La Academia Speaks! Vol. 2 Cafe Cultura Community Speaks Project #18 Telling Our Stories Workshop Participants
La Academia Speaks! Vol. 2 Copyright Š 2014 by Telling Our Stories Workshop Participants 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 resilient La Academia students in our Spoken Word/Poetry class…Your words have power and we look forward to you continuing to use them to uplift us.
Acknowledgments Thank you to La Academia staff for the opportunity to offer Café Cultura’s Telling Our Stories workshop series as an elective within the school day. We especially would like to thank all participants for sharing your energy and words with us. 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 After an exciting and eventful 2013-2014 school year working with La Academia, we continue to find inspiration teaching our Telling Our Stories workshop series as an elective at the school. It has been an honor and privilege guiding these students as they write and perform for the community. We hope you will enjoy their poems and use them as examples of how you too can express yourself and tell your own story. For those who do not know about 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 nine 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: info@cafecultura.org 720-394-6589 www.cafecultura.org www.facebook.com/cafecultura
Table of Contents Who am I? by Summer Dreams...........................................................1 Waking from a Nightmare by Luz .......................................................4 My Story by Araceli................................................................................6 Please, Just Listen by reMARKable .....................................................8 Keep Going by Tomi ......................................................................... 10 Struggle and Success by Maritza ....................................................... 12 Father by Summer Dreams................................................................ 14 Story of My Life by Luz ..................................................................... 15 Value Life by Araceli .......................................................................... 17 Inspire by reMARKable ..................................................................... 18 I Am Me by Tomi ............................................................................... 20 12am Storms by Summer Dreams .................................................... 21
Who am I? by Summer Dreams I come from chocolate, the blood, sweat, and tears of our ancestors. It whispers through the wind of our long and powerful history. I am cake, relatively new, like our generation. It gives you the feeling, a fulfilling sensation. With both combined, I come to the awakening, where my present meets my past. One bite and you will be in a trap, not a trap to restrict you. This one will set you free sweet, delicious, and strong with a long history. It will make you forget about the difficulties in life, like a magnifying glass giving you a bigger picture of how great the little things in life are. This cake is what helps us get far, or at least where we need to be, when our gauges of happiness and love are on empty. Chocolate and cake remind me that I am not a mistake. They let me know that I am here for a reason reminding me to live
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while I am happily breathing. And this breath tells me how I come from a place that is unknown, yet still feels a lot like home. It is constantly expanding, so full, yet so empty. When I am there, I feel understood and accepting. Where I am from is much like a soul. People are afraid of it because it is so unknown. It connects the past, present, and future which makes me all three combined, the power present there you cannot deny. You cannot see where I am from because it can possibly not even exist. Once you enter, it is something you cannot resist because I come from a place made of hope, struggle, and ambition. I originate from the dreamers who never learned to stop wishing. I guess I was one of the products of their unforgotten missions. I am understanding;
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a shield; colored faces and underestimated; always judged with no hesitation. Looking up at his future instead of down at his past, I hope his realization will forever last. With our roots as his veins and his hope in our heads, without this young man, we all would be dead. The roots he provides are what make the trees we are today, holding our destiny in our hands as we make a better way. So, “just open your eyes, open your eyes and see that life is beautiful.� These words are from a man on his fourth life, overdosing on heroin, 3rd time he got his life right. The thought of being placed in a casket frightened him for the last time. My inspiration is in a simple human form, reminding me that your will can bring you out of your darkest storms. This brings me to the realization that I am what I want to see. Is this just a dream or a reflection of my reality?
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Waking from a Nightmare by Luz The mosquito comes back with my past memories, saying, “You’ll never be someone in life, you cannot and will not succeed.” Slowly, it sucks away the only confidence I have, until I do not believe in who I am, or what possibilities I have in life. I lay in my room, with my face to the pillow, tears rolling down my face, screaming, and crying. I ask myself, what is the purpose of me being here? I do not want to get up for school What for? I have heard nothing but negativity, that everyone was better, stronger, and had more advantages than me. At least, that is what the mosquito buzzing around my nightmare made me believe. I have become a high school drop-out, on the streets with no job, no faith, not even a pinch of dignity. But when I sit up and open my eyes, I escape that horrible dream. I realize everything you once told me just motivated me more
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to prove you and all my doubters wrong. See, your negativity cannot phase me. In 10 years, I will be holding in my hand a college degree, making my own money, having a home of my own, all grown. You will know that I made it without your help. The one thing I have that no one will ever take away from me is confidence in myself.
