Photo: B&GC Facebook

by B&GC Summer Youth

Editor’s Note: We’Ced Youth Media spent the summer conducting weekly writing circles with over two dozen pre-teens at Merced’s Boys and Girls Club’s Summer Camp. For over six weeks the writing circles practiced writing, built relationships and explored identity. As a capstone to the experience, during the last circle the B&GC youth shared of themselves through a poetic writing exercise entitled “I Am From” to create these writing pieces to share with their communities.

Brian

I am from football, going to church and eating tamales.

I am from a scooter and a clean yard.

I am from trash outside, a soccer field and a public pool.

I am from my mom, dad, brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts and uncles.

I am from pizza and popcorn.

Ricardo

I am from houses, a soccer field and a basketball court.

I am from my cousin Victoria, who I can trust. I am from my aunt in Washington, D.C. who I don’t see often.

I am from video games, TV and clothes.

I am from grass, sand and the park.

I am from “Bro!,” “pleeeease?” and “awww.”

I am from tamales, hamburgers and tacos.

Marcus

I am from stuffed Animaniacs in my room. I am from the adventures my friends and I had with my toys.

I am from water hoses when it was hot outside.

I am from ice cream trucks where kids eat ice cream.

I am from my grandma, she is the funniest person ever.

I am from bacon. I am from brownies.

Rayne

I am from food, I am from clothes, I am from toys and furniture.
I am from garden, I am from nature, I am from cars outside.

I am from children and adults, I’m from smiles. I’m from the highway.

I’m from my grandfather Roy Joseph Watson. I am from my mother, I am from my brother.

I am from “Rayne!” I am from “babygirl,” I am from “don’t do it again!”

I am from pie on holidays, I am from watermelon. I am from banana pudding.

Haily

I am from clothes in my closet, I am from kids running around. I am from bugs all over the floor.

I am from hockey games in the streets.

I am from grandpa JB, grandma Sylvia and grandma Julia.

I am from tamales for christmas.

Tags: boys and girls club, merced, poetry, spotlight, where I'm from