Poetry Zone

First Name:

Age:

City:

Email (Optional):

Poem:

Submissions:

___________________________________________________

Kay Ryan has been named Poet Laureate of the United States, 2009-2010.
A native Californian, Ryan was born in San Jose and grew up in various towns
in the San Joaquin Valley. She has publised six collections of poetry. 

Expectations

We expect rain

to animate this

creek: these rocks

to harbor gurgles,

these pebbles to

creep downstream

a little, those leaves

to circle in the

eddy, the stains

and gloss of wet.

The bed is ready

but no rain yet.

Copyright © 2005 by Kay Ryan from the collection "The Niagara River" (Grove Press)

For more about Kay Ryan, go to the Library of Congress "Kay Ryan Online Resources."

__________________________________________________

s nt P., age 17, Bakersfield
April 1, 2009

"her name iz she".......her name is she with long hair, her name
is she who does not care, her name is she who is in others
talks, her name is she who is blind when walks. her name is she wh0
is f0olish with choices, her name is she that hears all the wrong
v0ices.........her name is she wh0 runz the streetz....

__________________________________________________

Patricia, age 25, California City
April 2, 2009

Easter is a special day to celebrate and give thanks for he has
rose again, to save our nation the color of the world means so
much to the lord that he gave his only begotten son for I am saved
by god and I give thanks to him for saving a sinner like me, The
lord is my savior and I hope that u love as well as I do, Praise
god and amen !

___________________________________________________

John, age 56, Weldon
April 3, 2009

there is a girl I love, tho she is far away
she lives inside my heart
forever and a day
she comes to me at night, in my deepest dreams
then one awakes along to find things aren't always as them seem

____________________________________________________

Terri, age 50, Bakersfield
April 3, 2009

Long before tattos, there was life.  We lived.
My body is a leather pouch, beloved and worn smooth.
I've carried it near me for over fifty years.
It has served me well.
It is a faithful companion, even bearing fruit out of season.

My grain is supple and relaxed, stretched but not torn.
My body is priceless.
The imperfections are wisdom on canvas
and the characteristics of beauty and quality. Lasting quality.
Beauty that evolves painstakingly over time. Much, much worked
clay.

These flaws are not battle scars
they are from use.
They tell a story of life.
My body and I are
the most faithful of companions.

___________________________________________________

Steven, age 8, Bakersfield
April 7, 2009

it was dark
a bat went out of its hiding place
when sunrise came a cat awoke and found a hat
a dog came out of no where
and then it started chasing a hog
the big chase was on

_____________________________________________________

krystal, age 30, Bakersfield
April 7, 2009

change
mothers are crying children are dying living in the hood isnt a
piece of cake struggling to survive to live a good life but the
devil comes in tormenting young minds to kill each other off.What
it about territory in the gang life suposively your a family
united as one but have you considered what you have done sold
your self for life. think your all bad think twice before your
serving 25 to life. think every thing is cool firing a gun think
twice before your lying on a bed hooked to a resperator and the
people who love you are asking god to spare your life

____________________________________________________

Kimberly, age 43, Taft
April 8, 2009

Life
Is what we make it
What we make out of life
Is that we often take it for granted.

Life
Is too short to be messing around with it
Before it is too late
Let's sit down and look back
And just maybe we will see what we lack in
Life.

_____________________________________________________

Shawn, age 36, Weldon
April 8, 2009

On This Breezy Spring Morning, I Enter the Courtyard to a
Standing Ovation

My audience of one:
A fifty-foot cottonwood.
Rustling its keen leaves.

_____________________________________________________

michael, age 30, Bakersfield
April 8, 2009

when i first saw him i fell in love
a brown haired italian guy
like something from my dreams

i had him once, now he is far away

one day we will be together again

i am living for that day....

_____________________________________________________

Teresa, age 50, Rosedale
April 9, 2009

Who are the heroes? Wounded each day yet still living, in fear of
the unknown, yet they will carry on. Forever alone, sacrificing
their life for the 'stranger' who doesn't even care. Surviving
the unthinkable, she never saw it coming. She labored, nursed,
comforted and bled but is now Despised by the children she
brought forth. They are the Mothers of sons and daughters who
have forsaken their birthright for the joint-the hit-the
needle-the "high". She would do it again to have her babies
back.

______________________________________________________

emmanuel, age 11, Bakersfield
April 10, 2009

the sky is blue it is true
it looks like it was drew
this is true
_______________________________________________________

brandon, age 16, Kern County
April 14, 2009

the world is so bad but you look so good to me but the ground is
so dim to so are you

_______________________________________________________

Eileen, no age given, Bakersfield
April 16, 2009

Alone

As I sit thinking
Silent stare, hardly blinking
Thoughts of the day
As I make my way
A silent moment
Such a peaceful time
Please don't bother me
Some other time
Continued thoughts
Maybe a walk
Sounds of a symphony
What beautiful harmony
Music so soft
Like feathers flowing
Serenity in the air
As I stare peacefully

______________________________________________________

Max, age 27, California City
April 16, 2009

WHY

Why do I feel so sad and lonely
Why do I feel so blue
Why does my heart Ache so slow and
lonely
Inch by inch my heart falls into
Pieces so slowly it hurts it pains me
Everytime it rains on me
I'm wondering over & over if
Someone out there is willing to love me so
And if they can will they be able to mend
My broken heart back together again

_____________________________________________________

Dj, age 16, Bakersfield
April 16, 2009

I know it hurts and i might put you to shame but all I need is
your sex, love and pain

______________________________________________________

Arturo, age 47, Bakersfield
April 18, 2009

One Day
God said to me
"I created thee
and ye know I created thee."
But I ask thee
"If "I AM" an entity,
A deity.
Then who created Me
"GOD ALMIGHTY"
Was it thee,
Or my GOD to me?"
"No my Lord."
I said.
"I did not create thee,
Nor did your GOD to thee.
But ye created yeself to be.
To me,
Ye are the one and only
HOLY TRINITY
Of true Love for all eternity."

COPYRIGHT:ONE DAY

_____________________________________________________

Mortez, age 27, Bakersfield
April 18, 2009

You can't divide the divine.
Or comprehend the glory with your mortal beneign
little mind. God only reveals those things in which he wants you
to find, because everybody dies, we're only alloted so much of
his time!

______________________________________________________

dave, age 50, Bakersfield
April 20, 2009

often we wonder how long/lives flyin' by so fast/it's an ocean
but it ends at the shore/

______________________________________________________

brianna, age 11, Rosamond
April 21, 2009

i can see mountains
i can see deserts
i can see you too
but what i really want to see is the sea
i am at the sea
and i miss the
mountains and deserts
but what i miss more is YOU
_____________________________________________________

brianna, age 11, Rosamond
April 21, 2009

its you and me
how could it be
i am not your type
how did we end up together
i dont know
well its you and me
forever it will be
_______________________________________________________

Anthony, age 52, Bakersfield
April 21, 2009

as the mind sparrows and temptations con struct traps, the
rbasping wind of confusion distort our souls direction.
Victimized by the voices of I. Weeping tears asking God to
forgive us for being disobiedant to our fears.

_______________________________________________________

Anthony, age 52, Bakersfield
April 22, 2009

Poem #1
eTERNAL UNDERSTANDING, THE MASSES OF OUR MINDS ESCAPING INTO
FORMATS OF CONFUSION. TEMPERED BY THE SOURCE OF OUR INNER TRUST
TO KNOW AND SEE THE TRUTH FROM BEYOND THE PAGES OF DECEPTION,
RECEPTION BEING THE PURFICATION TO OUR RECEPTERS OF BELIEF. SEEK
AND ONE WILL FIND UNDERSTANDING.

