One Pen 2022 by The Bronx Academy of Letters Writers in Residence Program

One Pen 2022 Bronx Academy of Letters

Bronx Academy of Letters Writer in Residence Program For over 15 years, Bronx Academy of Letters has hosted a vibrant Writer in Residence Program, underscoring the importance of literacy and writing. The Writer in Residence Program leverages the expertise of working writers to bring an authentic contemporary writing experience to students. One Pen Staff 2021-2022 Writer in Residence/ Editor-in-Chief: Karla Robinson Designer: Mickey Ferrara Student Editor: Afsatu Ali Salihu Principal: Ms. Schless

Acknowledgements Special thanks to: Bronx Letters Foundation The Arts Department Mr. Ahmad, Ms. Authernrieth, Ms. Critsimilios, Ms.Guzman, Ms. Pecharo, and the entire BAL staff

Table of Contents Stars Align Giomary Rodriguez

Until Your Last Breath Abdul Mohammed

Spotlight Jayden C. Stone

Suffocating India Edwards

You’ll Understand Why Maya Asare

Bright Lights Turn Dark Jadalee Valdez

Hopeful Future Dyshawn Mims

A Part of Life Abdul Mohammed

Dear Butterflies and Fireflies Evelyn Guzman

When the Sun Goes Down Honathon del Orbe

Trust Your Reasons Dede Osorio

Unwanted Smile Afsatu Ali Salihu

New Privilege Collaborative Poem

The Happiness of Music Omar McNeil

Holding Me Tight Afsatu Ali Salihu

One Month in Paradise Gilbert Almonte

Risk It All Fanta Niangadou

You’re Allowed to Cry Elsie Herrera

Overwhelmed Jason McLamb

Clouded Mind 31 Devante Alexander No Life in Their Eyes 33 Auron Mercado

Ark Jayden C. Stone

Predator versus Prey Zymari Wright

The Peace of Terror Issa Cisse

Lucid Dreams Teudy Martinez

Peekaboo Edwin Galindo

The Ills of Heartbreak 40 Jadalee Valdez Wounded Soul Elsie Herrera

Shards Devante Alexander

Friend or Foe Kaelah Cortes

A Sealed Iron Box Henry Sanchez

Little Me Auron Mercado

17 Kaitlyn Soto

Polar Opposites Ibrahim Diallo

The Gamble Collaborative Poem

Reflection de la Luna Edwin Galindo

A Night All to Myself Elsie Herrera

TGIFFFFFFRIDAYYYY Omar McNeill

Letter from the Editor Hello Loves! Welcome to One Pen 2022! I don’t know about you, but I began this school year hoping it would be easier than last year. Sadly, violence, hunger, and the wealth gap continue to plague our borough, city, country and world. I find myself searching for bright spots and beauty beneath the surface. Luckily, we have poetry! Like all good things in The Bronx, this year and this book have been a true community effort. I’m full of gratitude for all of the hands that made sure this book came to be. I’m grateful for the aching poetic muscles that stretched toward the unknown and the hearts that were pried open so brilliance could pour out. This book is beautiful because you are beautiful. And we are even more beautiful together. With love and poetry,

Ms. Karla

Stars Align

Giomary Rodriguez Where I come from dreams are as far as your financial aid will go. The dreams of continuing your mother’s legacy, showing her that her sacrifice was worth the wait. Showing her what happens when the stars align. Where I come from single mothers are isolated in fear of their greatness. Where I come from cars understand red as go and begin to fly. It snows on sunny days, but we don’t have anyone else to blame for our mistreatment of Mother Nature but ourselves. Now we have to hear her cries. Where I come from there’s an officer at every corner monitoring little boys holding onto their mothers. Waiting for the boy to be alone to attack like a vicious snake, overseeing what the boy can become. Where I come from the government is always leaving us for last. The rats get better treatment than us. And when they try to help us, they try to change us. Where I come from they try to burn us to the ground, but like a Phoenix we will rise. From a once broken land, we will triumph.

