Did I do something wrong? Did I say something I wasn’t supposed to? Why did you leave me like a child crying at school, pleading for their parents to come back? Only they come back, and I know you will not. You weren’t supposed to leave. I never saw you go. You didn’t leave a letter. Can I come with you? We could run away up to the clouds and hide there forever. Are you really gone forever? Can I save you, or is it too late? I heard your voice, you whispered in my ear, but it sounded like a scream. “I’m sorry.” Sometimes I wonder what I would be like if you were still here. Would I be happier? Would I cry less? I miss you. Caroline Thompson, 12Pound Ridge, New York
Poetry-Reflections
Poem
Speaking of sorrow and happiness. Telling a short story with a new voice. Speaking with a mouth of words. Soft as a baby’s cheek. Poem. Matteo Vita Harris, 9Astoria, New York
My Temporary Window Art
The rain steadily falls, against the roof of my bus stop. The air is so cold I can see my sparkling white breath. I can already tell it’s going to be a long dreary day. When it rains, nothing goes my way. The weather makes my spirit drop, like the temperature when summer slips to autumn. The sky is gray and fierce, so the sun has a difficult time shining through, and showing its warm face. A cloud of darkness looms over my head. I am stuck in its shadow. The groaning yellow bus slowly turns the corner. I drag myself toward the curb as it rolls down the hill. Once I am aboard, the tired frustrated faces of the other kids surround me. I find my seat by a window. The glass is as foggy as pea soup. Nothing is visible through its moist surface, though I wish it was, like on a sunny day. I take my delicate finger and slowly draw a smiley face on the window. In my mind I know this blissful image will eventually fade away, but it will be my sunshine for the rest of this rainy day. Nadia Rossy, 12Bedford Hills, New York
