One Pen Winter 2018 by The Bronx Academy of Letters Writers in Residence Program

one pen THE LITERARY MAGAZINE OF BRONX ACADEMY OF LETTERS

WINTER 2018

One Pen Staff 2017-2018 Writer-in-Residence/One Pen Editor: Karla Robinson Student Editors: Alyssa Cordero and Litzy Rojas Book Designer: Caits Meissner Cover art by: Ivanna Sanchez Back Cover Art by: Manny Ramirez Inside artists: Abstract watercolors by Art Foundations Cinthia Encarnacion — pg. 3 Angel Rosario — pg. 24 Manny Ramirez — pg. 69 Ivanna Sanchez — pg. 70 Draven Rodriguez— pg. 75 Matthew Diaz — pg. 79 Michelle Matto — pg. 87 Jeremiah Contreras — pg. 88 Oscar Santiago — pg. 102 Draven Rodriguez — pg. 105 Special thanks to Elizabeth Velazquez, Bianca Thomas, Ms. Resnick and our principal, Brandon Cardet-Hernandez

Table of Contents Letter from the Editor, Karla Robinson — 1 gale force wind, Leah Pagan — 5 Hard Knock Life, A Collaborative Declaration — 6 Don’t Forget, Shanieya Seda — 7 For My People, Cinthia Encarnación — 8 A Poem for Puerto Rico, Alondra Alvalle — 12 Unchanging Rainbow, Litzy Rojas — 14 I’m Not Your Puppet, Cinthia Encarnación — 16 Her, Shanieya Seda — 18 A Victim of a Man’s Work, Litzy Rojas — 19 1955, Edwin Soto — 20 Black Don’t Crack, Steph Porfil — 22 United We Stand, Shanieya Seda — 25 a few haikus for the soul, Leah Pagan — 26 Welcome Home, Vanessa Bravo — 27 Eyes, Emmanuel Bravo — 28 Red Heartbreak, Aaron Pontier — 31 From Heartdrops to Loneliness, Leidy Marquez — 32 Core of my Soul, Joselyn Herrera — 33 Live Your Dreams, Shirley Blackshear — 35 For You, MVP, Cinthia Encarnación — 37 I Imagine Your Voice, Edwin Soto — 39 A Letter to My Aunt, Alyssa Cordero — 41 Rain Flows Through, Ashley Rosser — 43 R.I.P Mar Mar, Rahshawn Claudio — 45 Who Are You?, Alyssa Cordero — 46 Lives of Death, Ashley Rosser — 51 My People, Torrey Watson — 52 Hurricane, Edwin Soto — 53 Glass, Emmanuel Bravo — 55

Daily Demons, Leidy Marquez — 56 Deadly Drug, Collaborative Poem — 57 a love story told by a series of poems, Leah Pagan — 59 Dad’s Heart and Mom’s Mind, Leidy Marquez — 61 Ain’t You Supposed To Be The Lion?, Edwin Soto — 63 Unpleasant Peace, Joshua Lebron — 65 Why Judge?, Alondra Alvalle — 67 Gold, Vanessa Bravo — 68 Famished, Joselyn Herrera — 71 All in One, Alyssa Cordero — 72 My One and Only World, Joselyn Herrera — 74 Friends? Where?, Alondra Alvalle — 77 You Can’t Stereotype My Type, Collaborative Poem — 78 To My People, Litzy Rojas — 80 Story Time, Steph Porfil — 81 This is an Obituary, Moe Sanders — 83 Alluring Pain, Gabriella Heyward — 85 Pride, Elian Cornejo — 89 Destiny, Destiny Eulin — 90 Untitled, Moe Sanders — 91 Salvation, Vanessa Bravo — 93 Memories of Your Best, Torrey Watson — 94 This is for the Bench, Rahshawn Claudio — 95 No Need to Struggle, Elian Cornejo — 96 You Cannot Change Me, Destiny Eulin — 97 Third Eye Open, Gabriella Heyward — 99 Please Cops…, Rahshawn Claudio — 101 Home, Emmanuel Bravo — 103 Lost Mind in a Distant Moon, Joshua Lebron — 104 Not for Nothing Though, Jesus Beato — 106 I Know Who I Am, Elian Cornejo — 107 Ode to Books, Moe Sanders — 108

— “…If we do not write our own stories in our own voices, others will tell them for us. They’ll paint us the wrong color and call us out our name…” — High Tide, Karla Robinson

—

Hey Bronx Letters Fam! For those of you I haven’t met yet — I’m Karla Robinson, the new Poetry Writer-in-Residence. I’m an artist-activist, poet, lover of laughter and life, and proud native of the Boogie Down! Stop by Room 157 during lunch to say hi ;) 2017, like many years in America’s history, was a year ripe with social injustice — Trump’s victory emboldened white supremacists, hurricanes devastated beloved islands, and people flocked to the streets in grief and protest. Our fractured, diseased world is in desperate need of each of our voices. The brave poets featured in this anthology took the risk to write about real life in real time — who we are, who we love, the aspects of our world that make us better people and the parts that steal our humanity.

My time spent at Bronx Letters has confirmed something critical — when we gather with the intent to create community and speak our own truths in our own voices, we grow. We build the power to change our community one small, but mighty, act at a time. I’m thrilled to be part of the Bronx Letters community and share this edition of One Pen with y’all. With love, laughter, and poetry,

Ms. Karla

gale force winds Leah Pagan the sky was a hurricane rolling and rumbling with barely concealed rage the air full of goosebumps shivers and buttoned coats the waves crashed into the sky fighting a war as colourful as the one underneath the dark blue sky the wind powerful enough to push back tens of thousands of soldiers her feet strong enough to send roots of determination straight through the gray, cracked concrete and even though the sun was hiding behind the storm of the century i like to believe it was smiling down on her giving her the confidence to stand there to grow and touch and calm that stormy teal sky

