Godfrey-Lee — Since Lee Middle and High School’s newly renovated library and innovation center opened earlier this year, sophomore and lifelong reader Arianna Wheeler said she is often immersed in stories she finds on library shelves.
She said one of her favorite books that she checks out over and over again is a collection of poetry written by singer and songwriter Halsey, titled “I Would Leave Me If I Could.”
Arianna put her own poetry skills to work when her beloved high school library received Model 21st Century School Library status from the Library of Michigan and Michigan Department of Education, writing a piece to read at the dedication ceremony.
You can read Arianna’s poem in full below:
A poem on the occasion of Godfrey-Lee’s “School Library of the 21st Century” endorsement
By Arianna Wheeler
Something’s shaped everybody
And everybody’s shaped me
I fought off isolation a lot as a kid
Whether I was grounded or jumping friend
Group
To friend group…
There was never a win.
I fought battles silently, alone in my head.
Then, I learned to fight the bad thoughts…
…with the books that I read.
There’s a book for everybody.
Otherwise, it’s not a library.
There’s some libraries so big they’re the
stuff of legends.
But libraries begin where the home
and the heart is.
And from science geeks, and heartbreak
lovers,
Fairytales to magazine covers, WWII books,
and lines on a page that form poems which I
read every day…
…I remember the first time I found myself
on a page.
And that’s what makes a reader.
Every section has it’s phase,
Now I’m here today to say
Something so great
That it’s brought us all together.
No matter how far we stray–there are
laptops with books which are also on
phones–
Connections embedded from pages we
read stuck in our domes.
That’s what reading is. IT’S A
CONNECTION–IT’S A HOME
That’s what it is for me, a place to belong.
‘Cause when the world gets too much to
handle, I’m certain I can always find safety
with a book in my arms.
It could be
Batman
Or poetry
Halsey
Taylor Swift
Harry Potter
Twilight
The Hunger Games…
It has words. I’ll read it.
People may tell us we aren’t alone
And that’s true
With my connection and comfort a book
offers
We’ll never be alone
We’ll always have a home
Within the pages we condone
This poem is presented as part of School News Network’s Student Voices series, in partnership with Godfrey-Lee Public Schools.
Read more from Godfrey-Lee:
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• Sophomore proves to herself and others: ‘I can do anything’
