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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (June 10, 2020)
Page 14 June 10, 2020 2020 Senior Year Don’t Shoot! I can’t Breathe Don’t shoot! I can’t breathe Blood covered tattoos and ripped sleeves, laid on the streets Money and Power motivates greed, washing off stained sheets Living in social misproportion ignites sacrificial unabiding mental distortion, tired of being the bigger man I’m out to get the ham Livin life like if the 50’s was still the norms Tired of going through the worse of storms Shit is mad outrageous to live like ape ages Where you gotta protect yourself from 12 gauges That’s one shot too many, our last breath is coming real heavy Battle wound scars that still scream loud, willing to die for rights it’s why we remain so proud Ignorance is envy but it’s not the first time we kill our enemy Too divided will cause more drug and violence, It’s proven shown those who lack of parental guidance, no option to choose but life of no morals when you live for survivance Mino in a pool of piranhas, where you don’t know who all is really ya patnas Even if ya keep your bond metamorphic, there’s no telling who will really be behind your rigormortis Rest In Equality Ms.Chisholm We Are Unbought and Unbossed. --Octavio Gonzalez-Rolon Dear Covid-19 We should call you Covid-20 but we’re going to leave that alone. Covid, why did you come to bother us You ruined most of my plans to become an adult Because of you I haven’t seen my friends for 2 months Because of you I’ve been bored and I had to find something to do. I can’t take the news anymore Covid, you’ve really stirred up some mess Covid I will never forget you but you probably feel the same way, you’ll be back Covid! I can’t believe you had me thinking it was the end of the world. Damn, who would’ve thought that this would happen so soon? Coronavirus, Coronavirus, Coronavirus. Thank you Covid for teaching me how to: cook, have patience, become more humble, learn about myself, and distancing me away from the negativity that surrounded me on a daily basis. --Sonia Johnson It started out great, I met new people, Made new friends, But December came and Coronavirus hit the world, Schools are getting canceled, People aren’t able to leave their house, For their safety of course, Than March came and it hit Oregon, School gets canceled, Senior year is ruined, A year we’ve been waiting for 13 years, It’s not just any other year, It’s a huge milestone in all of our lives, “Waiting to see what happens in the following months, before graduation gets canceled” Says the district, Well there’s one piece of good news, Most of it’s bad nowadays, Parents say, “I feel bad” Or “I don’t know how to help” Jeff Seniors pose for a group photo. 4 Years in One Poem Born sinner, the opposite of a winner All the lame **g**’s showed me what not to do Not easy to ditch fear, believe it The fact that I may never make it Born sinner I dont trust people enough beyond they surface Let these words be your earth and moon You consume every message Born sinner You can’t imitate me How clutch are the people that say they ‘love’ you? And who pretending It’s all over now Ain’t nothin finna break my stride Nobody gonna slow me down Thoughts on a Senior Year Guess what happened? This is the last homework i’ll ever do! Where is my mom? What are friends for? What am I supposed to do? Huh? Where am I supposed to be? What are they talking about? Where’s the heater? I promise I won’t go to sleep! Can you help me with this? Yummy Yummy Food! All I did was laugh! I got a PROBLEM! Nice view of the football field! Born sinner If you don’t like me you gone hate me The secret is i’m actually broken If I have to go I hope my soul is still eternal And my momma don’t forget about me I pray my bestie wont forget about me Saw things I imagined Born sinner Learning on the low key, shining Tryin’ to keep to myself You can mind yo business How could I be mad that I aint yall Every trial and test is a lesson Knowledge is the most powerful weapon But how’d I win if it was on 2% knowledge People always told me I was bad I was misunderstood I was born sinner but THIS IS IT (WHAT?!) Born sinner, DIDN’T QUIT (WHAT!) --Rene Douglas Did I leave my blanket in here/ can I? Surprise!!! I’ll be back in a min! Pajama day is everyday! Where are my chips? I was right! This senior year sucked! I’m a stronger person now! I’m wiser now! THANK YOU PEOPLE!! Thank you for pushing me to be the best I can be Where do I go from here? I don’t want to move on I don’t like change The things I do for people I am proud of who I have become through my high school experience! --Clarissa Jennings-Ramsey There is no way to help, We just had this huge thing ripped out of our arms, We were almost there, We may never walk the halls again, Sit at lunch eating with friends, Talking to teachers and laugh about classes, All of it, It’s just gone, Class of 2020, ‘The lost opportunities’ --Jayden McKinney Black and Female Try being black and a woman Constantly I’m working my butt off to prove that I’m as smart and strong as a man can be By also having to deal with the fact that I sometimes can’t get a job because of my f****** name, Or being racially profiled, also while being followed around in stores, and when a cop pulls me over I’m praying that I don’t end up on national television I can’t just pick one or the other I have to struggle with both. As black people we can’t jog in a neighborhood without being lynched We can’t walk outside wearing a hoodie We can’t walk with a bag of skittles in our hand That’s why we scream Black Lives Matter, Because all lives will matter once ours does. --Samaya Morgan