Hard Knock Life A Collaborative Declaration Dear Government, We are gonna make it; we’re winners The Bronx is We Home to people who know what a real home is We are the generation of technology intelligence All unique and All family My brothers and sisters; we are one We are the Bronx Where the deaths of even the nameless Don’t dare go unsung In 2017, there was no peace and Justice wasn’t anywhere to be found Missing People are alive But they aren’t really living Peace comes from all A result of our actions We are all still human And this is our home Signed, The Boogie-Down

Don’t Forget Shanieya Seda Don’t forget about my beautiful island Don’t forget about the beautiful beaches With soft sand and tall palm trees Waves crashing as the sun goes down Taking the light and bringing the dark Don’t forget the sweet smell of coffee in the morning Made by your abuelita As the fresh breeze flows through your hair and The light beams onto your perfectly sun kissed skin Through the openings of your balcony and The cracks of your window shades Don’t forget the stray dogs following you in the street Trying to find their new owner to love Don’t forget the noisy co quís at night Singing you a sweet lullaby As you close your eyes to sleep The crumbling old concrete houses And creaking of the wooden ones Don’t forget L a isla de Encanta When they need you the most When they’re struggling to stand up Don’t Forget

For My People Cinthia Encarnación America, this is what you are? This is the trash you are, America? Nah, there are better things, But do you think you’re the best? Tell me Why do you think you’re the best? Do you think it’s best to Instill racism in the new generations? You think you’re better? Why have you always been first Trampling on the second? Tell me America Why do you think you’re better? Ha ha You feel better because your technology Magnetized your feelings and Money corrupted your values Just tell me trash Why do you think you’re the best garbage of all? This is for my people This is for those who Guayaron la yuca For those who struggle For those who fight to have a voice and

For those who protested because that voice is heard This is my people This is for my island For a piece of land blessed By God This is for L os Fajadores And the fighters This is for one who went empty And came full to his people This is for my palm full of dreams For my beach with clear waters And my people with the sun on their face This is for my people For those who raised me For those who made me grow old For those who made me genuine This is for them For those who believed me For those who live despite the storms For those who painted me A sun on the forehead When the black cloud was in my head This is for my people

Para mi Gente Cinthia Encarnación America,Esto es lo que eres? Esta es la basura que eres America? neh, hay cosas mejores. Dime Por qué crees que eres mejor? Crees que es mejor Inculcar racismo en las nuevas generaciones? Crees que estas mejor? Te crees mejor porque siempre tienes El primer lugar? Pisoteando a un segundo para llegar? Dime America! Por qué crees que estas mejor? Ja Ja O te sientes mejor Porque tu tecnologia magnetizo Tus sentimientos Y el dinero corrompió tus valores. Solo dime,basura Dime Por qué crees que eres la mejor basura? De todos? Esto es para mi gente. Esto es para mi gente. Esto es para aquellos que “Guayaron la yuca” Para aquellos que pelearon

Para aquellos que luchan. Para tener una voz y Para aquellos que protestaron Porque esa voz se escuche. Esta es mi gente Esto es para mi isla Para un pedazo de tierra bendecida por Dios. Esto es para Los Fajadores y luchadores. Esto es para alguien que se fue vacio Y vino lleno por su gente. Esto es para mis palmeras llenas de sueños. Para mi playa con aguas claras y Mi gente con el sol en su cara. Esto es para mi gente Para aquellos que me criaron Para aquellos que me hicieron grande Para aquellos que me hicieron genuino. Esto es para ellos,para aquellos que Me creyeron,para aquellos que Están a pesar de las tormentas. Para aquellos que me pintaron un sol en la frente. Cuando la nube negra se posó en mi cabeza. Esto es para mi gente

A Poem for Puerto Rico Alondra Alvalle Early Wednesday morning September 20, 2017 My island got destroyed by Hurricane Maria I needed to call family No service No water Barely food Flooded, fallen streets Reminded me of a beaver dam Houses don’t exist anymore Dead animals smelled like a sewer It all sounded like a rock band Things flying Wind breaking branches Just a disaster! Will this be forever? I need to be a child again I need to go to school I need to hear from my dad Hear he is all fine Before, all you heard were cars with loud music “Ahora me Llama” and “Lo Maliante Quieren” Playing in the streets Feeling the fresh air hitting your face Riding horses Their shoes hitting the concrete Like someone hammering a nail Riding mud buggies, watching the mud slowly rise

Climbing trees Seeing the green iguanas run away Looking at squished mangoes Feeling the leaves on your head Like someone blowing on your hair My heart broke hearing about “Maria” I’d just left on September 11 Knowing it was going to be a category 5 hurricane Ripped an important part out my life Donald Trump you should be ashamed of yourself We need help As the U.S tries to help, you stop boats from shipping? Call Carmen nasty? You’re way nastier You can’t top her heart You should just give up

Unchanging Rainbow: A Series of Haikus Litzy Rojas Jade- tiny human Writing, fighting for his rights His home of torn flames Unsatisfied beats Suffocate the juice of life Rough layers of tears Humans well being The world’s purpose is a clock Time to take changes Drain society For others to become free Descending hurt heard Against battle blood Secure sweet inviting peace Unchanging rainbow

I’m Not Your Puppet Cinthia Encarnación I know what you do You get the best and You leave us the leftovers. My eyes are afraid but My soul is free I will remove your oppressive hand and Free my race. You will not shut me up Because now I know what I’m worth And my value is greater Than your conceited wickedness Your religion does not change my person. Your hands will not silence my voice. I will not be a victim, I will not do it. I will not be part of your slavery. You will not deprive me of my freedom. I will not allow you to be that fist Crushing me over my head. I’m not your puppet You will not move my legs to The faith that you choose for me. You will not guide my steps to Your dirty and worn path. Life is short,

I will enjoy it. You don’t shut me up. You don’t stop me. You don’t detain me.

