{"id":849,"date":"2025-12-01T10:36:30","date_gmt":"2025-12-01T15:36:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/?p=849"},"modified":"2026-02-10T13:58:44","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T18:58:44","slug":"gratitude-poem-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/gratitude-poem-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"A Poem of Gratitude, Written by the Writopia Community"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Dear Writopia Friends and Family,&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We are so grateful for our community that creates such beautiful poetry together in both the literary and social context. Thank you to all of the members of our community who contributed to this poem including young writers, parents, guardians, school teachers, Writopia instructors, staff, and more. And thank you to those who are able to give to our end-of-year campaign at the bottom of this letter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted has-text-align-center\"><strong>Still Hopeful\n<\/strong>By Us<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">I hope that you will find my notes\u2026\n        I hope for a world that accepts people that are outside the box \n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        That you you are guided by light\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        and can forgive yourself\n \t\t<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        And for us to walk on the bridge of leaves beneath the clouds\n\t\t\t\t\tFor a happier future\n\t\t\t\t\t\tTo keep having you\t\n\n\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        I am delighted by the change in seasons, the multihued world of a Hudson\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        Valley fall, cool breezes, and the sharp crunch of leaves beneath my feet.\n\t\t\tA part of the winds and grass\n\n\nI love myself. \n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        I am not everything I wanted to be two years ago but I am more than I was.<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        \n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        I am still finding my place in the universe.\n\tStill hopeful\n\nI am a person, first of all. Someone worthy of love. Someone worthy to share love\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        Your blanket to keep you warm\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        Glad to have you\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        The writer of my own story.\n\n\nI am Invited to the forgotten table to sit with those who see\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        My four block walk home from the B train station\u2014the autumn leaves pile up by the side \n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        of the park and only distant streetlights light my way.\n\t\tThe taste of rain on my tongue\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        Chicago in the winter\t\n\t\t\t\tNight\u2026 and slow humming quiet\n\n\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        I love the laughter of my family around our table, the joy of gathering\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        together for holidays, the gift of friendship for those who might feel sad.\n\t\t\tAnd my family who helped me through all my trying times.\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        Chocolate chip banana bread; the people in my life\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        The twinkle in your eyes\t\n\n\nI hope that I will help people be kinder.\t\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        And that the world will become more just, but I know that all that I can do is practice what\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        I want to see.\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        I hope for better tomorrows, for an end to war and bloodshed, for the love of men \n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">       <meta charset=\"utf-8\"> <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        and women of goodwill.\n\t<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        That the world will gain peace\n\t<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        To hear myself breathe\n\n\nI will change from who I am now,\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        And cringe at what are now my favorite parts of myself, but honor the present.\n\t\tI will use kindness as my byword to rebuke negativity.\n\t\t\tI will breathe alongside garden\u2019s morning mist.\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        I will exhale finally and see stars in the darkness\n\t\t\t\t\tI will Hold your hand forever even when you grow old\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        I will never stop telling your story.\n\n\nI believe that we can keep going and that we can all be a little kinder.\n\tNothing will stop my love for you.\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        I believe in the beauty of little things - small moments that color days and subtle\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        looks and unfunny jokes that make me laugh.\n\t\t\t\tI believe in the magic of our shared cups of laughter.\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        I believe the owls are calling my name.\n\n\nI remember my little brother\u2019s face when he played violin for me for the first time.\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        The joys of youth when life seemed limitless, and I try to invoke that same delight as I \n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        progress into older age.\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        My magical first snowfall, our morning walks of summer, I was in Pre-K\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        Doing my first math competition, Your little unsteady steps.\n\t<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        I remember sleeping and waking and dreaming,\n\t\t<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        What I thought we could be,\n\t\t<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        \tStruggling because I was fighting against the flow\n\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        I remember what pain feels like. Still doesn\u2019t stop me from taking risks, though.\n\t<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        I remember the way people around me make me feel\n\t\t<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        I remember very little of what I thought would hurt me forever\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        in very much detail\n\n\nI am thankful for more than I thought I could be as I grow older.\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        I am thankful for void and space and sound and silence that\u2019s mine.\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        I am thankful for how beautiful my journey on this Earth has been so far.\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        The ability to study what and where I want to study\n\t\t\t<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        For the midnight moon's songs in my sleep\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        I am thankful for my husband, my children, my grandchildren, my friends\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        My best friend\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        My children and my health\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        For people who try to be kind every day, even when it\u2019s hard, even when the world isn\u2019t \n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        kind to them, even when they don\u2019t.\n\t<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        For You.\n\t\t<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        For everything that makes you, you.\n\n\nI know sometimes I\u2019m too hard on myself - I also know I need to change that.\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        I know that learning never ends, that love goes on beyond the borders of life, that \n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        kindness is the antidote for loneliness, and that having good health is everything.\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        I know I\u2019ll forever see you in the robins\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        I know I am special no matter who puts me down,\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        My left hand is made of my town's lake.\n<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        I know I exist in this world for a reason,\n\t<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        That mistakes happen.\n\t\t<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        I have the strength to carry on\n\t\t\t<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        I am valued.\n\t\t\t\t<meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        <meta charset=\"utf-8\">        Life is good, life is beautiful.\n\nI know we will last.\nYou also do!\n\n<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p>We are grateful for your creative spirit and your generosity throughout the year. We\u2019ve already raised $10,000 toward our end of the year campaign. Please&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/writopialab.us19.