Cobble Hill School of American Studies

Principal Anna Maria Mul

Brooklyn, New York

Louise Bauso
English as a Second Language
Spring 2014


























Copyright 2014 by Louise Bauso
All rights reserved. Except as permitted
under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no
part of this publication may be
reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in
any form or by any means, or stored in a
database or retrieval system, without the
prior written permission of the publisher.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

City Poems
Carlos Vasquez Bella Vista, Santiago 1
Lassana Keita Bamako Poem 2
Angelo Placencio Santagueros 3
Jesus Castro I Come from Santiago 4
Randolph Moreno The Bronx 4
Maria Chan Chajabal 5
Estuardo Garcia Panajachel 6

Memories of Relatives
DingKang Zhang The Thing He Had Taught Me 7
Maria Chan Antonia and Maria 8
Kenny Nunez Business Man 9
Randolph Moreno Kiko 10
Derian Medrano Learning to Drive a Car 11
ZhiHong Ni Grandfather 12

Identity Poetry
Ahmadou Coumbassa Raised By 13
Kenny Nunez The Streets 14
ZhiHong Ni I am from 15
Andreina Santos Identity 16
Lei Chen I am from 16
Angelo Placencio Raised By 17
ZhiHong Ni I am from 18
Asad Dehllu I am from 19
Bairon Arriola A Place 19
Ashley Rivera I am from 20
Alexander Nunez Placencia I am from 20
Lady Espinoza Introduction 20
Pamela Nunez I am from 21
Francis Paola Arriola I am from 21
Isaac Santacruz Moreno I am from 22
Yariel Lopez Escolastico I come from 23
Michael Mateo Paca I come from 23
Randolph Moreno Raised By 24


TABLE OF CONTENTS
continued


Narrative Introductions
Carlos Vasquez Not Everything That Shines is Gold 25
Nathaly Pena Gomez The Phone Call 26
Jonatan Avila Gualquiza 27
Juan Carlos Alejo Introduction 27
Dhahabah Baidhani Can Memories Live? 28
Arian Gonzalez Broken Wrist 30
Leonardo Guartan Leaving from Ecuador 30
Miriam Gonzalez Leaving Puerto Rico 31
Fernando Erick Jara First Love 31
Beatrix Cserfalvi First Love 32

O! and Hope Poems
Kenny Nunez Oh! 32
Frandy Calderon First Day at the Beach 33
Pamela Nunez O My Heart 33
Gregory Amparo Identity Poem 34
Maria Chan The House on Fire 34
Yulia Semenova O! 35
Dennys Torres The Explosion 35
Norma Alejo At the end of the day 36
Dhahabah Baidhani I 37
Nathaly Pena Hope 38
ZhiHong Ni Hope 39
Yulia Semenova Hope 39
Lassana Keita Hope Poem 40
Gregory Amparo Personal Relief 40









Bella Vista, Santiago
Carlos Vasquez, Dominican Republic

El Concho is the most common transportation in Bella Vista,
as popular as Michael Jacksons last album
People would prefer taking an air-conditioned taxi,
but the Conchos always something that identifies Santiago.

Skimai is a really popular type of ice cream
as cheap as the goods in a 99 cent store
People selling it on every corner
and customers choosing skimai
over expensive ice cream.

People selling things in the streets
feeling hot like theyre in an oven
Trying to have a better life
and just keep doing what they have to do
to get there.

Little kids outside playing and fighting
Their mothers telling them,
Don't get in trouble!
Ten kids went outside to play
in the end only one came home
without a scrape.

By day a lot of people getting ready
to go to work or school
Mothers making the national Dominican breakfast
of coffee and bread
Fathers going to work
and kids begging their mothers
for five more minutes in bed.

By afternoon, kids coming home from school
they don't even wait until they eat something
to go play - getting so tired they cannot even breathe,
tongues hanging out just like dogs
the ever popular mothers saying Ten cuidado!

By night the kids and every decent person have to be home
all the bad boys and delinquents are getting ready to go out
and make a shame of honest peoples lives.

1
Bamako Poem
Lassana Keita, Mali

Hour by hour,
airplanes passing across the sky.
Hour by hour,
people herding their animals home.

One by one, crying animals go hungry.
Cows grazing, sick sheep sneezing,
Roosters fighting, and kittens lapping up milk.
Angry dogs cruising, cows tails slapping their legs,
children running around the land.

Aunt in the school beating up her child,
Grandpa sitting on a chair with his white glasses on,
reading a magazine.
Grandma in the garden planting lettuce and tomatoes,
Sister and brother chasing an old donkey
with sticks in their hands.

Father traveling around the world and not staying with the family,
Mother traveling with Father to the United States,
and didnt return to her homeland for thirteen years.

When the rooster calls it means it is morning time,
Sometime the masjid sings its song, calling us to pray.


2
Santagueros
Angelo Placencio, Dominican Republic

My city, full of joy, colors, happy people,
Yet some problems... but Santiago is strong.
Storms would come from European winds
And 1493 changed the world,
A new world, new adventure, life changed
New country, God is the New King.

The Monument to Heroes
Of the Restoration Representing
A city both rural and urban, but some suburban, too.
In Cibao Stadium people screaming, Come on, home run!
Dominicans from Santiago known as Santiagueros
Life and baseball shape policy, in the street colors
The Yaque River crosses the city in the north
The Song of the water running,
The breeze and the mountains forming a central chain.

My city has everything representing Dominican Republic
And the history will not change
the people remember Trujillo
The government dictatorship,
killed people and jailed history
These events formed my city
And changed the peoples mindset.

God protect my city, my country,
The Bible in the middle of the shield
San Pedro Libro 8 Verso 3
Dios Patria y Libertad
In peoples lives, money comes and goes
Some people can eat, on the rich side,
And on the poor side of town
Merengue night dancing is the popular thing
On Sunday people drink,
the next, they work for food to eat
It has not changed; same people, same city, same country,
That is my city: Santiago of the Caballeros Cibaeo.
3
I Come from Santiago
Jesus Castro, Dominican Republic

I come from the Dominican Republic
Where the wind blows and the sun shines
I come from Santiago Rodriguez
I come from a proper family and fresh clothing
I come from where the food is fresh and the wine is pura
I come from colorful rainbows and blue skies
I come from beautiful beaches and strict families
I come from different religious beliefs
And a legendary country.

The Bronx
Randolph Moreno, U.S.A.

Big city, small town, hometown
Skyscrapers stretch up to the sky
Noticeable structure - Yankee stadium
One big happy community in my eyes,
of lawyers, teachers, construction workers
Not flat like the rest of New York,
full of a wavy kind of hills

In the morning in the Bronx
the nice cool breezes
People going to work,
taking their kids to school
on crowded buses and trains

In the afternoon
kids coming home from school
going to play in the park
basketball and tag and much more
Pizzerias crowding up full of students buying slices

In the evening the sky turns black
Stray cats start to come out
Raccoons come looking for leftovers to eat
Stores closing down with cars passing by
By the time its 10 oclock nobodys outside
everyone goes in to eat and sleep
This is why I love the Bronx.