Her Shanieya Seda Her proud stance shows off her confidence and courage She stands with her feet planted Sending a message to all policemen She shows no emotion As she looks the policemen in the eye Her eyes showing off the cries for help from ancestors Begging on their knees for a new life They think they intimidate her But what they can't see is the Fire That burns inside her The fierce determination And the millions of people beside her As if they were all standing Tall like trees planted in the ground With their roots so deeply embedded That the police feel like nothing But a breeze going by To rustle great bright green leaves

A Victim of a Man’s Work: A Reflection on the Holocaust Litzy Rojas The power to control Like a dragon Breathing fire in and out Deciding which knight should live Why such cruelty? It could be your baby’s life Your mother pleading to live But wanting to die A prayer a day Questions without answers Why me? Why this life? When is it my time? The fear of dying Isn’t a fear It’s a wish But more wishes to go An eternity Every wish is a star in space But invisible in reality

1955 Edwin Soto Back whipping Auction blocks Slave ships No reading No writing Look into my eyes And see what my ancestors been through Cotton picking Back breaking Soul crushing Body stuffing Body lynching Underground rail road The rope The rope The rope my ancestors hung from My blackness has a golden aura My ancestors had a magnetic field around them The slave masters hate couldn’t penetrate Segregate Incarcerate There were diamonds Where their hearts should’ve been I look into my eyes and see all the civil rights leaders Malcolm's eyes Rosa’s hands Martin’s word Trayvon’s hoodie

Amadou Diallo’s soul Eric Garner’s last breath Look into my eyes And see what my ancestors been through

Black Don’t Crack Steph Porfil Black don’t crack But this black takes you way back This black remembers when my blacks was attacked Had chains on our backs I wasn’t born in those days But those slaves formed me today We got whipped, kicked, sent on slave ships I’m tired of seeing my people dead on the news If it’s not 1 dead- it’s 2 If it’s not 2- its 3 When we gon’ use black lives matter And stop putting blacks versus the matter They say it takes the hood to save the hood So why the hood taking out the hood? They say freedom is a right But why they hold their gun so tight When we give each the same eyesight They don’t wanna see us free They wanna see us hung from trees I’m tired of running Black lives matter I heard we taking knees Take that knee cause are people are dying slowly We getting shot, we getting popped Cause we walked on the wrong block We getting stabbed up cause my blacks Ain’t never had love

How we killing our own color? How we let the white man run us? How we let him think he king? How we gon’ let them erase history? They don’t wanna see none of my brothers free They wanna lock us up and throw away the key They wanna hide behind their guns and set us free And if you only knew This is more than spoken word Cause when l when I look out the window --it’s white But sometimes even the dark shines bright I just want my people to wake up okay This world to be equal some day I wish MLK would say what he said back in the day To wake these people up Cause we all just acting like we stuck in handcuffs Cause they don’t want my blacks to win it They act like we sinning I pray to god we keep winning Black lives matter but they want the whites to finish Black don’t crack But this black takes you way back

United We Stand Shanieya Seda This is our fight We all stand together in unity Claiming our opportunity to Take back what is ours To create peace and win back the world We all dream of a world where our trees are greener Sky is clearer And love and justice Are near and dear to us This is our fight And if we don’t win together We will lose our opportunity We will crumble as one But we will fight back Punching and kicking at your judgment For our own freedom To see the faces of those who Stripped us from what we know best Uncovering their truth Taking back our expression and spirit To stand resilient And finally see our flag and yell United We Stand To those stars and stripes The red white and blue of our Power and unity

a few haikus for the soul Leah Pagan wrote my legacy the moonlight as my candle stars as my stories paint a masterpiece to make it your testament full of light and dark freedom isn’t earned it’s something no one can take raise a glass to it

Welcome Home Vanessa Bravo My house is filled with everything that I love My bed The pink walls My mirror telling me welcome home The sweet smell of Febreeze when my mom cleans The smell of rice, chicken and beans Calls me once I step inside the kitchen Meanwhile I go deep in my thoughts Music relaxes me When I feel confident and sometimes isolated When I feel down and I can't get up Have a feeling that I can't explain Pausing when I can't no more Saying that I can't when I actually can Just doubting myself Feeling lonely like the color black

Eyes Emmanuel Bravo I look at your eyes first thing There is no way of escaping My eyes will forever look at you Stare at you Keep on looking And never look away I want to make sure that you are not Feeling depressed or down My eyes are like a camera I zoom in and out Focus on you Record beautiful moments of you I look at everything you do Just to see your beautiful eyes once more

Red Heartbreak Aaron Pontier The blue heart Love and pain Young and old Loss and gain Trust and forgiveness Forever together I felt it Blood pumping cold We tried

The red heartbreak Together and apart Birth and death Tragedy and miracles Pain and sorrow Yet so far apart I lived it hearted empty abyss We failed The end

From Heartdrops to Loneliness Leidy Marquez It can be overwhelming They are your person You see them Your heart drops so much you have a heart attack You don’t know if your person is betraying you You over-think so much the mind explodes A mess of anxiety All over the floor of your stomach You feel proud Proud of that person for shooting your heart They shoot you with an arrow of pillows It hooks your heart Eventually your mind You feel dead When the lighter to your candle Suddenly runs out of gas Leaves you alone All alone to fight the world All lonely to demolish your own soul

Core of my Soul Joselyn Herrera Sometimes you need to understand Being the oldest doesn’t change the way I feel about you guys I love you as much as you love Pokemon But, it’s complicated I remember back in the olden days I enjoyed how we played video games together Sitting next to each other like PB&J With the controller on our knees Trying so hard to win And have a victory dance at the end But, it’s alright I am the leader in this house The Boss If I had sisters instead of brothers I would guide them So they won’t make the same mistakes I have Like a mother gives advice to her daughter But being the only girl With two young brothers… Yes, we may argue And yell out our differences I just don’t want to get blamed For every single thing! Every single day! We’ll always love And fail at some point in life

We’ll always have a way To stand up on our own two feet Realize that I love ya’ll No matter what we get into Always remember I’ll be your good example in this world It’s like saying something in one breath that’s hard to do But eventually we’ll always make it through

