CHICAGO — Delilah Rivera hopes her award-winning poetry can inspire other young girls.
A poem by 12-year-old Delilah called “Don’t Change” was selected from hundreds to appear in an upcoming collection from the America Library of Poetry called "Eloquence." Delilah's poem focuses on young women, encouraging them to show inner beauty and appreciate their education. It starts:
Don't let a person change you. Why?
Because you are you, no one can change you but you.
“I honestly wrote the poem just to tell the school more about just because you’re a girl doesn’t mean you’re any less valuable,” Delilah said. “I didn’t really write it for winning, because even if I didn’t win I was still going to be happy that I told girls you shouldn’t be so unconfident because you’re beautiful just the way you are.”
Delilah said she's been bullied and been down on herself, but the seventh-grader doesn't let it get to her anymore. Instead, she said she reminds herself that she has a lot to live for. She wrote "Don't Change" so other girls would realize that and feel better about themselves.
“I want them to feel very happy,” Delilah said. “I want them to feel very confident inside and that they’re beautiful inside and out and that they should be happy that they are going to a school and they should be happy that they’re actually living today.”
"Don't Change" was published in Delilah's school paper at Horizon Science Academy Belmont, and it helped girls in her class, where she read it aloud, she said.
Delilah, who has been writing poetry since second grade and said she became more serious about it in fifth grade, plans to continue writing poetry that can inspire people. She plans to read a new poem at an upcoming talent show at the school.
“I’m extremely happy that I won, and I honestly can’t wait for other girls to read my poem,” she said.
"Don't Change"
Don't let a person change you. Why?
Because you are you, no one can change you but you.
It doesn't matter if you want to be an inventor, biologist, actor, who cares?
It's who you are. Don't cover your face with makeup, foundations, even eye shadow.
Show us your inner beauty. Everyone, including you, is kind, emotional, happy, frustrated...
We all have emotions but don't let them control you.
Trust me, I've been through it all, bullying, frustration, madness, you name it.
Don't let one kid push you back because you worked hard to be where you are.
You deserve to have a proper education. Yes, it gets harder and harder, but when you think about it,
you need to say I'm proud for who I am. I earned this.
It doesn't matter if you're black, white, Latino, it doesn't matter as long as you are you.
When you go home, look in a mirror, take off your makeup and say, 'I'm proud to be on this Earth. I'm proud to have an education," but most importantly, say, "I'm proud of who I am."
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