Greg Sellers
All Saints’ Episcopal School
Vicksburg, Mississippi

Before I begin I would like to thank Pamela Michael, Susan Sarratt, Robert Hass, River of Words, John Cole, and the Library of Congress Center for the Book for the opportunity to be here today. It is your hard work and dedication that helps to make our world a better place to live. For that, I am truly thankful.

The Power of Words
By Leo Rosten

They sing. They hurt. They teach. They sanctify.
They were man’s first immeasurable feat of magic.
They liberated us from ignorance and our barbarous past.
For without these marvelous scribbles which build
letters into words, words into sentences, sentences
into systems and sciences and creeds, man would be
forever confirmed to the self-isolated prison of the cuttlefish or the chimpanzee.
We live by words: Love, Truth, God.
We fight for words: Liberty, Glory, Honor.
They bestow the priceless gift of articulacy on
our minds and hearts from “ Mama” to “infinity.”
And those who truly shape our destiny, the giants
who teach us,inspire us, lead us to deeds of immortality,
are those who use words with clarity, grandeur, and
passion: Socrates, Jesus, Luther, Lincoln, Churchill.
Give thanks for words’ endless riches.

This poem, “ The Power of Words,” by Leo Rosten is an eloquent reminder of just how important language is to our lives. And it is this power, this inspiring strength that both words and the visual arts possess that brings us here today. We witness it, first hand, in the poems and images created by these gifted, young students. Their award-winning words not only inspire and move us from within, they also awaken our awareness to the natural, outer world that surrounds us. The late poet Howard Nemerov once remarked that a poem was “an act of attention.” And we can extend his definition by saying any art form is “ an act of attention” when it encourages its audiences to recognize that which they have been too busy to notice before. As each of you have discovered today, this year’s River of Words winning entries truly serve this function. They make us see what we often overlook or take for granted.

But I want you young poets and artists to understand that the power of your words and images is simply not enough. You must not rely solely on your created works to move others to action. Your role must extend beyond writing a poetic line or painting that perfect picture. You must be willing to convey your ideas, views, and convictions, particularly those on environmental issues, through actions.

On Thursday, the award winners and their families had the enjoyable opportunity of taking a canoe trip down the Anacostia River. It was through this excursion that we gained a better understanding of how one urban environment can adversely affect its watershed. We also learned how organizations like the Anacostia Watershed Society are truly making a difference in protecting and preserving our rivers and watersheds. This past Earth Day, the Anacostia Watershed Society coordinated a community river cleanup project. 500 volunteers at four locations along the Anacostia collected 10 tons of trash.

With this in mind, just imagine what might happen if every poet, artist, and teacher who participated in River of Words acted beyond the intrinsic power of their words and works. Just think what a difference we could make. This year alone, there were nearly 10,000 entries into the River of Words contest. What if every one of these individuals dedicated one day to proactively improving the environment? What if each participant adopted 1 mile of shoreline or riverbank and cleaned it up? What would be the result? Possibly 10,000 miles doesn’t seem like much, but comparing it to something tangible like the Mississippi River, which runs between 2,300-2,500 miles (depending upon your source of reference) , this distance becomes more significant.

So I challenge you today to be as creative with your actions as you are with your words and art. By doing this, your hopes, wishes, and dreams are no longer just possibilities; they can become realities. And remember, let your line lead the way.