An update from our second Weekly Writing Workshop! The Stone Soup Weekly Writing Workshop is open to all Stone Soup contributors and subscribers during the COVID-19-related school closures and shelter-in-place arrangements. Every Friday, we meet for one hour via Zoom to respond to a new writing challenge, write together in our virtual room, and then share what we have written with one another. At our session on Friday April 10, we introduced ourselves and discovered that besides Stone Soup team members calling in from Canada, the UK and the USA, we had workshop members from Canada and across the United States–Massachussetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma and California were all represented! This week, William Rubel, Stone Soup’s founder, set the challenge for the group, suggesting that we write about COMFORT for 30 minutes before coming back together to read and discuss what we’d written. The Writing Challenge: Write a story, poem, or other prose, on Comfort. Use the idea of comfort, not just the word: you can consider notions like comforting, comfortable. The Participants: Anya (13), Analise (9), Liam (12), Abhi (12), Vivian (11), Lucy (12), Mico (13), Silas (10), Georgia (11) Our participants were inspired in different ways by this idea. The examples below touch on some recognisable themes of cosy fires, soothing cups of tea, and cool water on a beautiful day. Other contributions included a gripping story about a disappearing brother, challenging the idea that comfort is necessarily a good thing; and a thought experiment about the mysterious Miss Rose and her disappearing comfortable chair. Below you can read just a few examples of the great work that came out of the workshop. The Little Cottage, by Anya G., 13 Rain lashed at the windows Spraying them Stinging them With icy droplets of water That streaked down the glass The wind howled Whipping around the little island Chasing itself, over and over Like a vacuum Sucking soul from the world And on the little island Trees were bent, contorted Threatening With every creak, every groan To fall through the frozen air But inside the little cottage With its thatched roof And smoke twirling merrily into the abyss of sky Orange light glowed through windows Commanding the dark to retreat The air was warm in the cottage Flushed with the aroma of baking bread A scent that wrapped itself around you Soothing, like a favorite blanket On the coldest of nights And a fire crackled cheerfully Each pop and whiz writing a song While the flames danced along An uplifting tune A reminder of the happiest of days With mugs of steaming tea With volumes of cherished books Well-cared for in their old age The little cottage sheltered And cozily outwaited the storm Untitled, by Anya G., 13 The water is cool, collected It rolls over me Submerging me in its underwater bliss So faint now are the shouts of joy As kids swim over my head There is nothing here And yet it is a rich nothing An emptiness that resonates Clear as a bell I should be thankful To be a part of this holy space With its ripples of light A crystal clear emptiness Stretching on forever Sunrise by Lucy Rados, 12 I sat on the bench, Dew covering the ground, Fog obstructing my view. A mug of hot tea in my hand, The steam rising as if tendrils of comfort are wrapping around me. A blanket Draped over my shoulders; A shield to the chilly autumn air. I look to the east As a sliver of light Pierces the mist. The light rises Spreading comfort through me. Pink and orange Flood the sky Like a wave crashing over my head. The whispers of wind Throw my hair around. I know I am safe By the comfort around me, By the sunrise to the east
The Virus, a poem by Avah Dodson, 11
The Virus By Avah Dodson, 11 As I lie in bed I can hear Mom sobbing into Dad’s arms. They’re dying. What are we going to do? Who? I wonder as I drift off. No one I know. I wake up to rustling, like a lost mouse Scurrying from an invisible threat. Dad is getting up early to go to the store. But why, I ask, Why can’t we go to Starbucks Like we always do? I have to shop early, he replies, Or everything will be out. Get a donut for me, I call. He returns with bags stuffed with Slightly old strawberries, Capers, organic eggs, soymilk, But no donut. My school classes start—awkward, virtual classes— But at least I get to see my friends On the blinking screen. Upstairs, my brother in his online class, Dad tapping on his laptop downstairs, Mom emailing on her phone in the kitchen, We are like bees, trapped in their own hive. Our WIFI glitches, overloaded. I have to get out of the house, Mom says. She and Dad take a half bottle of French wine from the cellar. Going for a walk, they say, We’ll be back soon. When they come back, The bottle is empty. My forehead is 99.8. Mom buys medicine. Just to be safe, she says, As if she weren’t buying it To remind herself That we have free shipping And Amazon Prime. Mom whispers to Dad but I can hear. She helps refugees and Holocaust survivors. Today someone called her, desperate for help. His disabled daughter was alone, homebound. A few hours ago she opened Her last can of beans. We couldn’t help her, Mom whispers. I lie in bed. Our symptoms from this pandemic are mild, Immunized by our privilege. Who is dying? Many. Millions. I lie awake. Avah Dodson, 11 Lafayette, CA
