Austin Dunson

Best comment to see on the first day of school

Wellborn Middle School eighth-grade student Iryah Banks said her third-grade teacher encouraged her to start writing and she's been doing it ever since. Her favorite books to read are dystopian fiction novels, but she recently took a creative turn to co-author a book of poems with her grandmother. Their published collection is now available for students to check out from the WMS library.

This morning, they met with students and staff to share some of their work, talk about the writing process, and encourage others to find their own voice through poetry.

"All of my poems are like little skits or snippets of thought," said Iryah. "It takes me a while to get inspired, but when I get it, I have to write it down. I don't know why it works that way, but that's the way I like to write."

Here's one that stood out to me:

I'm Still Here!

The world may be going crazy...I'm still here.
The people are turning mean, and sneaky, but...I'm still here.
The world is ending, but...I'm still here.
So be there today and every day.
Be there for those who admire, love, and feel good in your presence.
Now be there to love, cry, laugh with the ones you love, need, and know.
Be there now, today, and forever.
And be proud to say...I'm still here.

–Iryah Banks