This work was first published in Spread the Word’s Young Writers Collective Anthology, 2025. This anthology stands as a testament to the courage, creativity, and growth of a remarkable group of young poets who have spent seven months exploring the power of language and self-expression. The anthology is more than a collection of poems—it is a celebration of emerging voices, of stories told with boldness and vulnerability.
All of the poems can be read here on our website, or you can download the Young Writer’s Collective Anthology to read as a PDF.
Echos of Tomorrow by Tilly Woof
Warily sifting through bold lettering,
dreading what looms,
you meander through moments,
muttering controlled resistance.
You see us as a fallen oak, I urge you to remember;
the lady who returned your earring,
the park child who carefully picked and plucked your favoured flowers.
You listen, momentarily.
You still recycle, despite knowing
the line was carved before you arived.
Yet, you giggle and grin, you gather with friends, and discover a meaning beyond.
Faith in Him. Faith in us.
Tomorrow will shock you to your core.
Next week will be outrageous.
You will pace the kitchen, whilst I prepare a breakfast that you will not eat.
I will feed you toast and take you to the trees.
For you, panic is dangerous. I know this.
An old child, cloaked behind trench coats and caffeine.
The universe will hold you.
Delight in that.
About Tilly Woof
Tilly Woof (she/her), is a performer and writer. She specialises in writing plays and long form content. Tilly’s introduction to poetry began when she was asked to write a piece with Theatre Royal Stratford East (2022). She has successfully written two complete plays since 2022, with her third premiering at The Union Theatre, London, in early 2025. Topics covered by Tilly include; girlhood, grief, conscious asperity and the comedy in absurdity.