Breathing in and breathing out
It’s hard to breath when I’m in doubt
I don’t think I’ll go home will I stay here forever
I feel so alone what if they say never
I miss everyone who used to be in my life
I really want to cry but I’m pretending I’m alright
I don’t feel well I wish I could press rewind
And go back in time to the past
Undo everything that I did was wrong
I’m crying right now I guess I couldn’t stay strong
Never starting to talk back never starting to fight
Starting to gang bang although I knew it wasn’t right
Now I’m by myself with no one around
I’ve fallen to my knees begging to keep standing my ground
I’m breathing too hard and my heart is beating fast
You can hear it ticking I wonder when it will tick the last
I can’t live alone
I miss my grandmother and her pleasant tone
I only talk about her now when before I didn’t treat her well
I feel stupid for not being there for her and I don’t want her
to know the pain and sadness I dwell
She was always there and will be just like before
And for me I’m going to stop cause this can go on
forever but now my heart is scared forever torn.
In 2006, over 25 youth began participating in weekly after-school writing workshops where they congregated in the hallway of a two-story building in West Fresno and learned the essentials of creating media and telling their stories. The group evolved over the next five years and is now proudly recognized as The kNOw Youth Media.
Through our program, we create opportunities for our youth participants, who in turn create long-term positive change in their communities. Our approach weaves youth development and youth media innovation to produce our biannual youth publication, multimedia projects, and community forums.
The kNOw began as a project of New America Media, which was the country’s first and largest national collaboration and advocate of 2000 ethnic news organizations. In 2018 The kNOw became a project of Youth Leadership Institute.
