Poems 2014

I Am a Woman Written by T.S. I am a woman who is loyal I wonder if women will ever win the fight for their rights I hear chanting of other women trying, fighting, yelling for their rights I see picket signs telling about how we need our many rights I want to be able to vote I am a woman who is truthful I pretend that I had my rights and when I do I am the happiest person in the world I feel tired of my husband forcing me to do things I touch the never ending stack of dishes that I have to do I worry that my child will grow up thinking what is happening is right I cry for equality for that is something I do not have I am a woman who is strong I understand that I may never have rights I say that one day all of this will stop and women will all have rights I dream of a miracle that my child will grow and not have to live through what I am having to live through.

I try to do whatever in my power to help get my rights I hope that this will never happen again I am a woman who is forgiving

Written by A.V. Hold on, I am coming.

Hold on to your hope, even if you are scared.

Hold on to me, even if you are lost.

Hold on to the ground beneath your feet, even if you are sent to the chambers.

Hold on to what you know, even when I'm gone.

Remembrance Written by A.C-W I remember the day I was dragged from my home Forced to walk to a place unknown And suffer through hardships, weather and mourning Just so some Americans could look for some gold.

I was promised a better land, supplies and such Because I was robbed of everything I had.

I would have to start all over, and it would be a challenge But it became worse when the promises were unkept.

Instead of supplies, I got sorrow and anger And instead of better land, I got a blank canvas to start all over.

I did not believe that this was our reward And I tried to think about good things that came out of the walk But there were none to think of.

We walked 800 miles through drought and frost Through water and mud Through sickness and depression But still we pressed on.

We slept on frozen mud We ate the little food we had rationed We brought all the possessions we could carry on our backs Yet it still wasn’t enough.

I will remember the graves that violently dotted the side of the road I will remember the hardships along the way I will remember my past land, and all the great things that we did And I will never forget the Trail of Tears.

Freedom March Written by A.C-W One day, they came They marched for their freedom They marched for their equality There was no violence There was no hatred in their minds They just walked.

They brought along a message A message of importance A message that should have been heard And they just walked.

They were tired of segregation They were tired of discrimination And despite all that had been done to them They just walked.

There were people who tried to get violent But the marchers would not give in Every one of them kept silent And they just walked.

When the marchers were on their way There was nothing to be said For they had just resisted threats Of violence and arrest They had kept their serenity For they did not want to fight They just wanted to walk.

Written by K.F. I used to live in Japan But now I live in America I always will be Japanese But I never was unloyal to America I once would of been with Japan But now I would fight for America If I could fight for America I would never help Japan now I never was disloyal to America But I might not be allowed to help them fight I can't make them believe I am loyal But I can never be disloyal to America I won't help Japan But I might be stuck in here for the war I used to live in Japan But now, I'm American

Written by K.F. I am a Japanese American I wonder why the internment happened I hear the sound of babies crying I see people working in the field I want to get out, away from this place I am an American I try to pretend it was a dream I feel that terrible time now I touch my rough wooden cot I worry about if the war will end, what we will do after I cry, thinking of when I had to go through internment I am an American I understand it was a mistake I say I forgive America I dream that it never happened I try to pretend my dream was real I hope it never happens again I am, an American

Written by K.F. I remember the war I remember the camps having to give up all that I knew and little food and working I remember babies crying on my left and people yelling on my right sleeping was very hard I remember the hard times in the camp even after getting a new home, starting a new life I remember

Woman’s Rights Movement Written by T.C.

I am strong and courageous.

I wonder when women will get their freedom.

I want to have rights.

How long will this take?

I pretend to be powerful.

I am strong and courageous.

I am a woman.

Arrival Written by C.W. The boy was young He had committed no ill deed Seen far too few years To be chosen in fate’s cruel path And yet into it he was thrown As if the war was his fault.

He had felt it coming for a long time The tension on the streets Had grown worse and worse When the soldiers came into his house To take him away That night.

That terrible night.

There was screaming There was crying There was retching The boy would not be moved But into the train car he went Screaming.

The journey was long That terrible night Turned into three terrible nights With no food Nothing.

He could not cry anymore He had cried so much already His family was with him But he knew that they were Gone Already.

He was right.

They arrived at camp

In the dead of night To screaming And terror.

Searched roughly by the Nazi men Then ordered to separate The boy was torn out From the arms of his mother He went one way She went the other To never see her son again.

He had not thought That it was possible to cry more tears After he had come so far But all alone In a grey Firey Ashy Dark World He watched as his arm Was marked With a number He thought of his mother And his sister Even his father All gone And he cried More Tears.

On the Trail of Tears Written by C.W. She was a small girl, with nut brown skin Her hair was black as coal Her eyes showed only innocence When she played outside her home.

She did not know what was to come, What hardships she would reach The time was fast approaching For her to leave, to walk on the Trail of Tears.

The day they came to claim her race The day her life would change She saw them coming, tried to run Before she would leave, to walk on the Trail of Tears.

They came, destroying everything They took her away, alone She could not find her family When she left, to walk on the Trail of Tears.

Many weeks passed quickly then, To her it seemed so long The baking heat of every day Killed mighty and killed strong As they walked, they cried on the Trail of Tears.

