DSST: College View Speaks! Vol. 4 CafĂŠ Cultura Community Speaks Project #37 Telling Our Stories Spoken Word Class
DSST: College View Speaks! Vol. 4 Copyright Š 2016 by Telling Our Stories Spoken Word Class 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.
To the incredible and insightful students in our Spoken Word elective: Be powerful and persistent in using your voice. We need your leadership! #CafeCultura #XpressYourself #TellingOurStories
Acknowledgments Thank you DSST College View High School staff for bringing us back for a second year, as we work together to create spaces for your students to express themselves and tell their stories. Special shout out to the students in our elective for stepping outside of your comfort zone. Remember: “It’s our responsibility and choice to express ourselves and lift our voice, together building unity, leaders in our community. This is how we tell our stooorrrryyyy!”
Foreword It was a privilege to teach our 4th elective at DSST College View High School. With our highest number of students participating, we used our “Telling Our Stories” curriculum to guide participants in thinking critically, expressing themselves creatively, and speaking their truth. This volume provides insight into their intelligence and potential. 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 ten 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.” 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 720-394-6589
Table of Contents My Will by Celeste .................................................................................1 Disgraced Race by Jesse ........................................................................3 Puzzles by Antonio ................................................................................4 We Are by Jonathan...............................................................................5 Rise by Jose .............................................................................................6 Life by Mercedes ....................................................................................8 My Culture, My Life, My Story by Christopher .................................9 Goalkeeper of Life by Daniel ............................................................ 10 Never Been by Jonathan .................................................................... 11 My Living by Ramiro .......................................................................... 13 Something More by Rico ................................................................... 13 The One to Rise by Mohamed .......................................................... 16 Hike by Laura ...................................................................................... 17 Me by Sebastian ................................................................................... 18 Life by Marvin ..................................................................................... 19 More Than They Think by Maricarmen .......................................... 20 Nobody Space by Jesus ...................................................................... 21 Life Cycle by Angelo........................................................................... 22 Beat of the Drum by Abraham ......................................................... 24 My Mother by Ciara ............................................................................ 24 Al Millรณn by Juan ................................................................................ 25 Honey by Celeste ................................................................................ 26 Home by Jesse ..................................................................................... 29
Free by Antonio ................................................................................... 30 Rollercoaster by Jonathan .................................................................. 31 Durango, My Home by Jose .............................................................. 32 Rise by Ramiro ..................................................................................... 33 From Me to Myself by Christopher .................................................. 34 Who I Am by Daniel........................................................................... 35 Live is Lies by Mercedes ..................................................................... 36 Where the Road Crumbles by Rico .................................................. 37 Dream by Mohamed ........................................................................... 38 The Room by Jonathan ...................................................................... 39 Motivation by Marvin ......................................................................... 40 The World by Sebastian ...................................................................... 41 Aguascalientes by Laura...................................................................... 41 This Cell by Celeste ............................................................................. 42 Soccer by Jesse ..................................................................................... 43 Voice by Antonio ................................................................................ 44 Together by Jonathan ......................................................................... 45 Punches in Life by Christopher ......................................................... 46 Dear Self by Ramiro ............................................................................ 46 Story About My Life by Mercedes .................................................... 47 Life Within the Goal by Jose ............................................................. 49 2016 by Daniel ..................................................................................... 50
My Will by Celeste I am the warm frybread my grandma sets on the table, the smell summoning my ancestors, and opening the door for them. They line up behind me, waiting for their piece of frybread that we will take into the front room and enjoy each other’s company. Happiness and comfort engulfs everyone, putting smiles on their faces. I am the room I run to when I steal frybread. The white walls hold me as I pull a book from under my pillow and write. I am everything my room says, the purple bedspread and cream colored walls screaming inspiration as I sit in the middle, and write. I am my little book that holds my sanity against me. Every page reminds me that everything I have ever endured was real. Not only is it my reminder, but my will, yelling at me to keep going no matter how hard things get.
