The River

by Nicole Simpson, age 11, from US

I see it in my dreams; flowing freely, like kites flying through the sky. It sparkles like diamonds in the sun. then, people start to crowd around the river's edge. I push through, trying to see what is going on. I gasp at the sight. The people are throwing cans, bottles and trash into the river. The crowd starts laughing and walks away from the mess they have made. I just stand there staring. suddenly, I come back to reality. I run back to my house to get a plastic bag. After I return to the river, I try to pick up all the destruction that has happened. After picking up the trash, I check to make sure that there is nothing else I can do to help the river. I see something lying on the ground off in the distance. I'm hesitant at first but curiosity gets the best of me. I walk over to where I saw the thing.

When I get close enough I realize that the spot is a little baby robin lying on the ground. I run over to it to see if it's all right. The bird has a small plastic ring around its neck. It lets out a chirp that sounds like a quiet cry for help. I pick up the robin so I can remove the ring. It squirms and chirps as loud as it can.