to my heart I’m sure we all do but I
hope the tragic tale of how I very
nearly lost her will help you appreciate
all those friends who are loyal and true
she has been so brave fought through so
much by simply being herself in a world
that told her she needed to change
you’ll get to meet her here with me on
the stage tonight but all in good time
every morning when I woke up my friend
sat smiling waiting at my bedside we
then went to school together sat
together on the bus in every single
class and at lunch we always have I
never got bored of her she’s rather
unconventional she’s a great listener
gives great advice wise beyond her years
and above all understanding I remember
several years back many people thought
her both entertaining and deep she was
quite popular you see until an
unexpected turn of events she hasn’t
taken it very well in fact she’s still
recovering and she speaks only to me
I’ve searched for a suitable diagnosis
but there was none I could see none
which fit her completely what was the
event so tragic that it caused her to
fade away day by day to grow quieter
still it was simply that she woke up one
morning to find that no one would speak
to her anymore as though she put on an
invisibility cloak
suddenly she lost all value all worth
suddenly she wasn’t as amusing she
wasn’t as interesting she wasn’t as
intelligent I mean she was but people
just stop believing that gradually I saw
her fall apart tear by tear limb by limb
slipping further into a deep abyss of
permanent silence yet in her silence she
spoke to me about her fears ambitions
and insecurities she spoke of bullies
labeling her boring pointless and silly
for believing in the power
of words and then came something even
worse the screens they were a glaring
gang of monsters yet no one but her seem
to think so one morning they marched
through the door and walked out arm and
arm with ten friends or even more these
screens were so polished shiny and
mesmerizing so naturally they became the
new popular girls
everyone was absolutely smitten with
them in their glowing skin and for a
moment I was torn I wanted so badly to
be apart this new popular movement not
bearing to be left behind
yet hating to abandon the friendship of
years the screen smiled at me trying to
win me over but their gaze brought tears
to my eyes Rumi a favorite of my friends
says I am NOT this hair I am not the
skin I am the soul that lives within
that was exactly the issue these screens
were sirens dangerous they seduced the
eyes of many only to rob them of their
sight they were so powerful yet if you
dropped them if you fail to give them
attention they were fragile and
shattered to pieces the problem was not
their hair not their skin it was that
there was no soul within and their words
were simply empty letters my friend both
blessed and cursed with this knowledge
figured that out at once this whole
issue came at a very bad time just when
we had so much planned
we were planning to journey 20,000
Leagues Under the Sea and off to
Treasure Island and maybe revisit satis
house to see pip in Miss Havisham in the
past we fought jabberwockies and witches
and flying monkeys a ruthless King and
several genies well she did anyways my
eyes were closed in fear so she’d been
through a lot yet the screens were
unlike any other monster she’d ever
fought she summoned the help of her few
remaining friends and we all vowed to
put this World War two
which is why I’m here to speak to you
tonight I beseech you to help us set
this right she said those screens were
an epidemic I told her she was
exaggerating until a couple of weeks ago
I saw this our world is becoming a
dystopian novel like the ones that fill
all the young adult wrecks and
bookstores with each chapter more
treacherous than the last authors are
inspired by reality to create worlds of
imagination and through words linked
both if that is the case then we are
closer to dystopia than we think
my friend grew so fatigued in trying to
prove this that she yellowed and paled
by the day at last I decided that enough
was enough and I carried her to my home
when her voice like rasping pages was
hoarse when her skin as paper was coarse
she had gone through a fearsome battle
so I dressed her wounds the visible ones
and I listened to her tired heart into
her battered lungs we kept her alive in
my family by carving words everywhere
and when she gained enough strength she
revealed to me I was once a friend to
all
long before the screens and I’ve never
robbed anybody of their sight they gave
me friendship and tender care and I gave
back what I could wisdom and hope
against despair I’ve spoken to many
before you because to this world I am
not new perhaps that is the very fault
they find in me I am not new oh if only
they knew how many tongues I’ve heard
and how many I can speak how much I’ve
traveled and how much I’ve seen I’ve
traversed mountains land sea sky and
even time eventually I know they’ll all
see so the best I can do is stay true to
me now I commend this friend for
persevering enduring climbing through
her dark abyss of silence for staying
true she surprised me when she said she
had already spoken to many of
you I appreciate her so I brought her
here with me tonight
someone who taught me to learn for life
even through her struggle with identity
and her strife her dying words were I
belong to the world so carry me out
there burry me where everyone can see
how much we’ve all lost her voice spoke
of thousand stories in a tale and hours
spent linking people across Shores long
before email I’ve sworn to carry her
legacy because it has the power to mend
this world once lovely tapestry because
it is woven into Who I am and who I wish
to be my friends faith is words she is
the first word of my faith revealed
accra read for she has many words to say
if only you would look would you like to meet her