April Poetry Contest Winners
by K.T.
A Dark Place
This room this place I can’t say I haven’t
Been there but when I appear here there’s
No light, no one to be found, no sound and
No matter how hard I try there’s no
Noun, verb, or any word to explain the
Way it feels when I’m in this space
I feel alone as if I’m a lost child with
No home, although there’s people around me
I still feel as I’m drowning, I know I can
Breathe, but yet –––––––––– I’m gasping for
Air, waiting and waiting for someone to be there
As I wait people pass by and say they’ll
Pray for me but that’s not enough, I can
Do that on my own, I was hoping you
Can save me but, no, once again I’ve been
Left alone, again with no home, this is not
My first time and it won’t be my last
But I was hoping you could come with
On this path of this dark room
by O.R.
I Will
When the day comes to finally be free,
I will not go back to my inconsiderate
ways of living
When the day comes to finally be free
I will feel the breeze of freedom for longer
than the fours seasons of the year
I will climb out of this dark hole filled with
greed, anger and envy
I will reach out and feel as the light of hope
finally brings warmth and comfort to my fragile
being
I will become the pure example of strength
And make my own sunlight
I WILL SHINE!
By S.H.
False Addiction
I wasn’t born an addict
I was born fragile and small
Like most are
My innocence was taken
And I physically paid for it
I’ve been drained
Mentally and emotionally
Given situations I can’t handle anymore
Scared by what has happened
And yet I still keep on
We all have a problem one way or another
When games of life are not enough
Choices are to be made
And time runs out
We choose drugs
To calm us
Make us forget
Or lighten our moods
We are broken beyond repair
We go through things no one will get
And still they ask why
We say (I don’t know) but we know too well
We finally give up
And all we hear is silence
Not from the courts
Or family
Or any live person trying to help us
But from our higher Power
Whoever that may be to all of us
When we were on our knees
Crying
Screaming
Yelling
And physically hurting
From freedom of our demons
We still heard silence
All we ask for is help
Still no answer
And they wonder why we give up
Just know we tried
So I wasn’t born an addict
I was made one
Not by my wishes
But by my choices
By X.S.
—Renew—
(Moving Forward)
The mistakes in my life remained unspoken
Until I was detained again, now I’m awoken
They take advantage of power because they know I’m below them
I’ve made a change and if you were in my shoes you would too
Moving forward I refuse to lose, my life I will renew
A life of crime or a life of struggle it was hard to choose
They told me jail cells or death is going to be my destiny
I chose to change now, I won’t let the streets get the best of me
I’m not doing it for myself, I breathe this new air for my family
I will now let God and my loved ones get the rest of me
I live these days for my people, I can’t lose my life to an enemy
Want to pass the mindset to my young ones too
Moving forward I refuse to lose, my life I will renew
by A.R.H.
Same Struggle
Every it’s the same struggle
N’ like fr life’s the same just in a different bubble
Living in this fantasy trying to escape but my demons
Keep running after me, Mom N’ Dad were never one to call
Home, that’s why my setting’s different N’ I’m always alone
I realized my past has been holding me, that’s why everybody still
Sees the old little girl in me, wishing I went through a different phase like
Going to school N’ not running away, football would’ve been my sport to play
If I didn’t do any drugs to ease the pain, I had so much strength to
Gain, that’s why I’ve written this poem today, now all I got to say
Is I let go of my past N’ hope to see better days