JUVENILE DELINQUENT

Am I a juvenile delinquent? Im a teenager; Im young, young at heart in mind. In this

position, Im carefree; I enjoy doing nothing but to drink the wine of pleasure. I seldom
go to school, nobody cares! But instead you can see me roaming around. Standing at the
nearby street or else standing beside a jukebox stand playing the nerve tickling
boogaloo. Those are the reasons, why people, you branded me delinquent, a juvenile
delinquent.
My parents ignored me, my teachers sneered at me and my friends, they neglected me.
One night I asked my mother to teach me how to appreciate the values in life. Would you
care what she told me? Stop bothering me! Cant you see? I had to dress up for my
mahjong session, some other time my child. I turned to my father to console me, but,
what a wonderful thing he told me. Child, heres 500 bucks, get it and enjoy yourself, go
and ask your teachers that question.
And in school, I heard nothing but the echoes of the voices of my teachers torturing me
with these words. Why waste your time in studying, you cant even divide 100 by 5! Go
home and plant sweet potatoes.
I may have the looks of Audrey Hepburn, the calmly voice of Nathalie Cole. But thats not
what you can see in me.
Heres a young girl/boy who needs counsel to enlighten her/his way and guidance to
strengthen her/his life into contentment.
Honorable judge, friends and teachersis this the girl/boy whom you commented a
juvenile delinquent?.

"MY REVENGE"
"Never have I thought of reaching this place. All my dreams
turned to reality. I have everything that I wanted. It's great to have
everthing you've worked for."
That's what they all say. All of them are hypocrites, trying to
escape the judgment of the public's eyes. But, they can't fool me. I
know how they got their positions. If only I could expose what I know.
But now is not the right time. I still have to prove something.
I used to be in that position, the greatest prize in the world.
But now, here in the dump, not even remembered, already misunderstood.
I'm just a victim of this judgmental world, never did any harm, just
misunderstood.
If you want to invest, i would be glad to see you. If you don't
have anything good to say, dont dare cross my way. That's just how
it goes. The circulation continues.
When you are rich, everybody wants to get a piece of you. All
of them wants to pull you down. being hot in the public's eyes is critical.
You can't afford to make mistakes, or else, you'll find yourself swimming
in the mud. That's what happened to me. i wasn't careful. One dash of
stain blew everything. It was hard to face the truth. I am down, troubled,
nothing.
What should I say? I should have everything back.
"Mr.Thompson, Do you remember me?"
"How could i forget the company's thief?"
"I'm just a victim of your greed. You made me do it."
"You wanted it, right? Only that you made a wrong move."
"I dont deserve this! You have to pay!"
"You can do nothing now! It's too late!"
It was all black as i remembered. The next thing that i saw was
a man covered in his own blood. Did I succeed? I think so! but no one should
find out. I am closer to what I truly deserve.
Time is up. It's my turn.

FAKE

I got this smile, I skip and I play like a kid.

I'm happy. People think i'm optimistic, talented and smart. I am religious. I have many
friends.
Do I look like that? Do I? I hope you're convinced by this synthetic, this fake smile of
mine. Most people envy how perfect my life is. How I don't have problems and how I
seemed to be fine with everything.
But am I?
I always smile and agree to everything request. To be fine with everything my so called
friends wanted. Do they know that all they're seeing is fake?
A mask of fake happiness and glee. That the only reason is, I cannot say no. have they
thought of my feelings? are they even my friends?
That every time I see them, I have this smile that no one ever dared to disbelieve.
This sense of optimism everyone envies? It's all superficial. In fact, all I think of is
sadness, despair, hate, and often I just can't go on anymore. Does anyone know that?
Once I told my mom to cut the afternoon church club meetings, Guess what she bladed?
No God will be disappointed to you, she said.
I wanted to reply "Well if you put it that way" or "Sure make me feel guilty. Do I have a
choice?" but all I can do is agree and pretend I didn't ask anything.
The Saddest part is with all the masks, my disguises, my covers. . .all the lies. .
.Everyone seems to believe. No one knows how gloom, how depressed. . .unhappy I am.
No one, none of you people.
None of you dare to doubt
I don't know. . .I if I still know who I am beneath.
Is it even there? I don't know.

O Captain my Captain... (author: Walt Whitman)

O Captain my Captain! our fearful trip is done,

The ship has weathered every rack, the prize we sought is won,
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring;
But O heart! heart! heart!
O the bleeding drops of red,
Where on the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.
O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells;
Rise up--for you the flag is flung for you the bugle trills,
For you bouquets and ribboned wreaths for you the shores a-crowding,
For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;
Here Captain! dear father!
This arm beneath your head!
It is some dream that on the deck,
You've fallen cold and dead.
My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still;
My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will;
The ship is anchored safe and sound, its voyage closed and done;
From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won;
Exult O shores, and ring O bells!
But I, with mournful tread,
Walk the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.

