- S20 -

Menu north carolina heroes emerging amonst teens Real Words From an Inmate Selinas Poem from theInside Real words from a inmate. Not a student. Not a girl. Not a human being but just a number 34 SelinaGarcia locked doors handcuffs and shacklesisnt my ideal reason to wake upscreaming shouting cussingisnt what I wanna hear all day long Smiles open arms and joyis what I rather walk intoI rather hear I am proud of youthan 1025life and thesound of the metal doorslocking you in a cell I rather have a diplomain my handsthan arms twisted behindmy back with too tight cuffs I rather fall asleep from late nightsof studying for the finalsthan to fall asleep because Imforced to with medications and yelling I rather eat at a burger jointwith my colleagues and friends laughingthan the slop in silent with a old middleschool bully beside me in orange stripes I rather hug my brothers and sistersthan to pull out guns and pepper spraybecause Im not educated enoughto know how to talk out differences and be civilized I rather attend a friendsbasketball or football gamethan attend their funeral at 17with a bundle of flowers for a grieving mother I rather dance and eat at prom my senior yearthan in a ER in laborgiving birth to a childwhen Im not able to take care of myself with a diploma I rather seek help frommy guidance counselorthan to ask a gang to helpor feel protected behind the trigger of a gun I rather say I did it I graduatedthan to say I dropped outbecause Im a misunderstood studentor Ive fallen behindbecause I keep getting suspended for nothingor because Im too afraid to go to schoolbecause I get bullied and harassed in thefaces of administrators who just tell kids to stopbut dont take action against it I rather hearSelinaGarciaCome get your diplomathan 34come sit in the electric chairand say your final goodbyesinstead of give your speech aboutyour high school experience I rather walk on the sidewalks inthe sunthan to walk in a courtroom full a peoplein shackles feeling embarrassed and humiliatedor sitting on a unit fulla 50 somethingother young females adult women notknowing what time it is or if the sun iseven out I rather have a teampushing me to graduate and go to collegethan administrators against mepushing me out of school andbehind bars with a ransom on my head I rather let my fellow peers knowtheir voices can be heardand they can graduatethan to sit in silence andlet them lose hope in followingtheir dreams and goals I rather stand up for what I believe inthan to let somebody poison my headwith words like cant and wont I rather work hard earning money Iwont have to hidethan selling drugs because Im a expelledhigh school student with a baby I have tofeed because I cant get a job at McDonalds without a diploma I rather see my moms face smiling in a crowdthan the crying brokenhearted face atmy trial or funeral cause Im justanother statistic I rather know I have people by my side readyto make a difference within our schoolsthan to let these wicked games of Wake County continueand throwing the most loved respected and ambitious boys andgirls in prisons than letting them carry out their dreamsof being athletes hairdressers lawyers and one daygetting married and having kids and not have to worryabout our next generation falling into the wrong handsand being worse than this one we live in now.