expressions poetry book 2012

ExpressionsTalk Up, Not Down 2012

Poems of Expression of Passion, and of EnlightenmentSunday, July 8 – Saturday, July 14, 2012

Patuxent River 4-H Center

Final Performance Friday, July 13, 2012

Bowie Center for the Performing Arts

This book is published by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Department of Parks and Recreation, Arts and Cultural Heritage Division.

Arts Programs of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Department of Parks and Recreation are supported by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council, an agency dedicated to cultivating a vibrant cultural community where the arts thrive.

The Department of Parks and Recreation encourages and supports the participation of individuals with disabilities. Please contact the facility at least two-weeks in advance of the program start date to request an accommodation (i.e. sign language interpreter support).

Copyright by each author 2012.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanic, including the photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a magazine or by a newspaper, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Printed in the United States of America.

Expressions Talk Up, Not Down 2012

Poems of Expression of Passion, and of Enlightenment

Sunday, July 8 – Saturday, July 14, 2012

Patuxent River 4-H Center

Final Performance Friday, July 13, 2012

Bowie Center for the Performing Arts

This book is dedicated to the teens, staff, and the artists who made this publication possible and whose thoughts provide insights into the lives of the modern teenager.

vi ExPRESSioNS: TAlk UP, NoT DowN 2012

TABLE OF

The Introduction

My Poem

I am Shy

The Not Normal Being

Missed My Chance

Untitled

The Party

I Am

Cocoon

I Am

Happiness

Lost One

The Untold Truth

Life Lessons

Give Me A Chance

I’m Glad You’re Gone

You

Earth

A Helper’s Story

Puppets

My Life

Ciera Major

xavier McClain

Antoinette Brunson

Aminah Majied

Tabron Bryant

Bola Fadojutimi

Morgan watts-Green

Diamond ward

Derek May-west

Milalai McClain

Alexus Moore

Jasmine Anderson

Alexis Adams

Jaime Smith

Cici Felton

Chris Medley

Tobi Ajiboye

Malcolm Gilmore

D’Asia Bando

Diangelo Scott

Choncie Briley

08

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

PoEMS oF ExPRESSioN, oF PASSioN, AND oF ENliGHTENMENT vii

CONTENTSUntitled

Friends

A Change Can Happen

Life

Forgive

The Question

Awesomeness

A Magic Number

Untitled

They Won’t Break Me

No Witness

My Brother’s Pain

The Tripper of Life

What a Man Really Is

You Tell Me

Like A Butterfly

My Real Feelings

Life Lessons - Part 2

Untitled

Beautiful

My High

I’ve Been Chosen

luis Navarro

Alexus Moore

Diamond ward

D’Aundre Robinson

Ruth omolola

Tabron Bryant

Elizabeth Reece

Hayden Jubera

Tionee Nell

Jasmine Anderson

Tobi Ajiboye

Diangelo Scott

Aminah Majied

Milan Nell

Pierce lewter

Antoinette Brunson

D’aundre Robinson

Jaime Smith

Cici Felton

Ruth omolola

Tobi Ajiboye

Cici Felton, Tobi Ajiboye, Ciera Major

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

43

44

45

46

47

48

49

50

53

54

8 ExPRESSioNS: TAlk UP, NoT DowN 2012

The IntroductionCIERA MAjOR

So you think you know me, you say you know me, you talk to and spend time with me, so you swear you know me You know my favorite color, you know what i like to do But the real question is—Do you really know me? Am i everything you think i am? Am i everything that you see? Do you even know what i want to be? i try to keep a smile on my face, from all the pain i hide inside But now i feel my insides starting to collide Can you hear me weeping, or see my tears seeping? of course you can’t cause i’m crying silent tears, running from my fears My past is catching up, but God reminds me of my future This is my introduction, no destruction or corruption Try’in to stay on this straight line, all the time Don’t want my folks getting no call of any more disappointment Because of my foolish enjoyment Saying i got locked up, or shot up or maybe even knocked up But the sad thing is No oNE really knows me And no you can’t see, who and what i want to be Because i don’t share and even when i do you brush me off as though you don’t care i talk but you don’t listen i hear but i don’t speak And then you wanna complain that our communication weak You shut me up and put me in a bottle

PoEMS oF ExPRESSioN, oF PASSioN, AND oF ENliGHTENMENT 9

Then encourage me that i could be a model This is one way i know, that you don’t know me or what i wanna be i been put down, tossed around and thrown to the ground But i been scared to tell you or even make a sound i used to get so mad at the world, Had my fist always curled if you got in my face, i’d punch you so hard your heart might get off pace i thought i could live with this pain But now i see that i can’t and it’s tearing apart my domain i don’t think you realize how much your words hurt me Building up like a giant tree And though i’m just crying it feels like a part of me is dying i wish i could put on a smile and say, “ those tears i haven’t seen in a while.” So you think you know, you say you know me, you talk to and spend time with me, so you swear you know me You know my favorite color, you know what i like to do i showed you the real me now it’s time to show me the real you This is my introduction, no destruction, no corruption This is who i am, and who i’m always gonna be To tell you the truth, this is the real me!