4

Chajabal
Maria Chan, Guatemala
In the daytime everybody goes to work
The sky is very blue, it is so beautiful,
the sun it is like gold shining,
bright, as a diamond, like a fire or a fountain.

At 8:00 the cows call us to get them out
the people run with the cows
but when the calves are small
they run fast like a car,
you have to follow quickly.

Dirty streets, dogs walk everywhere
The air moves, the leaves of the trees
fly in the sky and the dust rises
The water of each house flows into the street
dirty and nasty.

The sea goes faster and faster,
the sand is too hot like the sand of the desert
the birds pick up the food off the sand
and other birds pick up worms off the land.

Time after time
people wake up
people go down the mountain for food
they must go to work every day.

The buses covered with colorful painting,
flames down the side,
luggage piled high on the camioneta
crowded with angry people
going to buy food in Quetzaltenango
if the bus is gone you have to wait for two hours.

The trees feel sad because they see
the violence in front of them, but they can't talk,
Chajabal is full of thieves.

At the same time, Chajabal is a village
with beautiful women in different types of clothes
Overall, Chajabal is a village with people
who respect each other,
in the house or in the street.
5
Panajachel
Estuardo Garcia, Guatemala

I am from pepian
White kernels of rice, warm, and soft,
paired with crunchy slices
of green, red, and yellow peppers
that are sweet when they touch your mouth
juicy white chicken that falls off the bone,
prepared by my abuelita in Guatemala.

I am from the 24th of June and a party in the street
where the music and dancing stretches into the
night.

I am from the Oxlajuj Baktun
a big party in Mayan sites
during both the days and nights,
Oxlajuj Baktun is equal to 187,000 days,
approximately 5125.26 years
Baktun is the longest drive of the Mayans calendar system
known as the long count.

I am from many words for day:
kind, unial, tun, katun, but uniales means years.
I am from the sounds of instruments made of wood,
prepared in clay pots, the smells of different types of food,
places tourists admire, like the beautiful Lake Atitlan,
and the Mayans Tikal.

I am from a neighborhood where the children play, run happily
and nobody bothers them, in the past they havent had toys for playing,
but we were happy playing in the street, in the camps, and in the rivers
We shouted with joy.

I am from 24 Mayan languages that were spoken by our ancestors
Today they exist only in memories, for many people
have fear of being discriminated against.

I am from marimba music
Son the sound is good because the marimba is made of wood
People listen in the parks of Guatemala.

I am from Chapin - a place where we admire
the power of the Nature, which formed beautiful rivers
that sparkle like diamonds, the color of crystals.
6
The Thing He Had Taught Me
DingKang Zhang, China

Parents are the best teachers for their kids, for they
enlighten their sons and daughters to the senses of
life. Their actions, personality, and manner of
speaking also influence the path of childrens growth.
We always learn things from our family first, and later
through society, school, personal experiences and
relationships. In my own experience, my parents have
taught me so many things, I could count no easier than
counting the bright stars at the dark night sky.
Furthermore, they are the bright stars that lighten my
path when I feel confused, stunned, or helpless.

I remember many things my father has taught me. His philosophy of life would
say, You are never going to eat conch (a kind of shellfish not sold in local
markets) until you pick them up from the sea yourself. I didnt get it when I was
small, I thought maybe he just didnt want to gather them for me from the beach,
but later I realized that he wanted me to be independent and gain knowledge
through great effort. There was one thing that strongly impressed me. It was
evening of a normal school day, and my father came home from work and saw me
struggling with my homework. Need some help? Hmm, no, I am fine, I
answered without any confidence. Then he came closer to me and looked at my
ugly handwriting of the word Eagle(). It is a complicated word to write in
Chinese, and I almost broke the single word into many parts. Then he laughed,
Your handwriting of the word eagle looks like it is going to fly away.

I didnt respond, I just kept practicing. Suddenly my father bent his wrist and held
my hand tight. I could feel his rough hand moving slowly, step by step. Again and
again he taught me how to write that word until I could handle it by myself. I was
surprised but I pretended I was calm, thinking, My father has incredibly nice
handwriting, but I never knew Id never seen his writing before. He is always
too busy with work, making the bread for our whole family. Later, when I asked
my mother about my fathers handwriting, she told me that, because my
grandfather passed away when my father was still a child, my grandmother
couldnt afford school for my father past 8th grade. As a result, he dropped out
and started to make money for his mother and two sisters. I could see how cruel
this reality was through my fathers nice handwriting. He must have liked school
very much.

I enjoy all the love of my parents, but I also know all these good conditions they
created for me had only one simple purpose to help me concentrate on my
studies. I shouldnt let them down and I wont.

7
Antonia and Maria
Maria Chan, Guatemala

One morning I was helping my mother Antonia make the breakfast. I was ten
years old at that time and we were living with my grandparents. My grandma
Maria was an early riser, same as me, and she would say, I don't like to stay
in bed because it makes me feel old. On this morning she was mad, I don't
know why. She was often mad at Antonia, her daughter-in-law, but never at
her real daughters. They lived separately, with their husbands. There were
eight sons, but only five still lived there. Many had wives like my father, but it
was only my mother who Maria seemed to hate. My mom gave us breakfast
and we ate. You call this cooking? This is not cooking, Maria scolded. My
mother said nothing. Maybe she was used to the abuse.

Maria left, and my mom cleaned up the kitchen with her sister-in-laws. Why
is she so mean to me? Why does she treat me like that? My aunt said, You
have to leave this house. You have to talk to your husband Santos - tell him to
build you your own house. You will live much better. I saw Antonia smile as
she thought about it, and her smile was like a flower on a rainy day.

After breakfast, my mom washed the clothes. She put the clothes in a pile
next to the well. Behind the house, there was a pile of pine we had collected
for the cows. Somehow, it caught on fire, by accident. My mother saw it, and
ran outside. She grabbed water and soil to put out the fire, I saw the water
swallow all of the flames. Then my mom cried and said, What is my mother-
in-law going to say? I was home alone. She will think I set the fire. Its not
true!

When my grandmother came home, she screamed Oooooooh, Dios mio, que
paso aqui? Oooooooh my God, what happened here?

My mom said, I was washing the clothes inside the house and I don't know
how it happened.

I thought my grandmother would kill her, but she did not, and I was
impressed.

In the afternoon we drank coffee and ate bread. She acted like nothing had
happened and at that moment I felt wonderful. Years later, my father finally
built us our own house and we went there so that my moms life could
improve. She could do whatever she wanted, and my grandma actually
changed a little in her actions toward her.



