To Walk in My Shoes

To Walk in My Shoes An Anthology from 826NYC Students at Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom High School

To Walk in My Shoes An Anthology from 826NYC Students at Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom High School

826NYC Books 372 Fifth Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11215 To Walk in My Shoes: An Anthology from 826NYC Students at Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom High School © 2022 by 826NYC and the authors. All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

First 826NYC edition August 2022 Manufactured in the United States of Brooklyn 979-8-88694-009-1 The writing in this book was produced in the 2021-2022 school year at 826NYC’s Young Writers Publish project at Fannie Lou Hamer High School. The classes were run by J’miah Baird, Daniel Goulden, and Jaydra Johnson with the support of Amanda Baylor, Aleta Brown, Daniel Colon, Olivia Corti, Paula Dallacqua, Chloe Evans-Cross, Astrid Gonzalez, Sarah Moore, Daniel Nohejl, Maya Petrillo, and Yancy Sanes.

Designed by Brockett Horne Edited and proofread by Caite Arocho, Rakhee Bhatt, Chelsea Bonollo, Alex Galka, Nicholas Martinez, Hannah Nash, Julia Pretsfelder, Dannie Ruth, Rachel Spurrier, and James Whitely.

Translation by Aimee Lam. Printed by Bookmobile This program is supported by 826 National, the Amazon Literary Partnership, The Jane Friedman Anspach Family Foundation, Con Edison, The Find Your Light Foundation, The Hawkins Project, International Paper, The Rona Jaffe Foundation, The Kettering Family Foundation, The Minerva Foundation, The Resnick Family Foundation, The Yelp Foundation, and Youth, Inc. This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. The program is also made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Additional support comes from the National Endowment for the Arts.

To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov. 826NYC is grateful to the many individuals who support our work. To see our full list of supporters or make a donation, please visit https://826nyc.org/donate-us/.

826NYC is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to encourage the exploration of endless possibilities through the power of writing.

Undefined by circumstance, our students build the skills to boldly write their own paths forward. We support new and exciting approaches to writing and inspire student engagement. And we foster generations of creative writers and thinkers, who together will define a better future.

This book is intended for mature audiences, with some topics, themes, and language, that may not be suitable for young readers, including references to substance usage and themes involving violence and sexuality.

Table of Contents I N CROWD instructor Daniel Colon Madison Bernaber, A Thought to Them . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Genderson Guzman Collado, Jason’s Revenge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Chris Colon, Revenge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Miguel Diaz, Untitled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Marcellus Fairley, Untitled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Ovid Hernandez, Un Guerrero Sin Barreras: Part #1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Ovid Hernandez, A Warrior Without Boundaries: Part #1 . . . . . . . . . 11 Ezekiel Rodriguez, Superman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Angelica Vale, The New Boss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Isamel Brito Zorrilla, My Greatest Lie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

POWE R HOUS E SOUTH instructors Olivia Corti and Astrid Gonzalez Dejuan Belnavis, What Is Football . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Serenity Browne, The Annoyance of the Sacred Space . . . . . . . . . . . .

Naomi Delacruz, Faggie Waggie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Leo Diaz, Take a Trip Inside of My Mind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Anthony Garcia, Ode to That One Hot Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Samantha Garcia, Untitled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Kalissa Hanshaw, Disappearance of a Dull Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Kalissa Hanshaw, The Bed Evolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Amir Hughes, Six Flags Flashbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Jaylianys Morales, Untitled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Carrie Moultrie, Teenhood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

Jeremy Ovando, Tomorrow Will Be the Same as Yesterday . . . . . . . . .

Sha’ni Parker, The Very End . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Zion Perez, Ode to the Bodega . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Jared Rembert, The Dangers of a Single Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Dante Rivera, The Bullying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Juelz Santos, From Target to Archer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Juelz Santos, My Quiet Place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Juelz Santos, Raised by Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Aaliyah Torres, Raised by My People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Lliana Williams, Untitled. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 39

POWE R HOUS E NORTH instructors Paula Dallacqua and Astrid Gonzalez Nera Bedell, Dreams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Nera Bedell, My Hope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Silvana Mesa Belliard, Cute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Silvana Mesa Belliard, My Lies LOL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Naasir Bonilla, City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Naasir Bonilla, Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Ava Davis, Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Ava Davis, My Mother . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tiyana Daw, Dreams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tiyana Daw, Decisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Ishmael Deen, Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Ishmael Deen, Hope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Crichelle Ruiz Diaz, Anime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Crichelle Ruiz Diaz, Overthinking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Zoey Lynn Diaz, Mistakes = Human . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Zoey Lynn Diaz, What’s Life Without You? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sahara Gill, Stop Kids from Killing Kids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sahara Gill, Will I Make It?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Hector Gonzalez, Fresh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Hector Gonzalez, Happiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sonia Harrichand, Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sonia Harrichand, Shackles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Wayne Hayes, Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Wayne Hayes, (Un)planned Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65

Rasaun Hill, Dreams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Rasaun Hill, Raxsss’ Place of Living . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Akeanya Kennings, Feelings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Akeanya Kennings, A Place People Call Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Naymeyah Kinloch, Silence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Naymeyah Kinloch, What Is Happiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Jaevon Lee, Basketball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Jaevon Lee, What Would You Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Quazhia Lewis, Kindness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Quazhia Lewis, How to Treat Others. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Zynell Lewis, Dreams and Hopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Zynell Lewis, Future Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Richard Lloyd, Hope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Richard Lloyd, Happiness <3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Kaylynn Martinez, Artist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Kaylynn Martinez, Keep Going . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Jeffrey Mejia, The Gifts All Artists Have Is the Will to Create . . . . . . . . 84 Jeffrey Mejia, You Can Slow Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Armatti Mendez, Love . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Armatti Mendez, My People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Antonio Mendoza, Prison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Antonio Mendoza, Hope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Michaya Mitchell, Unknown Future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Michaya Mitchell, Should I Resist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Mohamed Nouhou, 575 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Mohamed Nouhou, Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Leiana Pena, Shackles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Leiana Pena, Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 Johnnovan Reyes, Work Work Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 Johnnovan Reyes, COVI D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Bernat Rosario, Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 Bernat Rosario, Passion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 David Solano Jr, Dreams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 David Solano Jr, Happiness: Something Everybody Wants . . . . . . . . 101 Jaylynn Vergeli, Dreams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 Jaylynn Vergeli, Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 Tania Tyler Wilson, What Dancing Means To Me. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Tania Tyler Wilson, “ I Can’t Move”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 Inocente Zarza, Sueños . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Inocente Zarza, Nombre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Foreword

There is something spectacular that can occur when a group of young adults are guided towards a place of comfortable self expression. Here at Fannie Lou Hamer, students were challenged to enter a place of creativity, truth, and even fantasy, all in the name of art. Every day was different, but every day was one step closer to being comfortable with the wildness and unknown of artistic expression.

We had eight sessions at Fannie Lou Hamer, of one hour each. The classes brought a community of trust and care through exercises like icebreaker questions, as well as sharing some of our writing and stories aloud. We were able to see newer bonds created as well as older bonds strengthened.

In this anthology you’ll find short stories, poems, and musings written by our students who were pushed into a deeper and different form of thought; thoughts that brought up questions such as: What is silence? What is home? To what can I bear witness?

You’ll also find haiku-style poetry, free verse poetry, odes, and some collaborative stories that more than one student worked on together.

The students pushed themselves incredibly hard to be vulnerable and share things very near to them. As you read this, we hope that you can sense the courage it takes for these young writers to be so emotionally strong as well as emotionally free. We want to thank you, the reader, for opening your hearts to them, and for your compassion for their incredible bravery and work.

We would like to send a special thank you to the teachers who help cultivate this environment every day. Thank you Paula, Astrid, Olivia, Chloe, Amanda, Maya, Daniel, Sarah, Yancy, Aleta and Danny. thank you, J’miah, Daniel, and Jaydra 826NYC Teaching Artists

To Walk in My Shoes

In Crowd I N STR UCTOR DAN I E L COLON

A Thought to Them

by Madison Bernaber

i think it was almost fall or summer. I was wearing a turquoise sweater.

I was standing in the middle of the yard of my front house where I used to live. In my younger years of living, I was probably five or six years old. It was kinda breezy, but it was warm at the same time. I was wearing pigtails as my hairstyle, my hair used to be longer than it is now. I think I was holding something in my hand, probably a toy, well I wouldn’t know really, even though it’s my own memory.

Many times, I would tell memories of my childhood, of my younger years, to my parents but they wouldn’t remember or they would be like, “What are you talking about, that never happened?” But, it would feel so real, like it actually happened.

It can’t be a vivid dream, it just can’t be. So that’s why I would question sometimes if it was a dream or not, because other people wouldn’t remember but me. But honestly, I think it wasn’t a dream but my memory, my memory only of what my point of view saw.

Because it’s me, I think I can only remember because I was there at those times, and nobody else since they were somewhere else. So, of course, they wouldn’t remember, because they wouldn’t be there at that time, or place, or moment, so how would they know? But I think someone took a picture of that moment, though I don’t know who, but I had my head tilted to the side as if I was looking curiously into the camera. I wonder if that picture is real though. So I could prove that it was a real moment. But how long or where would I find it? Or who has it? The picture would look like me in the middle, and a small yard with a mailbox in the background with white gates in the back. How were they painted then? Now it’s a different color than when I last passed it. I remember we had a flower bed on the right side, I think it’s still there though, like around the gates. But honestly that’s all I can remember of that evening or morning. .Was it my memories or was it just a zoned out dream that I had? It was so vivid though so it couldn’t be, but for now i’ll say it was “my memory” and a memory that I can remember only. Since no one else could remember, just like a thought, only if you ask what you’re thinking. You could remember, but who says it wasn’t though? If only I could remember. They weren’t there so how would they know? So it is a memory. To me at least, and a thought to them—

2

To Walk in My Shoes

Jason’s Revenge

by Genderson Guzman Collado

there was a time when a boy named Jason had a loved one who was very important to him. One time, they met this person who became very friendly. His name was Jester. He was kind, and at first he was funny. Jason and him became best friends, but two years later, he did something that was beyond belief. He slayed the loved one of Jason: his father!!!

