 has been a crazy year, from pandemics to impeachment hearings, bush fires to the threat of World War III, astroids to killer hornets, and deaths of celebrities to Black Lives Matter protests. I could go on and on but really, I think right now we could all just use a nice warm beverage, a blanket and a book or a movie. On the bright side, think about those poor kids in the future who are studying for some history test and have to memorize all that happened this year. But in all seriousness, if you go out to protest, be prepared with all the things that you need to keep you safe. The president is attempting to fight violence with violence and just be careful out there. You all are wonderful humans so be safe, stay healthy, and speak out for those who can't. Hopefully, the rest of 2020 is significantly less eventful. Sending hugs <3
This newsletter highlights writing, audio, images and any happenings in the YWP Community. We are a small band of YWP Community Leaders who also help create Challenges, select Daily Reads, Recommended, and work for Publication. As the editors of the newsletter, our role is to bring you authors and artists extra audience and shine, and to bring you readers some special pieces of work. Please pass along this newsletter or the links to the stories to bring the authors even more viewers. Enjoy!
_
This week's contributions are from: amaryllis, Ice Blink, Kittykatruff, laurenm, AvaClaire, Crescent_Moon, Treblemaker, and LadyMidnight.
Be sure to check out eyesofiris' latest Line Break podcast episode with Nightheart!
by amaryllis
inky swoops and curls
black blood spouting from a pen
permanently making or marring
the blank potential
tattooing the paper
with your words
your letters are beautiful
neatly elegant cursive
they don't fall and skew
from the pressure of the page
i am not one
who can do what you do
my words are wide and innocent
the letters not quite matching
a reflection of my character
i admire the silver graphite
that stain my fingers with gray
when the pages close
and as they age
they stain the other words
and become the messy print
of an aspiring writer
the whoosh of your pen
brings tears to my eyes
while a smile touches my lips
the stagnant words are ever changing
yet their meaning, a pillar that stands
throughout the planes of time
as thousands of copies on loose leaves
take flight and soar
fluttering into our hands
raining upon the world
a thousand threads connecting
each of us to one another
but just as your words are lasting
mine will fade away
into the whirlpool we call time
the silver will age into gray
and one day only smears will remain
the ashes of a young girl's juvenile letters
but I hope, from these ashes
a writer will rise up
who can take a pen in hand
without a doubt in her mind
that her traces of curling ink
will leave lasting touches
and weave heartstrings together
such that her words are more than letters
photo credit by Ice Blink
by Kittykatruff
Every headline
every day
Stabs me
in another way
All the love
vs. all the hate
why do we
still play this game
Can't fathom
the reasoning
behind the
inequality
Darkness, darkness
pouring down,
stand alone
and we will drown
Humans build
technology
but can't work out
equality
Please stand with us
they call out,
America
has let them down
They've shared with us
stories, sorrows,
learn today, then
act tomorrow
Darkness, darkness
pouring down,
hope is when
a light is found
Please stand with us
they call out
this time, please don't
let them down
Darkness, darkness
all around,
only love drives
darkness out
love is where
the light is found.
photo credit by laurenm
by AvaClaire
What beautiful mud
puddle crumbs
chilled on my legs
some
lines
some
teardrops
some
perfectly hole-punched
onto my skin
I ride into the puddles
whenever I can
to let eden's water
clean me
enough for me to know
that I have the lively ability
to spin the pedals
to roll up
and down the hills
fuzzing my eyes
so I can fly
for only a second
and I can be here
I can be now
I can be present
enjoying
the sun
the sky
and this beautiful mud
photo credit by Crescent_Moon
-The last Friday of school for me
-everyone should play in the sprinklers because it really lifts your mood
- recorded pomp and circumstance for the seniors virtual graduation
- watched back to the future 2, and thoroughly enjoyed yelling at the characters
- (edit) realized I forgot to put a date because who can remember these things anymore
- its 6.6.2020. -82 day of quarantine.
-Treblemaker
Hey guys. If you are feeling overwhelmed with just all the major events like the black lives matter protests and the election and the Coronavirus, you aren't alone. There's a lot happening that's really big right now and it's ok not to be ok. Just a friendly reminder to take care of your mental health and feel free to reach out to me if you need to talk. *hugs*
-LadyMidnight
Last night my school held an in person 6-foot graduation. We sat in our cars on a field in a semi-circle facing a stage where we had 6-foot band performances and 6-foot speeches and 6-foot everythings. We had a parade around the neighborhood where all the neighbors found out they live near a middle school- they all came out and cheered at the cars and we honked and stuck our heads out windows and it was awesome. I just felt like sharing- have good days!
