Stories have brought people together for thousands of years. For writers, the process they go through as they create allows them to express their thoughts and opinions. For sixteen-year-old Sofia Baktidy, poetry is her form of expression. It is a way for her to try and understand the things taking place around her. Writing poems allows Sofia to have her own voice in a world where not everyone has such opportunity. Through the Eyes of a Teen is her debuta collection of intelligent, emotive poems, followed by prose that puts each poem in context, allowing readers a better understanding. Many of the poems deal with current events that have in some way affected Sofia, like The Dream, which shows a deep understanding of conflict and human suffering. Ode to a Passing Day connects a workday and World War I with wisdom well beyond her sixteen years. Poetry has allowed Sofia to try and explain her fascination, appreciation, and frustration with the world around her. Today, many problems surround us. Although we may not be able to fix them all, we need to record everything that is happening, both the good and bad, to try to prevent a reoccurrence of negative events. Heres to a brighter future.