When Jason came home from school, he saw that there were cops outside and inside his house. That’s when he started crying. That’s when he saw what was beyond belief, what was hard to swallow. That’s when he realized that he was going to be alone. He hadn’t had his mother with him since he was ten and now his dad was gone. He was sixteen and it had been six years since his mom passed away. ***** Two months later, Jason got adopted by a guy named Robert. Robert was a detective and he helped find out who was responsible for the murder of Jason’s father. He trained Jason in cop stuff.

Months later, they finally found who was responsible for the murder. Jester was wanted. Then there was another time Jason went outside trying to find Jester; he had a gun that belonged to Robert. So after he went on the hunt he went to a park where he found him hiding.

Jester said, “Jason!”

He was surprised, Jason then said, “Your time has come.” Then Jason pointed the gun at him. Jason began to feel doubtful. He then asked Jester, “Why did you do it?’’ and Jester smiled, he began to smirk and then laugh. Jason got more angry and more tears began to come out and he started yelling, saying, “Why did you do it?!” Then he shot Jester in the shoulder.

The cops came in and also Robert. Robert yelled Jason’s name, “Jason!” Jason then dropped the gun. The police captured Jester and put him in an ambulance van. Then they took Jason in a police car. Robert sat with Jason and told him, “You don’t have to worry about this anymore.” Jason then cried and Robert hugged him. the end To Walk in My Shoes

3

Revenge

by Chris Colon

There is a man named Tony who is twenty-one years old. He is a very bad man.

He wears black Air Force Ones, and he wears a black hoodie. He lives in the hood and sees a lot of violence around him. He has a lot of trauma. One day, he sees his friend get shot and killed. He finds the person that killed him and gets revenge. He kills him. He feels happy because he got the revenge he needs.

4

To Walk in My Shoes

Untitled

by Miguel Diaz

once there was a kid who had an important memory that could save the world, but Joe Biden didn’t want him to save the world. So, Joe Biden went and tried to fight the kid. The kid fought back, but Joe Biden was too powerful, and the kid couldn’t fight back, so Joe Biden took the kid’s memory, and the kid didn’t have his memory anymore.

Out of nowhere, Shotu came, and the kid told him, “Can you bring my memory back? It’s the key to saving the world.”

Shotu went and fought Joe Biden. Shotu used his telekinesis to defeat Joe Biden. Shotu brought back his memory, and the kid and Shotu saved the world.

Shotu asked the boy what his name was, the kid replied, “Speed.”

After Speed got his memory back, Joe Biden got so mad that he traveled to a different dimension than the first one. He traveled to Talking Ben. Joe Biden asked Talking Ben if he could help him fight and steal Speed’s memory.

Talking Ben agreed, so Joe Biden took Talking Ben back to his universe and told him, “I’m going to get more people to join us, you stay here.”

Joe Biden went to the second dimension. This dimension looked the same to his world and he was kind of getting hungry, so he kept walking until he found somewhere to eat. He was getting tired of walking, but out of nowhere he saw a McDonalds. He went inside and ordered two chicken sandwiches. He got his food and started eating. He saw a funny clown and got closer to him. Joe Biden recognized him, it was Ronald McDonald. Joe Biden sat with him and started to have a conversation with Ronald McDonald.

Joe Biden asked Ronald McDonald, “Can you help me steal this kid’s memory?”

Ronald McDonald agreed and they traveled back to Joe Biden’s universe. Joe Biden told Talking Ben and Ronald McDonald the plan.

The next day when Goku and Speed were hanging out, Joe Biden came and said, “I’m taking that kid’s memory.”

Shotu used telekinesis.

Joe Biden said, “Now!” Talking Ben ran and grabbed Speed and Shotu and quickly turned around, but Ronald McDonald hit Shotu with his McHammer. One hour later, Shotu woke up and didn’t see Speed. He knew this was really trouble, so he quickly went to a To Walk in My Shoes

5

different dimension. He went to this library and he saw a funny book. He grabbed the book.

“Drop me you idiot.” Shotu dropped it in shock. Mr. Book said, “Of course I can talk you dummy.”

Shotu asked, “Do you have any super powers?”

He said, “Yeah. I can read my mind and use the words in me to hit the enemy.”

Shotu asked, “Can you help me rescue a friend of mine?’’

Mr. Book agreed. So Shotu took Mr. Book back to his world and told him, “I’ll be back.” Mr. Book said sure and Shotu went to this mysterious world. He saw a pink ball with ears, he got close to it and it was Jigglypuff. Shotu explained everything that was happening. Jigglypuff agreed to help him.

After bringing Jigglypuff to Earth, Speed was in a chair with an electric headset on his head that was taking his memory. Talking Ben was guarding the gate.

Jigglypuff sang a song and made Talking Ben fall asleep. Shotu and Jigglypuff ran and looked for Speed. Out of nowhere Ronald McDonald came and attacked them with his Ronald McDonald McHammer. It almost hit Mr. Book.

Jigglypuff said, “You guys go, I’ll stay and fight Ronald Mcdonald.”

They ran as fast they could but it was too late. Joe Biden already took Speed’s memory.

Joe Biden said, “Make a move and I will click this doom device. It will end this world.”

Shotu tried to convince Joe Biden not to do it. Shotu quickly used telekinesis and got to hit his doom device. Shotu quickly tried to grab the doom device, but Barney grabbed Shotu and Mr. Book and tied them up. Shotu shouted to Joe Biden not to click it. Shotu quickly teleported Jigglypuff and Mr. Book back to their world.

Somehow Shotu broke free from Barney. Joe Biden quickly pressed the button.

Two hours later, Joe Biden woke up and saw everything destroyed. He started laughing and saying to himself, “I won, Shotu is gone, every human is gone.” Only Joe Biden was left but then he saw another person. He got close to them and his eyes were shocked. It was his younger self. the end

6

To Walk in My Shoes

Untitled

by Marcellus Fairley

once there were two brothers, Alex and Allan. They lived in the deep south of a remote town. The town wasn’t very big—only 400 people lived there—however, both boys had made countless enemies, human and nonhuman. In the north, there were enemies who planned to murder both boys in coldblood with the weapons of choice: a 12-gauge shotgun, a twenty-pound hatchet, and finally, a silenced Colt .22 revolver. They were waiting to ambush Alex and Allan, who were driving home after school in a 2012 Dodge Charger with gold-plated rims and a souped up, nitro-powered engine. They hit a red light at Hancock Avenue, two miles away from the intended ambush site.

Alex asked Allan, “Brother, it sure is nice to have this awesome car isn’t it?”

Allan replied, “Yeah, glad dad got us this for our 18th birthday.”

Their dog Luffy sat in the back whining, sensing danger ahead, but both boys ignored luffy.

Allen said, “Luffy, chill out. We’ll be home in about thirty-four minutes. Then we will be at our awesome new mini mansion. It’s not far.”

Luffy looked at Allen, concerned about her owner’s oblivious attitude. About two minutes later they reached the ambush site. Suddenly, a shotgun slug ripped through Allen’s left leg, and he screamed in pain. Alex slammed on the gas. Allen looked back in horror. He saw Luffy in the back. Luffy had been hit by the twentypound hatchet. He broke out in tears. They had Luffy for four years, and she was reaching her fifth birthday. To see her dead in the back demolished any hope he had left.

Suddenly, behind the Charger came an older model car, a 1950 Ford Mustang.

Inside they could see the assailants. A reptilian-like human was driving the car, holding the silenced Colt in his brown, scaly claws. On the lizard-like figure’s left was a long, lanky figure with horrifying long fingers, yet the shotgun fit in his long lanky fingers. In the back of the Mustang sat a spider, femine in look, arming a large .50 caliber machine gun on the back of the car with five whole ammo crates.

Alex and Allan realized never to use a Ouija board ever again. Both boys were never seen again. ***** To Walk in My Shoes

7

Two months later, the police found Alex, Allan, and their dog dead. Alex was missing his right arm and left leg. Allan was found with tiny red and black spiders slowly eating him right in front of the young officer, and Luffy their dog was found half eaten with claw marks. It was clear that she was mauled by a lizard-like creature. Moral of the story: don’t upset random spirits with a Ouija board, or they will come for spectral revenge.

After the death of Allan, Alex, and their dog, the police enlisted the help of a young and brave bounty hunter, a nineteen-year-old boy named Rohan who was armed with an assortment of tools from the back rooms of other worlds and previous wars. Rohan was a teen shrouded in mystery. He was mostly human but with noticeable differences. One of his most defining things was a tail, alien in look, and instead of normal human canine teeth, he had venomous fangs with an unknown parasitic liquid inside the fangs. One of the rumors about the fangs was that the venom would turn a normal human being into a creature like him and that was true.

When he arrived at the police station, Rohan was handed three pictures, each one was an image of the victims.

“So officer, these are the victims?” Rohan said.

