poem

Yesterday, I got an e-mail from a student at a local high school who apparently reads my blog regularly (I read his, too; when he posts). He wanted help on a homework assignment, which was to interview someone and write a poem based on the answers. I quickly sent my answers back to him, and this morning I was greated with one of the nicest and most touching messages I've ever had delivered to me. I feel a little weird posting it. But I've been pretty down lately, dealing with a lot of very intense, bizarre conflicts. So... I don't know. Just, so, here it is:

The Writer

Through his wireframe glasses, the Writer views
A world in which all the people must choose
Between good and evil, virtue and sin
And all this he incorporated within
Five hundred words in the local news rag
Informing us all, raising a red flag
When injustice rears its horrible head
We march the streets, he uses words instead
Opening doors and breaking down walls
Making us rethink who we pass in the halls
But now he has moved into penning books
Telling a tale of teens judged by their looks
Who overcame the obstacles to win
In a contest ruled by well-dressed men
Even though at times he has pennies to his name
And he might not bask in the glow of fame
Passion for knowledge is what guides his life
Learning as he writes of a world full of strife
As well as joy, and fear, and loathing of all
And through it he continues to stand tall
Never wavering with his true morals
Even if it will strip him of his laurels
On the internet he scribes of his days
And looks at the world with an unflinching gaze
He speaks for others who have no choice
And are screaming, but without any voice