Selected 2019 Poems & Essays
Written by residents of Breakthrough Urban Ministries, Grace House, and La Posada
Me & My Baby
By Margaret & Mariah Bingham
I was sleeping on the bench in the park
and Mariah in her stroller sleeping
We became homeless ever since I lost my mom in the year 1991
I didn’t have nobody to turn to
I felt really bad about it and I was trying to protect my baby from strangers
This man had walked up to me and said is you alright?
I said no, because I don’t have no place to go with my bab
At that moment I was feeling real bad about being homeless with my child.
At this moment I am still homeless
My baby is getting older
I want to be there for her every step of the way
And I don’t want her to be going place to place and going to different schools
She’s been in 7 schools ever since we’ve been homeless
I DON’T WANT TO BE HOMELESS FOREVER
We NEED a home now.
+++
My Muse
By Glenn Brown
The homes I’ve lost
I’ve lost as a child
Through horrors and loss
Nothing was mild
After my trauma
Nothing was right
Thoughts and learning
Always a fight
Wasn’t educated
Never trained
My life depended
On those who reigned
Social cues
All lost on who I was
Became the problem
Emotions were the cause
My mother was kind
Though, very blind
My only hope
Is a love that binds
My father, never home
Yet, always there
The pain I have
I’ve learned to bare
The thoughts I have
And left to roam
If only a job
And a place called home.
+++
The One
By Anonymous
I am the one who
Would give the shirt off my back
Finding another brother in need of it.
The one who tries to show compassion and love to all people,
The one who brings family together.
The one
The one who,
If could do anything right now…
Would be sleeping in my own home, in my own bed.
Getting adequate sleep because I have to work tonight…
But I’m at the shelter, and I just woke up.
+++
Selected 2018 Poems & Essays
Written by residents of family shelters on Chicago’s South Side:
Margaret’s Village, Primo Center for Women and Children, and A Safe Haven
+++
Beautiful Bold Black Woman Out of Her Box
By Catherine Jones ( A Safe Haven)
The man upstairs
Up to me to learn how to calm my nerve and get my thoughts together
For the longest I was thinking that I did something wrong
But it was to help me learn some more information
To help me grow into a strong, better, very beautiful plus size black woman that was very bold
That sometimes was push outside of her box
+++
Artificial Ignorance
By CB (Primo Center)
It’s rainy but she’s shinning
On her face is a smile
But inside, she’s crying
She seems to have it all figured
Out. But her pockets are in
a drought
We think she’s so loving
But she’s spiteful and conniving
Her talents and skills are amazing
But she will never be successful
Because she’s lazy.
She has potential to be a good
wife, but she cant be trusted
at night.
She wants to do right
But she can’t get right
She wants to get out of the
hood.
But she’s too misunderstood.
+++
By Kendra Smith
I feel I left behind my
dignity and sense of self.
I say this because being
in the situation of homelessness
You encounter people who
Often try to humiliate you and
belittle you. You’re forced to endure not having a place to
no longer call home, your inner
peace, your solid foundation of
“things” that represent you
And what you stand for. My
Sense of self is gone because I
Had to place my personal belongings
and my son’s in storage only
to live like I’m imprisoned in a
Small space that can be violated
By the hands of a stranger when-
Ever they feel the need to impose
On your privacy!! Your belongings
are searched the moment you
come in the door, invasive to say
the least. All dignity has been lost.
+++
By Dianna Walker (Margaret’s Village)
The most thing I missed
is having my own house the
Things I had my kids
clothes they toys. Cries and Joys
+++
Anonymous
Looking to do something bigger than myself.
No one cares about the level of our health,
The problem goes deeper than just raising the level
of my wealth
Opportunity to rewrite the future
A newer me has risen
And I want to be a part of this kind of activism
Not knowing what to expect I board the
bus of yellow shirts.
Anticipation in the Air of showing the
Governor a face of who he hurts.
This bus is now headed to the
rich suburb so yeah I was nervous
Practicing our chants demanding our
governor serve us.
Didn’t realize my mood changed as I
Thought about the many families
Who died, had it harder, got sick or kicked
the bucket.