Live Your Dreams Shirley Blackshear My Sister Live your dreams And try not to be like me I have my flaws, I’m not perfect But I understand you look up to me Every move I make, you’re going to follow I’m not always going to be there To pull you back up when you fall You’re going to have to fall on your own Can you get up? Learn to pick up the pieces yourself I want you to know When you do go out into this world There will be evil people trying to tear you down You will have to build yourself back up I know you feel you have nobody by your side But I’m standing right here Can you see me? I will forever stand by your side People will doubt you and just let them Let them tell you ain’t going to make it Let them wish bad upon you Let them show their true colors Yes, it’s going to hurt and You’re going to even doubt yourself But show them you’re stronger than them Show them you’re going to make it

Show them you will be somebody Their words don’t affect you You’re the top of your game Don’t ever be ashamed Be proud of yourself Because I know I am proud to call you my sister

For You, MVP Cinthia Encarnación I would write you a poem But I can’t find the words To describe you. This is the reason why I never wrote anything For you. You are that woman of Strong character with Soft feelings because that’s how you are. For me you are worth everything Because you are perfectly imperfect. You are too much, Too opaque In a few lines. You loved me with the Immensity of time When the sky was still dark When I was only a breath of life And the air did not Blow the answers. You imagined me every day When you woke up. You gave me a voice before I could speak. You gave courage before I knew it was. You waited for me

Patiently every night. You waited for me while The stars shined in the sky When only some days were sunny. You looked at my eyes. You made the sound of my adult voice. I was a seed you sowed And watered every day. Today you are my tree. You are my oak. You are my light at the end of the tunnel, The last comfort when reaching the abyss. Because you were loving me And loved me Before meeting Me. Because I believe that you Won it for me, You are the most valuable. You loved me before you knew who I was. You are my mom. You are my MVP.

Para ti MVP Cinthia Encarnación Yo te escribiría un poema Pero no puedo encontrar las palabras Para describirte. Esta es la razón porque Nunca escribí nada Para ti. Eres esa mujer de Carácter fuerte con Sentimientos suaves porque asi eres. Para mí, vales todo Porque eres perfectamente imperfecta. Eres demasiado, demasiado para Opacarte en pocas líneas. Me amaste con la inmensidad Del tiempo. Cuando el cielo todavía estaba oscuro. Cuando solo era un respiro de vida. Y el viento no soplaba las respuestas. Me imaginaste todos los días Al despertar. Me diste una voz antes de Poder hablar, tú me diste Coraje antes de saberlo. Me esperabas Pacientemente todas las noches. Me esperabas mientras Las estrellas brillaban en el cielo. Cuando no todos los dias

Eran soleados. Me miraste a los ojos. Hiciste el sonido de Mi voz adulta. Yo fui la semilla que plantaste Y regaste cada dia. Hoy eres mi árbol. Tu eres mi roble Eres mi luz al final Del túnel, el último aliento Al llegar al abismo. Porque me amabas y Me amaste antes del encuentro Porque yo creo que tú te Lo ganaste, para mí eres lo Mas valioso. Me amas desde antes De saber quien soy. Eres más que mi mamá Eres mi MVP.

I Imagine Your Voice Edwin Soto I imagine your voice sounds like a soft breeze While you’re at park reminiscing about life I imagine your tears look like a light drizzle, a soft flow I imagine your voice ran through your pencil I imagine you with a halo and wings I imagine your smile looks like a flower Blooming in spring Why did the infection have to spread? Mom told me she cried all day When she saw you lying down in that coffin bed. I wish you were there during foster care To tell me that looking at these social workers faces Was like looking at the devil, And that they probably wouldn't help me Because I'm from the ghetto. What was your relationship like with my mother? Did you do all things for her She couldn't do for me? Is it a mother - daughter thing? Were your eyes filled with love when You first looked at her? The eyes my father never looked at me with Did your mother's intuition warn you about my dad? Did you ever have doubts about her having me? Did you rip her dreams out her womb? Do you feel neglected I haven't been to your tomb? Why'd you have to leave before I got here?

Why'd the grim reaper have to look your way and Point his finger at you? Instead of your life, did he show you mine? I imagine your footsteps are my heartbeat. Your footsteps tell me Keep going Keep that pencil flowing

A Letter to My Aunt Alyssa Cordero How were you so strong When your body was so weak? How was your body shutting down but You continued to open up? Even though the last time I saw you You were freezing cold, Your presence is still with me Warming my soul. Your kidneys were Failing, But you kept on Succeeding To keep a smile on Your face, And our faces Even though you were physically hurting. You showed me Pain can only get to you, If you let it. Time is nothing and Everything. You were battling for years, Diabetes, Dead kidneys, But you told us We were the reason

You kept going. If I ever feel like Giving up I'll remember when you Put up your fight. You are my strength When I feel weak. You are my reason.

Rain Flows Through Ashley Rosser Mommy, The day you left I lost my marbles My mind was a gray sky on a rainy day Pouring sadness when the rain flows through When you left My heart turned into ice Clear, heavy and rough My heart turned to the left Now I listen better than I heard Before you left this world When you left My eyes got blurry and I went blind I wish I could see you and your beautiful smile The tears you’ll make when you see me With your arms open I wish we could go rollerblading, sing and dance Mommy, Now I see what you told me about God needing angels I know things in this world will be different And people will change They won’t treat me the same They’ll answer me aggressively Like a tiger hunting for food

R.I.P Mar Mar… Rahshawn Claudio I always say on Lil Mar Mar’s grave The stuff I’ve been through with my family Is nothing compared to losing my friend. That was devastating to me. Lamar got beat to death by 3 kids From a high school I didn’t know about until now. I couldn’t even sleep at night In my mind I see him covered with Blood all over his body. We were so close to each other. He was a little brother to me. When I needed something He was always on point. Every time I had a problem He was always there to step up and battle. His dream was to be a basketball player. Before he passed, his last words when we spoke were If you need anything, call me So in honor of him, I am going to step up to that point- Focus more, Do better in school and in sports, Help my family out.

