Mika was at a park with her family and was observing how water reacted to obstacles. She then began personifying the water and it was this experience that inspired her poem.

The Miracle of Resilience 

Mika Rae Grade 8 Holy Trinity Catholic High School

Damage surrounding everything, pools of water linger A flood of fear and sadness stretching far and unending Yet even through the painful blue, hopeful life perseveres Young trees will not break in a flood, only bending

Cultivate the greenery that remains in the aftermath And remind yourself of what survived the dark, blue despair Like a tree, you remain unbroken and alive And are free to breathe in the fearless, painless air

Rushing water held back with walls of stone Struggling to keep the fear and pain inside The water tears through the ruptured dam Emotions can only be delayed, not denied.

A roaring torrent smashing everything in its path All the carefully constructed life destroyed by the tide Gasping for breath under the force of your tears Desperately trying to stop, but your hands are tied

Mika Rae is a grade 8 student at Holy Trinity who reads way too many books and writes far too much poetry. She enjoys reading, biking, forests and cheesecake. This is her fourth poetry competition.