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First Story

Creative writing charity for young people

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‘The Hope for Peace and the Fault of the White Feather’ by Szymon Wisniewski

Co-op Academy Grange, Bradford, West Yorkshire, 2019

I lie on a feather mattress,
Covered to my waist by a fluffy white blanket,
Resting my head on a nice-smelling pillow.
My eyes are closed,
I can see a white feather in my head, it’s coming towards me.
The sound of birds and city life coming through my window,
The feeling of warm sun on my skin.

I open my eyes, all feelings of comfort are gone,
Replaced instead by fear.
The mattress is gone, replaced by rough, blood-stained ground.

The sound of birds and city life deafened by screams and pleas
to their God.
Instead of a fluffy blanket, on my leg lies a body, stabbed
in the stomach
By a bayonet-knife from my gun.
I start looking for a way out from this hell, from this death
and misery.
Then I start thinking, ‘Why am I here?’
I should be home with my wife and children,
But I was stupid, I ran into the outstretched arms of Satan
himself, hoping for glory,
Which was a lie. I’ve committed sins God shall punish me for.

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