Alameda International School Speaks! Vol. 2 Cafe Cultura Community Speaks Project #53 Youth In Telling Our Stories Program
Alameda International School Speaks! Vol. 2 Copyright Š 2018 by Youth In Telling Our Stories Program All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the author.
This book is dedicated to the inspirational students at Alameda International Junior/Senior High School. Your dedication to the craft of poetry reminds us as adults why we starting writing and fuels us to continue writing.. I see myself in the both of you! I believe in you guys so much! I can’t wait to see what amazing things you do in the future!
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to the amazing staff at Alameda! And of course, none of this would have been possible if it wasn’t for Julian Martinez and his hard work! He is so passionate about his work and the students can see that and respond to that. They know he is coming from a genuine place and that he legitimately cares about the young men he works with. It’s been an honor working with Julian he’s made us feel right at home!
Foreword It was a privilege to partner with Alameda International Junior/Senior High School for a second time this school year in offering our poetry enrichment. We used our “Telling Our Stories” curriculum and combined it with an intensive performance workshops to guide students in writing insightful poems about how they see the world. Their potential is limitless. We look forward to staying connected, as they develop into the leaders we need. Enjoy and share their words! For those who do not know about our organization: Café Cultura is an award-winning arts, culture, and youth development organization in Denver that promotes unity and healing among Indigenous peoples through creative expression while empowering youth to find their voice, reclaim oral and written traditions, and become leaders in their communities. Café Cultura has been providing positive, creative, and engaging community spaces for the Denver metropolitan area for more than thirteen years. After the passing of respected elder and veteran poet Abelardo “Lalo” Delgado, we accepted responsibility to continue using our oral and written traditions to provide opportunities for creative expression often not offered in schools or in the larger community. Café Cultura also drew inspiration from the movement connecting Indigenous people from throughout the Americas. We use creative expression to unify people representing southern Indigenous nations, known by terms such as “Chicana/o” and “Latina/o,” with those Natives of northern nations, referred to as “American Indian” or “Native American.”5 Café Cultura hosts one of the best open mic venues in the Denver metropolitan area, and the only space focused on family and youth. We also conduct highly engaging and culturally relevant spoken word/poetry workshops for underserved youth throughout Colorado. Café Cultura partners with select organizations and
schools to facilitate an intensive workshop series, publish youth poetry, and organize participant showcases. In an effort to develop young leaders within our community, we also coordinate a youth leadership program for Indigenous youth. If you or your organization is interested in collaborating, feel free to contact us. For more information about our open mic events, workshops, youth leadership program, and other programs: www.cafecultura.org info@cafecultura.org 720-460-9203
Table of Contents Waiting by Abraham ..............................................................................1 Orion's Belt by Zurc ..............................................................................2 Painful Truth by Abraham ....................................................................3 Make That Face At'em Dawg by Zurc ................................................4 Life, Love, and Death by Abraham .....................................................6 The Yellow Short Bus by Zurc ............................................................7 Drowning In Sorrow by Abraham ......................................................8 Lucid Bunny by Zurc.............................................................................9 Drop Out by Zurc .............................................................................. 10 Want To See How Much You Willing by Zurc .............................. 13
Waiting by Abraham Aren't we all tired? Not physically but mentally you know? We wish and we wait but Lack the will to do something about it. We are afraid of not being able to change ourselves, We sit in our own prison of hate and disparity. Because we are afraid, It drives us to the brink of insanity and discomfort So there we are again...waiting. I once believed people had the power To speak for themselves, but They too are broken, Broken like clocks Only ticking when the time is wrong but Forever waiting for the right time Which is within them but forgotten Like a distant moon. The one time I listened to my heart It has gotten me to places I have yet to discover, I can hear the beautiful sound of a Violin symphony only reminding me of Happy sorrowful lies I have been told. We are running out of time, Stop waiting, Get out and do something. Stop canceling plans, The world is dying and we are burning with it. The excuse tomorrow is fairly common but Will we ever live to see that next day, Our very lives are at stake So please stop waiting and Make a difference in this world.
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Alameda International School Speaks! Vol. 2
Orion's Belt by Zurc We fight We start to push We scream at another like a son and a mother But we keep on running back Two partners having patterns Once you’re happy you’re even madder We walk away Start to regret what we say at each other face Then we see the damage once the Debris is gone What we both did was wrong Baby I still love you Please take me back; I don’t know why you’re mad I treated you like a queen Always put you first before anything I know at times I’m cold You’re my jewelry gold I don’t want you to crumble or fold Please love me, put me first Your number only one My heart was shot by the pain gun But I forgive you This pain is aching It takes from me
Youth In Telling Our Stories Program
Painful Truth by Abraham Everyone craves the truth but Always get told lies Because nobody is brave enough to speak the truth, truth is everyone is going to hurt you, lie to you Only in death will people actually love you, Tell the truth and say they love you and actually mean it. What is so hard about being honest. Sure everything may seem perfect but Once a person lies They act all weird and make up more lies To make them feel less guilty. Eventually all that guilt will build up and That person will hurt you Evil Love by Zurc I thought you loved me But you had to leave Oh baby you had to leave I thought it end happily But all I heard was sorry Oh baby I’m so sorry I never felt so lonely Oh baby so fucken lonely You said you loved me but you had to leave Fucken had to leave Even took my sympathy.
