Dear Alberto Ríos,
I have recently listened to and read your poem, "When Giving Is All We Have." I am writing you this letter in regards to your poem because it has got me thinking and having some questions for you and about the poem itself. But first, I just wanted to say thank you for writing this poem because it is one of the only poems I have truly enjoyed and really got me thinking.
One of the many questions I have is what inspired you to write this poem and how it personally affected you. For me personally, it got me thinking about how when someone gives you something or does you a favor in some way, most people feel obligated to do something nice for them back, like repaying them for their kindness. But in reality, people's kindness shouldn't need to be repayed because we should be doing nice things for everyone no matter who they are and whether or not they do nice things for us as well. As a result of this, I can relate to this poem because when someone does something nice for me, I feel the need to do something kind in return. However, your poem has helped me realize that sometimes giving is all we truly can do and that giving is not always a bad thing. So I thank you for writing this poem and helping me realize that giving is all we have.
Sincerely,
Adriana
Coppell, Texas
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