i can make a difference by

Flying a kite, writing my feelings in the sky for the birds to read. And helping the stars to smile and the sun to rise. Better than me keeping it all balled up inside, waiting for the moment to be let into this world which is cold and dishonest, but if I write my story in the sky then maybe a little girl in Darfur will stop crying. She’ll see that life is not all about guns and violence, that there is more to life. That you have to look and listen, feeling the simple things in life. Like the gentle kiss you get from the sun on your cheek, or the song that the birds and the trees make on a cold day. Or feeling the playful push that the wind gives you on your slow days. I can make a difference by writing my story in the stars, the same stars that helped the slaves find their way. They could help a lost child who needs a way out of the forest, out of their situation that could be their light to follow. If you wanted to make a difference, you have to first start from the inside and find your way out.

by Sahhara Sharpe

Written for the PTA Reflections writing project. Received awards from both the Howard County PTA level and Oakland Mills High School PTSA.