Social Awareness Project

Prison

Head faced down along with trembling hands

Entering her imagined prison but without bars or locks

Talking becomes louder as if it was all planned

She feels like the prey of wild animals, lions, bears and hawks

The prisoners come running with invisible knives

And words that have hurt her many times

they throw them at her, it feels like bombs and grenades

she feels hurt and depressed, she’s only in eighth grade

The prisoners are cheering and laughing as if it’s a show

She cries and cries and tears begin to flow

Limping to the bathroom, she thinks, not even one guard?

Teachers are supposed to protect me, why is this so hard?

She walks home bruised inside and outside

Running from who hit her, she runs, tries to hide

Thinking it will never happen again

The next day, she goes back with the same trembling hands

The poem “Prison” is about the social issue, bullying. The rhyming poem uses a lot of similes and this poem tells a story of a bullied girl and what happens to her every day. In the first stanza, she is nervous and the prison represents the school she attends. The animals are the bullies and in the second stanza, it discusses about how the girl gets pushed around and verbally abused. In the third stanza, she breaks down, cries and wonders why there are no teachers around. Last, the girl goes home all bruised up and the whole thing repeats each day.

            Writing this poem, I found it difficult coming up with words that rhyme and lines that relate to bullying. The process was also hard because I haven’t experienced the topic of this poem. To help me, I used other poems to understand that poems don’t have to rhyme, they can be long or short, and they can have repetition. For example, the two sample poems “What I Will” and “Please Don’t Take My Air Jordans” were different in length and structure.

           “Migrant Mother”

In the picture “’Migrant Mother,” there are important parts that stand out which makes the picture unique. For example, I see a mother sitting down with her three children. She has two toddlers and a baby, and the two toddlers are resting their heads on each shoulder facing the other direction so you can’t see their faces. The baby is wrapped in a blanket and his or her face is covered in dirt. Also, in the background, there is a sheet and the wooden pole on front of them is holding it up so it seems to be as if they are in a tent. The mother has a concerned look on her face and is looking at something far away. These are the most important parts that I saw in the picture.

There are parts that are questionable and confusing. One part was when the mother was looking into the distance. I think she felt worried about something happening far away. It seemed like, what ever they saw, they were hopeless and that’s why the children looked ashamed. Second, I chose to focus on the way the children acted in the picture. They seem like tough children and they were covered in dirt. I also realized that there is not a father any where in the photo. I felt like it added more emotion and to the fact that the family is struggling.

This picture makes me feel upset and curious. Mainly on how they are treated and how they don’t seem very excited in the picture. Looking at this  picture makes me think about how people don’t have homes and are pushed around by other people. It seems like other people are controlling this family and it makes me wonder about what was really happening in this picture and what the topic was.

                              Interview on Prescila Almiron (Mother)

Being something like a doctor, soldier, scientist, cop are very important but I also think that being a mother and a parent is as special. My mother Prescila Almiron is a stay at home mom and takes care of my 18-year-old brother, 14 year old sister and I. I interviewed my mother to find out her thoughts about being a mother.

 1. What things have you learned while being a mother?

“When I was younger, I acted how every child acts and now being a mother, I learned how important is to respect and listen to your parents. I learned how valuable my role in my family.”

2.What are challenging things you deal with often when being a mother?

“It is hard to make sure that all of my children are doing right things like, homework, chores and learning how to take care of themselves. Plus, helping three children and preparing for my husband is difficult because everyone has different schedules that I need to know.”

3.Do you think that helping as mother is important and why?

“Yes, because everyone needs a mother to tell them what they’re doing right and wrong, to keep them on track.”

4. What is one thing you would change about being a mother?

“When my children were younger, I made small mistakes and accidents. So, one thing I would change is, if it was easier to be a mom. What I mean is we have to do multitasking, cleaning, cooking, and organizing, so I wish things like that would be easier.

5.What is similar and different about taking care of a baby/toddler and taking care of a teenager?

“When you’re taking care of a baby, you need to make sure they are safe, they are fed, you need to teach them how to talk, walk and guide them. When you have teenagers, you trust them to take care of themselves and expect them to do what you taught them to.