Youth Voice Amplified: Live from the Dream Center Open Mic

In this special live-recorded episode of Youth Voice Amplified, we bring you an inspiring Open Mic night at the Dream Center 🎤 , where youth who've faced adversity share their stories through powerful spoken word, poetry, and music. 💪 🗣️🎶  Alongside their adult supporters, these young voices open up about their experiences, creativity, and resilience in a safe and empowering space. Tune in to hear the raw, heartfelt performances that highlight the importance of open mic events for homeless and foster youth, creating a platform for them to be heard, seen, and connected to their community.

Find helpful resources mentioned in this podcast episode.

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Credits:

Producers: Brian Johnson, Gennessa Fisher, Kim Silva and Allyson Baptiste
Production Partners: Kern Education Television Network, the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office and Liam Silva
Theme Song: “Beatitude” by Mountaineer 

Transcript

The views, thoughts and opinions expressed on youth voice amplified are those of the host and the guests and do not necessarily represent the official policy or position of the current county Superintendent, School office. Any content provided by our guests or of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, school organization, company, individual. Or anyone or anything.

Youth voice Amplify covers a wide range of topics that could be upsetting to some listeners, content warning for each episode, and links to resources can be found in this episode show note. For the purposes of maintaining confidentiality, names and some identifiable characteristics of our storytellers have been changed, but their voices and their stories are real.

When young people share their stories, they can change the world. But some youth voices still go unheard. Join me, Gennessa Fisher.

And me, Brian Johnson, for this youth LED monthly interview series as Young people tell their untold stories of experiences with homelessness, foster care disabilities, teen parents. And more.

Each conversation will uncover stories of hope strength from our youth storytellers who want to share the best ways that we can all support youth in similar situations as theirs. If you want to know how to do better for youth or simply just be inspired, this is your show. The youth has a story to tell.

Are you ready to listen?

2/1.

Hey everyone and welcome back to your voice amplified. I'm your host Gennessa and Happy Hallows Eve and I'm Brian, today we have the very special episode for you guys. The Dream Center has hosted an open mic night and has given us the amazing honor and privilege of recording some of the youth and their poetry, and we've recorded it and put it on an. Episode.

For you guys, yes, and I'm excited. To see what we see here tonight. A lot of students, and you're gonna be sharing their experiences. It's gonna be a. Great.

Night The Dream Center didn't used to do this, but the youth really pushed for it. And so the Dream Center opened it up as it opened mic night and it has become an event. At least once a month, we hope you enjoyed this episode.

Alright, so now let me introduce who is your MC? Like, who is this girl? Who is this lady sitting up here? Probably a new face. My name is Miss Kiki and I am a spoken word artist here in Bakersfield. I found my voice and spoken word. Poetry. When I went through some hardships in high school and after and during my journey while I was in college. It's an amazing moment where I found again, like they said, a safe space where I can share everything that was about me to others a platform. So I love that this is an art of an expression to help motivate to help inspire, to help educate right, to help, really like call to action and get things going. Fired up from what's inside of you. Correct. And So what I did was, as I grew up and started to kind of like, go along with my journey and my calling, I created poetic passion. So I my brain is poetic past. And I also used that platform to work at the Laredo Pre trial giving back to those who are incarcerated. So for those who are going through their most hardest times and where the community may have forgotten about, I go in and instill that fire and desire because everybody have a voice, right? Everybody say right? Right. And so that's so thank you very much. But so that's just a little bit about who's in front of you right now. I'm very, very passionate about the words of arts of expression because it it just leaves us with that space of like, I gotta get up and do something right. Right. That feeling right. And so that's why we're here. Right. That safe space to share. First story correct. So with that being said, who's been to an open mic raise your. OK, a couple of us. OK. And for those who have not totally OK, welcome to your first open mic. Right. So just a little bit of a little rules that I wanna share when it comes to just that art of expression, it is totally OK to clap. However, if you happen to be in a space where. It's jazz music and it's spoken word poetry. You're gonna know that the crowd does what?

OK.