The officer replied, “Yep these are the cadavers that were killed.”

Outside the station was a speeder bike straight out of Star Wars, but it was red and white with the name carved in it that read Red Devil. Rohan jumped on and the bike darted off reaching speeds of 120 miles per hour, yet the young teen was fine. He was used to such high speeds. At last he found the murderous assailants, pulled out a laser pistol and fired. The Ford Mustang was clipping its rear axle, sparks flew, and loud screeching followed behind the car. The spider then realized that Rohan was the bounty hunter sent to find them and in a blind panic. The lizard driving attempted to fire off the nitro into the car. First, there was silence . . . Then a loud explosion was heard. The Ford Mustang, now a burning wreck, careened off the highway behind the speeder bike. The police came tailing behind and surrounded the burning car. Rohan pulled out a weapon that humans have never seen: a very large and very heavy futuristic rifle known as a super energy rifle capable of destroying an entire city in one shot. Rohan fired the weapon and a loud whirring noise came out of the massive weapon. A very large laser flew out then exploded. Everyone except Rohan was blown back by the massive boom. Then Rohan pulled out a stasis rifle and blasted the murderers. All three of them were encapsulated in bubble shields.

8

To Walk in My Shoes

“Thanks officers, but me and the Federation will take it from here. I doubt your inferior prisons can hold Class Five intergalactic criminals. Call again if you need me. See ya!”

The police looked in awe as two Federation soldiers came in a large dropship with the name Ghost painted on and took the three and Rohan inside, and left the police to the father of Alex and Allan.

Officer Gray walked up and said, “You’re Mr. Fields right? Your two sons are dead.’’

Arron Fields replied, “Both of them?” He sighed loudly and walked away.

Three years later, Mr Fields found a new wife and later had two kids with her.

Their names were Axel and Aaron. the end

To Walk in My Shoes

9

Un Guerrero Sin Barreras: Part #1 por Ovid Hernandez

en memoria de jorge carlos valdez Hace una vez, había un joven dominicano llamado Jorge Hernandez cuyo interés siempre fue jugar en las grandes ligas de los Estados Unidos. Su pasión nace por su padrino, quien siempre quiso que él fuera beisbolista, y él le prometió a su padrino que algún día iba a llegar a ser un beisbolista profesional.

Luego, su padrino falleció de cáncer del estómago. Su interés siempre fue ayudar a su familia. Esa era su meta primordial hasta que un día el joven ya no pudo seguir sus sueños porque no veían la capacidad que él tenía, y ahí es donde su familia decide sacarlo y enviarlo a una academia militar donde serían muy bruscos con él, y él no haría lo que su corazón quería. Él nunca se pudo olvidar de una promesa que le hizo a su padrino de llegar a ser un beisbolista profesional.

Todos los días recordaba esa promesa que no pudo cumplir, y su padrino siempre decía que nunca se olvide de él cuando llegue a las grandes ligas. Pero aprendió a vivir con esto en su corazón para el resto de su vida, y todavía vive con eso en su corazón.

El autor de esta historia también es un guerrero pequeño pero con mente grande.

10

To Walk in My Shoes

A Warrior Without Boundaries: Part #1

by Ovid Hernandez in memory of jorge carlos valdez Once upon a time, there was a young Dominican named Jorge Hernandez whose interest was always to play in the big leagues in the United States. His passion was born from his godfather, who always wanted him to be a baseball player, and he promised his godfather that one that he’d get to be a professional baseball player.

Later, his godfather passed away from stomach cancer. His interest was always to help his family. That was his primordial goal until one day, the young guy couldn’t achieve his dreams because no one could see his potential, and that is when his family decided to take him out and send him to a military academy where they would be too rough with him and he wouldn’t do what his heart desired. He never forgot the promise he made to his godfather to become a professional baseball player. Everyday he remembered that promise he didn’t get to keep, and his godfather used to always say to remember him when he got to the big leagues. But he learned to live with this in his heart for the rest of his life, and he still lives with it in his heart.

The author of this story is also a small warrior but with a big mind.

To Walk in My Shoes

11

Superman

by Ezekiel Rodriguez

It was a sunny day, and I wanted to go and fly, so I jumped off the building and flew so high. Superman tried to kill me. A kid saw him try to kill me. Now I want vengeance. I have new laser vision. That is how I will defeat Superman. This laser vision is filled with Kryptonite, the only thing that can kill Superman.

12

To Walk in My Shoes

The New Boss

by Angelica Vale

it was a monday morning. Time for me to get ready for work. I was with my friends Ivan and Austin. All together, we were best friends, and we decided to be at the same job to have each other’s back every time in case we needed help.

We drove around at work and started typing and getting calls from other people that needed anything. However, there was something different, and there were changes with our new boss.

“Have you heard a new boss is coming here and hiring?” Ivan said.

“Look, I don’t know about you guys, but I feel like there will be worse changes than before. He looked like he’s gonna plan something like murdering or something. I feel like a nightmare from my bed is gonna start if I sleep,” Austin said.

At first, I never believed him, but thinking of what he said made me wanna go back and reverse that line one last time before it all started. I was completely confused and had no clue where to meet our new boss. But then, the clock rang and all of us went to a meeting room.

“Alright everyone, my name is Lukas and I’M your new boss. Now, everything will change and we will listen to WHATever I say.”

Ivan whispered in my ear, “I can tell he already sounded very rude. Don’t you think we should start quitting this job?”

I felt like I wanted to quit this job too, but we hadn’t tired of him being our boss. For a while and soon after, we started to go back and finish what we left off.

Something was making me shake. I had goosebumps crawling over my skin that wanted to take over my body and devour it. I felt like a terrible chapter was gonna start with Lukas. ***** Over a month passed, and half of the workers were gone and had not even come back ever since he came around. But as I was walking, Ivan was running away.

He shouted to me, “ALEX! ALEX ALEX! Can I talk to you? IT’S To Walk in My Shoes

13

I M PORTANT AN D I N E E D YOU R IG HT NOW!” The way he said it, it sounded like he saw something really awful, something he wished he couldn’t see again after an horrible experience. “ALEX PLEASE WE N E E D TO G ET OUT OF TH IS JOB R IG HT NOW!” “Huh?” I was confused and I asked him why.

“TH ESE WOR KE RS AR E N’T LEAVI NG, most of these workers are dying and getting killed by our new boss, we need to call the cops. Now!” I was thinking that he would pull this as a prank. Ivan was the type of guy that liked to make pranks like this, even in a job. “Ivan, are you joking right? It seems like you’re joking about stuff like this as you always do.”

“Alex . . . I’m not lying. Not this time, I really saw it without me knowing.

I got screenshots too, to be honest. They are getting killed everyday. No wonder why they are gone because of that.”

14

To Walk in My Shoes

My Greatest Lie

by Isamel Brito Zorrilla

My greatest lie I have told was when I played the game Among Us online with a group of my friends. I was green, and I was able to beat the game by shapeshifting into red and killing the blue player right in front of everyone. I denied that the killer was me. Players needed to complete tasks, vote out imposters, and try to find the killer at the end of the game to win. To win as an imposter, you have to kill eight people because if there is one imposter you have to keep one alive to win, and if there are two imposters you have to keep two people alive. The map we did was skillful, and I got to shapeshift, and it was good because I could be everyone and kill many other players. I had won with a lie.

To Walk in My Shoes

15

Powerhouse South I N STR UCTOR S OLIVIA CORTI AN D ASTR I D GON ZALE Z

What Is Football

by Dejuan Belnavis

This is an ode to the football field.

The smell is fresh air and sweat.

The ground is hard and either real or just astroturf.

This is an ode to football, the screaming and cheering for both teams.

The wind blowing in my face when I’m going full speed and I’m sweating.

This is an ode to the football field, the friends I had to play with Leroy, Josiah, Brandon, Miah, and liam.

The team I played with to win every game.

This is an ode to the football field, the red painted benches who had paint chips on it.

The moms that shout the lungs out when their baby boy is about to win a game.

The colored uniforms we wore before the game.

This is an ode to the football field.

What I learned from football is even when you play alone it is cool.

When you play as a team you will go even further.

18

To Walk in My Shoes

The Annoyance of the Sacred Space

by Serenity Browne

This is an ode to the crack of the door The awakening of peace Things you only see in lore But something is missing, just a little piece BOOM the twentieth question of the minute Zapping out my mouth like lighting Immediately he tries to prohibit “Get out my room. You’re so tiring” HA HA HA This is an ode to the ruining of peace The way I enter is no mistake I’m here to stay like I signed a lease My brother can yell and yell but I won’t break This is an ode to disturbing his peace I look to my left and I see his sneaker shelf I look to my right and I see his black comforter The majestic mancave, the magic moment The realization that I am the ruiner The ruiner of all that is peaceful The ruiner of my brother’s room I am the ruiner and I will not stop Until I’ve accomplished my doom This is an ode to my brother’s room.

To Walk in My Shoes

19

Faggie Waggie

by Naomi Delacruz

last month I was on my phone, texting my friends in the group chat. Like eight of us were on the chat, joking around. I was in my pj’s, chilling on my mom’s bed. I felt relaxed. Then, all of a sudden, some dude gets added to the chat.

I was like, sus, who this?

So after he @’s me, I was like, “Don’t @ me, silly.”

He typed out gay fag. Something like that.

Then I was like, “I don’t mess with you like that. Don’t call me a fag.”

See, I don’t mind my friends calling me a fag, but if it’s someone I don’t even know, especially someone I don’t like, then no.