Who Are You? Alyssa Cordero Depression is powerful You see it's like you're chained to a wall You can still go anywhere you want You can move around, you can go outside You can travel across the world But no matter what You're still attached to those chains No way out No matter what you do, how much you change You're still chained, walking down memory lane Trying to see how far you came But you're still stuck In the same place Your mind is on repeat Even though you've traveled miles You're still stuck in that one place Depression is not something to be messed with Depression has a life Lives inside of us, most of us It's hard You feel like everything is your fault But it's not We have the demons in our heads Telling us otherwise, telling us we aren't good enough And never will be Feed us all of these lies So that we can't survive But this is our life, we shouldn't let it take over

We need to lift our heads, be our own shoulder Create something to remember Depression only lasts for so long If we can push away those close to us We should be able to push away any demons These demons have control Over our mind, over our body And it gets worse over time So that they leave us with no way to find ourselves Because it's them who took us It's not our life anymore, it's theirs Depression is a criminal Murdering us, searching out to find us We've been trying to hide I know the gun of depression is intimidating But it can't kill you without its bullets Even then, the vest of strength protects us from its hits I know the shots are loud But the sound of our voices is louder I will not stand down I will not be muted It's not our fault But we need to step it up and take control This is our life We live how we want Don't let these demons tell you who you are Tell them you're only powered by my weakness But my strengths defeat you The power of my mom's love is no match for your hate And my desire to keep living is what you hate the most But because you hate me, doesn't mean I hate you

You showed me how strong I can be Help me see who I really am Not what others want me to be I'm Alyssa Who are you?

Lives of Death Ashley Rosser Mom, what was it like in the hospital bed? I hope they ain’t keep you cold I hope they took good care of you. Mr. Garner, How did you feel when they ain’t listen? How did you feel when the officer had you in a chokehold with his knee in your back? I can’t believe you said I can’t breathe so many times How did your stomach feel against the hard concrete? Mom, Was it tragic when you Left All six kids Behind? How many sheets and covers did you have? I hope they didn’t keep you cold. Brother Garner, How many plants did you water across the city? Which was your favorite one? Mom, Did they give you problems When you had to use the bathroom? I hope they took good care of you.

My People Torrey Watson My people are from loving families and friends Who work hard for everything they’ve earned in life While everybody else was hating and doubting. We stay small in one circle and relax. You won't see any of us fail or fall down. My people are successful from working hard And not giving up on ourselves. Once you give up you lose hope for everything. My people are isolated from others, because of the Nonsense and trouble they get into We stay distant from them. My people feel rejected when people Don't care for them, Don't accept them for who they are and their mistakes, Don’t protest what's been happening lately. My people are loved ones. My people are our black people.

Hurricane Edwin Soto I look at you And find hope The moon Wraps around your eyes Your wounds Wrap around my mouth The sweet smell of your perfume Wraps around my neck. The melodies of your voice Linger in my head, Make its way down my body And gives me butterflies. Her lips Wrap around my eyes She has the kind of smile Even a blind man can see Feels like you reached your hand Into the cracks of my concrete I wish pride stopped these Earthquakes beneath my feet Your lips felt like flowers But now they feel like knives Stabbing my ego You said you’d never switch up But your lies Form a hurricane I told myself not to- Not to let you open up my chest

And bombard me With your lies

Glass Emmanuel Bravo I should have been more proactive I feel broken Like a shard of glass I think she feels the same way The more I think about it how she will change my future It’s clear to me Like the blue sky without clouds There is no reason to think about her anymore Like a nightmare you are trying to forget The more I try to forget those beautiful moments When we were together The more things add up

Daily Demons Leidy Marquez I give you 100, you give me 25 I always knew our friendship was wrong The thoughts in the back of my mind were right How could’ve I trusted you for so long? Betrayal. I was tempted to leave you Temptation’s loud knuckles knocked on your door Dressed in a body hugging dress And you let her in, she got undressed Gave you a lap dance in her lingerie You followed her acts and violently seduced me You had an abundance of pleasure I had a galore of fear Temptation. I humbly work for what I deserve You can’t stand that You can’t stand that when I work, I get I get what I work for so you envy me You make my life miserable Telling me to work for something “better” Envy. See me, roll your eyes You roll them so hard you see your own thoughts Hate has eaten your mind alive Hate vomited in your brain Leaving plenty of hateful saliva

Deadly Drug: Collaborative Poem Edited by Litzy Rojas Love comes quickly Unexplainable feelings never end Like a tattoo on my body That leaves a mark Love is possible if you believe in it Love is something I can’t describe Like a gray sky on a rainy day Or a sunny day on a beach Love is illusive like sand Sometimes hot Sometimes rough Sometimes dangerous Sometimes sticky like glue Love is a drug that everyone wants My favorite hallucinogen

a love story told by a series of short poems Leah Pagan your voice spread my legs long before your hands did you were my version of starry night so full of colour and raw emotion it brought me to my knees caused love to pour from my eyes you’re fire; you could burn me until my blisters are permanent but i’d still try to touch you because you’d look so irresistible doing it you gave me nightmares and i called it love it was the big bang in reverse when he left my everything was replaced with a silent sudden nothing

you traced on my skin even after my heart splintered under your soles i’m sorry my heart sobbed but my mind wrapped my heart in velvet sheets and whispered you have nothing to be sorry about it was so easy to let go once i found out you tasted of pain under that thick coat of molasses that settled on your tongue

Dad’s Heart and Mom’s Mind Leidy Marquez Carlos fell in love with himself The lust over love mindset Cheated on Ma’ Acted like he didn’t know He was going to bruise her inside My father lied Lied looking right in her eyes My fetus ears heard her every night Slowly start to cry Sometimes, I don’t want to be alive I’m the only connection they have I wish his sperm never fertilized her egg Right after sex, he went on the prowl to beg Carlos’ heart loved trifling whores But Mami’s mind had strength and hope The hope and strength she needed to let him go He was the first one who taught her how to love She should’ve thought about wearing a glove Carlos’ heart was connected to his eyes He didn’t see potential in those girls He just saw lust between thighs Carlos was one in a million- Lusts’ victims. “Father?” If I can even call you that Did you think Ma’ was dumb?

