In this week’s written meditation, I offer some words from a guest poet. Hamza Mohamed is an eighth-grade writer from Minneapolis. He is a member of the After-School writing lab and the Young Author’s council program at his public middle school. As we move closer to Inauguration Day and as we continue to discern how to respond most faithfully to a new political administration, here is written work and some explanatory words from one of our younger citizens. Titled “If I Was President,” this poem was published recently in the book Let This Be Our Anthem: Call to Action from Young Writers to the Next President.
If I was president
I would help people
and be a good representative
and not lose to profanity
as people stay repetitive
The news would report neatly
as the issues stay relevant
We won’t slack again
I’ll be there for rebuttal
We will get started in a position
of greatness, which is ever so nice
So I’m willing to take risks for the
country and roll the dice
but as for poetic melody
the world is full of treachery
mile to mile betrayal shall
stay under me, I’ll be
the role model, the one
to step up as I must
We win as we stand and forever
God we trust.I wrote this poem because of my current views on the United States presidency. What inspired me the most was the feeling that you can change a person’s view. Upon realizing this, I decided to write ‘If I Was President’ to help show others what I would change if I were ever in charge of a country. The choices of a people who govern our nation are not always favorable to everybody. I tried to put myself in the shoes of those who aren’t heard to voice my thoughts on what could be changed in our society and what could be left behind. I thought about young people like me in the future, and I thought about what ideas I would have for society.
–Hamza Mohamed
Epiphany blessings,
Hamza Mohamed Photo — Courtesy of Deeqo Hashi & poets.org.
