Poets are those who love,--who feel great truths, And tell them.

August 31, 2007

Note from the site owner:

Everyday, Snow City Arts in Chicago, IL teaches hospitalized children the art of creative writing, music, painting, photography, and filmmaking. The following five pieces are by some of these kids and teens. I hope you will enjoy them and that they'll give you some ideas about new ways to express yourself. If you have some positive comments about these poems, post them here or on the message board. To find out more about the programs Snow City Arts Foundation offers and the children it serves, visit http://www.snowcityarts.com/.

In addition, I hope you will read the many other wonderful poems that teens have submitted to this blog!

Zen Poem

by Chad
Snow City Arts

Who
is asking?
The statue.

The wave
and the sea are one.
They’re the same.

Gaze at the stars,
but walk on the earth,
Looking at the stars at night.

A mind is only absolutely pure
when it is above purity and impurity,
When your mind is pure, like good soul.

The seeds of the past
are the fruits of the future,
like old people will teach the new people.

Water is the one essence, but drunk by a cow it
becomes milk, drunk by a snake it becomes poison.
Cows aren’t good and snakes aren’t bad.

What I Said

by Jameka
Snow City Arts

Robin—that’s my
cousin’s name.

She makes me smile
and laugh, and she’s goofy.


He’s talking about
the seasons—fall, winter,
stuff like that.

Summer,
my birthday’s
in August.


I don’t like hummingbirds.
They hum too much.

I like to hum
Gospel music.


We have
a cricket
in our house.
They crick
too much.

I know one boy, he picked up
a bumblebee, the bee stung him,
he got all kinds of bumps.
I said, “You got bumblebee
bumps. Don’t touch me.”


I love fishes but
I do not eat them.

I had a scavenger
fish once.


I will not eat a fish
if you put it
toward my face.

If you make me
eat a fish,
I eat it.


But yesterday
my granny
made me eat a fish.

And it was terrible. How can you
all give a patient a fish nobody
wants to eat? It was nasty.

A dolphin, when it comes out of the water, it’s so cute.

Crossword!

by Carl
Snow City Arts

Indian Cuisine

by Lynn
Snow City Arts

Smile—
sAmosa
saMosa—
potatO, egg roll skin,
peaS,
gArlic,
Salt.

CatFish,
chIle, basmati rice,
from the State of Kerala in India,
debone the fisH on your plate, from

the village oF Adur,
coriandeR leaf,
MalaYalam.

Chick Peas, onions,
sAlt with
chicken cuRry
And fish fry,
coconuT
cHutney—
YesudAs.


Samosas = Small pastry turnovers of Indian origin
Paratha = A flaky East Indian bread




I Am Hip Hop

by Keith
Snow City Arts

I am hip hop. I make people feel good about themselves.

I am hip hop. I reflect the street—the rims, the dubs, the jewelry, the slang, the way people dress, how the people party with their loud music till 3-4 in the morning, all the people jukin’.

I am hip hop. I am a trendsetter. I am a record breaker.

I am hip hop. I have made many people rich and famous. I help black people go from low status to high status—like Black people in sports & acting.

I am hip hop—rap & R&B, Soul, & all that jazz. I am a way of life, a whole lot of music.

I am hop hop, like Missy Elliott’s "One Minute Man," produced by Timberlake, that captures a sexual relationship. In the lyric she raps about wanting more than one minute to be satisfied "Break me off / Show me what you got / ‘Cause I don’t want no one minute man."

I am hip hop. DJs scratch my records to get the right sound in a club. You can still hear the sound of the song on a record when you’re scratchin’, but it’s a new sound.

I am hip hop. I am not always negative. I have positive outcomes. I can teach people about ways of life. I can tell you about what people go through, politics. I don’t always talk about rims & cars & girls. I tell stories about life.

I am hip hop. My future—hip hop is here to stay for many generations. Hip hop is not dead. It just changes up as it goes ahead.

I am hip hop. I work through recording studios, where artists could do ten songs a day and where they chill out in there. They have fun & do what they love to do in the studio. They might kick back & smoke & drink in the studio.

I am hip hop, like the Southern style—like Little Scrappy, Ying Yang Twins, Little Wayne. Producer Collie Park from Atlanta does hype music, where people get their jerky head, arm, & leg movements, wild & out dance moves. Like Ying Yang Twins’ "Wait (The Whisper Song)" "Hey how you doin lil mama? Let me whisper in your ear, / Tell you sumthing that you want to hear."

I am hip hop, like the West Coast style—Tupac, Ice Cube, Ice-T, NWA. E-40 made up hyphy, where he made up his own language, like "crackalackin’," "scrape" (ghost ride), "go stupid" (go crazy, do whatever you wan t to the music.

I am hip hop. Jazz, the Blues, R&B, and Gospel started it all. I am a major part of Black history. of Black history.