Her mind wasn’t blind You almost died when she left your side Even your mother was surprised You purposely killed yourself while she kept you alive Today, even though you have a wife You wish you would’ve kept Ma’ for life “Father” I love you and I hate you I really wish I was caught by a latex tube Hearing my mother cry was your interlude It took everything in her to leave you Her heart was broken into 1 trillion pieces And she picked them up one by one While she knew she wasn’t the only one

Ain’t You Supposed To Be The Lion? Edwin Soto I'm in my mom's stomach hearing “I can't do this” through the sirens Wasn’t you supposed to be the man of the house? Ain't you supposed to be the lion? I could sense her feelings Through the umbilical cord Ambivalence Hate Frozen fear I don't know if you were there while mama gave birth You ripped her pride out of her chest I know mama was tired of carrying those tears She always carried a bible around The title was depressed We were swimming in two different directions I was trying to swim to you You swam me away from me Sins and the word uncommitted poured out your eyes Was it because of me, you and her separated? Was it because of me, you and her had that fight? They say you’re dead so I’m screaming in silence Nobody ever asks me if I’m a’ight I used to want to buy a gun and hold that trigger tight I look in the mirror And don’t know who’s looking back at me My own thoughts eat me alive Stop me from trying to thrive

People dying left to right I just want my mom to see me in a suit and tie Meet me on the other side Because that person inside me The one who cared Died Certain things gotta be said To find out the truth If I was to ask my father Where he been at All my life That ghost would stay mute

Unpleasant Peace Joshua Lebron I come from a world you couldn't know I'm lifeless when the two worlds collide Terrified by the facts The world I'm pleased with would be crushed The one secure place in the stars that has my content I long for a world Energetic and blissful I come from two worlds One where my mellow heart rests And the other where I'm lost I stand here alone Wishing for the wings on my feet to fly Mellow hearts fly Hearing the beats from our souls We play our hearts desire When we fly together The rush of hopelessness Through my body Like a bullet Through the soul As it chips away at Who I am As my eyes are stapled wide open Why must you bring me back here? To this sorrowful place This sudden change Makes this mellow heart furious Helpless

I'm not Icarus I was meant to fly Why must you turn me into him? Burn my wings Get under my skin Rip the wings right off my feet Made of all the tears you made me shed Why can't you let me be serene? I've found the light in my dark Why must you cage me?

Why Judge? Alondra Alvalle Inside I feel Torn, lost, under construction Like a building in the process of being built My friends judge me But guess what? I don’t care Truly It all explains to me that I’m depressed Like being in a box not letting my feelings out Trapped inside with all these emotions I need true friends Loyal Friendly Open-minded Curious All good vibes Someone who won’t judge who I am Someone that will talk me through all my problems Finally Where are they? I need fresh air A spine to hold me up so I can get the feeling I am human again

Gold Vanessa Bravo Her heart is covered with many layers of pain Love will peel the layers off And trust will bring the walls down She’s the same as wine Beauty divine Patience will never help you see How better she would get with time Her heart was so pure The sweetest person So sensitive but gold Broken but still alive Trying to hold on but wanting to let go Green with hope vanishing like the river Feelings faded Drowning in nothing but her own thoughts

Famished Joselyn Herrera I will not let anybody tell me what to do That’s what parents are for Life is too much right now It’s unsatisfying, isn’t it? It’s like a game You fell down Annoyed Got back up Fell again, never lost that hope You need guidance on this cold path I know it’s hard having people say Why does it always have to be you? Why don’t you understand? Just listen for once! Lost, frustrated Eventually you learn from all that makes you feel Uncertain and unwanted It will guide you to not feel left out I will not back down No matter what comes in my way I am a human being and I will never forget on who I am I am famished for the society to be thrilled Instead of destroying it’s blissful beauty But I will never be defeated This poem will guide me to forget about the past To continue with a positive future

All in One Alyssa Cordero When we look at a person We only see the surface. We don't read deeply Like we do to song verses. When people judge They bring up appearance. It's like looking at A piece of art From a distance; There's a lot that we are Missing. We are seeing Without really looking. We are thinking Without really knowing. Our eyes are deceiving. When we look at a person We see the past. We see the rumors, So how can we judge If we don't know their struggles When I look at you I see a door. You've been hit. You've been broken. You were locked in but Also locked others out.

When I look at you I see a human with mistakes. I have my own so how can I judge When you're the same as The rest of us? We all bleed red No matter the skin color, Black or white don't matter. When we were born, We saw the same sunlight Helping us flowers grow in the daylight. Goodnight Game over We all have a start and a finish. The same way we came here Is the way we’ll leave, With that light inside of us. All of us.

My One and Only World Joselyn Herrera My cousin is my diary Full of ideas And in each page Her words are the beat of many songs The melody she has and my beat Make me drawn to her more The best friend I always wanted to have She‘s family She’s cool like ice cubes She’s like flames that burn water and make it boil I am her 2.0- the better… best version We work in a team and get things done Without her in my life It won’t be the same Together we can be as bright as the sun And cold as winter snowflakes that turn into icicles At the end of the day We’ll always be there for each other No matter the distance You’ll always be in my heart It’s like our veins are connected An intense volcano of unity and care Thanks for being who you are I hope you feel the same way My diary A sister

My cousin Trust me, you mean a lot By blood we are cousins By hearts we’re best friends Cousins and family means Nobody gets left behind or forgotten

Friends? Where? Alondra Alvalle Silly, sarcastic, sporty Belongs in one pack Like Skittles Different colors, Different flavors All come together. Don’t separate which tastes better, Which looks better. They’re all the same. We all belong together. Life is like a hard rock hitting your head. I will not die for fakeness. I know my real friends. I will not beg you like a child asking for a toy, Knowing it’s cheap. I will not stop you from being you. I know it’s easy to leave. I will understand later and ask WHY? Life is like a bullet, You either die or survive. I will preach so high we’ll all be fine, But I still don’t understand Why you left my life.

