Sunsets on the BoulevardAre different between city and village.In the city, light reflectsOff of glass, off of metal.Lawyers and business men leave the train,Smoking cigarettes as they walk home.Cats slink through alleyways,Curling up for another sleepy night,But the rest of the city doesn’t sleep;Everyone is restless, for it seems the dayNever ends in the city.In the village shadows bounceOff of trees and the cars parkedIn driveways.A mother holds her daughter’s handAs they walk home,Careful to...

I am a woman, a stereotype, a cliché. How must I act? What must I wear? The eternal struggle of being 'ladylike' seems as punishing as ever. As I made my way out of my mother's womb and entered this unbecoming world, I carried with me what some might refer to as a manual. I wasn't aware of this at the time, but it soon became apparent to me when I received my first instruction at the age of six. Good girls don't sit with their legs wide apart. I questioned it. I demanded a reasoning, an explanat...

My wooden swing was my horse, the pine needles that fell in abundance my hay. The blue slide was the river I’d fish in and the broken fence was my stable. I grew up in this oasis of creativity, this endless state of make-believe. Spending hours on end in my backyard, I began to develop my sense of imagination that would carry me throughout all my life. I was always seeing things as they could be, rather than what they were.This is something I’ve carried with me each and every day, always strivin...

Education is the key to a prosperous life, both materially and mentally. It also offers an opportunity to become professionally successful, regardless of your socio-economic background. Furthermore, much of it is provided for free, via our school systems.I am fortunate to meet and study among some incredibly talented and driven people who utilize the school system to its fullest extent. We learn for long hours, knowing that we are doing the right thing. Sadly, many of my school's students don’t...

I was sour, being dragged to a bazar* todayCoughed and spluttered throughout the wayIt was only on Saturdays and MondaysSo imagine the utter chaos of that place!'Dear God do people actually like this? Serenity and peace don't they miss? 'To give it a try, I shut my eyes and counted from fiveYou'll be surprised to know what happened when I opened my eyesStretched overhead was a vast clear blue skySpeckled with birds that merrily flyWafted, the tantalizing smell of shriveled spices of all sortsI g...

This week was international week in our school, and we all had to make posters in our classes and make a pledge to one of the global goals. The global goals are goals by the United Nations to help the world be a better place by 2030, which really is not that far away.I pledged to goal number 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure. The goal for global goal 9 is that by 2030 we will have and make more eco-friendly technologies and machinery, more sustainable industries and more reliable sourc...

It's been years since we attained independence; since we have been free to be. People have changed, the time has too, and so has this country. We've come very far, oh this country of mine! We've fought battles together, some you fought before I came into being, and some you fought while I have been here. And in all those battles, you've been strong. You've proven time and again that whether or not you win, you will keep fighting and have faith in your people. We have faith in you, my country. Wi...

Hi. My name is Rida and I'm 14 years old. I'm from Pakistan but I am born and raised in Saudi Arabia. A big part of who I am is that I'm quite vulnerable with people. Strength to me is being vulnerable with yourself and others as well. To those who don't have a clear idea as to what vulnerability means, it is the ability to be easily physically, emotionally, or mentally hurt, influenced, or attacked.A lot of people in my class think that being vulnerable or even crying is a sign of weakness. Wel...

I am an alumnus of the New York City Junior Ambassador program, a Dominican-American girl, a big sister, an eighth grader worried about getting into a good high school, and a concerned global citizen. In 2030 I will be 26 years old. But I don’t want to wait until then to make a difference. We can start doing things now so the future could be a better place for every living thing. Last year, in the seventh grade my classmates and I studied the Sustainable Development Goals with our teachers, Mr....