Young Writers of Summer 2014
So we said we would publish the three best poems submitted to our Young Writers Summer Program and we did. But since we have space in our Digital Paper, here are a few more. We are also giving you a bonus short story in Filipino. To all the young writers who sent in their prose and poetry: Carry on.
She Wanted To
By Celine Zamora
she wanted to
wake up early in the morning
see problems on a board
hear lectures from her teachers
and feel the pressure of pop quizzes
she wanted to
run in a 20k marathon
climb ten flights of stairs
swim for hours and hours
and win a tennis match
she wanted to
go shopping with her mom
buy books with her dad
visit arcades with her brother
and read to her baby sister
she wanted to
find a girl her age
fight over celebrities
tell each other secrets
and become as close as sisters
she wanted to
meet an interesting guy
talk to him about everything
become his best friend
and fall in love
she wanted to
remove the needles on her arms
the monitor in her room
the nurses from her side
and the stench of death in the air
she wanted to be normal
Celine Zamora is a Grade 9 student at Paref Woodrose School.
Selfie Dream
By Raine Raval
Many years into the future
No longer burdened by the past
I would love to look back at my younger self
Once my dreams have come true at last
I would see my former face in the mirror
Full of youth and full of joy
Excited for even the simplest of things
Like a new book, or a new toy
I would hear my laugh ring out like a bell
My feet running across the floor
Those carefree days when I only played
And never yearned for so much more
Then things changed almost suddenly
Though inevitable, it was
Gone were my days of sleeping all day
Now I woke up early for the bus
I grew up like all children were told to
Made friends and learned new stuff
Though I didn’t expect it’d be easy,
It still scared me when things got rough
I would still laugh and smile like I used to
But they wouldn’t be the same
This time they were quieter
With a difference I couldn’t name
So I always stayed in my comfort zone
Never daring to cross that line
Though I wasn’t really doing much
Inside it, I always felt fine
But then one day I realized
I wasn’t going anywhere
I haven’t gained any knowledge
From past experiences to share
So I thought I would start over
Stripped down to the raw
“Dare to always be different”
I lived by that law
I decided I’d try everything
Though my passion was for words
So while I biked and camped and ran and hiked,
I would write of the trees and birds
I pursued that path eventually
Hoping words would be my guide
I wrote and felt all the good things
Ignore the bad things? Well, I tried.
I went through things people eventually do
Like failure and rejection
Though I regret suffering through them all
With a feeling of dejection
Criticisms and my own self-doubt
Almost made me put down my pen
But then I heard a little voice in my head
Saying, “Smile, like you did back then.”
So I started to write down everything
As though the writing bug had bitten
I was as honest as I could possibly be
Many thought it was the best I’d ever written
That moment was when things started looking up
And though there were times when I would feel low
I would look back at most of my life
Glad there was something there to show
I had dreams of a glorious future
Once, when I was a kid
Though, a writer, an athlete, a poet, who cared?
It didn’t matter to me what I did.
My dreams consisted of happiness,
Of contentment and of laughter
I simply wished my future to be bright
It didn’t matter what came after
I would love to look back at my younger self,
Look her in the eye and speak.
“I’m living the life we’ve always dreamed.
Don’t give up; you’ve never been weak.”
Raine Raval is a high school sophomore at Colegio San Agustin Makati.
Tale of a Damaged Paper Doll
By Patricia Louise Remoquillo
Stand,
damaged paper doll.
Pick up your feet.
Come let the valiant knight
whisk you away.
Dance,
damaged paper doll,
inside the knight’s embrace.
Let him hold your hand
and take you in.
Breathe,
damaged paper doll,
as he glues you
back together
as if you’ve never been broken.
Then flee,
damaged paper doll.
He deserves more
than a broken object
such as yourself.
Patricia Louise Remoquillo is a high school senior at St. Scholastica’s College Manila.
As Long as You Get Up
By Isabella Tiosejo
i.
Get up!
You of lazy feet
The pitchforks are coming
And the fires are burning
Its way towards where you
Lounge around
ii.
Get up!
Off the ground, go run
Away from those who hunt you down
And those who want to see you drown
Hands as a spring,
Take off, take flight
iii.
Get up!
Sprint your way through
The gnarled fingers in the tangling woods
Where the statues of your ancestors have once stood
For the runners behind you
Are gaining pace
iv.
Get up!
Steady now, honey
They who are unforgiving will surely
Not let you escape that easily
So hide while you can
And rest your tired feet
v.
Just make sure that when
You step into the light
And the sun burns bright
On the pavement below your tiny toes
Remember to run
Run as fast as the winds may take you
Dash as hard as the rocks that guide you
And scream to the heavens that
They shall not reach you
Capture you not
Imprison your body and chain your soul to rot
They shall not catch you
vi.
As long as you get up
Isabella Tiosejo is a Grade 10 student at St. Paul College Pasig.