You Can’t Stereotype My Type: Collaborative Poem Edited by Alyssa Cordero You can't stereotype my type Just because I live uptown Doesn't mean I'm not rich beyond My wildest dreams Doesn't mean I'm ratchet And I don't deserve respect Doesn't mean I piss in the elevators And have no respect You can't stereotype my type Just because we live in the hood Doesn't mean we all know A-Boogie Doesn't mean we’re thugs that commit crimes Sell drugs and get high Doesn't mean I'm not proper Nor educated We’re underrated Don't segregate us from “regular people” Don't stereotype our type

To My People Litzy Rojas Sometimes it hurts to be invisible Like the air you will never see A strong emotion Nobody cares you’re feeling Tearing your confidence from your tongue Don’t give someone the key to your power Like an easy path to a vault of secrets DON’T EVER! JUST DON’T! Who is someone to tell you who you are Or what you can become inside your skin? No one should feel like someone is peeling your Happiness like an orange Suffocating your thoughts You are enough Even if there’s no one there to see The magnificent Original Valiant Vision of You

Story Time Steph Porfil I’m down cause I can’t be who I wanna be I wish I was a boy I’ve been so quiet It’s time to make noise I wanna grow into an old man I wanna show mommy that this is part of my plan I’ve been like this since forever What would you do if you couldn’t feel okay In your own skin? What would you do if you been taking L’s But you’re supposed to win? Would you hate your life every second? Would you hate yourself Cause you can’t show yourself perfection? I’ve never wanted something so bad I don’t care who would look or laugh Trans is my path I wanna tell my mom but she’ll only hate me for that She already felt bad that I’m gay Only god knows how long it took her to Get used to me being that way How do you tell the lady you’re not happy with the body She gave you 16 years ago today? Do you tell or just forever walk away and only talk When you’re face to face with the girl who got away? I just wanna tell I wanna yell

I wanna cry break down till I feel a reason to be alive I look in the mirror and I’m not okay People ask me what’s wrong But it’s the same story as yesterday I’m lost and wanna be found I turn 18 March 23 2019 I pray and hope this will happen some way Cause I’m a boy stuck in a girl’s body Feeling like a messed up copy I wish someone could understand I’m happy just not with the girl I am Cause the boy that was supposed to be me Is finally screaming help me

This is an Obituary Moe Sanders My name is Moe Although Mom originally Named me Moesae Those names are Two different people Moesae 2001-2015 Years of uncertainty and insecurities Years of being desperate to Fit in because I was different And I knew that But this was before Moe So to me Being different Was a downright sin So I molded Myself into this person, this alter ego That everyone didn't recognize Someone I didn't recognize when I looked into the Mirror That was okay As long as I got invited to the movies on Saturday And sat in the middle Then Moe was born Moe

Someone I could be proud of Someone I could love Someone that still loved everyone She was everything she wanted to be And a little bit more She wasn’t afraid She wasn’t inferior Once said, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent”* And damn, was she tired of giving consent She promised herself to love and be loved To never let anyone tear off the crown She hand crafted For Herself

*Eleanor Roosevelt

Alluring Pain Gabriella Heyward After everything she has been through She still believes a small pink peony Can always bloom into something beautiful Look at the way it flares No effort, no care She believes one day someone will love her Just the way she is And see everything she can give All her layers Her beauty So fierce She has seen the love of her life die And saw herself dead right before her eyes But the beauty of the peony still survives The feeling of being dead inside Is the only thing keeping her alive Thinking why god… why? Hoping one day God will shine his light Help her win this fight So afraid to dream The dreams she was dreaming of That’s why she let them become Things never spoken of Dreaming dreams at night Only god can hear The Lord telling her

``Speak up, don’t let these dreams become Something you only think of Melanin child It’s time to wake up

I am the small pink peony I’ll always be beautiful Through the sunlight and rain I’ll make it through this storm This is my alluring pain

Pride Elian Cornejo Pride Stands up high A huge smile on his face Wearing anything he wants Feeling confident about it Pride likes to be itself for fun Doesn't care want other people think Only what he thinks Prides’ father is hope Prides’ mother is joy Both combined live in your heart and soul

Destiny Destiny Eulin In my past life, my name was Midnight Feeling empty and dark Waiting for the sunlight to appear So bright and round In the future, my name will be Cheerful Like kids at a candy store waiting for their favorite chocolate bar My friends think I’m a comedian on stage making jokes But the people in my neighborhood think my name is Quiet Like an empty classroom before kids enter in it Silent My family thinks my name is Innocent Like a toddler before they walk or talk Secretly I know my name is Destiny A hidden power Believed to control what happens in the future I don’t know the path I'm taking But I’m willing to see what the future holds What I'm supposed to do to survive And get where I want in life

Untitled Moe Sanders I learn something about myself Every day In these long going 24 hours I learn About my heart, how it beats heavy My eyes set goals And keep my dreams steady I’ve learned that my big heart is not An embarrassment It’s okay that I love big Hug long And say I love you just a bit too much Although that’s not how I was raised That’s how my heart was raised up I’ve learned that my eyes See into the future They see something so special Set expectations so high My body has no choice But to wanna catch up I've learned that my mind Won't accept less than greatness That’s ok though I’m learning that my mind Holds many doors that have yet to be opened

And that’s what I love the most I love that I allow myself To feel To fear To love Every emotion hanging on the spectrum I learn something about myself every day In these long going 24 hours I learn about my heart How it beats heavy And how I love Where I’m already heading

Salvation Vanessa Bravo I feel the air go past me As my glove catches the ball Round and shiny Catching my attention So sticky and nice My glove holds my future As I strive for success Soccer helps open up your mind Opens your heart Soccer’s my passion What I live for Thrive for Soccer’s hope is my salvation Soccer’s my right when I’m wrong Soccer is me

