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EP Forever Spring 2008
Prose and Poetry by Young Writers at the Brooklyn Public Library, Eastern Parkway Branch
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Copryright © 2008 NY Writers Coalition Inc. Upon publication, copyright to individual works returns to the authors. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Editors: Angeli R. Rasbury, Nancy L. Weber Layout: Nancy L. Weber Photos: Angeli R. Rasbury EP Forever contains writing by the 2007-2008 members of Phat Phun Tuesdays (ages 8 to 17), a creative writing workshop conducted by NY Writers Coalition Inc. and Griot Reading Programs. The workshops take place at the Brooklyn Public Library, Eastern Parkway Branch in Crown Heights, an afterschool sanctuary for the young people of the community. The workshops nurture and celebrate young people’s brave and exciting voices through the art of creative writing. NY Writers Coalition Inc. is a not-for-profit organization that provides free and low-cost creative writing workshops throughout New York City for people from groups that have been historically deprived of voice in our society. For more information about NY Writers Coalition Inc.: NY Writers Coalition Inc. 80 Hanson Place, #603 Brooklyn, NY 11217 (718) 398-2883 info@nywriterscoalition.org www.nywriterscoalition.org Griot Reading Programs promotes literacy and educational excellence in underserved Brooklyn communities through self–esteem and self– and cultural -awareness by bringing audiences of African American children together with African American authors and providing free writing workshops for youth. For more information about Griot Reading Programs, visit www.angelirasbury.com, or e-mail rasburger@juno.com.
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Introduction Crown Heights is a painting, a movie, a post card, a story, a poem. It is African American. It is Caribbean. It is Jewish. It is Asian. It is ox tails, pig feet, fried chicken, curry chicken, and pork fried rice. It is West Indian restaurants, Chinese restaurants, McDonald’s and Crown Fried Chicken. It is fish markets, bodegas and understocked grocery stores behind steel poles. It is markets selling vegetables, fruits and Ting and malt. It is 99 cents stores and Rainbow fashions. It is same. It is changing. It is where the 4 and 3 trains run, the B45, B44, and B17 snake their way down streets, and dollar vans give a lift. It is where something special happens Tuesdays from 5:00-6:00 PM. It is where young writers gather at the Eastern Parkway branch of the Brooklyn Public Library to write. At first there were Shaquanna, Monet, Sahar, Alia, Madison, Aryea, Chica and others—teens and tweens together, writing about their dreams, communities, families, war and genocide in the Sudan and Rwanda, life. Then Shaquanna and Monet went to college and the world of working, and Alia and Sahar moved on too. But new voices—Samori, Paul, Joseph, Ari, Samanta, Terrence, and a few others—took their seat at the table. They write about mothers and fathers, grandmothers, grandfathers, and hanging out with them, where they’re from, the subway (and what a ride they take us on!), food, fun at the ocean, sweet
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memories and not-so sweet memories, and so much more. They write without fear. They tell truths. They create. These young writers are today’s and tomorrow’s voices, poets, artists, teachers, lawyers, engineers. They are imaginative, creative, talented, determined. They are the sun rays determined to shine in the concrete jungle. They are children of mothers determined to give them a safe place to creatively express themselves and support their educational needs, mothers who bring their children to the library and other programs. It has been a privilege and honor to work with them, get to know them, be in their lives. It has been an honor and privilege to have their families’ support in so many ways. I thank them and everyone at Eastern Parkway who has been supportive of the workshop and the participants, especially Sandra Sutton. I also thank Nancy, Aaron, and Michele at NY Writers Coalition for supporting Phat Phun Tuesdays writing workshops and Griot Reading Programs in the many ways they have. Angeli R. Rasbury Brooklyn, NY April 2008
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WHERE I AM FROM SHAQUANNA COLE, Age 19 Where I am from? That is for me to know and you to find out Well, I am from a place where hungry children roam the streets screaming at the top of their lungs for something to eat from a place where happiness is never quite found People are looking for love in all the wrong places from a day with no sunny skies but black clouds that darken my heart with the rage of a lion Where am I from? That is the question Well, I am from this corrupt place called America where happiness is only held by the rich and the poor people never seem to exist.