Snap right. So however you feel comfortable sharing your gratitude to the person who's up here sharing that mic because it's not easy getting up here, right? You have a palm, sweaty hands heartbeat like, right mine right now. No. But you're more than welcome to clap or SNAP, right? Also, if you have phones, try to have them on if you can, you definitely want you to make sure you. See your emergency calls, but have them one vibrate, right? Have them one silent right. It helps the speaker and the performer get through their pieces without distraction. Yes. And then also, while a person is up here sharing and reciting to keep the chatter to a minimum. If you have to go outside and chitchat totally OK or to the back area total totally OK. But you want to make sure you give that respect to that performer up here. Sounds good. Everybody say. Yeah. Yeah. Awesome. So that's just a little bit of some, like, open mic etiquette. Sounds good. Awesome. And so with that being said, before we get started, I am going to switch. It up a little. Bit because I'm nervous. Who else is nervous? OK, thank you. Alright. I appreciate it. So I'm gonna switch it up a little bit. I want including staff members. I want you guys to everybody to stand up those who can't. Of course. And I want we're gonna play. OK, we're gonna make our way around to everybody, and we're gonna play rock, paper, scissors. OK. And whoever is the person who. Is the last one standing. I have something special for you. All right, so make your way. And that'll take about maybe 3 minutes or so. Rock, paper, scissors. Of course. If you lost. Have a seat. Alright and go.

Our next poet, Emily, is a super sweet gal, and you can really tell that she speaks her feelings through poetry. Please enjoy.

And I want you guys to give her a good old praise. Don't forget. Repeat that. Repeat her name after me. Everybody give it up for Emily.

UM, so as some of you know, as some of you don't know, I will be exiting. What we what? Some of us know as the foster care system. Some of us enter the foster care system because of negligence of our parents or just because. Our family is not fit for us with whether that be physically or medically. In my case, it was physically and medically. So I wrote a little. I don't know. It's not a poem. I guess I want to call it like a journal entry being the fact that I will be exiting the foster care system in in about 5 1/2 months, give or take, I will be 21 in about 5 1/2 months. So yeah, OK. This is life in foster care. At 20 years old, my name is Emily. I have been in Foster in the foster care system since a very young age, been through countless homes, feeling unloved, unwanted and sadly forgotten. I always longed for a sense of a love from my biological family. Yes, the ones who did not care for me as a child and had me taken away for their careless acts. Nobody is perfect. I realize this. I am a disabled young adult at the age of 20 years old. I still have things I deal with on a daily basis. I used to let it belittle me and make myself feel like a victim just because of how I was brought into this world and thought at a very young age, nobody cared. I soon realized I was very wrong. Not everybody in your life foster kid or not, is going to be your enemy. Trust me, there is good people in this world. I will be exiting the foster care system here in a little less than six months. It has not been easy. Just recently I was able to overcome my need for mental health services and although I understand not everyone can do this with a good understanding and knowing that it'll be OK. OK. To use to use safe good mechanisms for when they would need it, I was able to do. I was able to do such. I am on my way to finish on my way to finish my ending of high school and have found it online from work, from Home, volunteer opportunity for crisis text line where I can help others in their darkest moments of life. If you are getting close to exiting the foster system, I hope you can see that nobody is perfect and we all make mistakes. That's a part of growing up and learning as I get closer to each day towards my 21st birthday, I want to give a huge shout out to the Dream Center staff. For being a listening ear when needed, but also pushing me forward to do my to do my absolute best when they already knew I could, but I didn't believe in myself. I also would like to give a huge shout out to my current placement for giving me a second chance at the placement forgiveness and another chance at true happiness. 21 here I come.

You gotta drop the mic.

No, I'm not trying to break someones stuff and have to pay for it.

Wait, wait, wait on him. Bring it back. You gotta bring it back. I admire your courage and your strength, and thank you for sharing that story with me. This so we have. We gonna have something for you. All right, team. Here we go. I want to repeat after me to Emily. Your next chapter? Is called. Healthy, happy and blessed. OK, that's your next chapter is full of strength. That was amazing. Everybody give it up for Emily.