All because people elected a governor who
refuses to pass a budget
Well organized and prepared we get
off the bus pretty hyper
We knocked on the governor’s door
but no one answers.
He probably saw all the shirts and
heard all the chants and had to change his diaper
luvs, or better yet pampers.
He didnt even have a mailbox, it
was a hamper.
+++
UnBorn
By Kaianna Bronson
How can I love you when
I never really wanted you
I mean yeah you’re a blessing
from God, But I ain’t got
nothing for you. How will I
survive, When I have NO money
to take care of you, I hate
to give you up But what
can I do with you, I’m trying to
do what’s Best for us both, I
got too many problems but
this one I just can’t stand
Yes I wish I could keep you but
Baby mommy’s not strong enough
too keep your Precious soul
alive, one day you’ll understand
But I swear God will protect you!
+++
I know a girl
By Kaianna Bronson
I know a girl who’s really
angry, and she’s slowly crying
out for help, She’s been beaten
she’s been battered. She’s been
Dragged threw mud, stomped
in dirt and hit across the face
She’s been crying but no one
won’t listen, she’s been scared so
she would pray to God and ask
him to please take her away
she’s getting tired and her body is really
weak. She feels as though she’s
about to break when all she wanted
was for him for Love her but
instead all he did was hurt her
Physically and mentally. Every
Night she would, shed a tear
Knowing she shouldn’t be living in
So much fear. But The Truth of
The Matter is that girl I know
Was ME!
+++
Literacy is lit
Anonymous
You can read about love, lust, and loyalty
There are all types of Books in the world
Some you can read or some you can listen
To. I once Read a Book about a lovely
Person drinking 2 bottles of
Liquor then they bought a litter of
Puppies. The person had alot of money
So since he was drunk he had
Bought a Lexus and when he driving
The car the local police pulled him
Over and told him to get out the car and
Walk in a line But the man Refused
Cause he was lazy he tried to get
Out the car But he couldn’t even
Lift his legs. So the police put
A light in his face his lips were
Dry so he licked them he went
To Jail What a crazy life
+++
By Donteah Harris
I saw it all just like yesterday. It
pained me. The aches of my heart, the
tears I cried. The things I saw that made
me stare. Although I hurt it made me know
The sorrow I felt it made me grow. She, he
him and her they judged me. They, them and
those, they kicked me. They hit me, hurt
me, touch me and used me. The experience
was deep. The pain made me fall. They
tripped me but I crawled. I, me, my was
All.. I needed… I didn’t understand
That they were me and I was them, all
in one. They judged, I judged, what had
I become. But we learned and grew,
Rejoiced, we now knew. We all need new
appearances. I forgive all past experiences
+++
“Z”
Anonymous
It is too cold to go to the zoo
If a zebra was one solid color I wondered how
Many people would be fooled of thinking it’s a horse
Every day my son cop a great zealous of
Energy from somewhere chill out son
It’s 2 below zero outside
Yesterday I asked Zack would he
Be able to cut my hair
I don’t get about these zombie
How you gone come back to life you’re dead
Zophia is a wonderful name for a girl
Guess what I found hidden in the garbage,
A zorrilla
+++
By N. Maise
This is a story about
Zeus, Zack, & Zophia
That were a family of Zombies
From the planet Zorthra
The three zombies had planned
A trip to earth to the Zoo
None of them had been before
So full of Zeal they each
Awaited the day to board
Their zepher and head to earth
The Trip (and story is rushed)
So very quickly they viewed the
Animals. Zeus loved the Zebras
& Zophia the Zorrillas
Zack liked popcorn best
But all in all they had fun but cut it short
To get back to zorthra by Zero o’clock
+++
By Dalena Stormes
A very pleasant afternoon, Zophia went to the Zoo
To have a day of enjoyment. She was taken there by her mom and dad for her birthday. Before she went, she wanted to finish watching her favorite zombie TV show. Here birthday was going to be full of fun and excitement. Zophia was full of happiness and was very zealous to have her birthday today. Mom and dad invited her best friend Zach.