Memories of Your Best Torrey Watson Basketball The best sport you could ever play in your whole life Just walking down the court Seeing the shining reflection of the lights Getting a block Leaving your fingerprints on the backboard Memories of your best plays ever Most people won’t understand the lines on the ball Look at the rotation See if it was too light or hard If it's going left, right or down the middle Once I get the ball All I think about is my shot The white net I see a green light in my mind I bank shots off the glass backboard Hear that one good sound from the net My shot goes in so smooth like a soft pillow It’s like dreaming

This is for the Bench Rahshawn Claudio This for the people who never got playing time For the large percentage of players on the bench For the basketball coaches who act like ball hogs For the people who love favoritism Who say they’re better, but they’re not This is for the coaches who think favoritism is great But it’s just rude, dumb, and controlling This is for the parents that yell their hearts out Let my kid play, you nut! This is for the people who stand up to favoritism

No Need to Struggle Elian Cornejo With my hands I hope to create A better place for the community Better basketball courts Better buildings No piss in the elevator All around a safer place No need to struggle for rent No more worrying about the next meal or bills No more homeless people No more debt Just me and my hands changing the world

You Cannot Change Me Destiny Eulin I am strong and independent Seeing these innocent kids getting killed I want to be a role model to my lil’ sister Worrying if she’s gonna make it? Don’t know what I would do without her I'm her protector I'm her hero I will not be quiet I will stick up for what I believe in Nobody is going to stop me I will continue to be me ‘til the day I die I will not live another day on Earth Not living the life God gave me Not appreciating the loved ones I have and care for Learning to forgive Seeing who my real friends are and Who is sticking around to see me fail No one is going to stop me I will not cry because you told me to I know you expect me to be this innocent angel Always following what I'm told But I can’t Nobody should judge me I'm entitled to my own opinion Or at least freedom of speech But it doesn’t exist in this world Life is suppose to be marvelous

But people are dying everyday Life flashes before their eyes They know they’re not going to see another day But life is so good?

Third Eye Open Gabriella Heyward Peace of mind is all I need There has been so much going on From things happening in the world To things happening within me Within my heart Within my brain Within my soul Everything is so icy cold But my heart will forever be gold Fine china, too fragile to hold Ever since my pops died Things haven't been the same A little wild flower has gone insane Baby girl inhales her happiness To kill the pain To make her world feel the same How it was back in the day I just want peace of mind Peace within my heart Within my soul I want to wake up And let everything go But how? How can I wake up and feel okay? How can I wake up with a real smile on my face? Every time it's there All it does is fade

Close my eyes shut and I hear nothing but The beautiful sound of life Laughter Cries Open eyes I see my life passing by Everything dies The world I prayed for is a lie I now see the beauty To wake up every day is a blessing itself Third eye open

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Please Cops… A series of 6-word memoirs Rahshawn Claudio Please cops… Please don’t arrest me. My life is based on baseball. I’m loyal, heartbroken, blank-minded, and brainwashed. Even though I’m not with gangs Don’t take my life for granted.

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Home Emmanuel Bravo There are 4 walls and one door Only one door to get in and out When I'm alone with these 4 walls I have my phone to not keep me bored These floors and windows Try to invade my space But there is nothing to keep me Looking away from my phone There are no friends no more But in real life when these 4 walls and windows are gone I feel alone in this empty house There is someone that doesn't let me down My phone My only friend

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Lost Mind in a Distant Moon Joshua Lebron I fear losing I know if I do I lose the twilight of my life But I’ve seen the vast and wonderful world That gave me life And keeps me guessing If I lose I lose my liberty If I lose I lose my time If I lose I lose my love I lose the fuel that drives me forward I dream of a stranger Trying to give me wisdom Wisdom I don't remember But I do Like a moth to a distant moon It still lingers in my mind Like an image from an old dream Like a conduit that eludes my understanding He told me With his spirit We are the architects of our own actions We must live with the consequences Whether they may be glorious or tragic

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Not for Nothing Though Jesus Beato Maybe it’s just my life but There are zero breaks It’s always something Life is like an episode of American Ninja Warrior You never know what’s coming In this life, you’ve got to keep pushing Otherwise you’re like Ray Charles driving You ain’t going nowhere It’s too much out here for anyone to give up Believe in yourself Hate it or love it Either way, make the most of what you have Like Bentleys in auctions, time is limited They say everyone is put in a situation they can Overcome Take the good with the bad Not for nothing though We only human

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I Know Who I Am Elian Cornejo I will not be a bum on the streets Asking for change when the light turns red I will not be a statistic of how my people end up A high school dropout nor a drug dealer I know my self-worth It’s high and never low I know where I will end up A college graduate or a firefighter My life is too precious to let it go to waste on the streets My life is too good for me not to do anything with it I will be successful in life No debt and a house I will be able to help my family financially Paying off everything they own No more bills I will work hard for my family and me Nothing- I mean nothing Will get in my way

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Ode to Books Moe Sanders This is a thank you For all the times You’ve picked me up without asking Eased the pain that crawled Through my mind This is a thank you For distracting me from the big picture When the big picture wasn’t Any good for me I am grateful For all the hours Where my heart has reached Out to the page And my mind has been everywhere Than where I sat And I wonder How an inanimate object Can teach me lessons without A notebook For showing me what Love Hate Lust Felt like in one sitting These pages carry a weight That I don't think anybody gets To you, these pages are just filled with words

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But to me These pages carry a heartbeat and They clarify why my heart beats Why my smile speaks And why my eyes light up When the page speaks words That makes my heart cease My love for books Cannot be captured on paper Or in the dream catcher Placed above my head Just a little bit higher Than the novel that has captivated my Carmine essence For I am blessed to be Paralyzed by words that have dropped Into my eyes like eye drops Before I to go to sleep This an ode to books

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