8

Business Man
Kenny Nunez, Dominican Republic


My father is a tall dark-skinned man
named Juan Nunez thats what
everybody calls him back in my little town
named Yamasa. He likes helping other
people and loves his siblings. My father is
a very intelligent man. How do I know?
This is how it all hit me. That day my
father was taking care of me. It was a
Tuesday afternoon in 2003. He got two
phone calls. One of them was from the city
- La Capital. It was from his restaurant,
La Holla. Some guys were just asking for a
personal day for a party bash. My father
had always been a busy man. He had
three businesses in different places
around the Dominican Republic a
nightclub, a restaurant, and a hardware
store.

My father had no time for games. All he thought about was dinero making
money, because without money who would take care of me and my siblings?
My father had to go to look at all of his businesses every day to make sure
everything was under control. To him, every day is a rush hour and he dont
trust no one unless it is family. He takes care of all his jobs because he always
says, As a man you should hold your responsibility, saying that he could
keep things under control by himself.

In the mornings he visited his hardware store, in the afternoon his restaurant,
and in the evening his nightclub. So I would only see my father once a day. I
missed him all the time because it felt like loneliness in the house without
him, but sometimes I had to understand he just wanted the family to have a
brighter future. He controlled all of his businesses alone because the more
you work, the more of a man you act.





9
Kiko
Randolph Moreno, United States

Kiko walked toward me, his short stocky frame leaning back and forth. At this
time, he was my stepfather and he called to me, Hijo, its time to play
baseball.
Kiko, I dont even like baseball, I replied.
You gotta keep on pushin, Randolph!

It was a hot sunny day when we went to the baseball field. He was throwing
the ball and I was swinging. That is called batting practice. Next we would
play catch, so the more we threw the ball, the more he would back up so I
would have to throw harder. We went back to batting practice except this
time, after I hit the ball, I would have to run through the bases - 1st, 2nd, 3rd,
and home. We went on this way for years, until I turned eleven.

As I got older I started to like the sport more and more. I joined a team and
played the entire summer for the Bronx Lions. We were pretty good and my
jersey was number 14. When the summer was over, I turned 11 and thats
when things changed. My stepfather left me and my mom and my brother.
They had a little disagreement. He showed me a lot as a little boy and I
considered him a real blood father to me, but when he left things around my
house changed. As we went along, I was still able to see him except he had his
own apartment, until I turned twelve. Thats when I moved to Brooklyn.

When I moved to Brooklyn I wasn't able to see him because I didn't know how
to travel alone at that age. I would still call him and talk to him. He is still a
presence in my life but I don't go over to his house and he doesn't come over
here. To this day I talk to him on the phone. He was someone I looked up to
and I still remember the things he told me. I will never forget him and I hope
he will always be a part of my life.



10
Learning to Drive a Car
Derian Medrano, Guatemala

I was twelve years old when my
grandfather Rene showed me how to drive
a car. I remember that I was very excited
when he said that he was going to teach me,
but he gave me one condition before he
would do it: The condition is that you must
clean the carpentry workshop every
Saturday from now on. I agreed to it.

My first Saturday practice I really did clean
up the carpentry workshop, and then I was
so excited When we arrived to the place
where he would teach me, it was funny because I was very little to sit in the
drivers seat, and I couldnt see out the windshield. Another problem was that
I wasnt good at using the gearshifts. I remember that I almost broke it, and
my grandfather repeated the instructions to me many time but I couldnt do it
because my legs did not reach the pedals. My first time was a real failure.

The second Saturday we went to do the same thing, except my grandfather
had an idea. He thought to bring some big pillows. It was a great idea because
with them I could reach more the pedals and it was less difficult for me. This
day was better than the first one because I had more experience, but I was
still missing much learning.

I remember that to learn well, I had to go twenty times, but eventually I
became a good driver.












11
Grandfather
ZhiHong Ni, China

My grandfather is very good at calligraphy. I was shocked when I
first saw my grandfathers writing. Where did those flamboyant
words come from? In his free time, he always took his brush and
wrote some words I could not understand because they were in
another typeface called Cao Shu, but they were beautiful.

One time I asked him to write four words for me. I was four years
old, and I liked to watch a video series called Journey to the
West. My favorite role was Sun Wukong, The Monkey King - I
completely worshiped him. He had a weapon called
(Ru yi Jin gu Bang). I liked to imitate Sun Wukong, so I found a
short wooden stick. Could you write just four
words - for me? He knew how much I truly liked it. Okay, he
replied. How excited I was when I heard that. Grandfather
immediately picked up the brush and opened the ink box, dipped
it in ink, then wielded it very quickly. Finished, he said. Oh nice!
How did he do that? I gazed at those words on red paper. How
beautiful, I thought. He was the best calligrapher. When the ink
had dried I pasted the paper on the wooden stick. This was my
first time seeing my grandfather doing calligraphy.

In the afternoon, after siesta, he always wore shorts and sat in
his chair. He brandished the writing brush and worked on dark
paper because he would always use one piece of paper many
times. He specially brushed two large papers in order to hang
them on the wall. They were better than other adornments, like
a national treasure. He didnt want anybody to touch his brush
except people who were learning from him. If anyone else did,
he would get angry. A neighbor would ask him to write a couplet
for a wedding or some other occasion, and I would watch. I had
been learning for some time, but I always forgot a pen stroke,
one by one, very careful. He took out the brush and dipped it in
the ink box. After that he brandished it gracefully, and the pen
was dancing in the air. It made out pretty words, one by one,
inconceivable! It looked so easy. How long did he spend
reaching such a high level? I was proud of him.

That first time I saw his talent was impossible to forget. The
words are beautiful and his work covers my parlor.


12
Raised by
Ahmadou Coumbassa, Guinea


I was raised by some neighborhood farming
Lobster on Saturdays, children-beating
Success: dont just wish for it, work for it
Type of uncles.

Some short haired, weave-wearing,
Party-going, exchanging dresses
Girl, braid my hair
Type of sisters.

I was raised by hard work -
Kids banging hammers, a cloud of cement dust rising,
Lets get to work. If you want to eat, you got to work
Kind of men.

I was raised by emotions
Hearts breaking, girls crying
Why did you break my sisters heart?
Type of brothers.

I was raised by adults
Aunts yelling, kids responding
Dont ever call me by my first name
Sort of adults.

I was raised by religion
Father calling, children waking up, swirling letters in Arabic
Come on, get the prayer rug, we are going to the mosque, hurry up
Type of religious fathers.

I was raised by memory
Cocks clucking, children dreaming
I wish to be the best sports player ever
Type of memories.







13
The Streets
Kenny Nunez, Dominican Republic

Never thought it would feel this amazing
Loud music, bike pedaling, BBQ cooking,
Doesnt get any better than this
Kind of good times.

