How do we work?

Once every few weeks a new topic will be displayed on the blog. Young people, ages 5 - 96, will submit their responses. Student writing will be posted as it is received. Know someone that would love to contribute? Pass the word.

Blog #14 Topic Choices:
Write about a place or an aspect of New Orleans that has influenced you OR use the words "Escaping the heat/to get out of the heat..." of New Orleans.

Submission Logistics: Submissions should be in response to the blog topic. Poetry and prose, up to 500 words in length, should be emailed as a Microsoft Word attachment. Emails should include author’s first name, age, and School.

Submissions can be sent to: youngneworleanswritingtogether@gmail.com
Submission due date: May 31st, 2012 @ 5pm

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Camille - Atmosphere


The atmosphere is chilled/ Today tastes metallic/ the blood is rushing through my veins, coursing at the
speed of light/ unknown faces rush by from every directions/ they go near, far, everywhere/ they blur
together in a swarm of colors/ reds, whites, yellows, browns/ they are all on a mission/ They all walk
to a single beat/ I follow in step with the rhythm they create/ where are we headed? No one knows/
We are just walking and talking and moving forward/ progress is the name of this song/ cars stack up
on the streets/ they seem to move at a rhythm of their own/ it complements the beat beat beat of the
unknowns on the street / the construction workers pound pound pound their jackhammers through the
concrete/ it travels through the sidewalk through our feet/ the music fills the air/ we create a system,
based off the beat/ everything rises and everything falls/ this beat keeps time for the players/ on and on
the clock tolls/ progress ensues/ I hear music in the air/ the man on the street corner/ the only one not
walking, keeping in time with all the rest/ his sound floats through the air, above the heads of walkers
and touches my skin / they don’t seem to hear this individual beat yet he plays his saxophone load and
clear/ the notes wrap around my body/ my feet stop/ the walkers are disrupted if only for a moment/
they continue their song/ I stand still being embraced by a new sound/ instead of step in front of step,
my feet are jumping!/ they are jumping side to side/ I groove to the wave of joy splashing over me/
crashing into my ears, my skin/ it creates ripples on my skin/ I get Goosebumps to the chill of something
new/ I dance from corner to corner, hands flaring, feet jumping/ the new song set inside of me, warms
my heart/ the warmth travels through my veins, slowing the once coursing blood down to a slower
beat/ everything slows and I sway back and forth/ The atmosphere is heated/ Today tastes so good.

Camille, age 16