The line of people, of her kin Stretched miles long, they looked so thin For food was rationed, and water scarce The journey continued And she walked, she cried on the Trail of Tears.

Winter’s coming was announced With the first and terrible snow It covered the ground beneath their feet And the graves that lined the road.

She looked, she could not see her home Home that was left behind The mountains she had known and loved Forever now, were gone Alone, she cried on the Trail of Tears.

Her feet were numb and frozen Her body, it grew weak Her young soul knew what waited To claim her in the night.

She laid her head down low to rest Her eyes they closed, she sighed And there along the trodden road She knew her fate Was to die, alone on the Trail of Tears.

Home is Behind Us Written by C.W. My people cry, I look behind My mountains are long gone.

I think back to my land and see Our story, where it is drawn.

Once we were young, and we were free Not a worry, not a care.

We lived in peaceful harmony, A tribal village there.

And then they came, surrounding us, So fast we did not know That these mere men, these soldiers, Were forcing us to go.

That day they came and lead us out The day we left our home Was terrible without a doubt But what could we have done?

The next few weeks that followed Were quite the dreary time My people’s cheer was hollow We walked, in one long line.

The day death came was oh so hot Our faces baked in heat To bear that heat, one man could not He died along the road.

We walked in death, death walked with us On our journey to the west It seemed that God had left us Or our strength now, he would test.

I would not fall, I told myself I’d walk and not be lost But harder and harder that became When upon us came the frost.

So cold, so cold the days became More graves, they lined the road I looked behind, to see my home But home, it was long gone.

We reached our destination then So many lives were gone This journey we experienced Must never come again.

Fire and Ash Written by C.W. The night that he arrived in camp The fires burned so bright He stared into the heavens, scared Of what was coming next His mother refused to leave his side He felt her presence there She screamed as men took her away The last glimpse of her face he saw Was her frightened eyes All alone in the world of fire And scared by the screams in the night He waited for death with a beating heart But for now, he would be spared The work they put him through at camp Was too much for his little frame But his labor, he knew, would keep him alive And out of the evil flame So he worked hard His old world had gone up in flames His life had turned to ash Was it better to die? he wondered If the world was all grey?

There was no longer happiness The world was too dark The young boy’s stormy skies Were filled now with the ashes of his friends

The fire burned on, it was too big To be stopped from taking the world He realized this, and wondered why He was still trying To resist Day after day the boy worked on He was tired, the fire blazed high He could feel in his bones, his weakness He knew that soon His journey could end But he worked hard Friend or foe, it mattered not He was wary of them all Life had not been kind to him For nothing in the world Is fair Then the day came When he was hurt He whimpered He cried out for help Darkness was surrounding him And he could feel it The call went out For the prisoners in bed To get up and work Greet the day with another roll call Stand for hours The boy would not.

He was not among the living or the dead.

They found him in his bed Dragged him out Once more he screamed He cried Knowing he was already dead.

Let the Flame be Moved Written by C.W. His story should be told to all To all it should be known That he went through the darkest dream Ever known to haunt this world Taken from his home, he was, Then forced into a train car He rode to death, he knew it when The fires were seen from the dark Locked into that old train car With others of Jewish race The fear inside his very self Was seen on every face He felt the heat, it did increase When they came beneath the gate It was the feeling of the men Who waited there in hate.

Despair was felt in all of them The doors were opened wide Shouting voices could be heard By the people still inside.

The SS men converged upon The frightened victims there He was dragged out of that hated car To stand under the searchlight’s glare.

That night the fire burned so high With the terrible Fuhrer’s might

Was it better or worse, he wondered That he was ordered to the right?

That first night, the screams of death were heard But his voice was not among them For he had been saved Or was it cursed?

To work he had been condemned In the moments before the boy’s cruel death He thought back upon his life He focused on the happy times To help him find peace in the fire.

He thought of his lovely childhood Of friends that were now long gone When he was a child The world so large There was laughter and joy

Written by L.M. Why can’t women have the same rights as men?

Aren’t we all human beings?

To have to wash, clean, sweep, over and over again.

And feed our husbands like kings.

I want a real job, a working job, instead of just cleaning all day.

To have my husband cook ME a meal for once.

To have an education like men, isn’t there some way?

And those tight corset dresses - Ouch!

Why can’t women wear pants?

We have to please our husbands with our looks at first glance.

My husband refers to me by my name, why not ma’am?

I can’t have the same rights as men, Because of the woman that I am.

One Day the World Will Change Written by J.N. Peace Hope These are the things that keep us standing We bask in the glory that we may cause change We follow good people, peaceful people We take pride in not harming others Even when they harm us We are peace, hope and love Never violence

Written by B.S.

I remember Hitler’s rise to power  I remember the internment camps that once killed many Jews I remember the Allied forces liberating our internment camp I remember the executions I remember the powerful Nazi army invading our homeland I remember the French city, Paris, raising the Nazi flag I remember the terrors and the horrors of the Third Reich even how my family was hunted down and killed I remember the brutal and terrible war over one religion.