I planned on cursing that fool out, talking about his wireless Internet, but I was like, Nah, Naomi. Stay calm. Then I just kicked him out of the group chat.

Then I went a step further and pulled out my magic wand and aimed it at my phone. I said three magic words: “Just be gay.”

With those magic words and the flick of my wrist I would change this boy’s life forever.

My goal is simple: create empathy and get revenge. The spell I cast basically turns a straight person into a gay cockroach. He would later tell me that he immediately fell to the floor and started to wander around trying to understand what was happening. As he moved around he heard people yell and try to stomp on him.

Giant shoes, Converse, Jordans, Vans, and Crocs were stomping down on him.

He dodged and dug himself into a small hole he found in the closet. In the hole he met another cockroach named Timmy. He and Timmy became instant friends. That’s when he figured out he wasn’t just a cockroach but a GAY COCKROACH. I figured a whole day would be enough time for him to learn his lesson. After a day, I used my wand again. I said, “Cockroach no more,” and then texted him.

“Hey want to meet up after school?”

He texted back immediately.“YES, PLEASE.” We ended up talking for hours about how it felt to be dehumanized and stepped on. He said he realized why the word fag feels like you’re being squished into the ground. The lesson he learned was to think before he speaks and always try to put himself in someone else’s shoes to really understand where they come from.

20

To Walk in My Shoes

Take a Trip Inside of My Mind

by Leo Diaz i have been at a loss for words as I listen to my brain communicating with me. I have full control of it, and it’s my only safe place on this earth. I can really put my trust in it, even though my thoughts can be deceiving.

I imagine my future being a part of the real estate business and/or just being wealthy enough to make it out of the trenches.

I also imagine if things had happened differently, where would I be if that were the case; if I would be worse off or better than how I am right now.

One thing that has to be put out there is that without me alive this place doesn’t exist, and will not function, so good luck trying. This is my place. You can’t trespass unless I allow you in. No one can change that.

I live in my thoughts, the inner/outer voices reaching me.

To Walk in My Shoes

21

Ode to That One Hot Day

by Anthony Garcia

one day during a hot summer, it smelled like grass and flowers. It was eighth grade, and we had just come out of school. I called my mom to see if she was going to pick up my sister or if I would have to pick her up. My mom said she was at my sister’s school talking to her teacher, so I knew my sister had done something wrong.

So I went to my sister’s school, and when I got there my mom was looking mad.

So I asked her what had happened. She said she would tell me when we got home.

On the way home it was silent. When we got home I asked my mom what had happened. She said my sister got bad grades and was talking back to the teachers, so my mom was going to take everything away, and my sister was going to switch schools. She was just waiting for my dad to get home so they could talk about what to do with my sister.

My dad got home, and I asked him if he could not ground my sister, because I knew how she felt. I had that same teacher, and she would call my parents for no reason. So I asked my dad to give my sister a month to get her grades up. If she was still doing bad, then he could switch my sister’s school.

After that my sister never wanted to get bad grades and passed the school year.

22

To Walk in My Shoes

Untitled

by Samantha Garcia

this is an ode to my childhood, where growing up and doing weird things was normal.

When we would chase the ice-cream truck just to get ice cream, only to dirty ourselves later. It was normal for us to pretend to be princesses and wear tiaras.

This is my ode to a blissful childhood I once had. An ode to my grandma’s yellow rice and peas that always smelled good every time I opened my bedroom door. When my mom would tuck me into bed at night so I would wake up early enough for school.

An ode to being the child that had separated parents, going to dad’s house one day and going back with my mom another day. Being around cousins so much that they practically became a part of me. I never wanted to rush into being a teenager because I loved my childhood.

This is an ode to my grandfather, the man who was a father figure to me for half of my life, teaching me the right and wrongs of life and the importance of it.

Who always wanted what was best for me, who taught me to enjoy life before it’s too late, taught me to cherish every moment I have with family and friends.

This is an ode to my childhood. A childhood that I wish I could go back to.

Being a kid was fun and exciting. Going back to easier times, when there wasn’t as much violence and chaos as there is now. A childhood where we could just be ourselves and not have to worry about people judging us.

A childhood that I will never forget.

My childhood.

To Walk in My Shoes

23

Disappearance of a Dull Day

by Kalissa Hanshaw

it was a rainy and cloudy day. No one was really outside because of how bad the weather was. Rethinking how the weather was, you would think no one would have been out. .I then encountered two females arguing. I tried my best not to let them see me because truthfully I wanted to watch them argue. A bag of chips was behind me as I tried backing up from them. Next thing you know, I stepped right on the bag.

Currr!

Aw, man. Now I look like a stalker.

I heard one of the females say, “What the hell was that?!”

Now I knew it was time for me to make a run for it. .I was struck trying to make a run for it—in a snap of my fingers, I was inside my room. In confusion, I looked outside my window and the two females were gone. It was bright and sunny outside. .Still in confusion, I just forgot about everything and went on with my day.

24

To Walk in My Shoes

The Bed Evolution

by Kalissa Hanshaw

i. was raised by ruthless talking, moving from place to place because of domestic violence.

I am a child. .I was raised by two strong Black women with many flaws. We-never-had-itgood-back-in-our-days type of women. .I was raised moving back-and-forth, staying at families’ houses, nowhere to stay.

I will get through this, I am strong. .I was raised by a white woman who struggled as much as us Black women.

The strong always win. .I was raised by different beds, bunk beds, and just mattresses back-to-back. .I was raised around violence. I’ll kill you kind of violence. Gunshots, fighting and arguing kind of violence. .And at the end none of this changed who I was. It made me grow into the person I am now.

To Walk in My Shoes

25

Six Flags Flashbacks

by Amir Hughes

I have been at a loss for words as I listen to the cars roll past the school. .This is an ode to daydreaming about me at Six Flags, daring my friends to go on the first cart on the roller coasters alone.

This is an ode to daydreaming about being at Six Flags with the smell of food and drinks at the concession stand, such as pizza, fried oreos, and milkshakes.

This is an ode to Six Flags with all the amazing rides, from swings to go-carts and Ferris wheels.

This is an ode to the best rides in the amusement park such as the Batman, Green Lantern, Joker, etc.

This is an ode to last summer when I went to Six Flags with my friend, his two sisters, and one of their friends for his sixteenth birthday. It was supposed to rain, but it didn’t. It just drizzled, so there were almost no lines to stand on.

This is an ode to when we got on the Kingda Ka, and we closed our eyes because we were too nervous and didn’t know when it was going to take off.

Once it did take off, it was too much air pressure for us to open our eyes, and by the time we opened them, the ride was over.

This is also an ode to the kids that are sad because they are too short to get on the rides, so they have to watch everyone have fun.

This is an ode to wasting your time going to Six Flags if you’re not going to get on any rides.

This is an ode to making sure you get there early, so that way when the park is about to close you have gone on every ride, instead of rushing, looking around for the rides you did not get on.

26

To Walk in My Shoes

Untitled

by Jaylianys Morales

I was raised by a Puerto-Rican mother and grandmother.

I was raised by jail calls and jail visits.

I was raised by my grandmother playing my dad’s role when he wasn’t there.

I was raised by News 12 saying kids are missing and my family worrying about my safety.

I was raised by people being announced dead through the Citizen app.

I was raised by getting wash-and-sets every other week or for special events.

I was raised by learning how to keep my area clean since I was young.

To Walk in My Shoes

27

Teenhood

by Carrie Moultrie

i wake up to plantains and eggs in the morning, big family parties with Latin music playing in the background, everyone eating arroz con pollo, and all the elders and children dancing bachata. I wake up to cars honking, the train passing, Romeo Santos, and mi madre saying, Ven a comer.

I wake up to a big family, Spanish food, and a strict dad. I wake up knowing my expectations as a Spanish woman and that I don’t meet all of them. But it doesn’t make me less of what I am. Even if I don’t know all my Spanish, and I don’t have beautiful, caramelized skin, I am still no less of what I am as a Hispanic woman in the Bronx: Honduran, Dominican, Puerto Rican, Cuban. It is a blessing that, out of the whole world, I am a Hispanic woman in the Bronx, and I am still able to learn my culture.

28

To Walk in My Shoes

Tomorrow Will Be the Same as Yesterday

by Jeremy Ovando My family raised me Along with four other siblings I am the Googling “What rhymes with __” type I grew up with a bad view From where I live, where there is no good news Siblings from two different genders To two different generations With not many things to do My favorite color is blue (not true) Not many things are true But that’s nothing new Maybe in the future, this is something I would want to undo.

To Walk in My Shoes

29

The Very End

by Sha’ni Parker

I was raised to know of the end of life before mine even began I had to know that nothing is permanent I had to know that people would much rather solve their problems with a gun I then had to realize I had to have a mindset of a parent I was raised to know that the streets can become a trap Where you either end up addicted to the streets, in jail, or gone But I’ve come to have a different perspective than others I enjoy that style of life. It’s like I’ve grown accustomed to it That was how I was raised and I’m completely unphased I was raised to hang out with my friends even after the street lights came on Where we found ways into abandoned buildings Despite all of the killing and brutality I was raised to understand what the end really meant Whether it was the end to a movie, friendship, or even a life in general But hey, I guess we can all play pretend but only a few of us are actually good at it

30

To Walk in My Shoes

Ode to the Bodega

by Zion Perez

This is an ode to the bodega down my street where I go for breakfast and I get a bacon, egg, and cheese with an Arizona.