Poem #2
AS THE MIND SPARROWS AND TEMPTATIONS CONSTRUCT TRAPS, THE RASPING
WIND OF CONFUSION DISTANCES OUR SOULS DIRECTION.VICTIMIZED BY THE
VOICES OF I. WEEPING TEARS ASKING GOD TO FORGIVE US FOR BEING
DISOBIEDANT TO OUR FEARS.

Poem #3
BENEATH TURMOIL EXIST THE ABUNDANCE OF LOVE. GODS POWER TO
POSTION US OVER AND BEYOND THE SCARRED FIELDS OF EARTHS DECIET,
MISTRUST AND CONFUSION. FROM BEGINNING TO END, GOD WILL REVEAL
HIS GLORY OVER EVERYTHING.

Poem #4
MARTIN LUTHER KING HAD A DREAM I HAD DREAM ALSO, IN 1967, ELEVEN
YEARS OLD, FLASHING LIGHTS, FLICKERING SHADOWS, SITTING IN FRONT
OF A OLD MODEL TELIVISON! GREATNESS, HOPE, THE POWER OF
PASSSION, LOVE, THE EXTENDED FAMILY, THE MASSES OF PEOPLE
EXPERICING DRAMATIC CHANGE, ENFLUENCES FLICATING INTO MADDNESS!
CONFUSED AGENDAS, PEOPLE BATTLING THE INFLUX OF A MAD SYSTEM.
PANICK IN THE AIR, PEOPLE MISLEAD AND LEAD ASTRAY, SIGNS OF MUCH
MORE INTICIPATED. CHALLENGES OVER POWERING LOGIC IN THOUGHT, THE
CRIES OF WE SHALL OVERCOME DRAMTIZED THROUGH OUT ONES LIFE.
STRENGTH DERIVED FROM OUR UNIVERSAL POWER! GOD!MARCHING THROUGH
THE STREETS, THE EMBEDDED SPIRITS OF HATRED. I HAD A DREAM AND IT
GOT LOST, NOW IT HAS RETURNED 37 YEARS LATER! KEEP DREAMING,
BEAMING, USING YOUR CREATIVE ENERGIES! THIS IS OUR LIST JESUS,
GOD, HUMBLENESS AND OBEDIANCE, LETS LIVE WITH GODS ACCORD. AMEN!

______________________________________________________

Cher'Maine, age 35, Bakersfield
April 22, 2009

TIREDNESS BEGINS AT HOME WHEN YOU HAVE TO DO ALL THE WORK WHEN
THERE IS TWO....TIREDNESS CONTINUES AT WORK WHEN THE TEAMWORK
THAT SHOULD BE IN PLAY EVAPORATES AND YOU FEEL ALONE...TIREDNESS
IS WHEN YOU GO HOME AT THE END OF THE NIGHT AND CAN'T CONVEY THE
LOVE YOU FEEL FOR YOUR FAMILY AT FIRST BUT WHEN YOU SEE THEM
SMILE, RUNNING AROUND, AND SEE HOW HAPPY THEY ARE THEN YOU START
TO THINK MAYBE THE TIREDNESS IS WORTH IT.

Crystal, age 23, Frazier Park
April 25, 2009

"Annoyed"
Leave me alone,
I don't want you around,
curse the damn people
whom taunt my every ground,
Leave me alone,
I hate your annoying voice
when your standing right over me,
you give me no choice,
stop trying to save me,
stop trying to love me,
Leave me alone in this dark room,
where I sit in the corner and rhyme alone,
Iam better off this way,
I think its for the best but everytime you come near,
I want to die and rest,
So let me be, I'll never change,
for the secrets I hold are more than you can vain,
with skeletons in my closets
and ghosts in my house...
I see this is going nowwhere,
now I'll scream and cry for HELP!

_____________________________________________________

Trina, age 42, Bakersfield
April 28, 2009

love ones

______________________________________________________

Anthony, age 52, Bakersfield
April 28, 2009

MOMENTS THAT UNDERSCORE OUR SELF WORTH. THE VALIDITY OF OUR
VALUES. CONSTANT CHANGE AND ENFLUENCES THE BATTLE CRIES OF PAIN.
STEPS THAT ASSURE US THAT OUR PATHES AND JOURNEYS ARE FOCUSED IN
THE RIGHT DIRECTION. HARDEN FROM THE INSIDE OUT, LOVE HAS OVER
POWERED THE FALSE IMAGES OF IMAGINE THOUGHTS. WE MUST LIVE WITH
PURPOSE AND INTENT AT ALL TIMES. PRAISES ALWAYS TO OUR FATHER GOD
IN HEAVEN. THE SUN HAS SET. WHAT IS YOUR BET. THE RESOVIERS OF
LOVE.

___________________________________________________

Ashley, no age given, Bakersfield
April 29, 2009

   A high perched owl takes a flight,
Into the stormy darkness of night.
   Golden eyes, Piercing eyes,
Glow in the light of the fireflies.

A cricket's chirp is heard to play,
    Songs of wonder, hope, dismay.
While the trees arch overhead,
   Their leaves whistling with songs unsaid.

   A streak of fire gleams in sight,
Shooting through the darkest night.
Slowly it rises, a golden glow
   Shining light on those below.

  Soon eyes begin to crack,
For the darkness that they lack.
Dreams though shattered, now are sought,
From the light the sun has brought.

     A new day dawns.

_________________________________________________

Anthony, age 52, Bakersfield
May 1, 2009

The ignition of our spirits. Bright lights blinding the source of
our direction. Scenes reflection turmoil from beneath the
surfaces of the imagined. Out lines of true bueaty. Know whats
real.

__________________________________________________

Gabbie, age 14, Bakersfield
May 6, 2009

One day I ditched school so I started walking down the street and
I met a lady that was singing on the side of the street that had
a beautiful voice but she was very poor. She was very dirty and
her hair was crazy nappy with bald spots. She had holes in her
shoe's and holes in her dress. and she looked a little like me. I
had a little of money in my pocket so I walked up and gave it to
her. I had asked how old was she and she said 24 then I said "Why
are you on the street singing for money?" and she said "I got
this way because I thought I was to cool to be in school so I
ditched at the age of 14.

__________________________________________________

PETEY, age 12, Bakersfield
May 6, 2009

MY DRAKNESS IZ BAD, MY GIRL

___________________________________________________

ryan, age 21, Bakersfield,
May 7, 2009

WHEN IM ALONE IN MY ROOM SOMETIMES I STARE AT THE WALL AND IN THE
BACK OF MY MIND I HEAR MY CONSCIENCE CALL TELLIN ME I NEED A GIRL
THATS AS SWEET AS A DOVE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I REALIZE
I NEED LOVE

___________________________________________________

JUSTIN, age 23, B Town
May 7, 2009

COMIN HOME FROM WORK IM FEANIN FOR AN EIGHT BALL I GOT CRACK ON
MY MIND IM HEARIN COCAINE CALL TELLIN ME TO BEEP THE DEALER TO
DELIVER ME SOME KEEP IT A SECRET FROM MY WIFE CAUSE SHE THINKS
THAT I DONT DO DRUGS

____________________________________________________

Nancy, age 62, Bakersfield
May 8, 2009

Gods peaking around the corner to catch a glims of what he
created.
He heard his creation must have turned out to be very amazing
as someone had stated.

I got a peak at him a little while ago, and I wish to tell
you he is amazing beyond belief.
He made his appearance so I could see him one day. I thought
how on earth could the human race not love him that way.