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LITTLE BROWN BAG SHAQUANNA COLE Little Brown paper bag, how they put everything in you. Little brown paper bag how they dragged you through the mud. You were wet all over. Little Brown paper bag how did you feel when the kids poked holes all through you? Little Brown paper bag, how did you get yourself together after it rained outside? When the thunder and lightning flipped you all over the earth. Little Brown paper bag, how did you stay alive after the cars on the road drove over you? Little Brown, how do you manage to stay alive at all? When the cruel world cares nothing about you. You were torn and ripped. Burned with scars that never can be fixed. Scars that you never wanted for or needed to exist. Little Brown paper bag, how do you manage to do it?
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NEGATIVITY SHAQUANNA COLE The pain is unbearable, and I feel like I am about to fall. My hopes and dreams fall to the floor. I don’t even want to be here anymore. The lying, stealing, and betrayal has taken over my life. The bad things are taking over my life. Negativity is all around me. In my home and in school Negativity is everywhere. Where can I escape the fumes of my dying heart. Which is discarded in the pits of a blazing fire. It is all because of the negativity of others. Their actions and their behavior. I hate to fill the pain. Why does it have to be this why? Why can’t life be without negativity?
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YOUNG GIRL IN AFRICA SHAQUANNA COLE I’m walking alone in The blazing hot sun. The light from the sky is Burning out the drive For me to get back To get back to my almost Deserted village. I have to bring the food That I received from missionaries. They told me that God is on his way To save me. They told me not to worry about the Stomach aches that I feel all the time. They told me that God was going to save me. Then they gave me food to take back It was really nice of them. I wonder about their God As I cross through under the trees I feel like Something is watching me. Every time I move, it leaps after me My heart begins to race I feel helpless Then something really strange happens I am thrown face down to the floor My body aches all over OH! How I never knew such a pain? Something pulls me over My clothes are ripped. I can’t believe this I am nude in the dark. I hear someone speaking 11
To me. Telling me it wants to Sleep with me. The thing that is doing These horrible things to me is a man. His skin is the same color as me And he is wearing a military uniform. He brings me close to me in a Harsh and urgent way. My body feels ripped beyond repair The despair The pain I have no name The pain OH! The despair of being here in the woods With no protection
THINGS TO DO WHILE I’M ALIVE TERRENCE COMBS, AGE 11 Thing to do while I'm alive: play with my dad. We will play basketball with my friends. I bet they are very old. Too bad they will miss out on fun things to do. The one thing they can do is read books and play cards. I will have kids and play with them. Later for my old, old friends. I am sitting playing with my old mom and dad will have a lot of fun. I play with their grandchildren.
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THE BIGGEST WOMAN TERRENCE COMBS The big woman came into the subway car screaming. Her big big big mouth made all the dogs, rats and cats talk. One of the dogs said, "Who turned down on the emergency system." One of the cats was saying, “Oh my mother of God, is there a fat woman screaming?� The people leave the subway. The rats were break dancing. They did soldier boy. The dog bit the woman's butt hard until she stopped screaming and the dogs and cats and four rats can still talk, you will never know they can talk. They made a good team called rat boy, cool dogs, and the cats, well, just cats.
I AM AT THE OCEAN TERRENCE COMBS I am at the ocean looking for fish to eat I am at the ocean and it smells I am at the ocean in New York I am at the ocean it starts to rain and more of it I am at the ocean they are playing blue music I am at the ocean and we play all day I am at the ocean and I eat a hot dog I am at the ocean and I see a rainbow in the water
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WHEN RANDA WEARS RED SAMORI COVINGTON, AGE 8 When Randa wears red She looks like a strawberry When Randa wears red She looks beautiful When Randa wears red She is happy When Randa wears red She gets new things When Randa wears red She remembers everything When Randa wears red She has her watch When Randa wears red She reads a book When Randa wears red She matches with Valentines Day
THE BIGGEST WOMAN EVER 14
SAMORI COVINGTON The biggest woman ever walked into the subway car screaming She started crying when the man fell down the stairs I followed her to BBQ's She ordered a monkey on a vine She was crying because she was so big I couldn't believe it! They say she should go on a diet for chocolate Then the lightening struck her
AS I GREW OLDER Inspired by the poem by Langston Hughes
SAMORI COVINGTON As I grew older, I forgot my dream As I grew older, I was bright like the sun As I grew older, only the wall and the rainy shadow could stop me from my brightness. I'll keep going until I touch the sky high near the stars Because no one can break my dark shadow.