Just of the way it looked, the way it felt
but at the same time, not thinking about
what I was going to confront in the future.

Teenagers fighting, lots of partying
Bodies moving
Man just enjoy it
Kind of Brooklyn boy yelling

Lets rob this old lady, shes alone
Little bit of violating private space,
Gang beads hanging,
Kind of delinquent out thinking.

I am from a place where nobodys safe
I am from a corner where lots of kids get fold
I am from the only place it feels like racism still exists
I am from the place where you will recognize my face
I am from a cursed world where demons call heaven home
First felony only fifteen

I am from a place where every day feels like a jungle
and those days become hot as the summer days
back in Dominican Republic
where you could taste and smell the freedom in the wind
But still souls are being taken because of slow time struggles

I am from nowhere but only the streets
I am from East New York, Fulton Streets,
serving all customers that once were drug fiends
I am from where young kids don't care about the other men
but only himself
I am from where kids die over answers
I am from a place where nobody loves you
for what you are but for who you are
I am from a place where judgment dont work no more
because words dont hurt anymore
owing to the fact that I became the hope of the word stumble.
14
I am from...
Zhihong Ni, China

I am from the saying Man eats by nature
General Tsos chicken is perfect
in color, taste and flavor.

I am from a traditional family
Eating reunion dinners,
watching the evening party
of the spring festival
every Chinese New Years Eve.

I am from strict parents,
Arranging and clearing up our own stuff
the details of everyday life.


I am from a normal city,
Cars are making round trips,
people talking in dialect.

I am from Hippocampus,
saving my memories:
those precious ten minutes of free time,
and when the teacher used that time to talk,
a class filled with the smell of books,
The students industriously reciting long articles.

I am from a special name.
you are David, he is David,
you are Alexander, he is Alexander,
I am Zhihong Ni; there is no other Zhihong Ni here.
I am from a part of life which is dark,
There is conflict between mother and father, grandparents.

I am from some days with bad tempers and moods.
It does not matter; your friends will keep them out.

I am from my habits,
watching the anime or other things
twenty minutes before bedtime.

I am from a city with a long history, dialect, food, places of interest.
My culture is rooted deep in my heart,
there is nothing that could replace it.

15
Identity
Andreina Santos, Dominican Republic

Andreina
Honest, happy
Younger brother playing dominos
The other one on his xbox 360.
Who loves her mother, her father
Who would like to see Las Vegas, Santo Domingo,
Cleveland and Macys
Who dreams of parties on the beach, shopping
Together with her family, her husband,
A baby is coming .
Who dreams of being a detective
Who fears dead people, the dark.
Dreaming of different people, new fashions,
Visiting different countries

I am from
Lei Chen, China

I am from a small town in China, only seven roads
I am from riding bikes to school
On the rocky roads
I am from rice buns and noodles
Right across my house.

I am from playing computer games
With my friends
Arguing about my grades with my parents
I am from eating lunch and dinner with my family
Growing with my happiness, of all kinds.

I am from checking QQ messages before I sleep
Drinking water before I sleep
I am from reading books before I sleep
Closing eyes before I sleep.

I am from doing a lot of homework
Taking a lot tests
I am from making a lot of complaints
I am from doing a lot of useless things.

I am from who I am.

16

Raised By
Angelo Placencio, Dominican Republic

I was raised by
mangu cooking
mofongo loving
I have to mix
different meals saying
You know your brother only eats rice,
Kind of mother.

I was raised by
bachata dancing
merengue loving
only thing in my family is dance
Come on, come on, move your body!
Type of family.

I was raised by a beauty salon
brown and black
hair more with the air
the smell of the shampoo
I know I like the scent,
Type of mother.

I was raised by music
Rap, and bachata singing
the song is everything
freestyle all the time,
Type of teenager.

I was raised by
the shield of the flag
colors loving
country representing
Dios Patria Libertad,
Type of Dominican.

I was raised by
my friends everywhere
teachers trying to explain
only hear the voices of students
Stop talking, guys,
Kind of Ms. Bausos classroom.
17
Raised By
Zhihong Ni, China

I was raised by
Chicken soup-stewing
Talking while eating
Come on and get your bowl, scoop the soup
Kind of dinners.

Straight hair, long bangs
Floating with the wind
Let me cut your hair - get a crew-cut
Sorta men.

High gray, black
Arm-swaying, hat-wearing
Daring lad
Somebody like this
Type of men.

Tang suit wearing, Oolong drinking
Scenic spots and historic sites all around us
Culture is extensive and profound
Type of history.

Gu zhen, Erhu playing
melody pleasing to the ear,
delicate, veiled and graceful
Leehom Wang, Jay Chou listening
,.
Kind of music.

Some suspenseful, some stimulating
sitting by the computer watching
Look at Jackie, his moves are so excellent
Type of KungFu.

Firefly and cricket catching
Barefoot running on the farm
The folk songs in the country
Go home, back to the initial happiness
Sorta childhood.



18
I am from
Asad Dehllu, Pakistan

I am from my mom walking away with all of my video games,
a punishment for cursing my teacher
I am from eating dinner together while my father talks
but if hes not at home, theres a meal, silent
I am from a small town where everyone is friendly with each other
I am from a favorite toy, Spiderman, a superhero
I am from the hardest thing, when I was a child I was weak in math
I am from a unique personality, but I dont speak a lot
I am from playing video games to cheer myself up when I have a bad day
I am from my earliest memory - going to Canada to see my uncle
I am from feeling more related to Brooklyn because my family lives here


A Place
Bairon Arriola, Honduras

A place where food brings life
beans and rice with chicken on the side.
A place where families stay together
we have special parties all the time.
A place where my father taught me
to play football in a public park
in my city of Ceiva
A place where the flower shops
smell like a Honduran garden.
A place where I remember my fifth birthday
we threw eggs at each other as a game,
and I got egg yolk in my hair.
A place where my favorite toy was fifa
it looked like a blue soccer ball.
A place where some people dont like my skin color
but Im proud of myself.
A place where I hate those who bully around.
A place where on a bad day
I cheer myself up by playing football with Elquin.
A place where I listen to pop music
New Element and Big Nango.
A place called Honduras,
but I like it in Brooklyn better.



19
I am from
Ashley Rivera, Puerto Rico

I am from a sweet spot in Puerto Rico,
white beans and rice
with that delicious smell
I am from love,
teaching all people with my smile.
I am from red boots on a sunny day
I am from the bare wetness
of my arms in the rain
I am from dark nights
laced with the fragrance.
I am from baking cake and hating problems
I am from pieces of dolls hair
I am from flying goldfish snacks
eating peanut butter on ice cream
I am from the noise of love.

