Eric Jia, class of 2025
Beneath a canopy of forested pine,
A single seedling bursts forth,
Cleaving the soil with its mighty stem,
And brushing the crying sky.
Though screened from lively sunlight,
Though pelted by merciless rain,
Though battered by cruel winds,
The seed still grows, mighty and high.
And onward it grows,
Shooting up the azure sky.
Up among the sprightly branches,
It finds the courage to defy.
Always upwards, never downwards,
In its serene perennial climb.
And as months and years pass on –
Decades and centuries and eons –
The once tiny seedling stands tall,
Piercing the heavens,
There it stands.
High and mighty,
As it knows no limits.
Hi, I'm Eric, and I'm a junior at Arcadia High. While brainstorming topics, I was listening to a song from musical describing an open yellow field with tall trees. I was also inspired by the symbolism of a certain plant from a certain play *ahem* A Raisin in the Sun *ahem*. Through this poem, I wanted to convey the triumph felt from overcoming challenges through vivid imagery.