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I am the sister who pushes open my door knocking me out of my trance. She starts to talk but I am not listening to her. I am the excitement-filled eyes that hold so much pain that they started to leak. I am the chains that held her to her pain, the scars she carved into her skin, because there was no other way out. I am the beating her heart took. I am also the determination, strength, and perseverance her heart clings to until it can no longer hold on. I am the happiness that wraps her up, makes her teeth show, and a giggle slip out. I am the girl at the end, smiling so big her cheeks hurt. I am the girl who, despite what she went through, made it, fist raised high because she told herself she would not take it. I am the girl who will not blink because she does not want everything to disappear. I am the girl who has seen the new light because I am the girl who can.
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Disgraced Race by Jesse Let’s prove them wrong. Our race is not about garden workers or taco bell employees. We are not taco munching, lawn mowing machines. We haul the lives and struggles of our families and ancestors as we work hard to prove them wrong. We carry the stereotypes, extra work, the insults, and family problems. For years, we have suffered. But we are not cowards. We do not shed tears. You will hear cheers. Let’s prove them wrong. We will stand up to them, but we will not use violence. We will not prove their stereotypes right. Let’s prove them wrong.
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Puzzles by Antonio Life is a puzzle. You have to piece it together, then you got it. You are born with a starter kit. To put it together, you have to grind. It could take a minute, it could take a lifetime. Your goal is to complete the puzzle and not fail. Some think it is fun, others cannot tell. You need to read this, heed these words of Mr. West. I am working on the puzzle and striving to be the best. The feds try to get in our heads. They poison drinking water, filling us with lead. With guns, liquor, and drugs in our hood, they think we will implode. When we wake up, their plan will explode. Some fight the system, others do not mind. Everything comes together in due time.
Telling Our Stories Spoken Word Class
We Are by Jonathan I am the corn being ground with hard work and dedication. inside homes with rich smells. I am the tamales giving families the taste of love and smell of meaning, forming smiles and cheers. I am the memories that are like tattoos. They will always be there and represent something. I am a place where locked doors are long forgotten. I am the empty door without a button to press. I am the loving community where people walk. There isn’t a person you haven’t met. I am the quiet streets but loud backyards. I am a person loved by my parents. My parents’ sacrifices wake me up in the morning. I am tired, but my parents’ hard work pulls the blankets off of me. I am my parents’ hopes, wishing for me to have a great day. My parents may have not had a good day in a while, but they make sure I have a smile. I am the love they give me. I am the home that provides sanctuary, a place with a caring family. I am the home with armor, protecting anyone from the horrors outside. I am the living room where families gather to watch football games.
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I am the college graduate looking upon a gate that opens to my fate. I am the sweat and hard work transforming into the piece of paper that proves I am ready for what is ahead. We are the key to the future.
Rise by Jose Stop the look. Stop the disrespect. Stop the racism. Stop the discrimination. We are not a thing. We human with a heart and feeling. Those feelings can rise up to them to say we will not be tolerate this. Enough with the pain and tears. We need to rise up and fight to smell justice in the air, feeling that breeze coming to your ear saying freedom. We see lights that give us hope. So I say, stand up for the right, the right to live, the right to say, “I am home. I am done with discrimination, and the depression that comes into
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your soul and turns into a black hole.” So, prove these people wrong. Prove to them that you are the light of the country. Say, “I am here to be who I am.” So then, I will rise and tell the world: “To the people turned into the stone of depression, caused by discrimination: Let us rise!”
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Life by Mercedes I am so mad at myself, not at you. I am just mad for always being nice to people I love. I am mad for apologizing for things I did not do to you. I am mad for thinking about you. But most of all, I am just mad for not hating you when I should. But I must realize: Life is a challenge, I need to meet it. Life is a gift, I have to accept it. Life is a promise, I must keep it. Life is a hard struggle, so I can fight for it. Life is a goal, I can achieve it. Life is a passion, I must live it.
