by Athena Avlonitis

Rebirth and Growing
Poem by Athena Avlonitis

I have burned a thousand bodies before this one, yet I still strike the match
Flames curl like old memories
Whispering lessons I must live to catch

I have been the hunter, the beast, the blade
A queen crowned in sorrow, a beggar in fate’s cruel shade,
And broken by a life I can’t outgrow

Wisdom is not handed it is forged
Carved into my skin, etched into my heart,
And each time I think I know
The world shifts and I am torn apart

The lessons cannot be taught, they are lived
Drenched in fire, soaked in tears
With each scar a gift, a way to forgive
For growth is born from pain and fears

I met Death beside the river,
Their fingers brushed against my soul
They said “You cannot learn the lessons from words alone,
You must live them. Taste the bitter,
Hold the broken pieces in your hands
For it is through the darkness you truly learn what it means to grow
There’s nothing to fear in the fall
for some answers turn negative to save you at all
The pain you think will break you will lead you to light
Only through shadow can you see what is right

So I step through another portal
Dressed in a skin I do not fully know
With the weight of past memories on my shoulders
and the echoes of mistakes I must grow

For this is the curse of undying:
To live the lessons no one can teach, but only on your own
To bleed, to break, to burn, to bloom, and call it growth

⏳🌷🔥

About Athena Avlonitis

Athena Avlonitis is a Greek-Australian year 9 student at Santa Maria College with a burning passion for the arts and a dream of one day becoming a broadway star. She has a passion for all kinds of creative activities, from poetry and story-writing, to singing, dancing, painting/drawing. Athena loves being creative and finds inspiration in everything around her, especially in musical theatre. For her, creativity is a way to express herself and connect with others, and she believes it’s a perfect way to escape through reality whenever she needs a break. Athena has been dancing for over a decade, and it’s one of the ways she expresses herself best. She loves moving to music, choreographing, going to her dance classes and using dance to tell stories and show emotions. Besides dancing, she’s also a multi-instrumentalist, playing both the piano and the cello. Music is another way Athena connects with her emotions, and she enjoys playing instruments which help her relax especially on a rainy day. Through her poetry, Athena explores the struggles and challenges she’s faced in the past, using her writing to release difficult emotions. Writing has become a way for her to reflect on her experiences, with every poem serving as a reminder of how far she’s come. Each piece allows her to think’ “I went through that, and I’m still here growing, learning, and feeling better than ever” When Athena isn’t busy with her creative projects, she enjoys listening to her favourite singers like Melanie Martinez, Ariana Grande, and Sabrina Carpenter. She also loves spending time with her friends and loves them all grateful to have her friends in her life. Athena hopes that through her poetry and creative projects, she can connect with others who might share similar experiences. She believes that art, in all it’s forms, has the power to express, heal and inspire, and she hopes that her work encourages others to express their emotions and find joy in their own creativity