b' poetrySpreading kindness through poetrykindest people she knew, she says, and they were her role models. Ms. Mayson was the 202021 poet laureate of Philadelphia. It is an honor that recognizes a poets work. To become the poet laureate, you have to apply, and the competition is tough. By the time Ms. Mayson applied she had been writing poems for about 20 years. She says she was inspired to apply by the person who had the title before her. Ms. Mayson says when she writes poems she isnt pleased with, she still keeps them. She often revises them By Healthy Eagle stafffeelings. However, she loved to telllater. James Logan Elementary School stories that no one else had heard. When she went to college, she realizedThe Healthy Eagle reporters were Trapeta B.her voice, stories, and words werecurious about her inspiration for the Mayson isimportant. She ended up getting apoem Kindness Lives Here. Ms. a poet whodegree in social work so she could helpMayson says she wrote it because she wants herpeople with their problems. But shefelt that kindness should be spread work to bealso pursued poetry. everywhere. meaningful and helpful toMs. Mayson says she became a poetSpreading kindness is also what Trapeta B. Maysonother people. because she wanted to connect withinspired her to create her poetry Poet other people. hotline. She wanted to make sure that She waspoets could still reach others with their born in Liberia, in Africa, and camePoems can lift up people who are notworks during the pandemic.to Philadelphia when she was a child.feeling good, she says, and they are In school, she says, she felt like analso a way to tell the truth. When sheMs. Mayson wants to share this outsider and it was hard for her tostarted out, she wrote poems aboutmessage with everyone: We are all talk about herher parents because they were thepoets. Just write your feelings down in a notebook. You can read the poem Kindness Lives Here at pahumanities.org/initiative/pa-kindness-poem-project/When I see my friend crying, my friends and I try to cheer her up. We can all change the world by being kind. You have to be kind to others and believe in yourself. You have to just be kind and they will be kind to someone else. This will help change the world.Suhlayah Tisdale, 4th gradeRussell Byers Healthy Knight NewsPage 6 illustrations by Briana Thomas, 7th grade, MaST Community Charter Healthy Panther Post (children) | Maria Rodriguez, 8th grade, Catholic Partnership Schools 6B Y K I D S , F O R K I D S | S p r i n g 2 0 2 4 Healthy Courier (book)'