If You Have an Imagination, You Have Freedom

I want to share a fantastic poem with you this morning. It was written by our friend Raven, who is 11. And let me just say right now that this poem is as good, or better than, many I've read that were written by professional poets. Raven often tells her mom that she wants to be a writer when she grows up and her mother reminds her that she already is.

I completely agree.

What Freedom Means to Me

You ask what freedom means to me,
you want to know, ill say. Freedom is
the sky to the birds and their right to
fly away.

Freedom’s the song the crickets sing,
to lull their people to sleep.
Freedom’s the imagination of children,
thinking deep.

Freedom’s the sound of a mother,
cheering for her child.
Freedom’s a herd of horses, always
running wild.

Freedom’s two men hugging,
one is black and one is white.
Freedom’s a young girl fighting,
in the cover of the night.
Freedom’s brave men dying,
for what belongs to them.
Freedom’s a woman singing,
a lovely religious hymn.

Freedom’s people excepting,
one another for their race.
Freedom’s children frolicking,
in a large wide open space.

Freedom’s a small boy dreaming,
that he’s a proud and honorable knight.
Freedom’s a mother working,
for her family with all her might.

So you ask what freedom means to me,
and I have told you clear.
My poem is done,
for no you know,
that freedom is very dear.

And she has a little postscript to the poem, which is just as nice as the poem itself...
Freedom is the rights of people everywhere. We are still working for freedom in many ways yet we have attained many types of freedom. If you have an imagination, you have freedom. Freedom is a dream. Freedom is hope.

More background- Raven's teacher submitted this to an Elk's club competition and she won first place. After her mom told her that she'd won and asked her if she'd like to know what the prize was, Raven replied, "It doesn't matter. I won!"