For the bards

Girls' Life, June, 2001

"If there would be no light, we would fail into an endless sleep of dust and become the stars the moon the endless burning sun." Does this sound like a poem written by a 9-year-old? Probably not. Maybe because Sahara Sunday Spain was 8 when she wrote it. This young poet is not only creating beautiful verses, but has earned over $50,000 for If There Would Be No Light, her illustrated book of poetry.

Sahara started making up poems when she was 5 by reciting them into an answering machine before she learned how to write. Her proud mom put her poems into small photocopied books, and one luckily found its way to HarperSanFrancisco Publishers. Since then, Sahara's work has brought her national attention. Not bad for a kid bard.