When I was ten, I found a book

Of poetry at school.

I read the poems one by one.

Each poem was like a jewel.

Each book of poetry I read,

I held close to my heart.

I felt a passion in my soul

And felt my teardrops start.

I picked up a pen and felt

A power flow in me.

The words came quickly in my mind

And set my spirit free.

I read aloud the words that came

From a place inside.

Words danced and shimmered in the air.

I felt a sense of pride.

All the pain I could not bear

Found a sweet release,

And when I shared the words I wrote,

I felt a sense of peace.

I could not speak a word back then,

But saw that others heard

And read the message I sent

In the written word.

I learned that poems can transcend time

And break down walls we build;

And when real feelings are shared,

We find that we are healed.

-Yu/stan/kema-