My Split Worlds My Split Worlds Writing in the Schools Student Anthology 2018 – 2019 red hen press | Pasadena, CA My Split Worlds A Writing in the Schools Student Anthology Copyright © 2019 Red Hen Press All Rights Reserved No portion of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by an informa- tion storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from Red Hen Press. My Split Worlds features poetry and prose submitted by students that have participat- ed in the Red Hen Press Writing in the Schools program. All work belongs to the individual authors. No work may be reprinted without permission of the individual authors. Questions or comments may be submitted via e-mail to development@red- hen.org. Cover design by Vivian Rowe Compiled and edited by Tansica Sunkamaneevongse and Hanna White, with special thanks to Jerry Harper Layout by Nicolas Niño The Dwight Stuart Youth Foundation, City of Pasadena Cultural Affairs, the Audrey and Sydney Irmas Charitable Foundation, the Max Factor Family Foundation, and the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs partially support Red Hen’s Writing in the Schools Program. 2019 Edition Published by Red Hen Press www.redhen.org ABOUT WRITING IN THE SCHOOLS Writing in the Schools is an outreach program that actively facilitates the practice of creative writing. The program has employed published authors to cultivate an appreciation for poetry in Los Angeles and LA County classrooms since its inception in 2003. Each classroom is assigned a published author who conducts writing workshops that educate students in literary terms, techniques, and critical reading skills. Workshops also provide the indispensable oppor- tunity for young writers to read their work aloud before an audience of peers and friends. For many students, poetry serves as a new venue to display thoughts, emotions, or portions of their personality they may not be comfortable conveying in other settings. The poems featured in this book are the product of workshops conducted over the course of one year from grade levels four through twelve. They are a testament to the skill of participating authors, the compassion of teachers, and the creativity in every student. Red Hen Press would like to thank the participating teachers and administrators who volunteered their classrooms and their time to the program. Their dedication and enthusiasm made Writing in the Schools possible. We also appreciate our poetry instructors for their boundless creativity and passion and the organizations and individuals that generously support the program through their grants and con- tributions. Most of all, we applaud the students for embracing poetry, opening their minds to new ideas, and allowing us to share their words with the world. Participating Poets Brittany Ackerman Douglas Manuel Heather Wells Peterson Catherine Theis Ricardo Means Ybarra Participating Teachers B. Amaral Adrienne Andalon Laura Chaparian-Robles Laura Coller Rory Dolan Marc Ketchem Jennifer Page Nikki Petrou Contents Ánimo Ralph Bunche Charter High School My Split Worlds ....................25 The Best of Friends ..............35 Jessy Lopez Joselyn Archila A Terrible Beauty .................26 Out of Sea ...........................36 Alejandra Curiel Anny Mederos Untitled ...............................27 Cause You Have Me ..............37 Eric Gallardo Valeria Arreola Lara Thoughtless Wishing .............28 She Can’t Read ....................38 Liseli de Leon Hanny Herrera My Sport .............................29 6 Feet Under ........................39 Edgar Rosales Lusero Najera Stand Alone .........................30 Plane Fear ...........................40 Ashley Torres Edson Hernandez Another Day in the Great An Ode to Sleep ...................41 War .....................................31 Salvador Angeles Vivar Brandon Gonzalez Me and You ..........................42 I Feel ...................................32 Geovany Bueno Azil Nara For My People ......................43 Never Forget ........................33 Iris Osorio William Ramirez Truth ...................................44 What if Donkey Never Met Yanci Angel Shrek? .................................34 Wendy Reyes Lies ......................................45 Jazmin Morales Strive Away From the Feeling to UNTITLED ......................... 58 Die ......................................46 Yoana Perez Valentine Rio UNTITLED ......................... 59 And I Have You .....................47 Michael Morales Esmeralda Jimenez UNTITLED ......................... 60 UNTITLED ..........................48 Ashley Lopez Nohemi Flores Brother and Mom ................ 