This was more of like a spoken word journal entry, but it was still beautiful and amazing. You can truly feel her and. How her life and how she uses it as a full circle moment to help others and her courage of sharing her life with others.

Next one to highlight how courageous she was for sharing something about like her being in foster care and exiting, it seemed like she was excited to be exiting foster care and kind of beginning that new.

Life for her super exciting because the open mic night is such a new thing to the Dream Center, they really do it up. They really decorate the room and make you feel special. They. Cute little decorations and snacks for the youth. This isn't only for the youth, it is also for community members and adult supporters and staff at the Dream. Center. Yeah, Diana.

She's a previous council worker. She has a nonprofit, and I'm just glad she was there to take the stage and show her. Support with the.

Youth. Here she is. You guys give it up for Miss Diana.

Thank you, Kiki. I'm I'm so honored to be here. I have a heart for youth. I worked with Casa and was a Casa volunteer for just over a decade, and the youth have my heart, so I started my own nonprofit, called The Art Projects. And the acronym for Art Rhyme and together. This I haven't really been pushing too much of the art project just because there's still some minor details that I have to work out. So, but it is something that I've already been working on. I started workshops, poetry and writing workshops at the Youth Detention Center. I started doing workshops here at the dream. Center and I've expanded into crossroads with more youth detention centers, so it's it's been such a joy to bring platform a safe space for youth to express themselves, to feel safe to. Understand the value of their stories too, and to find to find their voice. I think that's key, right. And that's reflecting on their own experiences and understanding who they are so that they can share their stories with pride. Right. So. Thank you, Kiki. Kiki is actually on my board. She's a board of directors for the art project, so I'm so grateful for the journey and the. Last. Year that I've been doing this, it's grown as far as the workshops that have grown and I have other projects in mind so. I look forward to expanding even to more youth, and I've had the pleasure of meeting the youth in my workshops and I love connecting with them on that level, so it's beautiful, but I do want to share. I actually do write. I've been writing since I was in high school and then I took a long break and I realized that. I needed my own expression and I got back to writing after our actually. When I got pregnant with my first son who's now 14. So and then I started doing open mics pre COVID and then. You know, COVID happened. We can have open mics, but back at it now and I still love sharing my poetry. I'm going to share a poem today that I wrote back in 2017. I was invited to be a part of this anthology with CSUB, and the theme was work. And I said, well, I don't. Know I have to write about. Work who writes about work right? And the inspiration just came to me one day and I thought, you know what work is not. The day to. Day it's not what we see everyone else doing to me. Work is something that comes from inside of us, from our soul, and it's that sparkle inside of us. And this poem is entitled work shines. What is my function you ask? But I ask why do I function? I'm on a pursuit for success, but I'm just here to impress. We've got it all wrong. This work thing is invented, imagined to be, as everyone sees it, believe it, then do it. But I've become a robot automatically moving incorrectly proving my worth. To who? To me or to you. Imitation is a disintegration and I'm worth much more. Feed your talents tend to your seeds. The world has ingrained a vision of failure which will encourage you to leave, but you need to stay. You're never too old to resist falling into a premature grave. Dig. Pile up the dirt. Put in work to discover the goal to uncover your will that your soul will not be sold to the exploited pointed to a dead end, but my Rd. yield curves ahead. But I must be led by my heart, by my mind, by what is right for me, not for anyone else. We've allowed the hill and the neutral gear to feed our fear that our passion should adhere to the mundane routine. Refuse, refuse, refuse. Do not accuse anyone of leaving in the dark. If you decided to park, sit in your comfort. Well, stagnation has triumphed. Your growth requires movement, requires improvement, all for you. All in you dig. Keep digging sweat. Keep sweating. Be a slave for your dreams. Grind. Keep grinding. Life is striving to keep you alive. To climb beyond to function, much like the sun. Fiercely burning and yearning and begging for yet another day to shine. Thank you.

Awesome. Wait, hold. Hold on and bring your own bag over here. Hold on. I love that she you have such a wholesome, sweet sound. You remind me of the readings at Barnes and Nobles. Like just, you know, can just write. Read a, read a story and. Want you to sleep tight? I love it. So I have a question for you. What would you tell someone who is trying poetry for the first time? Who's going along with their poet who's starting their poetry journey for the first time? What would you tell that?

