Kepner Beacon Middle School Speaks! Vol. 4 CafĂŠ Cultura Community Speaks Project #52 Youth in Telling Our Stories Program
Kepner Beacon Middle School Speaks! Vol. 4 Copyright Š 2018 by Youth in Telling Our Stories Program All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the author.
To the amazing, fun, and energetic class at Kepner! This book is for you! It is one of the many amazing things you will create in your wonderful lives. You are all so intelligent and creative. We hope you continue to express yourself. #CafeCultura #XpressYourself #TellingOurStories
Acknowledgments Thank you to staff at Kepner Beacon MS for working with us to provide your students a space for them to express themselves and tell their stories. Special thank you to the young poets for pushing yourself to be powerful. Remember: “It is our responsibility and choice to express ourselves and lift our voice, together building unity, leaders in our community. This is how we tell our stooorrrryyyy!�
Foreword It was a privilege to partner with Kepner Beacon Middle School for a second quarter this school year in offering our poetry enrichment. We used our “Telling Our Stories” curriculum to guide students in writing insightful poems about how they see the world. Their potential is limitless. We look forward to staying connected, as they develop into the leaders we need. Enjoy and share their words! For those who do not know about our organization: Café Cultura is an award-winning arts, culture, and youth development organization in Denver that promotes unity and healing among Indigenous peoples through creative expression while empowering youth to find their voice, reclaim oral and written traditions, and become leaders in their communities. Café Cultura has been providing positive, creative, and engaging community spaces for the Denver metropolitan area for more than thirteen years. After the passing of respected elder and veteran poet Abelardo “Lalo” Delgado, we accepted responsibility to continue using our oral and written traditions to provide opportu-nities for creative expression often not offered in schools or in the larger community. Café Cultura also drew inspiration from the movement connecting Indigenous people from throughout the Americas. We use creative expression to unify people representing southern Indigenous nations, known by terms such as “Chicana/o” and “Latina/o,” with those Natives of northern nations, referred to as “American Indian” or “Native American.”5 Café Cultura hosts one of the best open mic venues in the Denver metropolitan area, and the only space focused on family and youth. We also conduct highly engaging and culturally relevant spoken word/poetry workshops for underserved youth throughout Colorado. Café Cultura partners with select organizations and schools to facilitate an intensive workshop series, publish youth
poetry, and organize participant showcases. In an effort to develop young leaders within our community, we also coordinate a youth leadership program for Indigenous youth. If you or your organization is interested in collaborating, feel free to contact us. For more information about our open mic events, workshops, youth leadership program, and other programs: www.cafecultura.org info@cafecultura.org 720-460-9203
Table of Contents A Latina in this World by Erika ...........................................................1 Life is Like Running by Keri ................................................................3 Familia by Francisco ..............................................................................4 The Day Will Come by Brandon .........................................................5 Let's Start Off by Johanna ....................................................................6 My World by Marlene............................................................................7 I Come From by Isaac ...........................................................................8 The Journey by Melanie V. ................................................................ 10 Mi Cuidad by Luis ............................................................................... 11 To Veronica RIP by Vanessa ............................................................ 12 I Will Always Remember by Melanie M. ......................................... 13 El George by Salvador ....................................................................... 15 The Black Hole by Erika .................................................................... 16 We Will Never Forget Her by Keri .................................................. 17 Yo Soy by Francisco ........................................................................... 19 My Love by Johanna ........................................................................... 21 The Bright Light by Brandon ............................................................ 23 Hola by Marlene .................................................................................. 24 Para Mi Mama by Luis........................................................................ 25 The Adventure by Isaac ..................................................................... 26 Memories by Melanie N. .................................................................... 27 El Collar Dorado by Vanessa ............................................................ 29 Music of Life by Melanie N. .............................................................. 30
