A Poet Poem by YeouCheng Ma

God has made each of us a poet,
By our words, our deeds, our students
And with Her Grace, our progeny.

How we choose to use this gift,
Becomes the fabric of the story
That we weave, from childhood
Through the formative days
We braid into the tapestry
Of our work, our loves, our lives.

The young ones do not know
That the road they are walking on
Have been traveled by many others,
With pebbles in our shoes,
And blood on our feet,
Sharp brambles
Scratching
Our arms.
We've
Passed by
Here before,
But left no trace,
Because it was so long ago,
So very long ago,
When words
Were scarce,
And in
The silence,
The wounds
On our young hearts
Were left to bleed, and
Grow into thin, screaming scars,
Invisible under clothing,
Unknown to the young ones
Who feel that only they
Have traveled
This way.

We pay homage to the young ones,
Because they bring forth dreams
To test out their mettle,
To join their heart
To the causes
They choose
To fight for
To live through
they build universes
Of their very own.

Already you've seen
Glimpses of your talents,
Reaped fruits of your labors,
You've tested your energies
With peers, teachers, parents
You are learning to guide
Your spirit towards
The light.

Yes, the road ahead is
Unknown, exciting and
Perhaps a bit frightening,
But it shall be of your
Own choosing,
And finally, you will find
The span of your wings,
And the course of your destiny!
Blessings to you on your
New journey!

4/16/05