the youth

the underestimated and undermined constantly being told to hide away to ignore the world around due to the lack of compreherence little do they know we are aware of the poison consuming our community this poison corrupting our school system with limited resources and harsh punishments corruption of societal views of discrimination towards the color of each other’s skin - the violence of the streets creating a fear of isolation the separation of immigrant families establishing forever broken homes this is only a small portion of what is meant to be kept a secret from the youth these are ultimately what affect us the most we should not be silenced or ignored we are fghting for what we believe in what we know to be humanly fair and just our passion to see change roars louder than generations before us we fight and do not give up even when change occurs we demand it stays in we are the youth of america

by alexis zuniga

1. Kitchen our salty embrace like a dance while the toast is burning on the other side of the room. but we don’t care, comfort is all we know.

3. Concerts

the moment the lights went dim i knew this moment was meant for us the bass took over our pulses our bodies had no leftover space to fit our tears so we let them fall i realize now that we have a relationship like a pitchy song catchy, but cant hit the high notes we were different people when we walked out that night sweaty and full of memory you tell me of my worth while millions of blades of dry grass pass us by. waiting, yearning for a spark. i don’t remember where you said we’re going my window is down i can’t help but feel guilty for everything, i don’t know i tell you what’s clogging my veins and you ask me “can you feel the wind?” i can’t feel it i can’t feel anything anymore

4.

Dining Room

that night you showed me all of the pain that caused your heart to ache in this way i know the way they took the way they took your utensils and you starved i’m sorry for what i’ve done forgive me forgive me for what I’ll do how cruel of god to give you too much heart and too much to bear im sorry—im so sorry i will eat the food you make me i am doing this for you.

by isabella porras