What is snow, you might ask?
Pretty, cold, and hard.
Yes, to drive in.
In Myanmar there is no snow.
I saw snow in a refugee camp.
Thought, “Oh my God,”
Americans might make us a snow cone.
Maybe I can just grab it and eat it.
For us who live where it snows,
it is simply snow.
For others, a mystery.
Not taking for granted,
little things in life that give us joys or sorrow.
We had a dictator in our country,
We all are pretty poor,
our houses burned,
mines blew up.
A new experience in Colorado
Some people are nice.
Some people are mean,
Screaming, “Stay off our grass!”
When all the children want to do is play.
Different cultural views in this nation.
Don’t lose sight of others around us,
Be open and welcoming,
Remember the unity.
Remember the snow.
This story originally appeared in Facing Change: Reflections on Civic Health & Social Trust, a publication of The Facing Project that was organized by the University of Northern Colorado in Greely, Colorado.