Until Your Last Breath

Abdul Mohammed

Let the truth be told No misdirection No lies No animosity No hate Love or no love Friends or no friends Family or no family Let the truth be told as if you’re singing your favorite song Let the truth be told even if you’ll be in a disadvantage Let the truth be told even if you have a gun to your head Let the truth be told even if you’re taking your last breath At the end of the day let the truth be told

Spotlight

Jayden C. Stone There are places that don’t join the city skyline. Neglected for being too nasty but become nastier due to neglect, that only get their time in the spotlight during their worst acts. Like Broadway musicals, or stage plays but every performance is a tragedy. Violence comes from these awful places. A dreadful but unbreakable cycle. Full of acts so repetitive that people stop watching, stop caring. Writing reviews of the entire play without seeing the beginning acts. Just as the media reports the entire story without seeing the man pulling the trigger. That same horrible cycle repeats, like the actors who repeat their performances. Young boys fearing for themselves and their families. Young boys who join gangs to gain respect. Young boys forced to become grown men through their actions. Grown men who cause chaos to gain respect. Grown men who gain respect through fear. Fear that causes young boys to fear for themselves and their families. Their plays, their performances always have bad endings. The memories they leave behind only matter to the families who loved them. The media never saw those precious memories, only the final act, the terrible act. Family misses the innocent soul who loved. Media shines the spotlight on the guilty soul who hated. 9

Where family sees young boys who only wanted to keep the ones they love safe, the media sees grown men killing the ones they hate. But the media’s voice is loud and controlling, while the voices of family are a silent whisper. The media didn’t watch these boys grow up. The media doesn’t care about the man behind the pistol smoke. The media only sees the moment that man pulled the trigger, and the man whose body is outlined in chalk. An act of desperation always born out of money. Money needed to care for family or money needed to prevent starvation. The thundering echo of gunfire is heard more because of survival than because of hate. The smell of gunpowder and blood ever present, polluting the streets worse than any factory waste. But the only waste here are good people living bad lives. Every actor plays the same role, A gang member filled with violence and hate gun in hand and ready to fire. But they’re just actors, putting on masks. The media doesn’t see past those masks, can’t see the people underneath them, doesn’t want to see the people beneath them. They can see the bigger picture but fail to see the finer details. After all, it’s easier to remember characters than the actors who played them. Their lives are like stage plays, and their only time in the light is in the midst of their darkest moment.

Suffocating

India Edwards The waves swaying back and forth like hula dancers in Hawaii. The warm sand comforting my feet like blankets made from clouds. The scorching hot sun beaming on me like an oven on broil. The smell of fresh non-polluted air begging my nostrils to never leave. The ever so calming atmosphere surrounding me, telling me to forget about all my worries in the world. And then the realization hits me like an asteroid going 1,000,000 MPH. I have to go back to a city with disgusting people, overly crowded buses, horrendous smelling trains, extremely loud music, car drivers that act like the street is NASCAR, and really everything else in this disastrous city. The realization that I have to go back to a society where killing each other for nothing more than some pocket-change is the norm. The realization that I have to go back to worrying for my safety in my neighborhood. Worrying that if I do so much as look at someone the wrong way I could lose my life. Drug addicts out of their mind seeking mine. The realization that I have to go back to a place where I can almost suffocate in all the trash. The realization that I can't just close my eyes and make believe that these things aren't going on in the place where I lay my head at night.

You’ll Understand Why Maya Asare

When you become stone hearted it causes you to act different. You turn different, you stay different. The feeling of guilt spreads throughout your soul as you mourn the loss of your best friend. Hours turn to days, days turn to months. You stay in shock and don’t even notice. When you become stone hearted you feel nothing and you see nothing. No love, no emotions, no sleep, no excitement, just consistent pain and distress. Sad as raindrops on a grave, all the happiness you once thought you had is lost. And nobody understands why until their heart turns to stone. You’ll understand the laid back and sorrowful me when the weight of guilt pounds your chest like a train on the tracks.

Bright Lights Turn Dark Jadalee Valdez

I exist in the depths People hear NYC and think of bright lights & many people But deep down it’s a cold night Mamas crying at their young sons graves hoping she could’ve stopped him sooner would’ve hugged him tighter Wishing she could hold him once more NYC can be bright but the light could get dark at any time or moment

Hopeful Future

Dyshawn Mims On cold bitter nights, people pick a fight with someone for nothing. On cold bitter nights, people want to try to take someone's life away for nothing. People, please stop killing each other. On cold bitter nights, people cannot enjoy the night when people and cops are dying trying to protect the poor or homeless people. Cops, please stop the brutal killing. Help the homeless people or stop crime. And don't be the opposite. Drug lords, stop giving homeless people drugs and start giving them food and shelter they can live in and sleep there peacefully. I had a dream. The dream was about us outside just enjoying the hot weather. No mask on our face or no Covid around us. After all this is over, I won't be the same. After all this is over, people will change They won't be the same like 2018 or 19. On cold bitter nights, I wish that life was not hard for me or nobody else. Just live a happy life like rich people.

