Youth Voice Writing Contest 2022 — Honorable Mention, Poetry
I am from blue sleeping mats
From Clorox and disinfectant wipes
I am from the homeless shelters that compassionately gave me a place to sleep in these harsh streets
I am a daffodil, a cheery yellow flower that symbolizes new beginnings
From tamales being served every Christmas to a family that rips light-hearted jokes to pick on everyone’s flaws, especially their own
From Claudia to Annette
I’m from a family that never says “I’m proud of you” and “I love you”
I’m from the womb of a drug addict and the “you could never amount to anything”s
I’m from the nonreligious background of foster care where I had to find my faith on my own
I’m from the city of San Diego where homeless people sleep in tents by Petco Park
The onion that has so many layers
The kombucha that is good for you but is an acquired taste
From the foot my dad lost to diabetes and inadequate care
The lost teeth that my mother is trying to look for in all the drugs that she’s abused
From the photos that were taken of me and my siblings when CPS found us
We relish these moments because we can’t remember what life was like before and we will always look back on life after it
