1 Free Verse Staff With Great Appreciation NYC Department of Probation Editor-in-Chief Commissioner: Ana M. Bermudez Dave Johnson Praise Managing Editor South Bronx Neighborhood Opportunity Network (NeON) Team Brownsville Neighborhood Opportunity Network (NeON) Team Lonni Tanner Brooklyn 345 Café of Opportunities, NYC Department of Probation Office of Public Imagination Fellow, NYC Department of Probation Hats Off Writing Apprentices Tyiece Barclay, Cheryl Brown, Yahira Castillo, Ayanna Cole, June Cooley, Marlita Dalton, Brenda Davis, Sharun Goodwin, Ann Gregg, Rhonda Yoelin Gomez Hughes, Paul Leufroy, Zelzah Martin, Catrina Prioleau, Esteban Rivera, Napoleon Felipe Michelle Rugel, Angel Ruiz, Cindy Ruiz, Tim Salyer, Antoine Sherman, Taqiy Witter Jasmin Sims, Rodney Smith, Aline Vartanian G.W. S.B. Kindness HaloTheArtist La La Akbar Poets House Markcus Santana Ira Allen Applause Tahara Lilly Funding for NeON Arts is provided by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Devonte Rhodes and The Pinkerton Foundation, through grants to the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City. Public support is provided by Council Member Design Rafael Salamanca and the NYC Center for Economic Opportunity. Delcan & Company Design Consultant Carin Goldberg Illustrations Pablo Delcan (Cover, pp. 1, 6, 31, 50, 80, 85) Na Son (p. 11) Joan Wong (pp. 16, 71) Join Us! Jan Buchczik (pp. 26, 43) Carla Cascales (pp. 37, 56) For more information about Free Verse writing workshops, Braulio Amado (p. 64) public readings, and programmatic materials, write to: [email protected]. ©2017 The City of New York. All rights reserved. Printer: Linco Printing P2 Thing S.B. P3 Mama Sings Yasmine Lancaster P4 If you forget me, I want you to know Napoleon Felipe Too Much You got a poem for me? Nine hundred and ninety-seven poets Takima Nicholson My mind is cluttered with stuff right now: Nyketa Palmer P5 Sentenced Dariani Serrano P7 Tell Me (997!) answered that call in New York City Probation center Your Secrets Anesia Nurse Mama Knows Best/Mamma Lo Sa Devonte Rhodes/Kairos Italy Theatre P8 Destroy and waiting rooms this year. Rebuild Emily Alvarez We meet Cheryl Brown It’s 5:30 pm Margaret Barillas P9 Think Twice Rashad Camacho P10 What I Do Know Uneeka Baisden Listen to Me, Escuchame Roberto Martinez Poet in the Bronx Joel Gutierrez P12 Clients, staff, friends, family, neighbors, security guards and Damn, mom, Ira Allen P13 Refuse Chastity Rolle In the night Chastity Rolle Fare Jump Jonathan Antonio My sister seasoned, local poets come to our free weekly writing classes, never forgave Jonathan Syphax Butt Phat Jonathan Syphax P14 FROM THE HOOD 2 MANHOOD Abdul Malik P15 Gomorrah Bx/Gomorra Bx G.W./Massimo Garritano P17 How could I Franze Williams Lafayette Gardens Gerald spoken word afternoons, translation events, story exchanges Anderson P18 Un-Happy Valentine’s Day! Jodeci Lot Scholanda Miller Wedding Nights Yasmine Lancaster Babylon and to birth their first books. And we have a jobs component too. System Taqiy Witter P19 There’s no beauty, Jache Borden nowhere Darnell Underwood I am writing to keep me Jason Mason P20 Now and Later Devonte Andrews Midnight on the Corner of Adams and Smith Devonte Andrews Put away Many clients come when they don’t even have to report. Not your the gun. Michael Gomez P21 Baby La La P22 Life Sharon Paul That somebody who I miss, Kawan Bell The Twenty- typical Probation center, right? That’s the point. Third Pound Sir George W. Williams P23 What would I do Miguel Gonzalez Lies Isaiah Ellis I wish you to Carlos Delgado P24 Dishwashing at Dallas BBQ on Flatbush Rodney Turner P25 Poetry Pimp La La Akbar P27 Declaration of Free Verse magazine is just one outcome of our work. This Questions LaShawn Wilkerson Pardon Me Napoleon Felipe P28 Develop a Life, Not a Page Antoine Sherman P29 Story is our fifth issue. In these pages, you’ll hear a range of voices Number One Ismael Pereyra Ms. Fish Hooked Them Zahura Akter P30 For success, David Jones Why Ricky Harris Empty Apology Abdul Malik P32 Lost Son Jonathan Syphax P33 Money is the root Joseph Nacmias Soul to Soul Poetry and perspectives – and there’s no hierarchy here, no job titles. LaLisa Reid P34 Word to Your Mother Kiing Chef Beauty D.P. Jonathan Q. & Mom When my brother Amayrance Everyone is equal. What might seem like a poem by a client’s Crescente Last night I woke up Elandis Kelley P35 Midnight on 95th Johnelle Hinton P36 Why I Write Poetry Deja Jones NYNY Ingrid Raysor Honey, Cheryl Brown Secrets James Jones P38 A Bird’s Motherless Thoughts Cheryl Brown P39 mom might be that of a Probation Officer. What