passion.

some will say

Noun.

A powerful emotion,
such as
love, joy, hatred, or anger.

others will raise their hands
and mumble words like
music
art
god?

but what is passion?

i say that passion
is the musician
who has played guitar
since he was a young child
and doesn’t want fame
or money
but only his music

i say that passion
is the teacher
who has taught
fourth graders for over
forty years without
ever
losing patience
and still
lives
to let them press
The Staples Button
so they can say
“That was easy.”

i say that passion
is the mother
who fights every day
to let her
daughter
use the girls restroom
because hatred and ignorance
stand in her way

i say that
passion
is not
a noun

i say
passion
is a verb

– John David Lott-Haws

John David is a 7th Grader. At 12.75 years old, he is an avid reader, an aspiring writer, a lover of music who plays the piano and the saxophone, and a traveler who especially loves the beach. John David plans one day to work at a desk in front of a shelf full of best-selling novels that he has written, and hopes that sitting with him will be his dog, Princess, and his two daughters, Marley and Ginger. Though he lives in Alabama, John David does not like football, although he has an interest in tennis. He is a friend of many, and a struggling selfie addict.