His hair as powerful as the rest of him in stature so bold.
Gentle with the touch of his hands that make you feel as
prescious as gold.

The power of strength , and the power of love he sends out
radiating from his body makes you feel so safe....

God is really up there looking down on us. To see what I see
of him you really must..

See his beauty. God bless

_________________________________________________

Ariel, age 17, Bakersfield
May 10, 2009

Tomorrow, mother's day
The day 24-hour dedicated to my mother...
to your mother...
to every mother in this world.

__________________________________________________

Jasper, age 25, Bakersfield
May 11, 2009

I have drawn
countless numbers,
of hearts on paper
thinking of you.
And I would guess
and be correct
that the number of,
hearts on paper
that you have drawn
thinking of me,
would be
zero

__________________________________________________

Leslie, age 14, Shafter
May 20, 2010

Why Can't We..

Why cant we just runaway?
Leave everything behind.
All our problems in the back of our mind.
Forgetting them for a while,such a sweet moment.
Not worrying about whats next for us,not looking behind or a head of us.
Living in the moment just you and me.
No one else.
Going somewhere where everything is new and untouched.
So give me a reason why we cant just runaway.

____________________________________________________

Flame, Ridgecrest
May 21, 2010

the world was dark
there was no light
you left me there
in the depths of cold, merciless night then
in the distance
a beacon of light

____________________________________________________

Alissa, age 26, Bakersfield
May 21, 2009

My soul expands and contracts
With my wallet. I worry:
Is this materialism?
A bad word, something I denounced
And derided, back when I had the luxury
Of fewer bills. Now I always know
Exactly what's in the account, precisely
What I can spend. But life
Always demands more; the moment
I've cleared a wiggle space for little pleasures,
Large expenses shoulder their way in.
Like you, I usually panic, but pull through,
And wonder,
What isn't materialism?
Aren't all our souls contracted,
(Angels dancing on a pin)
In these times, when we've wormed our little ways
So deep inside our wallets,
That you just might find us if you just peer in?

Or, rarely, if we just peer out, and wave?

__________________________________________________

Alissa, age 26, Bakersfield
May 23, 2009

To Market, To Market

The light of the tiny shop was hard and golden,
And weighted with fish smell, unbearable
To my lungs. I lingered near the door, and air,
And the familiar, brightly packaged shapes
Of chewing gum, or peanut butter cups
I knew she' d buy me. She had to bribe me.
I hated the place, and have no memory
Of its interior other than that stench,
And the small comfort of the candy racks.
Done with her purchases, she' d lead me out,
Clutching my consolation, gulping
At that clear southern California air,
Little mouth too wide, maybe,
Like the gaping dead fish inside.

This place, now, is large and cool,
And the fish smell ties my gut in knots,
Not disgust, but pain. I pass
The noodles, pastries, tea,
Sauces and crackers, stupid things
Having nothing to do with the Philippines, mostly,
But they make me see her.
These are my familiar
Smells and contours, now.
Maybe
I can bribe myself from feeling, keenly,
How little she'd they'd left me of our culture.
My words for them: Lola and Lolo'oh,
And their word for soy sauce: toyo.
_________________________________________________

Kasandra, age 14, Bakersfield
May 29, 2009

love is something special, and not something that is ment to be
thrown away, love is used each and everyday, love will be around,
until that very day when everyones true love is found, love puts
a smile on everyones face, being inlove for the first time is a
memory that you can erase.
_________________________________________________

Shena, age 14, Bakersfield
May 29, 2009

theres this girl,with a long pretty curl. there was this man,that
asked for a hand, she said yes, i'll try to do my best. when she
picked up a box, fell out hundreds of locks. she ask what are
these locks for, he then said they are for the nob on some
doors. she said why so many for so little, he said the doors are
very,very briddle.

________________________________________________

Gia, age 24, Bakersfield
May 31, 2009

I remember love

I remember love
When it was so adolescent
I remember love
Never kept me guessing.
I remember love
So mediocre to the definition today
I remember love
Loveâ ¦when did you go astray ?
Come back my way.

I remember love
Kisses were so sweet
I remember love
When love wanted the best for me.
I remember love
Love so divine
I remember love
Once upon a time.

I remember love
Sacrificial to the touch
I remember love
Loveâ ¦how I miss you so much.
I remember love
So pure and so sweet
I remember love
Loveâ ¦.how did you forget about me ?

_______________________________________________

Tammy, age 44, Bakersfield
June 4, 2009

Though this doesn't rhyme, here is some food for
thought. People are like a rose. Beautiful, unique in their own
design. But if handled wrong you'll get stuc k
_______________________________________________

Chandler, age 13, Rosamond
June 12, 2009

Laughter is like a flower it's pedals break off and it turns to
something ugly.Why cant we get along why do we have to make
racial remark.Why.?That is the question.
________________________________________________

Alvin, age 35, Rosamond
June 12, 2009

eyes that sooth my arousal exspectantcies a close encounter
has me drawn in with new life when i found her
i love her i love her not saintin wit a new plot theres no
stoping
i stay close to god while im hip hoppin
label her dangerous miss me wit the kiss of death
deadly to her like wise to her when god gave me breath
so breathe in breathe out entangle in spiritual awareness
wither away the pain and hurt annd gloomyness and bareness.

_______________________________________________

Rene, age 13, Bakersfield
June 16, 2009

every time i hear your voice a million things come into my head
some stuff is amaginary

_______________________________________________

Ramon, age 17, Delano
June 16, 2009

All my life, I've been skipping to your beat, following your
melodious ideas
Never questioning, never thinking it was time to hit my own frets

I sang your tune every time i was up to the mic, the mic you set
for me
Now, I think it's time to write my own song
I'll set my own stage, my own mic
I'll find my own audience and recite my own lines
Don't tell me I can't do it
Don't tell me i won't make it
Support me
Be there when I play my first note
Be there when I get my first standing O
Be there whenever I need you
Support me
I don't need to be let down again
I just need your support
My music is life
The words I create burn with the passion of a thousand souls
The wind never blew never like this before
I never spoke words never like this before
Support me
Now that I am vulnerable,
Now that I am here,
listen to my words and help me rid myself of fear
Don't let me chase this dream alone
Tell me I can do it
Tell me you'll be there
Please, be there when I come home

________________________________________________

Jessicaa, age 14, Rosamond
June 18, 2009

the night has fallen the sun has gone . the darkness overides my
skin and cuts me deep. i feal the blood levening my body and
excapes my vains and gose to some one new. another life is lost
in this sill game we call love that has only just begone.

_________________________________________________

Jessica, age 15, Rosamond
June 18, 2009

there it gose agen my life as a person. there agen a kid cries.
there agen the moon has risen.there agen is the girl with the
broken hart that tries to move on day by day. theres agen is the
boy that just wants to die. theres the lovers that will never
love agen. there agen i right this pome .there agen it will
become a song.

__________________________________________________

Lizbeth, age 9, Bakersfield
June 20, 2009

roses
not every flower tells romance
but a rose can
the beauty
of a rose
it's unique look
it's divine smell
the colors of a rose
from orange to red
it is simply a flower apart from all others

__________________________________________________

qUeenz eNT, age 15+, South Carolina
June 29, 2010

thee thinqs yhu usedd tuuh say still runs deep in mi veins.
thee lovee we sharee is more then anyone eles feel.
thee kindest yhu brinq is more then a frakinq rinq thee other quy could brinq.
yhu aree mi heart mi soul mi joy mi love i feel like qodd sent yhu from above.

