by Joseph “Big Bro” Weathington Dear Edward Jr. (Pesto), Hey baby bro, it’s been a while since you passed away. A lot has changed since your death, but missing you is the one thing that hasn’t. I love you bro, and I miss you just as much. I’m writing you because I want to apologize. I’m sorry that I failed you. I wasn’t the big brother to you that I should have been. I didn’t guide you in the right direction. I led you left, when I should have been the big brother that showed you something different, given you
Continue ReadingNightmare
by DD From what I know, loneliness can manifest feelings of anger, sadness, but most importantly, a feeling of emptiness, and at a certain point, it feels as if you’re going through life numb every day. And the real world doesn’t seem so real or feel so real any more. Reality starts to fade away, and life feels like a dream, more like a nightmare that’s inescapable. Before you know it, you’re living in a world where you can’t tell the difference between the real world and a fake, imaginary world. The worst thing is reaching a point when you
Continue ReadingThe Beat Within Poetry Reading – In Community and Celebration
WHEN: Thursday, May 2nd, 2019 WHERE: The Oakland Main Public Library, 125 14th St, Oakland CA 94612 TIME: 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm Click here to RSVP today! Join us on Thursday, May 2nd for a celebration of voices from The Beat Within, a national publication of writing and artwork by incarcerated youth. In partnership with the Teen Zone of Oakland Main Public Library and the Akonadi Foundation, we’ll be highlighting the stories from our weekly writing workshops inside the Alameda County Juvenile Justice Center, and beyond. Former Beat writers will share their strength and power with us through their stories,
Continue ReadingVolume 24.11/12
Please contact Lisa Lavaysse if you would like to purchase the full PDF or a printed copy of this issue.
Continue ReadingEd Note 24.11/12
Greetings friends! Welcome to double issue, 24.11/12, of The Beat Within. As always, you wonderful readers will be getting a one-of-a-kind snapshot of amazing writing and art from various institutions from around the great state of California and beyond! We truly appreciate all the hard work that goes into making this publication a success, starting with you facilitators and volunteers who support the amazing writers in our writing and conversation workshops, to those who find the time independently to reach out to us with their art, stories, poems and reflections. A big thanks to all of you. It’s been a
Continue ReadingAnger Can Be Your Friend
by John Vasquez Many people believe anger is a bad thing, but it can actually be your friend. Anger is a natural human emotion just like fear, happiness or sadness. Everyone gets angry from time to time. Why? Because we’re human. Unfortunately, people often think anger is bad because they mistakenly believe that anger and aggression are the same things, but they’re not. Anger is a feeling. Aggression is a behavior. Aggression is just one way to express anger. Hitting, assaulting or cussing someone out is an act of aggression. Anger is the feeling behind it. Anger is a powerful
Continue ReadingMe and My Life
by Mindyours When I was twelve-years-old my dad got shot. All I ever wanted was revenge. I got so caught up in going to shoot the sucka that shot my pops. After all that stuff happened I started to really get in the streets. I started robbing people to get my money right. I started to fight any and everybody. What really hit was when my mother left my brother and me for another man. I felt so alone and I had to raise my little brother. I was so young so I started robbing more people to make more
Continue ReadingVolume 24.09/10
Please contact Lisa Lavaysse if you would like to purchase the full PDF or a printed copy of this issue.
Continue ReadingEd Note 24.09/10
Welcome friends! For you avid Beat readers, OT should be a recognizable name in our pages, especially if you embrace the editorial note, where he so kindly shares his truths and observations. For your information, OT has been connected to The Beat since his days as a young person inside San Mateo County Juvenile Hall aka Hillcrest, where he wrote like most of you, during our workshops. The one thing different, upon his release from the system, OT reached out and made a point to stay connected, despite the ups and downs, and that he has for nearly 20 years!
Continue ReadingI Am Like That Of An Oak Tree, Scarred Yet Sturdy
by Keith Erickson I often think of myself as this sturdy ancient oak tree that has been tucked away in the stilled quietness of the forest. I may have many scars, yet I’ve come to truly believe that each one of them has been a part of the necessary afflictions for which I have had to overcome in order that I may have become what I am today, which is a much better man than I could have ever become without these scars. Each and every one of my scars, like that of the markings of this oak tree, is
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