Rishad Syed

I am the canvas
woven from diverse threads of ethnicity,
colored in the vibrant hues of my identity.
I am the tapestry of social change,
the whispered murmur of unity so strange.

My culture is like the Mighty Oak,
anchored deep, a resilient cloak,
to withstand the thunderous storms that shatter,
ever reminding, that I truly matter.

Through foggy lenses of prejudice I’ve seen,
twisted faces, lost in the mean.
Minds chained in the iron shackles of hate,
yet, the call of equality does not abate.

I see the world fractured, but not broken,
with every hushed affliction unspoken,
mental health, a silent plea,
behind a curtain only few can see.

If I could quell one torment, let it be this,
the torment of a mind lost in abyss,
an inward spiral, a suffocating bend,
the unseen scourge we need to mend.

Embracing diversity, embodying solidarity,
breaking walls, building bridges in clarity.
A demand for equality, justice, respect,
ensuring no more lives are wrecked.

I paint a story of climate’s blare,
yet most stand deaf to its frigid scare.
One stroke for forests, destroyed and tatters,
another for ice that silently shatters.

My belief is stitched into every line
of this shared existence, yanked in time.
In solace I find power, like a lonesome bower,
nurturing a thought, a blooming flower.

This world a tapestry, its weft and warp exact,
time will tell, of tears and joy intact.
Now I urge, let us all converge,
towards tolerance, where love and understanding emerge.

Shaped by these struggles, I navigate my day,
thread by thread, in my own intimate way.
Every loom has intricate beauty unseen,
in this tapestry that is mortal and serene.

To gather threads of every color, every creed,
we forge a world where wounded hearts can feed.
In unity we craft, weave understanding vast,
a shared tapestry of futures, we hope, forever last.

–

Rishad is a high school student. They are interested in literature and enjoy telling stories. They often participate in competitions and handle tough situations effectively.