Zophia asked mom can she bring the family pet cat Zeus. But mom said that there are already animals in the zoo and she couldn’t. But mom let her bring her favorite book Zorthra the Zero planet story book. Everything was all set and they went off to the zoo. They had different animals of all kinds. Zophia saw zebras and Zorrilas.
+++
A Mission Trip
By B. Armstrong
On planet Zorthra, there was a great and beautiful princess named Zophia. She ruled over her planet for 500 billion years. Zophia was a very kind and sweet queen. She made sure her people were safe on Zorthra.
Zophia would always look on to sky to see what was that star. Zophia always wanted to know if there was life on that star.
“Zach!” Called princess Zophia.
“Do you know what’s up there,” said Zophia.
“I don’t know,” says Zack.
“Lets find out,” said Zophia.
Zophia went down to her castle and told her people that she will be leaving Zorthra for some days. Her people cried because she will be gone for some days.
Zophia was very curious and zealous about her trip to that star. She entered the ship and down counted the ship to 5 seconds. It took 5 lite years to get to that star. When Zophia approach the star, she saw people and animals that looked different from her. She didn’t know what this place is. She saw people standing behind a glass looking at strange animals.
“Zach what is this,” said Zophia.
“It reads zoo,” said Zach.
Crossed out → Zophia looked up to the sky and saw a man in the sky. It was Zeus. Zophia was happy to see Zeus.
+++
Anonymous (A Safe Haven)
She lifted a cup of liquor
To her thick lips and listened
To the locals, that live on the left of her
She love this boy, he drives a Lexus with the big rims.
They were getting lit and thinking about how their life would be.
But she was Lazy.
Then she read a book on loyalty, and all she was getting was lust, by that boy.
So she lit again, a square and started to smoke.
She really was a lovely person.
When she was in school, she would write a lot,
About her like of licking ice cream cones.
+++
By Latoya Hicks (Primo)
True beauty is natural beauty
Insecurities at stake
Because we are after something
Searched with new ears for something new to hear
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Selected 2017 Poems & Essays
Written by residents of family shelters on Chicago’s South Side:
Maria’s and Believe shelters at Margaret’s Village
A Safe Haven South and A Safe Haven West
Primo Center for Women and Children
APPLES
By Herbert Johnson
Kicking Apples
Where we hibernate
In our habitat
Watching the Avalanche
Awesome!
As a horse goes walking by wearing a Hat
Back Home
By Kimvalyn Miller
First, I would go way into the future
2031
I would hop into my flying car
And have lunch at the moon bar
I would visit my cousins on Mars
And then I’d come back home
To see the stars
Don’t Judge
By Catherine “Cathy” Jones
Just because you feel that you are at the end of your rope
Don’t give up
The man upstairs will always have your back
Do not ever judge a book by its cover
Before you talk about a person
Try walking in their shoes
I am I am the Way
By Catherine Paluck
Better your live
Because I will like to do better
Way I’m in here
I will like to you my beneficial ways
I will like to be bold in my ways
I’m a black person
I will like to play bat and ball
Banter is good
Bill had a book and it was beautiful and he put it in a box
And we beyond beware and be butterfly
Keep on Fighting
By Marand R
Sometime I just want to hibernate
Cause it feel like a avalanche and I can’t keep from falling.
I know I got to be awesome for my children
Because they truly ae the apple of my eye.
Sometime it feel like the weight of a horse on my chest,
Living every day in my habitat.
Makes me want to take off my hat
Cause I know I got to do a karate kick.
Cause life is worth the fight.
Lord’s Will
By Talia Brumfield
Life is like a lesson learned that comes with leadership, being lonely and sometimes lost, but often times it takes the right situation full of love to lift you up and learn that there is no such thing as being left.
You can go and sit at a library and books can loan thoughts and feelings, like a lunch sponsored by life that fills you up with knowledge and compassion.
It’s a lovely feeling to be encouraged each day.
Nothing but waking up and starting over can make the stress go away.
Splash!
By Kimvalyn Miller
I was rubbing sand between my toes
I smelt the fresh shore water with my nose
Then off I went and started to doze
Watching the sunset and all I chose
Splash!