Where I hear the grill sizzling and the people ordering and paying.

Where I see the chips and drinks, ham and cheese sandwiches, muffins and donuts.

Where I smell the steak and cheese on the grill.

Where I go to buy milk for my mom when she says, “Vete a compra la leche!”

This is an ode to walking down the block to get gummy bears when I’m home alone.

This is an ode to the place I go to spend my extra money on snacks and drinks.

The salty bite of the bacon, egg, and cheese.

The crisp ten dollar bill in my hand.

To Walk in My Shoes

31

The Dangers of a Single Story

by Jared Rembert

i was going into school, and I saw two people sizing up as if they were about to fight, so I moved closer, and so did the crowd.

It was a blur all of a sudden, which led to an outbreak of the words, “Fight!

Fight! Fight! Fight!”

I wanted to find a way to stop it, but I looked back and saw a genie who was clear and looked ghostly. He saw the fight, and with a single snap of his fingers, we were inside of the gladiator arena.

Then he said, “If they want to do it, do it right.”

I was confused on why he started to give commentary on the fight. People were worried; the people who were fighting were slowly fading away. The hate steadily turned into fear. I wanted to be hasty, so I asked the genie for a wish, and he told me he could make the day go back and make everyone forget everything.

The day repeated, and I walked near the duo who was previously fighting and said, “Do you want to prank the school by making them think we are fighting?”

32

To Walk in My Shoes

The Bullying

by Dante Rivera

i was sitting in class in the 5th grade, and this kid was calling me fat and ugly and many other names. I don’t remember exactly what he looked like, but I do remember he had a buzz cut. He was Dominican or Hispanic. I was overweight, but that didn’t give him the right to make fun of me.

He did this almost every day, and one day I just got up, my fist went into a ball, and I punched him in the face. I wasn’t thinking anything. I think when I get mad, I just do stuff. The classroom smelled like feet and farts.

The class started yelling, “Oooooooooo,” and then the teachers came in and stopped the fight. The teachers took him away. And later he said the punch hurt him, and he never did it again. Looking back, I’m happy I did it because it made me a little cocky.

To Walk in My Shoes

33

From Target to Archer

by Juelz Santos

for the majority of my life, I was targeted, made fun of, pushed to the side, and was told I’d never amount to anything, and how I’d always be the little ignorant kid everyone knew me as.

For the majority of my life, I was picked on for my looks, lack of intelligence, weight, about how sensitive I was, how I’d cry over any little thing, the way I talked, my shyness, and my height.

For the majority of my life, I was the butt of everyone’s jokes from pre-K all the way to eighth grade until the lockdown happened, and then I guess the streak was finally broken because ever since I started school again, I’ve seemed to fit in perfectly.

Recently, I’ve become this archer who puts people in his crosshairs for harsh jokes because, for once in my life, I fit in. Instead of people laughing at me, making fun of me, I know to laugh with them. I know not to make fun of other people or subjects, no matter how insensitive the topic is. I am no longer the butt of people’s jokes. Instead they are now the butt of my jokes. Are my jokes harsh? Yes, the majority are, but as long I’m not being made fun of, I’m okay. I know it might sound selfish, but if you were picked on the way I was for as long as I was, you’d most likely do what I have done to not be picked on either.

I do sometimes fantasize about a world where I don’t need to be a bully to be able to fit in, but in all honesty, I’ve been like this for so long that I doubt I can stop even if I wanted to.

34

To Walk in My Shoes

My Quiet Place

by Juelz Santos

i grew up with four green walls, a blue ceiling, white doors, stickers I put on the walls from when I was five years old, the many lamps I used to have from when I used to be afraid of the dark, and the oak wood tiles that are my floor.

I grew up with Wii U, PSP, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PS5; and before I was into games, I had two trunks filled with toys in order to keep me occupied when I was bored. I also used to watch educational shows like Wild Kratts, Octonauts, and Scooby Doo. I recently started growing up because I’m sharing a room with my fouryear-old brother, even though he still sleeps in my parents’ room.

I grew up with the one place in the world where I can laugh, cry, get upset, overthink, and drift off, and receive none to minimal judgment.

To Walk in My Shoes

35

Raised by Games

by Juelz Santos

I was raised by Being able to explore my creative side Enjoying free time with friends Having fun even if you’re not good at the game Trying for countless hours to get better Learning new strategies Escaping reality.

Upgrading all my guns Getting the kill cam Having a Victory Royale Getting enchanted armor Being top of the leaderboard To getting DLCs From making new friends To saying bye to old ones From late nights To early mornings From being a bot To being a pro From being lonely at night playing by myself To having multiple people to play with From playing to win To playing to laugh From loving the game To hating it From trying my hardest to get a kill To them coming easily for me I was raised with multiple choices.

I was raised by games.

36

To Walk in My Shoes

Raised by My People

by Aaliyah Torres

I was raised by Edges Slick back buns Straightening my hair “You’re not going to a fashion show” Kinda hair I was raised by The Vampire Diaries After Teenage romance “Whatever our souls are made of, hers and mine are the same” Kinda love I was raised by Oversized shirts Skinny jeans Jordans “You look fine” Type of style I was raised by Spanish music Rice, beans, and chicken “Aaliyah, tú quieres más?”

Type of food

To Walk in My Shoes

37

I was raised by Family Friends Cheers Panthers Type of pride I want to raise A loving Confident Independent Dominant Strong Kind of children

38

To Walk in My Shoes

Untitled

by Lliana Williams

I was raised by a person who wiped my tears I was raised by a person who makes me feel safe I was raised by a person who cooks I was raised by my teachers and friends I was raised by my movies I was raised by the books I read I was raised by different subjects I was raised by English I was raised by an orange and black ball I was raised by a free-throw line I was raised by a crowd calling my number I was raised by my team I was raised by my sister

To Walk in My Shoes

39

Powerhouse North I N STR UCTOR S PAU LA DALLACQUA AN D ASTR I D GON ZALE Z

Dreams

By Nera Bedell

Why do we dream big When our life makes us feel small?

In our dreams we fall

42

To Walk in My Shoes

My Hope

by Nera Bedell

My home rests within the cracks of another one’s trash, but I find gold in their trash.

In my home I’m never alone.

I’m always surrounded by the light of my happiness, the peace that’s in my silence.

If my home were my body, it would be my heart <3 It’s my north star, my “Don’t worry it’s okay,” my tear wiper.

My home is everything I want it to be.

To Walk in My Shoes

43

Cute

by Silvana Mesa Belliard

I love squishmallows Hello Kitty is so cute Pink is my color

44

To Walk in My Shoes

My Lies LOL

by Silvana Mesa Belliard

I lied about Abraham having a twin brother with the same name just pronounced differently. Everyone believed me.

I lied about how it was my birthday.

I lied about crying.

I lied about getting my credit card stolen.

I lied about switching schools.

I lied about moving back to the Dominican Republic.

I lied about someone wanting to fight me.

I lied about going to a party.

I lied about being sick to not come to school.

I like lying because it’s funny seeing people believe me.

To Walk in My Shoes

45

City

by Naasir Bonilla

People are not this People are distant within A tangled forest

46

To Walk in My Shoes

Life

by Naasir Bonilla

i opened my eyes on November 27th, 2007, and I had never ever been more appreciative of my accomplishments. But in comparison to the others, who had no chance to grow up as a person normally would, makes me feel not good. It’s unfair to others who have no childhood, who have no trace of their essential purpose of entering a life of change, to undergo an abnormal amount of change but still strive for greatness in the end. The chances of actually succeeding in doing so are never really certain. Life is like a sculpture. It is only represented by the shapes, shapes that would’ve never been sculpted if it was never meant to be. Life could be empty to some, but it is never just nothing. Life cannot be life without the many issues many encounter as a result of a simple amount of change. As I develop into my early adulthood, I would be in college or possibly ending college.

I would possibly be attending some public college in the city, but I really want to do something that relates to my mentality. I want to go to Parsons, but it is a private school, and I clearly cannot afford it as of now. Can I imagine myself having enough money to do so? Possibly. If not, I developed some alternatives. I would like to do something with engineering. This includes fixing machines and participating in public works. I would like to do something with architecture, where I have the ability to develop, make buildings and such. I would like to do something with photography, where I could capture a significant feature in society that may only be important to me. In my fifties, I have no clue what I will be doing. Possibly retirement from whatever. My last days I wouldn’t want to think about, especially since I never specifically thought about those moments at least once. All I know is that the people who actually have been with me from birth and have held my hand through life won’t be present at that time. Life is just perfect, with lots of imperfections of course, where the outcome is always, always uncertain. But may the result be always, always expected.

To Walk in My Shoes

47

Family

by Ava Davis

Family can be very weird in many ways.

They love and they fight.

48

To Walk in My Shoes

My Mother

by Ava Davis

My mom is hard-working My mom is a lover of pink and black My mom is a parent of five kids My mom is an independent person My mom is a single parent My mom is a lover of seafood My mom is addicted to sneakers My mom is black My mom is a cook I can learn from My mom is a fun person to be around

To Walk in My Shoes

49

Dreams

by Tiyana Daw

Why do dreams feel real?

Why can’t we remember them?

Hope my dreams come true!

50

To Walk in My Shoes

Decisions

by Tiyana Daw

silence has a huge impact on my life. Not being able to say the things I want to say, because I’m scared I might get screamed at or judged on what I’m saying.