might seem like Men Victoria Sanusi Homecoming D’Nell Fairman Campbell Daytime, Sunday, Forest Hills, Queens Courtney Cross a poem by a Probation Officer could be written by a client. Some P40 Poems and Championship Jackets Sean Bentley P41 Hialeah G.W. P42 Dear Madeleine, Guyto Chery P44 On the Streets of Not Knowing Scholanda Miller P45 Jail is Not Where It’s At Rodney Turner P46 You know Jennian Joseph P47 Fear poems are hopeful, some are filled with regret, and some are Nicholas Patterson Espresso Melissa Perez All Lives Should Matter Geneva Elmore P48 Spring’s Emotions Markcus tough and don’t go down easy. But neither do these poets. They Santana Montego Bay Ingrid Raysor Love, Armani Miller P49 Libertad/Freedom Telly Santos P51 Different Dekuan Richardson 12 Markcus Santana Black is Beautiful Bruce Kirkland Tree Paradox Omar Moevete P52 Lost Love are survivors with the grit and courage to move forward. Amanda Heinz P53 Edgewater Crew G.W. Love, Maybe/Amor Tal Vez Yoelin Gomez P54 The Chocolate You Can’t Throw Away Deja Jones P55 Por el rio Yonathan Gonazalez/Dave Johnson P57 Valorar El Amor/Love Appreciated Jose To every contributor and every reader of Free Verse, you will Balbuena/Raul Carrasquillo Jr. me, you, daddy, and baby boo D.P. Melo in the Making Desmond Martinez P58 Your always have a safe space to be heard here – and we’re listening. Voice Elizabeth Saxton Haiku (translation of Basho) G.W. It’s April, Oliva Troy Good Time for Paris Katrina Harris P59 G-Money, 2 Mama Gerald Anderson Spiritual Warfare Bruce Kirkland P60 I’m young & I’m black Ira Allen P61 Love, Amanda Peters Home at Last Jah-Keiff Myrick I want to say Abu Tahiru Sillah Kid Thoughts Desmond Martinez — The Editors True Love S.A.R. I’m free Paul Leufroy P62 The Year I Turned 30 Brenda Davis P63 Haungry and Broke!!! Tahara Lilly P65 Dreaming Esteban Rivera P66 Question Erica Abel 4pm Jesus Jimenez Victims HaloTheArtist Who Will Cherish Me Now? Cherish Cupid P67 You Anonymous Catfish Story: in Matawan, New Jersey Ingrid Raysor P68 I wish you DAVE JOHNSON the best. Napoleon Felipe P69 Want Sekou Ali While You Sleep Yasmine Lancaster Her Chastity Rolle Don’t Shoot Editor-In-Chief Stephen Mumford If mama could Antoine Sherman P70 Draw Nicole Goodwin Landlord La La Akbar A Game Yahira Poet-In-Residence Castillo Bathe J. Bright Jr. P72 Buried Motherhood Zahura Akter P73 Grace Yahira Castillo P74 The Ring Pearl Dickson P75 If My Mother Wrote Poems Deja Jones P76 The Gap-Toothed Split Nicole Goodwin P77 At the Gun Range D.O. LONNI TANNER Forgiveness Junior Roshane Johnson Smile Kenneth Wilson P78 T A H A R A Tahara Lilly Butterfly Mythology Yoelin Managing Editor Gomez P79 Central Park Man/ Uomo di Central Park Jonathan Syphax/ Kairos Italy Theatre P81 The Rooster Yasmine Lancaster Guac Ashley Evans Imperfection is Her Beauty S.B. P82 Another early morning coffee Tahara Lilly Oda a la Cebolla/Ode to the Onion Miguelina Garcia Ode to Money Arabia Francis All Aboard Pearl Dickson P83 Oh, my God, Pearl Dickson P84 Driving Guyto Chery Patience Michael Gomez Shades John Quiles P86 Change, Tyiece Barclay Thing I lost the woman that I love to this thing. I lost my childhood to this thing. When I was a kid, I caught my mom in the bathroom giving over her willpower to this thing. I looked at her and said, Mom, please stop! She said, I can’t. You don’t understand, I’m hooked to this thing. The way we were living, this thing had me thinking life was real whacked. Now that I look back, I love my mother but I will always hate the man that created this thing called crack. S.B. 1 2 Mama Sings If you forget me, I want you to know When the rent is due I added extra sugar When the chicken’s done in your coffee sometimes when you sent me out in the mornings. When papa comes home after being gone NAPOLEON FELIPE My mind is cluttered with stuff right now: for so long Kids Doctor appointments Financial issues Mama sings Housing Food when the cake rises, after I shut the door Clean water Happiness when the baby sleeps through the night Loneliness when papa comes home after being gone for so long I have so much on me. Every day I wonder, is it ever going to get better Softly Mama sings... Too Much or end. when my feet lay flat against my shoes Over and over you’ve apologized. NYKETA PALMER when sister says, God is always on time You’ve even apologized for that time when… Never mind, it doesn’t really matter. They weren’t from your heart. Mama sings They were empty, cold, a poor display of Black Arts. every time Empty apologies burning strong, papa comes home after being gone lifelong, for so long have become your drinking song.