Poetry from the Pilsen Neighborhood

Better Days by Nicholas (Pilsen Community Academy)

Too many murders, too many funerals, and too many tears just seen another brother buried, plus I knew him for years.  Pass by his family, but what can I say...Keep your head up and try to keep faith and pray for better days, so all these crazy days will end some way. 

My Community by Miriam (Josiah L Pickard School)

On my community there are bums,
On the floor close to a store
Asking for money or even drinking
Some gangster's looking for a big fight
Kids playing on the block
Cops on a drug dealer's house
Pregnant women fighting for the father of the baby!
We need help --there's garbage on the floor
It stinks!

I See by Benjamin (Josiah L Pickard School)

In my community
I could see smokers
Gang members
And even people playing poker.

In my community
I could see
Children playing outside
People shooting
Killing each other
It's sad 'cuz people cry
Specially their mother.

In my community
I should see
People helping each other
Caring for each other
So they can make someone proud
Including their mother.

Drive By My Neighborhood by Iraim (Orozco Community Academy)

Drive by my neighborhood
You'll see my people
You'll see kids with laughter
Playing in the park
Teachers coming out of school
Walking a block to the bus stop
Then you drive by the corner
You see a painting of Pancho Villa
The Twin Towers fallen to the ground
A house where there's a party
The whole family is there
You see some couples kissing
Their tongues out with passion
You see the stores where friends are buying stuff
Ther'es something burning down in the alley
Some people shooting at each other
For no reason
The hate you can see in their faces
The cops chasing a robber
You see a beautiful place
My house
I step out of my car
I say to you
Drive by my neighborhood

Pilsen by Vicky (Josiah L Pickard School)

Everything always seems the same,
Everything messed up,
But who's to blame?
Is it the bums dying on the floor?
This neighborhood seems so rotten so hateful
It makes it seem so fake and distasteful.
But why does it have to be right here?
Always insecure and full of fear.
I wanna scream to get some help,
To get my community back like it felt.
When people used to talk like sisters and brothers,
But it can't be that way anymore
I gotta survive and learn on my own.

My Neighborhood by Janette (Orozco Community Academy)

My neighborhood
makes me think
of places that have gangsters.

It makes me think
of all the people
that are in danger
because of bad people
It makes me feel mad.

But sometimes I
like my neighborhood I
have fun playing with
my friends all day
long.

You get really excited
when you play.
You have so much fun
you don't want to stop.

Funny joyful things happen
cool ideas, jokes and happiness
we spend time in my
neighborhood.

My neighborhood is my
HOME.

On occasion The Poetry Center will publish a selection of poems written by CPS students in a specific neighborhood which address the question, What is it like living in your neighborhood? Forthcoming neighborhoods include Back of the Yards, North Lawndale, Ukranian Village, Beverly & Bronzeville.

the above poems are excerpted from the 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 Hands on Stanzas Anothology of Poetry