by Benji Strafford (age 13)

We start as a seed, a small inkling of life, playing in the mud.
Life is barely a breath of wind on our shoulders. Growing,
We find more meaning to life. We are careless –
Nothing bad comes our way.

Then everything changes. We are grown. People hurt us
Picking the tender green as if it doesn’t matter.
Noone in the world cares. Except one. Ourselves.
And that matters more than the whole world

Because, when they climb us, pick at our bark, we grow
Learning that the world can be cruel.

Full-grown makes life a lot more complicated. We are big.
We have responsibilities.
Slowly losing a purpose in life.

Nearing the end, we find peace.
We are alone; we may have no more point to our lives, but
We are happy as the end nears; we are ready.

People die, are born every day, and this process will go on, and on.
That’s life.