Elements by Erika ............................................................................... 31 Fortnite by Francisco .......................................................................... 32 Colors by Brandon .............................................................................. 33 The Things That Make Me Happy by Johanna............................... 34 I Am by Keri ........................................................................................ 35 My Friends by Marlene ....................................................................... 36
A Latina in this World by Erika I am Latina and come from a world of wonders. I look in the mirror, and see a sassy, funny girl who likes making people smile and laugh. In my dreams, I imagine my friends and family with faces full of smiles. I am Latina. I cry when anger comes to me, and the hot, steamy tears hit me. But my friends make me laugh. My love for my culture feels like I am part of the pride of my people. I am Latina. It is unfair that people tell me things they do not even do. I feel angry when people talk crap to me, and say untruthful things. If I could change one thing, it would be style, because I want to express myself to the world. I am Erika Saucedo Juarez. I will never forget the feeling of the wind. I will never forget the views of the city or how I felt
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when I put my two feet on the wire. I felt like a rebel. I felt like a real person. I danced like no one was watching. When I got on the edge of the roof, I could see the graceful city, the quiet horses, the stores, and the cars. At the end of the day, it was pretty. I am arroz con leche. Me, Arroz, I come from the grains and my friend leche comes from the udders of cows. Sometimes we like to add a little spice to our friendship, and that is where cinnamon comes in. Cinnamon comes from the bark of a tree. Together, our friendship became stronger. We made people happy, and their taste buds go crazy.
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Life is Like Running by Keri Life is like feet on the ground running in different directions. Then, you run out of breath. You stop and relax. Then, you keep running forward to where you want to be. When you are almost there, your legs give out, and you have to sit down. You are almost out of time, but you run as fast as you can towards your goal. Then, bam‌ you just learned to crawl.
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Familia by Francisco La familia es lo más importante para tu vida como tus papas. Tu mama te da la vida. Tu papa ayuda a tu mama y nos da lo que necesitamos. Los abuelos siempre cuentan las mejores historias, empezando con “cuando yo era pequeño." Tus primos también son importantes. Con ellos, siempre te puedes divertir casi como hermanos, siempre a jugar! Pero nadie es igual que tus hermanos, los que más te quieren. Y si algo pasa y te quedas solo, tus hermanos te cuidarán. Si no ellos, tal vez tus tíos y tías. Por esto y muchas razones más, la familia es lo más importante!
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The Day Will Come by Brandon The day finally came, candies everywhere, balloons everywhere. It was like I was in party land. I come from my mom. I am a baby of pride. When I was a little boy, every time I looked in the mirror, I saw a baby who was skinny. I come from my momma and. I have my dad as my dad. If I get in trouble, I get a good whooping. Not a day goes by that I do not think about my dad in Ohio. Every day he encourages me to become a better kid throughout life and throughout school. If anything happens to my family, I would get hot like a jalapeno. I cry like after somebody winning those TV game shows. The fire in me fills up in my life when you hear the song and you sing to it.
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Let's Start Off by Johanna Let's start off with me. I am a happy girl who loves being a girl! It is unfair that boys get paid more for doing the same things we do! I spend a lot of my time at the Boys & Girls Club. I love the club because it is a safe place and you could do whatever you want. You can be yourself! I love school. I learned so much. In enrichment class I write poetry. I find my voice with Mr. Jozer It is so fun and interesting. He is so fun. That is why I chose this class! When this class is over, I will thank him and will miss this class.
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My World by Marlene I am Marlene. and come from The Boys and Girls Club. I will always remember the games and art. I will never forget reading the amazing books they have. I love my shoes because my dad and mom work hard for them. I use my shoes to walk and run. I use my shoes every single day. I am a daughter from my mom. I come from my mom’s stomach. I will always remember how my mom cooks, how she laughs, and how she smiles. I am the eye that sees everything. I come from a human eye. I will always remember how I saw in the first sight, when I was born. I will never forget how I blinked and was able to see.
