Are you a Pen or a Pencil?

by Hannah Whaley
(Graham NC)

If I had to choose between being a pen or a pencil
I’d be a pen
The pencils will start to erode until there is nothing left of them
Their marks on the world will be unreadable, erased, and blurry
While my marks will be permanent
I will be strong and unbreakable
While pencils are on their rough drafts,
I am on my final copy
Yes, I will have errors, marks, lines, faults
But unlike the pencils in this world
I am starting to learn from my mistakes
Unlike pencils I will not be able to go back and erase things
But I will keep writing my life story
Until I have no strength to write no more