She wore a smile yesterday
But where is it today?
She woke up different today
Sad, walking slow, ignoring
Everyone around her...
She fakes every smile
She just wanted silence
And wanted to be left alone
She didn't want to fight the battle
Between happy and sad anymore
She wanted to be like everyone else
Which was NORMAL!
She had tears later that night
But why are they falling tonight?
She went to sleep on a cold night
Upset, crawling on the floors, praying
Hoping she'll make it to another day..
Shes fighting for her life
Shes just wants all the pain to go away
And wishes that this would end
She realizes being like everyone else
Is just going to make her suffer even MORE!
But... Who is she?
A girl who happens to have dreams and goals
But will she ever reach them?
Is the real question... because
She's suffering from depression..
Will you help her? Or can you help her?..
Can you? Because if not.. she..
Just gone remain this unknown girl..
So as I ask... who is she?

As these months, days, weeks, & years go by the emptiness & heartbreaking moments continue to appear as I push myself to make her proud.. flashbacks of our last conversation reappear in my head as I write you this poem, I even remember my very last "I love you mom" before I had to say my official last one mother's day used to be the best days I remember your smile like it was yesterday, but for these last 7 years I've been missing it mom. I'm just proud to officially say I did it mom May 17th, 2017 I'm  finally doing something I thought I would never accomplish because I lost hope after losing the most important woman and best-friend I thought I would never lose at such a young age now here I am 19 years old leaving high school with tears of excitement, and hopes & dreams for the future Lesley Renna Pickett I'm visiting you today and graduation day I miss the greatest single mother in the world happy mother's day!

We are the colors of the rainbow,
Only because they represent us.
But sometimes we feel like the colors black, grey, and white,
We use these three colors to hide ourselves away from all of the hate!
Only because they seem to go with any and everything without an explanation.

But every single day we hear things, About us being gay.
We get called ugly, ***, *****, ****, phony, ****, queer or ******.
Just for labeling ourselves gay, bisexual, lesbian, pansexual or transexual.
Take the time to learn our story,
Before assuming you know us based off our looks and actions.
We could’ve been *****, “born” this way, or it became a choice of our own.
Here we are just trying to love who we are and want to be,
But can’t seem to do so because of people like you!
We still manage to keep a smile on our faces and our heads held high,
Just waiting for the day to feel equal and wanted. In this messed up world.
Instead of having to look over our shoulders every second of the day,
Hoping and praying to make it to another day without being the next VICTIM!

So as we ask please...
“Accept Me For Who I Am”

She was so beautiful until he decided to replace her face with ugliness now she calls herself a demon all because he wanted to put his hands on someone who couldn't even defend themselves now she's just hoping and praying that these scars would soon disappear but every single time, he comes around they reappear as she cries and tries to fight back but yet there's no one around to help.., he even calls her names and even make her undress herself just so he can get a piece of cake she knows living this type of lifestyle isn't right but yet he's always making sure there's no escape so she's stuck with bruises and a mindset filled with hate all because of him, he will soon suffer from this and his day will come as she remains calm and reports everything that as happened to someone who was only trying to protect her from the virus he's spreading all over her face.. places such as her eyes, nose, and lips all started to turn black he caused this girl a heartbreaking life who may never consider herself as "beautiful" ever again...

What If...

See what if the whites were the slaves and the blacks were their masters?
See what if all the blacks were cops and the whites were getting killed for no reason?
See what if all the whites had to sit in the back of the bus and the blacks didn't?
See what if all the blacks were well dressed and rich while the whites were dressed ghetto and poor?
SEE THERE IS AND NEVER WILL BE A WHAT IF...
I just wanted to flip the switch because being black in this world is extremely hard.. we have to fight hell we've been fighting since day one but still get treated like crap I just want you to understand what our people did for us but yet we can't seem to come together as one only time we come together is when a white man kills one of our own but yet it's still black on black crimes as the days go by but then again.. we can't help it..!
What if we could just come together as a whole but I don't see that coming anytime soon so I'm just going to keep hoping and praying for a better way... because I'm black and I'm proud.. but sometimes I wish I wasn't only because of this messed Society!

By Zyanneh Frazier

I'm tired of having to tell somebody I care about or love to be safe all bc of this ****** up place I call home known as "killa city" yall starting to act like the next Chicago with nothing but violence now I see why momma never let us leave the house bc she wasn't trying to see her two sons & daughter end up in a casket all bc of the crime rates continue to keep rising
when will all this stop?

My sweet and amazing family
and friends who continues
to put nothing but a smile on my
face and bring nothing but
tears of joy as we celebrate this
wonderful thanksgiving day
with memories that we'll
all continue to share on this
wonderful day as we
enjoy this food, share hugs,
and take pictures as
wonderful people do each
and everyday..
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!