DSST: College View Speaks! Vol. 5 CafĂŠ Cultura Community Speaks Project #40 Telling Our Stories Spoken Word Class
DSST: College View Speaks! Vol. 5 Copyright Š 2017 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 intelligent and resilient students in our Spoken Word elective: Continue being critical thinkers while speaking your truth. Show us the way! #CafeCultura #XpressYourself #TellingOurStories
Acknowledgments Thank you DSST College View HS staff for continuing our partnership for a 5th trimester, as we collectively push ourselves to make our voices heard. Shout out to the students in our elective for using your words to be powerful. 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 our honor to teach another group of students at DSST College View High School. In preparing to publish the school’s 5th volume of poetry, we used our “Telling Our Stories” curriculum to guide participants. We were impressed with their ability to think critically and offer a glimpse of hope in difficult times. This chapbook gives you a sense of what we saw on a regular basis in class. 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 The Struggle by Daniela ........................................................................1 The Story of My Life So Far by Christopher .....................................3 Salvation by Grasiela..............................................................................4 CommUnity by Charley.........................................................................5 I Am by David ........................................................................................6 Lost Stories by Tiana .............................................................................7 The Light by Celia ..................................................................................8 Mi Abuelito by Salvador..................................................................... 10 We the People by Carter .................................................................... 11 Faithful Miracles by Fabiola .............................................................. 12 Yo Vengo de by Jocelyn ..................................................................... 15 A Dream by Roberto .......................................................................... 17 My Foundation by Mayra ................................................................... 18 Finding My Way by Eduardo ............................................................ 19 The Real Promised Land by Christopher ........................................ 20 My Home of Daniela .......................................................................... 21 A Moment in Time by Tiana ............................................................. 24 My Life by Charly................................................................................ 25 As a Child by Grasiela ........................................................................ 26 Today by David ................................................................................... 28 Product of the Environment by Carter ........................................... 29 Happiness by Celia .............................................................................. 30 Village by Salvador .............................................................................. 32
Star Girl by Grasiela ............................................................................ 33 The Path by Daniela ............................................................................ 35 The Tree Cycle of Life by Christopher ............................................ 36 Grades by Tiana ................................................................................... 37 Goals by Charly.................................................................................... 39 We Do Not Know by David ............................................................. 40 Opportunity Rise by Grasiela ............................................................ 41
The Struggle by Daniela I cannot deny my birth nation, nor my citizenship, which was only given to me because I was born on the “right” side of the border. I cannot deny where I was raised, nor the dirt under my feet where I live. My parents came to a free country, but here, no one is really free. My parents have sacrificed, given everything they have to break the ice, to give my sisters and I better lives. They work hard every single day so that someday I can say, “I made it.” I live in a country built on the principles of freedom constructed by the hands and hopes of immigrants and slaves. A country, supposedly open to all, is still trying to build a wall against the new people, searchers for liberty and promises of free will. Lies. This country is a fraud. America has never been great: only great at lying
2
DSST: College View Speaks! Vol. 5
of riches and opportunity; great at stealing and pouring corruption into the roots of our dreams; great at running us out of our countries, only to keep us out when we seek refuge. Stop complaining about “illegal immigrants.” Stop burying my family’s struggles where no one sees them. The American government helps our oppressors, bringing war and destruction into our countries. My family is not hurting your economy. My family has worked too hard, sacrificed and given too much, to be kicked down the ladder of success. Do not blame your failures on our accomplishments. We have achieved so much, because of our love as a family and struggles together. We work to reach our goals, we sacrifice and slave for ourselves, not you.
Telling Our Stories Spoken Word Class
The Story of My Life So Far by Christopher I am a seed, and come from the fruit of my culture. I look in the mirror and see the scars of my ancestors. In my dreams, I imagine a better soil for my seeds. I come from the remains of Guanajuato. the vast streets, the rising dust, and remains of houses that crumble to the ground. I come from the far side, where El Rancho is and the city, where the smell of food flavors the air. Here, my pencil is the voice in my hand, the object that dances around the paper, leaving a trace of my knowledge in each word I write. I await the day I graduate college, anticipating the moment I receive a diploma in my hand. I wait for the day my parents see me as a man, as the man they raised me to be: one who faces the dangers and challenges of life, always remembering, never forgetting the day I become a college graduate.
