"The Essence of Spring" by Dylan van Buren (Oxford County)

Reviving a world lost to winter months 
The sun begins to smile again. 
Flowers enter infancy 
Awaiting the clouds above to feed them into color. 
Songs ring through the air 
Originating from the beaks of the free. 
The air is fresh and smells of dew. 
As life awakens, the Earth is blanketed with hope. 
With closed eyes and my chin towards the sky
I absorb the essence of spring.

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Dylan van Buren is a junior at Telstar High School in Bethel, Maine. She wrote “The Essence of Spring” to convey a sense of hope, as spring symbolizes. She’s very passionate about writing and carries this passion through her work with her local newspaper, The Bethel Citizen.