Portal
Portal
The portal opens in those fleeting moments that feel like they are about to crescendo, about to climb the final step to see over the mountain top. Walking out of school on a sidewalk rolled out in front of me, the warm glow of the sun erasing the weight of my backpack from my sore shoulders, making it feel like summer although it is midwinter. In those quiet moments, craning my neck to look up at the trees, the vastness of the sky, a break from heads bent over desk and spines crunched into unforgiving chairs, something sparks in my mind. The spark grows with the moment, with the feeling that new horizons are soon to be discovered. It is something out of Dr. Strange, the way the portal opens, glowing brilliant orange around its edges. From afar, the portal appears blue and violet, swirling like a hypnotist’s pendulum. But as I wander closer, the face of the portal becomes translucent, and the shadowed world on the other side begins to become visible. It becomes apparent what is on the other side as my body passes through. It is, after all, something out of my dreams. A world, quiet, alone but not lonely, sunlit with trees and fields to prance through and clouds to gaze at. Perhaps a book to read. Perhaps a nice ant-free log to sit on while I organize my thoughts. It might not seem like much, but this portal in my mind is worth enough for me to stare out the car window and wish I was there instead.
The Voice
February 2026
January Tomorrow Project Award
Congratulations to Goldenrose, the January 2026 award winner in YWP's monthly Tomorrow Project contest! This mixed media piece, "We Still Choose," was created in response to the challenge, Human Right...
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