Gabriel Huizenga
Bio
Twas for love of words that I first joined this site:
Poetry, especially, and dear short stories too;
For to live one's best is to read, and to write!
So find me in words here, and I'll find you 💙
Thanks for stopping by! :)
Achievements (18)
Stories (120)
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23 Line - an Original Song. Top Story - March 2025.
This piece is for my New Year's resolution to share one original song, however imperfect/unfinished it may be, per month! I'll put the link to the article in which I wrote about this resolution at the end of this piece. I am just getting this submission in in time - drat February for having a quicker deadline than other months! I definitely would like to make some lyrical and melodic changes to this piece, and would very much like to do a few more takes in the hopes of a better-sounding version than this draft. But I'm tired and have a sore throat today - and I intend to keep my promise of sharing one song each month! So here is my early version of "23 Line." The title and chorus refer to the number 23 bus line in the city, which I often find myself taking to get here and there. One day, I was sitting at a bus stop for the 23 line and enjoying a particularly lovely sky - while a song began to play through my battered headphones, whose central theme also pertained to enjoying the 'big sky.' Feeling inspired in that moment, I jotted down a few lines about feeling like a rich man with 'the whole sky' being mine. Over the next little while, it developed into more of what you'll hear below. More themes, moments, and reflections gradually fed into it, adding some other layers - but I'd love to hear what you think of it, if you have the time to listen and comment! I understand the words and scenes might be a little ambiguous (especially the ending) but I would love to know what it makes you lovely folks feel and think about. I know what it means to ME...but that's not necessarily the most important thing when sharing a creative endeavor. But anyhow, that's just about enough blathering from me for today (though I do need to meet a 600 word minimum word count). Thank you kindly for stopping by! It means more to me than I can say whenever folks take just a few moments to take in a creative endeavor of mine. It's a true gift- so cheers, all. :)
By Gabriel Huizenga11 months ago in Beat
"Lost-ish" Unofficial Poetry Challenge WINNERS!
I want to open this announcement by simply expressing my deep, deep gratitude to everyone who joined in this unofficial challenge. As has already been the case so many times over, I am once again blown away by the participation, creativity, and support of this wonderful community! While I am so very honored by how you all took to my quirky, vague prompt with such verve, I have been moved even more as I've gone through each piece and witnessed the endless words of encouragement, appreciation, and praise generously shared with each other in the comments of each piece. So thank you all, truly, for the kindness and curiosity you all have towards each others work; as corny as it might sound, I must affirm that the greatest prize to be won on this site has nothing to do with money or fame - it is the community which supports its fellow writers forward with each courageous step of creativity.
By Gabriel Huizenga12 months ago in Poets
Dirt and Dregs. Honorable Mention in Legends Rewritten Challenge. Top Story - January 2025.
"What the hell are you doing back here, man?" Dirt and glass crunched as the speaker, a slim fellow dressed in a clean, gray three-piece, slowly approached a pile of garbage at the end of the alley. The well-dressed man clicked on a flashlight and swept it across the dismal scene, as a huge, dark dog followed quietly behind.
By Gabriel Huizengaabout a year ago in Fiction
"Lost-ish" Unofficial Poetry Challenge
Hello friends! I'll get right into it: for quite some time now, I've wanted to host a little unofficial challenge. I have so appreciated the creativity and interest that so many other creators have shown on here when coming up with inspiration for these sorts of things! But to be frank, I have not been nearly as present nor participatory as I would like to have been on Vocal in recent months. I have promised myself that I would catch up on the creative projects of dear friends on here, but have found myself falling behind on that oath again and again. While I still hope to catch up on reading a number of wonderful stories and poems adrift a ways back on the Vocal seas, I also wanted to see if I could get a few friendly folks to write some new works that I can be absolutely certain I will read - namely, because I am promising to judge them all in an unofficial contest!
By Gabriel Huizengaabout a year ago in Poets