That's. A.

That's a good question. Read poetry. I actually get get a lot of inspiration from spoken word artists, so I don't know if anyone goes on YouTube. YouTube has there's button poetry which is like a big platform for poets. Rudy Francisco is one of my favorite poets. I mean, the man is just he gets to the fields and he just makes it. The story. Something so real, so raw, but so beautiful too, right? Cause the real raw is not very beautiful. This there's a struggle, there's angst, you know. But he makes the story so beautiful. But yeah, just go on. Just if you don't, you know, if not, you're not a big reader. The spoken word artist. On on YouTube will inspire you to read, so yeah, that's where I that's where I usually gain my inspiration. But reading is really you get to understand other people's styles of poetry and write. And then so then you get to explore your own like, OK, well, what, what does my voice sound like? Right. And so then you're taking inspiration from others so that you can figure out what your voice looks like or sounds like.

I like that. I like that. Thank you everybody say give it up for Diana. Diana. Yes. Then that's beautiful. And I'm just gonna add to that. You know, I when I started poetry I. Loved it because I wasn't a really good writer. I actually, I don't think I'm a good writer and with writing essays it's structured. It is rules, right? With poetry, I found that it really isn't, and that's that's a huge win when it comes to just. Hearing your voice and writing the sentences that just flows and comes to your mind, and then as you can actually say. Connect with other poets. We'll start to put the pieces together to make it a little bit more fluid and flowy, but it doesn't have the same rules like writing an essay. That's why I like poetry.

That was wonderful. She's truly an inspiration. You can really tell through her poetry that it speaks through her and through her heart.

Yeah. And I like to think about work not necessarily being just about work, but being about following your passion. I felt like that was a a powerful piece right there.

I like how she instead of saying passion, choose the word spark and light and something inside you that is driving. You let's get on to the.

Next piece that was beautiful. That was beautiful. How you guys doing out there, everybody? Say yeah, yeah, yeah. Thanks. I'm just making up stuff now. Alright? So I wanna share if that's OK. And then I'm gonna ask some staff members to come up as well. Let's see. We're gonna be having, actually, you know what? Edward is Edward in the house. Edward, everybody say Edward. He's actually gonna take the mic next and then I'll be after Edward. So we're gonna bring up Edwards.

No, I'll be alright. OK. Dream Center get your dependency letter. Fill out a half sheet so we can service you better. Pass us for the bus. A place you can trust. Lunch is on us. Every day we see them at their worst and see them at their best, impressed as they conquer their conquest with bleeding hearts in their chest, Dream Center, sin of your dreams, you're a king or a queen. You're on a winning team, Supreme. Lift up your self esteem. Seeing the potential that you don't see. Every worker here believes in the vision we've been set on a mission. Use your eyes to see and your ears to listen, poverty stricken. The plot thickens, but for us there's no quitting dream centers where dreams are made. Trauma evades, futures portrayed. We put our hearts and soul into each and one of you. It's very true that very few can do what we do when we when you cry, we cry. When you win, we cry. When you die, we cry. That's why we always try to heal your broken wings so we can see you fly. Your past doesn't determine your future. And like an open wound. We are here to suture the Dream Center, a place to heal, a place to fill a place that's real.

All right. I was hard. Come on back, Howard. I got a question for you. First of all, bars. OK, it's gonna ask or or is curious, who is poetry?

Yeah.

Or it's kind of a trick question. But who is bored you for?

I guess for everyone, I don't know. Like I guess for everyone. How are you feeling? This is really the first poem ever wrote or performed or anything. And so I I don't know. I just one day I just. But I find it was soothing and like kind of like a form of meditation to try to figure out how to put the words together and find the words to put to what I was trying to. Accomplishing what I was meaning. Yeah. I just feel like we do so much here at the Dream Center. It's kind of unseen. You know, we're like at the ground level of what's going on. We really try to propel youth and lift them up and, you know, so many organizations are here to try to offer resources that a lot of people don't know are available. And it's just an awesome place, and I'm just glad to be a part of it.