-laurenm
YWP Newsletter - 6/1/20
This newsletter highlights writing, audio, images and any happenings in the YWP Community. We are a small band of YWP Community Leaders who also help create Challenges, select Daily Reads, Recommended, and work for Publication. As the editors of the newsletter, our role is to bring you authors and artists extra audience and shine, and to bring you readers some special pieces of work. Please pass along this newsletter or the links to the stories to bring the authors even more viewers. Enjoy!
by Treblemaker
My back porch has become my friend
better than the rest.
It lets me sit in silence for a while, facing west.
here I see the sunset
and the weeping willow cry,
Here I am alone, myself. Where I can laugh or cry.
The sunset is a beauty
and the colors rich and gold,
there I think of stories, rants and lyrics. New and old.
On the porch I catch the light
I sit in darkenss too,
I wave to stars so high above and breathe the morning dew.
Here I see more of the world
More secretes fit together
Protected, finding shards of hope and enjoying all the weather.
This porch became my comfy chair
its walls are like a hug
wishes seeping through the mesh and keeps away the bugs.
On this porch with willow tears
I find myself and rest
I say hello to who I am, all while facing west.
(photo credit laurenm)
by TreePupWriter
I believe in you. No,
I don't believe
it'll be easy.
I believe this life will be hard and
sometimes you'll want to
collapse on the ground, give in and let it hit you.
But I believe you can get through it standing
tall.
I believe in you. No, I don't believe
you can make it through life
doing what they think you should do,
doing what they tell you.
I believe you can defy them all,
make your own path,
blow them away just by
being yourself.
I believe in you. No,
I don't believe you can
walk your path and
manage to stay standing.
I believe that you can go higher than that.
You can soar.
I believe in you. I believe
you can ride the wave of life,
let it swirl around you, beautiful and dangerous,
dark and light. I believe
you can hold on, make it to the end,
and come out
smiling.
(art credit Cedar)
by Sunflowergirl
My soul fills my body so much
that a single puncture
can become a rushing waterfall
thick skin is impossible
I am the thinnest of tissue paper
though a quick smile
and "I'm fine"
seem to turn me to stone
the knife just digs deeper
I travel instead to a place of hope
get angry, or try to cry
try not to feel numb
the numbness is what scares me
but tears cease to exist
when I want them to
the most human thing to do is cry
(photo credit Vicarious)
Tiny Writes
When the drum beat you follow becomes quiet, make your own music.
fire girl
Hi. Other people still exist. Smile at someone this evening. Life is happy.
NiñaEstrella
YWP Newsletter - 4/19/20
THE YWP COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER
Sometimes it's hard to write a unifying summary of events that have taken place since the last Newsletter. Not today. There's one thing on our minds, and I bet you can guess what it is. In some ways, it's depressing. It's repetitive and got old really quickly. Some of the featured writing reflects that. But the writing also reflects postive outcomes of quarantine: new hobbies, undiscovered talents. Everyone's experiencing the pandemic differently. YWP is a great outlet for your thoughts and feelings regarding COVID-19. But it's here to support you, too. Bored? Check Tiny Writes to answer some fun this or that questions posted. Write a post. Comment support for another artist. Most importantly, stay safe, healthy, and happy, YWP. :)
This newsletter highlights writing, audio, images and any happenings in the YWP Community. We are a small band of YWP Community Leaders who also help create Challenges, select Daily Reads, Recommended, and work for Publication. As the editors of the newsletter, our role is to bring you authors and artists extra audience and shine, and to bring you readers some special pieces of work. Please pass along this newsletter or the links to the stories to bring the authors even more viewers. Enjoy!
This week's newsletter features work by: Crescent_Moon, nean_bean, laurenm, amaryllis, Treblemaker, beautiful, Inkpaw, and charvermont.
YWP HAPPENINGS:
Enter the "Fair Housing Month" writing contest by Friday, April 24 to win publication and prizes! Here for more info.
Check out eyesofIris's new podcast Line Break here!
Pick up a book for the YWP Book Club! Suggestions here!
