Finalist

wading stream

 

I typed in Watersheds and the keys

gave back, in four-color

maps with rivulets—

the thin veining of lives written

Shorthand, the ink for blood.

But pixel maps do not imagine—cannot dream

like I have, of moon-gilt streams come

down for wading-nights, and stars

and wind-gust songs amongst the living trees.

Tonight we wait, blind

in the veil of dart and maples

we peer between

the leaves—but hush!

--a dream comes wading. There, down by

that rippled moon—do you see?

…hold still, don’t

breathe.

 

---

Jane Jiang, age 16

(2002 Grand Prize winner)

Bellvue, Washington

Lakeside School

Teacher: Kim-An Lieberman

© River of Words