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Art Saved My Life

Poetry
A sun worth of passion sparked in me my new life. It had meaning with the loss of my mom. I gained a new self. I started drawing a year later. I wanted to escape from my grief in high school. I was taught how to paint — colors became my best friend.

ODE TO JANIS JOPLIN

Poetry
Janis honey chile/ you are ashes turned to dust/ laughin’ at us/ We are left on this planet/ with all the wars plagues famines/ starin’ us in our stupid materialistic faces/ all the crap we created/ finally comin’ home/ mirrors of our own sick souls/ love? what’s that?

Poetry and Reflections of Young Writers

Poetry
Love people for who, and what, they are/ because people grow up differently/ and have different beliefs — so don’t judge./ We are all human, and we all / bleed the same./ Sadly, the world will never be perfect, / because of displacement, of racism, of sexism, of creed, and of money.

An Eternal Home Outside of Time

Poetry
In Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen, the love of a friend melts a captive boy’s frozen heart and sets him free. The Snow Queen tells him that if he is able to put together some pieces of frozen ice to spell the word Eternity, he will be set free.

The Guest and The Judge

Fiction
The guards believed he was either guilty of something very big, or mentally compromised in some way. They transferred John to the locked psychiatric facility at Highland Hospital and put two undercover men in his hospital room who posed as fellow psych patients in legal jeopardy.

Rainbow-Colored Poems

Poetry
RAINBOW POEM The rainbow or Pride flag was designed by Gilbert Baker in 1978. The many colors represent the many kinds of people in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community. Everybody Is Welcome on Earth. The irreplaceable gift of life. Delicate, sacred, precious life.

Ode to Mitch Snyder

Poetry
I am forever grateful that Mitch Snyder gave his life for the poorest of the poor. He created a shelter that provides refuge and meals for two thousand people who otherwise would suffer on the cold streets of Washington, D.C. Near the shelter, they named a street after Mitch Snyder.

Oakland Artist’s Statement Piece on Homelessness

Arts and Culture
This artwork is a reminder of the beauty of humanity that connects all of us, whether housed or not. A real standout in Schuyler’s “Cophinus” were the words the artist chose to place on the cart’s push-handle: “THANK YOU.” Imagine these words facing a homeless person pushing the cart, every day.

On the Streets, Under the Trees

Arts and Culture
David Bacon’s photographs of homeless people in cities and rural areas were born out of his commitment to social justice. They capture the uphill struggle for survival faced by millions living in the virtually invisible landscape of poverty.

Dogtown Redemption Changes Your View of the World

Arts and Culture
Dogtown Redemption is an emotional testament to the humanity and perseverance of the recyclers and should enable all viewers to see the people behind the carts. Their personal circumstances are beyond challenging, but their tenacity and sheer strength as they navigate the streets of Oakland demand our admiration and respect.