Darren Aronofsky's Moving Middle School Poem 'The Dove' Is What Started It All

Darren Aronofky's film 'Noah' is on its way to box office success with $44 million in box office sales in its first weekend. The road to the movie's opening has been a long one including over ten years in development; but the genesis for the film goes back far further.

When Mr. Aronofsky was 13 and attending Mark Twain Intermediate School 239 in Brooklyn, he penned a poem for his 7th grade teacher Mrs. Vera Fried called 'The Dove.' The poem, based on the Genesis story of Noah, was submitted by his teacher for a contest at the UN where it won a prize for its theme of peace; a message still needed today: "Evil is hard to end and peace is hard to begin but the rainbow and the dove will always live within every mans' heart."

Here is a copy of the original poem:

J.H.S. 239
January 13, 1982

Aronofsky, Darren

7A-115-S-4

The Dove

Evil was in the world. The laughing crowd left the foolish man and his ark filled with animals when the rain began to fall. It was hopeless. The man could not take the evil crowd with him but he was allowed to bring his good family. The rain continued through the night and the cries of screaming men filled the air. The ark was afloat. Until the dove returned with the leaf, evil still existed. When the rainbows reached throughout the sky the humble man and his family knew what it meant.

The animals ran and flew freely with their new born. The fog rose and the sun shone. Peace was in the air and it soon appeared all of man's heart.

He knew evil could not be kept away for evil and war could not be destroyed but neither was it possible to destroy peace.

Evil is hard to end and peace is hard to begin but the rainbow and the dove will always live within every mans' heart.