What the World Needs Now

When I went to Hoover high school this week to visit Ms. Macias-Meade’s 9th grade class, we introduced her class to the KidsWrite Writing Contest theme for 2021: What the World Needs Now. She played them an amazing video by Tank and the Bangas & Friends, and while we were filled with inspiration, we did free writes on what we think the world needs now. 

Afterwards, I put my free write up on the Zoom shared screen (Oh yeah, I did!) and turned it into the poem below. On Thursday, students will share their free writes. They will spend the next week turning them into poetry. I can’t wait to see what the teens of today have to say about our world.

I am the World.

I need your love.

I need your diverse touch.

I need you to send healing thoughts

and vibes and prayers.

It doesn’t matter what color you are or what

language you speak.

I don’t care what your political or gender 

identity is.

I am the World.

I need you to accept each other.

I need you to be equal to each other.

You don’t have to agree on everything.

You simply need to surround each other with

compassion and empathy.

I am the World.

I need you to take action.

Don’t ask “Why?” in disbelief.

Believe that you can take a step toward healing

me . . . and healing you.

Nurture and respect my waters and my land

and my skies.

I am the World.

I see you.

You are but a speck in the universe, but

together you can be huge and significant.

Join your hands and your hearts.

Make your loving and diverse touch felt

around my world.