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For the third year in a row Bay Area Creative is providing service at Upward Bound UC Berkeley through our flagship program SPARC poetry. Students who participate in Upward Bound have worked as hard as can be imagined to earn a spot in the Upward Bound college preparatory program which serves first generation college applicants. Our poetry workshops are guided by the students’ writing in order to be as culturally relevant as possible. Each year these courageous young writers leap beyond their comfort zones in order to expand and grow as scholars, writers and leaders of their generation. This year due to closures we are leading these workshops via zoom and are excited to push this human connective art form into the digital world.
America
By: Anonymous Upward Bound Student
America is the land that many fled to
The land that many fought for
America’s that one girl that everyone knows
With her loud and joyous laughs and happy celebrations
She doesn’t know who she is
She’s the epitome of freedom
America isn’t who people think she is
America isn’t free
Hell, America is hardly ever herself
America’s not that innocent girl
America is what others make her out to be
But America is made of land and people that were robbed, stolen, and killed.
And more, but I dare not to say it out loud,
For the one nation,
That was indivisible
It will always be divided
by the opinions of the nation
Her past has been paved with the blood of many innocent victims
But America doesn’t want to be that girl that everybody hates
Because of her past
So, she put her mask on
And acts as if nothing has happened
As if her scars are just as invisible as the justice she tries to give for all
Because what does all mean if America can’t even speak for herself?
With her “family” acting as dictators to her life
Don’t do this,
Don’t ignore her
Make friends with her, and especially do speak for those people
Because if she does, she’ll know and be reminded of the people that have paved way for her life
People that have worked so hard to only achieve nothing.
For those people