First Place -- Teen Poetry Contest

To be Free

Shyness sits in the corner of the room,
Staring out fearfully.
Watching the world carefully,
She wants to be alone.
Watching me move around,
I look up, feeling her.
I see her in the corner waiting,
Waiting to be free.

So I leave,
But I hover near the door.
Watching carefully.
Slowly, she creeps out of her corner.
She pauses, checking all around.
Wondering why I left.
Wishing to be free.

Shyness is sure she is alone.
She clears a path,
Through the clutter.
There is a place to be free.

She opens her mouth,
Releasing a bell-like note.
A beautiful sound.

I watch her closely,
Seeing her every movement.
I listen carefully.
So carefully, soaking up the beauty.
The beauty coming from the one note.
The wonderful note,
So solid and still.
It is quavering, breaking off.
No!

She closes her mouth,
Cutting off the note.
Silence falls,
An unbearable silence.
So quiet, so placid, so peaceful.
She leaps up twirling,
And lands.

She leaps higher,
Twirling the whole time,
And lands.
She jumps again.
She almost touches the ceiling.
She lands.
She leaps one final time.

Touching the ceiling.
She lands.
She stops.
She stands.

I dare not move,
In fear of her catching me watching.
I dare not breathe,
I fear she will hear me.

She pulls out a pen,
Out of my drawer.
She pulls out my chair.
And sits.
I know now who she is.
Why she is here,
She is me.
I am her.

written by Kimi, Franklin Avenue Middle School