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I Come From by Isaac I come from friends who comfort me. I am an awkward person who stands out. I will always remember when I went to Keri’s house and the smell of cat litter, the touch of a couch to watch TV. I will never forget the way we laughed so hard, it hurt. I am Nutella! I like to eat myself. I come from a jar of creamy chocolatiness. I will always remember the way I let free a chocolate smell, happiness, and smiles when eaten. I will never forget my love for myself and others around me. I am a rainbow fairy boy and come from an LGBT family. I look in the mirror and see a boy figure. In my dreams, I imagine myself getting shots and surgery to become a boy. I am an awkward trans. I cry when people use the wrong pronouns of my name, but friends and family
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make me laugh. My love for LGBT feels like the world is a safe place. I am pansexual. It is unfair that people get judged because of their sexuality. I feel angry when I do not get treated the same. If I could change one thing, it would be to make me a boy. I am a rainbow fairy boy. I am the pride that people get when dating the same gender. I come from the sound of the letters LGBT. I will always remember the way my grandmas and cousins would look at each other and feel love for each other. And I will never forget the colors of all sexuality flags and the happiness I felt inside of me.
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The Journey by Melanie V. Life is like a journey. I start at a certain place, and end at a certain time, but it is not easy. Sometimes, you have to go through different obstacles on your way, like rumors, drama, and not believing in yourself.
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Mi Cuidad by Luis Mi ciudad es la mejor! Estar sin ella es un desafío porque ahí, viví toda mi vida. Deje a mis mejores amistades. Ahí están en el mejor lugar del mundo, un lugar donde puedes cumplir tus sueños, y aun seguir soñando Ahí, los estudiantes le echan todas las ganas, igual que sus papás cuando trabajan para darnos lo que queremos. Siempre me acordare las noches cuando disfrutamos todos, pasando un rato juntos. A mi gente no les importa lo malo. No les hacen caso a los críticos sobre nuestros defectos. A nosotros, nos importa que seas una buena persona. Ellos quieren cambiar el mundo como yo! Siempre damos lo mejor de sí mismo, siempre asegurando que los demás se sientan bien y cómodos. Nos gusta ayudar. Somos Duranguenses, muy buenos ejemplos para el resto del mundo!
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To Veronica RIP by Vanessa I use to have a friend. But she was not just a friend to me. She was like a sister. She was different from others with her smile, her perfect life, her kindness, her curiosity for everything, and most of all, her love. Her love was powerful and strange in the eyes of others. But then, we split apart when we moved to schools. I just wish I could tell her: I am sorry that I could not get to know you as well as I wanted to. I am sorry I was not there for you. I am still learning to love. But for now, I will have to say goodbye. Until we meet again.
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I Will Always Remember by Melanie M. I will always remember this one picture with my brothers, sister, and me because I never get to see them. This picture reminds me of them. It brings me joy. I only get to see them once a month because I live with my grandma. I like it. I will never forget the day when I got my bracelet when I was little. It was silver, and it had my name on it. But then, it broke. I was so sad because my padrinos were the ones who gave it to me. I really miss my bracelet because my nina died. I will never forget when they gave me a blanket that has my name on it I am Shakira. I helped African Americans who needed education, helping them with food as well. I will always remember that day when I helped African Americans. I will never forget how I felt about myself
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when I helped people who needed help in education. When I went to Africa, I sang a song about how Africa is. I will always remember my abuelita’s house. She has the good Mexican smell when she cooks delicious Mexican food. It has that smell that reminds me of my family.
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El George by Salvador I am George. I am a whale. I cannot swim. Goodbye uglies. Ha! I am back. Goodbye again.
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The Black Hole by Erika My life is like a freaking black hole. Let me tell you why. When I am sad, mad, depressed, or angry, I do not see color. I see pitch black. I do not see a window, or a door. I see nothing. I see a room full of nothing that you cannot escape from. But at the end of the day, there will be someone to help you from that black room.
