Student Stories

It’s a tragic love story
between a pencil, paper, and an eraser
—Angela Galvez, from “What’s Poetry?” THEY SAY, 2016

de donde my mother
said tu herencia is your
education …
Soy de donde everything es
possible
—Diana Redonda, from “Soy,” THEY SAY, 2018

She looked at me with a smile
As I watched her for a while …
My feet no longer felt heavy
—Dennilah E. Young, from “Mother’s Hand,” THEY SAY, 2023

I am more than the words that describe me, a reflection in the mirror of perception, a blend of realities and dreams.
—Ian Garcia, from “El Telar del Tiempo (The Loom of Time),” THEY SAY, 2024

Many Iconoclast Artists students write in more than one language. Wilbur Corona’s poem appears in Spanish and English in our 10th anniversary edition of THEY SAY.

La Noche
La luna afuera de mi ventana parece un faro perdido en el mar
La oscuridad me dice que sostenga el miedo
Todos los días camino entre la galaxia
Mis manos sostienen el futuro con cada paso que tomo
Todas las noches yo pienso comó será o qué será mi día
Mis sueños ahora son borrados de mi mente, pero serán largos y detallados
La luna afuera de mi ventana me dice que todo estará bien

The Night
The moon outside my window looks like a lighthouse lost in the ocean
The darkness tells me to stay fearful
Every day I walk within the galaxy
My hands hold the future with every step that I take
Every night I think about how the next day will be or what will become of me
My dreams are now erased from my memory,
but they will be long and detailed
The moon outside my window tells me everything is going to be ok

—Wilbur Corona, THEY SAY, 2023