Home
Young Writers Project

Search form

  • Login
  • DONATE
  • CREATE
    • RECENT POSTS
    • THE DAILY READ
  • COMMUNITY
    • TINY WRITES
    • BOOK CLUB
    • YWP PODCAST: Line Break
  • CHALLENGES
    • SUMMER OF STORIES: Challenges
    • SUMMER OF STORIES: Contest
    • JOURNALISM CHALLENGES
      • Journalism Project Info
    • THE GREAT POETS CHALLENGE
    • CHALLENGES BANK
    • YWP RESOURCES
  • PUBLICATIONS
    • ANTHOLOGY 12
      • Celebrate Anthology 12 Podcast!
    • THE VOICE
    • SPECIAL ISSUES: The ELM 2021-22
      • The ELM 2020-21
      • The ELM 2019-20
    • MEDIA PARTNERS
    • YWP NEWSLETTER
    • ANNUAL REPORT
  • ABOUT
    • ABOUT YWP
    • "YWP is ..." Who we are!
    • PERMISSION FORM
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS OF USE
    • CONTACT US
  • Donate
  • LOG IN/JOIN
Previous Post
Next Post
Aug 01
poem challenge: Writing 2022
IceGalaxy

A Village On the Coast of Nowhere (the wayward traveller)

their lamps constantly flickering-
begging for someone
anyone
to stop by 
and say hello
acknowledge their existance.
the houses are small and
squashed together, 
but no one feels the discomfort
they each know their neighbors and beyond
they like it that way.
during the night
time slows
almost but never pauses
and the people come out
girls with their hair braided
careful works of their mothers,
boys with their hands tucked in their pockets
careful works of the universe,
everyone else with their voices
and they gather around not a fire
but rather the aftermath
the hot coals burn neon red and orange
and the people tell their stories
the universe intently watching them
allowing a hesitant silence in the world
during the day
they resume their lives as "normal" people
but they know their place in the stars
the universe reserved it for them
and every time without fail
whenever someone enters their home
they welcome them with open arms
and say,
"welcome home."
they teach the wayward traveller their ways
allow the wayward traveller to partake in the silence of the world
send the wayward traveller on their way with tearful goodbyes 
and know the wayward traveller knows
should they have ever been wondering in the first place. 
 
  • IceGalaxy's blog
  • Sprout
  • Log in or register to post comments
  • Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted: 08.01.22
About the Author: IceGalaxy
MSG / CONTACT
RECENT LOVES
  • The Question
  • Mushroom
  • To the version of me who will become the mother of a daughter: Part 1
  • Patriot
  • Extended
RECENT COMMENTS
  • *stands up and applauds until
  • ahhhhhhh i love dune so much
  • hello :)
  • words fail me. just...how.
  • yeah i've seen your pictures

Other Posts

  • what being a teenager in today's society feels like
    how do you write a storywhen the words just aren't thereor they're out of reach Read more
    in poem 0 Comments
  • Regrouping
    do you ever get the feelingwhere your body goes completely still Read more
    in poem 0 Comments
  • 700
    i talked to someone todayi talked to a man in canada over a chatroom Read more
    in poem 0 Comments

Discussion

Comments

  1. eyesofIris
    Aug 05, 2022

    This poem reminds me of a myth! I love so many lines, especially: "time slows / almost but never pauses," "they gather around not a fire/ but rather the aftermath / the hot coals burn neon red and orange / and the people tell their stories / the universe intently watching them / allowing a hesitant silence in the world," "they know their place in the stars / the universe reserved it for them." Thank you for sharing :)

    • Log in or register to post comments
  • ABOUT
  • DONATE
  • PUBLICATIONS
  • SUBSCRIBE TO NEWSLETTER
  • JOIN/LOGIN
YWP is a creative, online community of teen writers and visual artists, ages 13-18. We're based in Burlington, VT, and we welcome young creators from anywhere!
Special thanks to The Kemmerer Family Foundation whose generous support made this new, improved website possible.
Website development and design by Refaktor Inc., Summit Creative Works, and YWP's Vivien Sorce, Lauren McCabe, Katherine Moran, and Susan Reid.

Young Writers Project | 47 Maple St., Suite 216 | Burlington, VT 05401
501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 2006
Contact: Susan Reid, Executive Director: [email protected]; (802) 324-9538