By Samir Sogani, age 12, California.

Everyone bows before a supreme force, our Sun.
Everyone, to live, relies on our Sun.

A beacon of hope to travelers on Earth,
When the moon is cast aside by our Sun.

It gives energy for greens to grow and thrive,
No leaves, no air, without our Sun.

Some myths call it a god, burning bright;
Others say even gods serve our Sun.

We now know it’s not divine, just a flaming ball of gas.
However, many still believe the myths that a god is our Sun.

Compared to some stars, it’s barely a spark.
Compared to others, colossal is our Sun.

Children say, “My parents are like the Sun.”
But even parents owe their life to the Sun.

We take for granted air, fire and breath,
Each one a gift returned by our Sun.

Even scientists cannot grasp its full weight;
Thousands of Earths would fit in our Sun.

One day Samir, all will vanish into the emptiness of space.
But not today. We still burn with our Sun.

By Samir Sogani, age 12, California. Samir adds: “I am Indian American, I speak English and Spanish but I grew up listening to Hindi and Telugu at home. I have been very lucky to travel around the world with my family—from the ancient temples of Cambodia to the ruins of Machu Picchu. Everywhere I go, people are connected by the Sun, and I wrote this poem to reflect on the impact of humans on nature and how we take the Sun and Earth for granted. I am hoping the readers leave with wanting to take better care of our natural resources before it is too late.”