Category: Piece of the Week

by Hayden Coming to terms with fate is a difficult task. With it comes a sense of hopelessness—that fate cannot be changed. Succumbing to fate is an even more intense mental battle. Stubborn people don’t succumb easily. I guess I’m one of those people. I will not stop fighting with Arizona, even if I fall. I can’t prescribe an easy solution to my own issues, so I have no choice but to fight. There are too many lives at stake. I can’t stand by and watch people suffer, especially youth. Defeat can’t stop me from living for the movement for

by O Dear Juvenile Hall, Thank you for teaching me how To appreciate the little things Being locked up really got me thinking ‘Bout how I take my freedom for granted. You taught me how lonely I would be Without my friends or family. You showed Me how lucky I was to be able to wear My own clothes and eat home-cooked Meals. Thank you for showing me how Lovely my life is. After I’m out of here, I’ll never make the mistake of coming Back again. BELIEVE THAT!

by Brandon Growing up I was raised by my dad and my grandma. My mom left my sister and I at a very young age. I think my dad has prepared me well for adulthood because he has helped me learn many things from his mistakes. He always tried to look out for me and lead me down the right path. He was always supportive of my decisions but also made sure I was careful about choosing my decisions. I think that it is very important for an adult that teaches you how to adapt to adulthood to be supportive. Furthermore,

by Hayden Today is February 7th, 2018. Every day that passes me by is like a silent scream for help emanating from my heart. I’m counting down the days to an unknown deadline. I don’t know when I will be free. I feel angry at the system, the prosecutors and judges for keeping me locked up without a warrant or charges. Fighting an impervious system is tiring in so many ways. It reminds me of fighting with my father when I still lived with my family. I’m tired of the constant pain tugging at the essence of my being. As

by Hayden An Excerpt from Dear Society Whose right is it to subject those under their power to abuse with the sole purpose of establishing dominance? Fathers? De nitely not. Sadly, this occurs often in our broken world. Abuse is a dif cult yoke to bear. It festers into an obscene picture, often hidden by its perpetrator. If left unhandled, trauma from abuse can cause people to treat their past as a curse. They may nd themselves unable to function without blaming their upbringing as an excuse for failure. Being a stubborn person, I’d rather use my past as a reason

by De They look at me and wonder, is he all the way there? They can’t understand me so they sit there and stare They listen to your story, make it seem like they care But then write you up for some shhh that ain’t fair Sometimes I give up and gotta catch myself Stand up like a man and adjust myself I ain’t even gonna worry, not gonna stress myself I’ll make it out of here so I could bless myself The ones you thought would accompany you always Could switch up so fast, you wouldn’t know they’re gone

by Young One The greatest challenge I have to deal with is anxiety. My anxiety keeps me up at night and worrying all day. I haven’t found anything to help my anxiety except sports. But as soon as that’s over, it comes right back. When I suffer from my anxiety, I get anxious and it’s hard for me to function. I try not to cry and stay strong, but at nighttime I tend to cry and struggle in the sense that I’m by myself and no one can see me at a weak point. And when something big comes up,

by Marwin I open my eyes, mostly to blink away the tears. My gaze falls upon a pile of a fabric at the end of my bed. Under a thick layer of dust there are multiple patterns and colors. My blankets. They come in and out of focus as I think about my past, the things I’ve done, who I am. If I’m honest with myself, I can see why people say I’m arrogant and selfsh and proud. I can see why people say I’m cold, I’m hard and I’m only interested in winning. Maybe I deserve this. Maybe I

by Sergio I believe that in order to succeed I need love from my family and support from my peers and friends. It is very important that I have my freedom, so I will abstain from being sent to correctional facilities.  I need an education and I need to work hard in order to be successful.  The most important thing I need is to be happy, for I cannot be successful if I am not happy.  In order for me to be happy, I need to be with the people I care about and I need to do the things I

by Saul Why am I always drawing skulls? Maybe it’s because I’m super grateful to have one, and whenever I feel like I don’t have anything I remember I have a skull and I can feel my bones dancing according to the beat of the ground. Oh it feels round, and now that time has come I can finally accept myself for what I stand for. I love music, good graces to you and everyone reading this. I love you, don’t forget that. And if you’re ever alone and forget, remember you got a skull, remember you’re alive, and remember