I've always had friends, but at times I've felt lonely and sad. It was only then I was able to discover that I had two friends I never thought I had. One day my English teacher asked me to write a poem. I was in ninth grade. My teachers had never mentioned writing a poem. As I sat at my desk staring at that blank page, I felt sheer panic. The words that came to my mind didn't seem right. My thoughts became confused; I didn't quite know what to write. I sat there in amazement as I stared at the pile of books on the shelves. How was it possible for these authors to write?

I almost felt like crying. I didn't want to write just anything. I don't really understand how I wrote that poem, but I did. It was as if my heart, my soul, my inner being, and mind suddenly became one. I realized that I enjoyed writing because it helped me to deal with all types of emotions - happiness, sadness, or love. The use of words comforts and saves me when there is no one to turn to. Writing isn't something that I do because I feel I have to, but because it's a way of survival. Some people resort to other ways of dealing with human emotions; I simply write.

Words in a sense speak louder than actually saying them out loud or actions. The words flow from my mind to my heart and then to the pen I hold in my hand. Sometimes writing creates fear because I learn things I've never known about myself or wanted to run away from; yet I'm simultaneously happy that I found out. It has forced me to look into the eyes of my soul and heart to realize who I am. I will always cherish and never take for granted my friends - paper and pen. -