Young Writers Project: ‘Watching’

Young Writers Project is a creative online community of teen writers, photographers and artists, which has been based in Vermont since 2006. Each week, VTDigger features the writing and art of young Vermonters who publish their work on youngwritersproject.org , a free, interactive website for 12- to 18-year-olds. To find out more, visit youngwritersproject.org , or contact Executive Director Susan Reid at sreid@youngwritersproject.org and 802-324-9538.

“Keep that ball off my lawn!” gives us the stereotype of the crotchety old man on his porch, shooing away innocent children rather than trespassers, but in reality the type to post up in front of their house on a fine summer’s day often turn out to be the most neighborly of all — not to mention observant. This week’s featured poet, Naomi Segal of Woodstock, takes a seat on her deck and watches as the world goes by.

Watching

Naomi Segal, 13, Woodstock

I am up

with the sun.

An ancient plate

in danger of breaking

holds pancakes

and fruit.

I wait.

I watch.

The earliest wakers

all have dogs.

Later,

large gaggles

of kids

meander

toward the bus stop

while their younger siblings

race

with too-big backpacks

bouncing

with every bound.

Then

there is quiet,

pierced by bird conversation

and babies crying

on their walks

with their parents.

At lunch,

a field trip

in bright green t-shirts

wanders by.

Three o’clock

brings back yellow buses

and tired kids.

At 5,

the ice cream truck

lures kids

to its jingling window.

More dog walkers

come by

and slowly

the day

ends

where

it

started.

My pancakes

took

all day

to eat,

and grew cold.

Now

I am back,

wrapped in a fleece blanket

on my porch.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Young Writers Project: ‘Watching’ .