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Youth Speak Out
Please scroll down (or click on the link) to read Hope by Arlene; Believe by Coco;
Daybreak Changed My Life by Dwight; Daybreak is My Friend or Thank You Daybreak by Lonnie.
Hope
by Arlene
They said I was born to fail…
They said I would be mentally retarded
and that my life was over before it had even started.
They said that I would eventually end up in some type of institution
that would have to give me ‘round the clock care
with someone to wipe the drool off my chin as I absently sat there.
They said a lot of things,
and although the stigmas have always remained,
the only thing that in truth reigned was the fact that I was born addicted to cocaine.
Their words filled the pool in which all hope had drowned.
I learned how to swim, and I broke that barrier down.
Then more came along…
This time I was “damaged.”
They said I would be emotionally unstable,
untrusting of men and, in this patriarchal society, be unable to manage.
I was no longer innocent, but the victim of actions so vile, yet all the while,
they forgot about the child who, after six years of sexual abuse,
felt like she was the one being put on trial.
They said I was always going to have low self-esteem, low self-confidence and be insecure.
They built the fence around the pool.
I learned how to climb and each chained link became my tool.
Then even more came…
Now, they called me a fornicator and a promiscuous young girl.
I was shunned and belittled, put down and degraded to less than a human being
this time because I was pregnant at thirteen.
They told me I’d end up a “Welfare Queen.”
They said I’d have fifteen different kids by sixteen different men,
sitting on my butt waiting for a government check to spend.
I was ridiculed and called irresponsible for choosing to have my son
and becoming a parent so young.
They judged me harshly under their bright light
without consideration for what was going on in the dark, out of their sight.
My mother was on drugs, my brother ran the streets
and we went to school to escape our reality that was so bleak (and because we got to eat!).
They said, at best, I’d end up a manager at McDonald’s.
This time, they put a guard on the other side of the fence.
I learned how to be friendly, and eventually, on my way I went.
Each step drew me closer to freedom and becoming more than a dreamer
and I found it true that on the other side the grass was greener;
but they also got meaner.
Each time I stumbled, I heard them mumble
To them, I’d become everything they’d said I would be;
a failure, a victim, a dropout and many other things.
They called me any and everything but my name,
“Arlene.”
It seemed that no matter how much progress I’d made by getting a job, my GED,
and even going to college,
they’d find some way to label me, so long as it was done negatively.
They put up the orange barrels and made sure every avenue was closed.
I learned how to do construction. And now, I pave my own roads.
I refuse to be what they label me, for I have my own destiny to meet.
Yes, I was a cocaine baby; I was sexually abused,
I was a teenage mother, I was a high school dropout,
I was HOPELESS.
I have had a lot of labels affixed to me.
If you must label me,
label me for WHO I am, not what I have experienced.
I am success.
I am a wife, a mother, a sister, an inspiration to others,
a fighter, a peacekeeper, a writer whose thoughts run deeper,
a student on the Dean’s List, and a person whose presence can’t be missed.
I have broken stereotypes and did everything they said I couldn’t do.
I stand here today because someone said,
“Arlene, I believe in you.”
Believe
by Coco
My life
My fear
My pain
My tears
My friends come
When rough times come around
They always do appear
Never…will you get that
Chance again to put me down
Never…will you have another chance to make me frown
For I have become
A person with inspiration
That works hard under the pressure
My moment will be achieved
As long as I believe in me
I will continue to conquer
All rough trials that may come
Because in my eyes
I am number one
You will never
Get another turn to make me cry
You will never
Get a second chance to take my pride
For my best friend, Jesus
He’s always by my side
Many may try to break me down
But I will never go back
To that lifestyle
Because I am a leader
And not a follower
For choosing the wrong decision
Will never be my downfall
I will continue to walk
With my head held high
And my pride
Reaching the sky
I will become one of many
To graduate from
Independent Living
Daybreak Changed My Life
By Dwight
There is an old saying that goes: “What doesn’t kill you, will only make you stronger…” So just call me Hercules. In my
19 years of life’s experiences, I have endured more obstacles than the average person has in an entire lifetime.
