LACMF - Vol.17, No.1 - Community Writing & the Arts 2003

COMMUNITY WRITING

East End Literacy (Toronto)

East End Literacy describes itself as “an integrated, progressive literacy organization, which takes pride in the high quality of its teaching.” Each year its students participate in the Bread and Roses Writing Contest; the 2001 winner was an EEL graduate. In 2002 four students published in The Land That I Dream Of, an anthology put out by the Metro Toronto Movement for Literacy, and two read their works at the 2002 Word On The Street festival. A new course, “Communication Management and Techniques”, has given students a fresh outlook on integrating aspects of interaction, listening and presentation skills with the written word. Students have recorded oral Book Talks and are interested in starting their own online broadcast.

Sistah Caroline Outten
Sistah Caroline Outten is a 9th generation African-Canadian of First Nation, Caribbean and Black Loyalist Heritage. She joined The Young Poets of the Revolution, an Ottawa- Toronto-based group, as a Spoken-Word Artist and in 1994, founded her own Arts and Media Education Company, Ancestral Ties 2 De Drum. Her work includes interactive ritual drama, guided imagery workshops, mask and sacred object storytelling, and slam/freestyle lyrical composition. In 2000, Caroline joined East End Literacy as an instructor and course developer, and became a Creative Consultant for TVO Pre- School Programming. She has been with The International Learning Through The Arts Program for six years.

No Earthly Fears
by Sistah Caroline Outten '02

I am unbounded by no earthly fears
I am unbroken by no chains of hate
I am understanded by no being of flesh
I am unused by no touch no feel
I am so real I am unreal
Unafraid of living
Unafraid of dying
I am unspoken by no intellectual jibber jabber
I am unfazed by so called righteous, holier than
thou pulpit shouters who only live for what the
offering plate has failed to offer
I am unassuming yet all consuming so don't
assume to know me because you've never really
met me before
I am unwilling to stop the music the dance is
not over the rhythm never tires of pulsating
through these veins
I am so real I am unreal
Unafraid of living
Unafraid of dying
My underlying changes became my center point
when I removed my mask and spoke with my
own tongue
That was when I was afraid
Was this me?
Could this be?
I saw a reflection that longed for direction
so I made a move
And I've been walking every since
walking to face each fear
and once cleared
from its' demonic holds
I could walk away to face yet another day

Don't Shoot The Messenjah
by Sistah Caroline Outten '02

Don't shoot the messenjah
I am only speaking in tongues
voices are singing through me
so you may heed the warning
Don't shoot the messenjah
I am only using my third eye
visions of future destruction waits at the same doorstep
as prosperity
you only have to choose
to answer
the knock
Don't shoot the messenjah
I am only a representative of the Creator's
army
I am here to fight the struggles and strive to survive
And I will survive
If your will is strong enough to resist the sweet scent
of something
so insensate, so insidious
that I can't utter its name
Don't shoot the messenjah
I come in peace
and piece of mind, body and soul is what I bring
I am feel good music dancing on a rivers bed
I am the positive affirmation you have speaking
to you in your head
I am
what I am
and what I hope to be
So please don't shoot the messenjah
for the messenjah
is all of
we

Weh UU Mah
by Sistah Caroline Outten '02

I am eager to learn your ways
secrets
ancient
healing ways
silent
spoken
fighting ways
patient
forgiving
inspiring ways
I am eager to hear your message
sullen
alluring
heartfelt message
stirring
strong
flamming message
powerful
feverish
intelligent message
I am eager
I am longing
I am eager
I am longing
Weh UU Mah
Dey LUU Neh Wey
Weh UU Mah
Dey LUU Neh Wey

Jennifer Mattison who came to Canada from Jamaica in 1975 is the mother of three children. She is one of the East End Literacy students who published in Land That I Dream Of ...a collection of writings launched at the September 2002 Word On The Street. She read “Sailing Away” from that publication, and “Writing is a Medicine for the Mind” (published in the March 2003 edition of EEL Today).

Sailing Away
by Jennifer Mattison

I would like to live.
I would like to live on a ship.
A ship, with my kids and my friends.
Sailing around the world.

Feeling good about my life.
Sailing on blue and clear sea water.

Eating fish, shrimp, and drinking champagne.

With lots of people.
Swimming, swimming, swimming.