10ExPRESSioNS: TAlk UP, NoT DowN 2012

My PoemXAvIER MCCLAIN

i am thoughtless i wonder if i am not perfect i hear people cry in hunger i see what i want myself to see i want everything in sight i am greedy

i pretend to help people in hunger So my mind feels better i touch people’s hearts i worry about others and not just me i cry to God to help me be me i am better than what i used to be

i understand i’m not perfect i say positive good things i dream my own dream i try to help people when i can i hope for a successful and positive future i am……. A BETTER ME

PoEMS oF ExPRESSioN, oF PASSioN, AND oF ENliGHTENMENT11

I am ShyANTOINETTE BRUNSON

i may be shy but i speak what is on my mind i see my future so strong and bright i want to be and i am going to be a lawyer i have a beautiful gift as a reader and a writer, But your beauty don’t get you anywhere And your beautiful gift of intelligence and knowledge gets you somewhere

i have the potential to attend Harvard i have high expectations for me i believe i can achieve i don’t care about peoples opinions about my goals

i know my expectations are something that i can reach i know my expectations may seem too much, But i expect more from me For a shy girl i am strong, bright, and wise Everyone says i can achieve my goals because i am shy But the gift of being a shy girl i definitely know i can achieve!


The Not Normal BeingAMINAH MAjIEd

i look forward to the day where i feel normalThe day where i don’t feel weirdi look around telling myself that everyone has some baggageBut at times it’s hard because i can’t find a thing wrongSo instead i hold my head up high and try to act like themBut deep down inside i know i’m noti know that they know i’m not one of them eitherBecause i can hear their laughing and cacklingi can tell they are thinking about why i am the way i amwhat is wrong with her?And why is she so weird?You know what…i am weirdi’m weird, because i’m a different and, an “out there” individualAnd really i don’t care what people think or sayof course i might shed a tearBut all those tears have made me the person i am


The Not Normal Being Missed My ChanceTABRON BRYANT

Hey guys, have you ever had a loved one But you never got a chance to tell her what you really feel (pause) To finally to know true happiness i missed my chance

Hey girls, did you ever find the right guy But you never got the chance To tell him how you really feel (pause) To finally know true love i missed my chance

i knew this girl practically my whole life She was a good friend As the years went by we had grown apart (pause) i miss the days we didn’t

in middle school i fell in love For what she was Not what she wasn’t i waited too long and i missed the call (pause) School let out, she went to another school

i missed my chance at true love i hope other people that didn’t miss their chance Take this as a learning lesson (pause) Don’t wait long too tell someone how you feel Because i missed my chance


UntitledBOLOA FAdOjUTIMI

You told me what you wanted to hear And i’d say it You told me how to look And i’d change You told me to only listen to you And i’d give you my undivided attention But you can never tell me to stop writing But you can never tell me to stop my rhymes And my rhythm “And you can never take my poetry” So when i start to put my words on paper i no longer said what you wanted to hear i no longer looked how you wanted me to i no longer listened to you “The words i wrote demanded i be me and not you”


The PartyMORGAN WATTS-GREEN

My party boomin’Everybody’s movin’Groovin’Doin’ what we doin’Nobody is shootin’or disputin’we just rootin’ for that go-go bandwatch me do that go-go-danceJockin’ the pogo stance like it’s my only chanceEverybody jammin’ to the beat wit dey feet real neati see the girls tweakin’They freakin’Got the playas seekin’ that appealin’Got me feelin’ like…That’s a good thing for a G like melookin’ so fresh and clean like daNRG Galaxies, alsoknown as the almighty NikesGoin’ smack at girlsAnd they smack back at meNot exactly.Every now and then i face rejectionBut i keep on tryin’,cuz quittin’s out the questionlearned dat lesson back as a freshmannever asked this shawty outAnd i’m still stressin’So i stepped my game upHope i don’t mess up againknow it’s hard to see my feelin’sCause of my reflectionBut throughout these last few yearsi been progressin’And i’m guessin’i’m destined to express myselfThrough poetry as a profession


