In the stillness of the quiet, if we listen, we can hear the whisper of the heart giving strength to weakness, courage to fear, hope to despair.
I need a hope . . . a new hope.
A hope that reaches for the stars, and
That does not end in violence or war.
A hope that makes peace on our earth,
That does not create evil in the world.
A hope that finds cures for diseases, and
That does not make people hurt,
In their bodies, in their hearts,
Or most of all, in their spirits.
I need a hope . . . a new hope,
A hope that inspires me to live, and
To make all these things happen
So that the world can have
A new hope, too.
~ from JOURNEY THROUGH HEARTSONGS by Mattie Stepanek, 10 years old