Young Writers Feature
Dear Reader,
In this section, the editors highlight one young poet's writing. The poet shares her short bio and her thoughts about writing. We hope you enjoy this new feature as much as we enjoy supporting younger poets in their writing.
In this section, the editors highlight one young poet's writing. The poet shares her short bio and her thoughts about writing. We hope you enjoy this new feature as much as we enjoy supporting younger poets in their writing.
Off Balance
Today I stole the moon for a boy with long black hair
and a stare like stone that he kept honed on me.
His lips were timid the first time
but they were soft and sweet, when they met mine.
The second time he looked to me and beckoned
I said I was afraid.
He said, “Just look at what we’ve made of our sorry lives
Look at me with closed eyes, forget the lies and stop talking
It’s just like walking off balance.”
But it wasn’t the same thing because he had these peculiar rings of light in his eyes
and they glow in the night.
The snow falls softly, so his black hair turns white.
I can’t find the sun, but it’s still light out
so I think it must be his eyes.
I let dust collect on the dreams I had like I’ve gone mad with him
Maybe I have
Maybe that’s why the lights won’t dim
That’s why my limbs hang dead at my sides, when I see him
That’s why I crush my dreams underfoot.
I replace the dust with soot from the fire in his eyes.
I let him see the way a broken girl cries, when she forgets how to keep talking.
It’s just like walking off balance
Like riding a bike with no wheels
It feels like lies but it’s not.
It defies the way I look at him
but I don’t care.
I let his stare hold on to me and give falling a chance
It’s just like flying off balance.
and a stare like stone that he kept honed on me.
His lips were timid the first time
but they were soft and sweet, when they met mine.
The second time he looked to me and beckoned
I said I was afraid.
He said, “Just look at what we’ve made of our sorry lives
Look at me with closed eyes, forget the lies and stop talking
It’s just like walking off balance.”
But it wasn’t the same thing because he had these peculiar rings of light in his eyes
and they glow in the night.
The snow falls softly, so his black hair turns white.
I can’t find the sun, but it’s still light out
so I think it must be his eyes.
I let dust collect on the dreams I had like I’ve gone mad with him
Maybe I have
Maybe that’s why the lights won’t dim
That’s why my limbs hang dead at my sides, when I see him
That’s why I crush my dreams underfoot.
I replace the dust with soot from the fire in his eyes.
I let him see the way a broken girl cries, when she forgets how to keep talking.
It’s just like walking off balance
Like riding a bike with no wheels
It feels like lies but it’s not.
It defies the way I look at him
but I don’t care.
I let his stare hold on to me and give falling a chance
It’s just like flying off balance.
Emma Nadine Sheiman has been pouring her heart and soul into words of poetry and song ever since she can remember. "Writing helps me understand the emotions behind what I'm feeling." She is a ninth grade student at Lehman Alternative Community School. Her goals include becoming a lawyer and continuing to write poetry, journaling and song writing.