Dream Keepers Blog

We met Thursday night with the Seedfolks Summer Reading Circle. We're reading amazing books. Last week it was Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes. This week we started Ida B. by Katherine Hannigan. After we read, the Seedfolks director, Venice Williams, invited the young people to do some writing exercises. I will share the first one here, as a way of introducing these fine young women. Watch for more writing in the coming weeks! I am full-figured shape round face chocolate colored dark ebony eyes I am shrewd clever passionate introverted I am daughter poet journalist college bound I am Deanna ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ I am short African American and Indian nice and shy I am funny adventuress goofy and intelligent I am a god mother an eleventh grader’ a peacemaker and a Christian I am Natalie ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ I am thickum beautiful crazy funny I am insane retarded kind helpful I am daughter aunt designer artistic I am Brittene ~*~*~*~*~*

We met again last Thursday and attended the Seedfolks reading circle. Afterwards, I brought the teens to my house for ice cream and writing. Both times we've tried to write. But no one (including me) showed any interest in putting pen to paper. The first week we had too much to talk about. One of the teens, a young man, kept saying, "Pastor Rochelle, your house is so peaceful. I've never been in a house like this. It's just so peaceful." We ended up talking about what peace looks and feels like to him—and the writing got pushed aside. Last week, we cleared away the empty dishes and took out the journals. After just minutes, one of the teens said, "It's too quiet here. I can't think." I laughed. Two teens noticing that my house was quiet—something I rarely appreciate—with different ideas about what that meant. But for both teens, the house and the ice cream and the company made it dificult to write! So right now we are a "not writing" wr