Student Poem:
There
By Rebecca Neely
I spin words into gossamer threads of gold
I’ll lead you to where dreams are manifold
Far past anywhere adventure has taken you
That nearly magical world of tales as yet untold.
There I’ll give you a basket, a bag or a sack
Collect the prettiest dreams to show me,
When finally you come back.
Catch me a moonbeam, catch me a star
Catch a scent of spice from lands afar
Find a fairy-flower growing in a dream
Find an elven-wizard lurking by a stream
Hear a magic melody, a spell in every note
Hear a dragon’s dying roar near a castle’s moat
Feel the wind catch in your sail and fly before a storm
Feel the heat of hearthstone fire in homely houses warm
Watch the storm clouds tear and throw their rain upon the ground
Watch a child, lost and frightened, smile when he’s found
Hear the keening of the wind and wonder what it says
Hear the cries of greedy men with conquistador Cortés
Smell the feast a chef concocts for you, a royal prince
Smell your kitchen Christmas Eve, if you get a glimpse
Taste the wine of pure delight in far-off fairyland
Taste of nectar, silver-sweet, drunk from elven-hand
Learn the sorrow life can bring, and how the sun grows dim
Learn the love that makes it right and shines the light again …
Wander freely in that world of wonder and of light
Dream until the day is done, and long into the night.
Then, come back from your adventure
Snuggle in your bed
Tell me what you thought you’d find, and what you found instead.
And whether you forget this world or travel there again,
I’ll write a legend as of old with your treasures in my pen.
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Rebecca Neely, 18, calls West Jefferson OH home, but is currently a freshman English major at Cedarville University. She loves science, writing, goofing off with friends, swing dancing, and singing. Her dream is to be a homeschool mom, write for a Christian science organization, write fiction in her spare time—and glorify God through it all.
Student essays, poems, and short fiction are contributed by CLT examinees who have received exceptionally high scores on their testing date; well done, Miss Neely! If you enjoyed this piece, you can find more work from our top students here. You might also enjoy our podcast, Anchored, where CLT founder Jeremy Tate sits down with leading intellectuals and activists to discuss education, policy, and culture.
Published on 30th September, 2022.