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Kids' Poetry  Archive

Memories
By a Hillsides Child, age 15

Days are warm.
Nights are cool.
Shivers go down my body.
Will I survive?
Yes I will.
Because I am very strong and smart.
Demons come and god fights them away.
He also says he loves me and everyone
Else in the world.
My bones are weak but I am not even close to being weak.
I stay alive each day with a smile and confidence, and strength.
I fight for my life and beliefs.
I cry day and night but I realized I am stronger than that.
So I pray for love and faith.
Is heaven real?
I wish day and night that I will see my father
But I know he does not care or love me.
I will not spend my life looking for someone who does not love or think of me.
And I am so proud that I am finally free from my pain that I had my whole life.

Unknown Reflection
By Fernando Diaz
(Los Angeles Unified School District AWAC Program)

Who is that? That stands before me I think I recognize him, but it
couldn't be who I think it is for the boy I once knew had so much happiness
and love in him, so much that one can keep inside. His bright eyes brought such
joy to others, so he thought. And the one who stands before me wants to
destroy everything that come upon him. His gloomy eyes bring sudden
impulse of terror to his victims and he hates the earth and everything in it, he
feels this way because there is no other way to feel when all you most loved
and live for was taking away from you, not once not twice but three times
and you have nothing more to love and there is to much that time cannot
erase. Love he cannot find for his heart does not have the ability to receive
nor to give. His heart is like the night so cold and like the shadows so life
less and degrees not knowing what to expect from the deep dark spot that
oozes from the comer of your eyes. He took before in kindness he will take
forever in vengeance. Who is that boy that stands before me oh yea it's me.

Dreams
By Mario Rocha
(Central Juvenile Hall)

I may not be free to do many things but nothing can stop me from having these dreams:
Dreams of going to college and obtaining an education that will help me achieve my aspirations
Dreams of becoming the famous Chicano writer, M. Rocha, and one day writing a play that will change someone's life
Dreams of writing movies that will help society understand "the barrio" and let them see the realities of "street life"
Dreams of counseling and being there for a troubled child
Dreams of delivering the Good News of our Lord to those in need
Dreams of spending a whole day with my family and treasuring every single moment
Dreams of being out there to be the uncle that my nephews, Carlitos and Li'l Danny, need
Dreams of enjoying the life of an average eighteen year old
Dreams of listening to some "Zeppelin" in my Kenwood stereo system, making the whole house vibrate with intensity
Dreams of holding a girl in my arms, sharing a warm and loving feeling
Dreams of waking up at home and not in here
Dreams of using this talent which I have found to connect people of all races and classes
Dreams of living these dreams
Dreams of freedom.

Reflection
By Demond N. (aka Poetic Romeo)
(Camp Karl Holton}

White walls.
Green doors.
Table made out
of melt.
Hard rough floor.
Doing thing they tell you to.
Who? You say
is they?
The System!
Locked up in
rooms.
Sleeping on board
beds. Eating when
they till you to eat.
Going to the restroom
whey they say. Going
to bed when they
say.
Who is they?
The System!

When I grow up
By Alexis G.
(Keniston House)

When I grow up I wonder if people will be more afraid to cry
than they are to die.
Will I be able to see a rainbow in a small field sky?
Will there be any trees alive?
If not how will we survive?
Will the internet have a web site at www.lifetime air supply.
When I grow up, if I get bored and there's nothing to do,
and me and my daughter build a canoe
out of water that used to be blue,
but now is so polluted it would give us the flu.
Will a thousand dollars be enough for a shoe?
Will I have to be like you,
letting money make every decision about everything that I do.

When I grow up, will the existence of dolphins and whales
just be another story I tell?
Starting with "Once upon a time" and ending with "Where did we fail?"
Will schools be next door to a jail?
Will the truth be illegal to sell?

When I grow up, will anyone be on the news for anything besides killing?
Will those drug dealers still be standing outside of my building?
Will they ever learn love or stay afraid of the feeling?
Will TV and videos still raise America's children?

When I grow up will innocent kids still be wrongfully touched?
Will students ride home in a bullet-proof bus?
What if children had no one to trust?
That would hurt me so much.
And I want to be happy when I grow up.