I like it, thank. You. Thank you. Thank you for sharing your poetry, because that was good. That was good.

Edward is an adult ally here at the Dream Center. He truly cares about.

His job. I really loved this poem. I felt like he really summed up the Dream Center and every aspect about.

It rhythm, Edward is truly an adult ally who you can feel cares.

Our next guest, Dave, is another adult supporter who wrote 2 poems and spoke one from his dad and your next. Guest.

Dave, everybody say Dave.

You may.

Wait, I do. I might cry. I do. I cry at these things, you know. So. Well, for those of you who don't know, my name is Dave. I'm the AB 12 supervisor, but I'm leaving to Jameson, so I think BB's gone right. She took off, I think, but she was. Or the new, maybe 12. Supervisor will be taking over. So I'll read a couple of. Couple of poems here.

So.

Yeah. Yeah, so.

That's.

Right. Well, I, you know, and and I'm I'm gonna try to bring some of this stuff to Jamieson cause we need I've I've been. In this business. For 24 years and I'm here still because I care and I love what I do and I love working with the kids. So I mean, we're not in this for. The money, you know. All right. Hopefully I don't know if any of you guys are parents, but you know, one day you may have your child in your arms and you will love them. More than you've loved anything else? OK. Tell me a poem for my son. OK, my son. My son's son. This guy. Angel's hearts know not of my love. Nor has heaven seen a more tender embrace. If it were enough to say I love you. My words would be yours. Many times over, and then more. Fledgling spirit gifted by my body. Take my soul and let it be yours. Let everything good in me nourish you. And may my weaknesses not displease you, but serve to teach you of human error. In your arm, in your eyes. Lay my past and my future. I see the laughter of my grandmother in lilac spring, the soothing warmth of my father's arms. The errant summers of my youth. And the autumn rains that I cherished so much. And that silent place in my heart that knows I will die, but that you will live. Never fear. While I breathe, my son, my life and limb, I gladly place on the altar of your health. Trust in me to carry you through your journey. Start and that you will be strong enough to carry me to my journey's end. And never doubt your father's love. For if it were that my heart was Beethoven's Ivory Key, surely it would play its lovely tune for you. Huh. Well, all of us write poems for different reasons, you know. I tend to just write to. For people I love, you know, it helps when I write and think about things, you know? So I wrote a poem for my wife couple years ago for an anniversary. And so I'll read it. I can't remember if I read this last time I might have. I don't remember. I read I written a couple of poems about my, you know, so.

Good morning.

It's called anniversary many years ago today you gifted me song and promised me truly, for better or wrong. And you have not wavered. Through joy set joy, sweat and tears from unbridled warmth and absence of fear lay in due course. For I will not stray. You've tempered my heart like rodan's dear clay. O Chorus and spring, our hymns sore so high for you taught me to sing and to sing is to fly.

And.

And then lastly lastly. You guys are all pretty young, so you know, probably you know, if there, if there were people in here over 60 or so, you know, in that crowd, they would know my dad was a. A local academic dignitary at the college and a lot of I would when I was a kid, you know, we would go. We couldn't go anywhere to dinner or the mall or somebody where? Ohh, it's doctor Rosselli. And I'm just like, we're trying to eat and I wanna go. And it's doctor Rizzoli and my dad. He was a, you know, local historian and educator. But he was also a poet, and he published this book of poems in 1986 when I was a little kid and. And I'm going to read one of his poems. I always liked. So it's called the homing kind. I found a wounded Sparrow within the village green. I cupped him in a cradle to mend his broken wing. I brought him to my study to share a life anew. He peered through the sunglass through the sunglass beyond the worldview I held him on a finger to ply my words of gold. But listen, not the Sparrow of ages. Bitter cold. I fed him, I fed this wondered. Sorry. I fed the wonder. Breaded crumbs of the finest sort, but never looked the Sparrow. His heart was not my own speak. Oh, speak, dear little Sparrow. I cannot wait to watch. Be free. Sorry. Be free tripped the Sparrow. My mind not I. I gave my Sparrow freedom when early April day to live or die. His journey. Must he make fly away, little Sparrow to lands of ancient sing fly, little Sparrow. He of gilded wing. I hope he lives. And that's all I got. So who's up next, right? Yeah.