And help Document the Pandemic here!
by nean_bean
Six feet is only space, but
I'm tired of holding the people that I love at an arm's length.
I’m giving them the oxygen that they need.
It’s so scarce right now in our crowded homes.
At least I have a home.
They're slipping away.
I've taken up running.
Today I wished that I was flying.
That I would go, and never stop.
My breathing was ragged, as I fought for air.
It reminded me of the people who have it
so much worse than I do.
I pushed myself harder.
I keep looking for somewhere.
Anywhere to sink underwater and
scream.
But, this is running.
The pounding is not soothing, nor steady.
My ankles have been hurting.
I miss the pool.
I never thought of caged birds as safe before.
Airplanes are still flying, though nobody cares.
I find my fingers poised above the keys of my computer,
looking for tickets to glass half full half empty
planes.
Far away places feel closer than ever,
ever-present in my mind.
They have never been farther.
And of course
I know this.
But, what if?
Our government is a joke.
I write because words spill better
than tears down cheeks.
I am one of the lucky ones.
I am one of the lucky ones.
I am not losing my mind.
I am not the red that I’m painting with.
Spilling angry ink across the page,
staining something so clean,
is the way that I fight
from six feet apart.
I will adapt.
We will overcome.
(Art credit: Crescent_Moon)
by amaryllis
i keep on
typing things
and pushing backspace
erasing them
from existence
my words these days
don't seem to come
to life
it's not even
that i don't have the ideas
taking pictures
but not developing them
piling up
pressure on myself
it's just that my brain's
pooped
i might even erase this
i never really know
all it takes is a
simple
ctrl a, backspace
moving backwards
languishing in a
motivation drought
once a leaky faucet
the well has long gone dry
maybe washed my hands
too much
too fast
now sahara dry
no water to spare
not even to cry
in pure despair
feeling empty
yawning up at the sky
as if howling
screaming
but not having
the voice
i'm tired
and
i don't understand
what's changed
pressing my hands against
my forehead
runnning a hand
over my face
trying to wipe this
debilitating exsiccation
off my eyes and mouth
let me feel something
again
ashamed of myself
i feel so lazy
frustrated with myself
why can't i just do
something
be
productive
my hands clench on my forehead
and i think about what i've done
all accumulating
to about
nothing
(Photo credit: laurenm)
by Treblemaker
I had no idea.
None.
Who would?
But quarantine made things different.
Bizarre.
And in at least one way - amazing.
Did you know my dad can cook?
I did not.
My sister did not.
I don't think he knew either.
How could he have known his talent for cooking?
He used to work nonstop.
My father would leave early,
Come home late,
And never, ever have time to cook dinner.
And then in an instant he was back in our arms,
Constantly,
Working from home for only a few hours.
Then, he would put on the daisy-covered apron,
Stare intently at the YoutTube cooking video
And he would be in the kitchen for hours,
Chating with coworkers, with us,
And somehow produce wonderful chicken, rice and vegetable dishes
Which we never knew could come from our small kitchen.
How did you do that?!
We would ask in amazement, savoring every bite,
And he'd excitedly talk about his newest discovery
In barbeque, fried or sauted techniques.
So - in a small way
I am thankful for this time we had,
For my family to discover another amazing part of themselves
And share these wonderful moments.
Otherwise, we never would have wittnessed my dad's cooking skills
And I will always treasure my hard-working father
In a daisy apron,
Spoon in hand,
Smiling from ear to ear as we taste his newest discovery
And rave about its amazingness.
(Photo credit: beautiful)
During times like this, all I need is that feeling of diving down deep, head-first; going under the water & into the infinite depths of a book which tears your heart open and leaves it strewn about on the ocean floor.
-charvermont
breathe. in. out. smile. breathe. repeat. tell them your fine. breathe. repeat. breathe.
-Inkpaw
YWP Newsletter - 03/29/2020
Hello again YWP! Ugh, we're all stuck in quarantine with nowhere to go and no one to see. Yay. Anyway, for most of us, there are still a few solid months of this to go, so I wish you all find some happiness in your day today. Call some friends, write some poetry, go outside, anything that makes you happy. We'll get through this. Have a wonderful week <3
This newsletter highlights writing, audio, images and any happenings in the YWP Community. We are a small band of YWP Community Leaders who also help create Challenges, select Daily Reads, Recommended, and work for Publication. As the editors of the newsletter, our role is to bring you, authors and artists, extra audience and shine, and to bring you, readers, some special pieces of work. Please pass along this newsletter or the links to the stories to bring the authors even more viewers. Enjoy!
