She was a name.
A single compilation from 26 letters
into a single meaning,
a single girl.
She was a name
that survived on the tip of her pen
in the loose pages of her triple-ringed journal.
The word was her identity.
She was a name
at the beginning of a sentence.
Choked from the mouths of her peers
and drowned in the spit of her enemies.
She was a name
at the end of a sentence.
She was a name
like the other billion around her,
like the billion before her,
and the billion after.
She wondered why she gave herself her name.
Why she even had a name.
If she could trade it for a much more pleasant name.
How to spell it.
And what it meant.
She wondered why she was a name.
Not a girl,
but just a name.
Casey “Anuhea” Robins is 17 and in the 12th grade. She lives in O‘ahu, Hawai‘i, and is extremely passionate about sustainability and conservation work. Her love for the land is evident in her writing and artwork. She also enjoys reading fiction, and swimming and surfing at the beach with her family and friends.
Check out KidSpirit newsletters, and get more great content in your inbox!
Art by Jaden Flach, Brooklyn
KidSpirit’s teen editors and contributors around the world believe in a better future. Help empower the next generation to raise their voices and move forward in a spirit of openness and inclusion - make a tax-deductible contribution to KidSpirit today.
KidSpirit, Inc is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
Check out KidSpirit newsletters, and get more great content in your inbox!
Art by Jaden Flach, Brooklyn