August 18, 2007

I Long For You, My Love

by Jacquelynn


The words I long to tell you

Escape me every time

I can't find the perfect way

To say how much I need you



My body longs to feel yours

My feet to walk beside you

My lips to kiss yours

My heart to hear yours beating



My tears fall for you

Because your life hasn't been the best

But I've seen how strong you are

And I know that you will make it out



Even if you stop loving me

Later on down the road

I am forever yours,

My heart and my soul.



So hurry to me, my love

I long to feel your presence

I long to know youre there

And kiss your handsome face.

Drunk

by Jacquelynn

i hate it when you scream,

even when its not at me.

i hate it when youre drunk,

cuz then you cannot see,

what you do to everyone,

how you ruin my life,

how i hide from you

how i carry all this strife

how i sometimes hate you

how i cry cause im afraid of you

how i cant take this anymore

im sorry but we are through

im walkin out that door

and sayin goodbye to you

My Dream

by Jacquelynn

i cant begin to describe this feeling

this longing to be with you

to wake up beside your smooth lips

and kiss you good morning

and be the first thing that you see

be the one person you cant live without

i cant stifle this longing

to hold your hand as we walk together

step by step, heartbeat to heartbeat,

my love for you is bursting

i cant bury my desire

to dance with you all night

even if there is no music playing

i cant rid myself of the thought of you

longing, wanting, seeing, and loving only me

am i a fool?

August 14, 2007

Drowning

by Jacquelynn

my fingers skim the water

rippling my fate

touching echoes of the ones before

who died in this same state

im floating in this liquid

im breathing in the death

i cannot whisper a goodbye

to the ones that i have left

i feel my lungs aching

wanted air they cannot have

i feel my heart beat shaking

i feel deaths stab

i see the underwater world

so beautiful and deadly

i close my eyes and release myself

letting death surround me

i suddenly feel everything stop...

and i become an echo

just like the ones before me

Leaving

by Jacquelynn

with a quaking heart and trembling hands

i considered my choices in my head

looking out across barren land

i realized that id rather be dead

than let you do what you want to me

than let you crumble my pride away

i try to find meaning in this insanity

im trying to survive another day

you have latched on like a tremendous fear

you cannot treat me like a broken dog

ive closed my eyes, i will not hear

you say that im trapped in your fog

you cannot hold me anymore

actin like youre the only one that will care

im walkin out your horrid door

and im not sorry, depression, to leave you there

August 13, 2007

Sea of Sadness

by Anonymous

I'm lost in this sea of sadness,
thrown into its icy depths
filled with confusion and madness.
With no life preserver, raft or boat,
I try to keep my head up and stay afloat,
But it's no use
My head plunges under and my feet come loose
The icy cold water rushes in,
and my head begins to spin.
I'm lost, I can't find my way
Will I ever get out
or will I be forced to stay
Lost here in this sea of madness
Lost here in this sea of sadness

Lyrics

by Rina

by it's been a long time since we last spoke
what happened to long nights of jokes
we used to be so so together
but now it seems like its been forever

we met so long ago but i still remember
it was in the school yard in mid september
you walked right to me and i heard you say
I'll be your best friend just promise to stay

tears of laughter were all we'd ever shed
you were always there for me when I felt dead
but so many days now gone by fast
this silence seems to last and last

and we met so long ago but i still remember
it was in the school yard in mid september
you walked right to me and i heard you say
I'll be your best friend just promse to stay

I'm still here my friend but where have you gone
please forgive me I know i've done wrong
give me a chance now come on give me a chance
if i fail then let this be our farewell dance

and let me tell you now I still remember
it was in the school yard in mid september
you walked right to me and i heard you say
I'll be your best friend just promse to stay

and let me tell you that im still here
(faded voice) I always will be here
so just hold on tight I'll be right here

Forgetting

by Jacquelynn

dancing in the rain

feeling it pour down

ignoring the pain

forgetting the frown

the blast of thunder

hits me to the core

lightning makes me wonder

if ill feel anymore

my feet are bleeding

from dancing on this glass

but ill keep on dancing

until these feelings pass

August 11, 2007

Mom

by Teri

Mom,
You were there when I struggled,
And you still are today,
You helped me back then,
And youll do it again,
You smile a bunch,
And you like to give hugs,
And though I dont like it,
I dont mind it too much,
I know that you love me,
And I want to tell you,
That yes, mom,
I love you too.

I know I dont say it,
Not often enough,
For you it is easy,
But for me it is tough,
I hate to be sappy,
Id rather have fun,
Im bad at expressing,
Just how I feel,
But I want you to know,
That I am trying,
For real,
So I will tell you,
Again,
And it's true,
Mommy,
Yes Mommy,
I love you too.

I know I get angry,
I am sensitive like that,
I know that we fight,
And I can be a brat,
And although I get mad,
I get over it soon,
And I know you do too,
So I guess I am saying,
Thank you.