This week's newsletter features laurenm, Crescent_Moon, Oliver_Cohen, cedar, 2madsmads, Love to write, Treblemaker and fire girl.
YWP HAPPENINGS
-A new episode of eyesofiris' Line Break featuring LadyMidnight! Listen here!
-New Challenges! Check them out and respond!
- Join YWP's Pop up Online Workshops! See them here!
-YWP's LadyMidnight's monthly book club reads! Check out the book club for the new April Read, coming soon!
-April issue of The Voice published Wednesday, April 1!
Stay Safe!
by Crescent_Moon
Trapped inside my house
Trapped inside my mind
hoping that I'll find a way
to escape
Suddenly I remember
the things that we still have
things that we are thankful for
things that make us laugh
We still have music
We still have poetry
We still have art
We still have dancing
We still have imagination
We are still alive
and that in itself
is something to be grateful for
So look on the bright side
look on the light side
and then you will be
a light to all you see
and you will spread the glow
Not everything is lost
so try to look at
what we've found
(photo credit by Oliver_Cohen)
by 2madsmads
If I were a writer, my words would flow right from my thoughts.
My reader wouldn't be confused, the meaning wouldn't be lost.
If I were a writer, I'd have a clear goal in my head.
I'd say just what I meant from the beginning to the end.
If I were a writer my words would shift into a song.
And when my reader read them, he would want to sing along.
If I were a writer, my words wouldn't stay stuck on a page.
They'd leap and bound and spread throughout the world; they'd make change.
If I were a writer, would it be so awfully hard
To make the people listen and to get my point across?
I know that it's too often my thoughts get trapped inside my brain,
And I'm sure they'd make a difference if I could get them out some way.
The world needs these words. People need to be spoken to.)
And if I were a writer, I'd bring these words to you.
(photo credit by cedar)
by Love to write
concept: the highway gurgles and the horizon looks like a city
that’s been flipped on its back and tattooed on someone’s empty hand.
we roll down the car windows and let our hair fly out.
the storm fills our heads and we
open and open our mouths, like dying fish, trying to get a taste of the
sky.
concept: we are becoming misplaced in our fabricated freedom.
i tell you how the street corner glows when the sun rises and you tell me
we are too stubborn to forget the dark in our eyes.
i ask, is it me or the leaving that makes you hurt?
you pull clouds over your eyes and look the other way.
later, i find a torn notebook by your bed.
me, it says. me.
I wonder how much sleep you got last night,
how many years it took for you to spit that up.
concept: the sky has never been your home.
and you’ve never even looked up. truth is a word you refuse to
defend.
(photo credit by Love to write)
Social Distancing Journal - 03/28/2020
- Went on a short hike with my family
- My brother had a spectacular fall in the mud
- Whenever we passed other people it was like to magnets with the same poles repelling each other
- I am officially obsessed with photography
-Crescent_Moon
SDJ 3/27/20
Went on a walk with my fam
sat and wallowed over a really sad book
listened to Lizzo
typed... A LOT
sort of kind of felt ok
realized i had coffee this morning and that's why i felt better
decides to have coffee every morning
relief comes with tiny writes
-fire girl
SDJ 3.26
-schlepped through online school. Its just sad I want to meet everyone in person again
- Made pizza to stay busy
-Ate pizza to stay busy
-Tried not to think about the world and its issue by binge watching tv shows
-Realized I actually have homework about ten minuets ago. Then came to YWP.
-Treblemaker
YWP Newsletter - 03/15/2020
Hello YWP! While it is starting to feel like spring outside, many of us are stuck at home with "online" school or huge packets from our teachers. The quarantine can certainly be rather boring, but lucky for us, YWP isn't going anywhere! Poetry and creativity can not be stopped. That being said, stay safe and wash your hands. Hopefully, this pandemic will settle down soon enough and everyone will be healthy and able to get back to community gatherings and seeing people they love. Have a great week and good luck with your schooling, whatever that may look like. :)
This newsletter highlights writing, audio, images and any happenings in the YWP Community. We are a small band of YWP Community Leaders who also help create Challenges, select Daily Reads, Recommended, and work for Publication. As the editors of the newsletter, our role is to bring you, authors and artists, extra audience and shine, and to bring you, readers, some special pieces of work. Please pass along this newsletter or the links to the stories to bring the authors even more viewers. Enjoy!