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FEEL MY PAIN ALIA DANIELS, AGE 15 Feel my pain Connect with me Can’t you see In my face My misery I walk with My face low My eyebrows higher than I don’t know What I can’t explain it but can you feel my pain I blank out all the time And everything wrong with me Pounds my mind I can’t stop Thinking about it Please set me free Can’t you stop my misery Can you see me Feel the pain I’m going through I need you To set me free Let go of my misery So I can be pain free
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AFRICAN DANCE ALIA DANIELS Drums, yelps, claps, listen. Clap clap clap Move from side to side, follow the beat Then as the rhythm settles so will your movement Feel the moment love what is going on right now Don’t think about stress going on in life or the Drama that someone put you in Just feel the moment Blank out on everything but the music and stay focused. When the Beat slows down you slow down but when it speeds up Again so do you. Make the audience feel you, make Them roar to the beat and when it ends add a little extra to get the attention from the eyes of the audience stop, bow, and exit the stage.
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ANY ONE HOME ALIA DANIELS In an empty space so deep and full of silence Enter into the house and say “Is Any One Home?” Boredom still fills the air as you sit in lonesome Nothing to do, no voices being heard, listen, To what, nothing, so you ask again, “Is Any One Home?” So you walk around to see what’s there to do, Let’s see the computer, no, maybe the phone, no, yeah the TV, no so you get tired of no sound to fill your ears and you scream, Just to break the silence.
A WOMAN’S WORTH MONET DANIELS, AGE 17 A woman’s worth is never really understood. The phrase “it is a free country” does not apply to all women all over the world. Some women are in captivity and can’t lift a finger without the consent of their husband. Or more specifically a man they may have been forced to commit to and live with unhappily. Their opinions mean nothing and they get punished for voicing them. Their rights are taken away from them and being thrown into the ocean far deep where they can never retrieve 18
again. They begin to feel worthless and meaningless in hope that they escape their very controlled, unfair life only to have the reality that they can’t, at least not without a fight that they will most likely lose. Though this is the life of some women of the world they should never lose hope. What could life be without a woman? The woman is the backbone of the man, the bearer of the child. The keeper of the household. They hold down the fort and do things that a man could never do. And until a man realizes that, then he will finally understand the worth, strength and importance of a woman. What would life be without a woman? We really wouldn’t know because there are women all over. The job of a woman is never done, we are so important. Without woman, there couldn’t be man because we have the child. Without woman, man would be lonely. A woman goes through things that a man could never understand and that can be frustrating at times but that is just the way things are. Women hold the key to the man’s heart. A woman’s worth is never understood.
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STUCK MONET DANIELS I’m stuck in a place where people don’t care. Poverty still exists everywhere And it’s sad to see a child lost without a home roaming the streets, hungry and all alone This is a place I don’t want to be I’m stuck in the midst and held captive, I wanna be free Will somebody help me is anyone listening I look up but there’s non one just the bright sun glistening and I think to myself I just have to wait for a day when God will take everything negative away and show me a place not filled with such sorrow. I just have to wait. That day could be tomorrow.
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BLACK WOMAN MONET DANIELS She walks with a strut that demands attention, switching her hips like there ain’t no tomorrow. She has beautiful mahogany skin, lips that are luscious and full and pretty brown eyes that draw you in so deep that it feels like you are running in the depths of her soul. She is a woman of class and she refuses to be disrespected by anyone, especially those rowdy, no good men who feel they can come at her at any kind of way just to talk to her one minute and end up in her bed the next. She’s not having that and she’s not afraid to give you a piece of her mind. She’s loved by most, envied by many and admired by many more. You look at her and you think wow, what a beautiful, strong Black woman.
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SAMANTA ENGLISH, AGE 14 Heat The sweat is pour down my face Danger The sense of hope is gone Rocking back and forth again and again Still no luck I hear no sirens, no sound at all Except the building ready to fall Moving won't help, nothing will I'm here on this wretched floor Waiting for help, and nothing more I'm the prey of a strong monster Still waiting for any sign Any sound any where, but nothing I'm still here waiting, and nothing more The sounds of sirens may be in a distance Maybe that's me hoping for something to happen Something fresh, something new, something helpful Or maybe that's me, glad I'm done waiting
THE BLOCK 23
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SAMANTA ENGLISH This is the block Long, narrow, and full of stories The church is in session Hallelujah's coming out loud and clear Sending a message to everyone on the block The church is screaming, yelling for everyone to stop Instead of dancing to that hip hop Come inside and enjoy delicious food Instead of hearing the ladies on the corner saying “dude� Appreciate the Sun while it is still out Come on over here the day is still young Stop wasting your time Stop spitting those rhymes Stop trying to be cool Stop staying out of school Stop sitting on what you can't keep Before you bury yourself in a hole too deep Get off the block and come inside
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THE DATE SAMANTA ENGLISH John: Everything is nice. Lisa: The sky is beautiful. John: It shines as gentle as you actually are. Lisa: Compliments and me don't mix. John: You are as different as cat and dog you say. Lisa: I'm not lying. John: It's very hard to believe Two different people trying to enjoy their date but it goes in flames. John and Lisa talk. John and Lisa fight also. They stop being friends. John and Lisa are cat and dog but there is something new. They stop being friends, never see each other. Now they have nothing to do.
