Starting Over

If I could roll Life’s dice again, I wish it would send me back to start.

Maybe then my siblings and I wouldn’t be apart.

I would hope there was a do over card to pull from the pile, because Damn I haven’t heard from my mother in a while.

I wish I could go back to being two, just to hear my mother whisper,

“I LOVE YOU,” or to look her in the eyes, to make her want me one More time.

Instead of boardwalk, I would buy a Dad because that property would be the only I never had.

I would then travel back to that place on the boardwalk called my Neighborhood spot.

I would beg for her not to call the cops.  Please “GOD” don’t me roll another crisis, my game piece can’t afford to land back on DYFS.

So while my opponents strategize how to make it to the end, I’m figuring out how to help them suckers win.  Maybe they can play just a small part in sending a foster girl back to start.

- Zyasia Latham


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Strength of my Soul

All I needed was for you to be there

But all you did was act like you didn’t care.

Everything you put me through

Only made me stronger through and through.

Yes you made me cry

And as my tears fell I asked myself, why?

Why did you treat me the way you did?

I didn’t know better,

I was just a kid.

Didn’t you know all you were doing was killing my

Soul?

Now you’ve given me a HEART OF GOLD.

But don’t worry, mom, I will never forget you.

By the way, mom, I forgive you, I do.

What you did didn’t ruin me at all.

Even though I wasn’t happy,

I am strong.

It took me a while to get over all of this.

I wouldn’t want to trade any of it.

 

Julia

Fort Lee Education Center

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Graduating

As I look around I can’t help but smile
It took me awhile but I’ve made it now,

I’ve been through ups and downs
Cried tears and I’ve frowned,
From pre-k to 2nd nothing be nap time
From 3rd to 5th is when I had to open my eyes,

From 5th to 8th was 1st kiss to losing friends
From 9th to 10th is when high school begins,

11th was when I saw my time was almost up
12th is when it’s all over and I’ve gone from a child to an
Adult,

Look at me I’ve made it finally

I’m graduating from high school
I started as a fool

But I’ve grown and grown into who I am today,
What can I say?

Hey I’m graduating!

-- Julia


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Zackare DiMaria

thank you god

every night I pray to god to help me in any way
after I am done I say amen and go to my bed and lay
moving along to my dreams about home
it depresses me waking up in an unfamiliar bed
and the fact that I am alone
even though I leave in January
this experience from the beginning was scary
I guess to him it was a lesson
but I thank him for the knowledge I gained, it was a blessing.

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ft. lee graduation

I am so proud of myself how far I have come
I am excited to know the fact that I am almost done
when I look back on these days I laugh upon our childish ways
it is time for us to move on and grow
with our own individual plans we must follow
when I say goodbye for the last time to staff at ft. lee
I thank them, they have changed my attitude to make a
better man out of me.

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it’s hard

it’s hard to live life everyday
that’s why I pray
for god to help me in every way
please help me not cry today
and not make my life so hard the next day.

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it’s time

it’s time to stop it’s time to move on
it’s time to grow up and go where I belong
I didn’t mean for this to happen
I am sorry for what I‘ve done
this painful chapter is coming to a close
and a new one has begun.

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Choices

I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow, and each road leads you where you want to go.

If you’re faced with a choice and you have to choose, I hope you choose the people that mean the most to you.

And, when a gateway opens to another that closes, keep walking until you see the light.

If it’s cold out where ever you are, show everyone the warmth of your smile, because you always choose to go the extra mile.

I hope you never choose to look back or forget the one who cared about you and the place that you left.

I hope you always forgive but never regret the choices you made.

And, you help someone every chance that you get.

But, more than anything, my wish for you is that your life becomes a success, your dreams stay big and your worries - you’ll never need to carry more than you can haul.

When you are out in the world and you hear that voice always remember you’ll have to make a lifestyle choice.

--Robert


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B.L.A.C.K.

“B” is for the blood that my ancestors shed for me, all those years the fought for me to be free.  But all we were doing was making fools of ourselves by the way we act, which brings me to “L”

 

“L” is for the lies we are telling ourselves, our kids, our brothers, and our sisters, when we say, “Were proud of who we are.” So why should we hide ourselves from what we wanna be? Why do you all try to criticize me? Telling me I can’t do that, but can do this! Then I ask, “Why?” is it because I’m not a Sir, I’m a Miss? Are you blind? Can’t you see that many of the great ones were just like me?

 

“A” is for the actions that have been taking place. And its not race against race, but people starting to hate.  We’re trying to get this world together piece by piece; I just wish people would just shut up and chill and let you be you and me be me.

 

“C” is for care. Do you care? Can you care? It seems weird that you say this world is a big mess, but there something that you’re doing wrong. “Can you guess?” you’re not fighting-fighting for schools and less jails. Why not black presidents of maybe females? Or maybe those who helped build this country, the ones that helped you and me? How soon can we get the help we need?

 

“K” is for the dramatic killings that have been taking place, from MLK to Emmet Till and Abe Lincoln, just trying to keep it real. It’s a shame we can’t get along. So, what’s the point of singing the American Song? The Star Spangled Banner is not just a song: it’s supposed to help us get along.

 

Julia

Fort Lee Education Center

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