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.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Stay updated with our latest stories, poems, and news delivered to your inbox.

The Way Life Should Be

Secluding ourselves by a fire,
Cherishing a novel.

Burning rubber under us,
As wind whips our face.

Embracing in a hug,
When one has not seen
The other for years.

Smiling, laughing, splashing,
As icy water slithers up our bodies.

Savoring arctic-cold lemonade,
On a blistering summer day.

A refined voice departing your throat,
As a thunderous boom of applause
Emits from the audience.

Doing whatever appeals to you,
Without any consequences.

This is the way life should be,
This is the fictional world
That we pray becomes reality.

But an alarm rings madly,
And my wondrous dream comes to an end.

The Way Life Should Be Nicky Cannon
Nicky Cannon, 12
Dallas, Texas