Bananas, grapes, oranges.
Meeting different people from around the world.

Learning about different cultures.
Eating different foods.
Buying a ship was one of the best things I ever did.

It brings joy to me and my family.
I have no regrets.
I love sailing around the world.
It makes me and my kids feel happy.

Happiness allows you to focus.
On the moment.

Writing is a Medicine for the Mind
by Jennifer Mattison

I write because it makes me feel good about myself.

I write because it helps to me learn how to read.

Writing also helps me to write my own letters and gives me my independence.

Writing for me is finding yourself. And sharing your thoughts with others.

I write to my friends. I write in school. I write when I am feeling good within myself,
I also write when I am feeling down and out.

When I write I feel better about myself. Writing has changed my life over the last two years.
It’s made me a more confident person and has also made me feel proud of myself.

When you can write you don’t have to ask anyone to write anything for you.
If you can’t write people will take advantage of you.

I have heard about England so much that I feel I have been there before just by reading stories about it. That’s the power of the written word.

I write about my life. I write about things that I wasn’t able to talk to people about.

I am not afraid to write anymore.

Mitchel Simeon born in St. Lucia has been living in Toronto for three years. He has three adult children still living in St. Lucia. In April, he had been attending East End Literacy for almost a year and a half. Mitchel's writings have appeared in several issues of EEL Today. Mitchel missed the Community Writing event because of illness; Caroline Outten read his work, “Writing Equals Independence” (published in the March 2003 edition of EEL Today) and “What is Beauty?” (published in the February 2003 edition).

What is beauty?
by Mitchel Simeon

People are beautiful when they help each other. Dr. Phil’s show is beautiful because it helps others. Being at home with your wife and children can be beautiful. When people speak their truth, it is beautiful. Learning to read and write makes me feel beautiful inside. Everyone who helped and took care of my grandma seem beautiful to me. Helping her taught me I can be beautiful too.

Sitting on the beach in St. Lucia watching the sunrise is beautiful. Traveling to Canada and the U.S. has shown me many beautiful things. Helping your kids do their school work is beautiful. Listening to your children and how they think and feel is beautiful to me. It is also beautiful to see your son or daughter graduate from college and get a good job to keep on going with his or her life.

I came from St. Lucia to Canada. Last year I married Joanne. She is beautiful to me because she is a respectable woman. Joanne is a counselor. She makes me feel good when we sit and talk with each other. Talking with each other is beautiful because it makes us understand each other better. There are also so many other beautiful things about her that I cannot express in words.

Sitting with my dad and talking about how I feel and think are beautiful to me. Waking up on Sunday morning and going to church are beautiful to me. It is beautiful to say a prayer before you go to sleep at night, and, again, after you get up in the morning.

Writing Equals Independence
By Mitchel Simeon

Writing changed me because before I couldn’t write and now I can go to a job and fill out any form they give me. It makes me feel independent because I don’t have to ask anyone to write something for me.

I used to spend a lot of time trying to hide due the fact that I could not read or write. I was ashamed of that. It stopped me from doing a lot of things. I was afraid to be around people and was also afraid they would find out that I cannot read and write.

It makes me feel good to be able to read my mail and not have to ask anyone else to read it for me, and that makes me feel free.

I write for my teacher and myself mostly. I can also write a card for anyone. This allows me to share my feelings in ways that the words of the card cannot. These are my ideas and thoughts, not someone else’s.

Being able to read and write allows me to travel anywhere in Toronto. I am no longer afraid of getting lost. I could travel all over the world and write about what I see.

Learning to write has changed me a lot. It makes me feel good about myself because now I can keep a conversation with anyone, go anywhere and read anything. I am very proud of this. Learning to write makes me feel good about myself because it gives me the opportunity to communicate with people in writing. It made me realize just how important it was to know how to write.

I feel more comfortable to ask for directions and I don’t worry if someone wants to ask me a question.

Before I could not speak English well but now I can speak English very well and also can write well. This makes me feel excited about my achievement in writing skills. When I write something important, I sit at a desk and use my best pen. I can now write about my country and share my stories with others. I can write a letter to anyone.

Grassroots 2003 continues Next Page >


Literacy Across the Curriculumedia Focus - Vol.17 • No.1, Pg. 37-40

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