This poem is born from a truth the poet Aisha names with clarity: peace is not silence, nor pretending everything is fine — it is the presence of compassion. Through vivid lines, she shows how burnout, war, and despair press upon us daily, yet how small acts of care — planting trees, writing poems, holding one another — become powerful acts of resistance. Here, peace is redefined as equality, empathy, and the courage to choose kindness even when it feels impossible. At its heart, this poem embodies the spirit of Poets & Peace: that in a world heavy with conflict, to hope and to care is itself a rebellion.
The Courage to Care
We joke about burnout,
like it’s a personality trait.
We laugh at the world ending,
because crying feels too heavy.
But in quiet moments,
we scroll past war,
wildfires,
species disappearing,
and it sticks.
It doesn’t go away.
We grew up knowing the planet was fragile,
that peace was rare,
that people could be cruel.
And yet,
we still plant trees,
sign petitions,
write poems,
hold each other up in group chats
when the news feels unbearable.
Maybe that’s our rebellion:
to care,
loudly,
even when the world tells us not to.
Because peace isn’t passive,
it’s resistance,
it’s empathy,
it’s us refusing to stop hoping.
Poet Details
- Aisha Chaddna
- 10th grade,in Pathways School, Gurgaon
- 15 years old