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WHEN MY DAD DOESN'T LISTEN JOSEPH FRANCOIS, AGE 9 When my dad doesn't listen, he is called super stubborn man (that's meany to you) with meany at the end. SON, what are you doing? Umm… No UM's to me young man. Listen man. Hey I'm not done talking to you. Well I'm done listening Mr. Bossy. Goodbye Boom! This is the most saddest moment of my life. Honey your son just blew up our neighbors house. Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beeeeep. BOOM! He blew up the house. Fix his tail. I am fully aware of that. I guess I should listen to him from now on. Too late.
MAGIC BOX JOSEPH FRANCOIS In my magic box, I go to places far away just like in this story. Yawn, it's a bright sunny day. I can make a song out of that. Don't start, OK? Why are you in my room you moron, you ,you ugly duckling. How dare you now get up. Okay. But you get out. Okay, "stomp,” "stomp,” "stomp,” "stomp." Boom. Gosh some people can be a pain in the butt. "Whap." Ouch, what in the world? Zach bends down to 27
touch the object zing zip philph, it makes a farting sound at the end? Woosh, Zach gets sucked into the figure, whir, whir, whir, whir, whir Bam he wakes up in a dinosaur's egg, cracks the egg open. It’s a magic box ahhh and it makes a farting sound, awkward. Roar. To be continued. Will Zach survive or will he die?
THE GRANDMA THAT MADE ME MAD JOSEPH FRANCOIS Hey grandma maaaaa, what you want. I want to hurt you. Why? Because you are a pain the neck. Why I'd oughta put you in the barn and make the sun kill me. Well apparently yes. I'll leave you with some prune juice or an inch of iced tea. Did you forget we are poor and live on the street? Where the walls are red and there are those nasty dogs and cats there in the alley. We are poor, very poooor. Shut up grandma, maaa. Now it's raining outside grandma so I don't care. Help me. Oh go suck on your thumb or eat your cookies, even better sing your poor song. Ok we are poooooooor we are poor. Oh forget it grandma we need food so let’s dance. I got a lot of hair let’s get a car and drive in snow but I know we are poor. We are poor we are poor! We are poor! We are poor! Preach Grandma! Preach we are poooooooor!
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PAUL FRANCOIS, AGE 11 The big woman came into the subway car screaming. She was yelling up a storm. She said "Rats oh my gosh ugly fat pack rats." Someone had told her to calm down and they would not harm anyone. But we were wrong. All of a sudden, the doors closed and the speaker went on. "Eeeeeeeeee" and again but longer, "eeeeeee." Then everyone in the car was falling and the only thing left was bones and red eyes. We broke those doors down and ran like we were heading for freedom on top of the mountain. We were wrong. An ocean of eyes looked at us like they were saying,� Meat, we need meat." Other people thought the same thing. We ran to the tracks and we had a plan but it did not work how we wanted it to. The rats ran on the third rail and they started dancing with electricity like their brain was about to explode or they just got anointed. We ran back on the platform and made it outside and the army came. They blew that place up and it was over. We were lucky to be alive. I just love great endings with disturbing moments.
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WHERE I AM FROM PAUL FRANCOIS I am from an unknown place that no one will know about. I will keep it a secret and won't tell. I am a special human that you will someday know. I am a person who has and had dreams. You will have dreams too. I am an angel from the beautiful heavenly heaven. I am not God but his one son and other brothers and sisters or brethrens. They call me Martin Luther King Jr. - one man who wants and will get peace with whites. Tick! Boy that was some good show. He is my daddy of freedom but God is the daddy of everything. So I encourage all you kids to see Martin and don't use his blood in vain. Tick! Boy that was two great movies I would never forget. Where I'm from is heaven. And that is where I am going to stay. Tick! Boy you can't tick me do I look like a TV to you? Yes you do! Boy all I'ssss got's to's say's is God Bless you. You're mean. Say's who's. Say's me's. Okay stop copying me and leave me alone.