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We Will Never Forget Her by Keri I will never forget the day when I heard the most tragic news, the news that changed my life. Valentine's Day is supposed to be filled with Love and happiness, right? Well, my Valentine's Day was filled with guilt and despair because that was the day I heard my friend died. I know this, she was right above me and I did not help her. I know that I could have said something to the kids who went face-to-face with her and told her to kill herself. Sometimes, words seem powerless and you can block them from having an effect on you. But sometimes, you can't. Sometimes, heart breaks hurt worse than broken bones. Some people cannot understand. She was only 11 years old Still, she was worn out from life and went into internal darkness. But that darkness
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is comforting and she is happy now. We will never forget her. She will forever live in our hearts.
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Yo Soy by Francisco Yo soy la Virgen de Guadalupe. Yo la cuido como mi mama. Ella fue la que nos ayudó a tener la vida como dios. Yo me acuerdo que mi abuela me llevara el catecismo, y la iglesia. Ella es una de las personas mas importantes. Yo soy soccer. Yo me acuerdo cuando yo y mis primos jugábamos mucho. Me divierte mucho. Es mi deporte favorito. Me encanta. Nunca me olvidare de esos días. A mí me gusta mucho cantar. Me gusta ver fotos de me abuelito Siempre me voy a acordar cómo se vestía, y como baila. Me gusta mucho como es. Me agradan sus canciones. Me recuerdan mucho de chiquito. Yo soy México. Yo me acuerdo las carreteras con tierra, y también algunas de cemento. Nunca me olvidaré que nos dejaban salir a todas partes. También me acuerdo
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que yo y mis amigas jugábamos soccer o a los quemados con un pelota. Me divertía mucho. Nunca me olvidaré de ese tiempo. Un día de estos, los podre ver de nuevo. Ellos fueron mis primeros amigos. Yo soy mango. Nunca me olvidaré cuando mi abuela me dio por primera vez un mango. Siempre me acordare cuando me dio esa fruta sabrosa. Yo soy de México. Siempre me acuerdo que mi abuela cada día que iba a trabajar me traía mangos con chile, bien buenos.
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My Love by Johanna I wear clothes to keep me warm and not stay cold. I stay warm like my family. I love clothes. I am the eye that sees everything, even when they turn off the light. I am the eye that sees people walk, run, talk, eat. I am the eye. I am the eye. I am a daughter from my mom and dad. I love them so much, like they love me. I remember my mom and dad cook. They help me feel better when I am sad. I am from my grandma’s house. I come from a house with three rooms. It is crowded, but I am always happy. I enjoy being with them. I will always remember how my other siblings and I fight. But we will always love each other, like brothers and sisters do. I will never forget being with my family and loving them like always.
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I love my family and siblings. I am glad to have my life. I am a girl who loves food. I come from a kitchen full of chile rellenos and mole. I will always remember their delicious taste. I will never forget the time my family came and my grandma made lots of food. My favorite was chile rellenos and mole. I am the love of my family, and come from a beautiful colorful city. I look in the mirror and see a successful girl who wants to be a doctor in the future. In my dreams, I imagine having my birthday every day and living in a big house. I am a girl who likes life and family. I cry when I think about my uncle and auntie who died, but my friends and family make me laugh. My love for my dad and mom feels like the love of my life.
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The Bright Light by Brandon I open my eyes. I see a bright light. At first, I thought I was the baby Jesus. But when I held my eyes fully open, I realized I was in the real world. In my mind, I wish I just went back where I was, doing backflips, and taking very, very long naps without anyone watching me. But I lived in a family of 7. I could not really do anything besides letting my ears explode in my mind. That’s before I was born, trusting my memory coming back piece by piece. Today, I am just a normal boy with a dream to become an astronaut. My life is never a straight line. There will always be bumps in my life. but I like my life how it is. That is all I can ask for.
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Hola by Marlene Hola, yo soy Marlene. I love the Boys & Girls Club The Boys & Girls Club is always so fun. Sometimes they have parties for us and movie nights! We have a dance! There are always so many people and we all feel safe. We get to make art and crafts. It is a good place for kids to be at after school. This is my home away from home!