Twas Mama Screaming

by Juz Ongtangco

Can you hear her screaming? Can you hear her? 'Twas mama, she's scared. Father? He
doesn't even deserve to be called father! Where was he? Where was he when it
happened?! He was supposed to protect us! He was supposed to save mama! He wasn't
there, that is why I had to do it. My mama told me to stay where I was. But her scream, I
just couldn't stay there, I needed to help her. I tried to help her, swear to God how I
wanted to help my poor mama. I saw it in her eyes, fear, when she woke me one
September night.
"Wake up Lei, wake up. You have to stay here okay? There are men in the house,
dangerous men. You must hide and keep quiet"
"Who are they mama?" Mama didn't answer. So I never knew who, and I never knew
why. She kissed me on the forehead and went out of my room. I hid in the closet. I
waited, waited, and waited.
Did you hear that? 'Twas mama screaming! I stood up. I had to help mama. I just, I got to
do something. I opened my closet door and walked out.
"Mama? Mama?" I kept on walking, keeping quiet, and then someone grabbed me.
"Let me go! Let me go!" I moved with so much force that he lost his hold on me and I fell
to the floor. I saw the man walking towards me, he was holding a bat. "Please don't.
Please don't hurt me!" He swung his bat and it hit me hard.
I opened my eyes... darkness. I couldn't see anything. I don't know where I was.
"Mama? Mama I'm so scared" Footsteps... I needed to get out. But I was tied. Suddenly I
saw a faint light. It was shiny, sharp, just inches away from me, a knife. I reached for it
and freed myself. I positioned myself as they had left me earlier and waited for the bad
guy. The footsteps got closer, and then stopped. I looked up at the beast in front of me,
and with great force, I stabbed him.
"Aah!" Don't look at me like that! 'Twas for my mama! I searched the place for my mama
but she was not there. I thought maybe they left her at the house. So I tried to find my
way home. I ran. I ran as fast as I could. I saw familiar houses. I was close. I was so close
to saving mama. And then I got there. I tightened my grip on the knife I brought with me
and started searching for mama. "Mama?! Mama where are you?! I escaped mama! I'm
okay now! Mama?!" I searched everywhere in the house but no mama. I went out to our
backyard but she still wasn't there. So I stopped, under a tree. Thinking where my mama
could be. Then something dripped on my face. I wiped it away with my hands then
looked at it. It was blood. I looked up to see where it came from. 'Twas my mama I saw.
'Twas my mama hanging up there, dead. "No, no, no! Mama no! You can't... mama! Ah
no!" Then I remembered something. Something shiny, something sharp, something that
will take me to mama, a knife.
"I am sorry I was late mama"
I let the knife slide into me. The last thing I heard was the ringing sound of the
ambulance. Then everything went dark. And from this darkness, a faint light, and then a
figure appeared... 'Twas mama.

MOTHER
In the beginning, my children loved me. They truly did.
They would laugh and play, calling me joyously to join them in their fun

never forgetting me, never forgetting I'm the only one.

We were all so happy, so free.
They asked for only what I could give them when they were young, and I
asked for little in return.
Perhaps, too little.
Then, as they grew older, they changed. They no longer seemed happy with
their lives and began searching for more, wanting something else that I
couldn't offer them. Nothing seemed good enough anymore. No longer did
they cry out to me as they used to, wanting me to play their simple, gentle
games.
It was almost as if I were being ignored.
Did I neglect them? Did I do something to make them turn away?
One dark night, when I had looked away in distress, they lost their
innocence. A new path was found and they left the old ways behind. No
more could I hold them and whisper lovingly into their ears. Those days
were lost, never to be found again. I became a burden to them. I tried to
change, I tried to give them what they wanted, but I guess I didn't
understand. They no longer wanted what I had to offer them. They wanted
more. So, they came back and took from within me, scarring me deeply,
never letting my wounds heal.
But, with youthful blindness, they never saw my pain. They just kept taking
and taking.
I'm so weak, now...
I have little more to give. But, still they hurt me.
I cry out in great sorrow, but I'm not heard!
I plead with my children...Please, stop all this pain!
Don't you love your mother anymore? Do you want to see her die?!
I gave you, my children, a tree, you chopped it down.
I gave you a river, but you defiled it. I gave you the sky, but you blackened
it with smoke from your never ceasing fires. Will nothing make you love me,
again? I have given you the world, but you continue to destroy it.
Have you forgotten your Mother Earth?