Zoe is a writer and swimmer living in NYC. She enjoys writing and reading poetry, fantasy, and realistic fiction.
“The hum / Of the city / As you / Step / Outside / The beat / Of the footsteps / Of millions / Of feet / As you / Journey / Towards / Your destination”
The Rhythm of New York
The hum
Of the city
As you
Step
Outside
The beat
Of the footsteps
Of millions
Of feet
As you
Journey
Towards
Your destination
The symphony
Of car horns
And barking dogs
And shouting
As we all
Journey
Towards
Our destinations
The feel
Of life
In this city
The rhythm
Of the world
With every passing
Moment
With every
Breath
That we take
The world
Spins
Our lives
Go on
We feel
The rhythm
Of life
In this city
Untitled
It is everywhere
That you go
In the streets
In restaurants
In cars
At airports
In the ears
Of strangers
Walking
Down the street
Or riding
The bus
It is in your ears
As much as theirs
As you are
Singing
In your head
Or listening
To your favorite
Song
It lifts us up
Brings us down
Gives us hope
Makes us feel
Hopeless
Some people
Choose to ignore
The beauty it creates
The light
The warmth
That it adds
To our
Cold
Dark
World
Could they
Ever
Miss
The songs
They will never
Hear?
Would
The music
Change them
As it has
Changed
Us?
The Sticky Note Cafe
Thousands
Of post-its
That stick
To the wall
Thousands
Of messages
Left by
Strangers
Millions
Of words
And phrases
Hundreds
Of drawings
And doodles
They cover
Every inch
Of space
On the walls
Of the tiny room
Who
I wonder
Left these words
For people to
See
Read
Touch
Laugh at
For people to
Cover up
With messages
Of their own
Who
I wonder
Will read mine?
Up
She stares
And stares
And stares
At thousands
Upon thousands
Of different pairs
Red
Yellow
Black
White
Too big
Too small
Too loose
Too tight
She can tell
What they’ve been through
By the tears
By the fading colors
By the way the wearer moves their feet
But she will never know
Who
Wears them
Because
She will never
Look
Up
The Things That Are Left Unsaid
The words
Sitting in your head
Will never
Do
Any good
The things
That you are
Afraid
To say
Will never
Change
The world
The things
That we leave
Unsaid
Will never
Brighten
Someone’s day
Will never
Make them
Smile
If you
Speak
Your mind
Your words
Could
Make someone
Smile
Brighten
Their day
Change
The world
But if you leave
Your thoughts
Unsaid
You will
Never
Know
If there is something
You are
Longing
To say
Just
Say it
3 Comments
It is a remarkable work by an eleven year old girl. Her perception of her environment, especially NYC, is pretty remarkable. And it is expressed with very concise, tight, thought provoking words. Good work, Zoe!
Beautiful poems! Such precise imagery & observations in each one of the scenes, each with its own subtle meditation on life in the city. Really beautiful work! One of my favorite passages poses this paradox, a powerful question:
Could they
Ever
Miss
The songs
They will never
Hear?
Congrats, Zoe! So happy to read these, & looking forward to more!
Dear Zoe,
Reflections so clearly and thoughtfully
conveyed –your observations of life as
you travel through its joys and vicissitudes
listening to and hearing its music in all its
complexities. Thank you for sharing your
artistry. We love you very much.