I AmdIAMONd WARd

i am what mattersi wonder about making the right choice and saying the right thingi hear wordsi see peoplei want to be more in lifei am just being mei pretend i’m someone elsei feel stuck in a dark placei touch the people around mei worry about those around mei cry my worries awayi am a person, not a toyi understand why i’m herei say i can dreami try to fulfill my dreami dream about what i can becomei hope i am a successi am not just a random person, but a human That’s what i ami am Diamond


CocoondEREk MAY-WEST

EVERY woUND Makes my shell a little harder And my core a little softer YoU ASk why i have shut myself in and stabbed myself, knowing it would hurt i ASk why you made me do this MAYBE one day all of us, Every size, shape, colour Can deal in a medium Agreeable to all REASoN Until that day i remain

A CoCooN


I AmMILALAI MCCLAIN

i am quiet i am thoughtful i wonder if the world will ever be a peaceful place i want a better world i cry when i am sad

i dream of my future i try to work hard with everything i do i hope to be successful i am unique


HappinessALEXUS MOORE

Happiness is that uplifting feeling,At the time when you score high on your testPresent when you meet up with old friendsPerfect for family reunions.it creates smiles, hugs, and cheers,Necessary for birthday parties.Ever so important for sending that Sad and upset personSome love and peace of mind.


Lost OnejASMINE ANdERSON

we argue just to make upGet together just to break upSo sick of tryingThe hell with all this fake loveYou had to break my heartShould’ve seen it from the startShedding tearslate nightsSitting in the darkYour words cut even deeperThis love begins to fadeReplaying what we used to beDays with you was sunnyBut now you’re throwing shadeYou played me?

Ha!…Real cutei still love youBut i’ll never be that sucker againMoving on is toughit can drive you insanei’m looking for answersBut yeti’m always hit by painThey say you have nothing to loseAnd yet the world to gainlike i said i love youBut baby, i love myself morei am over youo.V.E.R. youYou are the lost one!


The Untold TruthALEXIS AdAMS

i think people are watching usway above the starsin a land without conspiracyin a land so very far

Through our aspirationsThey dream the way we dreamThey understand that our world is Not really what it seems

They know the secrets of our demiseAnd how it will all endThey know our theories of chaos haveoriginated from sin.

one day they will arrive And it will be their lastThe secret plots of evilnesswill finally come to past.


Life LessonsjAIME SMITH

Young carefree innocent You sing, laugh and dance Taking in all God’s glory At every single chance

Some grown ups You ignore the wonders That you cherished as a child Gone is the carefree honesty and mild

You ask around with blinders on into the race of money and greed Not caring who gets hurt Just to fulfill your selfish needs

Stepping over the lines of morals To have wealth and material things ignoring all of God’s gifts like the first rain in spring

keep that little child inside Hold her close to you heart we are only here for a brief time Then with this world we must part

For a moment a day it’s okay to get silly To laugh and dance Take in all God’s glory At every single chance


Give Me A ChanceCICI FELTON

So what are you telling meThat just because i’m youngi don’t have the capability To pursue my dreams

You’re telling me that what i sayDoesn’t matter just because it’s not what you believe

Are you telling me that i am worthlessAnd have nothing to live for?

No, i am telling youThat this is who i amMy generation cannot be definedBy the thoughts of the small-minded

Your ignorance will not provoke meTo change for anyoneBecause we are all Beautifully and wonderfully made by GodSo who are you to judge me?

Yes, we sag our pantsAnd wear tight clothes

But look at our examplesThose before us seem to find joyin putting us down before we even Have the chance to rise above the influence

So i don’t understand how you can tell meMy generation is going nowhereHow you can tell me that what i say doesn’t matter?i Do MATTERi have a voice that’s waiting to be heardA story waiting to be toldEncouragement that’s waiting to be given

i just need for you to believe in meJust give me a chance to show youMy abilities, my dreams, my aspirations

Just give me a change to show you the real meinstead of believing the stereotypes of our society


I 'm Glad You're GoneCHRIS MEdLEY

it has been 8 years and now you wanna talk to me Yeah you’re my dad—but to me you are just trashYou beat my mother all night and drink all day But really? You still want me to call you dadi hate you once you were out of my life, i have nothing to do with youBut to thank you for this poem


YouTOBI AjIBOYE

You are not worth my mind, my time, my rhymes or my future dimes

You are the less, i am glad i will never have to settle for You are the worst thing i will never have to have it’s ok if you can’t see me for me

But one day you are going to be on your knees Begging me please

But don’t worry i have already gone ahead of you i will let you know that i have already forgiven you

You will always be the Ex, that left room for The next


EarthMALCOLM GILMORE

one of the great revelations of space exploration is the image of the earth Finite and lonelyBearing the entire human species Through the oceans of space and time This planet reminds me of myself in certain aspects, for i am what seems to be a lonely soul, in vastly populated cosmos. As i sometimes lay on my bed reflecting on all that i Have learnedi feel as though i look through the astronomical eyes of God.This feeling,The feeling of learning is what drives me.This feeling is what keeps my brain from betraying my Body in an act of suicide.This feeling is what defines me.


