and if you fall -- no worry -- soft hay will catch you. In this striking companion to Ten-Second Rainshowers one hundred young people, from ages 8 to 18, share their thoughts and feelings about the world they live in. These pages include poems about friends and solitude, work and play, home and school, and the journey toward adulthood. Ranging in tone from funny to wise, from eloquent to irreverent to matter-of-fact, the original voices in this book demonstrate poetry"s ability to express the triumphs, and soften the hardships, of everyday life. These poems will inspire young writers for years to come. Fourteen lush interior illustrations by Julie Monks enhance the book"s appeal.