Category: Piece of the Week

by Lacey In my special window I see my family all together for once. Happy, filled with love and laughter. One day I’ll be on the other side of that thick piece of glass looking out into the street looking at all the gorgeous people smiling. No one knows how they are. No one knows if they are fading away inside. As for me and my happy little family look out the window I see crushed dreams under glowing smiles. Out my window I see dogs wagging their tails even though their feet are burning. Through my window I see the

By Chapo I grew up really fast for my age because I didn’t have any other choice.  Let me just tell you a little bit about my situation,  in my midteens, coming up in the war zone I call home (Vallejo, CA.).  It was hard for me at a young age. I was pretty much bouncing around city to city due to my family’s situation.  Really, I’m not making this a sad story or make it sound like some dumb movie.  All I’m trying to do is share my life experiences with anybody younger or older who wants to change and

by Frank The last time I had a real meaningful conversation was with my teacher, Mr. Cannister. Cannister made me realize that I had to get my life on the right track. Being here in juvie makes me angry with myself for being a mess up in my past. Talking with my teacher gives me motivation to want to do better. Not only for me but also for my family and those around me. I know I messed up but I can choose to correct my wrongs and myself. I can keep messing up, but so far that hasn’t gotten

by Wester Mi pobre madre.  I’m sorry for all I’ve done to you.  You don’t deserve a thing that my brothers and I have put you through.  You deserve nothing but the best.  You’re the strongest person that I know, by far. I know it wasn’t easy raising three troubled boys all alone.  I remember those long days waiting for you to come home from work as a little kid.  Now I wait for you to come visit me from this institution.  I’ve put you through a lot since I was a little kid.  Always going to school meetings and picking me

by Snoopy I hate waking up in this cell knowing this is not a dream. I hate having the same damn food every day, even hearing the same ignorant voices and seeing the same faces. Drives me crazy, I feel like beating their heads, especially the ignorant ones. Knowing that I’m going to be here a while sucks. I wish I can go home. After they find out that I’m innocent, I will sue them for everything they got, this shhh is so stupid. When I get out, I plan to make some money, get the things I want and

by Destiny I have learned that being disrespectful gets me nowhere. I have learned to respect and love my parents for what they have done. I don’t want to live life hating them for all that they weren’t and lacked to do. I want to live life loving them for all that they did do. I thank God for them. I have a mouth, and before I got locked up I did not give zero to one hundred shhhh’ about how I talked to my elders. Now I know that shhh talking them gets me nowhere. Communication will get me farther

by Adriana I would have to say the dumbest thing I have ever done was start- using meth. Now I crave it every day. When I was on it I would act erratic and out of control. Now that I am sober it really sucks, since I started at such a young age I don’t really know what life is like or how to act. I struggle with more simple tasks because of the constant drug abuse. I am behind in school because I was such an addict that I would just get on one and nothing else. My eating habits

by Hd The real me is hidden in the dark. Stuck in my shell, never wanting to come out, afraid to be judged, scared not to be good enough. No one sees the real me.  Fake smiles and laughter.  Scared to feel scared to want and not be wanted back, curious of what people think.  How could they be so blind? So unaware. Maybe they just don’t seem to care. They act like they do, but if they did they would see that something is really wrong inside of me. Not crazy, just different.  Not like the rest.  When I

by Jv I feel like a caged bird. Not being able to fly is torture, literally. I’ll prove them all wrong, that I don’t belong here by staying out when they open my cage door to let me fly. But in the meantime, I sing. You may ask why? I’ve heard people say it’s because that’s what birds are made to do. I sing because it makes me feel free. It gives me hope. Although I do not literally sing, for I am not a bird, metaphorically I do sing. For when a bird sings, it does so not realizing that

by Elijah We’ve all had someone in our life that even the thought of their face can make your heart skip a beat. I had a friend who was very dear to my heart, but my actions caused our relationship to slowly wither away. I feel like there is still hope though because between us there was always something special; like a flower that needs water. We just need the right spark to ignite our flame that will start the fire that will last a lifetime.