A Helper's Storyd’ASIA BANdO

There is something i want to sayBut i can’t ……i want to speakBut i refuse to look weakit’s difficult to be meBut i will try to help you seei am like a fragile flower But i camouflage to protect myselfSo people won’t hurt mei’m tired of all my lies Cultivating all my criesi live upon an image that my feelings are contained They come out slowly through my faceBut i shatter as they showi am a natural helper i care about peoplei am naturally in tune to other people’s thoughtsSome people think that people who help them don’t need help themselvesBut they never askThey never ask what’s going onor why i am the way i amThey never care to see the pain living withinSo i just fightFight until i can’t fight no moreFight till you listenFight for you to see the real me


PuppetsdIANGELO SCOTT

People controlling other peopleAnd the sad part is None of them know they’re being controlled

it’s almost like their walking down the path called liFEBut they’re not walking on their ownThey are being controlledwith strings attached all over their bodies

Drug kings sit back and watchAs their followers get killeAnd thrown in jail just because they got caughtor they gave their so-called “client” the wrong amount

Gang leaders sit back and watchAs their members get shot upAnd locked upJust because they’re in that organization

People need to realizeThat as soon as they say “Are you in?”And you reply “Yeah, i’m in,” They have attached their strings all over youAnd they are holding youAgainst your will

Boys playing with girlsMen playing with womenEven fake gentlemen playing with ladiesAt some point people need to understandThe situation that their in and realize and think to themselves, “i’m being used, controlled, and taken advantage of”All i’m saying isDon’t let anybody attach their strings to you unless they’re trying to pull you in. Remove the strings andspend the rest of their life with you.


Comin' from the land of obama i'm living a real life dramaSee, money just started gettin' along with my mamaDon't do dirt cause i believe in karma whatever don't kill you will make you stronger i refuse to be unheard any longer i carry on like a comma No one knows the unknown so we prone to drama The page was blank before he started sketching See, my first 20 years on earth was like the Great Depression Pa's tripping, Ma stressing Grandma up at church looking for a blessing Use my mind as a weapon God as protection And don't associate with the fakeThat's a life-long lesson He gave us the answers, now he just testing Pass or fail, was the heaven or hell As freedom or jail lord only knows, so i could never tell My life

My LifeCHONCIE BRILEY


i’m no writer Nor poet i know i’m not good at poetry But as days pass in this camp i realize poetry is not about being a good writer But saying what you think and feel A chance to connect and open doors with others Because that is what makes a good poet

UntitledLUIS NAvARRO


FriendsALEXUS MOORE

Fun to talk to when you need someone andReady to do anything crazy by your side.i try to respect my companions,Even when they make me want to screamNever will bring harm to them.Dumb would i be to not realize,Such amazing friends i have!


A Change Can HappendIAMONd WARd

only you can make a changeThis is not the time to sit backGet up and do something in lifeBoys going around -- pants saggingGirls barely walking from tight clothesEverybody trying to get what we callQuote and quote…”some action”what does “getting some action” mean?Are you trying to fool mei am smarter than thati’m not some toy puppetYou don’t put your hand up my back to make me talki man my own lifeDo you see any strings attached?i don’t, but sometimes i see them attached to youi am not a toy and neither are youonly you can make the best of your life, Not meonly you can make a change happen


A Change Can Happen

life is a gambleSome people take it for granted.Don’t play around can you handle it…well maybe a little bit.Stop! listen! Pause, sit.i’m here to tell you about lifeYou can be here today and gone tomorrowi’m filled with hurt and sorrowwhere’s my $20 you borrowedSee that’s how life goesit’s filled with liars, cheaters, and beaters.Some people say, “The world’s ending”But in my defense, it’s only beginning!

