Michelle CortezPublication Richard Spiegel Barbara Fisher codirectors Thomas Perry administrative assistant Alison Koffler teacher Public School Repertory Company Ellen Kirshbaum, principal Stephen E. Phillips, Superintendent, Alternative High Schools & Programs ©1997 Ten Penny Players with funding support from the NY State Council on the ArtsAmerica, Land of the Free, My @$$ When I was born, I didn’t know, Who you were America, I am an independent Dominican girl, Who would rather not have been brought to this world. America? What is America to me? Land of the free? I don’t believe what America tells me, teaches me, or shows me. Tam an independent Dominican girl, And the ways of this world make me want to hurt. I don’t want America holding me down While Pres. Dork sits in office wearing a crown Telling me to do this and do that Tam an independent Dominican girl Who’s only goal is to be some one in this world. 2Me! Tam not a minority! Don’t categorize me! Don't castrate my men, So they can’t produce again. Let me rise in this hell, To heaven where I know the Lord dwells. Because J am an independent Dominican girl Come with me and we'll rule the world! ’ A Prayer to God Nobody move, nobody gets hurt, And if you listen, We can make it work. Don’t move, God please, Listen to me Don’t want to die, Not soon, not lately, My life is so precious, So please save me, Don’t want to die,Until I’m 80. Please save my life, I trust in you, Believe me Lord, Just tell me what to do. T'll lead my life to worship, Just let me live on healthy, There’s too much rape, drugs, murder, disease. Please don’t let it be too late, You have the power to put things straight. I really pray for this to happen Cause I love you. Please Lord, don’t let it be. I need your help Lord, can’t you see, Yes, I've been bad, please forgive me, I'm so scared of what is deadly. I need to enlighten people of thee, I need to accomplish things of many I need to grow and raise a family, So one thing I ask is, Please forgive me!The World I See In my neighborhood, I walk out sick, And see nothing good. Chicken heads squawking” People get messed up, Just for walking. Who could live in such an environment, Where all is bad, And nothing is decent. Stray dogs, Sad faces, Hungry chewing logs. Stray cats, Meowing, Hissing at the hissing of slashed tire flats. The crazy lady, Begging for spare change to smoke more crack, To get a little more dizzy like a daisy. The weed man, Selling smoke, Lost dream as a child of being better thanWe cannot live in a world so evil, but there’s nothing we can do but let go, just give. The preacher stands in the circle at the podium, preaching about what God commands No one listens, And it’s a shame, That's only because the violence glistens Blood on the pavement from last night’s murder, police lines blocking the decent It’s so sad, but what can we do, except live in a world so bad Too bad for us living here today, when dying is a must But I thank God’s best for giving us life, and also death, Thank you Lord cause in the end You give me rest.This Love of Mine I don’t want to spend another day with tears, I can’t live with all these fears, I’m scared of losing my only true love, I'd rather die, fly away like a dove. Go away from the pain I am feeling inside, Run into a hole, like a mouse and hide, Please don’t make me suffer this pain any more I can’t live this way, please open the door, Let me back in your heart, So that we can start, A new, my love, A promise so true, T love you, Please take me back. 7Complex Situations Early in the morning the day before morrow, I walk through the grassy greens, dew drops glistening Petals of pink and yellow sway on long, luscious stems Like the legs of a beautiful woman with red colored lips Tear tracks down her cheeks of a sorrow deep within herself, of a long lost future, with no morality. When I look into the belief of another I see ignorance and knowledge I see damsels in distress I see knights in shining armor I see so many wondrous and horrible things none of which I believe in Now going back to this woman of mine With her complex whines and complex groans she thinks of a time when all she wanted was to divideBut now all she wants is a man with whom she can multiply The hot wet spot she feels between her legs she remembers the tears while she lays her hands on his head he kisses her on her special place and she runs her fingers through his matted hair Now he looks up and smiles while she pulls him up to be in her to penetrate her he can make it all worth while he can make it all worth while when he looks up an’ smiles Today I walk the dew dropped grassy green as petals of pink and yellow sway on long, luscious stems.What Do I Owe You What do I owe you, That you find it necessary to stare at me, You clowns I don’t like your eyes undressing my body and, following my curves, the little of them I've got, Stop looking this way Making me feel as small as a mouse, with a cat trying to stare me down, either just to scare me or getting ready to pounce sneaking peeks through the crowd, invading my space invading my mind annoying eyes silly face stupid smile disgusting taste You know you really put me off with your silent sexual harassment stop looking at me, I scream! 10Stop glaring at my cheeks and hair, Making my face hot as my anger rises. I hate men like you with you obscene gestures and remarks, What do I owe you? I think you owe me an apology! The darkness that grips us, is that of a hole we've dug it ourselves, 6 feet deep awaiting our arrivals are the worms and maggots to eat out our eyes and noses rip apart our souls The holiness that grips us, that of the one the holy most high It is that of our creator, who put us here, in this spinning cemetery, with a shovel, to dig our holes with iThe silence that grips us is one of horror fear of what’s in the past terror of what’s in the future or is it fright of what's supposed to lay in that hole fear of yourself I would tell you more, but I must go back to my diggin’ of my hole, cause there is a long way to go! 12Go It Alone Today I decided to go it alone Why? T don’t know. But I could ay to tell you so Here I go I kinda figure Ican Live by myself Take care of myself I don’t need to be taken care of Smart and strong Is what I am I can be colors I can be freeVentriloquist’s Knee Don’t start talking I say to my knee, Cause if you haven't noticed look and see I have, to be the only one witha ventriloquist’s knee Blah Blah Blah Tee-hee Tee-hee! Shut up I say And it does it at once Ventriloquist’s knee on me.Don’t Try to Tell Me As a woman I feel I have many great virtues I can do what I want to do, be who I want to be, I can go where I want to go, Talk to whomever I please. Now don’t get me wrong, I'm not super woman But I can try to be That’s only because I am free, J answer to no one Just me So many ways to get my way, I've got the power to have my say lam a girl, Female status Makes me better Than most of them! I know who I am, Do you know who you are? Man? Oh, please Don’t try to tell me Who or what I’m supposed to be Cause I know, %And Lam free So what would a man be without me? Just a part! Cause I got the prize Don’t get me wrong, again I say, cause men ain't all bad Cause what would I be without a man? But not to guide me, show me, or steal me of what I’ve got But to help me And I'll help him Cause we all need help So just for that Pll fill his cup to the brim with wine so sweet cause females just can’t be beat. all of my poems are dedicated to the love of my life Steven Brooks Springle T love you baby 16In Search of a Song Volume 269 TV BS ECG LTT BS OT BELAY 3p 10 PTA AOE OG a waterways project publication