To Speak With the Dead

To speak with the dead
If you want them to hear you
You must roll
Like the crash of thunder
Or the beat of the drum
You must whisper
Like the cry of the wind
Or the path of an arrow
You must soothe them
Like the crackle of the fire
Or the footprint of a snowflake
You must prowl through their forgotten hearts
Caressing and prodding
Like the swirl of the fog
Or the slow beat of the rain
If you want to be heard
When you speak with the dead

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Maggie Gallagher, age 11
Category II (Grades 3-6) 2008 Grand Prize Winner
Berkeley, California
Poetry Inside Out
Teacher: John Oliver Simon