I am exposed set upright
fluorescent flayed apart on a macabre display
there will be no mending
no upward walk
having healed this old scar
I'll say with regret yes
this one still hurts

I am me, and only be
Can't be you, cause I love bein me
I am that rose, growing on a concrete
I struggle for all I want
I chase my dreams and face my fears
I live life and set my goals

The Black
Black clouds over black sheep
Black cats get no sleep
Black skies, I creep
My black heart runs so deep
Angels cry while mommas weep
For what I sewn so shall I reap
I am not naive you cant go back
We all die along here in the black

A broken man from a broken mold
A tragic story that goes untold
He fights for life but can grab hold
No receipt for the soul he sold
He tries to heal but still cant feel
Rufuses to kneel because he knows the deal
How's it end? We still dont know
But the winds in his mind continue to blow

Needle park Is a bustling drug haven
Vagabonds and damaged junkies gather to spiral out of control
Experiencing temporary release in exchange for their soul
There is a profound love in oblivion
A numbing agent for the intense feelings we can't reconcile
A need that defies all logic
We give ourselves to willingly, despicably
Fearing only when the drugs no longer course through our veins
We wish to see a way out
Sharing with the world that we aren't worthless or hopeless
For now, we are

Faceless
Homeless
Wasting away
Amidst Addiction's burning despair of Worthlessness

Anic balancing act
Carrying two eggs
In a skin container
Albumen

Never in a million years
Was one so whimsical
Delusional

Anoushka
A little angel
But also fallen
Wanders the earth
Forgive

Cold month
Where breath climbs
At the promise of sun

Philly chick
Born and raised
Whereve I live
Philly is home

Rien de plus beau
Rien de plus subtile
que Rien de plus harmonieux
que L'interprétation

Joshua
Not forgotten
Returns for love
This magic place
Philadelphia

God gave me insight about what I am to do in this season
A posture of consistency
Realize you need the strength of god
For this new season of partnership with him
I need to hear something that did not come from my own wisdom
I need you to speak
Pray
Mission possible

You hispsters
Dont understand
Whats needed
To fix the unfixable

About this voice, it’s important
And alive
And mine
So I tell it, do not hide
What I need them all to know
About this voice is
I won't be silenced
In the morning it is soft
And the sun going down it sighs
Be a bullhorn I tell it, speak to them
Tell them

We once fear: loneliness,
powerlessness + death
We would like to see our vision, our hope
And dreams come to life
We want to share our spirit of
Oneness, love, peace, and joy
We are a village of soldiers that
Have overcome the death of the
Street, the grief of the lost loved
Ones to gun violence, addiction
& incarceration.

Kensington is a village of soldiers.
Powerful and empowering
Loss, addiction, grief, and pain.
Loss of loved ones to gun violence
pain and suffering
We love each other through loss
back to the healing
We feel the emptiness with the spirit of art, prayers, and the comfort of gods love
We need the power
of connectivity, creativity, and love
We give from the soul that was once so empty
But now through grief, we have found ourselves
In the spirit of love and the healing power of the village of soldiers

We need engaged people w/ passion and love for the community Leaders who fight for a clean and safe environment for the kids and the senior people. We fear the drug’s leaders, the opioids, the homelessness We would like to see the difference. People, police, community engaged to help. We want more people working for the community. We are important in the community We can, we will, we are Going to conquer this together We are going to have a safe, clean, and great Kensington community.

Kensington is an area with
a variety of cultures & persons
People used to say that Kensington is a place for prostitutes & homeless people
Because it's an area with
a high volume of opioids
They used to call it the "zombie land”.
I'm a volunteer in this area for 12 years. I’ve lived here for 21 years.
It has experienced a lot of changes.
Baby step changes.
We love to help the people, give them resources, food, love. Pray for them.
We feel that little by little we can make a difference in this area.

About this voice,
It’s a gift, a curse, and a strength
So I tell it honestly
About this voice, it's passionate
In the morning it sings happy sounds
In the sun going down it continues to speak
Be a bullhorn I tell it, speak to the young folks
Tell them to make positive choices
Be a fist, ball yourself up
and tell them how it can be
Be a song, a happy upbeat tune
A whispering
Tell them honesty comes naturally
About this voice, you’ve got to tell all,
Say it from your truest self

Kensington is packed, crowded, rich, magic
They experience sadness,
triumph, sorrow and joy
They love each other and
Sing to the sky, remember us
They feel deeply and proudly
And proclaim their face, their bones, their light
They give endlessly & relentlessly
and want the world to know
They are here, they create, they speak,
they stand up proud and strong
In the face of sorrow, in the face of pain
They proclaim
WE ARE HERE

The voice expounds upon the gathering
Of blossoming thoughts
And quivers at the utterance of things feared
Thoughts shared
And memories yet to exist
Vessel so trite far from polite
I say everything I feel is true
At my best a somber blue
On this day my voice to you
Signed and sealed the truth

Won't you celebrate with me the day of life
Won't you celebrate with me because
I am 14 years old now
Won't you celebrate with me I got a new cat
That I can use my voice to make poetry
This beautiful day
Won't you celebrate with me
the community is getting brighter
Won't you celebrate with me,
next week is my birthday
That 8th-grade graduation is next month!
The strength of children
Won't you celebrate with me
for we have survived
what has come in our way

oh west Kensington, I see your corner stores, parks, & people. I feel you every day through outdoor smells. I hear your people, cars, music, also your birds chirping. This city is chaotic most times but it is very nice & calming if you explore. I taste the happiness, sadness when something is going on, you are my place, my home. I am your biggest cheerleader hear me hyping up with the crowd, pom-poms high-chanting, WEST KENSINGTON! WEST KENSINGTON! i want you I WANT YOU!!

