WORDS

Words, by Palestinian poet, Mahmoud Darwish.

That's all it took -- a single reading in a fourth grade classroom, to inspire this poem by Tanaili, 10 years old, Columbus Elementary School, Chicago, IL:

THE BATTLE WITH MY WORDS

When I had feelings, my words crushed me.
Then came the war!

When my words were mad, I tried to forget
them.

When my words were scorpions, I ran away
from them.

When my thoughts felt sad, my words became
Hell.

When my words threatened me, I threw them
out my window.

My words hurt me on the inside. Words screaming
in my head. Will the war ever end?