Sacrifices

• Leah Joshua, Grade 8
• Poetry
• 2022

They say wars aren’t won without sacrifices. That you can sacrifice happiness, resources, lives. To win. But they don’t feel the sacrifice, don’t know the pain. We are the only ones who know the pain. Feeling the darkness of having a hole in our heart. I know what it’s like to become that darkness. To succumb to the sadness like a sea of tears. How it’s so much easier to hide in the night than to fight for the light. But. We are bound together. Fighting for each other. Protecting one another. So though we succumb to the darkness and pain, We are together.
And slowly, the light within us emerges. Healing our wounds. Remembering, but moving on. And we stand together, strong in our stance. The light within us glowing. But you? I’ve never met anyone who shines as brightly as you do. Like a sun, you spread light to those around you. You went through the darkness, And came out, stronger than ever before into the light.