Awesome. You give it up again for Dave. You gotta come on back. Come on back. Wait a minute. Come on back. Gotcha. So, Sir, I know I just met you today, and I mean I. Know it's short. Live as far as you being or for me meeting you here. Short lived. But you have a journey. And so I just want to say that I I'm sure the utmost high will order your footsteps and order your heart to be a blessing at where you're going to next, right? The Jameson center? Absolutely. Yes. Absolutely. And so. That's right. So I have a question for you. Where do you see yourself like your poetry is very beautiful and I'm. And as I was listening, I just thought about, like, where do you see yourself with your poetry in this next, like, upcoming year on this new journey that you're going to be?

Well, you know, I going to Jameson and I know a lot. I heard some of you say talk about it. Somebody grew up there, other kids been there. But I really want to go there to try and help the kids. I mean, that's why I'm in this job. I have worked most of my time with teens. In and, I really am hoping to bring just some of the healing through poetry, you know? I know through, you know, working with you. Maybe we could do something to Jameson, you know, and and getting big. I think poetry can help heal and help deal with a lot of stuff that you know we deal with. Whether it's love. I mean, let's be honest here, our relations with the opposite sex or same sex, whatever it is your partner, you know what I mean? Trying to deal with those emotions, children, your, your mortality. It's it's all wrapped up in. You know this thing we call life and. We're all going to the journey. We're all on the same journey, you know, and we're all trying to get there. You know, and get through this with a little bit of grace, a little bit of humility, a little bit of laughter and togetherness. And so that's why. That's why I think that's my opinion. That's why I do poetry. That's why I like it. And I I hope we hear. I don't know if they leave again, I wanna hear the guy rap again, man. I did he take off? I wanna hear more. Ohi man. So yeah, we need more and more of to sing. I love the original songs. To yeah.

I like. Thank you. Thank you very much for sharing. That's right. And it brings healing I tell you.

That was truly amazing. I just love how you can feel the words the way he says them, and how he describes smells and sights. And you can really. Be in the moment with him.

Yes, and I really enjoyed this poem about his wife. I feel like he really displayed his his love for his wife and the influence he had on him and how important family is to.

You can obviously tell his family is important, and I really loved how he honored his dad through his work and and brought his book in with him.

I thought that was very cool. Our next guest, Anthony says 2 acapella pieces, one about an experience and also a love song. Please enjoy our next guest.

Alright, so there was this one song from this one album that I I kind of tweaked it a bit. So what I did was I turned the feminine version into a masculine version. So instead of me talking about some. Oh yeah, like why they don't want me and all this other stuff. I'm basically, you know. I'm talking about myself, but I'm talking about the girl, and I'm also talking about the guy as well. So it's more like. I'm basically saying so if he doesn't want you, why don't you want me? Want this? Hard to swallow, but I guess it's not meant to be. Yeah. Alright, so here I go.

Who?

All right.

One more.

