Young Writers Project is a creative online community of teen writers, photographers and artists, which has been based in Vermont since 2006. Each week, VTDigger features the writing and art of young Vermonters who publish their work on youngwritersproject.org, a free, interactive website for 12- to 18-year-olds. To find out more, visit youngwritersproject.org, or contact Executive Director Susan Reid at sreid@youngwritersproject.org and 802-324-9538.
Love is love, no matter whom it’s shared between. But does it take on different, distinctive forms? The ancient Greeks thought so: “Storge” was familial love; “eros” was romantic passion and “philia” was deep friendship. This week’s featured poet, Hazel Fasching of Jericho, proves the Greeks right in their theory that platonic companionship can be felt and fought for just as fiercely as the love between life partners.
A best friend
Hazel Fasching, 14, Jericho
What would there be without a friend,
a friend who cares and understands?
You are my light,
my path to happiness.
Your abundance of sunshine fills my heart with words of meaning.
Holding hands while walking down dirt roads filled with memories,
times of laughter filling the air with smiles…
The joy of seeing you after only a day has passed, and still longing to see you more…
The funny moments
forever cherished,
the thought of losing you far back in my mind,
living in the here and now…
Only soaking in your presence,
my heart forever filled with your kind words…
My favorite person.
You’re like watermelon on a hot summer’s day,
so refreshing.
Stay close;
don’t leave.
I need you.
Stay close to me
until we grow old, with
stories of meaningful adventures we’ll tell to our kids.
I will love you till the day I die,
even if you hurt my light inside.
I’m never leaving — you’re stuck with me.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Young Writers Project: ‘A best friend’.