A Part of Life

Abdul Mohammed My heart is a toy. It’s thrown around stepped on, played with, overused. And when they are done with it they move on to the next. Then they eventually forget all the things they did. But I guess it's a part of life, just like how you wake up every day and brush your teeth. Just like how you see leftover pizza crust sitting on the floor waiting to be eaten. Leftover stale donuts in the garbage. Leftover drinks spilled on the train. Just like how every day we see people begging for food and there's people that waste food. I'm here to tell youmy heart is not a toy. Instead of stepped on it should be loved by the other person. Instead of played with it should be protected to the end. Instead of overused it should be treated with care.

Dear Butterflies and Fireflies

Evelyn Guzman

You left as fast as you came Your presence forever leaving a stain You became as cold and distant as the rain I wish things could of stayed the same My heart tells me to talk, to chase, but I stop myself from reaching out my hand as I watch you walk away But I remind myself you’re not mine But I remember the late nights talks that brought deep thoughts and your eyes as they poured into mine Losing track of time as we danced for the first time. 143 turned into I’m sorry But that wasn’t the last time You changed like a flip of a dime No longer making time I’m not a passing thought in your mind Slowly losing my mind Was it real or was it fake? Oh god please, not another mistake This one is too much to take I’m feeling my heart break watching you walk right by me with a smile on your face Oh butterflies and fireflies, you exploded right in my face Did you know the feelings you once gave me would indeed not last forever, but wither away?

When the Sun Goes Down

Honathon del Orbe

Even when the sun goes down, you can still find light. Even when the sun goes down love is in the air, ready to mingle and tingle. Even if it’s dark the sun will come back. Even when the sun goes down, if you are a positive person not even the darkest shades of the entire world and priorities of color will come upon you. When the sun comes up you’ll still shine.

Trust Your Reasons

Dede Osorio

Trust your heart. It is your delicate flower. Trust your greatness because greatness is you. Trust your reasons for breaking down. Don’t take this as an attack on your soul. Trust your sadness. Trust your words. They are your sword that can strike and pierce your heart. Without words you will never be brave or stand up for yourself. Trust the reason behind your silence. When that silence breaks you shall speak with strength and dedication. Trust yourself, only you can make things possible by trying. Trust your reasons. Trust your fire. Let it be your desire. Trust your mind even if it wanders. Trust your voice that speaks inside. Trust your inner self that wants to make you whole.

Unwanted Smile

Afsatu Ali Salihu Dear Younger Self, Your angelic heart surmised the world As a precious gold Diamond Without expectations. You assumed the world As a silver galaxy As an endless light. You looked at others' galaxy Being showered with stars Just like autumn leaves Kept bumping into things Looking for a star for yourself. Me And us Are now stars of Somewhere without a place. Inner child, You should have known That smile was perilous. Although it could melt a heart Nevertheless it was deceitful. It invites abhorrent behavior. Having a daystar on the face Makes the fall of harm rise Rockets the thirst for hatred. You thought hugging Thorns budding rose was lovely. Not knowing the poisonous ones Were ready for your body The ones that keep on piercing Through your body Without you knowing.

Little twin, I know it has been an uneasy journey You couldn’t see the road Between the dim light. Since you lacked the key to conceive yourself, The key to self-expression, It must have been rigid To attend to others. Because you had no other option You always kept smiling. Because you had a bright face Your smile was always glowing Brightly to anyone you see. I guess it hurt the cheeks But you kept doing it. I hope I can smile more. Today’s me is doing fine. Yesterday’s you Now is all cleared. Little one, The world is still beautiful. So many stars Forming the galaxy Roaming around. But the people in it ain’t pretty. They ain’t also cold as the snow. They just lost their path. They were failed. Everything in front of our eyes Now looks fearful. Let's run away from the life That keeps throwing us around. Inner child, Are you ready to let go?

New Privilege

Collaborative Poem Freedom is like spreading your wings of life. No garbage in the seas and streets, no killing your brothers and sisters, a world without capture. Like the earth being cooled down after a hot sunny day. Parents letting their kids live because they know they will cross the door safely. Freedom is an open wound free to heal without bandages. Feels like you’re a child again where things can be done without being questioned, not being locked in a cage. Being able to do as you please, come and go at any degree. Freedom smells like a washed mouth ready to talk to people filled with happiness and the sound of laughs and smiles. It’s sweet, too sweet that it gives cavities. Freedom is life at its fullest.