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WHITE DUST, SCRAPS OF PAPER, SCARED FACES PAUL FRANCOIS I was in my boss's office giving him some papers when a big plane hit the building. I ran out the office screaming and running down the stairs. The tower shook and I went tumbling down. White dust was all over the place and it was really hard to breathe. Scraps of paper were all over the place. Out on the street falling like snow. Everyone was scared and bleeding and couldn't stop. We helped some people come down the stairs. Then when we heard the second tower was turning over to us so we rushed down the stairs and luckily made it downstairs.
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WHEN YOU SMILE EDDIE LAWSON, AGE 12 When you smile it brings joy, life, peace, and happiness. The joy of smiling is great, take the chance to smile. To smile brings joy to the heart like a sweet tart in your mouth. The joy of smiling is a great feeling, like healing someone’s heart. The joy of smiling takes your breath away like a stack of hay. So smile! â˜ş
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LET IT DO THE THINKING NYLEJAH LAWSON, AGE 14 The mind is just a blur. The mind is nothing but your imagination on a stage being shown to your eyes. The mind can come up with the words but your mouth can either kill or bring life to Let it do the talking. Your mind is a harmless creature that can hatch plans in a jiff. It can make your soul grow or it can pierce and make it bleed. Let the blood flow into a river and let it allow your imagination grow to perform a play only the mind can produce. Let it do the thinking.
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STUPID DIAMONDS SAHAR WATTS, AGE 17 If I could be any place, It wouldn’t be here I hate it here There is never a happy Moment When I’m here, there is Always pain I constantly have to do things I Don’t want to do Like killing people who’ve Never done me wrong. I’ve killed almost 25 innocent People. All because of a diamond That I have no use for Maybe I could use the diamonds Just to stay alive for a little longer.
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THE PLACE WHERE I’M FROM SAHAR WATTS The place where I am from is a nightmare. There is pain and sorrow. The place where I am from is scary. A lot of people are dying. They are getting killed for no reason. Simply because they are black Africans. The women are in danger. It is a very dangerous time for my people. We need help but no one will help us. Please make this pain stop. Please help us. The place where I am from is Darfur, Sudan.
HAPPINESS SAHAR WATTS What is happiness to you? Is it something that you have already, Or something that you must pursue? Maybe it is something that you have within. But you just haven’t discovered it yet. Every one is born with happiness They just slowly lose it as they get older. 37
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS Shaquanna Cole is 19 years old. She is a student at Hartwick College. During the fall of 2007 Shaquanna was part of Eastern Parkway's poetry workshop. She says, “It was the most fun, interesting, artistic, and beneficial experience I had.� Terrence Combs is 11 years old and loves playing football. He made 26 touchdowns and never got tackled by another football player. His coach gets on his nerves but he's cool sometimes. Also, he was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Samori Covington is pretty. Samori is smart. Samori is kind. Samori is sweet. Samori is happy. Samori's happy. Samori is 8. Samori was born and raised in Brooklyn. Samori plays soccer and runs track. Alia Daniels, 15, loves fashion and plans to be a fashion designer. She loves to dance and express herself through poetry. She also enjoys cooking for her family. Monet Daniels is a freshman at Medgar Evers College and is studying nursing. She volunteered at the Brooklyn Public Library, Eastern Parkway branch, where she participated in the writing
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workshops when she was a senior at Boys and Girls High School in Brooklyn. Samanta English is 14 and wants to be a teacher. She finds writing freeing and relaxing and a tool to express her thoughts and feelings. Joseph Francois was born July 15, 1998 in Brooklyn, NY. He is of West Indian heritage. His mother is from Jamaica and his father is from Trinidad. He likes to play basketball and is a good writer who is going on to write books for children in St. Jude Hospital. Later on in life, he wants to be a lawyer. He is 9 and in the 4th grade. Paul Francois was born in New York state and is 11 years old, turning 12. He is in 6th grade and lives with his father, mother and brother. He is a hard-working scholar climbing the mountain to college. He is a writer with great talent and he knows he is great and will be something greater in life. He plans to be a great surgeon like Dr. Ben Carson and other wonderful things in life. Eddie Lawson is an aspiring chef. Eddie loves cooking, archery, making cartoons, singing and playing his piano. Nylejah Lawson loves to read. She enjoys making cartoons with her brother, singing, and playing her piano. She aspires to be an OBGYN and/or a journalist.
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Sahar Watts was born and raised in New York. She is currently working and attending school at Medgar Evers. She’s a good kid.
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