A talented exchange student from South Africa recited his poem for us during our MidYear Orientation in Orlando this January. I was so impressed, I had to post it: Starfish I am nice, friendly, funny, smart, confident, conscious, looking to be more than just a friend. I do not know what I have to do, who I have to date, what sport I have to play to fit in with the guys, to find my place, to make a difference. I do not know how to be myself. I do not know who I am. I do not know what to think, what to do, what to say, what to feel, especially when my thinkings, my doings, my sayings, my feelings are all different at different times. I dont know what to think when I’m with my friends, what to do when I feel alone, what to say when I’ve made a mistake or what to feel when I hurt inside. I do not know who I am. I do not know if I can sit back and watch as hundreds upon thousands upon millions of innocent people are discriminated against, murdered, raped, tortured, occupied, and dehumanised by their brothers, by their fathers, by their peoples, by their governments every single day. I am scared by the fact that my hopes for a better world are too unrealistic. That in the end, the chances are that hundreds upon thousands upon millions of innocent people will continue to be discriminated against, murdered, raped, tortured, occupied, and dehumanised by their brothers, by their fathers, by their peoples, by their governments. But... I heard a story, of a girl on the seashore amongst hundreds, maybe thousands, of starfish. One by one, she begins to pick them up and throw them back into the ocean. A man walks up to her and says, Little girl, little girl, what are you doing, little girl? You will never make a difference. She looks at the man, picks up a starfish, throws it back into the ocean and says, To that starfish, sir, I made a difference. I do not know what my purpose is in this world, if I shall have enough time to fulfil that purpose. I do not know if I shall see another sunrise. If I shall ever get to look into my little brother’s eyes and watch him grow up to be a role model for future generations. If I shall ever get a chance to hug my older brother and thank him for being my friend, my guide, my mentor. I may be a lost person, but even a lost person can enjoy watching the sunrise, can hug his brothers goodbye in the morning, and can try and make life a little bit better for every person he comes across. Written by Aasif Bulbulia
Posted on: Sat, 01 Feb 2014 00:54:55 +0000
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