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Alameda International School Speaks! Vol. 2
Make That Face At'em Dawg by Zurc I’m a dog chasing cars Son of god Zurc the S.O.G You thought the cause wouldn’t Have a purchase cost You were wrong Blind people don’t get lost They smell fake like spaghetti sauce Punch you ribs raw Superman punch your balls You broke my fucken heart Tore it apart Leave it where you left it Fuck feelings right? I accept it Carcasses that’s hollow Have no skin color to follow A black sheep Hate being corrected Darkness is my light See me glow I can see you fake show A fucken act Dirty like a rat I hope you come back So you can hear this rap Hear my wrath Listen to my voice Understand why I’m mad Turn this hurt into a chainsaw Feel attach to flack
Youth In Telling Our Stories Program
Tone of voice is the echo, Of my words being shot This is why I’m Zurc Fuck feeling hurt Flip upside down my entire world Love throws up when it swirls Ambition was an incision Revenge starts noticing girls Pain crescendos’ Vessel shatters like smash windows A wolf chasing Ferraris and Lamborghinis Trying not to think of you as a need At times I want to hear sorry What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger I’m not even going to bother Overdose on life on water Fucken hurting And it’s still serving’ Midnight oil in my blood And my bed is still burning Life is given The experience is winning Hurt turned into angry ambition It wants to stop feeling Love was appealing Long lived out its life Now it’s a villain Hate is concealing
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Life, Love, and Death by Abraham As we all know those three don't really get along One takes advantage over the other and We then get left with a fucked up mind Love is nothing but chemicals That floods your mind and heart Making you think that it's something more than that. I believed that lie a long time ago now I feel no pain when it comes to someone Walking out of my life. I've had so many people leave without reason Saying I was in the wrong. Life, we only get one shot to make things good But sometimes it helps to forget There's only one shot and Live life like you got more than one. Death is by far the saddest of all. Most of us dream for it and Many suffer but don't want to meet death.
Youth In Telling Our Stories Program
The Yellow Short Bus by Zurc I’m unreliable But suitable Got the bullet proof suit Cock back when I shoot Syllable bullet that’s refillable Zurc isn’t sealable Evil side is reveal able I’m un killable It’s typical Your biblical answers are critical Give it a boot Human that’s pitiful Ain’t that gullible I’m lyrical mythical Oh your miserable Zurc is a war criminal
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Drowning In Sorrow by Abraham I waited, I found and I lost it all Within a matter of seconds I am drowning in sorrow. My heart can't take any more of your bullshit So stop pretending to be there. You're driving me insane. But I love it. You are the raging fire that burns deep inside my heart You are my reason to keep on going Something drew me in and I will hold my ground Even if I lose my mind in the process I can't say what I feel I want to just put it out there, These thoughts are slowly killing me I'm drowning please save me
Youth In Telling Our Stories Program
Lucid Bunny by Zurc When I hear whack rappers rapping It reminds me of crapping What the fuck just happened? The rap game just went into another relapse of self-stabbing The murder cases were taken place in a cabin The soft fabrics were covered in blood in the body caskets In the court, the prosecutor was just laughing’ His remorseful act kept intact while the moments he captured In his head Gathered up and gathered His last breath was never gasped He was headed straight towards the headlights, the seatbelts weren’t even fasten But that shit don’t matter Kick the bucket off the top step of a ladder My brother will batter you up till you shatter The noise of your head getting hit only gets louder Have you body resting on the kitchen counter Wrap you saran wrapping My inner evil conscience is clapping
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Drop Out by Zurc I just want to drop out, Ohh I just want to drop out Yo, I’m fucking tired, All this worthless knowledge has piled Yo that project I did was graded but What has that implied? I get fucken fired and the whole school system lied It just says I graduated With my name on a piece of paper My G.P.A didn’t pay for the bills When my lady went into labor I wasn’t running Towards the student counselor office When bill crisis was at its realest and That eviction sign got me nauseous I didn’t see my high school principal Be my savior I never heard my favorite teacher Tell me you’re going to feel confused Whenever you’re in high school You’re going to try to get comfortable In shoes that don’t fit Match with any kind of clique Fit in any group You’re the last wheel so you just Roll down a hard hill What you feel is no longer real No motivation You just wake up aggregated Every teacher makes me feel obligated You go home and you just want to get emancipated
Youth In Telling Our Stories Program
Feel no love for the weak and down graded You get pushed to the side Nobody notice you left that side All alone Walk down an empty road The stakes of death are high You want to go back and say words you never said Rhymes never spitting Bars with straight bullet led You feel like your life is already written And it’s not fitting You don’t even consider yourself a civilian I’m tired of you teachers teaching Like you’re the popes preaching I’m tired of if you aren’t rocking anything new The school system is all fucked and Nobody notice it All they care about is good grades and High test scores I feel like a loser when I walk in those doors I’m trying to find who I am But you give me more work on my desk I get slammed They don’t teach you anything in school About life after school Reality hits you Now your rock bottom School isn't going to help you solve your problems Since you drop out You swing a mop on the floor That’s the only way you know how to make it You can’t get anxious Cause you have to put food in the fridge So your kids don’t throw fits Cause you couldn’t get a high G.P.A Now you getting yelled at The bills are due
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You haven’t gotten paid What a mistake a fuck up would make
Youth In Telling Our Stories Program
Want To See How Much You Willing by Zurc So soft Rough like a cough Love is caught in a knot And I just watch….. It struggling Untangling But frankly They’re gone But they’re here Only to spread fear Psst why are you crying tears You’re down there I’m up here Facing my fears I know what’s near I know that evil guy in the mirror Even though he isn’t feared He isn’t loved either He’s cursed with a curse that doesn’t Have a cure
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