» Poem: So Many

So Many

So many words can fit on a page, But nothing can ever fit in all of the rage, Of the people who want justice, But have to keep fighting.

So many pages can fit in a book, But none of them can give a big enough look, On how much the rights are needed for the house to stop burning.

So many books can fit on a shelf, But nothing can describe what was felt, Every time they didn’t get the rights that were needed for them.

So many shelves can fit in a room, But nothing alone can ever consume, The memories of hard times for people of color.

So many rooms can fit in a house, But injustice can sneak by, quiet as a mouse, And take away rights from others, while unseen.

So many houses can fit on a block, But not enough people have a talk, To their kids, about how black people have rights, Like everyone else.

So many blocks can in fit in a town, But nothing can hide all of the frowns, From the people, needing their rights, needing justice.

So many towns can fit in a state, But nothing will ever clear the slate, Of the people who refuse to give them rights.

So many states can fit in a country, But nothing can make it so we can’t see, The injustice that needs to be stopped.

So many countries can fit in a continent, But you don’t need to be confident, To fight for justice, to fight with BLM.

7 continents fit in a world, But more people than that have had their thoughts swirled, Into thinking that BLM is the thing that’s unjust.

There is only 1 you. So do whatever you can do, To change the way black people are treated. Committing to BLM, will get the rights that are needed.

FAITH

age 12, from NC

Faith, We are grateful that your words are written to encourage us toward a collective concern for our fellow humans who have been treated unfairly as a result of unjust public policies and private practices. Through your words, we hear a clarion call prompting us to do better—not just because we know better, but because when we put our minds to it, we CAN CREATE the society that loves every BODY well. There are many efforts, organizations, and people carving a path toward equity. Present in your creative expression is an urgency to join and support them. We can tell you believe that together, we can heal from wounds of injustice. I believe you!

The following pages contain all of our stories from 2021. Here at GirlStory, we are grateful for the chance to showcase these accomplished writers in our yearbook issue.