Telling Our Stories Spoken Word Class
My Culture, My Life, My Story by Christopher I am the past of the future and come from the heavens of this world. I look in the mirror and see the reflection of my soul. I am the light to the darkness. My love for my family feels like my strength. I am the melted cheese to the tortilla my mother makes every morning to explode my taste buds with the amazing taste of my Mexican culture. I am the dirt to the roads my parents used to walk on. I am the seed of a mother who holds me in her arms. I come from my sanctuary. always ready for me to get home. I am a prideful Chicano. I come from the education my parents gave me. Mis padres always told me to do my best in school, to be able to succeed in life. I will always remember how special and proud my parents will feel after I receiving mi diploma. I am and will be the future of my race. I am the future of this world.
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Goalkeeper of Life by Daniel Life is like a goal and I am the goalkeeper. The shots and breakaways are mistakes and sins, bad things that can affect me. I am the last man in the formation. My defense are my friends in this life. When my defense makes a mistake, I should prevent it from affecting me. When an attacker takes a low-driven shot, I have to block it. I need to keep winning and keep a clean sheet. Those shots are doubts I must block. If I do not, they could affect me badly. If the attacker has a breakaway, drugs or alcohol come my way. If I do not win that test, people could see my weakness and remember that about me. But when I ignore drugs and alcohol, I win. A cross/corner is a choice from other people I do not know who want to get a perfect header. I have to block those negative choices
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and situations I do not control. A clean sheet is going a day without losing focus. Every day there is something I can do to gain clean sheets in soccer, and in life. I am trying to go pro in life. I should not quit on my dreams.
Never Been by Jonathan I have many family members but I really only have my mother. She would drop everything for me. She has gone through a lot of pain to only be happy in this world. I come from tortillas being cared for in my grandma's kitchen. My grandma’s house, a place above all, going through walls as if it was their power. Yet that was not the life I lived. It is one that I still care for. Coming from my family is like coming from a burrito full of love and respect.
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The beef chopped up and spread with cheese filling every other spot, the lettuce and tomato giving the switch up from the beef. I am the mixture of beautiful voice and beats, the music of rappers, country singers, and everything else. I am the jack of all trades but a master of none. As much as people like the different flavors of me, others thrive on their disposal. I may be too upbeat around the cool calm lives and relax chillin’ with the alcoholic party. I have a picture in my head. We are all people, all equal But I am too shy to say that. People of color are protesting. That is not me. I am the people looking at them looking back at world.
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My Living by Ramiro I am the one to graduate first. When I see my mom almost teary-eyed, I hold my diploma tight. I see myself with a good future. I also see my friends happy for me and for themselves. With no more stress on me, I will be happy. I know I have to work to be successful. I am happy for my family and myself pushing through both good and hard times. We do not care what we have been through. We will persevere.
Something More by Rico There was a well-paved street, but the thing that puts me in defeat, is where the road crumbles. The place it leads you to leaves you in trembles for the road is dilapidated. It is a war zone where if you wear the wrong color, you may not make it home. Authenticity and anything unique either gets robbed
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or best left alone. If robbed, you will be a snitch if you pick up the phone. This place I call my hood is where the road collapses. And when I see my aunt Nikki, I can’t tell you how many times she relapses. What is there for her to worry about, besides her black tar that once paved the road smooth, but over time it was scarred. The difference between my hood and the other areas in Denver, is that the city doesn’t want to fix our roads and remember. In context, ink like blood paints that kid’s street red. He’s ready to rescue his radical reputation by leaving enemies on that same street dead. They are dying to show off their street so that their homeboy can rest in peace. It’s only played out through the plague called war, pistol packing to pop street rivals who wouldn’t want more. Kids get murdered in massacres maintaining street cred. It’s a cyclone cycle
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that kind of recycles dead bodies of some twelve year old kids who were viewed as rivals. Pleading in the plight of him wearing the wrong color, his mama will cry for the fact that her child didn’t make a magazine cover. I have a dream that dreams might come true, that kids will care more about their education than what they mean to you. Some kids see injustice and go down a different path. They study, stick to books to show the hood their wrath. They will grow up with good jobs and change the way they are seen, instead of being classified as a drug dealer, cokehead, or crack-fiend.
