Curating Teen Voices: Coming of Age
A portfolio project led by Mariana Parisca, Story Stitchers Artist in Residence
March 2-25, 2017
Spoken Word March 25 4 PM
7513 Forsyth Blvd., Clayton MO 63105
Curating Teen Voices: Coming of Age is a time capsule of teenage voices combined with adult artists living in St. Louis in 2015, all reacting to a critical and unique time in the history of race relations, gun violence, police roles and community relationships in the city of St. Louis, Missouri. Financial assistance for this project has been provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency. This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
I Just Want To Be Loved
By Emeara
Grade 12
c Saint Louis Story Stitchers, 2015
I just want to be loved.
But don’t nobody love me.
When I walk down the street everybody judges me.
Sometimes I just need a hug.
But don’t nobody love me.
My brothers doubt me
And my parents down me.
They probably don’t even care that I’m a hundred miles away
And feel like throwing my life down the drain.
Pain.
The only thing red and bold on my face.
That’s probably why people don’t mind sparing change.
But I’m still trying to figure out how to change.
So that Mama and Daddy will love me
And my brothers can start treating me like a princess
And stop letting their friends touch me.
But who am I kidding.
I’ll never be what they want me to be.
Now I’m just homeless.
Tired in every way you can think of.
Hungry cause one hamburger and a bottle of water three times a week ain’t gonnna cut it.
I probably should have thought about that before I ran away.
I wanna go back home.
But I don’t know where that is anymore.
I don’t even know how that word feels.
It seems like ever since I told my Mama that I was being touched her love changed.
And Daddy looked ashamed every time he looked my way.
My brothers just laughed and said, “I knew things would change.”
They think they know everything.
I bet they don’t know today’s gonna be my last day.
I’m tired.
And convinced there is no place that will accept me for who I am instead of telling me to change.
I just make it easy for everybody.
So when you see my Mama and Daddy,
Tell them they can live how they always wanted to live.
I don’t want to hurt them no more.
I just want to be loved.