The waves like a hose
And then I woke up like a rose
Untitled
By Cara Campbell
Bill was bold and beautiful
He had a black butterfly that he kept in a box
He thought it was better because it was beyond bold
The banter he used about the butterfly was something to beware
Untitled
By Tiara Harris
Be butterfly tell yourself
You are butterfly
Nobody is not going to stop telling yourself butterfly
No matter what if somebody tell you, you are butterfly my brother
Tell me in
Who Am I
By Catherine “Cathy” Jones
I am the one who help keep you safe
I am the one who wash your clothes
I am the one who gives you money when you are broke
I am the one who would lay down they life for you
I am the one who will go to bat for you even if you are wrong
I am the one who help bring you in this world with the help of the man upstairs
Travel
By Kimvalyn Miller
I would go to the future , first of all, 2013
I would hop in my flying car,
And have lunch at the Moon Bar,
Eat until its done
I would visit my cousins on Mars,
And then..
I would come back home,
To see the stars
Beware
By Natasha “Lady T” Eskridge
I am beautiful beyond the box you think I am
I will fly like a black butterfly
So beware how you come to me cause I beneficial to you
Cause I will bite you like a bat
Don’t treat me like a bill you fold up and put in your pocket
Because I can give you banter
You will write me down in a chapter of your book of life C
Emotion
By L. Lockhart
Peace is what America needs
Its something that brings us together
And emotion that everyone can feel
A substance that is universal.
That all can understand,
But last, but not lease.
Peace is Real
So America compromise on that!!!
I Am the One Who…
By Kimvalyn Miller
I am the one who
Doesn’t need someone to
Tell me my own future
I am the one who
Values myself and
Appreciates others’ opinions
I am the one who
Doesn’t let the past
Define me
I am the one who
Is the odd one out
In every group
I am the one who
Is out to make a difference
Rather than a change
I am the one who
Is the one to
Want to earn
Respect
Life
By Sandra Taylor
Better in life because life is beneficial
Bold, black life
Bats banter full of bills
And books are beautiful
Life a box beyond
Things beware of butterflies
My Dog
By Christian Adeyemi
My dog, Bill, is black, bold, beyond
He chases a butterfly box as beautiful as me
The banter is as black the bat
The Change
By Jazaira Scuefield
When life gives you lemons, you try your best to make lemonade
Even though you can’t change the fact that lemons are sour,
You add sugar to bring sweetness
No matter what you go through in life,
Never give up
Because you can always add that sugar
Untitled
By Dunn
The innocence in a world full of evil
Is like a cold glass of lemonade
In a very shattered glass.
The innocence in a world full of evil
Is like a bouquet of pretty roses
On top of a muddy grave.
The innocence in a world full of evil
Is a baby’s smile—is a kid’s smile
Even though they living in poverty.
Untitled
By Taquise Jones
The conversation between Mr. Triangle and Ms. Circle will be the last cause Ms. Circle going to pay Mr. Diamond to smother Mr. Triangle inside Mr. Box
Ms. Circle: Mr. Triangle, please stop poking me
Mr. Triangle: Girl stop you just mad cause you smooth and I’m sharp
Ms. Circle: No I’m not I just don’t be treated like I’m a balloon like time. Do you remember?
Mr. Triangle: You want me just admit it?
Ms. Circle: How you come to that…just let me know
Mr. Triangle: Cause I sent you a box with a red bow
Ms. Circle: So that was you…it’s coo, you going to pay
Ms. Circle goes to her lover Mr. Diamond and tells him that Mr. Triangle been stalking her and she was scared he would hurt her. Mr. Diamond said he would take care of the problem by scaring him. But Ms. Circle had other plans like killing him and putting him in a box…the box with the big red bow.
Selected 2016 Poems & Essays
Written by residents of Safe Haven South and Safe Haven West, family shelters on Chicago’s South Side
By La Sparkle Crosby
If I could only
If I could just
If I had a
A little less
If maybe
If someday
If you
Could someway
If when
Man I can never
See the end
Wait logo it
I know what
To do
If I get started
If I keep going
If I don’t stop
If I could make it
All the way
If I could
By A. Spriggs
I’m willing I’m able to receive teach me something new
I can guarantee I will excede.