3
4
DSST: College View Speaks! Vol. 5
Salvation by Grasiela What do you do when your life is falling apart and your dreams are the only thing that you can hold onto so deeply. My life is shattered into pieces like a broken mirror on the ground. What do you do when your life is falling apart. You watch it fall because you cannot do anything about it. You feel your heart breaking piece by piece, breath by breath. As a tear falls, you wonder what happened to get to this point. You hold onto your dreams because when your life is falling apart you do not know what to do. These dreams are the only thing that can save you from yourself. These monsters intentions are not as pure as their faces. Mentioning that, I got lost in your eyes. The streams of dreams shall be my salvation.
Telling Our Stories Spoken Word Class
CommUnity by Charley Community means coming together, not separating people by color. What if I am Mexican American, African, German, Chinese, Japanese? What if I was different? I am human. You are human. Accept me for who I am. I am not a credit card just to be used. Rather than making a wall of cement, let us build a wall of hands and join each other as a community. Community is where we join, not fight, each other. We must stand tough, chest out, stand strong like a tree rooted into the ground. Hold hands as we make a bridge.
5
6
DSST: College View Speaks! Vol. 5
I Am by David I am from a pueblo where everyone knows each other, where everyone helps each other. I am from Mexico, from Verucruz. Everyone is a team, united en las buenas y en las malas. I am from a family willing to give everything for me, working every day with no weekends. I love when my mom’s warm posole and crunchy tostadas bring us together. I am from a madre who I admire, even through the hard times. She is small, but powerful, and I will always respect her. I am still a hopeful boy. I think it is unfair how people are born with opportunities, while others do not even get one. I get mad about racism. But still, I am a kid with big dreams.
Telling Our Stories Spoken Word Class
Lost Stories by Tiana The land of immigrants is the land of lost stories. America is the light in the lamp, the shooting star in a cloudy night sky, but both can disappear with a flip of a switch or the blink of an eye. Immigrants expect welcoming arms, but they are met with a melting pot. Throw away your culture. Throw away the life you knew. Throw away your stories, because they do not matter. Your culture, the life you knew, the stories you cherish, are all placed in a small box at the back of your mind. The first few days are confusing. The first few months are brutal, but every day, you open up the box of comfort at the back of your mind and cry.
7
8
DSST: College View Speaks! Vol. 5
The Light by Celia Depression is on the stalk again. Depression is the friend I cannot control, having me spill my guts rather than being happy. He ties me up by my neck, choking me with society’s standards. I breathe in toxicity from others. So I have become comfortably numb to the emotions I want to feel. When others decide to be toxic, I isolate myself from everyone around me, leaving me to my anxiety and thoughts. I hate the thought of being alone. Then, I realize that I am blinding myself with my own darkness. The darkness will die and the light will come in. She is the light I needed to get through the pain and darkness. She illuminates my life,
Telling Our Stories Spoken Word Class
helping me realize that I am not alone. Kindness becomes my guide, showing me the way toward freedom.
9
10
DSST: College View Speaks! Vol. 5
Mi Abuelito by Salvador Mi abuelito is the gravity that keeps my family together. He puts every effort para una casa en que vivir. I do not know how much pain he had to go through to keep our family safe. I hope I get to learn from his past so I can understand him even more. I know sooner or later, I am going to lose him. But for now on, I will stay by his side no matter what.
Telling Our Stories Spoken Word Class
We the People by Carter We the people, where the rich come to thrive and the poor struggle to survive. The gap grows bigger and bigger. Fear used to push one down. Temptation used to push one up. The tunnel vision of indulgence causes short term wins that turns into long term loss. The lack of empathy for one makes this happen. So, we, the people, angry at one another create this great divide.
11
12
DSST: College View Speaks! Vol. 5
Faithful Miracles by Fabiola Why can't I be rich like these blue-eyed kids. It is funny how God always gives us a reality that makes us question, “Why?” Like, why do drugs define our life, the type of life that can be taken away in a second or a blink of an eye? It is funny our characteristics can change by night. It is better to say stop than our hearts to. No matter how many times I told my brother to “be better,” he just closed the front door and never had to time to say a simple goodbye. He always wished for his pulse to stop but had no idea it would come that fast. So on this occasion, I guess I knew why. All this came from society itself. People use the word “reality” to tell us that our dreams will never be accomplished. Why does money have to be our weakness in today’s so-called society?