I am from
Alexander Nunez Placencia, Dominican Republic

I am from a place where beans are habichuela
I am from a place where the whole family buys food together
I am from a place where my favorite toy was a bike
I am from a place where mangu is like the best food
I am from a place where everyone knows how to play baseball
I am from a place where the night is like the afternoon

Introduction
Lady Espinoza, Ecuador
My name is Lady Espinoza. I came to the United
States to be close to my mom. I am from Caar,
Ecuador. I am 16 years and had not seen my mom
since I was five years old. I only knew her by
photos.
So this year I came to the United States to live
with my mom and my two new brothers, who
were born here.
In the future I want to be a teacher of English
and mathematics. I also want to bring my
grandmother here as well because she lives
alone, and I love her like a mom. She raised
me during the eleven years that I was not
with my mom.
20
I am from
Pamela Nunez, Dominican Republic

I am from of a delicious plate of food
that only Dominicans can make with love
one of those people is my mom
and this plate is called mangu

I am from a beautiful family that enjoys the same things I like to do
go to the beach, watch the novellas all day

I am from a world where I need to be somebody
and always have big dreams, like my mom told me

I am from a country where people always have
big smiles on their faces
three colors on their hearts
red, blue and white
DIOS, PATRIA, LIBERTAD

I am from a beautiful little doll her name was Gloria
she always was with me but as we all know,
one day we need to grow up

I am from a life where I never learned to ride a bicycle
but I learned how to love somebody without rules

I am from the smell of habichuela con dulce,
the sound of people singing bachata
and the pleasure of seeing how happy people are
when they are together without violence and hate

I am from
Francis Paola Arriola, Honduras

I am from the smells of chicken
made by my mom
birthdays, punta -
the native music of my beautiful country
I am from when I learned to walk.
I am from nothing.



21
I am from
Isaac Nahin Santacruz Moreno, Ecuador

I am from
My green blanket and
Climbing out of my crib,
From playing mermaid in the bathtub.

I am from walking my dog,
And the noise he made
when I stepped on his tail.

I am from trips to the grocery store
And that time I fell out of the cart
onto the sticky linoleum floor.

I am from walks on the beach
And the sand on my feet,
And not wanting to go home
after vacation.

I am from Barbies and Polly Pockets
From playing with my sister,
The other half of me.

I am from rainy days
And board games,
Saturday cartoons and Cheerios.
I am from my sheep nightlight
And Blues Clues and the Bernstein Bears.

I am from books and flashlights
And pens and paper,
From silence to screaming.

I am from tears on my pillow
And unanswered cries,
From holding your hand
And that look in your eyes.






22
I come from
Yariel Lopez Escolastico, Dominican Republic

I come from a beautiful land
surrounded by white sandy beaches
filled with people of good heart
where you confuse a paradise with great pleasure,
people, quisqueya
the beautiful land of Duarte
and Nick Sanchez
founders of the secret society
of the Trinitario, fighting for Dominican independence.

I am from the aroma of my mom cooking lasagna
I am from celebrating the good night in Dominican Republic
it is a tradition on December 24
th

I am from my mother teaching how to walk
from ocean, beaches, sand, and people
I am from being happy when my family is happy too
I am from my relations in the Dominican Republic,
But now I live in Brooklyn.




I come from
Michael Mateo, Dominican Republic

I come from hot sancocho
prepared by Ivelisse,
so small she looks like a child
I come from delivering rice,
sardines, and other things
on a bike on the streets of San Lazaro
I come from my father Jovanni,
making signs for a company in DR,
taking me to work with him when I was six
I come from crowded, warm parks
with plenty of sunshine
I come from my father,
so important when I was little
He was ever by my side.



23
Raised By
Randolph Moreno, United States

I was raised by
Oil-popping, sloppy eating
Kitchen-chewing, mouth-watering
Ohh my God, open the window
Type of family.

Some jerry curls, rough,
dark black with some naps
Lets go cut my hair, man
Type of family.

Some favorite color black
with some dark blue pants
and a little bit of red
Mom do you want the red one or the blue one?
Type of mother.

Some coffee-drinking, taking care of old people
and married for one year
Mom, you love that coffee
Type of mother.

Some hips moving, maracas shaking
trumpet noises with the radio
Put that down!
Type of family.

Some loud screaming
fist fighting, dont you dare
Get the hell out!
Type of family.

Some JetBlue traveling
baseball playing
Dominican Republic loving
I miss it there
Type of family.

I was raised by my family.



24
Not Everything That Shines Is Gold
Carlos Vasquez, Dominican Republic

Carlos, come with me. Carlo vamo alli. It feels good to have a really nice
vacation time at your favorite uncles house. Around ten people, 5 to 60 years
old, sitting in the backyard of my uncles house, including me, already smelling
the barbecue sauce and my mouth watering. Right about the time the food is
ready, my uncle calls me, Carlo vamo alli.

It is a little bit uncomfortable when you are dying of hunger and somebody calls
you because they need you to do something. What is funny is I didnt even roll
my eyes because I didnt feel any anger. I knew anything that he would tell me
to do would be worth it. My uncle for me is that person that whenever you feel
insecure about something you can ask him for advice. I used to say that my
uncle was my second father. Every time I listened to his voice my whole body
relaxed because he has a really calm voice, but that changed after this day.

We got to his vehicle, a 2008 Toyota Camry, and as soon as we got inside I began
talking to him. I love when we talk about my future. He wanted to have private
time just for me and him. He began asking me things like, Y dime que tu quieres
ser cuando crezcas? So tell me what you want to be when you grow up, and I
used to answer him with things like, I'm thinking of being a movie actor. Estoy
pensando en ser un actor de pelculas. I used to get embarrassed because thats
kind of an unstable profession, but I will never forget what he said to me in
English, You can be anything that you want to be. The first thing that ran
through my mind was, Wow, he did not judge me for my big dreams.

By the time we started to head home something told me that we were not going
home. As soon as I got that feeling his phone rang. I thought it must be his wife
asking where we were. Well, wrong guess. He began talking really quietly, and
the only thing that I heard from him was Quieres que lleve algo? You want me to
bring something? That was the moment when I said in my mind, I hope this is
not what I think it is. That moment he said to me Carlos, it felt like somebody
threw a rock at my head. He said Mira vamos a ir a visitar a una amiga mia, pero
no se lo puedes decir a nadie porque tu sabes que todos los hombres tenemos un
balance. Look, we going to visit a friend of mine but I need you to sit tight and
when we get home, dont tell anybody, okay? Because you know that every man
has to have a balance. I couldnt believe it.

We got to the friends house and when I saw her it was like the sunlight was
shining on her. She was really beautiful - not only her face, but her body as well.
It was perfect. She didnt even say hi to me. She just kissed my uncle on the
mouth and she said come in. I took a seat and she offered me a drink. My uncle
said Esperame aqui vengo ahora. Wait here Ill be back.


