by Betsy Woods
Congratulations to 2017 Waldorf School of New Orleans graduate, Zoe Marquis, upon the publication of her poem, 'On Turning 14,' in the national literary magazine, The Louisville Review.
"It's a tender, wise collection of words that captures the metamorphosis that happens between the imagery of childhood and the growing responsibilities of adolescence and young adulthood," said Betsy Woods, editor at the review and English Specialist at WSNO.
Zoe's work is in the celebrated company of professional authors and emerging young writers from across the world. Zoe, an avid reader, and Ultimate Frisbee player, is currently a Junior at Benjamin Franklin High School. Her experiences and education at WSNO remain close to her heart.
On Turning 14
By Zoe Marquis
The whole idea makes me feel
Like I've opened a door to the universe
And, for the first time, I'm staring out across it
Small and insignificant
Slightly dizzied by its size
And unsure where to go
I haven't forgotten riding the going-home train
Every day at the end of school
The bright colors of the classroom
As I waited in the line of small, wooden chairs
That became a train every afternoon
Or building houses for the fairies in my backyard
Or being a restaurant for the cats
And carefully preparing their food to order each night
But now I am too overwhelmed to see
As I did then
The train is only a line of chairs
The fairy houses are only garden scraps
The restaurant is only a chore
Back then the sky never bore down upon me as it does now
Demanding my purpose and my plans
Looking to me to lead the way
This is the beginning of choices
It's time to say goodbye to the familiar
And venture out into the world
It seems only yesterday I used to believe
I could grow up to be a pink kitty cat
That I could work with my friends
And stay in my house forever
But now when I look to the future I see
Only a vague cloud
Shaped like a question mark
Waiting for me