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I found out that this specific poem was written in the memory of Kazimierz Moczarski. Being the curious girl I am, I of course had to do some research on this special friend of yours. I’m not completely sure how you two became friends, but I think it largely has to do on the fact that you both were a part of the Polish resistance movement. Your friend seemed like a really passionate man; it’s tragic that he died so early due to the brutal torture he received from the police, and I cannot imagine how this must have affected you. As a member of the resistance movement, he was arrested and placed in a prison cell with an executioner as described in his work, Conversations with an Executioner. The fact that he was able to converse with a previous executioner and treat him as a human being, rather than an inhumane killing machine, is truly inspiring.
After reading your piece, as well as finding out more about you, I decided that my seemingly difficult dilemmas were in fact, trivial. In class, I was the girl who sat quietly and attentively took notes. Whenever the teacher asked questions in class, I would avoid eye contact at all costs in fear of being called, or rather, in fear of being wrong. The idea of speaking impromptu (even if it was just sharing my opinion on a certain topic) with all eyes glued to me had always been a nightmare, as I feared judgment. Furthermore, I had always had a deep fear of speaking out for the things I believed in, especially if there were people who disagreed. In fact, I was always more of a follower, adapting my own personal thoughts to satisfy others. I guess you can say that I was one of the prophets in your poem who wore false beards.
A year has passed since I first read your poem; yet, I have never forgotten it. In the past year, I would always think back to your bravery, striving to emulate it, both in and out of the classroom. I can confidently say that now, I am eager to share my thoughts during discussions in English class, and the thought of blurting out the wrong answer in my AP Calculus class doesn’t daunt me anymore. When I am with friends, I’m not afraid to bring up controversial topics, as they often lead to thought-provoking discussions that further strengthen our friendship. Just a year ago, I would have never thought to bring up such serious issues as I would be afraid of being labeled as the “weird deep kid.”
Because I was so inspired by your work, I actually wrote a poem of my own. I will be attaching it in the envelope with this letter; I hope you can read it, as it means a lot to me. I wrote about a time when I had to spend a year in New York away from my parents. I had initially agreed to follow my aunt’s family to New York because the city life seemed thrilling; however, I did not realize how lonely I would be there without the two people I loved most. This was an extremely hard time for me, and your poem perfectly captured the emotions I felt while experiencing this situation. Thank you so much for taking the time to converse with me today. I hope to meet you soon again.
With Love,
Grace Kim
(Inspired Poem on Next Page)