25

I can still remember the time he was gone: 7 minutes and 37 seconds. Those
were the longest 7 minutes and 37 seconds of my life. Finally when he came
out of the room he was smiling and the girl stayed in the room. He said to me
Okay, vamonos - Lets go. On our way home I remember that we didnt talk. I
was just thinking, Wow, the guy who is like my father, the guy that I trust in
everything, the guy that I ask for advice from is cheating on his wife. Then I
began thinking in my mind not everything that shines is gold.

Phone Call
Nathaly Pena Gomez, Dominican Republic

My life changed in 2009. I received a call from my dad. I sat in a classroom,
surrounded by Dominican students in blue and brown uniforms, gossiping.
My teacher called my name and said, You need to go to the main office
because your father has called you. I was surprised and asked my teacher,
Miss, excuse me but youre sure that this phone call is for me? She said, Of
course it is for you. The only Nathaly in this school is you. I was very
anxious, and asked myself, Why is my father calling my school? Maybe it was
something very important.

When I went to the main office the principal gave me the phone. My fathers
voice told me, I have a big surprise for you that is going to change our life.
My hand was shaking. I asked him, What is it? Tell me. He said, We are
going to live in New York. My heart stopped for a second, and I told him,
Youre kidding right!? He said, No. We are going to New York in one
month.

After I heard this news, my face had a look of shock. The principal asked me
what had happened. I didnt understand why we had to leave so fast, so soon.
My father told me, Because I bought three tickets already for you, your mom,
and your brother. I replied, Alright.

I know that he knew I was sad and confused. When I went to my classroom
my friends asked me, What happened? Why did your father call you? I told
them, Im moving to New York. Some of my friends did not believe me, but
my real friends did and said to me, Oh my God Nathaly I cant believe this
right now. I told them, Yes thats why he called here. He must have thought
this would make me happy, but it didnt because how am I going to leave my
whole life. I have lived my entire life in the D.R. My friends said, Yes we
completely understand you.

The bell rang to go home. When I got home, my family was very sad, but at
the same time happy because they knew that my father was waiting for us in
the United States. He had been there for a long time, and we would finally be
together.
26
Gualaquiza
Jonathan Avila, Ecuador

Most of my childhood I spent Gualaquiza, Ecuador. Gualaquiza
is a small village in Ecuador. Gualaquiza is still undeveloped,
but it has many beautiful forests. It has rivers, waterfalls,
lakes and mountains. We are a residential village. The village
is adjacent to a small airport. Also, we have a lot of space for
agriculture. The village is not very populated. The town has
small houses and we feel safe.

One day we were moving the cows and we crossed a river. The current was
pulling us, and it was funny because we were trying to swim across the
stream. We were gradually approaching the river bank and finally
approached it to move the cows. After that we went to eat at my cousins
house. Aunt Rosa and my uncle Roel were good people who cooked meals for
us there was rice, chicken, fried plantains, eggs, juice and lemonade, and a
rich fruit salad was left for dessert.

My Aunt Marina wanted to bring me to the United States when I was 8 years
old, and my mom did not want to, but my father did. It was not until I was ten
that my mom and my dad agreed that when I was fifteen I would come to the
United States. When I boarded the plane I thought about everything I had
lived through with my family and friends, the best and the worst times I'd had
back in Ecuador. I held the desire to cry because I did not want the other kids
who were with me to see me.

Introduction
Juan Carlos Alejo, Mexico

My name is Juan Carlos Alejo. I am from Oaxaca, Mexico. I am 14 years old. I
was born on April 7, 1999. My mom is called Maria de Lourdes Moreno and
my dad is called Lucas Alejo. I have two siblings, a 16 year old older sister
named Norma and a younger brother named Luis.

I lived in a village located in Mexico called the Tuxtepec state of Oaxaca. It is a
place with lots of trees, warm temperatures, many lakes, rivers and
ponds. There is a little wildlife. It feels good to be there because there is
more free space. It is a poor place and there are no large buildings, shopping
centers, or libraries. When I'm there, I think, This is the place where I spent
my childhood, where I was born, where I grew up, where I saw many
acquaintances in my family die. Beyond the birdsong, the sound of the cars is
heard, and you can see many flowers, trees, and many animals. Also you can
smell the great smell of food cooking and natural fruits, but equally there are
smells of car smoke, garbage, alcohol among many other things.
27
Can Memories Live?
Dhahabah Baidhani, Yemen

Some people think that separation can lead you to
forget those people you knew before. This is true,
but only if you were a small child when you knew
them. In my experience, no one can forget a person
that lives in so many memories, no matter how far
away you get from each other. In other words, you
will always remember the past whether it is
negative or positive. When its out of your hands
whether you stay or go, and you will never feel at
peace with it.

In fact, many individuals in the United States feel the sadness of separation.
People travel back and forth to their countries because they can't live without
seeing their special people and country. Those people are like me, and I know
how they feel, as well as those people who wake up everyday with the hope
that they will soon see the people who left them. The truth always hurts and
everyone knows it. Ive lived on both sides and I knew how hard it is to
handle. Two years ago I had my biggest struggle with this difficulty that so
many Yemenis face...

As I dropped water on the balcony floor, a weird noise came closer to my
house. It's my dads car. My neck couldn't go any farther to look under the
balcony and see who was driving the car. I picked up the bucket to throw it
all over the place, but something held me back. It was a voice coming from the
street. Oh my god thats Assam's voice," I thought to myself. My heart was
beating faster than ever. I couldn't believe my eyes as I saw him stepping out
of the car. I couldnt see him clearly, and I say to my cousin, Hey, Amaal,
bring the big bucket here, hurry. I took the bucket and dropped the water on
purpose. I knew if I did, Assam would move away from the water, and I would
be able to see if he had changed in the last two years.

Ya Allah, where is all this water coming from? he said. Haaaay! Who's up
there! he yelled. Eeshh, don't tell him I did it Ok?" I whispered to Amaal.
She was laughing with me. Suddenly, we heard fast footsteps coming closer
from the stairs. "Who threw water on me, sweetie? he asked Amaal. We
were cleaning the balcony, I don't know why you went under it. It was your
fault, no one told you to go under it. Amaal looked like an adult when she
spoke to him. I was hiding in the bathroom. After few seconds, I came out
holding another full bucket. I looked at him then at Amaal and laughed. He
looked funny, his hair was half wet and half dry as well as his clothes. How
do I look? he asked. You look wonderful, I told him. Ahah, you're right, I
look horrible, he replied.
28
We sat on the window and talked for a time long. He understood me as well
as I understood myself, and he was very emotional. He told me that he hated
the word separation. He was right. Nobody on earth wants a special person
to be far away. But instead of telling him that, I told him it was the reality of
living that was sometimes impossible for one to avoid. A lot of things had
changed in my life. It had been two years since we had our last day at the
airport when he held my hand and said, "Please don't ever forget me."

