Week 13: Money, student selections Part I

These pieces were written in response to the weekly YWP prompt: 'Money.'
Photo by
Katelyn Clark,
Mount Mansfield Union High School
Never enough
By Heather Rameau
Woodstock Union High School, Grade 10
Money.
There’s never the amount you want.
Coins, papers, dollar bills,
Money allows for many thrills.
When you get that new paycheck,
You hope it’s more than you’d expect.
Because, it seems, everything revolves around how much you have, not who you are.
Big things, small things, important things and not,
It all depends on how much we’ve bought.
But you don’t need all these things to be a sight,
Because money doesn’t buy happiness, right?

So petty, so important
By Timoth Barrett
Woodstock Union High School, Grade 10

Money is so petty yet is still an important matter,
take away our money and our society will shatter.

Our cars, our bars, our city streets are littered with this green,
A filthy grimy substance that will bring us to our knees.
It brings to us mortality, but can cure a common loss,
for we the people are the workers and money is our boss.
A country rife with freedom, now bows its solemn head,
for the money is alive and its abusers are all dead.
As we now stand here in silence at this darkened lurid scene,
we realize that the monetary system’s a machine.
For a patriotic country for no other we’d exchange,
the red, white and blue fade, and green runs through our veins.

Its amazing how a single note could determine our success,
Its amazing how a single note could put us to our death.
Look back on this whole situation, which to me seems rather funny.
Our land, our pride, our dignity is determined by our money.

A Million Dollars
By Olivia Merrill
Woodstock Union Middle School, Grade 8

As the frail middle-aged woman handed the cashier a dollar, she once again reminded herself of the odds of winning the Mega Bucks, but she still tried even though the odds were against her. The cashier handed the woman her ticket and the woman just stood there a minute thinking of all the things she could buy with the money if she won. The women walked to her old beat-up, rusted pick-up truck out on that cold Vermont winter day and she drove off into the distance to her shack in the woods. Even though the shack wasn’t much, it was home for her. She had a few friends, some self-esteem and was joyful.

As she listened to the radio at 7 p.m. she heard the numbers announced for the Mega Bucks, then she looked at her ticket and realized she won a million dollars. As she screamed in excitement she went to cash in her ticket in the lottery office that was located in Montpelier, which was right through the woods.

When she received the money she thought of all the possibilities again. Right away she bought a new Hybrid car and moved from L.A to Vermont for a new life because she thought it would be better for her if she moved to L.A. As she started her new lifestyle the money began to go to her head. Spending it on a professional chef, a big screen TV, Tivo, a yacht, anything she could imagine she bought it.

As the money slowly became only a few thousand she began to realize how much she had spent. She realized that this new life with all this money wasn’t making her any happier it was just giving her a new life. She thought about how money just buys you objects and not happiness, joy, friends, or self-esteem. The money helped her get a better life but it didn’t or can’t buy her any values.

A rush of the unforgiving By Shelby Davis Lane
Dummerston School, Grade 8

Money is like a pillow, safe and comforting; but then it is like a cactus stabbing you in the back! It leaves many feelings inside, sometimes happiness, or maybe sadness, and confusion. Never knowing what's going to come next: maybe another bump in the road, maybe you will be riding on smooth grounds. You won’t know unless you've been there before. A journey awaits all in the world; rich or poor. You may get lost on your journey but just try to enjoy your money as it comes and goes. You will work hard for it, but then have to spend it on things needed. That is OK, just try to keep in mind that it's all going to a place that will help you sooner or later. You might feel happy, then sad; you may learn to hate money, but in better or for worse learn from, and accept all changes that pass by!