The Happiness of Music

Omar McNeil

I come from a family that loves music. A family that loves to dance to music because it brings them happiness and joy being together. A family that listens to old school music New Edition Earth, Wind, and Fire Songs like “Rock Steady” and “Let this groove, get you to move, It's alright, alright Let this groove, set in your shoes, Stand up, alright Get you moving” I come from a family where music plays when mothers are cleaning on a nice good Sunday. When uncles are bbq-ing in the backyard it sounds like the happiness of kids running around getting wet with water balloons. Aunties gossiping about each other. Uncles yelling and talking about sports. Lyrics help us get through our problems. I love it when songs bring people together. Music is all over the place. Music cannot stop being heard.

Holding Me Tight

Afsatu Ali Salihu I woke up from a family full of introverts A family who enjoys talking to themselves only I wake up to a family with thousands of happiness A family who has always been there for me Telling me to keep loving myself A family I always cry with Telling them I got no dreams And they say, “Dear, life is slow It’s okay not to have a dream Because the real world is different from promises Because you can’t run Without knowing where you are going” I shine from a family where love and each member is a key A key that opens the door to make you fly high Higher than anything you can imagine I shine from a family where ungrateful loneliness is never in our dictionary A family which is always together Togetherness is our motto because we believe that if we come together the desert becomes the sea.

One Month in Paradise

Gilbert Almonte

Returning to Dominican Republic gives the feeling of a free inmate coming home after being away for so long. When I think about family & fun Dominican Republic instantly comes to mind. The love you receive is like no other feeling, like being a newborn in your new family. Visiting family you usually don't often see is a feeling like getting lost at the mall as a kid and regathering with your family after searching with fear all over for them. Eating in D.R. is like breaking a long fast, biting into your first sandwich with a mango smoothie. Drinking fresh water is like taking that first sip of water in the middle of the night. When I hear music it feels like going to a teenage club for the first time. The sound of dembow makes you want to start dancing, filling you up with excitement. The fresh air in Dominican Republic is a feeling like finally taking that breath of air again after drowning. My favorite part is the adrenaline rush from the cold refreshing beach waters rushing through my feet while I walk barefoot through the sand. The worst part about D.R is leaving. It's a feeling like when you leave to the army for months with the hopes of time going by fast, wishing to return home. The sadness of leaving a toy store as a kid hoping you stay just a bit longer. Dominican Republic is a very important place to me as it holds precious memories. 24

Risk It All

Fanta Niangadou Where I’m from parents always complain, “Please don't ride a motorcycle. Take the car.” Motorcycles are one of the main reasons a lot of families mourn. Women, men, children, grandmas, grandpas, babies There's just no limit as to who rides motorcycles. Toddlers either in the middle or tied on their mom’s back wrapped in cloth. Where I’m from the heat will make you feel like you’ve entered an oven on 360 degrees. The men get up early to head to work, leave money for their wives to cook. You have some families on the street hungry. Then you have kids that have parents who are wealthy who can afford to enroll them in school, coming back home to cooked meal. I come from the women in my life who wake up at 6am to work and chase the bag. Not only for her daughter, but for the family she also left behind. I wake up worried, Did she made it to work safe? Where we live as a little girl, or even a grown woman, walk outside alone in the dark if you want to risk it all. We have guys on the block waiting for fresh meat Drunk, high have no respect for females whatsoever. 25

I come from Dad being on and off in life Mom crying day and night stressed, thinking if she can do everything on her own. Hustling like wolves to make sure everyone receives what they want. Rent and bills don’t wait on no one. Either you pay on time or you’re on the streets fighting for our safety. Deep down inside I just pray for everyone’s safety. Pray that you find it in your heart to never give up, to be successful. Keep going. Show appreciation to the people who haven't given up on you, especially to the woman who gave you life.

