There are stories that come along which seem to tell themselves.
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The story of nine-year-old Jana Karkar is one of those such stories.
Despite a common misconception, we take great pride in telling the good stories with the bad.
Reading an edition of a newspaper in print or online will hopefully take a reader through a range of emotions.
A varied experience is hopefully a good experience.
Every good masthead should tell stories which break your heart and stories which make your heart soar.
Jana’s is a story which does both all at once.
Jana’s story was beautifully told and crafted by our reporter Agron Latifi.
They were supported by beautiful images from photographer Robert Peet.
Opening with the direct quote of “I wanted to let go of what I was holding in my heart” the story and Jana has you captured from the get go.
You are then taken on a rollercoaster of emotions as you come to understand the meaning and significance of Jana’s poem.
A poem that saw her awarded the Red Room Poetry Object competition.at a ceremony at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney on Thursday.
The Wollongong West Public School student’s poem titled ‘a picture of my brother’ was a popular winner in the Australasian-based competition which received over 2500 entries.
Jana’s story brings you to tears as your heart breaks while reading it.
Then, in closing, it puts your heart back together again as you realise what she has to look forward to.
Her “biggest present”.
A little sister due next year.
“I’m so lucky,” she says.
Thank you Jana for sharing your poem and your story with us all.
When English author Edward Bulwer-Lytton said the “pen is mightier than the sword” he knew what he was talking about.
Much like the sword, words can cut deep.
But unlike the sword, words also possess an incredible power to heal.