This is a regular column featuring original poetry and fiction by and for teens, provided by Figment.com, an online community writing site for young people.
By Melanie McCormick
I believe there is a force in this land that lives beneath the surface of the earth,Something savage and untamed that awakens when you need an extra push to survive.Like wildflowers that bloom after fire turns the forest black.As death falls to the trees, ash feeds hundreds of acres of new growth.It’s the beauty of change, the power of life.
Most people are afraid of this power, and keep it buried deep inside them.But as a tiny seed must push through layers of dirt,We must push beyond the negative forces that surround our lives.We must have the courage to embrace our future, make it count, shape who we are.We must see the beauty of change, the power of life.
People fear what surrounds them -- the landscape, the air, the universe... The connection they hold.Of course, there will always be a few people who embrace this power;Who have the courage to change… The courage to accept, the courage to move forward.To love what is natural, different and real inside a person.To the love the beauty of change, the power of life.
There was a time when my father brought my mother to the country to discover their destiny.Away from city life, where people seem to move around every which way,Restless and unsettled, looking for something, but not knowing what.Finding only days of activity, yet no moments to remember.Never seeing the beauty of change, the power of life.
I found my moments, as my parents did; the breeze blows softer, movement are slower,Neighbors are friendlier, and work is harder. I believe though, many are still lookingFor a place where they can find hope, for life to make sense, to realize their purpose.Yet, they continue to search… To want more, need more, rarely satisfied;Never realizing the beauty of change, the power of life.
Their lives swirl with confusion and anxiety, moving so fast,Never stopping long enough to look around and see life.Beauty of color, stars winking, sunrises tiptoeing us into the day.Many will never see, never experience, never know… This is their moment.It’s their chance to see the beauty of change, the power of life.
Moment? A single flower surfaces from its winter dormancy to embrace the spring.It awaits the temperatures rise before emerging from the long hibernation.It sees spring for what it is, life reborn, growth evolving; poetry in color.As our road darkens, and our faith is shaken, we remember the strength of this single flower.Life reborn is the beauty of change, the power of life.
The country is where I find my peace, my faith, my strength; my place in this world.As the trees burst with their fluttering leaves, and flowers bloom, stunning me with their drama,This is my home, where the forces beneath me take over as I attack the ground with fury,Transforming mere dirt to magnificent displays of color. This is my moment.This is my beauty of change, my power of life.
This untamed power has taken over for a season and the world will barely see me.Surrounded by plants and compost, shovels and spades, out at dawn, in at dusk.Then suddenly in late autumn or early winter, after the frosts blacken the leaves,I will sneak back in, to once again embark on my winter hibernation.In this darkness I will again experience the beauty of change, the power of life.
Knowing I have absorbed the force beneath, I find my place in life,I revel in the power that the earth has transferred to me in the past months.Allow this to keep me sane, while the earth is dark and stormy for the seasons to come.I find my days of meanings, and my moments to remember…I find the beauty of change, the power of life.
While others still fear their future, scared of what surrounds them.The landscape, the air, the universe; unsure of what their connection is.There will always be people like me, who understand this linking.Who have the courage to love what is natural, different and real inside of a person.To embrace the beauty of change, the power of life.
To embrace today, be excited for tomorrow and face my future…I am home.