____________________________________________________

Aliah, age 19, Bakersfield
June 30, 2010

life
Life is such a real thing
Something that can make your heart sing
On this subject we do have our own say
Mine is that we should never put it to waste We should all make it while it last All the way from future to present to past We should really care for ours in any way Until God recieves our souls from our last day We all start from darkness to light On this little journey ill like to call life

_____________________________________________________

Jessica, age 14, Rosamond
July 7, 2009

how did i get so lucky to have meet you??how did i be so brave to
tell you i like you?? how did i say i love you?? how did i follow
you?? how did love take me over agen?? how do i say this.....I
LOVE YOU

________________________________________________

Samantha, age 10, California City
July 14, 2009

love is true to all who cares its worth the wait but soon it
tears hearts are broken here and there knowone figures out who or
where but some how its just there

________________________________________________

Jasmeen, age 13, Bakersfield
July 15, 2009

A speck
onlooker, a nobody
watching, not saying
but making a difference
a speck is all i am
A speck is a i need to be
but in truth are we all not specks?

________________________________________________

Martinique, age 13,  Bakersfield
July 17, 2009

bold as lightning
strong as thunder
against she is, of fighting
majestic is her power
always is she thinking
leaving us to wonder

________________________________________________

Melissa, age 18, Bakersfield
July 23, 2009

without my baby i aint s**t, i need her in my lyf so i cud
suceed. she made me fall so crazy in love, and i will never
forget my truly love... her name is mariah my beautidful babe. if
u ever read this . i want u to see what u made... a girl who is
crazy for u, i just hope our love will never fade away. i love
you baby your my world my wife my every lil thing . i need u....
and i love you. your my all.

__________________________________________________

Deadrianne, age 16, California City
July 23, 2009

life aint what it seems   !!!
living in the projects aint what it seems some
leave their kids at home some tell them to leave killing and
shooting aint the best thing so you should just leave4 take all
your things and hurry out the door leave a note to your homie
tell em ypur gonna make something out of your life cause when you
maske sothing out of your higher than high when your brain goes
to waste it just dies

__________________________________________________

Barbara, age 57, Bakersfield
July 25, 2009

Haiku

Art, music, dance
Alternative Academics
Heaven on earth

_______________________________________________

Laura, age 17, Bakersfield
July 25, 2009

Title: Eight Years.
It's been eight years since we heard them yell,
Eight years since the towers fell.
Eight years since they lost their lives,
Everyone taken by surprise.
It needed to happen so that we could stand together,
And let us remember that, now and for ever.

November 11,2001.
Never Forget.

_____________________________________________

Jim, age 9, Bakersfield
July 28, 2009

i am red u are green
u are red and
i am green
your mom is blue
and your dad is red
get it

_____________________________________________

Victoria, age 15, Bakersfield
August 1, 2009

My sadness
goes on
forever

_____________________________________________

Victoria, age 15, Bakersfield
August, 1, 2009

my sorrow goes on 4 ever i could write pages on and on til' the
days grow dark and weary way past the death of my mom it gets sad
wat i write 'bout breakups deaths and broken bones i would slowly
bore you but that is all for now

_______________________________________________

Cory, age 17, Bakersfield
August 4, 2009

My Desire I desire for you for food and money and life. I desire
in my sleep and everywhere i go. My heart desire you over my
lifetime and i never ever get you off my mind.

______________________________________________

Sam, age 11, California City
August 6, 2009

hi weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee love

_______________________________________________

Nancy, age 62, Bakersfield
August 8, 2009

GODS PEAKING AROUND THE CORNER......I BETCHA HE SURE
IS.......TO TAKE ANOTHER GANDER AT HIS CREATION........

HE JUST THOUGHT HE WOULD STOP BY, AND GET A REMINDER OF
WHAT SPECIAL THING HE HAS DONE....TO LET US KNOW HE MADE US WITH
ALL HIS LOVE......

HE NEVER STOPS LOOKING DOWN AT US FROM ABOVE.....SOMETIMES HE
POPS IN TO SEE US......TO GIVE US A PEAK......TO SAY NOPE WHAT I
MADE IS NOT WEAK......

HE WANTS TO TELL US IT WAS WORTH IT WHAT HE HAS DONE.....TO
MAKE US WITH EVERY BIT OF WISDOM HE HAS.....YOU KNOW WHAT I AM
GLAD.....

________________________________________________

Bill, age 67, Tehachapi
August 13, 2009

Wooden Soldiers...

In your hand,
they seal fates, secure fortunes and launch ships --
tongue sharp and sword mighty.

In mine,
nothing they do is permanent,
and most is rubbed away --
fit only for notes and lists,
a doodle, a drawing, a scribble, a sketch.

In your fingers,
they spin and dance --
ballerinas twirling on their toes.

In mine,
they stomp and stumble --
clowns wobbling on their heels.

For you,
they are tools of craft and precision:
slender, straight and tall,
young, six-sided and cedar fresh,
eager to empty their black hearts
on painfully white fields,
and sacrifice themselves without regret
to crumpled sheets and polished gems.

For me,
they are merely soldiers:
yellow uniforms and pink helmets
armed with lead and ready to march,
but doomed to die in vain
on paper beds...

_______________________________________________

Sharleece, age 15, California
August 13, 2009

dear god,
i want one eye to be green and the other blue
i want him to be 5'9 and hansome in pesonality
i want him to love me but for me not to love him back so i
may never be hurt, so i may never sit up and cry about him
cheating on me, so i won't ever hava a broken heart

love always,
legacy

_______________________________________________

Josh, age 18, Bakersfield
August 13, 2009

A world of darkness
A world of cold
A world of sadness
A world unknown

It may seem simple to see the world as a place to run and play
but what will happen to our world when polluotion comes to stay

A world of ashes
A world of lies
A world of worries
A world os cries

If our world comes to an end
beacuse the problems could we not mend
then all we have will be so lost
as the world frezzes over in a cold, white, forst

_________________________________________________

Joseph, age 30, Bakersfield
August 14, 2009

I love Allah Like i love my mom Why? Cause he give everything i
need and never act for nothing in exchange. I love Allah Like I
love my father Why cause he protect and never let harm come my
way. I love Allah Like i love my best friend Why cause i always
can depend on him thought thick and thin

________________________________________________

deadrianne, age 16, California City
August 15, 2009

im waisting away with nothing to say my life is dead an gray i
start to wounder what i want what i need and how to express
myself to thee the one i love the one i call BABY the one that
holds me close in the night but flees away at the site of life,
who have i become this distance that i see never the more i seek
my true identity looking and hopeing for the est but that doesnt
last forever my love is at rest. i search to find love that is
blind it sits right in front of mewhy cant i see the fate of my
life in the psalm of your hand to be held so carefully and
lovingly too i wonder if i could love anyone the way i love you
!!!!!

_______________________________________________

Paige, age 25, Lake Isabella
August 18, 2009

CHERRY HILL

I am staring at a gray horizon
Burnt cherry trees are staring back at me
A frog jumps from the internal pond
He smiles at me and vomits a firefly
He snatches it back but doesn't swallow
I've discovered the reasoning of the gray sky
As mountains of ash form all around me
It hasn' t struck me yet as to where the frog has gone
All that remains is the wings of the firefly
Broken on the ground, reflecting the light of the harp
That sits next to the only blooming cherry tree
I play the harp without any knowing
The music is soft in my ears
And I sleep

_______________________________________________

Paige, age 25, Lake Isabella
August 18, 2009

CRYSTALIZED

The mammoths return to their warm caves
On the sparkling mountains above the window
In this winterized town located somewhere in dreams
Losing the last drop of blood
Taking a last painful breath
A crystallized leaf-like snow flake drifts by
Slowly changing to an amoeba
Swimming in a makeshift sea of weightless dances
Eyes slowly shut
Crying last words in a jumbled sentence of betrayal
Why did you kill me, father?