You’re Allowed to Cry

Elsie Herrera

Women are told how to act, what to say, what to eat, what to wear. They tell us to eat more. No, actually now, they tell us to stop eating. They tell us to get pretty because that’s what a girl’s for, right? We’re told to put makeup on because without any they will never find us attractive. They tell us to cover up acne because it makes us ugly, when in reality it’s normal and it isn’t for one gender only. I want my future daughter to not live in fear of crowded trains with old men too close, catcalled for simply walking. Sun setting early and having to run home. Now I understand why parents don’t want their little girl to grow up. They tell us to raise our voice, but when we do we’re called liars. Most of us get harassed, sometimes on the daily, but we can’t let anyone know. Because they think it is only for attention and notoriety. They tell us we’re all equal but are we really? If so, why do I have to pay more for the same product? The only difference is a simple color. Why are we expected to act “ladylike” when nobody is paying attention to how they act? I want my future daughter to know she can be whatever she wants because jobs shouldn’t have a gender. Why can't we be construction workers?

Is it too manly now? Being an engineer? Oh, that’s not meant for us. Even as kids we are expected to only play with dolls and strollers. They find it unusual seeing a girl playing with cars because that’s not meant for us. Why can’t they just focus on updating their ideas? We’re not in the 1800’s anymore. People get surprised when they see a woman wearing a hardhat and neon clothes because as women our uniform can only be dresses, high heels, and heavy makeup. Jobs shouldn’t be discarded instantly because society doesn’t approve. Who even made the idea of what was meant for who? I want my future daughter to live her life filled with happiness. I want my future daughter to see her beauty and not let others influence her self esteem because they are blinded by beauty standards when nobody should fit into those molds. Why can’t we be the bosses as well? You don’t want women to be more successful than men? We’re too sensitive? Well news flash, you have feelings too. You are allowed to cry when your heart breaks. It doesn’t make you any less of a man to take care of the soul that keeps you loving. I want my daughter to be free. I want her to hang out with her friends even when the stars are the only ones giving light. I want my future daughter to not be scared of any man she sees. We can be whatever we want and make our own decisions. 28

We only want equal rights because it’s what we deserve. We want to live in peace like you have always been because we already do so much for men. We are the pillars of our families. We deserve more and we will get it. United, we will.

Overwhelmed

Jason McLamb Somedays you may feel hurt. I am here to remind you may feel depressed when you overwhelm yourself. Somedays you may feel angry, probably because all the stuff around you bothers you and annoys you. I am here to remind you may feel fear because your nervous system works like an instinct. Somedays you may feel stress. You may feel drained from all the stuff you go through. You should be easy on yourself because you're only trying.

Clouded Mind

Devante Alexander As I sit put on a bed of grass I watch the clouds swing by An everlasting journey continues unfazed by words able to keep flying without a thought Unlike me Clouds flashing the memories they hold for me The only things that gave me life that I respect The most valuable blessing The change that sticks until I die My power of friendship Sharing my hopes and dreams Spreading my happiness to the world The thing that’s dearest for me A man’s best friend A sibling of stupidity but kind to thy friends My hard work for a lifetime Overlapped with thoughts the clouds come Only to me they say “Sit back Relax Lie down and rest” As I remember more of the forgotten future Locking my eyes I continue to explore my mind further But not happiness My head floods with sadness Hatred Embarrassment From manipulation to false hatred From unfair warnings to unjust force into false accusations to believed lies 31

Left out a bright happiness into a dwindling sadness Left to question How can I be a happy influencer to others? Am I supposed to be a likable monarch like him? Angry to all? Destroying meaningful relationships? How do I be me? Leaving me in an impossible state I never thought of reaching Laying there not able to rise back up But I stop when the clouds blow the past away with their breath Reminding me to keep my energy from fading off To stay true no matter what To not fall deeper from life

No Life in Their Eyes

Auron Mercado

There’s no way to get away from I-phones or technology. People are so stuck. Kids don't know how to talk with people. They fight a lot through technology. Sometimes they don’t ever go outside. Technology has melted kids’ brains and it’s sad because there’s no escape from it. I’m scared. How will the future look? Something needs to change because every kid is going to be a zombie No life in their face. No life in their eyes just like a zombie. And if kids can’t get their phones out of their face it’s going to end badly. The future of kids, the end will be right around the corner.

