Youth, Education, and Marginality: Local and Global Expressions

Opening Words: Youth Poetry and Prose

10 opening words A Changing World Selina Jacqueline Peters My world is changing day by day, Ever changing like moulding clay. Days are becoming so long, I barely even take hits from anyone’s bong. Not sure how I got here now, But I’m here, And living somehow. I still walk around with a smile on my face, Even though I’m sketchy at times in this place. I found someone I rather like, Together we smoke, hike, and bike. We always go on a run around town, It’s rare we get to cuddle and settle down. Life is not close to anything before, We often sleep on our buddy’s floor. Nowadays there’s not a lot of money to spend, So instead, we go get high with our good friends. My life goes up, down, all around, So this I ask, Please return my brain if found. I find my mind growing wild, My actions more free like a child. Heads turn whenever we walk by, But we’re too busy looking around and into the sky. My friends just look at me and know, Others assume it’s just our flow. The way we walk, The way we talk, The way our lips and jaws either ramble or lock. So the circle came and the seasons passed, And I’m here again, just like the past, But also a new way, So Fuck it, Get Fucked, And Let’s Play. Because I Am a Survivor Sabnam Mahmuda I am a victim, A victim of our society’s expectations. 11 Youth Poetry and Prose I am a victim, A victim of circumstances. I am haunted, Haunted by the ghosts of a future unknown. I am haunted, Haunted by the terrifying nightmares of growing up too soon. I am trapped, Trapped within the walls of fear of making the wrong choices. I am trapped, Trapped in the vicious cycle of need to belong and to be someone. Whenever I close my eyes, I face the pictures of helpless faces of children in poverty, I read the silent plea for help in their shadowed eyes. I face the pictures of soldiers losing their lives fighting for power, I see their faces colored with courage and blood. I face the pictures of others like me wielding weapons of self destruction to escape their troubles, I hear their voices rising in anger, in pain and in regret. I face the pictures of smoke from factories clouding up the sky until, It’s all dark. In the dark I wonder what I am meant to be, what I am meant to do, where in this maze I belong. And in the dark, I can’t feel anything, Other than the sharp claws of fear of facing the consequences of my actions. I can’t hear anything, Except for the sound of my own ragged breathing and a desperate cry for help. I can’t see anything, Other than the dark hatred which fills my mind and surrounds my heart. In the darkness I hide, I hide deep in the hole I dug, To shelter myself from the beating of my own emotions. But amidst the chaos raging in the dark part of my mind, I know there are others like me, Who are victims of society’s expectations; of circumstances. Who are haunted by the ghost of a future unknown; haunted by the terrifying nightmares of growing up. 12 opening words And I know somewhere deep inside me I know that I will survive. That I am not alone in this world fighting to hold onto the innocence of childhood a little longer. I take courage from others, who have survived, To accept my losses, to fight my own demons, to stand for my beliefs I believe in them and I believe in me And I know I will survive Because I am a survivor. Examining Our Environments Farrah Chanda Aslam The ways in which I understand myself are inextricably linked to the social environments I live in, including my community1 and dominant society.2 In this paper, I critically examine these environments and the ways in which social relations, identities and inequalities are produced and how they impact my life. More specifically, I analyze my personal experience of choosing to wear the hijab3 and the role it plays in shaping my lived experiences. When examining the environmental issues...