___________________________________________________

Isaiah, age 20, Bakersfield
August 20, 2009

we laugh
we cry
we sing
we die
thats the way we live our life
we love
we hate
we chase
we escape the minds we have but its to late
the facts of life are not that far away dont treat it as if it is

_______________________________________________

Sanuuese, age 29, Mojave
Sept. 9, 2009

I HEAR YOUR BEAUTIFUL VOICE
A VOICE SO CLEAR THAT ONLY I CAN HEAR
A VOICE SO DEAR THAT MAKES ME LOOK WEIRD
BUT I KNOW THAT ITS YOU GOD
REACHING TO ME
HELPING ME WHEN I PRAY
IT'S YOUR VOICE THAT I HEAR
THAT MAKES IT SO BEAUTIFUL AND CLEAR
I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ANOTHER BLESSED YEAR
BECAUSE IT'S BEEN REALLY TOUGH
I CAN'T COMPLAIN WHEN I HAVE ALL THAT I REALLY NEED
A FAMILY WHO LOVES ME AND KEEP IT REAL
FRIENDS FOR LAUGHTER WHEN I'M FEELING WEIRD
IT'S NOTHING WEIRD WHEN GODS IN YOUR EAR
IT'S HIS WAY OF SHOWING THAT HE'S WITH AND VERY NEAR

SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALWAYS LISTENING
BLESS IT BE PRAY TO ME GOD IS NEAR NO NEED TO FEAR

_________________________________________________

Hector, Age 23, Bakersfield
Sept. 12, 2009

YOU TAKE ME TO A PLACE I NEVER GO,YOU SEND ME KISSES MADE OF
GOLD,ILL PLACE A CROWN UPON YOUR CURLS, ALL HAIL THE QUEEN OF THE
WORLD!

_________________________________________________

Jessica, age 15, Rosamond
Sept. 12, 2009

i once hade a hart and it was hole then it was broken like a
pole
it hirt so bad i cried ever day un tell i finally for got my name

i walked around the earth like a lost sole with no friends and no
fun
i hade lost ever thing in my life even u that is way i am soo
blue
but then there was this day when i looked down at my srcares and
relized that a better day is soon to come
i fealt as if i was my self agen and in they end i am still your
best friend!!

________________________________________________

Evangelina, age 21, Bakersfield
Sept. 15, 2009

poem 1:
Those days

I am but a fool.
Oh, how those sweet autumn days
blissfully caressen my memory.
Those days in which we were but friends
as innocent as a childâ s laughter.
Oh, how I feared this dreaded end;
my soul does cruelly remind me of those days.

Yea, I have even reminisced in those days of
tones gone a flare and tempers unmatched.
Oh how I long to seek your forgiveness
for my spirit is restless.

Ah yes, those days in which we spoke of lifeâ s
unforgiving bite and those who need more
than a bandage to heal their broken wounds.

Alas, memories I wish could fade
but oh, how my heart echoes your shadow.
A friend from another life you were
and yet it seemed your presence
resketched in to my emptiness.

Once in which we were mesmerized
by the friendship we held was
once as soft and gentle as wings of angels;
wings which have been charred by those who despised.

In those days of which visions lingered in our eyes;
as our lips formed the prophecy.
The days of which we would
stand and drift apart.
The days of which we would be held
by a single thread of memorizes.

In those days of glad tidings and joyous occasions
smeared by envy and jealous hearts
became the brand which burned in our hearts.

Melted thoughts, ruined memorizes
and forgotten actions have all been displayed
by the love of our friendship.
Disputed by many, accused by idle, longed by me.

poem 2:
Ashed Beauty

How then must my life
Be lived?
Should it be as the trinkets
Of life that adorn me so?
Or shall it be as this friendship
That I despise?
Words of comfort were replaced
By words of anger and hate.
My lips that once held
Innocence were raped by the
Fabrication of your
arrogance.
My eyes were disguised
By the masquerade you
Upheld;
But the jeweled scales fell
to reveal your twisted face.
Once, Oh, sweet honey
Did intoxicate my taste
Has now lingered into waste.
You have wrapped me in silks
Spun from webs of hurt, brokenness,
And betrayal.
Musical chimes once intoned
To my heartâ s song
Now has been crushed
By the mockery of your
supposed tough.
All you have said or done has
Turned into a sour memory
Of the past.
For you, my friend, have become
Ashes clothed in Beauty.

____________________________________________

Kumari, age 44, Frazier Park

50 Pound Dog

No amount of nuance can make my big dog small
yet she prefers to curl into a white wolf shrug
nosetip to tailtip, one seamless ring of cur

____________________________________________________

Sequoia, age 17, Weldon
October 6, 2009

The moment I saw him he stoled my heart.
I hope we are never apart.
I went to see him today
All we did was play.

It was hard for me to watch him leave
There it is again my heart on my sleeve
I don't know why I love him so much.
I absolutley adore his touch.

My heart flutters at his sound
Than my heart begins to bound
When will this feeling stop.
It feels like my heart is going to pop.

He looks my way
than I realize he won't stay.
I beg and plee
but he really doesn't see.

He has my whole heart
And it tears me apart.
Why did God give me this
I thought that he knew best

_________________________________________________

Cystal, age 14, Lamont
October 7, 2009

I WROTE UR NAME IN DA SKY BUT THE WIND BLEW IT AWAY, I WROTE UR
NAME IN DA SAND BUT THE WAVES WASHED THEM AWAY, I WROTE UR NAME
DEEP INSIDE MY HEART N FOREVER IT WILL STAY!

_________________________________________________

Ashley, age 14, Bakersfield
October 11, 2009

-Untitled-
The Earth cold and lonely
all living in despair
no one living happily
a small and hopeless affair

all is misery and defeat
the strong and weak are in sorrow
loss is help to be beat all sing for tomorrow

tomorrow is a new day all defeat has moved along
all the sorrow at bay
a little bell goes ding dong

for with a new day
there is always peace at bay

-Spring-
Spring nature's bloom
little blue flowers
bright yellow flowers
inteanse white flowers
spring breezes going through the trees
grass parts as little bugs climb the stalks
ladybugs and beatles they're all there
birds sing, squirrels run, bees buzz
its all apart of nature's beautiful
never-ending cycle
small crickets are chirping their song
grass has a new fresh smell
little plants of all types
rough and strong but aged with history,trees
are older and have seen more
so many stones rough, smooth, sharp, dull
they all represent their own place in nature
birds, squirrels, bees, crickets, and other
creatures have a place to stay in
Spring, natures bloom.

________________________________________________

Mariah, age 19, Bakersfield
October 16, 2009

Love like the ocean...its so wide and so deep..u wonder how far
it truely goes...will it ever end..will it consume me? will it
ever dry up? will it ever have a limit? or is it like a
iceberg...u never reach it all..u just barely hit the
surface...hmmmm i think its like a a tootise pop lol the world
day never know...bt what i do know and what i can tell you
is....i know who i love and i know my love runs as deep as the
ocean and as long as the Nile...i love you melissa...my light..my
star...my all.

________________________________________________

Monique, age 20, Bakersfield
November 12, 2009

True calm blue
ocean breeze.
The seas float unto me.
Out from the depths
of the soul arises a darkness,
Hallow from the beating received by my skin.
I close my eyes.
My body is restful from from the night;
Letting the air to breathe unto me.