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The One to Rise by Mohamed I will never forget the wonderful smell of the spices my mom uses in her barbeque recipe. Every time we grill, the memory of all the times we spent together as a family come back. This recipe came from above, giving my people hope. I am the pregame ritual that only focuses on the motto, ball is life. Because if I think about it, ball is what protects me from these streets, So ball is life. They say, “One is only as good as where they came from.” They say where I come from, people are assumed to be dirty and stupid. That is a lie. That is not the Africa I know and love. So I will change that saying to, “One is only as good as they want to be.” I am the boy who holds up the tree of hope, for me and my family. I am red, white, and blue. I am green, yellow, and red. I am Malien and American.
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Hike by Laura Life is like hiking. You have to keep walking up to reach the top. The hike may be long. It may take a long time to get to your goals. There are parts where it gets too dusty. You will want to give up. You have to think of the beautiful view you will see at the top. In the end, you will know that sweating through all those difficulties was worth it.
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Me by Sebastian I come from posole whispering a secretive recipe passed down from my Mexican culture as I wave my native flag on the 5th of May. The chile makes us who we are, a part of a culture that brought great food from our ancestors passing through the roots of trees up through my feet to get to me. At the table, we have respect as the angels sit beside us, growing up and building shrines. La Virgen de Guadalupe is the one who illuminates the light into our hearts as her eyes shine upon us. Untouchable and sacred, she lives within us.
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Life by Marvin Soccer is life. There are different positions and tests that you have to go through to score goals. The ball is me going through life. It is always being played, back and forward. There are times in life when people who doubt your abilities try to push or tackle you. But you have to be strong and fight back. Scoring the first goal makes you feel proud of your work. Graduating from high school gives you the same feeling, feeling accomplished of what you have done. Scoring the next goal, going to college, you feel relaxed, like you got it. Once the opponent scores the goal, you feel like you are losing. Life gets to you. It is going to be hard. You dribble down the field, left to right, and score another goal.
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The referee blows the whistle and everything you did has paid off. In life, you are racing to get college over with, to get your life started. There are going to be obstacles stopping you, wanting to turn you around. But you have to push to get the life you want. Not everything will be easy.
More Than They Think by Maricarmen There are days when you wake up and have to be one of the Americans. You cannot walk without being described as “Mexican,” even though you are not. In the end, you are labeled as “one of them.” But who am I? A girl more than skin color, I am made of thoughts that are more powerful than their doubts.
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Nobody Space by Jesus I am confused where I belong. Being caught between Mexico and los Estados Unidos makes me nobody. But to the nobodies, we belong somewhere, somewhere hard to find. To see it, you must be one with the Mexicans and one with the Americans. But to know what it is, is a great mystery. Knowing nothing from one and growing up in another makes me a mystery. As a nobody, knowing the warm enchiladas my mom makes or the McDonald’s three blocks away makes me confused whether to think of myself as a Mexican, American, or just nobody. To the nobodies like me, music can either inspire you or confuse you. Corridos or Hip Hop? So am I Mexican or American? I choose to be both.
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Life Cycle by Angelo We are life. It repeats. We are people who fight for what we love. We achieve it. We enjoy it. It ends. We are life. It repeats. Thousands of people work for something. We accomplish it. We live it. It is no more. We are life. It repeats. We choose to enjoy life for what we already have in it, or improve it and study so others can later enjoy. We either live or sacrifice. Only difference is, will you be remembered? Does it matter? No matter what, we end. We are life. It repeats. What is a historical figure? Someone not forgotten? We choose to be remembered because we fear leaving this world in death,
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and being no more. But no matter what, if you are remembered or not, you still leave this world. We are life. We repeat. We wish for freedom and fight the good fight. Millions die. We achieve freedom, but no matter what, we will forget and drift back to the darkness, and all those millions will be in vain. We are life. We repeat. We are all different and unique, but will always wish to be “normal.” But I ask, who is normal? What is normal? Does it even exist? Why do we try to become the impossible? Is it just a waste of time? We are humanity. We are imperfect when you take humanity. There has never been a person who has not made a mistake. There has never been a human who was “perfect,” and if there is, he is half human and half unidentified, or simply not human.
