Like Maya said Still I rise
I rise like the sun on another beautiful day
Glowing
Shining
Illuminating all the love there is to be given
Providing warmth to those that love me
I rise so that I may help others rise
I rise to bring joy and grace and intelligence and
I rise to show the world all the blessings I’ve been given

But I also set like the sun
I pause to ponder and question and reminisce
I pause under the gleam of the moon to cherish the friends that I’ve made and the memories
we’ve created under the stars
I pause to admire my shadows and how they look dancing in the dim light
To give thanks for the opportunities that came to light in the sunshine
And to prepare for more in the future

And in the morning I rise again
I have the radiance of a soul so genuinely happy that i can wake the masses
And in my wake the world is a better place
A kinder place
A place where the evil in the shadows cannot prosper

Like the sun is a collection of atoms
I am a collection of my experiences
Some heavy and dragging like Nitrogen
And others light and fleeting like Helium
But all necessary to react and combine for balance, hovering around a steady equilibrium of
contentment/ fulfillment

I am the sun in all of its parts
The hurt of a stinging burn
The love of a warm burst of sunshine
The confusion of a blinding light
The beauty of a golden day

I am the Sun

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                                                                                                      Alexis Ellerbe is a senior cheerleader at Rice University from Hanszen College. She is majoring in Biosciences, has been accepted into University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston where she intends to go into surgery. Alexis also loves to write fiction stories. This poem is a love letter to herself, to the things that she’s accomplished, and to the joy and kindness she tries to bring to other’s lives. In her free time, Alexis likes to watch movies (especially Marvel films), go on adventures, and read.