The Pen!

Rebecca is a young cousin of mine whose mother (so young herself!) battled with cancer for several years and finally died this spring. Her dad shared this poem of Rebecca’s as part of his own grieving process and they both gave permission for me to use it on this site.

The Pen!

You use a pen for feelings
You write it down on paper
People can see you through the pen
You use a pen to show who you really are
When you use a pen the writing is from the heart
You can just scribble and its still from you
When someone dies or is sick write it down with a pen
You are the ink
You lead the pen
Let the pen flow
Put you on the Paper
You can use a pen to talk
You can use a pen to cry
You can use a pen to tell others how you feel
You can use your memories as your ink
You can use
your life as your ink
If you are sad take a pen write your feelings
write your
love
write your life
Write a story write a poem use the Pen however you want
Show you in the ink use yourself as your writing
If you go through hard times use a pen and go go go!
Use your passion for things
Use your love for things
Take a pen and go leave your life in the ink
Keeps you restored in writing
Keeps you restored in the Pen
Keeps your life going through the Pen
Take a pen and go go go!

–by Rebecca Lytle (age 9)

What a gift of hope this poem is! What a blessing to know that Rebecca has been given the pen (and the wisdom to use it) as an outlet. You know, I can grieve with her for her tragedy but with this poem I can also rejoice with her and in her. So I just want to say “Thank you, Rebecca, for the reminder and the inspiration in the Pen.”