Last spring my class was reading a short fictional story called Flowers for Algernon. It is about a mentally retarded man, named Charlie, who really wants to learn. He wanted to learn to read and write so badly he was going to have an operation to triple his IQ, which was 68, even though there were serious risks. Algernon is the name of the mouse that was going to have the same operation. Fearing I will give it away, I really don’t want to say more about the story than that.
It is an excellent book. One that really makes you think about life. The story shows you that even though people may have a disability, it doesn’t mean they don’t have feelings or opinions.
I finished reading early and started to write a poem about my thoughts. In the poem, when I write about how you try so hard for so long, I am saying how people with disabilities must try incredibly hard to do things that I can do easily and I must not take it for granted. Kids complain about homework all the time. But anyone who has the ability to learn without a disability should see it as a gift. We should treasure it because for some people it does not come as easily and they would do anything for it.
Here is my poem:
Life gives you lemons,
you make lemonade.
Life gives you nothing,
and nothing is made.
You try all your life,
to be right not wrong.
You fight through the hard times,
but the hard times are very long.
Life isn’t fair,
even in your dreams.
Life can be a nightmare,
with people being mean.
Life makes you smile,
angry, or frown.
Life brings your sprit up,
even when it’s down.
Life hurts and pleases,
laughs and cries.
Life throws you a curve ball,
and says TRY.
By Kyra Citron