“Born New”
A poem about the importance of hope

By Ariana Cooper

“A needle my dear…
Why, doesn’t that scare you?’’
I said, “no sir, go right ahead.”

For that painful poking feeling,
that leaves others reeling,

I’ve come to accept and not dread.

The strong scented soap,

Trying to learn to cope,

My life under a microscope,

The coldness of the stethoscope,

Tellings of my horoscope,

Struggling to stay afloat,

MRI lights, like kaleidoscopes,

Feeling i’m at the end of my rope,

Opening mystery envelopes,

Receiving prayers from the pope,

Feeling like I’m in a sinking boat,

Searching for the antidote,

Being treated like a dope,

Bystanders that tease and provoke,

Always being overshadowed,

Clinging tightly onto hope.

My most important lesson learned,
is that hope NEVER stops,

A nagging earworm of a song, a catchy tune, a bop.

Hope is like a tiny voice that you must not ignore,

Through our struggles, through our pain, although our souls feel sore,

They can’t hurt me anymore,

Though I feel rocked to my core.

Now that I am so much wiser,

I’m not a quitter, I’m a riser!

I may still only be a teen, with wisdom beyond my years,

For from a young age, I have learned, we all eventually face our fears.

Fear is a LIAR,

But hope’s like a choir,

That sings and inspires,

Burns strong like a fire,

Makes darkness lighter,

Makes a walker a flier,

‘Cause hope takes you higher.

The problems you have do not define you,

Your courage, your strength, your truth, will shine through,

How do I know? Because I have been blue,

My soul has evolved, a completely new hue,

A rainbow of colors, for I am born new.

Little Ariana, here’s a letter long overdue,
To tell you of all the wonderful things I really adore about you.

You are special, you are loved,
created by God up above.

You’re brave and kind, creative and smart,
you make people smile with your talents and art!

A humorous and whimsical, eccentric little girl,
When faced with fun new challenges, you’ll always give it a whirl!

To haters and bullies who act out of spite,
you always counter them with kindness, and keep shining your bright light!

From Summer to Fall and Winter to Spring,
you always find the beauty in everything.

You always cherish special moments, you don’t let them pass you by,
family outings, hanging with friends, or with Grandma baking pies.

You are strong and resolute, oriented in routine,
though people grow and interests change, a part of life as you have seen.

An articulate and detailed artist, you always take your time,
From drawing pics to writing stories, or coming up with rhymes!

For the pace you finish your tasks doesn’t matter, go at your own comfortable pace,
For as Aesop wisely said, slow and steady wins the race.

You don’t let your setbacks hold you down, though at times life’s left you scarred,
you put up your blinders, and focus on your goal, no matter if it’s hard.

You can be hard upon yourself, though in itself that’s not a fault,
Just remember to achieve greatness, you mustn’t put your life at a halt.

Through your pain you keep on marching, with all your strength and might,
You’re strong and resilient, steadfast and brave, your future sure is bright!

Nobody’s perfect, and neither are you,
but to yourself you always stay true.

Best of all…
You never change who you are to fit in with the crowd,
you’re awesome just the way you are, no need to hide, be PROUD!