Lifed’AUNdRE ROBINSON


ForgiveRUTH OMOLOLA

Sometimes i wish i could forgive you for all the wrong things you have done.Yes we planned our lifetime together, but you betrayed meBetrayed me to the point that i gave upon myselfBetrayed me to the point that i can’t trust anyone that comes close to me.i wish i could forget youForget all the memories, the stories we told, the love we shared i wish i could be free…free from you

Sometimes i wish my dad was a glassmaker so my flesh can be invisible

Sometimes i wish i was paralyzed so i couldn’t feel the pain you’ve caused meBut i canAnd though i can’t forget you…i do forgive you


The QuestionTABRON BRYANT

what’s the matter with me?i don’t know the rhythm of the poemBut i never really did an emotional poem beforeBut others i get it just like that

But i guess that’s lifeSomething’s you get

And some you don’t But if i work at iti can get the beatThen i’ll know it’s perfectAnd i would be at ease


AwesomenessELIzABETH REECE

i got here and was more scared than the first timersi got here and thought this won’t be that badi got here and was blown awayi got here and wanted to stayi got here and wanted to make 25 friendsBut behind it all i got here to help change a lifeBUT iNSTEAD THEY CHANGED MiNE!!!


A Magic NumberHAYdEN jUBERA

A triangle has 3 sidesAnd 3 pointsAnd 3 anglesThat add up to 180 degreeswhich is divisible by 3which is a magic numberThere are three of usAnd you are both a separate pointon this magic shape Your point has grown sharperTo the point it pierces my heartAnd reminds me why i love youit’s strange to meThat the further i am from youThe sharper your point becomesAnd when i’m closeAnd you’re closerThings are warmAnd the butterflies DANCE!


UntitledTIONEE NELL

Fifteen years ago You looked at my dark brown eyesThe doctor told you that you had a beautiful baby girlThe thought of being daddy’s little girlBrought joy to my soulBut all that changed when you left me four years up the road

i always thought about the reason you leftwas it because i was a girlor was it because i was a disappointment to youYou have no respect Not even sending your checksYou got my mind in disbeliefYou’re starting to be a fading memoryBut that’s not going to change me


They Won't Break MejASMINE ANdERSON

i hear them talkingoh she this?oh she that?But imam put all rumors to restYou may know my nameBut not my storyNever had a father figure in my lifeThat’s why i never let a boy in my heartCause i never had a father to tell me how i should be treatedoh they say, “she got an attitude problem”But i don’ti’m just very bluntPeople used to try to take advantage of meBecause i didn’t have a voiceThey tried to break meBut i finally picked my head upAnd said how i was feelingi told myselfi refuse to be brokeni refuse to feel less than i ami refuse to not have a voice anymoreSo i put my emotions on paperHow can somebody else pain be somebody’s happiness?No, “They won’t break me!”


No WitnessTOBI AjIBOYE

Your honorif only these walls could talkThey would tell you, how far i’ve walkedToday, i am not the type of personYou could describe with one wordi cannot be conveyed as what you would preferBut before i knew that i had the authority to commandMy platformBefore i had the ability to intertwine my mind with my inkYou know what? let me take you to the linkwhere lies my passwhere you were not accepted unless you were fastMy dad left me when i was fiveHe positioned me head first for that diveHe deprived me of a male figureThe whole world was telling me, go figureMy mom was there to hold, support and love mei never held anyone more abovei always liked playing with toysThen i became a toy for boys

Trying to wind and tune my knobsAll my possessions they were trying to robGot involved with a 19 year old when i was twelveHe was an easy tell, because he meant welli had to drop him on my journey thoughBecause i prioritized, my virginity and my dignityFrom there i moved from house to houseForcefully walking on eggshellsPlus i got bullied in schoolAll those other kids thought it was cooli remember those nights i would wake up and crywishing there was a ticket way out i could buySuicide was not an optionFearing my sisters might fall into corruptionThen i found my identitylife had no right mistreating meFellas, i have been my own manAnd i have the ability to give myself a handYour honor, i have no one here to take account of my testimonyBut at the end of the day, it will all be celebrated in a ceremony.