He reminded me about our past that will never be forgotten. Do you
remember the morning that we lay under the tree to talk about our dreams?
We were looking at the sky. He pointed at the sky and I looked at it and said,
Yeah, your dream was to have a car with wings so you could see me
everywhere I went, and my dream was to have a blue big castle full of
butterflies. When he had told me that, I had realized how special and
important he was to me. I turned to my left and wiped my tears away before
he saw them. I was afraid of tomorrow and the day after. I wanted to live this
day forever.

Cleaning the balcony together had made my childhood alive. I poured more
water on him, but when he tried to throw water on me. I ran inside. I leaned
on the wall and looked at him. I remembered how close we used to be during
our childhood. I couldn't reach the top of the balcony, so he helped me. It was
just like before, when we used to go climb rocks or trees, and I would have a
hard time climbing. He would be the only one who would wait for me and
help me.

I also saw how he had changed in the last two years. I thought to myself,
How will he look the next time I come to Yemen? He asked me if I was
happy to see him. I didn't know what to say, so I told him, "Are you happy to
see me?" He looked at me as if he didnt know how to answer the question.
"Believe it or not, I am not happy... I'm not ... because when I look at you I can't
avoid the fact that you will leave soon." I didn't know what to do except
change the conversation with tears in my heart. I didn't want him to feel as a
helpless, he was aware of what he said. His mother told me he wanted to
propose to me, but my dad said we still too young for that. From that day on I
never stopped thinking about him.









29
Broken Wrist
Arian Gonzalez, Dominican Republic

It was a hot, dry day in Bonao, and dust floated
over the baseball field. When I was playing
baseball, I was at the bat. The tall pitcher threw
the ball. I swung the bat. The catcher caught the
ball. He threw again. I got ready to hit the ball.

This time the ball hit me in the hand and I started
to cry. The coach yelled, Come here, Arian!
Come! Come! The manager took me to the
hospital in a car and I held my hand and stay in
the hospital for six hours.

My mom went to the hospital and then the doctor said my wrist was broken. I
was scared. I couldnt believe this. Then the doctor put a plaster bandage on
me and I went home. I stopped playing baseball for three weeks, and
everyday I prayed that I could go play baseball again.

Leaving From Ecuador
Leonardo Guartan, Ecuador

My family came to United States for jobs.
Another reason is because the education
system is very good here compared to
Ecuador. I came to America because my
family needed help with economic problems,
we had a large debt. I came here just with my
dad. My father and I are happy here. We like
America because it is a beautiful and amazing
country. I can get a good education and my
dad can get a good job here. And this is
awesome!

We met some Americans, and they were so
friendly to us. I do not have any other family
here besides my sister and father. My family
has some problems in my country, but we are
never talking about that. My dad is working and he is a taxi driver. So, he can
drive me everywhere.

When I just came to America, I was stressed. But now, I am calm. Because I
have friends and my dad is with me.

30
Leaving Puerto Rico
Miriam Gonzalez, Puerto Rico

Many families decide to immigrate for many different reasons. Some families
are forced to immigrate because of war or religious persecution. Others come
because economic reasons. My family immigrated to the United States for
some of these reasons.

My family is from in Puerto Rico, but my mom is American and my dad is
Puerto Rican. I am 16 years old. When I was small, I lived with my
grandmother and my sister. Now she is 13 years old and she lives with me
and my grandma. My mom had a lot of troubles with my dad, but it doesnt
matter - I love my family with all my heart. I want to go back to Puerto Rico
even though my country is strange to me now. I was sent to my mom and I
am happy here in Brooklyn.




First Love
Fernando Erick Jara, Ecuador

My first love was when I came here,
but when I saw Ana
I had never felt that way before in my life
Ana, my first love
I see her as so beautiful and her eyes look at me,
I look at her, and I smile
When school is over,
I am very shy with Ana, my face becomes red
Ana smiles but I can't talk
She asks me questions
but my answers always, I don't know
She only smiles
The days past and the nights coming
I always think about Ana
I can't sleep and the next day
I wake up early to come to school
I see Ana in class, I can't pay attention,
because I only see her,
I tell her that she is beautiful.





31
First Love
Beatrix Cserfalvi, Hungary

My first love was when I was little. I dont really think I knew what love was,
but maybe now I know. My first love was someone who I always knew. When
I looked at him, it was as if I was watching the stars in the sky. When we
played, we were Winnie Pooh and Piglet. When I saw his eyes, they were like
the sunset on the ocean. It was wonderful. We grew up together and then,
one day, he was mine. But I left him because I didnt feel like being in love
anymore. We were like a movie so long, we could barely watch it, but when it
was finished only an hour and a half. So short. Thats so funny.




Oh!
Kenny Nunez, Dominican Republic

Oh god, its too bright, too big,
good old gift. Oh! I know!
Its money? No! Is it a white dress? No.
So what is it? I cant tell you if you dont
guess.
Just thank him for all your blessings
Every drop of water you drink
All the food you eat
All the different flavors you taste
Its all thanks to him
Why are we alive?
I dont know, so ask yourself.
Old people always say we have a mission
And our mission is to live well and enjoy life
As you enjoy a good drink on a hot Sunday
Put a smile on your face and be grateful for everything
Absolutely get on your knees, clasp your hands together and pray
because God is the gift
Hes the reason why we wake up
And look at this beautiful world we live in.






32
First day at the Beach
Frandy Calderon, Dominican Republic

O! Long day, with all days in my head
with our hands sweating like a house was on fire,
Signs pass by, No Smoking Allowed
a shining light up in the sky,
with the big waves of the ocean
swinging back and forth.

O! Long day, best day, happy day,
with the hot sand and the perfect noon
perfect bodies that surround me,
running around, with the fat ones the ground
trying to move it but not too strong.

O! long day, with a big smile on my face,
from ear to ear, my first sunshine,
and the sound of birds flying high,
you know how I feel, with the sky bright blue,
with laughs and big smiles
watching others have fun.



O my heart
Pamela Nunez, Dominican Republic

O my heart goes
bum bum bum
I dont know why but I like his eyes,
all that I know is that I need to close my eyes
to go to the stars,
bum bum bum
This is art but I dont use a pencil
I use a part of my body to fly,
This only happens one time
O this is finished but I will never forget this art
because my heart keeps all the great times inside.






33
Identity Poem
Gregory Amparo Tolentino, Dominican Republic

Gregory
Creative, sometimes responsible, a nice skinny boy,
Many moles covering almost my whole body,
A humble Dominican with many plans for the future
An older sister who likes to fight,
once she broke my mouth.
A younger sister is a pain in the a
She likes to bother me, she loves to make me angry
A little younger brother but I never met him
Who loves most all my family and my best friends
Who wants to change the underworld with music
three places that I love are my neighborhood in
Who feels content with his many beautiful talents
Who feels desperate to be 21 years old
Who dreams of bringing all my family to
the United States
and visit some other countries in the world
Who fears the dead, the dark and heights
Who would like to see happen my graduation
Prospect Park, Brooklyn
Amparo Tolentino.


