One Voice

• Rennie-Mae Rangel, Grade 9
• Poetry
• 2008

As I skip across these lifeless stones,
My hair jumps with playful rhythm.
And the world around me turns to dusk,
While I realise the agony I hold in my hand.

With each thumping step I take,
Another life is gone.
With every warm breath that leaves my body,
Another person is hurt.

As the guilt starts to swallow me whole,
The bare earth shakes wildly beneath my feet.
During of which, a bomb explodes,
I hear the cries of many.

I stumble to the ground in extreme pain,
My hands are pressed against my ears.
The tears that have fallen to the ground,
Now burns through my bleeding skin.

Shouts of desperate plea flood my head,
As I shiver with fury and grief.
Feeling their voices ringing in my ears,
I can't hold it in anymore.

I look up at the dark, stormy skies,
And yell with all my strength.
As the piercing noise starts to fade,
I start to feel relief run through me.

The reflection of the sun flickers in my eyes,
As it brightens with colourful sunshine.
The stormy clouds become white and fluffy,
And little birds chirp with happiness.

The ground clears my path,
As I walk on through my life.
My heart starts to fill with faith,
And finally I begin to smile.

The new-found hope that keeps me going,
Helps me realise my achievement.
It only took one voice to change the world,
And that one voice was mine.