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My Story by Araceli I am a tamal wrapped with love and pride, just waiting to come out. I take as much time to cook as to understand us and the past of my ancestors. I love to be warm, as comforting hands come to hug you. I am proud how I am made and where I come from, a place that is warm and familiar. I remember that I am a loving tamal with pride in my history and ancestors. I come from a place like no other, where there is love and pride. People are happy about getting enough. Happiness and joy live in the streets. The love people have for one another gives me a wonderful feeling. I do not regret being from there. This place is my life. It is so sacred, that people are willing to die to keep it alive. I will always remember the woman who has been here for many years. She weaves her story into a blanket about a place where brown faces and hands rise to honor the people. I am a Native American
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and I am proud to be here, following my ancestors’ footsteps. We use our Native tongues to tell where we are from. As the blanket slowly develops, so does my story. I am a vision of my mother that follows in her footsteps, growing stronger and smarter. She is never forgotten. I will always remember the times we had together. I come from a person who loves me and struggles to get me here. She works her ass off for me and my siblings to go to school, eat, and have a house. Her love shows me that I have the support I need to be what I want. When it’s hard, she is here for me. We will always remember this hardworking woman, a loving and warm person who I can always go to no matter what. Knowing her story gives me the strength to live mine.
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Please, Just Listen by reMARKable I want you to listen to my story. See, my home is not a house, for I am a lost soul blindfolded and disoriented. But the rhythmic drum patterns guide me toward serenity, where I can release all negative energy that I would otherwise hold for all enemies. This is where I am reassured of what my life is about, ‘cause I see no true meaning believing in anything else. It is all I think about when I am alone. I can say, I truly am the man behind the microphone. So listen up. My pen is my life. It transfers pain and beauty onto a canvass to depict who I really am. It helps me stretch the boundaries of normality, kind of like a silly band. It transforms vision into reality, actually making it possible to live through all these obstacles I have been through. Yeah, I guess you can call it my blood on a page because I write about my troubles and pain that I keep bottled up in my brain. I have held onto them so long that the muscles are strained. So keep listening, ‘cause see, I join my hands together just so I can bring life, and I lift my arms toward the sky
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so I can easily receive light that I’m offered. Obviously we need to be united as one like a community needs unity so it can prosper, and make it farther, in the divided states of America. See, we all represent the root system that nourishes civilization. Knowledge, power, and innovation is ultimately the water that helps us grow into a stronger nation. So listen, because my voice is powerful and yours is too.
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Keep Going by Tomi Do you ever just sit and think of that one person you love so much? I do and it is my sister Aniah. She is my everything, from those light brown eyes that light up the day to the one perfect personality. She is the strongest 15 year old you can know. She has gone through a lot, from being in fights and getting kicked out of school to being a successful young lady. She has taught me so much, including never to give up when people want you to. When others told me “quit,” she said “keep going.” We are like Bonnie and Clyde, we never leave each other’s side. When everyone failed me, she made me proud. I hope to do the same for her. The diploma I will be holding will not be just a piece of paper! It will be my future. When people throw negativity at me, I just remember what my sisters says, “put you shield up and walk away.” Their bullets of negativity and doubts will get blocked. I will make my sister proud. Their doubts will push me to try even harder.
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I will be a graduate of 2020! I will prove everyone who doubted me, wrong! My sister taught me different! I will succeed! 2020!
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Struggle and Success by Maritza I come from Chalatenango, El Salvador, where cardboard houses line the dirt roads I walk to arrive at a place I can lay my head. My dogs are my best friends. They are the part of our family that stand guard, protecting us from the violence on the other side of the door. Early curfews, due to the horrible violence, comes over us like a dark cloud. I am the pupusas of my homeland that take so much effort to make. The cheese holds my love, passion, and strength. The burns show my scars and struggles, but the wonderful taste reminds us how we overcome them, while being raised by a single mother. My mother is the person who took me away from the sadness, violence, and pain. She helped mold me into an intelligent young woman, providing me the strength to keep moving forward. Even when I fall, she always gives me the courage
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to get back up. She taught me that nothing is handed to you, you have to work for what you want. Not one soul will take my mother’s place. I am the product of struggle and success.
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Father by Summer Dreams Dreams open eyes in the pitch black of the darkest nights, mentally seeing colors of a baby being born by a precious mother with no man by her side. It is so pathetic of him to hide in the shadows of his local fame, where nobody knows his newborn daughter’s name or that she even exists. It takes time, but soon he visits. It does not seem as if he cares about all the years he is missing by the way he forgets his baby’s name, what a shame, man. Sometimes she wishes that she could just lay a hand on him. But she knows better than to fight misery with violence. As she gets older, she reflects on memories with him and his family, wanting to be a part of his life, wishing to be his little girl, his princess. She then realizes who he is and that her dreams are useless nonsense and impossible to achieve. She remembers her precious mother who worked so hard for her to succeed.