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=4bbae34d2f35a71d5195e09a7&amp;id=3c82fd47c7&amp;e=45b22bde1c\" target=\"_blank\">donate to help us reach our goal<\/a>&nbsp;to be able to provide sliding scale options and scholarships to all who need them in 2026.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled\"><div class=\"robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon sd-sharing\"><h3 class=\"sd-title\">Share this article:<\/h3><div class=\"sd-content\"><ul><li class=\"share-facebook\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-facebook-849\" class=\"share-facebook sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/gratitude-poem-2025\/?share=facebook\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Facebook\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-twitter\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-twitter-849\" class=\"share-twitter sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/gratitude-poem-2025\/?share=twitter\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Twitter\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-pocket\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"\" class=\"share-pocket sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/gratitude-poem-2025\/?share=pocket\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Pocket\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-reddit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"\" class=\"share-reddit sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/gratitude-poem-2025\/?share=reddit\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Reddit\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-print\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"\" class=\"share-print sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/gratitude-poem-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to print\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to print (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-end\"><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dear Writopia Friends and Family,&nbsp; We are so grateful for our community that creates such beautiful poetry together in both the literary and social context. Thank you to all of the members of our community who contributed to this poem including young writers, parents, guardians, school teachers, Writopia instructors, staff, and more. And thank you &hellip;<\/p>\n<div class=\"sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled\"><div class=\"robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon sd-sharing\"><h3 class=\"sd-title\">Share this article:<\/h3><div class=\"sd-content\"><ul><li class=\"share-facebook\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-facebook-849\" class=\"share-facebook sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/gratitude-poem-2025\/?share=facebook\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Facebook\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-twitter\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-twitter-849\" class=\"share-twitter sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/gratitude-poem-2025\/?share=twitter\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Twitter\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-pocket\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"\" class=\"share-pocket sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/gratitude-poem-2025\/?share=pocket\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Pocket\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-reddit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"\" class=\"share-reddit sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/gratitude-poem-2025\/?share=reddit\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Reddit\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-print\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"\" class=\"share-print sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/gratitude-poem-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to print\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to print (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-end\"><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9aRpX-dH","jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":706,"url":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/teen-open-mic-april-2025\/","url_meta":{"origin":849,"position":0},"title":"Teen Open Mic - April 2025","date":"May 1, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"By L\u00e9na Roy, Director of Teen Programs, Writopia Lab On Saturday, April 26th, Writopia hosted another Teen Open Mic event in partnership with the esteemed Nuyorican Poets Cafe. Writopia has long partnered with the Nuyorican, but it wasn\u2019t until a year and a half ago that we were approached with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Events&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screen-Shot-2025-05-01-at-1.31.39-PM.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":549,"url":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/writopias-international-debate-tournament-february-1st-2025\/","url_meta":{"origin":849,"position":1},"title":"Writopia's International Debate Tournament - February 1st 2025","date":"February 5, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Written by Shanille Martin, Head of Writopia Lab's Debate Program Writopia alongside our partner's Debate Spaces hosted another one of our international debate tournaments on Saturday, February 1st, 2025. Rounds began at 8 AM Eastern Time. Debaters argued topics like whether voting should be mandatory, the sale of unhealthy foods\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Events&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Screenshot-64.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":338,"url":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/two-weeks-later-by-lena-roy-and-rebecca-wallace-segall\/","url_meta":{"origin":849,"position":2},"title":"Two Weeks Later by Lena Roy, Associate Creative Director of Programs, and Rebecca Wallace-Segall, Executive Director","date":"March 27, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"It\u2019s the first day of the staff retreat, 2020, March 12 to be exact. We are in the middle of nowhere in a beautiful retreat center in Connecticut, trees starting to bloom, purple crocuses pushing up their heads, reminding us that spring indeed does follow winter. COVID-19 still seems far\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Staff Voices&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":950,"url":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/my-first-debate-tournament-as-specialty-programs-coordinator\/","url_meta":{"origin":849,"position":3},"title":"Rising to the Occasion at My First Debate Tournament","date":"April 10, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Written by Imani Parker, Specialty Programs Coordinator On March 14th, 2026, thirteen Writopia debaters bravely logged onto Zoom to take part in an abbreviated World Schools Style debate tournament alongside our partners at Debate Spaces. They competed internationally, going up against debaters from different parts of the world.\u00a0 It was\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Staff Voices&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Image_20260410_122925_759.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":310,"url":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/foreword-to-the-wricampia-horror-anthology-2019-by-jacquelyn-stolos-program-coordinator\/","url_meta":{"origin":849,"position":4},"title":"The Horror! : On Encouraging Young Writers to Dig into Fear by Jacquelyn Stolos, Program Coordinator","date":"October 15, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Jacquelyn Stolos is a new staff member at Writopia Lab in Los Angeles As a new staff member at Writopia, I was thrilled to spend two weeks at WriCampia teaching, thinking, and exploring alongside the world\u2019s most literary campers last August--what a dream! And more, I had the opportunity to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Staff Voices&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/PatchLargeWhite.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":408,"url":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/national-newsletter-2021\/","url_meta":{"origin":849,"position":5},"title":"National Newsletter 2021","date":"July 1, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Pictured are three of our many long-term Writopians who graduate from high school this year! Student Publication Highlights 2020-2021 Abey Weitzman won a Scholastic Silver Medal for his senior portfolio, \u201cDisability.\u201d Watch his powerful graduation speech below in which he mentions Writopia Lab.Analia Rivera had a piece accepted to Alphabet\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Newsletter&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Screen-Shot-2021-07-01-at-10.42.39-AM-edited.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/849"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=849"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/849\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":945,"href":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/849\/revisions\/945"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=849"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=849"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=849"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}