Skip to main content

Creating a Character

On Monday June 2, the girls and I met and read more from Things I Have to Tell You. Mostly, the girls write about their own lives. On Monday, the Dream Keepers tried something new. They wrote poems from a persona or a character—someone other than themselves. I love what they did. See what you think!

Born at 13
by Maya Montgomery

Born at 13—prematurely.
Momma didn’t want me.
Daddy abusing me.
Boys looking over me.
Brother selling.
Girls teasing.
Born at 13.
Look at me.
I look just like you.
Can’t you see?
Same hair, same eyes, same lips.
Born at 13.
Go to the same school.
See you every day.
So don’t judge me.
Born at 13.



Just Another Girl!
by Natalie Branch

When I first saw you, I couldn’t stand you.
When you first saw me, you wanted to nail me.
Every day you would spit yo’ game.
Everyday I looked at you with shame.
But one day, you said the sweetest thing.
I stopped being mad and I stopped being mean.
You became my man, and I was yo’ girl.
You were the only thing that mattered in my world.
Then I met this girl
She said you spit the same game to her, too.
We both went to you in rage.
She forgave you. But I turned away.
I couldn’t believe what you did.
I couldn’t believe I was pregnant with yo’ kid.
Today I have a two-year-old son.
He’s my everything, my only one.
He doesn’t know you, and you don’t know him.
All he knows is God, family, and friends.
I’ll teach him to respect everyone, even those like you.
But you’ll never know him, and he will never know you.

The Consequences of Loving Me
by Deanna Branch

He said he loved me.
I only loved his money.
So I drew him to me.
Like a sunflower to a bee.
The consequences of loving me.

He thought he could tell me anything.
I would joke about his deepest secrets with my friends.
He got mad, but his anger ceased
When I threatened to set him free.
The consequences of loving me.

He thought is undying love
would change me.
He thought his passion
could mold me
and I’d be sprung.
But when he drew near me, I told him
His stench made me sneeze.
The consequences of loving me.

My lesson to you
Sugar and spice
Isn’t always so nice.
A conqueror can’t be conquered
I am never satisfied
And I am hard to please
That is why your love
will never be enough for me.
And we could never really be
The consequences of loving me.


Who’s Watching
by Elisha Branch

His eyes saw it all.
He saw his mother screaming and yelling, trying not to fall.
His mother—getting beat my a man 6 feet tall.
Protecting her head, curled up into a ball
Running from the man down the narrow hall
All along the way, slamming into every wall.
He was so young, but he still witnessed it all.

Her eyes saw it.
She was all alone in the dark closet.
Being very quiet so he wouldn’t hear her.
But she still knew that he was coming near her.
All of a sudden, he went for her sister.
She was quite sure what he was going to do
but only because he did it to her, too.
She was screaming
Watched him kiss her
and said have a good day
Although you might not care.
I want to let you to know she was there.

While you’re standing there and still talking
You’ll never know who’s watching.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Six-word Scary Stories

We've done six-word memoirs. Tonight the Dream Keepers wrote six-word scary stories. Read and enjoy! (Then write and submit your own in the comment field!) A vampire destroys the city with power. —Tramonta Garner (pictured above) One virus. One town. No survivors. —Jaimee Bogard-LaMar, 14 One girl. Many monsters. What's next? —Jaimee Bogard-LaMar, 14 Big zombie eats eyeballs. City blind. —Elisha Branch, 14 One house. One family. Both gone. —Elisha Branch, 14 Knock, knock. Who's there? Killer mysterious. —Derranesha, 12 Baby cries. No answer. What happens? —Derranesha, 12 Ring, ring. "Hello." Please help me. —April, 12 The spooky monster ran towards me ... —Sonya, 17 The worm crawls into the brain. —Sierra The slippery, slimy monster grabs two. —Quintoya Eskridge

Dream Keepers at Milwaukee Public Library

Dream Keepers at Villard, June 2012 This fall, Dream Keepers will be meeting at various urban locations of the Milwaukee Public Library. All of the program titles, locations, and times are listed below. The events are free and open to the public. Please join us! Six-word Scary Story. Can you tell a scary in six words? Here are some from previous writing workshops: One virus. One town. No survivors. —Jaimee Bogard-LaMar; Big zombie eats eyeballs. City blind. —Elisha Branch. When: Monday, October 8, 2012; 4 – 5 pm  Where: Capitol Drive Library, 3969 N. 74th St. When: Monday, October 22, 2012 4-5:30 PM Where: M.L. King Library, 310 W. Locust Street Gratitude Poem or Letter. What are you thankful for? Write a thank you letter or poem to someone you appreciate and then craft it into a thank you card for them. (open to all ages ) When: Monday, November 5, 2012; 4 – 5 pm Where: Capitol Drive Library, 3969 N. 74th St. When: Monday, November 12, 2012; 5 – 6pm ...

Long Titles, Short Poems

Tonight the Dream Keepers tried to write short poems with long titles, an assignment from Dawn DiPrince's wonderful book Yoga For the Brain . Here's the example I wrote: What Happened when John decided to Do His Laundry the Old-Fashioned Way: with a Bar of Soap, a Rock, and a River. Threadbare Underwear. The assignment is harder than it sounds, and the Dream Keepers had a tough time with it. But they still came up with some good samples. Read their work, and then try writing your own! By Elly: What Elly Was Left with After She Ate A big Juicy Hamburger in Two Bites. Yummy Tummy. By Leroi: What the Owner Said When He Took His Pet to Meet the New Vet, who Already Had Met a Dog, a Frog, and a Bunch of Cats. Oh No. By Daquan: What Happened When I Took A Bone from a Dog Who Had Had It a Long Time. Fight. Bite. By Tierra: The clock stopped at 11 O'Clock. Tick Tock?