________________________________________________

Hannah, age 23, Bakersfield
Nov. 23, 2009

Roots are planted deep,
leaves are weathered and weary,
waiting for the earth to rumble

Strangers dwell in their own dimension
becoming lovers with time and place

I trail down a rip in the universe,
little strings tugging at my eyes

Just down the trail of memories,
into the neverwas,
where I find it impossible to sleep

_________________________________________________

Mariah, age 19, Bakersfield
Nov. 25, 2009

As time ticks then tocks and i look at my clock to see how much
longer will it take before i see your face again...im being
impatient cant wait till the time i see your pretty face and have
your hand in mine....trying to focus when your away makeing money
so we both have a place to stay..now you may not have everything
you want but i promise you will have everything you need..i love
you melissa you mean everything to me..trying my hardest to make
you happy..i promise i wont stop till you have everything i
promised...you may get a what you want this christmas and you may
not bt i promise by the time im done...you'll have everything
you've every wanted and more...love you babygirl..3x and
more......mwaaaahhhhhhhhh

________________________________________________

Saria, age 13, Bakersfield
Dec. 16, 2009

i was scard when i 1st saw u i was scard 2 talk 2 u

when i 1st talk 2 u i was scard 2 hold u

when i 1st held u i was scard 2 kiss u

when i 1st kissd u i was scard 2 luv u

now that i love u im scard 2 loose u

__________________________________________________

Anna, age 38, Bakersfield
Dec. 16, 2009

Numb my town, numb my city, numb my nation, numb began with me
When did your cries my brother or yours my sister stop affecting
me

Numb my town, numb my city, numb my nation, numb began with me
Were yours drowned out by mine till my eyes and ears could not
hear or see?

Numb my town, numb my city, numb my nation, numb began with me
Reach out my arm, my hand my fingers my thought and pinch away my
wide away sleep!

_________________________________________________

Laurie, age 33, Bakersfield
Dec. 18, 2009

I ONCE HAD A FRIEND MY FRIEND WENT FAR AWAY FROM ME NOW THERES
NOTHING MORE TO SAY OTHER THAN I LOVED MY FREIND

____________________________________________________

Anna, age 38, Bakersfield
Dec. 18, 2009

Allow me to delve into the labyrinth of your mind
To explore the hidden chambers of your soul
To unmask, to unravel,
To be mystified by the melody of your thoughts and your passions.

________________________________________________

SnowAngel, age 14, Ridgecrest
Dec. 28, 2009

Mnt Smthng:

Loving you was harder that i thought it would be
You BETRAYED me
You said you really cared about me
LIAR that's what you are
What i told you was true
I never betrayed you
I was the one who was Pure of Heart
We were a secret 'till YOU hurt me
I was blinded by how much you ment to me
I remember there was a time when i ment something to you
we used to meam something to eachother
Was i the only one telling the truth
You're made up of lies
I LOVED YOU & YOU LOVED ME
You ment a lot to me... you were my other half we completed
eachother
Then you broke my heart and our bond with your LIES
Now we will search for someone else that completes us
@))--%---

______________________________________________

Ana, age 38, Bakersfield
Dec. 30, 2009

Like a bird born in captivity never knowing that to it belongs
skies buttered with glorious sunset and peppered with glowing
firey clouds to adorn its flight. So is the soul of a man caged
in a prison of thier own making.

_______________________________________________

Ernst, age 53, Bakersfield
Jan. 5, 2010

ERNIE'S DOGGIE DELIMMA

THIS IS THE STORY OF ERNIE,
A WIENER DOG BREEDER HE WOULD BE,
SO HE BOUGHT HIS FIRST MALE FOR 100 BUCKS,
AND GAVE HIM THE NAME DOOGIE.

I SAID TO MY WIFE I HAVE AN IDEA,
TO MAKE MONEY BEYOUND COMPARE,
SO I BOUGHT DOOGIE A FEMALE,
SO DOOGIE HIS LOVE HE COULD SHARE.

WELL SNUGGLES THE FEMALE GOT PREGNATE,
AND I HAD DOLLAR SIGNS IN MY EYES,
BUT THEY WERE SO CUTE WHEN THEY WERE BORN,
MY WIFE COULDN'T SELL THEM TO MY SURPRIZE.

I STARTED OUT WITH TWO,
THEY MULTIPLIED INTO FOUR,THEN DOOGIE DID IT ONCE MORE,
AND NOW I HAVE FIVE SO NOW I AM WIENEE DOG POOR!

NO MORE, NO MORE, THE DECISION WAS MADE,
I HAD THEM ALL NUETURED, I HAD THEM ALL SPAYED,
WITH MY POCKETS ALL EMPTY, I CAN'T PAY MY DEBTS,
CAUSE ALL OF MY MONEY BELONGS TO THE VETS!!!

WRITTEN BY---ERNEST TRUSSELL

_________________________________________________

S. Graham, age 38, Frazier Park
Jan. 8, 2010

Juvenals' Hand

[Photo]
It doesn't create you,
So I have learned,
The small gesture,
Of damage and retribution,
The walls can claim,
To you the keeper of continuous thought,
And mere ideals of fancy.
The pages of life,
For strangers comfort and seek age,
It is strati to often told,
In the travel of ones slumber,
And reminders of graven.
Where is now,
Small child of hope and Juvenal,
Taken from in the brittle bones,
Of the specter of age and density,
Taken the life from a poet's parasol,
And told her the shade,
Was the shadow of God.

- A Stained Picture Of Self -

The self contemplates,
Imagery of life,
A stained picture of spirit,
Whose edges embrace,
An emotion to the heart,
Ventures in the gardens lear.
When alone,
We find memory to define,
The state of everlasting present,
Candid lines of eternal past.
The ink of our lives,
Splayed forth as spring of human,
As demur ocean of earnest breath,
My name a mere second,
In the hour of existence,
Here for the fractured decades,
Displayed in the hands of quest,
To try to forgive the question,
Of amending the name of self.
Lord, lost many have I?
To the tears of agony and la ment,
Yet I must move onward,
I cannot forget the lessons of death,
In the palms of my family.
Head downward,
Cast eyes to floor,
The hope diminishes,
In the flame of an ode,
Which is the strongest silence,
The soul it is a stranger to the invite.
My Shepard,died could of I a thousandth of time-
Thus You have spared a poet so,
And I have cast my fist unto You,
A many time in the spirits misunderstanding.
Why was I created this way?
To endure in shadows trumpeting,
The sickened lore of what love is,
I do not believe here today,
I do not belong on the path,
Which starts at the end,
Then begins with not haste.
The loss incomplete,
As an abstract feather blown,
From the hand of a dreamer,
Who keeps her silence,
In the vigilance of redeeming,
All of quietude and requiem.
Watches the feather,
Blown by the fate of wind,
Never to be felt in the angelic from,
Of what once held truth,
Is the virtue of surreal pictures,
Which play like strange fiction,
In the garden where,
One sights natures disgrace,
In the disguise of what she sees not.
The self contemplates,
Imagery of life,
A stained picture of spirit,
Whose edges embrace,
An emotion to heart,
Ventures..........silently in self.

________________________________________________

Brittany, age 12, Rosamond
Jan. 9, 2010

You said you would love me
even if it rained fire
even if the Earth stopped spinning
even if it was the end.
I would love you,too,friend.