Give the instructions I get it done indeed.
Or leave me alone with a task and you’ll be more than pleased.
By Felicia Lea
Be a leader not a follower.
Live life and be happy.
Be yourself.
Let God lead your life.
Live every moment as if it were your last.
Put God ahead of your household.
Live and let live.
Live in peace.
By Latoya Hawkins
Even through my own struggles
I try to be there for others
I try to give the best advice
I can because I know what
It’s like to have to deal with
Things on your own. I do what
I can to help them get to where
I’m going cause there’s no place like
Home.
By Violet Evans
I came from
Rain
I came from
Spending time with my children
I came from
Lasagna
I came from
Take me to the king
I came from
Thanksgiving
I came from
Bedtime
I came from
Purple
By Iesha Manning
I open new doors to life
I once was lost but now I am found
God turn my life upside down
I got pushed down on the ground
Then God turned my situation around
Life is good Life is great
It really makes me appreciate.
Be good Be-kind
And use your great mind
Reach out and touch somebody’s hand.
To make the world a better land.
By Jasmine Jemison
An angel appeared to let me see
Exactly what a positive future could be.
You try and try as time goes by to
Shoot your dreams sky high. A positive
Future you can claim as long as you
Stick to your game. Planing things that you
Can do will bring a positive future to you.
Positive future I will succeed, because
I know that’s God’s plan for me.
By Laneva Baptiste
I wanted to fly
Can you take
Me far away give
Me a star to reach
For tell make what
It take I’ll go so
High I’ll go so
High my feet won’t
Touch the ground stitch my
Wings pull the string and
I bought these dreams that
All falls down.
By Donteah Harris
My skin is what he created for touch
My eyes is created to see. I am the
Image of him, he so loves me. He created
Me to be the other half to reproduce.
He put me here for use. He knew he
Needed strong survivors. I am a striver.
He made me to fight for prosperity.
He made me to comfort his eyes. He
Loved the creation of me. It was no
Surprise. I am worth the strength of
All hearts. I am worth the love of God.
I am worth caring. I am worth loving.
Inner Peace
By Rod Jones
Inner peace comes from within
And I pray to my heavenly father that I
keep from sin
A peace of mind is all I need as I pray
At night and continue to grow my seed
Sometimes my mind breaks out in a rage
I stay to myself as if I am in a cage
But as I keep the peace the sunlight
Does shine
And everything I have lost and I
Will reign and claim it as mine.
Dreaming of you
By Takila Richmond
I’m dreaming of you
When i lay down and rest
My heart is pumping
Slowly saying your
The best
I have a smile
On my face but
I only see you
For a little while
I wish I could
See you longer
but when I dream
Of you I always
Get good rest
By Ebony Mann
What comes to mind
When I look at the picture
Entitled
I am truth
Is her name Naomi
Or Ruth
Is she quick to call a truce
Is her quest for lies or truth
Or like the image in the picture
Does her life need
A little spruce
By Leslie English
- Being alive
- My kids
- Money
- Taking care of my kids
- Being with my boyfriend
- Having my own crib, car, and job
- Not keeping in touch my family
- Having a baby for the first time
- Not having to stay in a shelter
By Anonymous
Dear Future Self,
I love you because you have committed to care for me in a way i can do for myself in this moment
I am proud of you because you will find a way to us every lesson mistakes…
The obstacles and fears I overcame were self acceptance, pride, self…
I was able to overcome my fears by reaching into my inner self to find the god within me and being open to my best seld coming forward.
I will continue to have me and you…
I forgive you for being so sore that you will forget to hold me. But forget you must.
I am thankful for having had a nurturing life although often…
I wish for more time to got to know fully who you are.
I will show my love for you by always thinking of you in my…
I Remember
By C. Thomas
I remember my neighborhood as a child where i had a favorite store. The store was filled with the smell of chiles rellenos. I smell chiles rellenos once when i was walking out of a restaurant, and after that i went to the store and bought chiles rellenos to make for dinner in my apartment.
