Category: Piece of the Week

by Waiting To Be Given A Chance, Alameda The greatest test life has ever put me though was the system, this institution. I’ve dealt with a lot of things growing up as a black boy in this place we call “life.” I’ve lost friends, family members and myself at times. I was suffering with depression at a point in my life. At times I still do, but it was nothing like becoming a part of the “system.”  I first went to jail in July of 2021. I came to jail on one count of armed robbery and gun charge and

by Jeremiah, Santa Clara I hope for a better life every day, hope my life would change and the people in my life would appreciate me for the lifestyle I live. It’s not my fault I became who I am. I had to raise myself, learn the hard way and take care of my siblings. Life is hard and every day I hope life gets better. I hope I can separate myself from negativity instead of being a part of it.  I want to be able to have a happy life with my baby girl, stop living in a fake

by Elian, Marin A week before I got arrested I was at my house at around 11 pm. Three of my friends texted me to ask if they could come over. I said yes, so about thirty minutes later, they knocked on my door.  They brought me Takis and soda and were being hella loud. One of my homies was playing on my PC, and the rest of us were live on Instagram. Every time my homie died in the game, he screamed loudly, and the rest of us were loud too. After, we made some food, and we were

by Halo, San Francisco There are many words to describe me and people consider me to be an interesting person so one word that describes me is funny. A lot of people, well basically everybody, I mean their first impression of me are almost always funny because how easy I can make people laugh, how efficient my jokes and comebacks are, and how quick I think of things.  Another word that describes me is smart. Everybody who really knows me knows I’m smart as hell and I believe knowledge is key so I like to get as much knowledge as

by T, Sacramento One time when I was thirteen or fourteen, my mom caught me smoking in the house with my sister. She was mad. She was yelling for about an hour about how I want to be so grown and how I don’t listen to a thing she says. Then she started talking about how I don’t go to school and I’m failing.  The whole situation turned into me not going to school and how I think I’m grown. She forgot that she caught me smoking and was mad that I “wanted to be grown.” Another time I caught a

by FT, Billings, Montana I am from Butte MT. Sometimes you can taste copper from the mines.You can smell a lot of thingsdepending on what part of town you are in. Downtown smells like fast food.Uptown smells like flowers from the gardens. Sometimes I feel scared. Because you see kids on the streetsand doing drugs on the streets. People fighting each other for no reason at all.  But why does all of that make it home to me? Because it’s not where you arethat makes it homeit’s where you feel safe. Where I feel safe is with my family and friends. The ones who care about me. The ones who didn’t hurt me. The

 by Elian, Marin A lot of people have talked to me in my life, but the two people that they have talked to me is my grandma and my big homie. I remember one time my grandma talked to me for almost an hour. She was telling me to do good and asking me what I want to be in my future. I always didn’t know what to answer, but I still remember what she told me. She told me to not give up, ever,in life and every time I am giving myself up, it reminds me of my grandma,

by Jeremiah, Santa Clara This life I’m livin’ is like a movie. The things that have happened throughout this life is messed up, kind of wish things were more simple and less frustrating. I sit and wonder why people are the way they are and it sucks people turn on you, lose love for you too, just because you want to live the life you’re comfortable with.  This doesn’t break me, I just keep moving forward still solid and steady with the business. I learned even when you don’t do anything wrong and still get blamed, just take it because

by JJ, Sacramento I had just returned home, after a time away from my loved ones. I had not been home in a long-long time.  I pulled into the driveway, turned off the radio, took a couple deep breaths, grabbed my bag of clothes, and got out of the car. As I calmly approached the front door to the house, thoughts of my past life were flashing in my head. I no longer had the house key, so I knocked. I waited and waited no answer.  Did they know I was coming home? I knocked again. Before I gave up

by Genaro, San Mateo When I look into the mirror, I see myself and I see I need to make changes. I saw a new man with different ambition and expectations that needs to be met. My first day here at Hillcrest I wasn’t happy with what I was seeing, but as days went on and Bible study went on, I saw a change needed to be made.  A reason change needs to be made is my age. I’m too old to be getting in trouble, also the effect I made on my parents like the sadness I caused them.