,

,

by Teen Parents Autumn '93

IFXJR§T IPOEMS

, by 'Teen Parents 'Au'tumn '93 .:

a waterways project publication Barbara Fisher & Richard Spiegel co-directors

Thomas Perry Assistant

Ofelia Rodriguez Goldstein Teacher

Marilyn Quines Center Director, P911

Maria Torchia Principal

Pregnant and Parenting Teens Program

Stephen E. Phillips Superintendent Alternative High Schools and Programs

@1993Waterways Project ofTen Penny Players, Inc. funding support from the New York ~tate Council on the Arts, Con Edison, HarperCollins Publishers and participating schools

Francisca Hernandez 3 Wanda Cash 3,11, Melinda Vidal 4

Yocasti Diaz 5

Angela Perez 6 Kymberly Gregory 7, 14 Shauna Hylton 7, 16,17 Alina Nieves 8

DeJ ohn Parish 9

Yesenia Perez 10, 15 Keya Johnson 12

Marie Lazenby 13 Tiffany Teams 13 Angela Estrella 17 Deyanira Vasquez 18, 20

contents

-2-

'W'h e n My Son 'Wa s Born

Francisca Hernandez In my stomach was a beautiful boy.

A boy that was premature but cute. I cried.

I suffered. I almost died. He was small, skinny and very sad. The tubes that connected him to life were not friendly. I stayed day and night with him. He could not see me. His eyes were cottoned. I never left him alone. I left everything aside and took care of my son. My son is everything to me, No one is more important to me than him ...

ALL Is You And Me

Wanda Cash

ALL to me means together, unity, and friendship. The picture ALL puts in my mind is a place where everyone lives in peace without racism. ALL is all the colors of the world: black,

white, red and blue. All races: African-American, Whites, Chinese and Japanese. ALL tastes like Baskin and Robbins ice cream (all the flavors

in the world). ALL feels warm and safe. ALL is you and me.

-3-

Threat

Melinda Vidal You are a menace.

If you leave, it will be heaven. I can't stand you.

You get me on my last nerve.

You are the biggest BITCH on this planet. I got what you want, but you can't have it.

'Cause he is mine all mine. ~

If I ever get my hands on you I

I will be so frustrated r would not know what to do •

I would punch, kick, bite, 'and scratch you until you bleed

I have no sympathy for you

If this happens your family would need dental records to

identify you.

Keep it up.

It isn't long until you get what is coming to you, Watch every move you make

Cause I

will be right there watching you:

-4-

-5-

Yo Soy Yocasti Diaz

Yo soy como las olas del mar.

Yo soy como las hojas que caen del arbol en pleno otono.

Yo soy como las estrellas que brillan en el firmamento. Yo soy como los planetas que giran alrededor del sol.

Yo soy somo los pajaros cuando necesitan nido. Yo soy como las personas con hambre de juscicia.

Yo soy como la madre que espera impaciente la lIegada de su nino.

Yo soy como el reflejo de la juvenrud,

Yo soy como la lund en el anochecer.

Yo soy como las gotas que caen al amanecer.

Todo eso y mas soy yo.

Tell Me Angela Perez

l

Tell me your fears. Tell me your pain. Tell me your sorrow. Tell me your name. Tell me the word.

Tell me your inner thought.

Tell me and I will show you the ways. Tell me you're more than just my friend.

Tell me you care for others as you do yourself. Tell me you're able.

Tell me about your pain. Tell me love.

Tell me sweet words.

Tell me you are still the same. Tell me you haven't changed. Tell me you still feel the same. Tell me cause I do.

People Kyrnberly Gregory

People to me are like jewels

You can always find one that's more valuable than the other.

They come in different races, Onyx Black

Ruby Red

Topaz Yellow

Diamond White

They are all there for you to choose.

You can pick your own jewels, but remember jewels can also be traded

for something of a different value.

Nice Shauna Hylton

the touch of a newborn's butt melting cotton candy on your tongue the look of fluffy clouds in the sky

a very windy day

a world awaiting you

-7-

I Promise Alina Nieves

I promise to love you in good and bad times. I promise to love you for the rest of my life. I promise to love you when we fight.

I promise to love you for who you are.

I promise to love you more than words can say. I promise to love you

when things don't go my way. I promise to love you

in all the rough times.

I promise to love you

until the end of my life.

-8-

Weather Dejohn Parish

Dejohn is green grass so soft but scared

Dejohn is the rain who likes to weep when she cries Dejohn is the thunder who gets mad with anger Dejohn is lightning when she feels like screaming Dejohn is a volcano who boils with lava

when she can't take it no more.

Love

De] ohn Parish

Can anyone define the word?

I can tell you what it means to me. It means joy when you are glad.