The Battle
By J. Shell
(Central Juvenile Hall)

Why must this happen to me?
For what reason, I can no longer see.
Is it He who lies inside of me?
Or just a battle that has taken its place inside of me?
All my life I have let the ignorance prevail.
Yet it has gotten me nothing. But a battle between freedom & jail.
When I choose to sell my soul for something less than that of gold.
It left me wondering empty, and hungry in the cold.
But now that I wish to start the war.
The battle gains more strength. And faces the war. With that of a insane roar.
It has great power. Yet I fight on. I now refuse to do wrong.
But from within I hear its war song. Raging on. Raging on.....
I will not let Him prevail.
Because it will not be my soul, again in which I sell.
It's no longer about me. I have created a life. In which is apart of me.
Please God can't you see. I have let the bad one purchase me.
I must conquer my fears, an release all tears.
Because my suffering throughout the years. Must end here!!!
I hear the battle continue. Yet I feel my cue.
My forces have fallen through. I have conquered you.
I will not let you live.
Because you have nothing to give.
But suffering & tears. So here' to the bad times.
I have gained my life back for what looks like a dime.
To those of you, who can feel the war of your spirit take its toll. Hold on and be strong...

Lost Tears
By Fernando Diaz
(Los Angeles Unified School District, AWAC Program)

The more I try the more I die I can't live this life any more, I
remember everything maybe that's why I'm so sad all the time. I remember
when you said that we'll always be best of friends, but now I find my self
crying in the dark all alone, all alone I talk to you in my head I have a
pitcher of you when you was, when you were my best friend for all those
years I blame my self for loosing you and me too. I love you more now that
your gone, no one can't ever replace what you gave to me and what you
gave is all I have. You were my friend you were my brother I hate my self
for never telling you. I just want to go back where I was, I was so happy, I
just want to go back where I was, I was so happy. I wish that you could see
me now I'm disturbed, I'm a better person because all, no I won't tell them
your name I'll keep you inside forever more. Cause I just want to go were I
was, I was happy. I'll never forget I'll never meet anther friend like you
again, and if I know why your gone why do I keep on asking why. There is
no blame only regret please forgive me my best friend......

My Mask
By Darrian Trenise White
(Kenniston Group Home)

I have a million masks
I wear a mask
to hide what I really feel
inside.

I hide my feelings
so I won't have to show
everyone my true feelings.

My masks are important to me.
I don't go out of the house without wearing my mask.

Sometimes I don't want to wear my mask.
But I always do anyway.

Untitled
By Gideon
(Central Juvenile Hall)

The crowd is cheering shoot shoot
the ball just barely missed the hoop
the 24 second clock winds down
the bull are in there home town
the score is 24 to 28
If the game goes in to overtime we will be home late
Now the game is now finally tied
Look at Michael Jordan glide.
Off in the air I see him go.
Oh look he took off from the Free throw
Now he slam the ball in the hoop
Now the score is 88 to 82
the bulls are in the lead
Five up that bag of tweed
the bull have one the championship
and Michael Jordan dislocated his hip

Breathless
By Samantha B.
(Mid-Valley Youth Center)

I became breathless when you went away.
Especially when I saw your car in flames.
How could this be.
I was terrified, panicky.
I traced back all the memories we once had.
And how my life now had came to be so sad.
My life was torn.
I was all alone.
I wanted to find the person who did it.
But if I did that, I'd be little use 'cuz I'd be with you.
'Til this day I still suffer.
What should I do?
Should I continue or
should I end it?
I feel if I could just see you
my life would be splendid.

Lifetime of Metamorphosis
By John H.
(Mid-Valley Youth Center)

Forever in our lives we are constantly changing
We are vigilant in our preparation for life's many tests
At times we notice faults in ourselves and we do some mental rearranging
Despite our faults we persevere on our journey for success
Many times in life despite our veracity, integrity or intention
We might be labeled bad even though there exists no perfection on Earth
It is through these times that we are confident and ignore dissension
We struggle ever onward because we have an immense self worth
With love and commitment to all whom we enamor
With a positive attitude even through periods of strife
With a deeper connection to people rather than superficial obsession with glamour
We learn we are all the same, created by God, destined to succeed in life

It's So Hard
By Darrian Trenise White
(Kenniston Group Home)

It's so hard to say "I love you", and not draw back in tears,
It's so hard to know that you're not there to help me face my fears,
It's so hard to know the phones at reach, but I cannot hear your voice,
It's so hard to know that this time breaking up was my choice.
It's so hard to see you laughing when I'm crying deep inside,
It's so hard to just find feelings and now have to make them hide.
It's so hard to live without you, when I need you more then words,
To want to scream how much I love you, but know the words are hidden deep inside me.
It's so hard to go to sleep at night when I cannot dream of you,
It's so hard to think that you might fall in love, with someone new.
It's so hard not to start crying when I hear you're favorite song,
It's so hard to sit and wonder, where did I go wrong?
It's so hard to live without you, if I only would have known.
I will never love another, I would rather be alone.