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No matter what you do, you cannot change the life cycle, for we are trapped in it. It is really important to enjoy life, to fight for what you want, and improve.
Beat of the Drum by Abraham I come from the beat of the drum. I come from dancers, the ones who represent my culture. Each step is our dignity, and the strength we care with us. The smoke brings us back to our relatives. We move together to honor our ancestors and the future we create.
My Mother by Ciara I come from a mama who makes me believe in myself. She does not care what others think. With her beautiful brown eyes and big bright smile, she shows no fear. She has a great mind full of advice like: “Live life the way you want to. Act like nobody is watching.�
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Al Millón by Juan Vida es como el fútbol porque te diviertes y te distrae un rato. Despejas la mente. El futbol es como diversión, una pasión que todo hispano tiene. Fin de cuentas, mi vida yo veo como una vida al millón. Se necesita disfrutar porque la vida es prestada. Lo que me gusta hacer es juntar con mis compas y trabajar juntos para tener exito. Mi vida es chida machin, por eso la disfruto.
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Honey by Celeste You remind me of someone I used to know. She held on tight to the ones she loved, holding them until they could not breath. She could not bear the thought of being alone. She never wanted to let go. I knew someone like you, a smile so strong, she could lift everyone's mouth to mimic her own. Her voice was like honey. Ears would open their mouths, begging for it to pour in. Everyone yearned for her presence. They wished they could hear her sweet voice, or be held in her strong arms. She had eyes covered in glass, so delicate and clear. Eyes are like windows to the soul. When you peered into her eyes, you could see her black and blue soul, bruised by everything she could not bear. The words that screamed in her ears, beating her until she was covered in nothing but bruises. When she opened her mouth to scream, giggles took their place instead and flowed out like rivers. Just as her eyes started to leak, and her soul started to scream, she lifted her eyes
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and watched the sky, noticing all the blues that matched herself. He jumped to the sky, mistaking it for home, jumping because he was the only one who knew and understood. She jumped so high, she never made her way back down. When I look up to the sky, I see her hiding. I see her hiding behind the clouds. When I look at you, she is there in your eyes. Every bruise, every beating she took, I see it in your eyes. We all know what happened to her. So when I tell you this, I am telling you not to jump into the pit of despair and the big black hole shouting happiness. Do not be fooled by those chants. They only scream sadness and self-hatred if you jump. People want to see your soulful eyes and hear your honey voice. No one will be able to admire your strong smile. Every beautiful feature you hold will not change someone’s life. If you jump,
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the world will not be able to listen to the honey that pours out of your mouth. The world will not look in your eyes and see a world full of hurt. Instead, they will see strength and determination. Your strength will change the lives of other people. If it does not, know that it changed mine.
Telling Our Stories Spoken Word Class
Home by Jesse I am someone who works hard for what I want. I come from people who work with their backs, sacrificing sleep for what we want and need. I come from a family full of dream chasers, doing what we have to get ahead. I come from a grandma who would always inspire everyone. She accomplished everything she set her mind to, amazing us just as much as the views in Jalisco. The bright red, white, and blue stripes of our team represent Guadalajara. The fresh smells of great foods greet us like buĂąuelos every Christmas morning. Kids run around and play soccer through the dirt fields. This is my home. As I roam through my mind for my story, I realize that everyone has different inspirations. I have my own. This is my home, my story.
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Free by Antonio In my dreams, I see a lot of things, some horrible, and some good like the springs. But as of now, the country is off the leash with the government trying to lay the public in defeat. College education costs are extortionate, to the point you cannot buy lunch. You might settle for a dead end job, forced to listen to your boss who can be a snob. If you come from a wealthy past, you will have a wealthy life. We do not have enough money for our wives. Whites and Blacks do not rule. The only color that controls us is green. A world full of dirty money, we can never keep it clean. We need to rise and get everyone awake. For centuries, we been provoked. It will be alright if we can only abolish hate. We can then start over with a clean slate.
