-Chris Krych All the time spent cannot be given back to me to relive with my familyAging poorly within a political systemThat stacks the deck against freedomsOnce you are gone, you are gone, but hopefully not forgotten!Another avenue of punishmentLucky to escape with your life, the dead speak(One hundred and three plus so far)!Nobody gets to relive life that has already passed byMothersota makes me cry lakes (ten thousand tears)Angry citizenry pain for lack of political shame!Layered barriers of political fraud, democracy cremated!Eight hundred plus wounded and breathing humansNeed to be made whole againAnother avenue of punishment Is freedom worth having?
Continue ReadingAuthor: mpau@thebeatwithin.org
Legacy
-Jeremiah G KelleyBefore I am dead and goneAnd I finally rest in peaceI hope to leave behindAn unforgettable legacyEver since I was a childI wasn’t confident or convincedI would never reach my full potentialLife never made too much senseOne day I picked up a penAnd my hand began to writeI couldn’t believe what I wroteSuddenly so much came to lightI wanted to be successfulBut my mind would have to expandIt was obvious I had a giftThat gift is in my handI had to keep on writingSo, my talent would be exposedAnd as I kept on writingSomething beautiful began to unfoldI
Continue ReadingVolume 29.31/32
Please contact Lisa Lavaysse if you would like to purchase the full PDF or a printed copy of this issue.
Continue ReadingEd Note 29.31/32
The month of July was hard, July hurts. Marking one year since our fearless leader the founder of The Beat Within and my dearest, beloved husband, best friend and business partner David Inocencio left this world. I believe his heart was too pure, gentle and good for this cruel world, so the Lord called him home, I hope you are resting in peace by his side. July also marks our wedding anniversary and we also matched the day of our first date. This July we would have celebrated fifteen years together and nine years married. I thought we were going to have
Continue ReadingMy First Summer Job
-IL, San Francisco “When I see people of my likeness, or somebody that I feel connected to doing something great, I feel like I can do it. It gives me some hope and vision.” -Common I feel like this quote is actually pretty good because I feel like most people feel like they can’t do something but see people that are just like them doing something that they feel they can’t do. It pushes them to do it as well and it makes it easier for them to do so. For example, I would always tell myself that I never
Continue ReadingFor the Future
-SK, San Mateo The greatest sacrifice that I did was leaving my family for more than two years without my presence and being there for them to help. My family was always there for me when I needed them and they always loved me. I never realized how much they liked and loved me. Maybe I was focusing on the negative energy they gave me and all the beating my parents gave me. I was mad, so I didn’t listen to anything they said to me and told myself that I make my own choices. I now realize how much
Continue ReadingHe Wanted the Best for Me
-Scythe Something about David is that he really wanted the best for me. David was one reason why I didn’t come back here for a long time. I love the way he puts things together and the way he says things. He was one of my best friends while I was in here. I was always working forward to Wednesdays so I can come to The Beat Within.
Continue ReadingThe Answer in Front of Me
-Samuel “Shady” Cruz The question has never been “Why?” because the answer has always been there in front of me. I need you to please sit there and hear me out one last time. This will never be spoken again. I just need to let it all out once and for all. Part of my story begins at the age of seven. After my mother abandoned me and left me in the middle of the street all balled up crying, begging for her to come back, she did not! At that moment of my life, Sammy stopped existing. It became
Continue ReadingThinking About Dave and The Beat Within
-Freddy “Mr. Positivity” Huante Jr I think about David and coming to The Beat Within. I am keeping up my personal dedication to keep pushing us to help kids in the system; to help them make better decisions and succeed in life. I don’t want to see the youth come down this path and continuing to grow as a human being. My personal goal in life is to change and it’s all because of someone named David. I was blessed to spend time with David and I am going to continue to keep David’s legacy and what he left behind…
Continue ReadingVolume 29.29/30
Please contact Lisa Lavaysse if you would like to purchase the full PDF or a printed copy of this issue.
Continue Reading