Audio By Carbonatix
Before seventeen-year-old Jessica Hernandez became a household name after she was shot to death by Denver officers while in a stolen car, she was part of Art From Ashes, a local program — and MasterMind Award winner — that works with at-risk youth through creative-empowerment workshops.
Here are two of the poems Hernandez wrote while with that group:
See also: Best Therapeutic Poetry Organization — Art From Ashes
3 Minute Poem
My mother taught me yellow and red
She taught me
The right words
My manners
How to be generous
And how to be happy
How to smile at the worst times
She taught me all I know now
And she also taught me to be patient
And not to hurt others
If they’re not hurting me
But there’s one thing she taught me the most
Is how to look joyful
And to respect things that are not mine
The dance my father taught me was some type of dance!
He taught me how to stomp my feet with combos
And how to keep his tradition going
He taught me all the kicks he did
I learned them
And now I could probably knock someone out
With a kick
Because he got me to working on my legs…
— Jessica Hernandez, 2014
I Seem to Be, But Really I Am, and I Choose to Be
I am kind and respectful
Others see me as a disrespectful teenager
That just likes to get in trouble
But really I am a kid that wants a good education
My parents see me as an irresponsible child
But really I am taking care of other things
I don’t want trouble
They see me as a mean kid with a lot of hate
But really I like to be nice and loving
I seem to be a fighter
Someone who doesn’t like connections
It seems I don’t want peace
But really I am outgoing
I like to play sports
I wanna get my education
I like to smell good and look nice
I can soon buy myself a bike
And my own car once I get a good job
But really I do want peace
Where there is no violence
I really don’t want to fight
I really would love to have connections with everybody
Without any trouble
I love having people around to get to know them
I choose to be kind to others I don’t know
I choose to be loud at points
I choose to be happy, smiling all the time
I choose to be a good student
Even if that doesn’t get me any friends
I choose to be anything, if it’s a good thing
That I know won’t get me in trouble sometimes
I choose to be the big sister for all my younger siblings
I choose to be a good role model from now on
Even if temptations are in the way
I choose to live a good teenage life
— Jessica Hernandez, 2013