I Don’t Understand Written by M.M. I don't understand why I can't sit at the front of the bus why I have to drink out of a different water fountain than everybody else why I am forced to go to a different school But most of all why everyone seems to hate me so much why I'm not allowed to even look at a white person on the street why people put burning crosses in my yard What I understand most is why I don't ride the bus anymore why I listen to Martin Luther King Jr. and why I am trying to be free

I Remember Written by M.M. I remember hearing about the explosion on T.V. I remember starting to cry I remember rushing down the street to see what was left of the church and screaming for my sister I remember not getting an answer I remember digging through tons of ruble, looking, searching I remember not finding anything but broken pieces of glass and brick even stray shoes I remember not finding my sister and her not coming home

The Trail Of Tears Written by M.M. This young girl knew they were coming She knew she would have to move but she didn’t want to go When they finally came she looked at her home and the mountains that she loved one last time She and her mother walked miles and miles, day after day One cold night the little girl laid down and held her mother’s hands She closed her eyes one last time On the Trail of Tears the mother walked alone Mile after mile, day after day Until she too, could go no farther

I Am Written by D.A. I am a Japanese American I wonder what will happen I hear an imaginary voice saying “hold on�

I see nothing I want to go home I am scared I pretend I'm home I feel hated I touch the sand I worry if I'll live I cry because I'm mad at the people who did this to me I am all alone I understand why they put us in this camp I say hold on I dream this will be all over I try to have fun with the other people I hope I'll be able to get out I am scared

The One With A Flame Written by A.S. Once I was being blamed for something I did not do but I wanted to be the flame Once I was wearing the star of David to sort me out from the others Once I was cluttered on a cattle cart with 100 other people and I became the flame Now I am at Auschwitz Once I was an innocent child being tricked but I was the flame Once I was scared watching my mother die Once I was forced to take a shower but I was still the burning flame Now I am up above looking down on the world I left behind Once I was a Jew, a person, treated like a rat but I was the flame that fought back Once I was smelling the scent of burning human flesh Once I was a victim of genocide but yet I was still the flame Now I am resembled as a paper clip, but my paper clip has a flame Once I was counting the rib bones that were clearly visible Once I was under Nazi control but I was the flame who wouldn't be put out Once I was not allowed to mention Hitler’s name Now I am sharing my story as the one who had hope, the one who had a flame

All The Color Written by A.S. There are lots of barriers like religions, languages, and people’s kin But yet I am judged by the color of my skin.

People say, “No colored people allowed.” My thoughts differ I was black when I was born, you were pink I am black when I am cold, you are blue I am black when I am sick, but you are green I am black when I am hot, you are red I am black when I feel normal, you are white I am black when I am out in the sun, you are orange And you have the guts to say I am colored?

Written by A.S. When I was a girl my mother always said, “Don’t be playing in the mud with those boys!” But I really wanted to go play in the mud.

When I was a young woman my mother always said, “Don’t matter how you feel, it only matters how you look, so go and fix your make up, girl, it’s just a break up, run and hide your crazy and start actin’ like a lady, 'cause I raised you better, gotta keep it together even when you fall apart.”

When I was a lady my mother wasn’t here to tell me what to do, so I cut bangs with those rusty kitchen scissors, and I screamed, “I am a woman!” until they feed me with a tube. I wore pants and an old plaid shirt. I said, “I ain’t wearing a dress, until you let me vote!”

When I was an elderly lady, I put MY ballot in the box with smile on my face.

Written by L.L. Once I was discriminated against Once I was told I could not use the same bus Once I was told that I could not eat at the same restaurant Now I am free  Once I was protesting like everyone else at that time Once I was not a happy person Once I was scared Now I am confident Once I was treated with no respect Once I was an underpaid person Once I was unheard Now I am happy to be me Once I was fighting for my rights Once I was pushed away Once I was shouted at Now I am free

I Am A Holocaust Survivor Written by C.T. I am a survivor I wonder why my country did that terrible thing I heard horrific cries of pain that I will not forget I saw people dying I want to be free of this memory For I am a survivor I pretend nothing happened I felt hatred and sadness I touch the hearts of others I worry if this will happen again I cry for the deceased For I am a survivor I don’t understand why this happened I say the words of loved ones who are gone I dream that this never happened I try to tell my story I hope I touch hearts For I am a survivor

A Holocaust Poem Written by C.T. My family and I were taken to someplace we didn’t know We were put into train cars the food was very low I waited for my freedom so I worked each day and night I just wanted a bite to eat I kept waiting for the food until sunrise I watched the guards each day as they took a line of people I saw my mother so I prayed that her death would be peaceful I wanted someone there to pray with me So I ran to a little boy I poked him and he didn’t look I knew he was not going to play with any more toys I ran away and saw the guards as they pointed and mounted their guns I just wanted to have a little fun I heard gunshots and felt a little pain I then knew that I was done with playing today.

Written by N.F. I am one of many I wonder if we will make it through this movement I hear gunshots I see blood I want my freedom I am one of many I pretend to be fine I feel scared I touch the cold faces I worry about everyone I cry, why us?

I am one of many I understand hope I say we will make it  I dream we will make it I try to earn freedom I hope for more I am one of many