Ark

Jayden C. Stone The pain of disappointment. The anger caused by shattered dreams. The sorrow of an unfulfilled life. The cruelty of a society that thrives off suffering. This is what the world truly is. When we realize this, our dreams fade out. Our goals become an afterthought when focusing on simply surviving. Why focus on being the host of your own game show, when you barely have the funds to pay this month’s rent? Why focus on getting your college degree, when you’re already drowning in student debt? Dreams fade when they are crushed by reality. But some people are fine with this. Some people don’t care about moving forward. Some people simply live in the present, without thought of the future. Inmates locking themselves behind bars willingly. Too focused on daily survival to look to the future, too comfortable with their mundane lives to follow their dreams. They would rather let themselves be controlled by society than take the wheel themselves. If the wheel was easy to grab, then perhaps dreams could morph into reality. But it’s not. Not because we lack the will, but because the greedy refuse to let us. They turned life into an ark. An ark where only the despicable flourish. The ones who will let others drown so that they can survive. The ones who will hold your head under the water until you yield or perish. 34

The ones who will push you overboard because they know you’re weak. They reek of elegance, drinking expensive wines while others can’t afford clean water. The crimson carpets they walk on, beautiful and soft, dyed with the blood of the ones they stabbed in the back. They are barbarians in noble clothing. When those are the types of people who control the ark, it’s safer to lay low than to oppose the ones in charge. We find security in exchange for our freedom. We find freedom in our security. We think that the safe path is the best path. It’s an evil that we embrace, because we lack strength to oppose it alone. Those who have tried have failed spectacularly. The evil we embrace is the oppression and greed of those atop the ark. The ones who control our lives from the dark like puppeteers of fate.

Predator versus Prey

Zymari Wright

We struggle when life pulls us down. We struggle when we get knocked down off our feet. Often mistaken for weak so we get looked down on. A world where war is gone is a world without life. A world without war is a world without love. Man loves power but one needs more because a man without power is like a bird with no wings. Man loves power because a man without power is like a bird with no flight. The king of the jungle will be challenged. The snake bites the rabbit and the bird bites the snake. When people come from the jungle they prey on the weak. We will strive when we shake the dust off our shoulders. We will strive when we stand high, tall, and mighty. We will strive when the mice roar as loud as the lion.

The Peace of Terror

Issa Cisse

Fear can sound silent The once peaceful neighborhood where you had freedom Freedom to walk Freedom to run at any pace without repercussions You see, freedom is the right to criticize anyone or anything without facing consequences Struggling to reveal yourself Scared that people won’t love the real you See the real you Understand the real you But fear can also sound loud The screams of horror going through the neighborhood Hearing the consistent sound of sirens Pops of bullets zinging through the air passing through your ear at a high rate of speed Speeds going upwards of 1700 miles per hour 2736 kmph All of a sudden you wonder why everything is so quiet You see fear comes in all sounds and shapes Fear can be as big as a polar bear or as small as a pufferfish

Lucid Dreams

Teudy Martinez I hear the birds go chirp chirp out the window. When I’m at the doorway I hear a basketball dribbling down the hallway. I hear babies crying, kids arguing, loud music and TV playing across the house. Music is so loud you can hear Nas playing in the other room. I go outside and just accept. But when I’m at the doorway, sound feels different. The more I lean on the doorway I can feel a breeze flowing through my head making me think Are we real? Or are we just fictional characters in someone's book? Choosing to be good or bad. Between both sides, which is the right to choose? Should I live without sorrow and pain but end up being the bad person in any situation? Or should I move cautious and be prey to the society? I live in a doorway where you only hear crows on one side and hummingbirds on the other side. I have lucid dreams of being stuck between the doorway the whole time.

Peekaboo

Edwin Galindo I hear teachers saying, “Pull out your ID and your Yondr pouches.”

School ID’s swiping and beeping, receipts coming out like Pop-Tarts out of a toaster. I hear students talking to their friends in the hallway. Feels like the hallways tell me to go to class. Once I step in class I feel tired like it’s a bed made of quicksand. Once I wake up, I feel stuck on a mouse glue trap. I get outside I see kids getting picked up by their parents I hear Mr. Softee and an icy seller saying “Coco! Mango! Cherry! Rainbow!”

I hear the kid crying. I'm guessing their mom said no. I walk through needles and crackheads or take a longer route home. Two cops walk by. One of them tells me to stay in school. I see my friends from elementary school playing ball, thinking about how I had fun back then. Now I need to take time with life. Anything can happen out here, even to kids.

