“Ode to Farm Camp” by Torben Schrieber

The Life of a Dominican Kid from Manhattan

by Harold Plascencia

I’ve lived in a dangerous neighborhood in Manhattan It didn’t seem like paradise on the beach playing with the sand I’ve played Roblox and Fortnite I remember all the raging with my cousins and fights we had to see who was better I’ve had a monkey on my shoulder And I rode a horse I kept almost falling off the horse, I felt like things were gonna get worse I lost someone I was close to and I wonder if they’ll ever come back Everyday I think about it and it makes me sad (they are not dead, we just don’t talk anymore) I’ve had to walk over horse poop just to spend 20 minutes at the destination The way back was worse and I couldn’t stop complaining 77