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Para Mi Mama by Luis Este poema se lo dedico a mi mama porque me quiere, me lavo mi ropa, me cuida, se preocupa por me, y me hace de comer. También porque me dio la vida y me da lo que quiero. Es muy importante para mi Mi celular es lo más importante porque me hace sentir cosas que nadie ha hecho ni hará. Me divierte. Mi foto significa mucho porque me costó trabajo editarla con 2 aplicaciones. Me la tomé en mi cuarto. Es mía. La tomé una noche en un jueves a las 12:30 am.
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The Adventure by Isaac Well, here we go on I guess a sad adventure through words, feelings, and actions. But no, this is going to at least try and be happy, like my dreams are on cloud 9. Or I laugh until it hurts, but that is the thing: laughter can hurt. There are different kinds of laughter, the one that makes you cry until you are dry cold, or the laughter that hurts. You see, happiness is not complete without sadness. It is the glory of feeling. They need each other.
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Memories by Melanie N. I come from my mom’s hard work. I remember she always tells me to work hard in order to be able to pursue my dreams. I will always remember how she works so hard for my sisters and me. I come from a beautiful gold necklace. It reminds me of my nina who I do not see often. I will never forgot the time she gave it to me, and why. If I ever lost my beloved necklace, I would cry. I come from my gold beautiful necklace. I come from my family’s rancho in Mexico. I will always remember how we would try different types of foods we had never tried. I will never forget my family smiling, and how the ice cream would melt in my mouth. I am Mesillas. I will always remember kids running around, the food, and how we would never be home. I come from a small rancho where my dad was born. I will never forget the aroma of food I used to smell every time I went outside.
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I will always remember when we would eat all day and always come home late. I use to play cards and games with my cousins at night.
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El Collar Dorado by Vanessa Mi dorado collar es la Ăşnica joya en mi vida que me hace sentir a Salvo y segura en salir. Siempre me voy a recordar de mi prima, la Juguetona. Ella es la que me hace reĂr, mi gemela, con la que me bautizaron.
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Music of Life by Melanie N. Life is like singing and dancing. It makes me happy. Dancing makes me happy. When I listen to music, it makes me happy. Life is like singing and dancing because in my family, we always sing and dance. It brings back memories of when I was dancing with my sisters. I never get to see my sisters. It was fun when we were dancing.
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Elements by Erika Water Air Fire Earth These four elements combined represent my tierra, Mexico!
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Fortnite by Francisco A mí me gusta mucho fornite porque me gusta romper muros. Tienes que sobrevivir para que tus enemigos no te atacan. También puedes hacer tus fortalezas, o puedes hacer a tus equipos y amigos. Puedes encontrar cofres. En esos cofres, te dan cosas interesantes. Puedes bailar en el juego. Eso me gusta del juego. También puedes poner tran. Este juego es como la vida real. En la vida, si tuberías enemigos, puedes hacer tus amigos. Puedes hacer tu casa, y te dan cosas interesante.
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Colors by Brandon I go by many names: White boy, Guero, sometimes even white chocolate People forget that I am a living person, not just a color. My skin tone might be different from other people. Everybody has differences. I may be white but other people have to struggle with being other colors as well. Even my family, brothers, sisters, cousins, call me these names. But they do not know how it can hurt to hear those words every day I am more than the color of my skin!
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The Things That Make Me Happy by Johanna I like my life because I love all my family, friends, pets, teachers, and life. When I am sad, my family or friends make me feel better. I love volleyball. Volleyball is my life, sometimes it hits the floor, and sometimes it goes in the air. I love pink every day. I feel like the world is full of pink. I love the store pink. I love everything there. I love watermelon. When I see watermelon, I eat it all. I love my life.
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I Am by Keri I am IHOP. I make families come together to create memories. I make food with spices of love. I will be remembered by serving hot and ready dishes, waiting to be eaten. After I close up, they will never forget me. I am a burrito with melted cheese on top of the soft tortilla. I come from my mother's delicate hands. I will never forget the moment when the bite was taken out of me, filling up who ever took it.
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My Friends by Marlene I like my friends and family. I love hanging with my friends, playing volleyball. I love watching the ball go up, and down in the air.