When my spirit is low You’ll catch it And carry it on your back. You’ll fly through the gardens And into town. You’ll fly past the bright streetlights With my spirit holding on tight. You’ ll use your silent magic And light up one last time. Then you’ll fly into my backyard Up through my window As the summer breezes blow. You’ll gently drop my spirit over me. And with my spirit all lit up And shining bright I’ll sleep peacefully through the summer night With visions of lightning bugs in my mind. Sarah Dougherty, 11Jenkintown, Pennsylvania
Poetry-Nighttime
3:30 A.M.
At 3:30 A.M. I gradually rise from my ocean of sleep Away from the trenches of unconsciousness Where lantern-fish dreams lurk. Tick, tick, tick The dutiful second hand is making itself dizzy again. Whirr… The fish tank motor sounds throughout the night. It is dark Yet I can see outlines of posters on my wall. My long-haired cat Is curled tightly At the end of the bed. My pillow is squashed Sheets wrap around me All other blankets Tossed unceremoniously To the floor. My throat is sandpaper dry There is a tug at my stomach. Milk. I need milk. Toes land among carpet fuzz Then lift slowly I stumble through the hallway. The kitchen blacker than my bedroom Outside puddles shudder with raindrops The cat has slipped past me She peers out with interest. I flip the switch And harsh light glares Into my pupils. I can’t see the rain any longer The windows are dark squares. I pour milk, and down the glass Leaving it on the counter. I flee the frozen tiles And climb into bed. Sonja Skye Wooley, 12Berkeley, California
Night Lives
When the sky was full of diamonds, We went dancing on the cobblestone streets. The world was filled with laughter and music and whispering couples. The spicy food, The sweet chocolate, And the strong aroma of coffee. The lights on the water. We sat under the massive stone archways, lit with light. We turned around and around beneath the statues of the gods of a past world. We ran over bridges, And cast stones at the wavering reflections of ourselves. We slept on a doorstep. In front of us, the city was alive with color and people. Above us, The sky was full of diamonds And the moon. Natalie Fine, 12Denver, Colorado