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Rollercoaster by Jonathan Life is like a rollercoaster. When it starts to go, it will not stop just for you. The restraints are what hold you to keep you safe, like the people who care for you, keeping you from falling out. When it starts, you are nervous. Everything is going well. as it goes really high. Then suddenly, without warning, it goes down. You may be scared, but in the end, it slows down. You will have time. It will always slow down, smooth out, and be straightforward. In the end, you get off and realize it was fun, but it is the end. You want to ride it “next time,� but not in life.
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Durango, My Home by Jose I see the smooth, sweet, and spicy mole reminding me of home. The steam comes to my face, kissing my cheeks from left to right. It smells like the love of being home. I come from the venom that the scorpions carry and my grandparents saying, “You are home, come home, mijo.” Durango is home for me, but why go when I see my uncle laying on a bed, as I wait for him to either wake up or sleep forever? I am here waiting for the chance, the chance for him to live or die. I pray to my mother in the sky, saying to her, “Give me a miracle.” Thousands of voices say to you, “We need the miracle.” I have been waiting for it like I have been waiting for my rosario to come roaring from the ground, telling me, “I am here for you.” People judge the way I am, and where I came from.
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I am the spirit from the dead, or my venom ancestors. I am proud and I will say it out loud to the world, “I am a Mexican spirit from Durango!” I will be the venom of your spirit and tell you, “I am Jose Herrera!”
Rise by Ramiro In life, there are lots of problems. Take Donald Trump. He is not a good person for many reasons. He says lots of bad things about Mexicans and other people. He cannot stop me, I will rise. I will do my best to keep going on through tough times. I will move on. I will work to have a good job and do my best to make a good living. But first, I will graduate college to be successful. So know, I will rise and help others.
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From Me to Myself by Christopher Dear Chris, I am your past self. I write to you so you can guide yourself through the dark path that approaches you. A reward will be given, so think before you act. Be careful with each action. Think before you speak. You will reach a peak. You will have to go around. Ask yourself, what could you have done? For every choice, there is a path. For every choice, there will be a road, the road towards happiness, the road towards resting in peace: a job, a wife, a family, a home, a final time to visit loved ones, a final day to love your wife, kids, before God takes you back into his arms to live among your ancestors for eternity. You will look to the legacy you left behind, among your children. You will wish them the best for what awaits them before they also rest.
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Who I Am by Daniel I come from a hard working father. His hands are like tools, building up his family. My mother provides food for us to eat every day, with her love and compassion. I am thankful for my parents. They come from a country that has an old and interesting history, just like Mexican food recipes, recipes that will never go extinct. I come from the tamal wrapped up with beauty. The soft warmness brings the family together. The culture has an amazing taste, dating back to 7,000 B.C. The tamal is still one of the best. When you eat it, the taste makes you happy. We eat one of the best foods. When the family gets together, they have a much richer taste made from the love of a tamal. I am proud to be where I am from, the type of parents I have, and the good things that come into my life. My country's flag is symbol, a symbol of how my country was settled. I am glad it still standing today.
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Us, the people of MĂŠxico, are there for each other like a wolf pack. No one is left behind.
Live is Lies by Mercedes I love you. As you stay in my heart, no one can ever make us apart, The feeling of your love has touched my soul. In my life, you play the important role. Please do not leave me. Stay as you are. I cannot imagine my life without you. You are my life’s shining star. I love you lots my dear. I know we had a time, but now we do not. You had a chance to be my one and only. You took that chance and broke my heart, shattering it into pieces, forever apart. You said we would be together forever. Were they all lies? How very bitter of you. Do you even love me? I guess you do not give a shhh about me anymore. You could care less. But I realize that my sense of self worth lives within me. I know I need to be stronger without you.
