This poem was a highly commended entry in the 2019 Words Unlocked poetry contest hosted by the Center for Educational Excellence in Alternative Settings.
As she flies higher and higher
She finally feels free again
No Worries
No problems
Just the occasional bird
Also free of worries and problems
As she reaches the summit
She has her life planned out
Her dreams
Her passion
Her responsibility
All being shone before her eyes
But what she knows from previous life lessons
Is that what goes up must come down
But she will not lose her touch
She is smart
She is talented
She is unique
Free of flaws and imperfections
She is what every girl wants to be
She is unstoppable
She is determined
She will not let anything get in between
Her goals
Her dreams
Her life
As I awake from my dream
I sit up
And I look around my cell
Disappointment
Sadness
Failure
Cloud my thoughts
And fill my brain
I want to be
Who I am meant to be
I am meant to be
Who I am created to be
But I’m created to be me
So that’s who I’ll be.
Samantha attends school at the Golden Ridge Juvenile Hall in California.