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.
Transitory by Mariana Cadena
One time, I was an arrow,
Piercing flesh in battle.
It wasn’t my fault
The knight sent me, forcefully.
But the guilt stayed,
Even when they pulled me from the boy’s chest,
Even when they burnt me with
Winter’s fire
Used and reused,until I was
Nothing but ash
One time, I was a drop of rain,
Falling into the River Thames.
In that instant, I became dirty,
Blended with the rest of the water,
A nameless parof the current,
Carried away, forgotten.
One time, I was only a feeling,
Fleeting, in a stranger’s chest
Gone until summoned by a similar
Ache.
Between those moments,
I ceased to exist.
One time, I was the fire,
Raging through the city,
Feared and hated for my hunger,
But I wasn’t evil
I only wanted to keep existing
One time, I was the last plant in
winter,
The others gone,
I stood alone,
Wondering if we could have made
It,
Had we been born in a sunnier place.
One time, I was chewing gum,
Stuck to the sole of a shoe,
Face pressed against the Pavement,
Until I lost my stickiness,
And because something else
No longer needed, no longer wanted.
One time, I was someone’s last breath,
I entered without knowing,
A fleeting visitor, Afraid to leave,
Afraid to never be again.
One time, I was only a concept,
Born in the mind of one,
Harmless,
Until shared with the world,
Spreading into actions I couldn’t control.
About Mariana Cadena
Mariana Cadena is a writer with a background in film and works as a Spanish teacher and tutor for young children. Born in Mexico to Mexican parents, she was partly raised in French Canada and England. Writing primarily in Spanish and English, Mariana explores themes of culture, identity, migration, relationships, loss, and social commentary. Her work reflects her multicultural upbringing and diverse experiences. She currently resides in London with her family.