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Curiosity Killed the Dreamer

by Marley Shepherd (United States)

November 2021

Write the World Review

Audio: "Curiosity Killed the Dreamer," read by Marley Shepherd

Sometimes,
when you’re sitting on the street,
just watching the people go by,
you see things that you don’t understand.

A very good example of this would be the man across the street,
struggling to carry three large buckets.
He keeps setting them down and picking them back up,
trying to arrange them in his hands so they won’t spill.

In events like this,
there is always the compulsion,
the curiosity,
to want to know what is going on with them.

And of course the only way to satisfy this curiosity is to get up,
and ask.
So that’s what you do.

“What's with the buckets?” you ask.
“They’re carrying something important.”
“Would you like any help?”
“You wouldn’t understand the job.”
“Well maybe I would understand if you show me what’s in the buckets.”

He sets the buckets down,
And cracks the lid off one with a gesture to look inside.
Oh.

You see what’s swirling inside of the buckets,
The same colors you would see every morning,
When you opened your eyes after a wonderful dream.
You understand completely.

“Oh, yes. I do understand the job.”
“You don’t think I’m crazy?”
“Well, I am a little mad myself. Who am I to judge?”

Smile your sharpest smile,
and pick up a bucket.
You have a job to do now.

Sometimes,
when you’re sitting on the street,
just watching the people,
you see things you don’t understand.

A very good example would be,
the two people who cross the street everyday,
each carrying large buckets of dreams.





Marley Shepherd, age 17, is a teenager from the Midwest who spends their time playing music, making art, and writing cliché poetry about home, love, and weird magic.

#Fantasy         #New Worlds

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Clare

5/26/23, 6:23 AM

Congratulations Claire - this is a powerful piece - this feeling of a yearning for a home that may not even exist anymore will be something that everyone who lives outside of their original homeland will resonate with. Well done.

Quin Tesa

5/25/23, 9:27 PM

Quin Tesa

5/25/23, 9:27 PM

Quin Tesa

5/25/23, 9:27 PM

Quin Tesa

5/25/23, 9:27 PM

Love the words I mean the way you coin the letters bravo! And also a fellow Nigerian as well good luck

Quin Tesa

5/25/23, 9:27 PM

Love the words I mean the way you coin the letters bravo! And also a fellow Nigerian as well good luck

Akinlose Emmanuel

5/24/23, 11:04 AM

An amazing piece, quite figurative and exciting to read.

Adin Underwood

5/6/23, 12:18 AM

It's staggering just how many topics this poem can apply to. Very eye opening. 10/10

Adin Underwood

5/6/23, 12:14 AM

Although it may seem simple on the surface it is quite charming to see just how much thought and effort was put into understanding how a cat acts and thinks.

Adin Underwood

5/6/23, 12:10 AM

I liked how even though each line was different it always came back to the central theme.

Sarah Parker

4/28/23, 3:01 PM

This was a wonderful piece to read. I can't imagine haven't been told about periods and sex. I was in fifth grade when I took a class. And even then, there were things they left out. This was a really important topic to write about. Great job!!

Sarah Parker

4/28/23, 3:01 PM

This was a wonderful piece to read. I can't imagine haven't been told about periods and sex. I was in fifth grade when I took a class. And even then, there were things they left out. This was a really important topic to write about. Great job!!

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