Telling Our Stories Spoken Word Class
Where the Road Crumbles by Rico I come from the blood stained street but what once paved that road complete, left my aunt’s pipe in defeat. But I will never forget the four shots that rained terror by a twelve year old who ran my block. His lifeless body was an image no one forgot. The road stays dilapidated and left be. My dad did not think twice when he left me. I will not let this get the best of me. I will rise, motivated by my people’s desperate cries. I will fix where the crack in the street lies. No more shots ring out. No more crack heads fiending out. Just peace is what I shout. My people motivate and cultivate their imagination in this world of my creation. Our recreation centers would be remade. No more lives will be in need and I will be able to feed my family Never again will we be forgotten.
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Dream by Mohamed Young boys with old dreams think about getting their paycheck. But they are being told to get a reality-check. What good is a dream if you are told you will never get there? Tupac once said, “Reality is wrong, dreams are for real.” He reminds us once again that reality only exists because of dreams. You know those boys and girls who were told, “You will never make it.” You know Mohamed Ali, MJ, Kanye, Kobe, Messi, Tiger Woods, I can go on for a long time. But the point is that they made it, so can you. What is the point of going up, if you are going to just drag me down? DREAM ON.
Telling Our Stories Spoken Word Class
The Room by Jonathan You are in a room. The room is filled with all kinds of people you know. You do not know why. You know exactly how you got there. But you do not know where you came from. You came from a place where there is no real you. People only know the “not you� instead of the one you want everyone to know. You try to run away from that scary place since all you feel is laziness. Your mind is playing you with illusions. You start running, shoving people out of your way. People try to stop you to help them. But you keep running because you do not know where you are going. So much weight gets put on you, invisible weight. Time goes on and you find a key who is like you and knows the way out. You follow it and you see a door. It is one those cliche bright glowing doors. You slowly walk toward it. The world gets brighter. You shut your eyes. Open them. Way to go. You learned something.
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Motivation by Marvin I come from a mom and a dad who have taught me to never give up and be a better person than them. They have told me about their stories as young teens and their lives in Mexico. He regrets dropping out and coming to the U.S. My mom would tell me about her and her sisters always having to walk to school and share clothes. They will always be my motivation to keep going to school and soccer. I remember when I first started playing. The game has been my life since I began school. It is hard to do both, but with soccer, I have my goal of going professional. If I am to make it, I want to help my parents with money, and pay them back for what they have done for me. I want to give them the life they gave me.
Telling Our Stories Spoken Word Class
The World by Sebastian In my dreams, I see the world changing because stepping outside, people getting blasted is all we hear. But I just cannot understand. One person attacks another like a rabid dog. Once a white person pulls the trigger, we attack like rabid dogs. Racial slurs fill my mind as they escape my lips. But take a step back, and take time to reminisce. Try to take time to look back on this.
Aguascalientes by Laura I come from a place a place where my parents first met, a place where everybody gets along where the grass grows a beautiful shade of green, and where the flowers are the brightest pink you will ever see. They fell in love and got married in that exact location. They came to the U.S. and from there, I was born.
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This Cell by Celeste I am locked in this cell, where the chains of the past have a hold on me. Every step I take is stopped by the dark memories that hold onto me. I am stuck in the dark. A tiny window of hope shines, but that is during the day. The pain comes out at night, when I least expect it. It shakes me so hard that my eyes start to leak. I keep my leaking eyes shut, so I will not have to face the past,. to look darkness in the face. Cold, dark eyes, a stern face, a giant of hurt holding me. Hope shines in my window to assure me that it is okay. It is trying to hold me. But that only makes it worse. It brings back the pain I felt that night. But I still let it hold me sometimes even pick me up and make me stand. Hope hands me the key to unlock the chains, to get rid of the memories and the pain.
Telling Our Stories Spoken Word Class
Clink, clink, clink, the sounds of chains hitting the floor and the gate opening to strength and perseverance walking towards my cell of pain. It is the sound of me getting on my feet and walking out. I am free from the cell. I will no longer be a prisoner of my own pain.