Visions
By Mario Rocha
(Central Juvenile Hall)

Poverty remains in the palm of our hands
Which utterly destroys the face of our Motherland
A vision comes to life that makes me wanna holler
I see Mexicanos killing and stealing for a dollar
I also have visions of the outcome of my past
Which has me thinking, damn, how long will this last?
When I reflect on all the "frios" I've smoked and all the times that I've gazed into a flame
I thank God 'cause I still have hope - I thank God 'cause I'm not insane
I often drift off and think of all the unjust sufferings that we have received from "Society"
These prejudice Governors have caused us so much pain, misery, and anxiety
It's bad enough they want to throw us in a cage
But now they want to execute us at an early age
Should I die because I made a mistake?
Or should I receive a chance and rehabilitate?
Man, what a shame!
They are turning my life into a game
A game I'm not ready to begin
A game, that no matter how hard I try, I just cannot win
3 strikes and I'm out
Damn, this vision makes me wanna shout!
I have laid down my life and put down my gun
I've opened my eyes to see that I am the one
The one with potential, the one with knowledge
The one with the essentials to make it to college
The one with a scheme
The one with a dream
The one with a vision of getting treated equal
And one day helping my Mexican people

Cereal Without Milk
By Chennel S.
(South Central)

You make me feel like
cereal without milk
So dry unloving
not too
great
to be
touched like this.
My words
or a lot more guiding
there's
sweet
milk in your
heart that's hiding.
(Something has to change)
In my
heart is serial.
In your heart is milk.
When will yours ever
be spilt
You make me feel
cereal with out milk

"Don't be discouraged by the worries that innocence brings."
- Quote by: Nathaniel Hall

A Precious Child's Life
By J. Shell
(Central Juvenile Hall)

Eyes so burning bright-bright with light;
That they're like wax-candles glistening,
Flicking ethereally against the black carpet,
of vengeful night's.
Eyes-eyes burning bright with the light, of a exuberating life.
The light-the light of eternal life...
Yet this burning bright light,
Has yet to start its journey-the journey of its own life.
But I can feel-feel its yearning,
As it rises, with the early-the earliest of morning.
The yearning, burning deep-deep within the soul,
Yet this hunger is not for food-food or gold.
But is for his hungry soul;
For the soul, was once foretold:
To be the leader and the feeder,
For those who truly wish to,
feed their hungry soul.
'Tis only life that can extinguish-extinguish,
This hungry soul. Not food, not gold;
Which has no hold on this famished soul.
So as the quest of the Hungary soul begins,
And eyes light goes through life;
Mistakenly excepting strife into,
Its once exuberating life.
The hunger of its soul shall slowly-slowly subside.
And then death ...
And so goes a precious child's life,
an so goes, an so goes ...

To Be Free
Anonymous Writer
(Juvenile Hall)

To be free inside
To be free outside
Nature is so beautiful
but we destroy it with our cries
When will we realize
that God is the creator
The creator of the inside
The creator of the outside
Everything is so perfect and beautiful
but again when will we realize
That we are the bad guys
That's polluting our skies
We're so blind that we're polluting
our own body's and don't realize

Poems by Orlando Create Now! students Paul B., José S., and Brad S., were published in the October 2006 issue of "Between The Lines," an online student literary magazine sponsored by The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).

The New Year
By Thomas M.
(Center for Drug-Free Living, Orlando)

It's the new year
This is my year
My year to change
My year to have
The year to make relationships
And to mend the broken ones
I'm gonna' do new things
Going to school, but staying in school
Loving my family
Instead of ignoring them
Realizing the things I've done
People that I've hurt
Now it's time to accept it
Change it!
And move on with it
This will be my best year
My favorite year
And hopefully not my last year

Pain
By Samantha
(Mid-Valley Youth Center)

Oh how it hurts!
All this pain inside of me.
I don't know what to do.
I feel like nobody.
Why'd I have to get locked up?
All these problems.
All these feelings.
Sometimes I wish I was never born
so I could of saved my mom all this pain
This hurt I have,
why cant it all go away?
I feel so weak.
Why is nothing going my way?
I want it to, for a change.
My insides hurt.
All these tears.
Going through all this pain.
All these years,
my soul's on fire.
My heart needs desire.
I feel empty,
lost, trapped in a box.
Why can't it just go away.
All this hurt and pain.
The memories I have.
All the dreadful days
that have past,
it all went by so fast.
I feel like screaming
at the top of my lungs,
in order to have someone
hear me out,
but I cannot shout.
Only because I have no voice.
Then again it's my choice.
I'm sad, I'm blue.
What should I do?
I care for people too much sometimes
and they take advantage.
They seem to take my feelings for granted.
I can't stand it.
Maybe I shouldn't be so nice
but in the long run
I'll pay the price.

