To that hidden world out there
Somewhere
Full of peace and kindness
Where everything is always right
Though I love you dearly
I do not envy you
With nothing to fight for
There are no heroes
No fighters or believers
No one to stand against wrong
No one strong
No one with a frown or a tear
No one with any fear
To show us that the world is tough
To teach us to fight back
With fists made of love and compassion
With legs made of strength and bravery
With hearts made of good and bad
People who fight for the ones they love
Teach us to be not right, not wrong
But somewhere in the middle
A world where not everything
Is handed on a silver platter
A world where true heroes belong

Originally published in KidSpirit Online for the Society and the Individual issue.

At the time of writing this poem, Athena Lehnert De Smet was 11 years old and in sixth grade. She lives in Seattle, Washington. Athena enjoys writing, reading, science, jiu jitsu, and playing with her three adorable cats: Oreo, Bear, and Cache-cache.