My Brother's PaindIANGELO SCOTT

i don’t know the whole story

But i will share with you what i do know

i have a brother from another mother

The only difference between me and him

is that my mother was there for me

But his wasn’t

As a child i would listen to

My parents HER or SHE

i never knew her name

i asked them but they wouldn’t tell me anything

i was told she was on THAT STUFF

But she wasn’t on it

She was stuck, attached and glued to it

She was addicted

i can’t imagine the pain my brother felt

As he watched his mother

Slowly kill herself

THAT STUFF

wasn’t only killing her physically, but mentally

THAT STUFF

was the reason she was never in the house

to comfort him

THAT STUFF

was the reason he never had any food to eat

Because she sold it

Just to get some of

THAT STUFF

i can’t imagine the pain and sorrow he felt

when he sat in the house on all of those late nights

waiting for her to tuck him in, tell him a bedtime story,

say good night son i loVE YoU

instead he had to watch her in anger limp through the

door with a strange man

Every day he had to look at her and think to himself this

My mother

Everyday he had to look at her and think to himself this

is my problem

And everyday he had to look at himself


My Brother's PainDiangelo Scott

And say this is my life

But i can’t down talk his mother that much

Because i don’t know her story either

But that didn’t give her the right to treat her son the way

she did

The one day he finally snapped on her up to the point

My father had to come and put him in check and that

one line is still stuck in my head and i believe its in my

Brother’s head for when my father told him

“she is still your mother”

He moved in with me, my mother and brother and

everything seemed fine

My father asked to speak with him alone one night and

of course me and my brother wanted to be nosey so

we ease dropped

And we sat there next to the door terrified at what

Dondra’s reaction was going to be as my father told him

“Your mother is in jail”

But instead he cried and let out every word

He knew that every adult told him not to say

we cried

Not because we felt his pain, but because we didn’t

know how it felt.

And we certainly didn’t know what type of damage his

mother had done.

Now, i bet you all think that he’s out in the street

somewhere, doing who-knows-what

well, don’t

i’ve only told you what he went through

Not his whole life story

My brother

Dontra Scott

is currently a doctor up in New York and every time he

gets a letter, it says,

To: Dr. Dontra Scott

And we’re all proud of him


Guilt is one of the worst feelingsonce you get it, it clutches youBut it’s the problem from the pastBecause of this you’re always looking backAnd not looking forwardBecause of this, you can’t be your bestAnd your best is awaitingAnd your future is no longer bright, it’s dimYou live in the past and not the futureYour whole life seems to be crumblingAnd tumblingYou know what i say to that?Push throughwhat you did in the past is doneThose you hurt was your faultDon’t let that guilt be the mountain in your pathwayCause no one’s going to help youAnd no one’s going to help youAnd no one’s going to feel sorry for youBecause in this world you have to dust yourself offAnd keep on walking

The Tripper of LifeTIONEE NELL


A man to me is someone who caresHe shows nothing but love and never show fearHe never breaks downor gets in a fussHe takes care of his spouse without thinking of lust

A man to me is bold and toughHe deals with problems without getting roughCompare him to a lion in a jungleNot the negative part, but when he’s humbleA man could fold here and therewhich means he could show his feelings

A man is one who could raise the younger boy upFor example, takes the time to say, “pull your pants up”To me, my father is a manHe always keeps a smile on my faceAnd when bad arrives, he always has a planTo me, my father is my role model and coachHe teaches me how to be like certain folksi hope you understand what i saidBecause to me that man is what a man really is

What a Man Really IsMILAN NEIL


What a Man Really Is You Tell MePIERCE LEWTER

They say beauty is the keySo i’m guessing the padlock is uglyi’m not really a poet, but i’mma spit a li’l poetry Mix a li’l bit of flow into it And now you got floetryNothing really positive in the world Except for the seed which is represented As a growth of a tree They say the root is all evil So what are babiesNot to make a sad story but this is crazyNo matter what you do it seems impossible to succeed Because all the world cares about is missing kids and money. All i’m trying to do is lower the statistics in the jail cells Too many kids dying while their mom write their obituary Claiming they lived rightBut they’re probably on their way to hell it’s like the whole world is fakewe all like to show and tellwe all make mistakes, But my soul is not for saleif i had one wish i not want to see my mom cryi would look into her teary eyes And dry them off with a big smile it’s amazing how many people can spell love, But can’t show it. we say we love America when we hardly even know it Call us the land of the free? But we’re locked up in slavery in a deathtrap Mentally surrounded by the illuminati’s and the policei put my hands up now so you tell me


Like a ButterflyANTOINETTE BRUNSON

i think of myself as a butterfly Shy and lonely in the cocoon Then would open my wings up and fly awayi am the beautiful butterfly that is also shy

Maybe i will open up one dayi am a couple of steps awayi am going to keep trying until the day will comeThat i will spread my wings out and fly away


why do people miss judge meone minute i’m classyBut the next minute i’m sassyThen i’m nice then i’m gayBut the one who is talking crap is in my faceTrust me i’m not a follower Uh Duh!i’m a leader, who gurl!You look fierce!But then you say i shop at SearsSo which one is it you like me or you don’toh no-no boo-boo youknow i’m not a punk i sit back and observe like kandy from x-scape i fly above this is the real me…This is my real feelings

