Wall Of Determination: Eleven Year Old Poet Speaks

Vidya Murlidhar: Kids express unabashedly, without fear of judgment, and enjoy doing so through rhyme. Poetry is a powerful medium for their voices to be heard. As adults, we often think children live in their world unaffected and unaware of the happenings around them. This is far from the truth. They take everything in and  have the ability to see things as they are without the clouds of bias covering their perception. They are masters of wisdom. We often shush our children but instead if we give them the space and freedom to express themselves, the world will be a much better place.   

Poem By Rayan Ghoshal, 11 years

The Wall

You’re almost done till you meet a wall,
You try to climb but it is too tall,

You walk around but it never ends,
You kick and punch but it doesn’t bend,

You try to dig and dig below it,
But then find yourself in a pit,

So you look up, and it’s growing tall,
When it looks down on you, you seem so small,

You try until you don’t know what to do,
You tire yourself out but don’t have a clue,

You know that you don’t want to face it head on, 
But if you do that, then the wall will be gone, 

For kicking and punching will only get you so far, 
You have to do this, even if it leaves a scar, 

You take a deep breath and gather your grit,
The road ahead will be hard but it’ll be worth it,

So you just stand tall,
And you climb that wall.

Rayan: I wrote the poem “The Wall” because I believe that with perseverance, determination, and the right attitude, we can change the world, one small step at a time. In this poem, the wall represents our everyday challenges, be it in school, at home or in our community. The poem reflects that each of us can muster the courage to face our fears and find it within ourselves to achieve our goals. In doing so, we can also inspire others to do the same, instill hope and pass it forward.