Sometimes you punish me,
But hey thats alright,
I just might deserve it,
Well I know I more than might,
And Im mad for awhile,
Sure that is true,
But I never,
Ever,
Stop loving you.

I know that sometimes,
I keep you up at night,
I make you worry,
And I hate that,
And I hate when you cry,
Because that isnt right,
But you always forgive me,
For the stupid things I do,
Even when it is affecting you,
And that proves you love me,
And this part is true,
Mom,
Yes,
I love you too.

August 3, 2007

Hello My Friend

by Rina

I tried to find the key to happiness,
but I lost it in my pocket.
I thought you were my friend,
not this lonesome picture in a locket.

Within this temple our foundation crumbles,
Our friendships become like a volcano begining to rumble.
An unspeakable feeling engulfs my core,
thoughts of you create havoc and war.

Were both having problems we said we'd always share,
but my friend hello hello are you even there??
Tongue tied and twisted unable to say,
I miss you my friend are you coming back today??

Ten years we've been friends and I'm not ready to give in,
It's time to redevelop our friendship to let it begin.
You are my best friend and I'm bound by a promise I plan to keep,
Friends to the end we both said and I wont let that be put to sleep.

So let me say hello my friend I am here,
are you ready for me to help with your dismay and fear.
I love you so much I wanted to let you know
But through writing was the only way I could let it show.

August 2, 2007

Be Yourself Being You

by Rina

Confusion sweeping through me,
Looking so closely
Yerning just to see,
The person you try to be.

Those barriers you need to break
Are becoming too strong
And too hard to take
Just let go, but still hold on.

Obstacles will disappear,
Worries will no longer be your fear,
Be the person you once knew,
Be yourself being you.

My Love

by Deisy

My love, My love
I love you so much
I don't want to loose you at all once
Why is it that the more we try .....
The more we cry.....

My love, My love
I love you so much
We need to give each other another chance....
So, we can grow and enhance.....

My love, My love
I love you so much
We have obtained everything that we can get.....
So please, don't leave just quite yet....

My love, My love
I love you so much
People may not agree....
But keep in mind, we have the right to be free....

My love, My love
I love you so much
I hope you feel the same way about me...
And I hope we're really meant to be....

My love, My love
I love you so much ....
But I don't want to lose you all at once...

August 1, 2007

Lucky

by Molly

Looking at out lives,
We always seem to see the bad that are in them
Never seeing all the joy that we have
And how lucky we really are
Lucky,
To have our health
Lucky,
To have our family
Lucky,
To have our friends
Lucky,
To have shelter
Lucky,
To have food
Lucky,
To have water
All the things that we take for granted,
And go on without notice
Until the day that they are taken away
It is until then, when we realize
How lucky we are

The Return That Never Comes

by Anonymous

You say you wish for me to move on
To not wait for you to return
Simple you must think this
For you do not see
I have been trying to do just that
But I have failed and each attempt
Becomes more and more hopeless
I fear that only time will help me now
Though I know a part of me
Will always be awaiting your return

My Story

by Angela

Sitting back and reminiscing
About my childhood and everyone I loved in it
Some of them are still here to this very day
They're running through my mind as I'm thinking as I lay
I don't know why I did some of the things I did
That made me cry and messed me up just as a kid
But I'm beyond that
And that's all behind me now
Why my eyes are open
I'm seeing clearly now
So that's my story
That made me feel sad a bit
About my life and the people so dear in it
Things come and go and that's alright
Cause my family, friends, and me are tight
And I will love them all to the very end
While helping as they give a hand to lend.

My Reason to Live

by Ashley Marie

I thought my heart belonged to me
Until you came and set it free
You opened my heart to the feeling of love
For you, I thank the man above
You make loving you so easy to do
You know how to make me smile when I'm blue
You know the exact words to say
When you sense I'm having a bad day
Every single time we kiss
My heart falls into an enternal bliss
You're the man of my dreams
At least that's the way it seems
You chase all my pain away
And brighten up my every day
After all the pain that I've gone through
My reason to live comes back to you
I'm so confused, but there's one thing clear
You make sense of all I fear
I fall in love with you more and more
This is a love I've never felt before
Even though I stand my ground
You always promise to stick around
The butterflies in my stomach are nothing but real
As much as I try, I cant help the way I feel
I tried so hard not to fall this deep
My heart I give to you to keep
No matter how much I ask, dont give it back
You're my reason to live and that's a fact

No One Knows

by Amanda

When you pass me in the hall
You will never know
How badly I am hurting
And how the hurt tends to grow
You will only see a smile
If you glance at me
But if you look into my eyes
Then you will begin to see
That I have a broken heart
That is been stitched back together
But then got shattered and fell apart
No one knows how much I cry
When I am in my room
And how many tears have fallen from my eyes
I am spiraling into my doom
I have been rejected by all of my friends
It’s never going to get better
And that’s where it all ends