In June 2015, the students running this blog participated in a poetry and translation project with some 8th graders from a nearby town. The younger students wrote poems for a Spoken Word poetry unit and then the RHAM students translated these poems into Spanish. In September, the AP (Advanced Placement) art students at RHAM will use these poems to create visual representations of the work to post to this blog. Additionally, students recorded recitations of the poetry which we also hope to post here. We hope that everyone enjoys this project. Thank you, Amy Nocton, Rochelle Marcus, and Beverley Fisher
Hero
You wonder why red, that was simply the color of Elmo, peppers, and lobsters could turn into the famous color of blood that slowly dripped down her arm. And you wonder when the pills she took stopped being for aches and pains but to swallow her happiness.
You wonder why he thought a friend was a friend, someone who was like a brother. You wonder when this “brother” started calling him names that could bruise his entire body, being, and soul.
That girl who has bags under her eyes bigger than any bump on the moon and the marks of a belt hitting her back a billion times every night, you wonder how many words will it take to be said to send her plummeting off of the thin tightrope of life. Because growing up it was normal for Daddy to be gone all day and come home drunk beating her till she looked like the dusk sky.
And when you look into a crowd you wonder how many people have scars of trying to cut off your nasty laughs shared with the people around you.
You wonder why they didn’t say “Help.” because looking back you realize it would have filled your empty heart with guilt rather than your ears being filled with the sounds of sirens.
And maybe if you were taught how to clean up your mess of words with a wave of apologies you wouldn’t have to wonder. Maybe you would have stopped watching the kid get bullied and started being a hero.
Perdidos en sus pensamientos 