Telling Our Stories Spoken Word Class
Why does God have to give me struggle after struggle in this so-called reality? But I smile. You know why? I truly believe I can give others hope, a hope that will not be so full of denial and these false promises. Let me tell you where I come from. I come from the streets where people hold guns at each other instead of their hands. Those same hands are filled with impulsive lies. Each day, I feel a pulse die. Each day, I see a person cry because of unfaithful lies. Yet people ask why our actions always lead to depression but not dedication. We are so fast to post our success on social media but not live it. People sometimes fall into stereotypes and become a statistic. We often let a small mistake define who we are, making ourselves feel almost so distant. Time is running out.... and those regrets you live by will hunt you down.
13
14
DSST: College View Speaks! Vol. 5
Just because you sin does not make you less of a person. It makes you a human being, because no human is perfect. I know life is a full of painful stories, but find the beautiful details. Only you decide to live life as an miracle.
Telling Our Stories Spoken Word Class
Yo Vengo de by Jocelyn Yo vengo de una plaza en el centro de Mezquitic, donde los tacos de la esquina nos llenan de alegrĂa. Mi familia vive en un rancho, donde hay recuerdos en la carretera y un Mezquite welcomes you. Yo vengo de una mamĂĄ, que representa la bandera mexicana, con su piel morena y su sacrificio a cruzar el rĂo para una mejor vida. Yo vengo de una familia, que durante la semana ponen su sudor en el trabajo que completan. Yo vengo de una familia que les gusta la charreria, Para nosotros, un caballo es un tesoro y no solo un animal. Durante los fines de semana, trabajan en el rancho, ordenianado vacas, y crian animales para continuar la cultura. Yo vengo de sangre Robles con la responsabilidad de trabajar para tener lo que quieres. Durante la semana, te matas en el trabajo
15
16
DSST: College View Speaks! Vol. 5
para cotorrear con la familia. Para nosotros, las risas son sinceras y las historias cuentan los sacrificios.
Telling Our Stories Spoken Word Class
A Dream by Roberto When I see myself, I see a boy with problems, with no strength to get by. I see a boy who is so weak that he lets his emotions take over. He cannot breath. He is drowning in his own thoughts. I see my brother as a reflection of myself, so joyful but then, will be filled with sorrow. From the one tear running down my face to the tear that is running down his, there tells a story of all the pain and loss. But years later, we will be thankful because we are set up for life. All we can do is thank our parents for being so hard on us, because later down the road, it is great advice.
17
18
DSST: College View Speaks! Vol. 5
My Foundation by Mayra I am from a rancho in Jalisco, where everyone is filled with joy. There, family who loves and cares about you. The mariachi welcomes you and brings family together. I am the heat of a comal, passed down from our ancestors, calentando las tortillas. El comal aguanta el calor como mi abuelo aguanto tantos aĂąos sembrando en el campo. I am from hard-working parents, que nunca paran de luchar para una vida buena. Dia a dia, trabajan para siempre tener comida en la mesa, y un techo para dormir. I am from a brown lady, in whom my family has faith, a lady who has a heart filled with love and the bright rays of hope behind her. She will never let you down. Se convirtiĂł en la madre de todo MĂŠxico, con el nombre La Virgen de Guadalupe.
Telling Our Stories Spoken Word Class
Finding My Way by Eduardo I come from the stars and stripes of the United States. But I know deep down, that I come the eagle and snake. My family is from that place, where they stood tall, with no shame. There, it is like making soup with an unforgettable taste. Like my family’s traits, the ingredients are put in from the work we do together, not just as one wanderer. If I could ever describe who I am, just remember the sun and moon that tell the time. I will be there to brighten your day, even if it is not needed. It is my dream to help others, like Martin Luther King Jr., wanting equality and freedom between brothers and sisters, because the hand of friendship has no color.
19
20
DSST: College View Speaks! Vol. 5
The Real Promised Land by Christopher Tell me... Do you fear the world of the present? Or do you prefer to live in a world several decades from now? There, everyone is treated equally: no sexism, no racism, no injustice. It is just us, proving to the world that we could create a place that really is the free, promised land to prosper, grow, and evolutionize together.