_________________________________________________

saria, age 13, Bakersfield
Jan. 16, 2010

what happend???????

everthing was going great
everthing was going fine
everthing was going perfect
everthing was going the way i wanted it to be
intill you told me something
somthing that will scar me forever

everthing was going great
everthing was going fine
everthing was going perfect
everthing was going the way i wanted it to be

intill that day you told me you cheated on me with someone else
i screamd inside and out what happend???? i couldnt think this
was happening to me i thought i could trust you i scremd for two
days but what happend???? but now im with someone else and

everthing is going great
everthing is going fine
everthing is going perfect
everthing is going the way i wanted it to be and that person is
not cheating on me that person is not scaring me and what had
happend was for a good reason

_______________________________________________

Ana, age 38, Bakersfield
Jan. 16, 2010

my friend the leaf

a whimsical escape into random thought,
mind in a state of suspended reverie
clear,concise under microscope, feelings sharp,
and felt entirely as if they shawdowed me
into the memory of past actions or into the
created adventure for today

________________________________________________

Nina, age 19, Bakersfield
Jan. 22, 2010

Have you ever wonder why we were born?, And how everything was
created???, I wonder about that a LOT and just because everyone
say's that god created everything that dosent mean anything. You
werent born at the time; So how do you know by reading the
bible??? I guess that's the only way. You know sometime's your
mind just has to wonder off and think about this stuff and you
can not lie and say that you dont because everyone's mind
wonder's off. and im not going to lie and say that my mind doesnt
because it does but the question is does your's?????

________________________________________________

Angie, age 19, Bakersfield
Jan. 22, 2010

I know that this is not a poem and that I did not make this up,
but I would like to summit this because it is kind of like a poem
to me. Its by Tupac.


Question: When will there be peace on earth???
Answer: When the earth falls to peice's!!!

-Tupac (2pac)

Thanks, Agnie, Sometimes just sharing a poem you love is enough.  -the Editor.

________________________________________________

Nyza, age 16, Bakersfield
Jan. 23, 2010

Since you left me; my body stays here to rot & my soul lingers
all around this planet earth lost.

I'm not strong anymore. My body becomes weaker every day. & my
heat will turn to coal. I need you NOW!

_________________________________________________

Alicia, age 17, Bakersfield
Jan. 27, 2010

rOsEs ArE rEd ViLoEtS aRe BlUe SuGaR iS sWeEt AnD sO aRe U :]

_________________________________________________

ana, age 38, Bakersfield
Jan. 28, 2010

falls leaves

brillant and rich colors you enchant me
in your state of impending death you enlighten me
my eyes borrow gratefully the beauty you willingly lend me
thank you so very much for your graceful goodbye.

________________________________________________

Erroll, age 18, California City
Feb. 2, 2010

Mask

From the start of the life
that you live through from birth
you express yourself
to those who you find
amusing and completely intuned
with their life story.
You try to be
in everyway like them.
Yet-
You fail to stand out
like you thought you would,
so you gather yourself
and make up your mind
to choose to cover up your true
identity with one that others
find attractive.
You forget about the true meaning
of being yourself
strong and independent.
You fall into a pit
that gets deeper and deeper
and venomous dark.
So-
You have reached your limit,
you have lost all hope
of being your self.
You look within your heart
and realize that there
is nothing to gain from
being what your not.
Then-
Someone rings the bell of
your dull existence and
reality strikes like a cannonball
to a small castle wall.
The outer mask crumbles,
the true self shows.
That's when you have overcome
the pressure holding you back
from being...
UNMASKED

________________________________________________

ana, age 38, Bakersfield,
Feb. 6. 2010

She Smiled :)

The curse lifted for a moment her mind was free
Swollen clouds overhead umbrellaed the morning
with their light lavendar gray hue

Duncan her horse galloped along happily as she led him
along, Tiger the cat lent his warmth and affection
in response to her kind touch

And I her mother smiled, cried and thanked God our Father for His
gift to us, to me.

________________________________________________

saria, age 14, Bakersfield
Feb. 6, 2010

By-Nicleback - Photograph

Look at this photograph every time i see it makes me
laugh how did are eyes get so red and what the hell
is on joeys head this is were i grew up and this is were i went
to school most of time i had better to do crimals records i had
my life im most of done of dozenz times kills the first girl i
kissd i was so nervous that i nearly missd signd a couple of
kicks back than i havent see her since god knows when every
memory of looking at the back door i had my photoalbum spread out
on my bedroom floor its time to say time to say goodbye goodbye
every meomory of walking out the front door i had the photoalbum
i was looking for its time to say time to say goodbye goodbye
look at this photograph ever time i see it makes me laugh

________________________________________________

nicole, age 16, Bakersfield
Feb. 10, 2010

YOU
YOU IS THE ONLY WORD THAT COMES TO ME
WHEN YOUR AROUND I CAN'T TALK I CAN'T
TASTE THE AIR I CAN'T FEEL YOU BUT ALL
I THINK IS YOU HOW YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE ,MA STARS AT NIGHT ,MA
MOON LIGHT EVERYTHING DAT MAKES ME RIGTH

________________________________________________

april, age 16, Bakersfield
Feb. 27, 2010

BEAUTIFUL
Beuatiful comes from inside and out
Everlasting
Adapting
Unlimited amount
To be born with
It can't be adorn with
Full of delight
Usually wanted
Lovely sight

___________________________________________________

Alana, age 12, Bakersfield
Feb. 27, 2010

i am here confused,
dont know what to do,
but ill know i'll make it through

_________________________________________________

E, age 34, Bakersfield
March 2, 2010

Let us talk about Jesus then,
and kindness, guilt, redemption, and sin,
and we will speak about which of us is lost,
and sweet jesus you will still refuse to admit the cost,
of the vitriol and hate that you have brought forth.
Please, stop spinning your false web of piety,
you will never enter the gates of heaven.
God can see through you, as easily as me.

_________________________________________________

Elena, age 34, Bakersfield
March 4, 2010

LIFE IS SHORT THEY ALWAYS SAY, i THINK THAT ISN'T TRUE. iVE CRIED
SO MUCH, i'VE LAUGHED I'VE PLAYED AND I THINK I'M NOT THROUGH.
TODAY BEGAN LIKE ANY OTHER AND NOTHING REALLY HAPPENED IT'S LIKE
THERE IS NO END, THIS DOESN'T MEAN I'M STOPPING. NO SIR NOT ME.
EVEN IF I FEEL WORTHLESS. I SEE IN EVERY SMILE I GIVE, I GIVE
SOMEONE A MESSAGE, NO MATTER HOW BAD YOUR DAY IS AT LEAST YOU ARE
STILL BREATHING.

_________________________________________________

Apache, age 12, The Streets
March 6, 2010

Me And The Streets

....This is my life story i am not lying

I was raised from the streets,i raised my self.i lived off the sun the sun lived off me.
i am a young girl,treated bad on the streets a man once told me would be all right but the next day he died how could i trust anyone except my self......and the streets i got raped day and nite but i feel safe only with myself...and the streets

thank you for having time to read me

____________________________________________________

ana, age 38, Bakersfield
March 18, 2010

awoke feeling blue
didn't know what to do
turned in my guitar
my playing was a long shot by far
went to the park
to try and dispel the dark
looked at the trees
they were pleasing to see
the wind rustled leaves
the sun granted me reprieve
went back home and mellowed out
don't know what the bad mood was all about but now I feel better at the library typing these letters

________________________________________________

J182, age 22, Bakersfield
March 22, 2010

By your side I will always stay
I really don't care what anyone says
What ever happens in the end
I will forever be your friend
You are the best person that I know
When I'm around you I feel like I glow
I like who I am when you are around
You help me to keep my feet planted on the ground You help to keep my head logical and clear No haze, no fear Thank you for you!

