Young Poets 16 to 18 –

"Inside" by Mia Vrnoga

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January 15th, 2026

Young Poets 16 to 18 Contest #1 – First Place

Inside

by Mia Vrnoga

The ground pushes   
against me, more rigid   
than I recall. The gleam   
of the window in the corner   
of my room darkens,   
bathing the space   
in a navy glow  
  
As expected,   
a flowing outline appears   
at my window  
Bright eyes  
shape flowing freely  
  
I sink farther into my plush carpet,   
no longer rigid as it was at first  
Rusty guitar strings scratch   
my fidgeting fingers   
as I strum  
Didn't I just get them changed?  
  
She is still there,  
drifting around my window   
I wonder  
what she wants  
  
The soft mattress of my bed   
Invites me in  
fingertips enveloped   
in dust    
as I pull the covers  
  
Drifting off,  
sweat wetting the sheets  
  
A rotten scent   
fills my nostrils  
The tapping of heavy, humid rain   
fills my ears  
  
Dragging myself to the seat   
at the bottom of my closet   
where I spend time  
Thick sweaters  
hanging above  
  
I see the sun and go  
on walks too,  
heart stuttering  
Skin covered in mossy shades 
of green and yellow  
  
I know it is a lie  
  
I never see the red sun   
like she wants me to,  
lips turned blue   
from the chill   
in my room  
  
It is where I am meant to stay  

About the Poet
Mia Vrnoga resides in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Read the poet's biography and Young Poets World publications on Mia Vrnoga's Artist Page.

Young Poets Collection
This poem is also featured in Young Poets Collection #1, published in the Young Poets World Library.

Keywords: bedrooms, solitude, staying inside

Previously published in Young Poets 16 to 18:
The Art of Being a Woman
by Aarna Sandilya

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