Telling Our Stories Spoken Word Class
My Home of Daniela Here stands my mother, who should always know that I love her. My mother slaves every day, just to be able to pay and pave a way for her daughters in this world. Y allĂ se sienta mi papa, weary and tired from the long hours working. He leaves before the sun comes up and returns after it has set. My loving father, who dotes on his daughters, gives all he can to his family. My beautiful parents stand there in the light. They gave up their brilliant futures for the chance that their children might have a better future. My parents created my home. My home is not just a place. My home is the love of my family. It is the aroma of food cooking in the kitchen as laughter and smiles dance on our lips. My home is where my sisters fight, and where we smile and laugh, because nothing is stronger
21
22
DSST: College View Speaks! Vol. 5
than the bond between sisters. Home is both the good and the bad, because without one, you cannot have the other. My home extends through the cobblestone streets and the dirt roads of Santa Lucia. It is the taxi-filled roads of Tegucigalpa, and the green trees on my mother’s land. My home is the tall grass whispering in the wind and the peaceful farm animals of my father’s family terreno. My home travels back through time to my father’s experiences as a child, forced to grow up too soon due to a war prompted by the want for change and equality. His sorrow lives in the memories of unimaginable death, as no boy deserves to find his brother dead. I come from my mother’s land. de las baliadas y frijoles, hechos con amor. But I am also my father’s daughter. His love of futbol flows through my veins and into my heart. I cannot connect to a single culture. I cannot own a single identity, without denying a certain part of me.
Telling Our Stories Spoken Word Class
How would I ever explain that I am from more than just a country? My home is not just a place. It is not a city or country. I carry my home with me, like a turtle carries a shell on its back. So wherever I go, I know I will not be alone.
23
24
DSST: College View Speaks! Vol. 5
A Moment in Time by Tiana A moment caught in time, framed and carefully placed on the wall for everyone to see. Life is just a moment caught in time. The smiles displayed could be real, or they could be for the benefits of others. Handshakes could mean nothing to the participants, but could mean everything to the photographer. Life is just a moment in time. It could mean anything.
Telling Our Stories Spoken Word Class
My Life by Charly I come from my parents, the people who cared for me when I failed and who picked me up when I fell. They told me not to give up because we are Mexican: we do not give up without a fight. My body came from the progress of my parents, the ones who went through hell to take care of me. They are from México, where our culture lives. I have their blood in me, boiling like lava. The roots of my family are as strong as a bodybuilder. I come from an awesome sport where you kick a nice, clean Nike ball. Imagine the crowd yelling goal and my mom saying, “Mi hijo es el mejor!” Our food is equally as good. Imagine a torta from Tortugas that will turn you from white to Mexican real fast. I love my life like I love my torta.
25
26
DSST: College View Speaks! Vol. 5
As a Child by Grasiela I sit here in this beautiful, starry cloudy night with the moon as bright as can be. I sit where I grew up, where I learned to be me, where my childhood remains in broken memories. As I sit here with my younger sister, we go by the timeline of our lives in this playground with cracked wood, a broken swing, and a pool that has not open since 2009. We do what any 5 year old would do: run and play, swing and slide, go through the monkey bars like we were gymnasts. I recall my childhood, embracing my last breath as a child. As they say, time waits for no one. We wish we could go back in time to when our only worry was being able to go outside.
Telling Our Stories Spoken Word Class
When we were 7, we wished to be grown so we could have a phone to take over our lives, or have a car to take us away from home. When we get there, we do not want the responsibilities As I sit here in this beautiful night, I recall my childhood to remember before I forget what it was like to live in peace. In a world where chaos dominates and problems wait in line, do not let the child in you die.
27
28
DSST: College View Speaks! Vol. 5
Today by David Today, we do not enjoy life like we used to. We are full of struggle and pain. We are stressed because we need money to live. A Black man just got shot by a White cop because it is a free country? It is not. Today, we live a life in which we do not say anything, but talk trash on social media. We post dumb things for the attention and likes. Today needs to change.
Telling Our Stories Spoken Word Class
Product of the Environment by Carter I am the middle finger that anger throws at the system and the fight for change. I am the bullet used to murder the corrupt, but also the sign used to take his power. I am the ramen noodles that fed my family, and the lobster we dream of eating. I am the man who stabbed my neighbor, and the doctor who saved his life. I am ignorant about my past but confident about my future. I am a product of my environment, good and bad.
29
30
DSST: College View Speaks! Vol. 5
Happiness by Celia Some think that happiness is not for everyone. But my happiness flies with two wings, fluttering through the pain. She flies on. Her heart beats in rhythm, as the butterfly. She will live on. Her blood is in the roots of this Earth. As her blood blossoms, she becomes a flower. But time is what consumes us. The flower will wilt, the butterfly will no longer fly, and her time runs out. Time and sickness consume this girl. Her brain and her lungs turned on her, by joining with cancer. She fought the long battle. I tried to provide reinforcements, but all I could do was watch from the side.