Being silent in my house is by force. It’s not by choice. And if I do speak up, there’s always a consequence or backlash for speaking up. Me trying to speak up is like being stuck in quicksand, trying to get out of it before you sink all the way down to the point where there is no point in trying. If I had the choice to speak up, I would be very happy to. But being silent for so long is a hard thing for me to overcome.

NO… It’s not a hard thing for me to overcome, just hard for me to speak up when I want to. A DECISION: that’s what I have to do when it comes to being silent.

To Walk in My Shoes

51

Success

by Ishmael Deen

I play basketball I’ll be in the N BA I will succeed, watch!

52

To Walk in My Shoes

Hope

by Ishmael Deen

when i hear the word hope I think about basketball and my mom. When I’m on the court, I’m happy, I feel relieved. All my worries go away, the only thing on my mind is my family, the court, and the ball. Basketball gives me hope. My mom also gives me hope by providing for me, supporting me with school and basketball.

There are so many things she does for us, but she’s there when I need her. When I’m in the game with the guys, we have a fun time laughing, telling jokes, and enjoying the game. It’s like I’m in my own world.

To Walk in My Shoes

53

Anime

by Crichelle Ruiz Diaz

Anime is fun It helps me escape real life I just disappear

54

To Walk in My Shoes

Overthinking

by Crichelle Ruiz Diaz

I wish life was like a video Where I could rewatch And change How it was played.

I wish I could remove some Moments and Change them for better ones.

I wish I could stay in the past Instead of moving To the Future.

Which may sound strange But some moments In my life That were in the Past were really Joyous for Me.

To Walk in My Shoes

55

Mistakes = Human

by Zoey Lynn Diaz

Making mistakes is A part of life so you should Just own your mistakes

56

To Walk in My Shoes

What’s Life Without You?

by Zoey Lynn Diaz

Mhmm…

J’miah tells me, “Imagine your life.” There’s only one thing that replays in my head, which is losing my Dad. Yeah, some people might say: Yeah, I think about it, but that’s not happening right now. Go live life. You have all this time, you’re young. I just want to be ready for when that time comes so I won’t be anxious. I just want to know the answer. What is my life going to be without you, Dad?!

So, what I guess I’m trying to say is: I can’t see or know what I’m going to be doing when that time comes, and I get notice from something or someone.

Ugh. Eww, this is so sad… Yeah, I think I’m done.

Wait, wait.

Another way I can say this is: when I think of the future, it’s not what I want to be or what I’m going to be doing at twenty-five years old, because all I think about is my Dad. It’s always you, Dad. Dad, Dad, Dad—I love you. But can you stop blocking me from seeing me in my future?

To Walk in My Shoes

57

Stop Kids from Killing Kids

by Sahara Gill

Let’s stop the violence It is taking children’s lives I want to make it

58

To Walk in My Shoes

Will I Make It?

by Sahara Gill

life is something I still don’t know nothing about yet, but so far I learned life can have its ups and downs. At twenty-five, we’ll see what happens. I can’t write about a life like becoming a doctor when I might not even make it there. So many guns and violence, going on fourteen might just be my final stand. Twenty-five is a long way from now, and we all know it, so we should just leave it up to the universe and let that show it. I’ve been through a lot, so I don’t like to get my hopes up, putting my dream out there by writing it on a piece of paper, knowing it won’t come. I want everyone to be financially stable, and I wanna be free and at peace. I wanna be a doctor and have two kids and a husband that treats me well. I hope my kids will be able to see their grandmother.

To Walk in My Shoes

59

Fresh

by Hector Gonzalez

I like getting fresh Buying nice things makes me feel Great about myself

60

To Walk in My Shoes

Happiness

by Hector Gonzalez

Happiness, what most people lack in life.

Happiness, what most people want.

Happiness, what most people need.

Happiness, not many people feel.

Happiness, something most people lose.

Happiness, something most people haven’t discovered.

Happiness, something many people have to find.

Happiness, sometimes it isn’t real.

Happiness, something that has been taken from many.

Happiness, no it can’t come to you.

Happiness, we all just want you.

To Walk in My Shoes

61

Me

by Sonia Harrichand

In school I’m quiet Outside I’m very different Like the night and day

62

To Walk in My Shoes

Shackles

by Sonia Harrichand

The feeling of not being able to express yourself freely, caring about what others think, that’s what has me in shackles.

How do you tell everyone not to care about other people’s opinions, but you can’t seem to take your own advice?

Why do you make sure your outfit fits everyone’s expectations of you so you don’t get judged?

Why do you feel like you need to be someone else when you’re around certain people?

Why do you feel the need to alter your personality to fit into people’s expectations? “ Be yourself and forget everyone else,” you say, but you still can’t seem to take your own advice . . .

To Walk in My Shoes

63

Sleep

by Wayne Hayes

Eyes closed from stressed work Rolling the dice for a dream The brain fakes our joy

64

To Walk in My Shoes

(Un)planned Life

by Wayne Hayes

“we’re going to the movies, I hope you have a good time at home.” Sent at 9:04 PM, just before disaster hit. Would you think that god planned this? Planned to hurt your loved ones, with even worse in sight. They planned for the movies four days ago. You planned for them to come to your graduation. You planned your whole life… or not. Those are the words that make me think or not. Life is a very amazing thing. However, the worst thing about life is the lingering randomization.

Life is something people plan, something people build up, yet life isn’t something you can just predict on a meter or on a widespread Google Doc. That random factor of life is what I fear. My goals are something to look forward to. However, would life itself look forward to the same things? Ever-changing, why would that be fair? It is. When people say, “Life isn’t fair,” they aren’t lying. From your status to your own birth, everything is random to us. You don’t get a say in anything. You get born, you follow your parents, you go to school, you get a job. A life.

“Unemployment is at an all time high. The current generation needs to step it up!” Okay. So you get born, you follow your parents, you go to school, you hopefully get a job. Life.

“As you were born, you see your parents have no money. They are distraught about having a baby as that’s another mouth to feed.”

“That’s great. So you get born. Hopefully your parents love you even if you weren’t wanted. Going to school is probably hell, as kids are bullies. You desperately need a job.”

I plan to become a programmer with computers, or a streamer of some sort.

My parents and I are planning something here or there. But the way I see it is this: you don’t plan life. You can’t plan life.

Life is a world of surprises.

To Walk in My Shoes

65

Dreams

by Rasaun Hill

Dreams either damage Lost thoughts or awaken me to new fresh ideas

66

To Walk in My Shoes

Raxsss’ Place of Living

by Rasaun Hill

Home, a place where love is spread with everyone.

Home, where the heart of the soul lives.

Home to me is a place where thoughts and feelings could be shared without being scared.

Home to me is a place that holds memories from the past. Living at home brings happiness and joy to what was first and not last.

Home is home.

To Walk in My Shoes

67

Feelings

by Akeanya Kennings

They are so pretty.

I’m hooked. Do they adore me?

I really like them a lot.

68

To Walk in My Shoes

A Place People Call Home

by Akeanya Kennings

Home...?

Where is it?

I need to know.

Is home even a place?

Is my idea of a home just a dream?

A fantasy?

Is home At a friend’s place?

My own house?

A happy place in my head?

Home, are you real?ant I am dying to know.

Others are dying to know.

Sometimes home doesn’t feel like home.

Beaten, child labor, no love, degraded, cursed at, bruises.

I’m nobody.

Just an it.

Is home a far place?

Farther than where I am now?

How far?

How long?

To Walk in My Shoes

69

How long will it take to get away from this place people call a home?

I need to find a way out.

Get away and find a better place than the one I am at right now.

This place called home is just a nightmare, one I don’t think I can escape.

This nightmare repeats itself, replays everyday.

It’s the same thing nothing changes.

Covering my ears to try lowering this racket.

Crying, screaming, cursing.

Empty bottles, lungs affected living in filth.

Back against my door.

Things being thrown.

When can I escape this nightmare?

70

To Walk in My Shoes

To Walk in My Shoes

71

Silence

by Naymeyah Kinloch

Silence means a lot Anger sadness grief and more Silence speaks volumes

72

To Walk in My Shoes

What Is Happiness

by Naymeyah Kinloch

To me, happiness is freedom.

Happiness is achieving goals that you wanted to achieve for a long time.

Happiness is being with close friends or loved ones.

Happiness is living life to the fullest.

I am happy. Even when I’m the total opposite.

I’m happy when I travel.

I’m happy when I write and read.

I’m happy when I’m alone sometimes.

I refuse to let anyone turn my smile upside down.

I’m happy so I can make others happy.

To Walk in My Shoes

73

Basketball

by Jaevon Lee

I will shoot the ball I make the shot in the goal And I win the game

74

To Walk in My Shoes

What Would You Change

by Jaevon Lee

if i had power, what I want to do is fly, and I would change some rules like having to go to school everyday, and I say that because not everybody likes going to school everyday. Als, I will change school to three days of the week, and the other two days you will study for the next lesson. I would like to stop climate change with the sea level rising because it takes over people’s land. I would also like to fly because I could get anywhere fast and on time. I would also like to stop COVI D from rising around the world because it’s killed a lot of people. It’s messed up people’s living style, like losing their houses because they lost their job and were not able to make money or buy things and pay their rent. It also stopped people from going outside and going out to eat and others. I would also like to stop gas prices from being so high because it stops people from driving a lot and it messes up people from wasting their money everyday.

To Walk in My Shoes

75

Kindness

by Quazhia Lewis

Kindness is a must Kindness makes the world better Be kind today please

76

To Walk in My Shoes

How to Treat Others

by Quazhia Lewis

I will always treat people with the utmost respect and kindly with love, even if I don’t know them, because that’s how I always want to be treated.