The Ills of Heartbreak

Jadalee Valdez

Heart breaking, beating Fully red inside jet black With no one knowing its fully cracked Knowing it'll never be the same. Feeling like you were heaven elevating Suddenly falling carrying baggage Reminiscing of the old person you thought was coming back Pain and sorrow will never be fulfilled Even when they come back it’ll never be the same Heart beating but feeling sharp pains Feeling numb You're the toxic waste that I can't throw away

Wounded Soul

Elsie Herrera It’s ok to feel sad sometimes To cry at night To be selfish at times To close yourself off from the rest of the world To not tell them how you feel It’s totally fine when you don’t want to talk It’s alright to lose the smile for a day or two To only go to school, do work, and go back home To stop the music for a while To turn on “Do not disturb” and block the outside world It’s ok to not do anything for one day To be lazy and unproductive To close the curtains and block the sun It’s ok to pause and let your heart heal from all the damage done To take a break from trying to live with a wounded soul I understand if you just want to take a silent walk If you don’t even have the energy to go on your phone If you want to sleep all day Stay in your room in your safe place But please don’t let it last long because we still need you We need your smile We need your happiness and light Open the curtains and let the sunshine warm your healed soul Let it stroke your face and help you take in this new life

Shards

Devante Alexander You and I, trapped in a room of mirrors. No matter how matter times you look you see me chasing after you. You travel to no end but you can only see me and you. You and I, chasing those reflections we can’t follow, but want. Watching gray clouds cover the cold world with darkness like a wound stopped in its’ tracks by a bandage. Like a case enclosing the item within but you proceed to press forward. As you fly by your reflection cracks. Shattering away with the icy wind as you sprint by shards. Keeping away, trying not to look as glass soars to the sky. As reflections fade you can’t find your way. Without a way you just stay away, being a statue as still as possible, lost. You, lost in thought, looking for a light but defeated. Yet you heard something unknown yet familiar. As a luminous hand reaches out for you, calling you forth as I guide you out the cold darkened world to a true, lit world. 42

Friend or Foe

Kaelah Cortes What door should I choose? My friends? Or be selfish and choose myself? I’ve made new friends. Can I trust them? Are they friend or foe? To those I couldn’t saveplease forgive me. These doorways give me multiple outcomes, with that I can create new futures. Futures where everyone is safe. Futures where everyone is alive and happy. Futures where I finally get the girl of my dreams. I saved everyone that I could, And I still ended up failing. They all put their trust in me. It’s a lot to hold on my shoulders alone, but I’m doing just fine. I’ve saved people so I know I can do it over and over again. I have faith in myself. Faith that is slowly depleting. I’m terrified of changing things and making it worse. If I failed, would they be disappointed? If I turned a blind eye, would they hate me for it? If they knew that I could help them, what would they do? Should I open more doorways with my allies? Some doorways lead to death. And some lead to prison, every kind of prison, mentally and physically. A prison that holds the heart captive. Some lead to happiness, and some lead to despair. 43

Should I surrender and let life get the better of me? No. I will save them. I must save them.

A Sealed Iron Box

Henry Sanchez

I’m locked in a cage by the flaw in life’s code. This cage my home. This cage where I sleep I see the destruction of rage and hate. I see all but this cage is locked. My key of freedom and will is gone. I have many locks. My locks are the multiple wars in this world. I’m held captive by many sides. The war of survival and pain caused fear and hate. The cold streets and last remains of my life survive heartless streets. The war of color and those forced away from homes. The brutal beating cause by falsely justified cops. The war of freedom for equal rights. The loud riots of people begging on the streets, pleading for our rights. Those bars are made of anger and hatred, made with the fear of the unseen the sadness of the tortured. The unheard voices that scream for help made with those who are blinded by hate and rage. My cage that keeps me away from my freedom. My lock holds my loud voice. My bars that haunt me with sadness and fear. My freedom was taken from me while in my cage. The spirits that were happy and bright now are dark and cold. I’m locked in by the flaw in life’s code This cage my home. This cage where I sleep I see the destruction caused by rage and hate. 45

Little Me

Auron Mercado Feeling alone I run to a door because I see light. But when I open the door the light is gone. All I see is a young kid crying. I ask him if he’s okay. When I look at him, it’s just me if I was a kid but I can't see my face. It’s not even there. I back away scared but when the little me sees me he stops crying a little.

Kaitlyn Soto Who knew seventeen would be so brutally bittersweet. Last period of poetry, I haven’t wrote or said a thing because if I do the words I carry in my head will only cut your eyes. At least that’s what I do best. My friends became a blade. Seemed like a balanced trade but it was the first time I saw my mom afraid People’s faces have become blurry. Is it my teary eyes? Or the world’s way of saying you deserve to be alone. I’ve spoken about the bitter and brutal I almost forgot about the sweet. The sweet part is I won't be seventeen forever.