I'm always there, Lina. I always answer when she calls. I'm always there to pick her up. By when she falls, when he don't want to be found. He don't even make a sound. I tell her she's beautiful. I'm sending her flowers. I never leave her alone. We'll be talking for hours. When he disappears within days at a time and just leaving her own reign, why is it the one that we want? Don't want none? Why is it the ones that we want don't want? Why is it the ones we love and they? Just they just get up and leave. Why is it those that we want don't want the harder I want you, the less you don't want me. I got a question. Go why don't you owe me? If he doesn't want you, then why don't you owe me? Want this? Hard to swallow, but I guess it's nowhere to pee. Oh, no. When I get closer. Muffin, let's it turn her off. If he did that type of thing, he would turn her on some type. Of comma maybe I'm the one to play. If she said that if she says something, she knows I'm gonna live it day, I'll give up everything for her within a day. But when it comes to him, no, we are not the same. I tell her she's beautiful. I'm sending the flowers. I never leave her alone. We be talking for hours. But here disappear for three days at a time and just leave it home. Why is it almost that we want don't want none? Why is it the most that we want? Don't want none. Why is it the most we love and they just they just get up and leave? Why is it almost that? Don't wanna. The harder I want you, the less you. Don't want me? I gotta question go, why don't you want me? If he doesn't want you, then why don't you want me? Me. Me. I told her I love her, she said it was OK, he, but if he, but if she heard it from you, it will mean just everything, everything, everything, everything, everything. No, tell me what I need to do. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. How do we feel? Yeah. No, I thought I was gonna choke. I swear to you guys, I thought I was about to choke. I was like, wait a minute. Just got off work. Voice is shot cause I was repeating the perspective script that I have to repeat all over again. I'm like, man. And then there was a bus. They came. The bus came like, Super, Super. The bus was like very very. It was nowhere to be found, so I was like man. So I took a lift. I got like $0.03 in my bank account. I got $0.03 on my debit card, but you know what? I still made it.

I'm still making yes, yes.

Yeah.

Alright, so last song that I did was basically like, Oh yeah, well, me and all the other stuff. So now I think I think I just put a little bit of love. OK. I think I should. You know, I just do like a little love song for my little someone. Someone, someone. It's on my heart. Heart bloom. Alright. Let's see how this goes. This is. Don't wanna be juvenile. And I don't want to be foolish now. In my sleep, I dream about far away places. Underneath your kiss. The point I'm making is I hope I'm not in this alone. You are my light in the dark. Show me the way. Live your heart. And no, I'm not used to this feeling. But it's clear even when I'm 1000 miles away. I'm so taken thy can't stop thinking about you. I am in love and from where I stand, I am your man. I am. oh oh I know, I know, I know. The love takes time to prove and harmony together. I'm thinking about you on an airplane. I'm thinking about you. I'm thinking about you. Keep thinking about. Far away places underneath your kiss. The point of making is I hope I'm not in this love. You are my light in the. Umm. Show me the oil with your heart and no all night. I'm not used to this. But it's clear even when I'm 1000 miles away. I'm so I'm so taking. I am in love and from where? I'm too much into Jesus. I am your man. I am, I am. That. On that one was actually like from heart. It was like from a. So like it's this person that like for like quite a while now. I was hoping that person showed up, but that is that person moved away. So I was like, you know what? I'll go ahead. I'll serenade everybody else with this one. So. You guys get all of my love and all of my mind soul positivity from top.

What an inspiring night with so many beautiful pieces. I really just. I felt the room when I was there and I felt the room now.

Once again, and all of our guests were amazing. Tonight. If I had to highlight a guest. I don't have any favorites, but I really loved which poem about the Dream Center. That was a really great poem.

Unlike Brian, I enjoyed all of the pieces that were spoken to me, but Anthony was one of my favorites and I just really love how the Dream Center does this. It really gives the youth the space to be themself. And and come as they are and speak what they.

Feel and I would like to personally thank all our all of our guests who performed tonight. Diana, Emily, Edward, Dave and Anthony. And I hope to see them at.

Future events, we hope you enjoyed this very special episode. If you enjoyed what you heard and want to support the show, please take a moment and rate us and leave us a positive review on your. Favorite podcast player? It will help us spread awareness of the podcast and find new listeners.

And if you're looking for our show notes or recommended resources for any of our episodes, please visit our website at www.kern.org/Y. VA, if you. Have any questions, comments or concerns or would like to recommend the guest? For topic, you can e-mail us at youth voice amplified at. Gmail.com.

Join us for our next episode when Brian and I sit down with our next youth storyteller. Thanks for listening and we'll see you. Next time, and we out of here.

Youth voice amplified is a youth LED project of the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office created, produced and hosted by Gennessa Fisher and Brian Johnson with writing, research, and additional production support by Kim Silva, Allison Baptiste and the current educational television. Network major funding for the youth Voice Amplified Podcast is provided by the student achievement and Support Division of the California Department of Education through the Homeless Innovative Program Grant. Thanks for listening.