My Real Feelingsd’AUNdRE ROBINSON


i’ll be happy oncei’ve done this certain thingwe all say this oftenNot realizing what it brings

we only look to the futureFor our happinessletting life slip throughour fingers in its fullness

why we really feel completewhen the task is doneor look back and seeHow we missed so much fun

Self consumed sowe can’t see anything else Hurting those who we loveAs well as ourselvesSo many things around usTo be grateful forwhen seeking for an answerwillingly open the door

Life Lesson ‑ Part 2ANTOINETTE BRUNSON

So often, others seewhat’s in front of our faceBut we’re to blind to lookAs we share in the race

is it money, fortune, fameor a big house?when speaking to a man on his deathbedNone of these answersAre what he said

Family, love, laughterAre what we should seekThese are the preciousThings right outside your door


UntitledCICI FELTON

They tell me that i’m a great poetThat i have the power to reach others with my wordsThey tell me to believe in myselfBut why it is that they see more in me than i see?why is it that i can’t feel like i’m worth as much as they thinkwhy is it, that i’m my own worst enemyThey tell me that my beauty is skin deepBut what happens when you’re so broken on the insideThat your skin can no longer hold you togetherwhen your make-up begins to fade And the foundation can no long cover up who you arewhat happens when you’re exposedwhen your walls collapseAnd smiling is just a memorywhat happens when you’re lostTrapped and at war with yourselfwhat happens when the tears begin to fall andYour life begins to crumble what happens when you’re all alone andThe only thing that can help you is your own painwhat happens, when love don’t live here no more


BeautifulRUTH OMOLOLA

You are beautifulNo matter what they saywords can’t bring you down

But they can and they haveYou see, i’m a little too shortTo shoot a ball from half court

And i look a little too differentTo ever believe it when you call me beautiful

And i wish i was a bit tallerMaybe i wish a bit tallerBut if there was one thing i really wishi was beautiful

My shoulders are lop-sidedi got acne on my skinAnd hardly ever winUnless, of course, it’s chessBut even then i’m not the bestBut buddy, i’m not blindSo don’t tell me i’m beautifulSee, we got these things in our roomCalled a mirrorAnd it was designed So you can see yourself clearer

But the father of liesPlays tricks with your eyeswhispering in your earhow you’re too big, too small, too shortHow your legs are too shortAnd just to lie tryin’ get you to thinkYou’re not beautiful

And if you thinkYou are just fineJust as long as he can tell you that prideSo whatever light you hold insideHe’ll do anythingTo put it out by making you think it’s earning you hell For you to think you’re beautifulYou are beautifulNo matter what they saywords can’t bring you downBut they can and they haveBecause as soon as he gets you to believe That you’ll never be freeSo the only way is to sit and starve yourselfAnd let the tears pouror even hurl your stomachin the toiletAnd you look in the mirror And ask now do you look beautiful?


or you walk in wanting to beThe life of the party So you drop a couple shotsPick up a fortylittle while laterYou start feeling sporty

The room starts to wobble You can’t walk so you hobbleAnd everybody snickers at what a fool you areAnd your raise your red solo cupin the air and askNow do i act beautiful?little boy, i know you always wanted to be a manAnd lately you been askin’But the devil doesn’t want you To know how powerful you areSo he lies and tells youYou’ll never have anything worthwhileSo you start clicking and strollingAnd your eyes start rollingAnd the moment the devil convinced youTo sell your soulTo a computer screenThe devil hits within you with his shame gameAnd tells you you’re disgusting

And little girli know you always wanted to be a princess And all you thought you needed was a princeTo call you precious

So you think you have to dressSo everything can be seenGot to let them boys look at youlike they look at a dirty magazinelet them go a little furtherThan you want them to goAnd when it’s all doneYou still wanna knowDo you love meDo you think i’m beautiful?

