New Year, New Life

By: Keyshon Gray, 8th Grade

As I lay on a stack of hay, as I slave in a hot room

waiting for something to happen.
As the night got darker the time flies by. I hear something nearby,
as I got up to see, the moonlight blinded me.

The light was too bright, it also lit my room pure white.
The hour was right; the sound pounds and grounds—
it crowned me like greyhounds.

The clock hit twelve and the sound was gone in a split, I got up in a flip.
I zipped to the window, the glass was cold as ice.
I licked it, and it taste like spice.

The sky was bright like light, but it wasn’t that moonlight.
The sound grazed through the sky, fireworks popped, hopped, and stopped—
it truly was an amazing sight.

The feeling was unlocking a door inside of me

with a key that has been inside of me all these years.

I started to cry tears of joy.

It felt like the New Year brought me new life for a new beginning.

Untitled

By: R’kyah Malone, 7th Grade

I want to be a Malcom X
I follow Martin Luther King’s dream for what is next
My generation has been through a lot
Trying to make the worst trends hot

My heart runs heavy on the topic

Because the police always trying to start stuff
We protest and march but are we being heard
Black on black crime is all that we know
Sitting back giving that white man a show

Daddys’ in disbelief
Moms’ grieving

Oh Child

By: R’kyah Malone

Oh Child
Why do you leave
So soon
Your smiles fill me up inside
Oh child
You didn’t have to take your
Own life
Oh child
I thought you were alright
Child
Why couldn’t you come to your mother
Who oh so cares about you
Oh child
I can’t be mad
You were hurting and tired
Oh child
I hope you make it to heaven

Letter to My Momma

By: R’kyah Malone

Momma you left me at three years old

At night I wonder do you care about me
Or did you see me as a free check
You taught me to hate
And because of you I have a wall up
But I thank you for leaving me
With Grandma and Dad
The best thing you have done thus far
I hope you’re alive
I’m trying to make it in the world
As a writer or an activist
I hope and pray I’ll be better than you
I didn’t send this to be rude
But I forgive you
For the hurt and the pain and the lost hope

Dear Momma

Invisible

By: Janiya Jones, 7th Grade

I walk with my head up

But people walk past me
As if they don’t see me
As if I’m not there
As if they don’t care

I tell people my dreams

But everyone ignores them
As if they don’t have them
As if their ears are numb
As if my dreams are dumb

I try to amuse people

But they avoid me
As if I’m not noticable
As if I’m invisible

Me

By: MaCharia Allen, 8th Grade

Nobody knows me better than me, you see

I can be as cool as a cucumber or
As rowdy as the sea
It’s on you to choose which side of me
You want to see
I can be quiet as a mouse or
Loud as a buzzing bee
But this time the choice is up to me
I can be a careless diva or
An antisocial introvert
But this time the choice is about my surroundings & how they word
I can be the world’s slowest
But this depends on the task, it can be difficult without notice
I can be your best friend or
I can be your enemy
But this depends on how you approach me
So you see
Nobody knows me, not you, not my friends, not
Even my family
Only person who know me other than me
Is God who is almighty and above thee

CTRL

By: MaCharia Allen, 8th Grade

Why do you try to control me?

When I was born I swear my soul was mine to keep
But i can see now that nobody cares
I’m just a puppet, and everybody takes turns, pulling my strings
I think you pulled the wrong one,
Because now I feel as if I’m falling into a pit
A bit that’s black pitch with no hope of ending
I’ve been falling for centuries wondering, will it end?
Every year I became older
I can feel myself getting bolder
Am I taking Control?
Well, if I am, I’m not doing a great job
Everyone tells me “NO” and I go to sob
My dreams can never be reached
Due to expectations from my family
I can never do what i want
What is a young girl to do
Being kicked down even when they’re already blue
I can’t wait to get older
When I’ll be bolder
I will take control
And I will reach my goals