Polar Opposites

Ibrahim Diallo My inner eye can see light and dark Two opposites One shines harder than stone Deeper than a wishing well As steep as a mountain But that doesn’t mean you can’t believe Hope is a belief Believe you can smell the future of peace But my inner can see fire and water One has a fiery heart One is dimmer than the other One wants to fight One wants to have peace One is raging red One is rebuilding blue The inner eye can see more But the outer eye is support The inner is the main course The outer eye helps you take a glimpse Both help you see how the world can be

The Gamble

Collaborative Poem Life is long and a lot of people don’t recognize that. A loop repeating itselfschool, home, sleep, school, home, sleep A tall tree that can only be climbed by discovering yourself. Life is crazy because I lost too many loved ones. Life is full of surprises. Some can be good. Some can be bad. But at the end of the day they all teach you a lesson. Life is hard. Get used to it because it ain’t changing. Life is tough. Try to find the most out of it, because it’s short. Life is hard. Young people are obligated to do what others say in order to be successful and smart. We all make mistakes in life but people tend to treat us like we are always supposed to be perfect. Life is hard when people control you. An endless game with time. Life is a handful- things come and go. A handful but thankful it goes beyond just surviving. It’s more about living. Life is motivating, unpredictable, spontaneous. It will lift you up, get you ready to overcome the next step needed.

Life isn't fair. Sometimes you can win in life but you can also lose. The point is to always learn without giving up. The past is your lesson. The present is your gift. The future is your motivation. It’s hard and nothing is free. Live the adventure you want to live. Life is a chance and a gamble.

Reflection de la Luna

Edwin Galindo

On cold winter nights with clear skies raindrops lie on the gate like a chameleon hanging upside down. Look in the drops. It will bring peace. The world is intensely cold tonight, frost shaping your face. Moon making the frost shine, letting you know we’ve all been unique from the day we were born. I wander beneath the great sky. Suddenly the moon is at the edge where there was only reflection that day. Things can be messed up, you can always choose the best. Even if something is messed up it still has a value. The gate is featured with frost expressing empathy. Look in the gate, you see yourself. It will bring calm. Everything is known to the moon.

A Night All to Myself

Elsie Herrera

I want more faces and gazes of appreciation. I want you to love my big bright light in the starry night. I don’t want you to run away from the dark because I am always here to protect you. I am there to comfort you on lonely nights. I accompany you in whatever path you take. I sing you lullabies like a mother to her child. I am always there even when you don’t realize it. And when you do my hazel eyes light up and my freckled face smiles. I want more paintings and pictures. I want to be painted as anything you can imagine with flowers and colors with glitter and sequins. I want pictures with no filters. I want my flaws to show because I’m proud. I learned to pose for your camera. After all the years of my life I grew up with all of you too. Each night I am waiting for a lens to catch my eye. I twirl and jump when I do, waiting for that flash. I crave your love like plants crave water. I am underappreciated. I can’t help but dim my light realizing nobody stays up to wait for me to appear. I constantly cry but nobody has to know it happened. I don’t get as much love as the sun does 52

but I am still grateful to have some. Even through the clouds, I make sure my light beams through. I want to be the main character But I also know you're the main character because honestly, we all have our own movie, right? I’m not just a rock. I’m a shiny piece of gold. I want a night all to myself. Just one. Forget me in the day, but remember me at night. Just like I remember you in my fragile heart.

TGIFFFFFFRIDAYYYY

Omar McNeill

Mondays- omg they are the worst. Mondays make you feel dirt. You get out of your cozy bed to get up for work or school. It's the worst. Tuesday. Jesus, Tuesday. Tuesday is a fresh day to start off bad from Monday. That day is trash too. Wednesdaythat's my guy right there. He gives me hope on finishing the week strong. Thursday is the second best person of the week. He tells you that you can get through this last day . FRIDAY, TGIFFFFFFRIDAYYYY That's my girl right there. She is the best. She helps people with all good news. You get paid. You get things you wished for. You don't have school for the next two days. IT'S THE BEST. Saturday, you kick back. Relax the whole day. Maybe get some laundry done. Walk your dogs and cats, maybe your pet goldfish. Sunday, that’s the holy day where people give good prayers for you. You get some Popeyes and then you go to sleep and get back to trash Monday. 54

2021-2022