The eldest of the seasons
The Eldest of the Seasons
if life is but a dream for the dead
may you visit us during autumn, the eldest of the seasons
letting your fragile bones be exposed to the crisp air of october
letting your fingertips run over the bars of the cemetery gates
rust collecting between the iron hinges, waiting for someone to
spill the secrets within. autumn, being the goddess she is, will
spread her arms draped with a worn-out sweater, each hole a
different memory claimed by a different person, and
welcome you into her heaven, permanently in the golden hour
casting mahogany light over the universe. let her
breathe passion into the dying embers of amber firelight, holding onto
a dream stolen and given
from her younger sisters' summer wind. give her
your worries, your fears, and let her
collect them like the coins that fall in the bottom of wallets
she will take your burden from you and hang it on her wall
next to the vines she ripped out of a poor soul's heart and
a matte eyeshadow palette left behind in a coffee shop. let her
shower you with glass kisses to treat your summer burns,
physical, psychological, and emotional
she knows the power her younger sister holds and she is the relief team
after the chaos of the hurricane. let her
teach you the forgotten secrets of the universe through her own perspective
telling you stories of her childhood while a
copper pot of tea brews on her kitchen stove. she knows
it's not long before she must leave you alone, but she knows
she will revisit you at some point in time. let her
heal you, if only for the briefest of seconds
for the quickest of hugs
for the cleanest of kisses, let her
grace and forgiveness be the reason
you finally choose to let go.
The Voice
November 2023
Fall Contest: Congratulations!
From the beautiful and overflowing cornucopia of submissions to YWP's Fall Contest, and after much discussion and debate, our judges settled on one Gold award winner in each of the two categories of w...
The Eldest of the Seasons
if life is but a dream for the deadmay you visit us during autumn, the eldest of the seasonsletting your fragile bones be exposed to the crisp air of octoberletting your fingertips run over the bars o...
The Messenger
I make a right turn down Condor Avenue with my shoulders held high near my exposed neck and my hands shoved deep into my pockets. New York always seems to become unbearably brisk at this time of year,...
Fall is Something of Change
My friend mentioned she was sad to see the leaves drop. She said this as if the shedding oak trees were a disgrace to her. As if their nakedness wasn’t breathtaking in the eyes of an artist. What migh...
Old Skin
Fall had come, and close to its end, it approached. The air became brisk, with winter awaiting in the future, and as a girl wandered down the sidewalk, autumn's old skin shifted through the air ab...
Nature's Colorful Farewell
Amidst trees ablaze in fiery hues,Autumn's touch, a painter's muse.Leaves, like whispers, gently descend,In nature's waltz, a timeless trend. A symphony of rustling, crisp and gold,As summer's warmth ...
The Maple
When I was growing up, I lived in a state of confusion. The state that I lived in had autumn, like all the rest, but never seemed to know it; that, in turn, confused me. All the books in my kindergart...
Nature at its Best
Essay written by Noah Westman, Williston Central SchoolI see fall as a time of beauty, change and hope. As I see it, fall is almost the most beautiful time of the year. Fall has an incredible amount o...
The Orchestra of Fall
Autumn leaves flutter around my head,The color popping in the chilly,Swirling air.The veins stretch out,Delicate within the leaves.They connect,Creating a web of beauty:A beautiful array of pulses,Sli...
The Six Stages of Fall
Opinion written by Whitney Curtis, Williston Central SchoolThe back to school commercials we have all learned to deal with; at first it's just an ad for Target or Old Navy clothes around early August,...
Falling Words
We reach for the sunlight,as itleaves us shadowsof the mountainsin the meadows. We look for the milkweed,floatingin the late evening,sunlight hitting themthe seeds glow, like dreams spreading. We hea...
Autumn's Evergreen
Autumn is when you leftand the feelings inside of me were storm clouds,each drop of rain an emotionSadnessReliefFearAutumn is my releaseFeet pounding on leaf scattered trailsCrisp air, breathe it in t...
The Artist of Fall
When night awakes sooner,and the stars become brighter,Fall descends onto the land.Soon enough, winter will bring its false sand,until then, the leaves paint the sky-as the trees and wind begin to sig...
The Death March of Autumn
it's 11:20 on a cloudy october night and the world is falling to my feet. the world is falling to my feet as autumn leaves perform their death march to the ground as bloodied shoes scatter the streets...
Every Fall
I fall in love with you every fall.Seeing your face after a summer awaysends shock waves through my body.I forget I love youuntil the air starts cooling,until school starts again.You fall in love with...