I am
the prisoner of my own mind
a poet waiting to be free
by words and paper
I am
the solid shield of a turtle
that no one can break with words
I am
the bird that sings
but no one understands me
I am
the orange that waits to be eaten
by a person who is patient
waiting until I am as sweet as honey.

– Christiam Morales
From the 2008 WritersCorps book “Mangos Have No Borders” at Mission High School

Poem of the Month: May 2008

The spring will begin
And the flowers will grow again
Winter goes away

Freezing winds disappear
While sun decides to show up
No umbrellas now

Great streets decorated
And the flowers in the park
Spring is here now

No colds anymore
And spring break took place
At last some relax

People are happy
Going new places for fun
Spring fills us up

– Stephanie Hoi
From the WritersCorps book “Poetry By Numbers” at International Studies Academy

Poem of the Month: April 2008

More photos of fruit taken by our students at Mission High School. Beautiful! To see this set on flickr, go here.

WritersCorps artist-in-residence Katharine Gin visited Cindy Je’s class at Mission High School on February 21, 2008 to teach students photography. As you can see, their work bore fruit. To see these photos on flickr, go here.

Where you from?
What’s that set you claim?
You gon rep it until the death?
Or til the gunshots rang?
You gon love it even after you right hand get slain?
Yeah it’s fire in yo eyes but do you still feel pain?
You gon try a legal hustle or you gon jus sell Kane?
Boo you got knowledge past yo years
Why you don’t use yo brain?
I guess you think cuz I’m a woman I ain’t laced wit game?
You at an awkward disposition while you on the corner pitchin
But baby boy is you 4 getting that yo gurl home alone wishin?
And you fate is in the distance servin a long prison sentence
Because yo palms won’t stop itchin you gon be lyin in a ditch
&
If you wonder how I know call it
Woman’s intuition

– Sharel Miller
From Poetic Justice, a WritersCorps publication at Ida B. Wells High School

Poem of the Month: March 2008