Ruby

By: Natalie Faraj

Photo by: Rhett Lewis on Unsplash

There once was a girl named Ruby,

She was smart and she had great beauty.

Pure hearted, accepting, caring and kind,

Curiosity and determination filled up her mind.

Growing up, she explored all sorts of things.

She loved Barbies, dolls, and fairies with wings!

But also with cars, trucks, and monsters she would play,

Ruby even practiced her soccer skills every day!

During recess she competed against all the boys,

For kicking around a ball outweighed playing with her toys.

When other people saw her, they disapproved and judged.

They told her to stop, but Ruby never budged.

For it was her dream- regardless of her gender,

To play in the big leagues as a world class defender!

With nobody’s support, she kept going anyway,

In hopes of reaching her big goal one day.

Her journey was tough, and not at all easy,

She trained everyday, even when she felt wheezy.

But her abilities were seen; one day she was scouted!

She was given an opportunity, and her career had sprouted.

Her success continued, and she reached her big goal,

Not turning back once, for she was on a roll.

Her haters were silenced, they stopped all their wack,

And Ruby stood tall with her trophies and plaque.

Poem Description:

This poem journeys through the life of Ruby. She has taken interest in the world of soccer, however, faces discrimination because she is a girl. The people around her discourage her from following her dreams of becoming a professional defender, however Ruby does not listen to them. She supports herself and eventually accomplishes her goal. Unfortunately, there is a lot of gender stereotyping in our society, but this poem is meant to give hope to girls who want to be seen for who they are and what they are capable of. For all the young girls out there: never stop dreaming!