Selected 2015 Poems & Essays
Dreams Come True
By Tahirah Richmond (A Safe Haven West)
Don’t give up.
For if you do,
Your dreams will not come true.
It will make you blue.
Keep striving towards your dreams.
For when the day is here,
I’ll be happy to see.
And I will lose all fear.
Don’t give up!
By Jeremy Kelly (A Safe Haven West)
Bird!
Bird!
Bird!
Fly away bird
Fly, fly, far, far, far
Away baby bird
Don’t fall baby bird
Get back up and
fly again and again
Fly fly fly away
Bird Bird Bird
“If”
By Timothy Reed (A Safe Haven West)
If I could only,
If I could just
If I had a little less.
If maybe,
If someday,
If when
If then,
Man I can never see the end…
Wait I got it
I know what to do…
If I get started
If I keep going
If I don’t stop…
America that I see… New World
By Roberta Walker (A Safe Haven West)
Black and white is what some people see…
That’s not the America that I’d wish it to be…
Sometimes thru all the negativity all I can see is grey…
But it takes me back when I was a young girl feeding horses hay!!!
It all seems so simple that some how we could get along…
What was done, was done but who could we actually say was wrong…
Our minds are stronger…
Our ideas are longer…
Put the past behind us and move forward…
You can be whoever you want in America
The land of the free and the home of the brave…
We must learn to love one another friend or enemy
After all that’s how God said it should be.
America will be America One Day
By Chequirnda Sanders (A Safe Haven West)
America will be America if dreams were put into place
There are more abandoned homes in America than homeless people
One day America will be America
Without crooked politics and racism
Without degrading one another, instead more uplifting each other
More sticking together and helping each other without gossip and backbiting
Where people can speak their mind and accept constructive criticism
Without worrying about what the next person thinks, and express yourself boldly
America will be America one day
America will be America one day
The Dancer
By Lenore Smith (A Safe Haven South)
I just saw the most incredible dancer I have ever seen in my life.
Every move was filled with so much passion and emotion.
You could feel every move as if she was a songstress singing the last song she would ever sing.
The dancing had so much soul and power it moved me to my feet.
It made me want to get up and dance.
It was so moving and touching I don’t think I will ever see a performance like that again in my life.
Untitled
By Sharunda Adams (A Safe Haven South)
I wonder if she hears me
I hear strange things at times.
I see her in my dreams
I won’t be able to touch her again
I am living my life
I pretend that she is here
I feel like crying
I touch a dream
I worry about life
I cry every night
I am living my life
I understand moments of life
I say lets start all over in life
I dream we were together again
I try to pretend that you were still here
I hope we will be together again
I am living life
Only God knows
By Ashanti Williams (A Safe Haven South)
In the future,
My heart will be happy
Clapping and humming songs of joy
No longer paranoid, annoyed or just sore
My bank account?
Oh so serious-neva poor
Closet lookin like a Foot Locker store
My kids- so famous, so rich
That pain from when I was four,
Daddy best friend knockin at my door
Or should I say bustin in
That was then
I was ten
Twenty-five now,
Twenty-five reasons how, why?
My life makes me feel high
My five-month-old and four-year-old
Can believe what they’re told
Precious, ambitious, religious and safe
From predators and those fake
Keep your head up now,
Say yes to mom and no to drugs
No to thugs and yes to love
Love you
Love me
And be…?
Only God knows
If
By Ronald Salley (A Safe Haven West)
If if was a fifth, I think I would be drunk
If if could play ball, I think it would dunk!
If if had a name, I think it would be mine,
If if had eyes, I think it’d tell time!
But for real, for real,
If if was a man, living in this land,
I think it would be forced to take a radical stand.
IF
A Pipe Dream
By Margaret Barnes (Our Lady of Solace)
Selling a pipe dream, gettin’ your hopes up, making you believe you can have it all.
Blowin’ your head up with bright lights & caviar dreams.
Money thrown around, but your pockets are dry as a desert… Where is that sweet pipe dream?
Struggle, strive hard, make the bread, but come out with crumbs…Wish we had that pipe dream.
Fancy dinners, slammin’ outfits, heels to kill for tryin’ hard to live that pipe dream.