I will always treat my teachers kindly, because that’s how they deserve to be treated, even if we disagree on some things.

I will always treat my friends with love, care, and respect, and the same goes for my family, because I wouldn’t want to hurt or disrespect the people I spend everyday with and care about.

To Walk in My Shoes

77

Dreams and Hopes

by Zynell Lewis

I have lots of dreams Dreams, things you never forget Dreams are a good thing

78

To Walk in My Shoes

Future Goals

by Zynell Lewis

life is something you need to enjoy while it’s here, before you’re old and can’t do the things you’ve thought about.

In fifteen years I see myself owning a business where I sell my own clothing and see my brand blowing up and me being successful and buying my family a big house with a pool. I see the name of my clothing brand being a surprise. My clothing brand will have a design or a patch on the side, so that people will know it’s my brand and so it can pop out to the people who buy it.

To Walk in My Shoes

79

Hope

by Richard Lloyd

We as people think Goals aren’t possible with hope But hope creates dreams <3

80

To Walk in My Shoes

Happiness <3

by Richard Lloyd

i vouch that freedom and independence is my happiness. The thought of being in control of my money, my clothes, my own thoughts, my decisions, and the food that I buy keeps me on the verge of maturity and being my own person. Happiness can be in many forms, but to me it is my family along with my best friends, nature and mostly planting too. Laughing also makes me happy, and shopping does as well. Prayer makes me happy, along with getting out of the house for a few. Adulthood, which might sound cliche, but having more responsibility and goals, makes me happy. Life makes me happy. Positivity is the key to happiness.

To Walk in My Shoes

81

Artist

by Kaylynn Martinez

Foundation blended Big bold lips to catch the eye Marilyn Monroe

82

To Walk in My Shoes

Keep Going

by Kaylynn Martinez

i’ve set goals for myself for my future. At the moment, I’m fourteen years old, and I’ve already settled on what I want to do for the rest of my life. I’ve made myself an entrepreneur. I’m a makeup artist, and my work progresses with every look that I do. My work consists of a lot of my pride, mainly because I love what I do and because if I want to get somewhere in life, I can’t just expect things to be handed to me to be successful. I’m also humbled when it comes to my content, meaning if I get two likes and five views, it still means someone saw my work and liked it. In my future, I plan to be financially stable. By the age of 21, I’ll have my own two bedroom, cute apartment with pink couches and light gray walls with my own little dog <3. One room will be my bedroom and the second room will be my makeup room <3. I’ll have my own makeup studio with all black walls and hot pink LE D lights to make it pop, just like my logo. A big Statue of Liberty in hot pink for decoration. A big sign that says BX in pink LE D lights, exotic furniture, tinted windows that I will have the honor of my friend @SOU LSNYC painting for me, and a mural that really represents the Bronx and my work. You’ll just have to see for the future, so stay tuned!

Then, when I have everything I planned, I’ll open my mom’s very own bakery, and I’ll name it Tori’s Sweet Tooth. My mom has been a baker for about fourteen years now, and we currently work events like dynamic duos. She makes a cake for an event, and I do makeup. My mom currently works from home, and she’s never had her own shop or even worked in a bakery, so I’d be so happy if I could just surprise her with her own bakery. My mom currently also is a dental assistant, so naming it Tori’s Sweet Tooth really has a meaning to it. The “sweet” is for the treats and cakes and the “tooth” part is for her dental job which she’s really happy with <3.

To Walk in My Shoes

83

The Gifts All Artists Have Is the Will to Create

by Jeffrey Mejia I dream to make the One gift artists obtain the Will to make greatness.

84

To Walk in My Shoes

You Can Slow Down

by Jeffrey Mejia

Life comes at you fast.

It doesn’t mean you have to as well.

You’re going slow while everything is going faster.

Everyone is rushing to get what they want swiftly.

But they can go slow too. It doesn’t have to be done quickly.

Living in the present can be joyful or agonizing, But the future is just as frightening.

Just take it slow, Go with the flow.

On with your life that you cannot throw.

It’s a choice you can make, To go slow.

To Walk in My Shoes

85

Love

by Armatti Mendez

Love is everywhere Love represents who you are Love is important

86

To Walk in My Shoes

My People

by Armatti Mendez

Home. Determined by who you surround yourself with.

These people make you feel at home.

But these people can also make your home feel uncomfortable, like clothes that don’t fit right.

The people I surround myself with are my home.

They are my warmth and comfort. Home.

To Walk in My Shoes

87

Prison

by Antonio Mendoza

As I’m in shackles going to the prison pen as a guilty man.

88

To Walk in My Shoes

Hope

by Antonio Mendoza

as i think about the word hope, I think about the future in your life and getting it together if you want to make something out of your life, as in getting your first home, car, and land property. I also think hope can mean something you want to believe or have faith in, like when you try to take a chance or hope for someone who is going through something in their life or hope for a thing to become true.

To Walk in My Shoes

89

Unknown Future

by Michaya Mitchell

It is hard to dream because you don’t know what the future will bring you

90

To Walk in My Shoes

Should I Resist

by Michaya Mitchell

Resisting to me is simply not doing what I don’t want to do. I resist by saying no or simply ignoring what was asked of me.

Sometimes I resist just because I don’t feel like being nice and doing something you could easily do yourself.

When they end up doing it themselves, I feel better and sometimes angry because why’d you ask me to do it if you were able to do it yourself?

Sometimes I find myself not able to resist doing something for someone when they’re not feeling good or if it’s my mom.

It’s also hard because I feel like if I’m not nice and helpful, people won’t like me.

So, sometimes I find myself not resisting so I can be liked by people.

To Walk in My Shoes

91

575

by Mohamed Nouhou

I belong at home It sometimes can get boring But I love to sleep

92

To Walk in My Shoes

Home

by Mohamed Nouhou

home is somewhere that I feel loved. It’s a place where families gather and countless memories take place, and it is a place where you build bonds with family and sometimes friends. It is where your parents raise you for the years of your childhood and most of your adolescence. For some, maybe some of their adulthood, until eventually, you have to leave. But besides that, home should be a place of comfort. And a place for you to grow old and raise your very own children and maybe even your grandchildren, etc. You could have multiple homes but most of the time people have one. Home could be many places such as a grandparent’s house, a car, a basement, etc. but they all are known as home for so many people.

To Walk in My Shoes

93

Shackles

by Leiana Pena

Someone that is trapped Want to escape misery Lost, angry, and drained

94

To Walk in My Shoes

Home

by Leiana Pena

Home isn’t just a home for me. I found my home within a person, a person who lights up my day with just a smile. Yeah, a smile. The laughter and the thought of feeling okay with just a hug or just spending time with that person makes me feel happy and free. I feel happy and at home looking forward to another day.

To Walk in My Shoes

95

Work Work Work

by Johnnovan Reyes

A long day at work.

I am just tired of work.

I need the money.

96

To Walk in My Shoes

COVID

by Johnnovan Reyes

when i hear the word shackles, I think about prison or jail, and it also reminds me of early 2020 when COVI D started. We were forced to stay home to be safe. There was no school and you couldn’t do any activities. Most people thought it was going to be a vacation from school and work, but it wasn’t as fun as it sounded. I wasn’t able to have a graduation or a prom. I missed out on a lot of things and lost a lot of middle school friends because I wasn’t able to meet up with them, and it wasn’t the same talking to them on the game. During quarantine, I felt trapped and was redoing the same thing everyday. Which was to eat, sleep and play video games. I couldn’t play sports and couldn’t even celebrate my birthday. I was a little sad that I wasn’t able to do things or see my friends. When I came back to school, my voice felt trapped. I felt like I didn’t know how to talk to people. I kept to myself most of 9th grade and during that time, I didn’t feel comfortable meeting new people.

To Walk in My Shoes

97

Food

by Bernat Rosario

Food makes me feel good It’s good for your health and you Choose your food wisely

98

To Walk in My Shoes

Passion

by Bernat Rosario

i do not know why I have a passion for baseball. I play first base, and I’m nice! My R B I is five. I play baseball outside and inside of school. Why do I have a passion for my school? Maybe because it is good for you to do well in school because it keeps me focused and wanting to do well. I have a passion for food like my mom’s food, I love everything she makes. My favorite dishes my mom makes are lasagna and rice and beans with chicken. I have a passion for my dad. I know he wants the best for me. He encourages me about my future.

To Walk in My Shoes

99

Dreams

by David Solano Jr

Dreams are a strange thing.

We all have them at one point.

It can change your mood.

100

To Walk in My Shoes

Happiness: Something Everybody Wants

by David Solano Jr happiness, a simple word with so many meanings. Lots of things make me a happy person. Whether it’s chilling outside with my friends or staying home and being on the game. Rick and Morty, a show that most people like, makes me happy. I laugh when I watch it and it makes me want to keep watching and not turn it off after one episode. Listening to music is another thing that makes me happy. But even without these things, I’m still happy and throughout my life I’ve been happy. I never had a moment in my life that took away my happiness. In the future, I will be a happy person who has his own life and loves what he does for money. The secret to finding happiness is to do what you love and not what anyone else wants you to do and to stop caring about what other people think about you. Build your own life. Don’t live through someone else’s wishes and dreams.

To Walk in My Shoes

101

Dreams

by Jaylynn Vergeli

Dreams can be scary.

Are my dreams a sign or not?

Should I be shaken?