Telling Our Stories Spoken Word Class
Not everyone has happiness. Happiness is an emotion we crave, for everyone deserves it. But time consumes us all. Like sand, you can try to grasp it, but it will slip through. So, enjoy the happiness in each moment.
31
32
DSST: College View Speaks! Vol. 5
Village by Salvador Your family can be like a village if you work together, listen to others ideas, and take care of each other. Keep a lookout for one another, even though you do not respect each other. But deep down inside your soul, you still care for them. You may not like them, but you still want to protect them.
Telling Our Stories Spoken Word Class
Star Girl by Grasiela A story not known: an apartment almost empty, with barely a TV, a few chairs, a table, and a mattress on the floor. I remember how my parents struggled through that. Now, I mention “Ma, my room is too small for a table.” Yet I still have one there. In a place as ghetto as Federal, I have lost friends to the street. You can see the difference in Depew, one side looking poor while pale faces live it up on the other side. No, I do not care if you say there is not a way out, because there is. You just never looked for them, making dumb excuses. My mom told me to stay in school. Mi papa me dijo que cuide de mi madre y mi hermana, the only reason my heart’s still hitting notes.
33
34
DSST: College View Speaks! Vol. 5
My goals are wrapped in gold in the middle of this glass room with a view beyond the sunset. Keep laughing at the pain I am going through. My dreams have become plans. A story to be continued‌.
Telling Our Stories Spoken Word Class
The Path by Daniela Not everyone has privilege. We cannot all be born with special rights. Some of us live life on the edge, the edge of success and failure. You do not know you are failing, until you have already failed. You do not know you have succeeded, until you are at the top of the ladder. For some, the road is paved with no worries of tripping and falling. For others the road is rocky, bumpy and uncharted. Maybe, it is not even a path at all, but a vast wilderness, where it is easy to lose your way. We trudge on through, and hopefully find our destination.
35
36
DSST: College View Speaks! Vol. 5
The Tree Cycle of Life by Christopher I am a tree that loses its leaves like losing my loved ones. I lose a day of life, a year of life, until I am watered with someone’s knowledge or someone cuts down my roots, making me lose my culture But the fruits I drop will leave a seed behind that will grow up to be a tree that will also drop fruit that leave seeds behind.
Telling Our Stories Spoken Word Class
Grades by Tiana I come from high expectations and disappointed tones at the sight of anything below an “A”, below a 90%, below satisfactory. I come from the letter “A” at the top of the paper that earns me a simple “keep it up,” and nothing more. I come from the smiles of my mom that show when i succeed at something and disappear when I “didn’t try hard enough.” I come from a flash before my eyes indicating the picture is being taken to show off a “loving, smart” daughter because being me isn’t good enough. But a smile is still plastered on my face because not smiling makes me a disappointment. I come from the faked smiles at the sight of a “B” but tears at home. I come from the stories of struggles at the sight of a “C” and shouts of horror at the sight of an “F.”
37
38
DSST: College View Speaks! Vol. 5
Most of all, I come from a bright future, but a future that is already decided for me.
Telling Our Stories Spoken Word Class
Goals by Charly Goals are different than dreams. Dreams are fake. Goals are real. They are what everybody risks their lives for. Money, fame, girls... but mostly soccer is my goal. Living the dream, that is the goal. We will go through pain and challenges to get to our goals. Do not dream about your goals, just do it!
39
40
DSST: College View Speaks! Vol. 5
We Do Not Know by David We live a life where we think it is good. We think we know everything, but we do not. We want to know what is really going on, but we are scared, scared of an ugly truth. We got to do something and find the truth. The government is hiding something from us. He knows all the bad things that we do not know and we question. I feel like there is a plan and we need to find out, so we create our own.
Telling Our Stories Spoken Word Class
Opportunity Rise by Grasiela Please do not make me grow up. Please do not make me stand up. Do not make me more mature. I cannot take this anymore. I am not here on my own free will. I am forced to claim, to let people inside my shame. People do not get passed talking. Pain walks me to my classes, the hallway, a lifetime. The outside world persuades me to put a line across my neck where my chain hangs. I was given a second chance. With angels wings, I got to know God. My time was not over. I woke up in a hospital bed, the same chain my mother gave me wrapped around my hand. Like a dove, I will rise with pride. I am the star that will shine the brightest. I am the sunrise.
41