My life first took a drastic change at the age of 9, when I entered the foster care system. I remember my initial reaction as being one of relief and nervousness. I was relieved because foster care was an opportunity for me to escape a childhood where I didn’t know what drama to expect from day to day. I was a product of two unwed parents who suffered from addiction issues. Subsequently, me and my sisters often took care of ourselves and only got to “play” and be “normal kids” when my mother was in the mood. When my mother was in a bad mood for one reason or another, it was not uncommon for me and my siblings to get unnecessary whooping and punishments. At one point, my older sister called Children Services herself. However, the first few phone calls were ignored. Then one day a knock came at the door. It was Children Services telling me and my younger sister that we were being removed from my mother’s care. I swear I heard a loud pitched noise that is usually followed by the announcement that …”THIS A TEST, THIS IS ONLY A TEST, OF THE EMERGENCY BROADCAST SYSTEM.” Shortly after, reality set in and I realized that this was real.
During my placement in foster care, I met an amazing lady by the name of Ms. Johnson. She took me and my sister in and showed us what a family is really about. Despite being in a wonderful environment, I found myself continuously being pulled to the streets, hanging around “the wrong crowd”, and smokin’ weed…among other things. I eventually found myself in trouble with the law and sitting in the lobby of a probation office. I thought probation was going to be “a living hell.”
During my first encounter with probation…I got out of it what I put into it. Then one day, I met my match, a probation officer named Ron. I was placed in a program called Building Bridges, which is an unconventional form of probation that promotes positive rehabilitation in creative ways. This experience saved my life as I was taught to control my anger, to self-motivate, and to identify positive supports and role models. It was during this time that I was also introduced to Daybreak. Probation saved my life but Daybreak changed my life.
Once again, I found myself nervous and going through yet another intake process. However, this process was none like I ever had. I felt like I had finally found “My safe place”…No more running away.
Daybreak is My Friend
A rap by Lonnie
It all started when I got kicked out of my first apartment
now I homeless and I have to sit down
and think about it,
falling down a hill that already started.
Now I’m scared because I have nothing to eat,
my body weight is starting to decrease
and that don’t even fit me.
Now I walkin’ around lookin’ at the shoes on my feet…
I still got one resource, I can still turn to the streets…
but that ain’t me.
I rather take a chance and go on with my life.
Yo,
but when I got to Daybreak, things started to change…
I wasn’t the same person anymore, I started becoming a man.
Showing me how to become Independent and go on wit my life…
and the thing I use to do in the past…
now I don’t even like…and I don’t show interest
in anything that can’t help
me go on. That’s why …
I
try my best to put my heart in this song…
So I can give somethin’ back so I won’t feel so wrong.
Now I pray at night, before I close my eyes and start resting.
Y’all got to be angels, because helping me is a blessing…
I thank you...
Daybreak for stopping.
Takin’ time out for me,
cause it’s a lot of people in this world…
What made you think about me…
and I thank you again for all the thing you helped me through…
Cause people stuck out a foot, y’all manage to stick out
two.
Thank You Daybreak
A rap by Lonnie
I just want to say thank you for all the things you helped me through
Through all the stress, depression and all of the other stuff I’ve been through
To say ‘Lonnie keep your head up’ and holding it for me
And not letting go and pushing me ‘cause y’all was there for me
Let me sit and think for a minute
Daybreak was there for me when I was 16 years old
I was a homeless little boy and they brought me in from the cold
I was in the shelter and I stayed to myself in a deep dark hole
From the first day I walked in that place they had me in defense mode
I was ready to go home but home wasn’t the place for me
So I crawled out of my dark hole and they started talking to me
Asking me what I wanted to be in life but I had nothing to be
I was a boy with a bad past and my future was hard to see
I tried my best to stay there but I was just ready to leave
I had $5.00 in my pocket but that wasn’t enough to succeed
Buy me something to eat and I’ll be done, I’ll be left to the streets
So I stayed and tried to find out what could benefit me
They had an Independent Living program and that was something I liked
They helped me pay for everything the first few months, all your utilities and lights
I had no if’s, ands, buts, maybes, probablys, or mights
I jumped head first into the program and it changed my life
It came time when I paid rent and I was paying a price
I was living good, I can admit it, I was doing real nice
Then I lost my job and I didn’t want to tell them about that
So for five days I was riding around putting in 100s of apps
Sitting there waiting patiently by the phone but nobody called back
I got so scared to tell them I had an asthma attack
But it wasn’t so bad, because when I told them at last
They said "leave it behind, life goes on that job is gone, leave that in the past"
So they put me on the internet and I started working so fast”
Putting my resume out and they started calling at last
Four years later, I’m a man now and doing it right
High School Diploma, four trades and none of my money is tight
Maybe this rap thing is me, I’ve been doing it since I was a kid
But for right now, I’m saying "Thank You, let’s help some more kids."
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