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Story of My Life by Luz I come from a Mexican tradition that has produced spicy yet delicious chilaquiles, one of our breakfast foods. I am the memories that are shared at the kitchen table every Saturday morning. I come from a place where we wake up every morning and thank La Virgin de Guadalupe for another day of life. I am my home that fills me with comfort and happiness. I come from Salmanca, a small city in Guanajato, where our generation started. Over there, the only transportation you have is the bus or your feet. It is a place where everyone you meet you always have to greet. I will never forget the festivals, when the whole community came as one and everything you ate was so spicy, it would make your tongue numb. Even though I have only visited 5 times in the past 7 years, I will never forget the laughs and tears we shared. When we were saying good bye to one another, who knew I would not see my family for a few more years. I come from a mother who always put her children first, working 6 days a week
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just to put shoes on our feet, a roof over our head, and meet all the basic needs. I understand her stress, with 4 girls and 1 boy. That is a lot of work. I will always remember how she would tell me, “Mija, acaba la escuela, so you do not have to go through what I went through.� I will always remember those words, as I look into the eyes of a girl who holds a bright future in her hands. In her eyes, I see happiness as she succeeds and graduates high school. She proves all those Latino stereotypes wrong, showing all our doubters that we made it.
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Value Life by Araceli Despite what some may think, black lives matter. They are humans. They love to be with other people and march together as one. As we walk down this street, I see ethnicities mix together. When I turn on the news, I notice people taking charge and trying to make society safe for black lives. I see cops trying to allow high school students and other people to protest for the rights and justice these black people need. These same cops get hurt and I hear, “hit him again,� as if they did not care if he died. But yet, he was helping the students. I understand where they are coming from, but not all cops are bad. I have a family member who was hurt once and the one person I saw there was a police officer. You might not be thankful for them but I am, for they risk their lives for us. Remember, the constitution says, we the people. So hate them but do not hurt them.
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Inspire by reMARKable I ask my peers, “What is your passion?” Most of the time, they do not understand what I am asking or simply do not have an answer at all. That really stresses me out, because if you hold no passion, do you even really know what your life is about? Maybe you do, but to me, passion is a necessity. It is how we survive distress, with the secret ingredient to life’s recipe and the key that opens up the doors to your desired destiny. It helped me tell my demons rest in peace, when I was living recklessly and now negative energy, can never get the best of me. It is my perseverance, what I want to be tomorrow. Trust me, I am not kidding, passion is uplifting when your soul lies deep in sorrow. I wish they would trust me. I wish they would just listen because my heart aches for the youth when I see them constantly led astray. See, my generation, due to a lack of education, resorts to intoxication when they need to get away. Temporary escape does not solve any problems.
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You can mask emotions but unless you deal with their true identity, there is no way you can solve them. Best thing to do is hold your head high and just keep on walking, or let the depression consume you that is the other option. All I would suggest is mental renovation. The ability to perceive yourself differently separates success from desolation. It is all up to you, just know everyone fails every once in a while. That is when you shake the hand of defeat and say, “Hey, it was nice to meet you, but this will be the last time that I will ever see you. I have an appointment with success and I cannot be late. He is going to get me back on my grind, kind of like when I skateboard. Even if I fall again, just know I am going straight forward because these are the type of struggles I was made for. Stay positive!
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I Am Me by Tomi A little note to my future self: Well, you will be happy, if you are lucky enough to have those two special people in your life called mom and dad. Maybe they will look at themselves and realize you need them. When you graduate, I know you will fulfill your dream of becoming a cosmetologist. Maybe after that, people will accept the real you. You will be that girl who will prove everyone wrong! Show them that all the negativity and doubts they put on your shoulders just falls off. You will be able to look at yourself and say, “yup, I did it!� That fake smile you once wore will be genuine. You will be happy! You will be you!
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12am Storms by Summer Dreams I see 12am storms, while just getting home. All day I have been surrounded, but I still feel alone. While walking through the house, I am accompanied only by the voice that is coming out of my mouth. The thoughts in my head are really peaceful but crazy. I am what these 12am storms made me. I just want to create a happy life for myself, seventeen years old making a life for myself. I have a secret in my mind, keeping my head held high. Every day I tell myself to just reach for the skies. Out of my mind, yes, I cannot get into my head. Can you please spare me a little bit of time? I am feeling pretty dead. I need to lift these weights off my shoulders, get this junk out of my system. I know every day is a new day and I never miss the opportunity to kiss them. I just want somebody to listen, to the soul in my words that I rhyme. Can anybody spare me a clock? I feel like I am running out of time. See, my mama took us out of the hood
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‘cause she wanted us to be good. She imagined our future success. I think she is going to be pleased with the girls that she has blessed. Indeed, she is the reason why I am succeeding. You know this life can be misleading with all of these fancy clothes and cars. Just because you work hard does not mean that you are going to get far. A positive attitude helps me get through the day. It is 12am, the storm is rolling, and all I do is pray.