102

To Walk in My Shoes

To Walk in My Shoes

102

Life

by Jaylynn Vergeli

to me, life is about accomplishing your goals before you die. Italy, Paris, Bora Bora, and the Dominican Republic are all places I’d like to visit. And then there’s the matter of starting a family. I want to be a nail tech, get married, and have a dog. Losing and gaining people, as well as attempting to make someone proud of you, are all part of life. Most people seek approval from others, but I mostly seek it from my mother. I just care about my mother’s approval, not the approval of others.

That’s what life is to me.

103

To Walk in My Shoes

To Walk in My Shoes

103

What Dancing Means To Me

by Tania Tyler Wilson

I love when I dance It’s my escape from the world Dance makes me feel free

104

To Walk in My Shoes

“ I Can’t Move”

by Tania Tyler Wilson

I … I feel stuck, tired, and drained, like I can’t move away from my dad’s actions to his thoughts. I can’t breathe, can’t get a break from the way my mom says, “Ask your father,” to him taking forever to give me an answer. I feel stuck, like even when my heart tries to understand him, but my mind knows better. Frozen, wishing I could be in his shoes to maybe understand. I’M STUCK! Knowing my mom wants me to be all I can be, but my dad is holding me back. He treats me like a baby and can’t accept the fact that I’m growing up. I’m frozen, like I’m a butterfly that can’t spread my wings. Like someone is watching my every move. I can’t breathe.

To Walk in My Shoes

105

Sueños

by Inocente Zarza

Dreams are the future Mom dreams big for my future But what should I be?

106

To Walk in My Shoes

Nombre

by Inocente Zarza

imagine if my name was Hector? A name is something that is given to you at birth or it can be a mean nickname like something a bully gives.

Or even a middle name or something people can call you by like, “Hey, it’s my favorite person,” or, “Hey, it’s that person I want to beat the hell out of.”

My name was given to me by my father. My father sees me as someone I don’t view myself as. When he sees me, he wants me to be like his father. Hardworking? I don’t know my grandfather that well. All my father told me was that he was hardworking in life. I don’t think I’ll ever follow in my grandfather’s footsteps. If my father didn’t follow in his footsteps, why should I? It’s because all he sees me as is a cheat code to get in the good life, wanting me to make money and get rich so he can lay back and relax while his son works away. It’s kinda funny you know, like aren’t the parents supposed to give up a lot of stuff for their kids? Aren’t parents supposed to give their kids everything they need in life?

To Walk in My Shoes

107

Acknowledgments

In our Young Writers Publish program, 826NYC develops creative writing projects with classes of students and teachers in schools throughout New York City. Ninth and tenth grade students from Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom High School dug deep to explore themes of family, identity, community, and social justice in poetry and prose, from haikus and collaborative poems to short stories and personal essays To Walk in My Shoes is a compilation of the original work of half of the twelve participating classes, alongside This Is What It Feels Like, which captures the work of the other half.

A huge thank you to the 826NYC teaching artists, J’miah Baird, Daniel Goulden, and Jaydra Johnson, for creating classrooms where students were able to express themselves in so many ways, and stretch to try new things with their writing. Your support, encouragement, and consistency helped our young writers tap into their imaginations and memories to produce such moving work, and your care in helping them brainstorm, write, and revise throughout this project was invaluable.

We are particularly grateful to the many educators at Fannie Lou Hamer who made this project possible across twelve classes: Amanda Baylor, Aleta Brown, Daniel Colon, Olivia Corti, Paula Dallacqua, Chloe Evans-Cross, Astrid Gonzalez, Sarah Moore, Daniel Nohejl, Maya Petrillo, and Yancy Sanes. Thank you for inviting us into your classrooms and facilitating this creative collaboration. Your hard work, vision, and steadfast dedication to your students allows them to flourish as young writers and thinkers.

At 826NYC we depend on the dedicated editing and design cohort that make our publications a reality. Thank you to Vanessa Friedman and Jaydra Johnson for overseeing the editing, proofreading, and design of this book. Thank you to Brockett Horne for designing such a beautiful book for our students. To copy editors and proofreaders Caite Arocho, Rakhee Bhatt, Chelsea Bonollo, Alex Galka, Nicholas Martinez, Hannah Nash, Julia Pretsfelder, Dannie Ruth, Rachel Spurrier, and James Whitely, for their careful attention to each of the student’s pieces, thank you. Thanks as well to Aimee Lam for the translation of Spanish-language works in this anthology.

108

To Walk in My Shoes

For their ongoing support of 826NYC’s school-based programs, huge thanks to 826 National, the Amazon Literary Partnership, The Jane Friedman Anspach Family Foundation, Con Edison, The Find Your Light Foundation, The Hawkins Project, International Paper, The Rona Jaffe Foundation, The Kettering Family Foundation, The Minerva Foundation, The Resnick Family Foundation, The Yelp Foundation, and Youth, Inc. This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. The program is also made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Additional support comes from the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov. 826NYC is grateful to the many individuals who support our work. To see our full list of supporters or make a donation, please visit 826nyc.org/donate-us.

Thank you especially to the 826NYC staff for their behind-the-scenes support of this project, from curriculum development and the book-making process to volunteer recruitment.

Finally, thank you to the students at Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom High School for taking risks with your writing and sharing your words with us. Writing can be a challenging and hopefully fun process, and your dedication to your craft and your vision shines through in these pieces. We are all excited to see what you’ll write in the future!

To Walk in My Shoes

109

826NYC Location and Leadership 826NYC and The Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. 372 Fifth Ave Brooklyn, NY 11215 718.499.9884 www.826nyc.org staff Joshua Mandelbaum, Executive Director Janna Cisterino, Development & Communications Manager Rico Denard, Store Associate Chris Eckert, Store & Operations Manager Vanessa Friedman, Publications Associate Summer Medina, Volunteer & Programs Coordinator Stella Raffle-Wax, Store Associate Mandy Seiner, Volunteer & Programs Manager Naomi Solomon, Director of Education teaching artists J’miah Baird David Ewalt Willie Filkowski

Daniel Goulden Varud Gupta Jaydra Johnson

board of directors Michelle McGovern, President Ted Wolff, Vice President Ray Carpenter, Treasurer Kathryn Yontef, Secretary Michael Colagiovanni Jen D’Ambroise Liza Demby Jamal Edwards Simone Fraser

Amir Mokari Sheila Peluso Katie Schwab Danielle Sinay Andrew Sparkler Alyson Stone Thom Unterburger Sam Valenti IV

826NYC Programs write after school Reading and writing go together like peanut butter and jelly. Write After School students work alongside 826NYC staff and volunteers to build their reading, writing, social-emotional skills and unleash their imagination as they play and learn about the power of language. Three times a year, students revise their creative writing for publications that are printed in English and Spanish and shared with families, volunteers, and community members at celebratory readings. write away workshops Young writers come together in Write Away Workshops to explore a multitude of genres and subjects and to develop their voices. Groups write freely and participate in imaginative writing activities and lessons. Whether it’s a song, a piece of climate justice sci-fi, or a nature guide, young writers leave the workshop with a piece to be proud of, as well as a newfound understanding of the topic, and new friends. write all about it In Write All About It, reporters from grades 5–8 learn how to conduct a great interview, how to write a classic news story, and more importantly, how to sniff out where the great untold stories of Brooklyn are hiding. We focus on hyper-local news to see how it connects to what’s going on across the country and around the world. Student work is published regularly in The 826NYC Post on 826NYC’s Medium page. young writers publish Turn your classroom into a creative writing lab. During Young Writers Publish residencies, 826NYC teaching artists collaborate with educators on creative, impactful, curriculum-aligned projects that transform students into published authors. Residencies run from six weeks to a full year, depending on the project.

Each Young Writers Publish culminates in a book, newspaper, zine, podcast, film, or performance featuring your students.

write together 826NYC hosts classes across New York City for Write Together: an interactive writing experience that encourages creative expression, explores the elements of storytelling, and strengthens writing skills. Elementary-aged classes collaborate on illustrated children’s books, middle schoolers choose their own adventure, and high schoolers learn the art of memoir writing during a fast- paced and whimsical 90 minute narrative program. teen writers collective Teens are the next generation of literary leaders. That’s why we launched the Teen Writers’ Collective. The collective brings together young writers from around the city to explore the art of writing and literary citizenship. They are a community of passionate and creative peers, serve as 826NYC youth leaders, and inspire younger students and peers across the network. dungeons & dragons & writers Dungeons & Dragons, the epic fantasy role-playing game where players craft characters to take on magical quests that can change with the roll of the dice, has a home at 826NYC. A band of adventurous authors in grades 5–8 play out an entirely original tale and chronicle their fantastical deeds in character pointof-view journals, histories, and scene writing. Sometimes the greatest gift is the friends we make — and make up — along the way. student publications Through our programs, our volunteers work with students to help them create stories, poems, and ’zines. Because we believe that the quality of students’ work is greatly enhanced when they are given the chance to share it with an authentic audience, we are committed to publishing student works. By encouraging their work and by guiding them through the process of publication, we make abundantly clear that their ideas are valued.

It’s a beautiful thing when students write together. In this book you will find the work of the students at Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom High School who spent several weeks in spring of 2022 writing, sharing, and collaborating as they found new ways to share themselves and their stories, reflecting on themes of community, resistance, identity, and more. You will find writing that’s brave, bold, and vulnerable. You will find writing that will make you laugh, cry, and sing. And you will find a reason to keep reading on every page.

Proceeds from the sale of this book benefit 826NYC, a nonprofit organization encouraging the exploration of endless possibilities through the power of writing.