Justine Vandenberg

Hope is the thing that burns —

When no oxygen remains.

And Hope is the thing that speaks,

When all else has gone silent.

It is seen and heard,

In the darkest night—

Sometimes soft, the fiercest whisper,

But sometimes thunderous,

A trembling, all-encompassing shout.

and

Sometimes it comes like a song,

Melodic and easing to the heart,

While other times, like a

Train

Bearing down on you,

Hitting you like a bucket of cold water and reminding you to move,

Act, Do, Reach —Now.

And maybe it is one word,

Or maybe it’s something seen in the eyes,

Maybe it’s the call of the wind, stirring your soul,

Or maybe it’s the sight of your name, imprinted on the heart of someone you love.

Maybe Hope is all of these things, and

More.

But what you name it matters not.

Because, still,

Hope is the thing that speaks to us,

When all else remains

Silent.

And Hope is the thing that

Burns —

Ever the brighter —

Even when the oxygen’s all

Gone.

Justine Vandenberg is a high-schooler from Indiana who has a fierce passion for writing and poetry. In fact, she would equate writing poetry to the necessity of breathing. She aspires one day to publish her various novel ideas, but regardless of publication, simply enjoys being with words and ideas.