Youth Poet - Andre’a Rhoads
Special | 2m 21sVideo has Closed Captions
Andre’a Rhoads, Philadelphia’s Youth Poet Laureate, shares a poem about personal growth.
17-year-old Andre’a Rhoads is Philadelphia’s Youth Poet Laureate. Rhodes says, “Poetry helps me express myself by giving me a voice when I feel voiceless.” Her poems are full of raw emotion and encourage readers to “look outside the box.” Rhodes recites “Before the Flowers Bloom,” a composition about personal growth.
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WHYY Presents is a local public television program presented by WHYY
Youth Poet - Andre’a Rhoads
Special | 2m 21sVideo has Closed Captions
17-year-old Andre’a Rhoads is Philadelphia’s Youth Poet Laureate. Rhodes says, “Poetry helps me express myself by giving me a voice when I feel voiceless.” Her poems are full of raw emotion and encourage readers to “look outside the box.” Rhodes recites “Before the Flowers Bloom,” a composition about personal growth.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship(soft piano music) - Hello, my name is Andre'a Rhoads and I am Philadelphia's new youth poet Laureate, and I am 17 years old.
Poetry helps me express myself by giving me a voice When I feel voiceless.
It helps me add raw emotion to things and to give my true feeling and opinion on certain subjects.
Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes and Emily Dickinson, they all write their poems with raw emotion.
They make their readers think outside of the box, and I learn from them to do this well, to have my readers who read my poems, look outside of the box and to see my true emotion come into life within the poem.
I think it's important for young leaders to talk about Black Lives Matter and justice because it's important.
So many blacks, and browns, and Hispanics are being killed and awareness needs to be brought for them, justice needs to be served for them.
I think the community can help solve issues like gun violence by giving a voice, showing the people that their feelings and emotions matter, and that their voices need to be heard when others shy to silence them.
"Before the flowers bloom, I was a seed in my mother's garden.
I felt the sunshine of my existence.
The illumination confirmed that this was home.
I felt the oasis that ties me, thus my faith had no question.
I was reborn again.
My simple ways forgiven.
I had maturity and dexterity in the palms of my hands.
I grew petals and stems.
I leaped and sown.
My thorns fell off.
I grew softer yet stronger.
I was beautiful like the rose.
I smelled my dreams come true like the jasmine.
I was fresh and felt pure like a daisy.
I surely did grow.
My body stretch inches and feet, but my mindset expanded to height so great to reach.
April showers bring me flowers, this I know.
I'm of loving February turned birth to a beautiful melanin queen in November.
I'm a flower in the garden of life.
Feed me knowledge to which I grow.
Care for me and give me love.
I'll take it with me.
I have a journey ahead of me.
I am more than my past.
My growth is my future's present."
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WHYY Presents is a local public television program presented by WHYY