A Tribute To The Young Warriors by Vaishnavi Jayanti – Grade 12 Student

At the age of 16,

As I go through life,

And challenges that take me by surprise,

I feel a heavy burden in my heart.

And pray for my worries to fall apart.

But then I see,

Little girls and little boys,

At an age so young and tender,

Surviving unimaginable pain and fighting tears

Going through everyone’s biggest fears.

I see these children,

Smiling and standing strong,

When they began to lose their hair.

I see these children,

Who go through the fear of death

But still, smile and stay happy,

Through each and every breath.

I sometimes wonder,

I am sometimes taken by surprise,

Are my worries really that grave,

When even through pain and struggle,

Young cancer warriors stay strong and brave?

And that is why, starting today

Instead of bearing the weight,

Of our little fear and burdens,

Let us rise strong and stand tall,

For the little heroes and warriors,

Who battle every scare,

Every pain and every bruise.

Let us rise together,

And pay our respects,

For the heroes clad in pink.

And rather than fighting through our little struggles,

Let us help them fight cancer,

And give them the hope and love they deserve.