Does anybody think i’m beautiful?i do proclaim the voice of the skyHe says let me dry your eyesi’ve heard your cry

Galaxy and shooting stars i sent spinning So you would know that i love youAnd i think you’re beautifulAnd he says You are beautiful because of what i say


My HighTOBI AjIBOYE

You just want to see me cryYou just want to see me dryBut you are not going to get that ride

Because i have limited timei am going to be strongTurn away from all my wrongGoing to be the bird in the sky Making sure i fly quite high

You just want to see me cryYou just want to see me dry

Going to be the bird in the skyMaking sure i fly quite high


I 've Been ChosenCICI FELTON, TOBI AjIBOYE, CIERA MAjOR

Sometimes i cry at nightSometimes i let the thoughts ofothers condemn the way i feelSometimes i don’t even know whoi amit’s like, i’m slowly transforming into this mosaic of the personEveryone wants me to beAnd instead of being piecedTogether by God, i’m filled withimpurity

why me?

why me?why i gottah be disappointed onethey all see?Sometimes i feel alone, and thati don’t belongNo one wants me, no one cares; pshhSpeak i would i wouldn’t dare

why me?

why me?why does my failure have to be glorified?why are my bars so high?why do i have to be the oneDisrespected and mistreated becauseYou are afraid of what i see you as.of what you really are; truth is….

i’ve been chosen to tell my storyi’ve been chosen to be differenti’ve been chosen to be the giant

And i’ve been chosen to be me!

Acknowledgements & Special Thanks

kevin Costin

kelly Steelle

Derek May-west

Jake Macary

Elizabeth Reece

Brooke Bowling

Hayden Jubera

kelly ingle

Beverly Brown

lynn Parker

Jocelyn winemiller

PATUxENT RiVER

4-H STAFF

GUEST ARTiSTS Christopher Fields

aka Poetry Man

Neville Adams

aka Phoenix

j. joy Matthews Alford

aka Sistah Joy

deserie johnson

aka Sanjo Jendayi

Sekeithia johnson

aka Queen Gyre

Lillian Shaw

Visual Artist

Glenda Bullock Willis

Counselor

And the Watts Prophets,

whose mentoring and training made this

program possible!

Acknowledgements & Special Thanks

Expressions 2012, now in its sixth year, began on Sunday, July 8, 2012, led by Master Poets: Chris Fields, Sistah Joy, Neville Adams, Desiree Johnson, kee kee Johnson, visual artist lillian Shaw, and counselor Glenna Bullock willis. They spent a week wondering with, teaching, and mentoring the participants in the use of poetry and the spoken word. The program’s goal is to teach teenagers how to use poetry and spoken word as a positive tool for expression in addition to enhancing their self image, self confidence, and public speaking skills.

The participants, who learn leadership and mentoring skills, are asked to return to their neighborhoods with these skills and share them with their peers. The participants are also introduced to other art forms, including painting, mask making, etc. Additionally, they participate in typical camp activities like night hikes, archery. All activities focus on team building and supporting fellow team members in completing the assigned task or activity.

Expressions Talk Up, Not Down 2012

All the activity during the week leads up to the presentation of the final project entitled “Hip Hop Poetry Choir”. This performance is fully produced and provides the venue for the team members to present the work they’ve created during the week. The performance is video taped and copies are made available to each teen. in addition to the video, the teens’ work is published and each is given a copy of the book.

Expressions staff schedule quarterly reunions with the participants, keeping track of their writing and to see if they have applied the leadership and mentoring skills.

The teens are also invited to participate in other Department of Parks and Recreation program that include monthly Café groove Coffee Houses for Teens and Artists in Residency Programs in community centers.

For information about the program, please contact Stewart Seal (301-466-3466) or [email protected].

Founded in 1927, The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission is a bi-county agency serving Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties in Maryland, located just to the north and east of washington, DC. The original purpose of the Commission, or M-NCPPC, was to practice “long-range planning and park acquisition and development.” Since its inception, however, the Commission’s responsibilities have expanded to include administration of Prince George’s County’s public recreation program.

A well-respected leader in the field, the Prince George’s County Department of Parks and Recreation provides quality recreation programs, facilities, and services for residents and visitors. The Commission operates and maintains more than 26,000 acres of parkland throughout the county, including land centers, and recreation facilities. in an effort to maintain the county’s natural beauty, a large percentage of the land has been

ABoUT Parks & Recreation

left undeveloped to serve as buffers and to provide natural open spaces.

with cooperation and input from diverse communities throughout Prince George’s County, the Department operates a comprehensive park and recreation system that offers programs and facilities designed to meet the needs and interests of patrons of all ages. outdoor festivals, live performances, trips, self-improvement classes, teen and senior activities, summer camps, fitness and sports programs, art and nature programs, and more than 40 miles of hiker/biker/equestrian trails are just a few of the recreational amenities offered.

A skilled and qualified workforce of community recreation specialists, park planners, naturalists, park police, support staff, and many others helps the Department provide quality services to the residents of Prince George’s County.

Expressions Talk Up, Not Down Class of 2012

expressions poetry book 2012

Documents

bowie center

department of parks

poems of expression

tripper of life

h center final performance

arts programs

performing artsthis

marylandnational capital