Waterways Staff Editor - Ronald King Designer - Barbara Fisher Intern - Thomas Perry Director - Richard Spiegel / Marlboro Prep class of 1989 a ntrwaya plication Stephen Phillips - Superintendent, Alternative High Schools and Programs Richard Organisciak - Principal, 0.E.S Sarah Lee MacKnight - Site Director Myron Solomon - Site Teacher Brenda Watts - Resource Room Teacher Joanne Cummings - Education Assistant Publication by the Waterways Project has been made possible with funding support from the New York City Board of Education, New York State Council on the Arts and Con Edison. ©1989, The Waterways ProjectAmy Smith Herman Ottley Gwendolyn Cole Tanya Brooks Asia Barrow Lizbeth Vasquez Scott Shepard Mariano Natal Tataya Wright Frances Alvarez Nelson Hernandez Karen Roberts Tawana Kearns Gwendolyn Cole Tawana Kearns Jackie Rivera Jeanette Izizarry Contents ia wo nanrtawn 10 ney 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Maria Ortez Marisol Molina Zina Brooks Shinell Kelly Gloria Chandler Andrea Johnson Frances Alvarez Tanya Brooks Marisol Molina Zina Brooks Charese Blackwell Asia Barrow Scott Shepard John D. Jackson Charese Blackwell Gwendolyn Cole Jeanette Irizarry 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 3, 32 33 34 35 36Amy Smith MY HEART My heart is like a padlock. It's just waiting to be unlocked. Every day that goes past the lock gets tighter and tighter. My heart is like a bird locked up in a cage just praying to be released. Will I ever find that someone to set this heart free? All it takes is for m to hold the lock and for you to turn the key.Herman Ottley LOVE What is love? You don't know. Love is sweet as white snow. Love isn't things couples do in bed. Love isn't a thought that's in your head. Love's from the heart and remains a part of you. love's that feeling you have inside. Love and people harmonize. I£ you're in love, or think you are, share your love and you'll go far not once or twice but every day of your life.Gwendolyn Cole ATTACHED I am attached to something about one and a half feet tall, very pretty and so sweet. Her skin and face is like velvet. I remember the first time I felt it. Sometimes, she's loud, rude, and very bad. The first time I spanked her, I felt so sad. I love her because she's so gentle and kind. Every day I rise, she awakens my mind. I love her, and I hope she'll always be with me. I'm attached to my one year old niece, Tiffany.Tanya Brooks BABY The thing that I'm attached to is my doll. Her name is Jasmine. She's a Cabbage Patch Baby. She smells like a real baby. They have a powder scent. She's real soft. You can squeeze her in your arms. I love her like she's real. My family doesn't understand. She's my baby just Like. am theirs. SNAsia Barrow LOSING SOMEONE To lose him was like not being able to taste my food, when I'm sick. I missed his big beautiful smile, “ teeth white as snow. His body hard like cement. His legs long as stilts, and a personality as sweet as sugar. To have him back would be a pleasurable feeling.Lizbeth Vasquez LIFE I don't know exactly where I am, trapped in a place where life and people never really die. There he is‘a beautiful man who calls for me. I don't know who he is, but he's beckoning me to come to him. But he's far, far, far away. I hear lots of cries my heart and eyes go wild to search, run, hide, and fina, But I cannot find life, time, people, he, and Igo on. A world never stops time, ‘place never stops or end, just. goes and goes until you see or hear no more.Scott Shepard A CHILD IS CONCEIVED From the corner of my eye I caught our body shadows moving in rhythmic harmony. Just like birds singing about the autumn elements ‘bringing life to flowers and fragrance of plush grass to our noses. The moon light glistens off our sweat covered bodies like wine poured over us. Our passion is so intense we utter each others name in low tones. Throughout. _ the experience we realize a child has been conceived and must be reared with love and affection and God's divine wisdom shall . bring joy to the world.Mariano Natal STORY SKELETON One day I met a girl called Anna. She was walking with her cousin. So I said to them, "What are you two young ladies doing, walking on the street with no guys?" All they replied was "We're looking for some guys." After they left, I saw that one had dropped her lipstick. I didn't know what to do with it. I threw it away, but that was foolish because suddenly she came back. The only thing I could do was buy her another lipstick. 