Nonfiction

"Don't wait for permission to do something creative." - Ava DuVernay 

“Olivia!” 

“What?”

“It’s trash night, can you take it out?”

Silence, as I switched off my iPod, and listened.

“Olivia!” 

“What?”

I am tired. 

I am sad.

I am grouchy.

The long night that had occurred, only just hours ago, has left me restless.

And I, am not one to be restless.

this is not a poem. 

this is not a song.

this is not metaphor, a sonnet, an ode, not a ballad, a rant, not even a dream–

this is a plea. 

TITLE: Saudade

PROMPT: “Leave” (End with “And now I know why I can never leave”)

I always wanted a daily recess. Now that I finally had one, I didn’t want to go outside. Last summer, I moved to Vermont from Miami. Just like every book character, I’m the new kid. I love it.

I was anxious in theater class. I was talking at Wren, my theater friend of a couple months, blabbing tirelessly on about some kids' book I liked.

Camp was almost over for the summer. Kids were running around on the lawn, playing foursquare, swinging on the swings and building fairy houses.

When I was sixteen, I remember feeling nostalgic for things I hadn’t yet lost. Pure, raw adolescence.

Jeannette Rankin 1880-1973

For eleven years, I've been a part of the YWP community. I started when I was 11 years old and I went by my old name back then. I used to publish my work here all the time, but much of my publishing has now moved to my university.

Right now we are living in a world where we use fossil fuels to run our lives. But this needs to change!