61 UNTITLED ..........................49 Valentine Rios Ashley Pineda 60 Degree Weather ................62 UNTITLED ..........................50 Isidro Castillo JayLin Moore UNTITLED ......................... 63 UNTITLED ..........................51 Jonathan Morales Jacob Garcia UNTITLED ......................... 64 UNTITLED ..........................52 Jasmine Quiñones Osiris Ramirez Bunny ................................. 65 UNTITLED ..........................53 Brisa Zarate Luis Vargas UNTITLED ..........................66 UNTITLED ......................... 54 Monserrat Perez Brittaney Hernandez UNTITLED ..........................67 UNTITLED ......................... 55 Angelina Morales Lorena Perez UNTITLED ..........................68 UNTITLED ......................... 56 Tania Elizarraras Carla Sanchez UNTITLED ..........................69 UNTITLED ......................... 57 Mauricio Arana Ilyne Gadea Cheremoya Avenue Elementary School We’re Not Good or Bad ........ 73 The Colorful Unicorn ........... 85 Angelica Dalcduk Elaine Anne Pascula Sound ................................. 74 Big and Yellow ..................... 86 Van Eno Rogers Camille Go Hot Day .............................. 75 Stars .................................... 87 Ashley Luna-Toledo Maya Gomez Nuts .................................... 76 Summer .............................. 88 Emory Butler Haidee Escobar The Moon ........................... 77 Run Halloween .................... 89 Maria Achinte Adrian DeAlba Sour Fruit ............................ 78 Seed of Halloween ................ 90 Davit Aghababyan Markus Rivera The Lion ............................. 79 Everyone is Family ............... 91 Byron Panchal Marianne Puentes Amethyst ............................. 80 Fall ..................................... 92 Michtel Rene Diego Aceves-Gracia Break a Leg (PLS!!!!) ............ 81 baby turtle ........................... 93 Jordan Rizo Danna Garcia Clouds ................................. 82 The Laughing Man ............... 94 Analilia Hernandez Sophia Moran Lone Wolf ............................ 83 Shadows .............................. 95 Ofelia Papazyan Adrian Martinez Spongebob ........................... 84 Drunk Dog .......................... 96 Ellen Verdian April Flamenco The Mouse in a house ............97 How colors make me feel .....110 Omar Alicia Alcaraz UNTITLED ..........................98 My Life as a Lion ................111 Sophia Mayen Gabriel Avila My Psycho Turtles .................99 Ethan Sarmiento Kittens ............................... 100 Ruzanna Melikian My life as a cheetah ............. 101 Chelsea Soto UNTITLED ........................ 102 Walter Perez UNTITLED ........................ 103 Valerie Cardona The colors of my ENERGY.. 104 Beatrice Rizzi My Life as a Deer ................ 105 Ella B Poem of color ..................... 106 Ella UNTITLED ........................ 107 Daveanna Meza My Life As a Wolf ................ 108 Mane Frangulyan K I M B E R L Y .................109 Kimberly Luna Culver Park High School UNTITLED ....................... 115 UNTITLED ........................127 Sadie Treleven Eddie MacDonald UNTITLED ....................... 116 Octopus ............................128 Harris Hasan Jason Takami Treat Her Better, Oh Father ....117 Lion ...................................129 Daniel Vargas Haley Fugett Do Now ............................ 118 Chinchilla ...........................130 Andrew Allison Vincent Shelton Flakita ............................... 119 UNTITLED ........................131 Keseva Flores Madalena Bracamontes UNTITLED ....................... 120 Rain ...................................132 Brandon Newman Yesenia Detatone UNTITLED ....................... 121 UNTITLED ........................133 Leo Albert Christian Cortes Missed Calls ....................... 122 UNTITLED ........................134 Roman Hayden Alberto Montes My Mom ........................... 123 UNTITLED ........................135 Alicja Lasek Ryder Merlin Madre y Hijo ..................... 124 UNTITLED ........................136 Ryan Pongos Isaiah Anaya Mother to Daughter ............ 125 UNTITLED ........................137 Tatyana Laryukova Sierra Rayne UNTITLED ....................... 126 UNTITLED ........................ 138 Victor Guzman Pilar M. Paniagua Faint Nights ........................ 139 Nhandi Craig Untitled .............................. 140 Sebastian Sevilla Untitled .............................. 141 Ayden Browne Dark Days (leak) ................. 142 Eric Cheatham Eliot Arts Magnet Academy UNTITLED ........................145 I, My Family .......................157 Zakhia Taylor Carlos Vega Thank You ..........................146 Waiting Bride ......................158 Wendy Granados-Martinez Lily Vargas Waiting