It means pain when you are sad.

It means peace when you can go

dwell on the one you Jove.

It means war because you need more. But the best word to ever define

it is the people who experience it.

-9-

I am the eyes of a cat who sees the dark-bright the tear of a wi Id tiger long lost in the past

I am the burst of a rose who's always waiting always waiting

to be

loved

Who Am I Yesenia Perez

Yesenia Perez

ALL is everything ALL is the future

ALL I have is my family

ALL for me is what I call happiness

ALL brings me the picture of myself in a tropical island ALL is the color white and black

ALL is beautiful and it tastes like cherry.

lam.

Wanda Cash

I am the stone which is cold and stubborn, black as the midnight sky

never letting you down, means

I am the listener.

I am the bitch I so often hear,

the heart which bleeds for love and security.

lam my mother in a smaller version I am Wanda ...

Never More Wanda Cash

NEVER more will I sit

in front of the T.Y.

watching reruns of T.V. shows NEVER

Insult PoeITl Keya Johnson

You are an immature brat. You are a spoiled wretch.

You are a disgrace to the male race. You are just like a baby,

Always wanting to be touched and held. You are a pain in my ass.

You can be an ignorant bastard when you want to. Why in Hell, God put us together is beyond me. You are a selfish son of a bitch.

Men like you are worthless shit.

And will remain shit.

You are a lazy bum.

I feel sorry for you.

You are a lost jackass in the world. If you become anything more,

It would be a blessing in disguise.

Sometimes I wonder if you could live without me. I feel like your mommy, no this and no that. You ask too many fuckin' questions,

As if you have no brain of your own,

And I'm sick of it. So be gone.

-12-

Marie Lazenby

City of love State of wishes

49 hugs and 59 kisses

Of all the guys I ever met

You are the one I can't forget Your heart is like a pot of gold So hard to keep so hard to hold

I once had a heart and it was true But now it's gone from me to you Take care of it as I have done

N ow you have two and I have none Adam kissed Eve once and

Then another so why the

Hell can't we kiss each other.

-.

Daughter Tiffany Teams

The one 1 love.

You are my everything. I am su re that you know. You grow.

-13-

Why Do I Love My Man So Much

K'y rn b e r l y Gregory for Pinkney Salisbury

Why do I love my man so much? Is it because of his gentle touch? Is it because he shows he cares?

Or is it that soft, sexy, sensuous stare?

I know it's because the feelings are strong.

To me he is perfect; he can never do wrong. Whenever we kiss there's a slightly dim spark; But that spark grows brighter when we are in the dark. There is no violence or verbal abuse

OUf lips and our hands are for better use. Our hearts are open as we tightly clutch, This is why I love my man so much.

-14-

If I Could Close My Eyes Yesenia Perez

If I could close my eyes,

Not to see what I should see, Everything would be much easier

If 1 could close my eyes,

I would Stop reality from slapping me in the face.

If I could close my eyes,

1 would bury my pain real deep until I feel free.

If I could close my eyes, I would let him go

But I know I would open them The moment he returns.

~15"

-16-

Again Shauna Hylton

Let me back into the darkness of your womb Let me see the light '.

For the first time

Again

Let me be a child

Without the fears and worries Of

Growing older

Let me mend your heart which I have crushed Let me wipe the tears you cried

Let me heal your aching sorrows

Don't ever let me grow, no

Mom let me be your baby

FOREVER

Me Shauna Hylton

i'rn a pop side

out in the cold

of abnormal shape

not the usual

long side

but

round

looking at the sun

in a lonely cold world hoping to be long someday sometimes i feel like melting away

With You Angela Estrella

I feel happy, ::...

All my dreams have come true. I don't feel lonely any more ...

Do you?

First TiITIe Deyanira Vasquez

I was scared and ashamed not knowing what to do Or what to expect

How were things going to be done Unable to express my feeling for anyone Without knowing how they would react Surprised ...

Seeing this other person sharing himself with me Acting clownish and foolish

A jack-in-rhe-box without any box or Any clothes

I was embarrassed to see Ignoring him

I fled to the other room Seeing him following me And asking what was wrong

-18-

Then hearing his feeling for me And how I felt about

He wasn't ashamed of me He thought I was special

And wanted to teach me a beautiful thing

He thinks I'm special because he taught me And 1 think he is special because he likes me

·19·

"Envy is the stupidity of the human" Deyanira Vasquez

It's wiggly and soft, Scary and hairy, Cuddly at times.

Droopy and ugly

A bounce-of-ma-jiggy, When not in action.

Push to the limit ... then

Strong and hard, Forceful and sneaky.

With its macho pride, It's own personality It's own name

A sensitive hyper monster

-20-