EXTRAS

Illustration by Jasmine Gallman| VOX Staff

THE WALL

This Life Isn't It
Why must I shed a tear?
Why must I fear what I fear?
Keep your ears opened, you hear the whisper.
This image has not yet come clear.
I guess this life, isn't it?
Is there any hope?!
I pray to god that I don't choke!
Life is like trying to fight a grizzly bear.
Is this really what they call fair?
Don't you dare give me that scare.
I guess this life, isn't it?
What is that bright glare?
All alone, the apparition of my self-image.
All alone I was tested like a football
scrimmage.
But in my case it was having a date with faith.
I guess I got a grip before it was too late.
Growing up is life, isn't it?
—Tommy Jackson, Independence High

Sometimes I Feel.....
Sometimes I feel like running
away from home.
Sometimes I feel like I
am alone.
Sometimes I feel like I should
give my mother another chance.
Sometimes I feel like no one
loves or likes me for who I am.
Sometimes I feel like I don't
have a friend in the world.
Sometimes I feel like I am
a baby bird stuck in a cage who can't fly.
Sometimes I feel like
a motherless child.
Sometimes I feel like running away
from my feelings and problems.
Sometimes I feel like everything
revolves around me.......
—Leola D.Henderson, Grady High

I Woke Up From Our Kiss, I’m Sorry
I woke up smiling.
For those who claimed that they’ve smiled for no reason,
Oh trust me, I had a reason.
I dreamed about our invention,
How we made our souls entwine,
Something that beautiful.
If forbidden love is my addiction
then I should be on Intervention
Or on Criss Angel’s show.
I felt so possessed.
I felt a lot of spirits through it all.
Too bad I didn’t fly.
Because reality could’ve made me fall.
I try to switch it up.
To see if dreams can come true.
Because I woke up saying, “I love you.”
But I woke up saying it to the wall.
Invention---broken.
Rehab, I’m going.
Before doing that, I renamed our contraption
“the best kiss ever.”
Dreams beat reality
To make even the heartbroken girls
happy.
—Aja Hall, VOX Staff

Don’t be a Statistic
Young black men, don’t be a statistic
Don’t get named as a drug dealer or a thief
And don’t get caught saggin’ with your pants below your knees
Money, cars and clothes don’t make the man within
Only the heart and personality defines a true friend
Thinking you look cool
But others say you look like a fool
Calling others names
Only be playing games
But next time be mindful
And pay attention to everything

Don’t be a statistic
Young black women like me
Having babies early and not taking responsibility
Don’t answer to the game
That can be played by lames
Calling out names “a shawty,” “red,” “slim”
Don’t let them put down a true queen
Cause we are the true black
African dreams
—Kelsey, VOX Girls Group

A Young Man Under the Influence
A young man listens to rap for the wrong kind of fun
Like hearing people talk about violently blasting guns.
I mean it’s OK if they talk about counting ones,
But its not OK to sell drugs just to get it done.
He watches all these music videos instead of the news,
He flips to BET, MTV instead of channel 2,
Cause he figures that the T.V. reporter can’t do nothing lewd,
But when someone addresses it, he wants to go and call them rude.
His favorite song talks about getting drunk and smoking weed,
He can’t sleep at night cause he’s high off ecstasy
Don’t want to let him go on in life to see how hard it would be,
But every time I try to help he gets mad at me.
He sees a vixen at the club and takes her home to mate.
Astonishment on his face when he feels the Trojan break.
Immediately, he tries to make a quick escape,
But he was too late cause he’s sick with a kid on the way.
Now he realizes what he’s doing is not getting too far.
He wants to be rich some day just like all the stars.
He has some good ideas and in his heart he wants to start,
But the song suggests him to be a dope boy with fancy cars.
Victim of some violence, now he’s six feet under ground,
The only one who didn’t make it when the pistol sounded,
It happened while he was out selling purp by the pound,
Another young man dead who couldn’t turn his life around.
—Tim McClinton, Banneker High