10Lataya Wright YOUNG TEENAGERS Melissa and Shaniqua are cousins. Emma is their friend. They all are pregnant by the same guy. " Saniqua already had a baby boy. Shawn's doing nothing for Shawn, dropped out of school has no type of education. He's selling drugs which has to end soon. These girls are in love with him. All they are doing is making Shawn feel like a Casanova. T.Frances Alvarez GUYS Guys think they're cool but they're all fools. They think they're it. But they smell like S_ IT. They want to play."who's the boss?" They think they can punch you out. But, I'll play Mike Tyson and give them a knock out. 12Nelson Hernandez A friend is the color green it doesn't stab me in the back and every time I need something it is always there for me. 13Karen Roberts DREAMS Iwas ina tunnel. They put me ina game. T had to fight the big godzilla so to come out. I did. And I won and I came out. T was chased by "Gummy People" with lazer guns. They chased me into a pool. I had to swim across to get to the next side. The water had jellyfish in it. I swam across and the water was slimy. I ran into/’an owl's nest and an egg. LT adjumped in a spider's web. I climbed to the top, to get out. I fell in my bedroom, and got up with spider webs on my hand, and did not know how it got there. 14Tawana Kearns DREAMS In my dreams I've pictured a person who is intelligent, good looking, sensitive, talented, joyous, and fun. Since dreams are only wishful thinking, I never really expected to find someone with all these outstanding qualities. Then I met you, not only did you bring back my belief in dreams, you are more wonderful than my dreams. 15Gwendolyn Cole WHAT IF If I were a teacher for the whole day students would definitely learn. If they were rude and disrespectful I would slap the "mess" out of them. I would give them tons and tons of work. I would be so mean they would hate me for the rest of their lives. But, when it all boils down they would-be very smart. They would know: what I've taught them, backwards and forwards. . 16Tawana Kearns IF I WERE INVISIBLE If I were invisible, I'd follow Michael Jackson around as if I were his shadow or one of his legs or arms I'd be so close we'd share the same small pocket of air as if we were one. 17Jackie Rivera WHAT IF I HAD A THOUSAND DOLLARS? If I had a thousand dollars I would go buy some nice clothes and some shoes and sneakers and lots of things. I would go out dancing, and go to the movies, and take my friends with me. I would put some money “in the bank, just in case of an emergency. 18Jeanette Irizarry WHAT IF What if I became invisible? When I do something wrong they can't see. When I do something right they ignore. So, when I make myself seen I'm not there, 19Maria Ortiz Whether the weather is cold, or whether the weather is hot, whatever the weather, whether we like it or not. 20Marisol Molina SUNRISE/Sunset. Sunrise Early morning dew hal£ forgotten dreams that might not come true stretch and yawn Rubbing eyes Sun barely touching sky. Hurrying, Hurrying cannot be late Rushing, Rushing Sunset dusky shadows, long and graceful multi-colored hues across the sky Day's ending softly drifting twilight reaches sky 21Zina Brooks SPRING TIME It was spring and the birds were chirping. The sun was shining and people were smiling. Boys played basketball and the girls cheered them on. Across the court we shared our first stare. It wasn't until now that I really knew what it meant we shared stares for awhile, but deep down we wanted to reach out. Werdidn't know then that we were meant to be, ‘put six years later we are very happy together.Shinell Kelly SCARED STIFF One day I met a boy called....Antonia He was walking with a friend who was....Joking I said to them, "Why are you laughing?" But all they replied was, "Hello." After they left I saw that they had dropped....a wallet I didn't know what to do with it so I looked in it That was foolish because suddenly....they turned around The only thing I could do was....stare in their faces. 