September 2021

 The woodpecker pecks at the tree peck, peck, peck with a calming sound as I walk by. I wonder what it’s looking for (bugs? ants?), so diligently pecking at. The bird is yellow, a bit smaller than a hawk. He seems to look at me, for a second. Then he flexes his wings and leaps off a branch, gliding through the air like a paper airplane, as if to say, Farewell. Summer Loh, 8New York, NY

Beneath the protection of its strong branches, I hear birds chirping and singing their songs. The leaves rustle as squirrels race to their nests. The tree is high, thick, and rough. There is a bud of a flower on top of the leaves that I hope will bloom one day. And I see some birds that months from now will be miles away. Bits of bark float off into the air as leaves bow down gracefully to the high and mighty winds. Summer Loh, 8New York, NY

~Sylvia If the sky is blue, then fly with me! If the sun is bright, then fly with me! If the sea is rough, then fly with! If you have wings, then fly with me! If the wind blows through your wings, then fly with me! Come here and fly with me! ~Parwana The sky is dark, please help me! The sun is sad, please help me! The sea is stormy, please help me! My wings are small, please help me! The butterflies are afraid, please help me! My world is ignored, please help me! I am a refugee, please help me! Please help me! Help me! ~Sylvia & Parwana Never be scared! We are together, with no fear! We are together, full of courage! We are together, with strong fists! We are together, with powerful steps! We are together, to fly and spy in the air! We are together, to make a storm of happiness! We are together, to stand up against all odds! We are together, no one can stop us! Because We are together, we are together! Parwana Amiri, 16Herat Province, Afghanistan;Ritsona Refugee Camp, Greece About the Project There are millions of children affected by war, social collapse, and climate change now living in refugee camps, or dispersed in host countries far from their original homes. The work that appears here is a part of Stone Soup’s growing collection of creative expression by young people whose lives have been upended by such conflict throughout the world. To explore the entire collection, please visit the Stone Soup Refugee Project online: https://stonesoup.com/refugee-project/