I recently completed my year of service with City Year. I can easily say that it has been one of the most challenging years of my life, and at times felt like the high school experience I never had nor ever wanted. At times, I felt like I had lost a piece of my "self," and it was an incredibly disheartening feeling. However tomorrow is a new day, filled with new promise and a new chapter of my life.
As Senior Corps Members, my peers and I participated in a mid-year retreat after returning from winter break to recenter and brace ourselves for the final half of our program. At this retreat, we were asked to write a poem based on Tennessee writer Jo Carson's book Stories I Ain't Told Nobody Yet that was tailored to our year so far...
I made a "U" throughout the country,
and added the "CLA" when I came to receive an education.
I am from Paulo Freire, bell hooks, Mignon Moore, Terri Anderson, Jennifer Brand and those who changed my horizons, my perspective, my life.
I am from dialogue cannot exist without humility, and no I won't settle for a heteronormative, patriarchal, discriminatory society.
I am from a school in Rosemead. I am from Arlington Heights.
I am from Temple Intermediate School and Arlington Elementary.
I am from a group of students I fell in love with day after day.
I am from prepositional phrases, "put the Nintendo DS away," and "no you can't play with my phone."
I am from silent protests on the cold, hard concrete and the countdown to the egg drop.
I am from hiding in the savanna from lions, stretching to connect with underwater creatures, and watching life size dinosaur puppets with terror.
I am from Project Bruin, salt art, and writing autobiographies.
I am from my Project WILD monsters both big and small. I am from exploring life with future leaders and Brandon Lee and Diem Le.
I am from late night planning sessions and dim sum weekends.
I am from that history book that made a bridge to physics and WWII.
I am from the creation of a sustainable mobile library.
I am from everywhere and nowhere.
I am from snow tunnels, parched throats, and visiting the happiest place on earth. I am from the cold and the heat and the places in between the couch where the remote would fall while watching strong female leads with my dad and rottweiler. I am from insomnia and late night adventures, escapades, and escapes among lovingly worn pages. I am from wiping the sweat off my brow and fighting my way to victory. I am from card games and pomegranate seeds on a dirty floor by the air conditioning.
I am from hunger and thirst, but I never felt starvation.
I am from a habitat of Bruins, but I come from a nest of Eagles that lost their way. I am from midnight strolls in Paris and broken hearts in Apt 411 on Kelton, a street as dark as some of my thoughts.
I am from Los Angeles Unified School District where blank walls submit requests to be reinvented. I am from Haunting Melody and Sweet Rhapsody and the shade of my teammates.
I am from late nights, early mornings, and "I've made a commitment and I'm strong enough to make it to June."
I am one of many seeking to tear down prison walls.
I am from "it's going down we're yelling timber" and #uptownproblems #I'maddictedtoStarbucks.
I am from the laughter of my grandfather and the love of my grandmother. I am from the optimism of my father and the resilience and persistence of an immigrant.
I am from the beautiful voice of Mayumi and the "Anees I can't believe how far we've come" of my best friend.
I am from the god of thunder and lightning, "it's not easy being green," a cuddly porcupine, and Beijing.
I am from everything and nothing at all. I am Anees Tyaba Hasnain, and don't forget the Syeda beforehand.
As Senior Corps Members, my peers and I participated in a mid-year retreat after returning from winter break to recenter and brace ourselves for the final half of our program. At this retreat, we were asked to write a poem based on Tennessee writer Jo Carson's book Stories I Ain't Told Nobody Yet that was tailored to our year so far...
I made a "U" throughout the country,
and added the "CLA" when I came to receive an education.
I am from Paulo Freire, bell hooks, Mignon Moore, Terri Anderson, Jennifer Brand and those who changed my horizons, my perspective, my life.
I am from dialogue cannot exist without humility, and no I won't settle for a heteronormative, patriarchal, discriminatory society.
I am from a school in Rosemead. I am from Arlington Heights.
I am from Temple Intermediate School and Arlington Elementary.
I am from a group of students I fell in love with day after day.
I am from prepositional phrases, "put the Nintendo DS away," and "no you can't play with my phone."
I am from silent protests on the cold, hard concrete and the countdown to the egg drop.
I am from hiding in the savanna from lions, stretching to connect with underwater creatures, and watching life size dinosaur puppets with terror.
I am from Project Bruin, salt art, and writing autobiographies.
I am from my Project WILD monsters both big and small. I am from exploring life with future leaders and Brandon Lee and Diem Le.
I am from late night planning sessions and dim sum weekends.
I am from that history book that made a bridge to physics and WWII.
I am from the creation of a sustainable mobile library.
I am from everywhere and nowhere.
I am from snow tunnels, parched throats, and visiting the happiest place on earth. I am from the cold and the heat and the places in between the couch where the remote would fall while watching strong female leads with my dad and rottweiler. I am from insomnia and late night adventures, escapades, and escapes among lovingly worn pages. I am from wiping the sweat off my brow and fighting my way to victory. I am from card games and pomegranate seeds on a dirty floor by the air conditioning.
I am from hunger and thirst, but I never felt starvation.
I am from a habitat of Bruins, but I come from a nest of Eagles that lost their way. I am from midnight strolls in Paris and broken hearts in Apt 411 on Kelton, a street as dark as some of my thoughts.
I am from Los Angeles Unified School District where blank walls submit requests to be reinvented. I am from Haunting Melody and Sweet Rhapsody and the shade of my teammates.
I am from late nights, early mornings, and "I've made a commitment and I'm strong enough to make it to June."
I am one of many seeking to tear down prison walls.
I am from "it's going down we're yelling timber" and #uptownproblems #I'maddictedtoStarbucks.
I am from the laughter of my grandfather and the love of my grandmother. I am from the optimism of my father and the resilience and persistence of an immigrant.
I am from the beautiful voice of Mayumi and the "Anees I can't believe how far we've come" of my best friend.
I am from the god of thunder and lightning, "it's not easy being green," a cuddly porcupine, and Beijing.
I am from everything and nothing at all. I am Anees Tyaba Hasnain, and don't forget the Syeda beforehand.