I am from melin and emmy from united states and mexico from hola me llamo emelin from my room from pretty and shiny from people making fun of eachother

Beautiful city I see your lights flash day and night i feel you whispering in the wind without a sight i touch your trees knowing i can hear the birds chirping above I know flowers are blooming because i smell a wonderful scent of blossoms and smell the scent of food coming from corner stores where i taste my favorite delights you are my place,my home i am your biggest cheerleader hear me hyping up the crowd

About this voice, it’s a strong, beautiful, and a wise thing that wants to be heard. So I tell it, allowing every last word to approach its finish line. What I need them to know about this voice is that it does not take no for an answer. In the morning it awakens to the obstacles coming its way. In the sun going down it has no more rules to pay. Tell them overcome this horrid fear Be a fist, ball yourself up and tell them i am as strong as i can ever be, Be a song, an ongoing rhythm

In our story of us we are all doing our Best,
as always

Won't you celebrate with me that we
Aren't in the purgatory of a zoom room

It blushes green in cracked sidewalks
and music, so much overlapping
while so many try to extinguish the flame.
We need open doors and porch conversations
Community gardens and the drone of the
trolley on Baltimore
Hasn't it been through enough?
West holds its breath, dampens its flame
With a fear that air and safety will be taken,
Pushed out, made unlivable.
It always will come back
if we nurture ourselves. Many faces and hands
Together, not faceless bank accounts of those who wish destruction

The police bombed
the africa family's house in may of 85
Before kids could throw their papers
n the air like in the
Movies to celebrate an end,
a beginning of icecream
Cones and sprinkles and block parties.
Water, not fire.
No one deserves the nothingness of ash
West philly is not ash but flame.
It remembers and I like to think it creates
love, mutual aid,
fiery chess games at the park
Synagogues, mosques and churches all on the same block. My god so much art...

Kensington is active & scrappy
Saturated w/ music and want
We experience pride and people, life & loss
We love family - both given & chosen
Community - both old & new
Our Philadelphia Eagles, Sixers, Flyers & Phils
We feel elation, hunger & exhaustion
We need investment, patience, love
We fear the system, the man,
the political machine
We would like to see community partnerships
Common sense policies
We want to share our tables, spaces & stories
We are the dandelion busting
Through the cracked concrete

Is in need of senior housing
Is a vintage area with beautiful homes
Is talented
Is in need of affordable housing
Is in the middle of everything
… Chestnut Hill
… East Falls
… Center city
… Roxborough
… Frankford
Is near your home
We are all part of a
Ginormous community

This voice within came from
listening to two
vibrant opinionated, strong,
creative, virtuous women -
Lou Ella & Sarah
Lou Ella was a voice of sterness,
non-existing filter,
a horticulturalist who grew
sun flowers and Lilies
Sarah was a selfmade politician
who never ran for office
but loved a good debate
My voice came from
the conversations about life
That penetrated my emotional vortex...

We heal ourselves now
We embrace a high vibe state
And we transmit love

My hands healing well
My energy swift to calm
Tranquility reigns

My recovery
It has been hard, but worth it
I would like to feel peace + serenity

I love everyone
I see my friends
I have everything I want
I hear music alot
I feel okay
I want money
I need my friends
I see everyone

Outside my window
I see the future
I hear the laughter
I smell everything blossoming around me
I taste and feel the sun, the wind,
and everything that makes you feel alive
Outside my window freedom waits for me..

The struggle in life
Is a journey through our lives
Walk at your own pace

About this voice its loud and a sharp
And sword of a word
So i tell it to the world
What i need them all to know
About this voice is a waking
In the morning its sun
And in the sun going down it sleep
Be a bullhorn i tell it, speak to all
Be a fist ball yourself up and tell them poems
Be a song of hummingbird
A whisper
Tell them it belongs to all
About this voice, you've got to tell them all,
Say all you can

Love is when you die
Love is when you laugh
Love is when you control
Love is when you die
Love is when you are sick

Healing is what you bring to me,
to us, to the world
In an amazing way that can't be explained.
Releasing your love to us
Open arms to the sky.
Making me whole so I can share
with the world your amazing love.
I am ready now to love you
To share. Come to us. Heal us
so we can give you our all
Forever your love remains. Thank you

Healing
Free Me
Pick me up
Being free is key
Healed

About this voice, it's a light and
A reflection of who i am when I belong
So i tell it so you can hear
What I need them to know about this voice is
it can change and It has changed!
In the morning it expresses gratitude
And in the sun going down
it rests with a thank you!
Be a bullhorn I tell it, speak to the deaf.
Tell them hear my voice.
That I can be free. Be a song and an example
Tell them it’s possible with him
About this voice you've got to tell them all
Say be free and you are loved

I am woody and Benner
I am from Kensington Trenton cumberland
I am from stay focused
I am from my bedroom reading
I am from a smile that lights up a room
I am from genos cheesesteaks
I am from hallahan high
I am from kensington ave
I am from caring for others
I am from helping others
I am from freedom
I am from missing my mother
I am from Loyalty

About this voice its quiet
And a whisper, and a humm
So i tell it, sing
What i need them all to know
About this voice it that
It’s powerful
In the morning it cries to god
And in the sun going down it thanks god
Be a bullhorn i tell it, speak to my dreams
Tell them I am happy
Be a fist ball yourself up and tell them
I am going to sleep
Be a song, a pillow, a whispering
Tell them good night

My life
I am blessed
To happy to be
Stressed

Planted seed
Taken care
Growing richard jason angie
Love!