What I See, Likes and Dislikes

Each week, Young Writers Project receives several hundred submissions from students in Vermont and New Hampshire in response to writing prompts, and the best are selected for publication here and in 21 other newspapers and on vpr.net. Read more writing at youngwritersproject.org.

What I See

By Samantha Widschwenter

Grade 8, Crossett Brook Middle School

The light fills the dark room around me.

Today is the day everyone talked about.

They all described it the same exact way, but I’m seeing it differently.

I have never stared into the eyes of the truth.

Never thought I was going to.

Once you hold something this astonishing,

your life will change.

It’s like holding a glowing planet in the palms of your hands,

holding the secrets of this strange world.

Staring into the light, it blinds my eyes.

However, the pain isn’t enough for me to look away from it.

Staring, I am confused and scared.

The ball is secure in my hands, so when my mother calls and startles me,

it doesn’t fall.

I look into the ball of the harsh glowing light one last time.

I wish I hadn’t.

I see something come across the ball.

The images glow in my face.

I look deeper into the light, and that’s when everything changes.

It isn’t what people told me it was like.

I see something different.

List your likes/dislikes

By Isaiah Marcellino

Grade 8, Crossett Brook Middle School

Likes

1. I like dogs. Dogs are pretty radical. Yeah, I said it. They’re radical.

2. I like skiing, because other than the draw in physical energy that it has, I feel like I can release my energy from stress, school, and everything for that one day or two a week, and just worry about my next turn on the mountain.

3. I like traveling, aside from the long airplane or car rides, to see new places.

4. I like family sitcoms because I then know how to act with my family.

5. I like being awesome because, with this generous amount of it, I can make the world a better place!

6. I like Netflix, but often look back on how much time I’ve wasted watching movies, when I could be watching family sitcoms.

7. I like school, because I think a proper education is the best path to success, and it’s fun to have friends to be with whilst learning. (Yes, I did just say whilst, fyi).

8. I like art for its artistic value. No, I did not say that seriously. Though I do love art, I couldn’t think of any better words to describe art in my situation, so I hope you say that sentence in the most sarcastic tone you can.

9. I like to be adventurous, and explore things that I haven’t explored before for that rush of feeling, independent and free.

10. I like to laugh, and make people laugh, and I believe humor is one of the best parts of life.

Dislikes

1. I dislike negativity, which probably contradicts the purpose of this part of the list.

2. I dislike anything that isn’t organic. Just kidding, I’m not one of those people.

3. I dislike that moment when you’re trying to tell a joke, but you say a word wrong, and then nobody thinks the joke is funty. Funny. I meant funny. Yeah.

4. I dislike the hipsters you see at Starbucks, but not because of who they are, just because I couldn’t pull off one of those sweet fedoras and awesome mustaches.

5. I dislike the amount of time it has taken me to complete this list of things I dislike.

6. I dislike mud season because it’s just the anticipation of warmer weather and the loss of winter.

7. I dislike not sleeping, because sleeping is the bomb.

8. I dislike that really threatening noise cats make when they’re hissing at you because I never know what to do. The owner’s like, “Oh, he just does this when he wants to play!” while the cat’s latched on to your face!

9. I dislike scream music because I feel like I instantly hate everything.

10. I dislike when you tell the waiter to have a good meal as well. “Have a nice meal.” “Thanks, you, too!” Facepalm.