Inspiring Young Authors: Tabreek Somani

Based on Ismailimail’s Inspiring Youth Authors Series (click to see earlier post seeking your submissions), we are sharing first publication, highlighting young author Tabreek Somani. Tabreek’s poem and introduction is mentioned below. Please help motivate our talented youth by sharing your comments after reading. Your comments of encouragement would go a long way.

‘You’re one of us now’

By Tabreek Somani

“Hey Tina, you saw this newbie in our school today?”

“Yeah I saw her, Lindsay”

“I think we should go and help her out”

She said as she chose the route.

“Come on she needs help, don’t you see?”

“I don’t think so, come with me”

 

Alice comes up to them;

But still she was a gem;

Saw six girls cheering and chatting;

While Alice was confused, afraid, and weeping;

She asked them to help her adjust;

But they say no and make a fuss;

She gazed up and begged for help;

They condemn;

 

Just as Tina offered to help;

She heard a scary yelp;

Tina saw Alice getting bullied;

By the guy in the orange hoody;

He was trying to harass her;

Tina helped the sir;

To free Alice;

And take her to the palace.

“Let’s relax under the tree”

 

Alice kept helping Tina’s clique;

Just because she wasn’t like them;

But instead she was a gem.

They disliked her for this reason;

They thought she was a plebian.

 

But one day her life all changed;

As her life seemed to re-arrange;

When they went swimming in the pool;

They thought that was cool;

 

They didn’t know how to swim;

As they were prim;

Alice had beautiful, blond curls;

Alice saved all the girls;

From drowning in the natatorium;

They hoped to float like helium;

 

The girls let her join their clique;

As they all were unique;

They learned to appreciate differences;

From their experiences;

And this sort of plurality;

Brought hospitality;

 

“You’re one of us now!”

“Wow!”

The girls befriended her due to her nice attitude;

As they paid gratitude,

For saving their life;

They wanted to quit the strife.

 

They continued to work in a team,

And it seemed,

Their team got better because of her,

As she was really eager.

Alice really helped in the group,

She also helped them make soup.

 

(Poem selected for Bronze Award at the 2014 Commonwealth Essay Competition)

About Tabreek Somani (13 years old)

Tabreek started her education from the Foundation Public School (British Education System-Cambridge Curriculum) in Karachi after completing one year of early years learning at the Head Start, Karachi. Her family then moved to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan in 2010 and she enrolled at the QSI International School of Bishkek (QSIB), which follows the American curriculum and is accredited with the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools in United States. Building upon the strong foundation of her education in Pakistan, she was able to flourish under the American education system. In August 2014, she joined Aga Khan Academy’s Middle Years Program (grade 8) in Mombasa. The Academy follows IB Curriculum supplemented with Aga Khan Academy’s curricular strands.

Throughout her educational journey, she has been the youngest member in her class and has been able to consistently demonstrate excellence in her academic program as well as in extra and co-curricular activities. She particularly enjoys mathematics, languages including French, creative writing and scientific inquiry. She consistently goes beyond the required standards and pushes her boundaries to take her work to the next level, which has been evident from the comments and feedback from all of her teachers and a number of awards, medals and certificates awarded to her.

Tabreek has published a number of poems and stories/narratives in “KidsWWwrite”, which is an online anthology for young writers and readers established in 2001 by the Department of English at Okanagan College, Canada (ISSN 1703-3020). Her narratives have also featured in the QSI’s weekly newsletter. Her art works and poems have been published in the “Young World”, which is children’s weekly magazine in Daily Dawn and her art pieces have been published in “artSonia” Museum – the largest online artwork collection for children.