Truly everybody make-believes in Hollywood searching for the Pipe Dream.
Untitled
By Margaret Barnes (Our Lady of Solace)
Real-life is a never-ending journey of responsibility & obstacles.
Decision-making is often a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t situation.
Real-life should be full of color, places, & people pleasing to the eye
Real-life should be a pen & pad, records, a beat box.
Real-life should be love for each other- nonjudgmental and fulfilling.
Real-life should be absent of constant hatred & criticism.
Frustrated
By Anonymous
If it’s not their story, most politicians don’t care, the only concerns they have is their status and sitting in their elected chair.
We don’t fight for services that’ll only provide for our own families but for those who’ve fallen thru the cracks, what a tragedy.
The problem now is that we have this newly elected governor, whom I feel is the devil himself, he made so many promises and was truly elected because of his wealth.
Chicago shouldn’t be a place where people are sleeping on the streets, nor standing in food lines just to get food from churches for their families to eat.
“These new cuts to funding are going to cause the population of homelessness and crime to grow; pay a bill, feed your family, or rob someone, some don’t know.
It frustrates me to be within the shelter system yet, not receiving any help, is this continuous reality, the cards my life’s been dealt…
My son sees the pain and sometimes tears that stream down my face, he comforts me by saying “Mom, as long as I’m with you, I’ll stay any place”
I often have to remind myself that “this too, shall pass”, and this feeling of hopelessness isn’t going to last.
Thank God for the pain and the people that I’ve encountered on this never-ending path of hope, because without the pain I’d just probably learned to simply cope.
Instead I’m a phoenix rising out of the ashes more resilient than I ever thought I could be, not burned but a little scaved and not really realizing how many times I’ve actually been saved.
I’m a fighter of wars that have yet to be won but, I’m in it for the long haul because the Coalition has given me a platform for my voice and we come together as one, when people see the “Black and Yellow”, they know we’re coming and not leaving until the work is done.
This is my story… thank you for allowing me to use my voice; I speak for not just myself but for others who may feel that they have no other choice.
Untitled
By Anonymous
There’s delight in daylight,
when the devil isn’t at the door.
Full of delirious, delicious dreamer’s talk-
there’s no devotion that wouldn’t be a delight.
Even dying- would I really be so distraught?
I want to drink down my destiny.
Then all this passes.
It turns to night.
I’m a diplomat again watching my own life-
The night has dropped down to bewilder me.
Untitled
By Kristen (A Safe Haven West)
Before I got here I was lost
And I was determined to leave there at any cost
Beyond being out of my mind with confusion
My life could have been called “the big delusion”
But now that I’m here I’m on the right track
And when I get clouded again the only answer is bounce back
Keep the negativity away, keep a smile on my face
All the good will fall into the right place
When I finally get there all I’ll have to do is keep up the steady pace
And when I look back there I will have won the race
Selected 2014 Poems & Essays
Letting Go
By Malika Harris (New Life)
I used to hold on so tight.
So strong was my hold.
I thought I would lose myself.
I held on with all my might.
Too strong was my hold that I almost lost my spiritual wealth.
I’ve since learned to let things be.
I’ve since learned to allow my spirit to grow.
I’ve since learned to allow my sprit to soar free.
I’ve since learned to let go.
Freedom from the Nonexistent Existent Burden
By Elijah (Age 15 – New Life)
A burden.
That is what you were to me.
We were in two different worlds.
But you were right there in my face.
While at the same time you were never there at all.
I used to long to know you more.
I always wondered if we had any similarities.
Not anymore.
You were confining.
Your very name put me in a cage.
Now I’ve found the key.
I’m free.
Free to be who I want, what I want, and follow my dreams.
There’s nothing holding me back.
Not even you.
Although you were never there for me.
Release
By Ciara Curtis (New Life)
I have a need to release.
To be free from my grief within.
So that I can live again.
And nurture the child within that lives.
I’ve always longed for a better future.
With new beginnings to come.
And dreams fulfilled from vision.
And thoughts that longed forever more.
It’s never too late to start again.
My mom would always just take it one day at a time.
It gets easier as you pray.