Time Will Tell
By J. Shell
(Central Juvenile Hall)

Does it matter if I live or die?
Will family members and friends, gather to cry?
I awake every morning wondering if my life is worth living.
Not knowing, I thank God for these days given. Daily I'm living.
Not knowing when it will cease. But yet I find myself longing to be with the deceased.
Yet I grit my teeth against life and its increase.
One of my own.
Yet He will come to find out, that He is here alone.
Will He do as I have done? Or will He feel my pain? And take the chance,
to do nothing but advance.
Only time will tell. Will He embrace the streets?
Or will He learn to live on His own two feet?
Time will tell. And I shall prevail, and live to see what the streets have to say ...

Mother
By Amanda M.
(Mid-Valley Youth Center)

A mother is someone who takes care of you,
Deals with you for months straight.
A mother is there to help you with your problems,
When you have them.
She's not there to criticize you.
She's there to support you whenever you're in need.
If she didn't love you at all,
She wouldn't try to help you with your needs and problems.
Sometimes I think about why I just couldn't listen to her and go to school.
And maybe I wouldn't be in the situation I am now.
A mother doesn't need you to be perfect.
She just wants you to be as good as you can be at times.
Why did I have to do the things I did?
Why didn't I just go to school and then do my "DIRT" as mama used to say?

My Voice Echoes
By Mario Rocha
(Soledad State Prison)

Locked inside a chamber of infinite darkness,
The young man cries out in great despair.
Amidst the night, I listen to him scream;
For his voice echoes vigorously
As the sound of distant thunder,
And his words stab deeply into my soul.
I envision him,
A faceless young man,
Engulfed in perfect darkness,
Crawling in confusion and gasping in fear.
He searches frantically for the light.
The light that can deliver him out of the chamber,
The light that can illuminate his face.
To unveil his innocence, his shattered soul.
Yelling with passion
He cries hysterically
A scream that ignites the flame of my
Spirit
And enables me to feel the essence of the freedom
That he longs for.
But his voice suddenly dissolves
Unto the piercing silence of the night.
And the young man is locked inside the chamber
His voice echoing in my
Soul
Forevermore.

Just A Man
By Brad S.
(The Center for Drug-free Living's Adolescent Residential Campus; Intercession City, Florida)

Why is it that when you look at me
You see a white man? It's obvious, probably.
Why can't you see a man?
When I look at you, I see a man.
Not a black man, but a man.
Why do we have to be so different?
Because of color. That's not a good reason.
You push me away for your own prejudice.
I want to know why you always blame me for your problems.
I did not do anything to you.
You hate me for no apparent reason.
I look to be your friend. But I cannot be your friend.
Because you won't let me.
It's not about color, race, or anything.
We are the same. We are both men.
Men who have seen the same sights.
Men who bleed the same blood.
But because you see me as different
That keeps you closed off to a new friend.
For no reason at all, you see me as the bad guy.
Why? I want to know the answer.
You say it is me that put you down.
But it wasn't.
You think I know nothing about you.
But I know about you. More than you think
Because I'm not like these other people.
I am not ignorant, prejudiced, or mean or cruel.
Nor am I hateful to you as a person.
I want only to be a friend by you.
Not an enemy.
So please!
When you see me, see a man. Just a man.
Your equal.
And especially a friend.

On Nights Like This While Rain Drops Fall...
By Jerone Antione Shell
(Imperial Valley State Prison)

Nights like this
while rain drops fall
I find myself
staring into the emptiness
of these lifeless walls
Names I call, yet they seem to
shatter and bounce across
the emptiness of these lifeless walls
unheard by those - far away
to whom I call
Still another winter, spring, summer
and fall - I must face alone - while
silently staring into the emptiness
of these walls
But on nights like this
while rain drops silently fall
alone shall I sit with the
emptiness of these lifeless walls
as a friend, companion, to which
I can silently call
Days - through them all
my life is heard by these walls
and while rain drops fall
voices of fears and tears are aborted
by the emptiness of these
lifeless walls
To be remembered forever
on nights like this
while rain drops
silently - silently fall
I have been left
alone - with no one to love or call
dead to the world
yet alive to the lifeless emptiness
of these walls
Soon, when the rain drops
no longer fall - and my life
is restored and I can freely
hear my lone foot fall
I shall remember my companions
those lifeless, empty walls
Upon whom I can no longer call
But I shall remember my lone
life inside those empty lifeless
walls - and wonder - who now
does those lonely walls
have to silently call on
while those rain drops
silently - silently fall ...

 

---

SOME HAIKUS

Written by
Boys at Adolescent Residential Campus in Orlando

A Friendly Reminder
By Jason

Look up at the sky
And smile for being alive
For you may die soon.

It's The Thought That Counts
By Neftali

The New Year has come.
I made my resolutions.
They did not come true.

Patience
By Marques

Someone was waiting.
She stood alone for three days.
I owed her money.