_________________________________________________

Lisa, age 38, Bakersfield
March 22, 2010

Bakersfield, California

Your streets are sad

And cracking up

Your sirens blare

And people seem not to care

As blindly they stare

Into your smog-filled air.

There's pretty mountains surrounding us,

Somewhere out there, somewhere!

But what is the worth

Of each person residing here?

Bakersfield, California,

You are a citified country tomb

That lays bare the hearts of its lost souls

Trapped deep within your asthmatic grayish gloom.

Where natural beauty is swift to meet its doom!

And yet they call this the "Golden Empire?!"

If it is gold, it is fool's gold, for sure,

And you are everything but pure!

Bakersfield, California,

Each day that passes,

You melt my rose-colored glasses,

And grow yet more impossible to endure!

________________________________________________

Dawning, age 47, Bakersfield
March 25, 2010

Who is my god, I can say from what I am experiencing right now.
My shadow is my god, the sun is my friend and the moon soothes my soul.
My shadow walks with me wherever I show love.
The sun illuminates me in the mourning.
When I lay my head down to rest, the moon sleeps with me as I stay in the company of the stars that light the sky so that I can always see my shadow.
Who am I, one among many without a place to call home.

________________________________________________

Billy, age 43, Rosamond
March 25, 2010

if and when
it is touched

don't disturb matter

you may see
it begin to crumble

don't disturb matter

i don't need to tell you why
you'll figure it out before you die
although you may try and try again

________________________________________________

April, age 16, Bakersfield
March 27, 2010

Beautiful comes from inside and out
Everlasting
Adapting
Unlimited amount
To be born with
It can be adorned with
Full of delight
Usually wanted
Lovely sight

________________________________________________

Aliah, age 19, Bakersfield
March 30, 2010

she was the closest thing to my heart,we were never ever apart she always had a shoulder to cry on because we had a special bond, i cant accept the fact that she is now gone because that was my one and only mom, now i know she is with God above, the mother that was greatly, and highly loved

________________________________________________

Crystal, age 12, Rosamond
March 30, 2010

i talked
i walked
i even stalked my mom!!!!!
i have nothing to do
i cant even cooo!!!!!!!
yes , its true
i got a boo boo

_______________________________________________

Crystal, age 12, Rosamond
March 30, 2010

ALONE IN THIS WORLD

Alone in this world with you
I'd walk away and see you crying
I promise I'd cry with you
Alone in this world with you
I'd talk to keep you company
and if some one came along and stole youre heart from me
I promise I would still love you when they are gone
ALONE IN THIS WORLD WITH YOU

_______________________________________________

Brittany, age 12, Rosamond
April 24, 2010

Thank You

thank you for what you did,
thank you for treating me like a kid.
thank you for being you,
thank you for loving me,too.

______________________________________________

Ana, age 38, Bakersfield
June 22, 2010

rains kiss

how sweet the scent of thirsty earth when kissed by swollen due as if in wedded bliss the two become one

that beautiful anointing scent carries me back in cherished memory to childhood

A breezy day felt through open window as I lay in bed fully surrendered.

The scent enchanted my senses as the breeze softly carressed my hair and skin, cradling me into deep restful sleep.

My lips blossom in smile recalling and relishing that distant memories hour.

_______________________________________________

John, age 14, Bakersfield
June 23, 2010

Passion's Inferno blazes
Blazes like Candle (light up a room)
Losing Your Handle on Life
Getting Lost in the Mazes of
Ecstasy (Lights up your face)

Not wanting to let him go,
Trying to not let it show
You cling to him but-- too slow
Leaving yesternight's shadow
Sorrow (Dims down the fervor)

Wanting to compare you to
A winter's harsh glare, But I
Still love you, It's too much to
Bear.

______________________________________________

Flame, Ridgecrest
June 24, 2010

the other day
a man sat next to me on the bus stop
i remember
the sky was VHS blue
the bus pulled up
i was going to climb inside
but he didn't follow.
"Are you going to blow up the bus, terrorist?" he said and he didn't get on that bus.
I don't really know
what to say
all i know is
anyone who does that is no friend of mine
anyone who kills in the name of god
will never stand by me
i am not a terrorist
i am american
i was born
raised
heck
even my family's family's family was irish don t be blind open your eyes
see the VHS blue sky with me-

-Local Poet FLAME

_______________________________________________

Judith, age 67, Bakersfield
July 12, 2010

An Empty Lot with a Kumquat Tree

Shaded, the rotting apricots lay
a buzz a bee a sweet piece of meat
a mandible licking off the amber jam from sticky feet tough green blades reach out from lumpy land towards the sky as tiny critters weave in and out and go about their daily lives.

Wooden ribs surround the peaceful place a green whip of vine lash it for life's last drop purrs its fragrance in the air, lures a tongue into the honey pot spot of sun heats a patch of poppies makes them reach, stretch for more stones and rocks peep just above the surface of the earth sprout moss décor.

An empty lot with a kumquat tree
just between the lot and me

_____________________________________________

Lynda, age 67, Kernville
July 12, 2010

Poem:
Without you in my life ,its hard to face the dawn of day I've loved you forever, what more can I say, please come back to me soon, and make my heart fill with glee, and I will remember how happy you make me because together we should always be.

______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

Josh, age 17, Fullerton
April 16, 2009

I once went to the beach to play,
There I saw a hermit crab decay.
But the sand was too hot,
so I let it just rot.
That terrible crab that day.
___________________________________________________

Carlos, age 18, Fullerton
April 16, 2009

I waited till 3:00 that day
I was ready for adventure and play
But I couldn't handle the tension,
So I got a detention.
So I waited till 4:00 that day.
___________________________________________________

Peter, age 17, Fullerton
April 17, 2009

Some people were sick at home
Some people were having fun
And some people don't say a word
At the end some people were tired.
________________________________________________________

Jill, age 56, Brea
April 17, 2009

Ash blackens the hill
Mustard petals glow yellow
Defy destruction
________________________________________________________

Noemi, age 17, Fullerton
April 17, 2009

Life is full of choices
Make sure you pick the right one
Don't listen to the voices
Hear only yours and you have won

Many people will tell you
You need to change your looks
Don't take to heart their view
Fabulous bods are found only in books

There is only one voice
That you should listen to
It will help make the right choice
That is perfect just for you

Your looks are your own
Someone will always love you
You will never be alone
Look in the mirror and you'll see who
________________________________________________________

Oleg, age 24, North Hollywood
May 5, 2009

Under a Rock

Beneath the cinder block, star-struck module, sit  I
Candor-hewn, coke-colored spleen-stained monkey -
He who rides the back of an elephant doesn't pay -
stomping strict, foot the bill in sun-down reverie sparkles...

But the club soda doesn't color bubble -
Deep in the pit of strained elegance,
necks tighten, to forgo gathering gazes;
my ailments, heavy as glass,
sentimental crowbar carriers
magnificent stoics in land-of-the-free border brigades
melt and harden as once did cement of cocky skyscrapers
fossilized by landmarks - snow - packed in rabid heat.

All for this...

The tiny appendage beneath a couch cushion
breathing into drunken ashes - sobbing -
though no dry crushed bread can bring memory back -
somewhere under a rock, a locket will, for her, salvage a wink.
Yes, God-willing, someday, someday,
she'll maybe emerge.

__________________________________________________

dj, age 16, mississippi
May 7, 2009

listening to lilwanye and puttin boys to shame but i never drink
i prefer to think iknow its a cold thing but i got to bling with
shiny things and rap but i might sing and i might talk but you
wont here a sound you might ask me were going i say btown

__________________________________________________