(Journal writing with Duane)

Can you see me

motivating myself, doing your job?

Can you hear me,

do you really know what I am saying?

I am sick of you not knowing and believing the truth.

Why did this happen to me?

~Alissa Garcia

------------------------------------------------------------------

Lets walk away from our problems together.

Lets talk about what a plausable solution is.

Lets lie when the time is “right.”

Lets dream of the great things that can happen.

~Alissa Garcia

------------------------------------------------------------------

My anger attacks to hide my fears.

My tears are real,

why won't anyone believe?

My fears are frustrating abstacles awaiting me.

My life is powerful and unknown.

~Alissa Garcia

The Ups And Downs Of L's Life - LL

The saddest time of my life is when my Aunt Gloria passed away. She was my favorite aunt and she was not that old when she passed away.

The happiest time of my life is when I knew I wasn't going to get committed. I was emergency released from Platte. I was so happy and smiling so much that my jaw was sore the next day after I got out.

                   MY ANGER IS LIKE SOMETHING I CANNOT CONTROL

                   MY TEARS ARE FILLED WITH AGONY AND SORROW

                   MY FEARS ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A ROOM SURROUNDED

                   BY A LITTLE BOY  FORCED TO GROW UP TOO FAST

                   MY LIFE IS SLOWLY BEING RIPPED AWAY FROM ME AND

                   I SOON BEGIN to feel  DEAD INSIDE.    - JAMES T. 

An Unoriginal Christmas Story

By A.

Looking underneath the Christmas tree, I began to realize there was a present that I was unfamiliar with. Being the sneaky, curious, troublesome seven year old that I was, I tiptoed backwards through the kitchen and turned on the balls of my feet and walked across the carpet to the tree. I knelt down to pick up the present and shake it but there was no sound and it almost felt weightless. I wanted to know more about this present, this gift. I began to examine the perimeter of the shiny green paper with a light golden bow. On the gift it said it was for me but it didn't say who it was from. I decided to take a peek, just a little tiny, 3 second peek. My parents were upstairs drifting away to dreamland, I told myself. I pulled on the tape lightely from the corner and began to unwrap it. It was just a plain, brown box. I thought to look inside the box and what I would come to find out was that there was just another boring, worn down box but smaller than the first. But inside that box was more than I had imagined. It was a thin chained, silver cross necklace. When my hands got closer to the it, I felt a strange presence and I began to shiver. It sent chills across the surface of my body. I didn't know what to say or do. I quickly closed the second box and then the first and taped it back together. It was hard for me to fall asleep that night but soon enough I did. When I awoke the next morning, I was filled with excitement. I finally got to examine the necklace closely and what I came to realize was it had my great grandma's initials on it. DT. It brought back many memories and put an enormous smile on my face as I looked up towards the sky and said thank you. I knew then that she would always be with me since that Christmas Day.

CAN YOU SEE ME BEHIND THE LONLIESS OF WALLS?

CAN YOU HEAR ME CRY FOR A SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE?

I AM LIKE A CAGED ANIMAL DYING SLOWLY INSIDE

-JAMES T.