The House on Fire
Maria Chan, Guatemala


O fire, which I see up in the sky,
it is the house
where I was born.
I see my house divided in two
pieces
I see the ashes fly into the air,
my heart breaks in two pieces,
like my house, destroyed down.
look how our dream fell down -
see how our dream flew to the sky
O body, see how the walls fell away from the floor
It is the destiny of our life
you never know
when death comes to take you.

34

Yulia Semenova, Russia

O! Thats really hard
To see them far away.
But theyre a piece of crap.
That our time, it was the last day.

Those years, they are dead now.
They left me, how?
She was calling me her friend.
But Im calling her a rat.

I hate those actions that they did.
They are animals, no more.
They thought that I was stupid.
They dont know what friends are for!

Betraying people,
Thats all what they can do.
When they need something,
They run right up to you.

And everything what I can say,
Is going to hell.
Forget this way!


The Explosion
Dennys Torres, Puerto Rico


Ooh! I heard an explosion
when I checked it was an explosion in my country.
I was sleeping and I couldnt hear the first bomb
but grandma could and she woke me.
The next day I saw a cloud of smoke
all my family turned their phones on
because it happened next to my moms work.
The government took the prisoners out
and put them in another jail
outside were a lot of bodies, death.
The government thought that it was a terrorists.


35

At the end of the day
Norma Alejo, Mexico



Writing on a piece of paper
everything that is in my mind?
How? There is not enough paper and
there is not a pencil strong enough to hold every word
How the time passes
I ask myself what I want to be at the end of the day
Fighting my battles, every minute
How can I expect love from you?
when all you answer is..
I can't give something that I don't have!
I want be strong,
but every word that comes out of your mouth is like a bullet to my heart
I dont have any more room in my chest
You ask me to treat others in a way that you never showed me
You are supposed to be my example but in reality you do not fill the role
I have to push myself hard to take care of things
that are your priority not mine,
taking care of your sons, its a pleasure but you could at least ask them,
How was school, or How was your day?
All you tell me is that youre tired, that you work hard for me
All the bitterness in my heart is gone, now there is sadness

At the end of the day all I do is wait for you to get home
Everybody makes mistakes! Someone cannot give what they dont know
We are not perfect!
But at the end of the day all I want to do is hug you
Because I love you
Even with your mistakes, it doesn't matter if you give me love or
You dont know what love means
Or maybe its me not understanding the way you give love
I love you because you gave me life when I was a mistake
I love you because you took care of me, love is unconditional

At the end of the day I just want hold your hand and walk with you
I want you to be my best friend
I want you to be my example, my teacher, my inspiration
At the end of the day, I need you more than ever,
At the end of the day, all I need is you.

36
I
Dhahabah Baidhani, Yemen


I will ask this;
why the air comes from you and belongs to you
why my love, my loyalty, and my poem verses need you

why my passion, feeling, and love melts when seeing you
why would you be the one that I die for a smile on your face
why, when I look at you, you see yourself inside my eyes
why sentiments live only when I see you

I will tell you this;
Do you know if I will once say I hate you I don't want you
Due to the sound of trust, says Wow, what a big lie.
Do you know when I see you I get all bashful
Do you know that your love has destroyed my soul

I will whisper you this;
I love you more than yesterday,
less than tomorrow














" "









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Hope
Nathaly Pena, Dominican Republic

Hope is playing the protagonist on the novellas on
TV one day...
Hope is never being separate from my family -
returning to my grandmother Antonia in Higuey,
Punta Cana

Hope is being professional - finishing high school
with a diploma and seeing my mother Nastacha
smiling in the front row.

Hope is see my family in Dominican Republic next
December, going home for Christmas.

Hope is my grandmother, relieved of her disease
after 4 years.

Hope is having a brother less annoying,
he screams when Im on the phone,
he goes to my room and makes a mess.

Hope is meeting my little cousin that I never saw,
My aunt was pregnant when I moved to New York.

Hope is see my favorite singer at Yankees Stadium,
Romeo Santos.
I love him, he is Dominican like me.
Hope is going to Spain one day
I love how people talk there
with their really cute accent.

Hope is going to heaven when I die.











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Hope
ZhiHong Ni, China

Hope is the oasis within the desert, giving us courage to survive.
Hope is a light in the dark, guiding direction.
Hope is a warm current during the winter, inspiring us on.
Hope is Armeniaca mume, which blossoms in the winter,
making you feel the breath of spring.
Hope is a graceful and pleasant song, making people yearn.
Hope is a rainbow, always appearing after rainstorm.
Hope is an original spring of people.


After trudging through endless mountains and rivers, one might begin to doubt whether
there is a path out. Amidst the green willows and the flowers another village appears.
-Lu You

Hope
Yulia Semenova, Russia

Hope its when you wanna trust.
But you cannot.
You want to escape your past
So you try to put a dot.

And when you see them next to you
Youre hoping they will fade away.
Not everybody knows it, just a few
But remember, angels will obey.

Anytime youre coming home,
You wish you could live in magic world,
Where your heart becomes so warm,
Where you will never feel this cold.

After we woke up,
We realized it was just a dream.
We saw it in our short nap.
And now we wanna scream.

You saw a real life
And you said I wanna cope!
But do not ever give up,
Even if its just a hope!

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Hope Poem
Lassana Keita, Mali

Hope is the place where you want to go
Hope is the person want to know
Hope is the feeling that carries you through
Hope is the future for you and for me
Hope is the love that makes our friends a little dearer
Hope is the joy that makes our hearts a little lighter
Hope is the faith that makes our path a little clearer
Hope is the peace that brings us all a little nearer

Personal Relief
Gregory Amparo Tolentino, Dominican Republic


All time locked,
my life is a prison
Sentenced to life without chance or compassion,
Each day that passes I'm drowning in frustration
Brain lock - sometimes I do not even remember who I
am.

But I learned to endure pain, nothing hurts me
When I get depressed I can raise my self-esteem
Music is my medicine,
it is what revives me
When I settle the pen
I feel God gives me life.



Todo el tiempo encerrado,
mi vida es una prisin
Condenado a cadena perpetua sin chance ni compasin
Cada dia que va pasando me ahogo en la frustracin
y cuando del cerebro me bloqueo ni recuerdo de quien soy.

Pero aprend a soportar el dolor, ya nada me lastima
Cuando me deprimo solamente el me sube el autoestima
La musica es mi medicina,
es lo que me reanima
Cuando afinco el lapicero
siento que Dios me devuelve la vida.

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