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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 20, 2012)
Street roots Jan. 20, 2012 Write a page, I said. Let it come out of you. Then it will be true. Broken By Jason Wolf By Debra Knauf My world comes to a halt, I watch the rest of the world go by It feels like a movie and I let out a deep sigh I feel the insignificance of my existence wash over me I know that I’m a minnow just trying to survive the sea The weight on my shoulders is just too much to bear So much so that I lose the ability to even remotely care I know that I’ve hit a downward spiral It’s not long before it becomes intensely viral All I can do is wait for the storm to come to an end So that when it’s over I can start to pick up the pieces and start to mend What do they think when they hear that, this kaleidoscope of young faces before me? They look at me — middle-aged white women — And wonder if I’ll understand their truths. Their truths are hard - inner city, gangs, drugs, poverty, shootings and killings on street corners, escape the champagne wish, the diamond dream of their families. I’ve seen their stories on the news but I haven’t lived them. I m no stranger to poverty, but I’m white, white bread, white wine - new grapes of wrath vintage. Poor and white is not poor and black, Poor and Asian, poor and Mexican. They’re right: I won’t know their truths. They don’t know mine either. I could tell them that escape is possible — But they won’t want to hear the rest of that truth You can get out but you can’t leave behind who you are Poverty is a bomb in the brain you’ll never diffuse Diamond studs wink at me from their ears; Their faces remain carefully blank And our lives tick away. I tell them we can meet on the page But I don’t know if I believe it myself. shosoxsa@gmail.com Choices By Valerie There is no right or wrong But everything has a choice As the scars start to fade away The heart within still frozen Notice a patch of darkness Getting bigger, soon no more Nothing left besides the last beat Hear it echo through the silence Of the emptiness within Thy soul soon to break Screaming out for help Check out Street Roots Vendor Sam Al-Jondi's new book, "Code of Conduct." Al-Jondi writes about his experiences and offers a fresh aerspective about the world we ive in. February 4,2012 / / / a benefit for SISTERS O F THE ROAD featuring: T rac y G ram m er Kate Pow er and Steve Einhorn Donna Lynn and Terry Davis Brooks Robertson Tom M a y Trio Lauren Sh eehan Peter Yeates, M ik e Beglen an d B ob Soper the Theater 3 0 1 7 S E M ilw aukie Ave. Portland, Oregon February 4 , 2 0 1 2 Doors at 6 :0 0 , Concert at 7 :0 0 Tickets: $ 2 8 in advance, $ 3 0 d a y o f show G eneral Seating The books can be purchased at the Multnomah County Central Library on SW 10th Ave., on Kindle, Amazon, and for $10 through Street Roots at 211 NW Davis St., Portland, OR 97209. Tickets available through Ticketmaster or the Aladdin Box O ffice (5 0 3 -2 3 4 -9 6 9 4 ) gittiar Win a W oodland Pro Folk Sunburst guitar. See our website for more details! http://sistersoftheroad.org/ SISTERS OF THE ROAD good, local, food. ALBERTA COOPERATIVE GROCERY 1500 NE Alberta St. Portland, OR 97211 503.287.4333 www.albertagrocery.coop open to everyone 9-10 daily X K JL FOOD CO-OP sy ■ good food, free classe: r e a l c o m m u n ity 3029 SE 21st Aye , J open 8a-10p c i a r f B EBT accepted" 1