Hope for Quaranteens by Clara Kingsley Tripp, 12
Hope for Quaranteens By Clara Kingsley Tripp, 12 As a global response to the rapidly spreading COVID-19, millions upon millions of people have been forced to retreat into their houses. We’ve raided local stores, abandoned empty shelves upon empty shelves, and stockpiled our pantries with milk and toilet paper. We take lengths to avoid the news or we read every last article we can find. Stuck in our homes, citizens are wracked with anxiety, fearful anticipation, and boredom. But could quarantine actually have benefits? Stay-home orders are aiding the climate crisis. Because millions of citizens aren’t venturing out of their homes, they also aren’t littering, emitting high levels of carbon, and disrupting wildlife. Satellite footage shows that Italy, South Korea, and China have all experienced severe drops in air pollution. In Venice, the canals are running far cleaner and clearer than before. And animals are emerging–in Japan, deer are sauntering confidently through empty city streets, in Thailand, swarms of monkeys took over a plaza, and some Italians even reported seeing sheep, horses, and wild boar outside. Being stuck in quarantine will also force people to face their consumerism. Losing the ability to go to the grocery store or the mall whenever they please will lead people to see how little they actually need to shop. Many will realize they can live without certain things, like frequent flying or driving. Perhaps when people see the impact this is–or rather, they aren’t–having on the environment, they’ll take steps towards climate action when “normal” life resumes. The arts and technology are at the forefront of everything. Stuck at home? Looking for something to do? Try streaming the Metropolitan Opera’s latest masterpiece, for free. Or taking a class on Coursera, for free. Or perhaps, tour a museum in Barcelona on Google Arts and Culture. Participate in a live stream yoga class with Girls Leadership or a writing workshop with poet Rupi Kaur. Attempt worldwide meditation with Deepak Chopra. All for free. Everyone is home, everyone is bored, everyone is looking for something to do. Many organizations, especially the arts, are stepping forward to provide usually highly expensive or exclusive activities to the general public, at no cost. Often, these places are overlooked or underestimated. But now is the perfect time for humanity to rediscover their beautiful creations and enjoy them, right in their own homes. Not only are the arts being encouraged, but technology is finally being used for good. Many are using social media to stay up to date with one another or keep up with the news. Zoom and Facetime are an opportunity to see much-missed faces of friends and family. Google Classroom is being used for remote learning. Additionally, all the arts I mentioned above are being provided through technology. Finally, boredom leads to creativity. Albert Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” It’s time to use that imagination! If you’re bored in your house, then you should know that boredom has been found to boost creativity and motivation to try new things. Stuck at home, you finally have time to do all the things you’ve always wanted! Perhaps that’s a new hobby; painting, knitting, writing, sewing. Maybe it’s a new pet–now, you have time to train it. Or maybe, like me, you’ve always wanted to get bangs but you’re worried you won’t like them. No risk now–no one will see you! Even if it’s simple, like cleaning your room, or learning to make an omelette, you finally have all the time it takes to do it. So, don’t worry about boredom, but instead, take advantage of quarantine! Meditate. Reach out to an old friend. Find something new that sparks your imagination. Even if it doesn’t look too appealing from the outside, quarantine can have its benefits–on the environment, on the arts, on technology, even on our minds. Enjoy it while you can. Clara Kingsley Tripp, 12 Garrison, NY