This week's newsletter features laurenm, fire girl, eyesofiris, Treblemaker, Dancer, IsabelleRose, knmarcot, New Leaf and Fiona Ella.
YWP EVENTS!
.The first Line Break Episode is out with eyesofiris and irishjayne! Check it out here!
.Check out the March Issue of the Voice!
.New challenges to write from including one about how COVID-19 is affecting you! More here and on the front page of YWP.
.Need something to read? The Book Club has you covered. Plus, read LadyMidnight's March book, This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp.
.College Essay Workshop on April 11, 10-11:30 with Denise Shekerjian for YWP juniors and seniors! Learn more here.
by fire girl
Feet are bright grounders
to earth.
Starry points keeping you down.
Gravity?
No, only choices,
fear and your own will
keep you here.
Where would you go?
Somewhere where no one has breathed
Somewhere completely your own.
a place undone in high aching
My child, are you a poet?
why ask a question you already know the answer to?
Sometimes people change...
everything changes, it is out of our control.
You are wise for a youngling.
Whoever said younglings weren't wise?
An oldling?
you are growing, my child
I am no child.
everyone is a child on the inside just as everyone is a poet on the inside.
Who are you?
wish on me, I am a star,
I am a dandelion,
I am a candle,
I am temptation,
I am dreams,
I am what you want me to be.
What can you promise me?
I promise nothing but hope
photo credit by Dancer
by eyesofiris
this box of darkness, mine
i am running from you, father time
catch me if you can at the
turn of a dime,
sleight of hand,
a quarter from my ear.
these hands of restlessness, ours
we sit silent in uncomfortable cars
more than anything we wish to stare at the stars
i’ve been told about this feeling of not having
enough hours, not having enough time,
putting your emotions behind bars and
locking the cell with twine.
this mind of ambition, mine
my plans are as straightforward as a traffic sign
you wish that you were half as smart as i,
yet when our GPAs are revealed senior year,
you won’t be the only one wishing you had spent fewer
days dreaming about apartments in the east village.
these crazy years, ours
someday we’ll look back at these poems,
surrounded by dust in a musty attic or basement,
hidden in a box marked “CHILDHOOD”
and tucked into the farthest corner next to a my little pony
hairbrush.
someday we’ll be brave enough to read these poems again
and someday we may wish we had spoken the truth instead
of just writing lines that seemed poetic in the moment.
someday i’ll hold your hand and you will hold mine and
it will all make sense, and i will be wendy and you will be peter pan
and even though i never got around to finishing the book,
i am almost completely certain
that they live
happily ever after.
photo credit by IsabelleRose
by Treblemaker
A/N: Recently my school has switched to online learning due to the virus, which was the inspiration for this piece.
Hello I say
I touch the screen
My fingers leave a trace
I didn’t think I’d ever be
so glad to see your face.
It’s nice that kid with bright pink hair
Is on the screen with me
Who knows I’d be excited to say hi to Christian T?
I gave a smile to the girl who’s quiet during class
To my surprise and through the screen she makes a face and laughs
Peace sign to that kid who throws the ball around the hall,
And finger hearts to Sarah, I don’t talk to her at all.
That dimwit that sits next to me, through the screen I smile,
He’s chilling on his bed and eating popcorn for awhile.
I’m glad to hear that gamers voice, and I answered it with care,
Thumbs up from the soccer girl- she compliments my hair.
Checking in which Mandy B,
Frankie K says ‘sup
Someone made a fart of course laughter does erupt.
Hello I say
I touch the screen
Please stay safe I pray
I'd like to get to know you all,
Please don’t go away.
photo credit by knmarcot
I guess you could say I made a difference this week- but to what and for who- I'm not sure
-Treblemaker
Each big world event is honestly big enough to be its own crisis. But no. We're having all of them... at once.
-New Leaf
dream of travel--
crossing through a foreign airport in the wee hours of the morning,
driving into the unknown,
public transportation taking me someplace I've never been.
the smell of the air of someplace-else
the voices and faces of that place.
rain on my skin and the thrill of the future.
except my world is now,
suddenly,
so small.
-Fiona Ella