23Gloria Chandler RAIN I love when it rains because I think of you When I think of you my day gets sunny and bright. 24Andrea Johnson As TI open my door I see the rain coming down like a water faucet turned on to wash dishes When I walk out into it a drop goes down my back it gives me a tingling feeling up and down my spine like a York Peppermint Patty it feels so cool § chilly-y-y 25Frances Alvarez FAMILY STABILITY Family stability is important to me because my family is very understanding, and my mom understands her kids very well. Family stability is one of the good things in my house. We love one another. We may do our do(s)and don't(s), but we know better than to do the don't(s), because we were taught the right way to do things. ae 1Tanya Brooks GRAND CENTRAL STATION My house feels like G.C.S. So many people, coming and going using the phone loud voices children running all around Garbage on the floor. Never ending chatter. 27Marisol Molina HOME Home. quiet, calm Home dark, peaceful Home Books everywhere Home is a library Home toys here, there Home soft warm Home loud cries Home . laughter, joy Home running, playing Home cooking dinner Home loving smiles My home _ 28Zina Brooks " MY HOUSE Parents who are never there children screaming and complaining music playing very loud. Clothing on the floors Dishes in the sink cards on the tables Why? I don't understand why these things happen? when it's so many people in the house. 23Charese Blackwell When I am standing on the platform waiting for a train I start thinking should I get on or what? Sometimes, T am scared because I'm by myself and 1 will get on and look at everyone and. say to myself, "Am T going to get robbed, or raped, or something pefore I get off?" T really don't like the trains at all. But, that is the only way I get to where I have to go.Asia Barrow POEM Walking to the train station, what do you hear? " NOISE! When the train pulls in, what do you hear? NOISE! When you get off at your stop, what do you hear? NOISE! When you're walking from the train station, what do you hear? NOISE! When you get home, what do you hear? NOISE! ! 31Scott Shepard THE SQUAT Down the road in a gym far away, a young man was heard to say, "No matter what I do, my legs won't grow." He tried leg extensions, leg curls, leg presses too. Trying to cheat these sissy workouts he'd do. From the corner of the gym, where the big men train, through a cloud of chalk and the midst of pain, where the big iron rides high and threatens lives, where the noise is made ‘with big Forty-Fives. A deép voice bellowed as he wrapped his knees, a very big man with legs like trees, laughing as he snatched another plate from the stack, chalking his hands and monstrous back, said, "Boy, stop lying and don't say you've forgotten." rouble with you is you ain't been squatin'.John D. Jackson A TITLE WITHIN A name, something that is given to every living being, every non-living being, every form of matter, even what is not known is called the unknown. Names, titles, terms, and calling of, they mean something that we don't know yet, we give that object a title. It is accepted by |recognition Increasing with time, and our knowledge. ... A title within is what none of us know. The title within is something. we'll never know. And the name of that.... is curiousity, and only the man upstairs knows for sure. 33.Charese Blackwell MY HOUSE In my house I feel like I am always at a party. I wake up to music and: people: I come in from school the music is on and nobody is there. I go to bed and. everyone is home. Music is always on in my house.. | ;Gwendolyn Cole SMOKING CRACK I see many people smoking crack. Their looks and minds will probably never come back. ‘ The smell of the smoke, one time will make you dream. You'll never wonder or seem. Your dreams are lost Your pride has gone Your ‘soul; has been torn. Are you’ the same child your mother borned? I wish you will all come back you only live life once PLEASE stop smoking crack. 35Jeanette Irizarry AND A HEAVEN IN A WILD FLOWER It is hot and the sun is out and it's so beautiful, the trees are like tall buildings, the grass is so green, the air is so clean, you can smell the flowers. And I am surrounded by rabbits, and deer. It's a beautiful place.