Stone Soup

Where young artists paint the world with words

The international magazine of stories, poems, and art by young writers and artists. Published continuously since 1973.

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The Pond

The sun glitters on this damp surface, lighting it up
Silver fish flick their tails and in a flash—they are gone
It is heaven
The warm gray water feels soft, as I touch a ripple
with my finger
Eyes open, I dive
Rainbow trout circle me as I push water back
One bites my toe and I laugh
Bubbles float out of my mouth,
Like transparent balloons
I feel far away from Earth

the pond tess raskin
Tess Nealon Raskin, 9
Brooklyn, New York