Soccer by Jesse When you score in soccer, you score in life. When you get scored on, you get pushed down. On defense, you tackle the challenges. In mid-field, you control every part of the field. You control yourself and do what you need to do. As you go forward, score the goals that you set. Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.
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Voice by Antonio I am a temple, just as my grandma before me, the same grandma who gave me my first collection of Homies. She gave me a lot, but what stays is the love she shared with me before she passed away. She gave me this love as we lived in the southwest with spray-painted walls, the sounds of crying, and 911 calls. She told me to stay out of that life, but I never asked how she knew so much from our past. I am the warm enchiladas, so good and elite. I am them because you are what you eat. This is my story but not the end, just a moment in it captured with the art of a pen. With food that keeps us whole and a past we barely know, remember us as great just in the wrong place. If you are quiet by choice, just lift your voice.
Telling Our Stories Spoken Word Class
Together by Jonathan Together we could change this planet. It will be a place where all problems disappear with a solution. Let us unite together and be the evolution. The future has so much potential, untouched by society, yet the rich, start with no credential. It is there, waiting to be fulfilled. Let’s not waste it and let it be killed. Helping one another is how we make a difference. Everyone doing little things will add together to make a difference. You are the spirit that can light a fire. The time to speak is now and dire.
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Punches in Life by Christopher I dodge punches like problems, throwing as many punches, as many tries as I can. I am always moving forward, even through the mistakes I make, or painful punches I receive. I stand up before the ten second count, pushing myself to achieve and get that one knockout that will end it all. With the punches life throws at me, I do my best not to fail, not to lose.
Dear Self by Ramiro Dear Ramiro, I am your past self. I care for you so do your best in school. I know life is challenging. I also know that you can do this. You will make a good life. You will be content and not sad. See through the dark path to get a new life, to be successful. Think before you speak. Be careful out there.
Telling Our Stories Spoken Word Class
Story About My Life by Mercedes I am beautiful. I come from love and hope. In my dreams, I imagine that I am loving girl. I am life. I am a girl, who is going to graduate from high school, and have a positive future. I can then show everyone that I made it. I have to show my sister, so she can have a role model. I want to make my mom proud of me. She wants me to work hard. She wants me to do my best. I come from Florida. I will always remember when I was running on the beach, in the water. I will never forget my dog minnie. She was always with me when I was a baby. We had a lot of fun. The beach always brings me happiness. It is a beautiful place to take your mind off of the stress. We just relax and chill. When you sit yourself in the water, you will feel so good. I remember feeling the wet sand between my toes, as I looked for beautiful sea shells by the ocean.
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I ate good food with my family, and had great time. I like sizzling sausages, melted cheese, mashed potatoes with gravy, and green beans. I like cold ice cream and all kinds of cakes. But most of all, I like having a big dinner on the holidays. I am happy with my mom, she is special to me. She is always there with me through thick and thin. Her roommates are the best, they help her as well. She is a supported mommy. My love for her feels like a special moment. I know I love u mom.
Telling Our Stories Spoken Word Class
Life Within the Goal by Jose I feel the field in my toes, the breeze on my freezing face. Yet I burn when I am on the field. I am on fire, burning, breaking ankles like when they broke my heart for those dumb reasons. I take a chance on life, like the one to score that goal. But they hit back with everything they have, treat me with no respect. What have I done to the world to be treated this way? I feel like quitting, sitting on the bench, and saying, “I am done!” No, you have to rise to the challenge, take the risk, and at the end say, “Good.”
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2016 by Daniel This year was the best for us or the worst. Racism grew. The election caught our attention, losing friends from perspectives. The election, the election. a big part of 2016. Trump is seen as a racist candidate. Hilary seen as an untrusted candidate. During the election, people lose friends, for choosing one candidate instead of the other. People find it stupid. But I am just worried what the future holds for my friends and me. Because the words of Donald Trump can kick me out. People say Hillary is a deceiver. But America is like a home I do not want to leave.