The Home That Taught Life
Artwork by Sunny Sun, age 16, China
Among the ringing bells,
Over the laughter and cheers,
Is a place which bears the mark,
Of all our younger years
The grass fields still burn with spirit,
A stage where battles were bloodily fought,
Victories flaunted and insults hurled,
Become the youthful amusement in our hearts
The bathroom walls hold private whispers,
Its floors soaked in unseen tears,
Yet the ghosts of comforts given and shared,
Haunt the place where feelings showed clear
The classroom desks are witness to the misery,
Which gave birth to daydreams under sunshine,
And in this common place, all the voices remain,
Carrying memories of the second family we made
So we trace the dust in the halls,
Unveiling footprints never erased,
So nostalgically warm yet cruelly cool,
Here is the home we call school
Aangi Shah is an eighth grader currently studying at The Riverside School in Ahmedabad, India. Usually, most will find her diving into the pages of history while blasting Taylor Swift. Just sometimes, you might catch her with a pen in hand, weaving her own little fantasy world.