Someone New

By Alissa Mollett, 17, Illinois

i was bare

without Your taunting laugh

to clothe me with comfortable cowardice.

i was cold

without Your burning eyes

to watch as i walked away.

i was withered

without Your critical words

to feed my feelings of doubt.

But I found someone new

And now

I’m never afraid

that the lamp is too bright,

because She’ll always wake up

to watch as I write.

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When I started writing poetry, I was a little surprised by how much support I got from those who read my work. This poem is based on what I felt the first time I called myself a writer. The capitalized “You” is representative of the power I gave to any negative thoughts I had or received from others when I began writing, while the “She” represents the people in my life, such as my girlfriend, parents, and English teachers that gave me positive feedback and encouraged me to continue. The shift from a lowercase to a capital “i” represents the positive shift in my own attitude toward my writing.

Photo by Guillaume Techer