By Jake Krzeczowski

February 19, 2013 4:52PM

Talk to Malcolm London for a moment and his words will resonate.

The 19-year-old poet seems wiser than his years, perhaps part of the reason he has garnered such success.

He wrote his first poem in the aftermath of Derrion Albert’s murder in 2009.

“After [I performed] that poem at a high school, some of the women cried. The mothers told me how powerful my words were,” said London. “For me, it made me realize the impact I can have with my words.”

London wants to make an impact in deeds as well, and does so by working with Chicago youth through Young Chicago Authors, which offers workshops on poetry and writing and does work in CPS schools.

Through work in the community with his involvement in Young Chicago Authors and beyond, London is definitely a young person to keep an eye on.

“Writing about the things that I saw made me want to do something about the things that I saw,” said London. “The ability to get in front of people and talk and get them to think critically, even if it’s only a few minutes, is what I want from my poetry.”