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 Search for Literature

I run my fingers across the shelves
Waiting for one to catch my eye
Row after row my fingers run
Failure takes a step closer
But there in the dusty corner
Hidden by the screen of forget
Lies the love of my life that will only last a couple of hours

Bright red with gold lettering
A hard skin protecting its insides
No telling what it’s like
But I have a good feeling

Gently I pick my discovery up
To me, it’s a block of gold
My breath stirs the grime on top
I back up slowly and sit on the carpeted floor
Ready for an adventure, I lift the hard cover
My eyes move from left to right
As the personality of the book in my hands is revealed

The Search for Literature Connor Park
Connor Park, 12
Mukilteo, Washington