Tag: Writing101

Empowering Voices: Krystle Yang’s Artistic Journey

I have been doing workshops, art, sewing and most importantly advocating for those voices that have not been heard. I have been an artist at Redline Contemporary Art Center for a long time. The community studio has been a host to so many different organizations and the clientele. Krystle Jasmin Yang was one of them.

Krystle is creating jewelry and has been coming to this safe, resource based, day shelter ever since I met her at Redline years ago. I started doing workshops at The Gathering Place a few years later and she attended my workshop. I wanted to share her story from her voice.

Krystle Jasmin Yang 

I started making earrings because I have always loved working with my hands. I always put love in my handy work. It gives me a chance to put my creativity in the earrings I make. I enjoy it so much and I get so many compliments on my work.

I was on the streets for over 10 years and I have dealt with a lot of mental, emotional, verbal and unfortunately sexual abuse. I have been accused of doing this most horrible things to people that I cared about.

Now Krystle is creating jewelry and selling it on TikTok. Here is her handle @Krystleyang7295 Follow her, support her, and/or buy her jewelry. Thank you for taking the time to read her story.

Cheap Fare

Farewell to my fare
Goodbye to cheap travel
Trips downtown wil be rare
And my world may unravel.

Farewell to leisure time
And enjoying the outdoor
At home out of my mind
Laying around on the floor

Staying in my place
Just being bored
While the world goes by
Not even going to the store.

The fare will change
I have to adjust
I may take a trip
But notin a rush.

I need to budget
To get a pass
Or say farewell bus
I’m home alas.

Who I Love

Day 7: Beloved

You warm up my heart and my soul is overjoyed.

I feel like I am in a garden of sunflowers and it is snowing.

When you are near me, I want to frolic everywhere.

You are like a video game that lets me level up all the time.

You remind me of a seasoned tri-tip waiting for my teeth to sink in.

You are my beloved and I can not be with out you.

 

Sweets and Chocolate

Day 6: Fallacy

snickers

If you go to the store and get a candy bar

I hope the trip isn’t long or you went to far.

I like Halloween because of the candy,

but I would rather have ice cream because it is handy.

skittles

On Easter, there are eggs and Jellybeans,

but skittles have all the colors and shimmery beams.

O chocolate, o chocolate, where art thou?

I would put you on my face and a lifted brow.

In My 40’s

Day 5: Freedom

I am free because my children are grown and I only have me to take care of.

I am free because I don’t have to eat vegetables, I can supplement veggies.

I am free to walk around my apartment in my underwear.

I am free to write on my blog all day long. I am free to snack and watch TV.

I am free to exercise all day and go straight to bed.

I am free to work all day and night if I like. I am free to do nothing.

I am free to play video games until my thumbs get calluses.

Not everyone has freedom and I am appreciative for it which means no one is going to take it away from me because I am free.

free

Where Am I?

Day 3: Sleep

I go to sleep most nights and wake up not know where I am or where I’ve been and who was with me.

I lie in the grass where I am surrounded by these dandelions realizing that I can make a necklace. I am somewhere from my past where there were other children my age. Where am I?

There is this wonderful broken road that was important enough to build around the mountain, but now it moves through a piece of the mountain. It is near the ocean, but being makes it a special place. Where am I?

I am moving slowly up and up with a clickety click and swoosh, I am going down at so fast my eyes are watering. I am spinning and finally my stomach catches up to me. Where am I?

I see amazing buildings older than my country. I smell sweets that I have never lived around. I see a palace with mirrors all around me. Where am I?

I lie feeling warm yet cold and smell the air. I hear rushing water and a train passing by. Where am I?

I open my eyes and realize that I was asleep dreaming of past times. I am camping at a park with a stream near the train because it was hidden. I was in my sleeping bag in my tent. While being homeless, I realized that having a good camp spot can make a world of a difference in getting good rest.

Messy

Day 2: Reflections

My room is a mess.

I have clothes that need to be cleaned. I have clothes that don’t fit. I have clothes I don’t wear. I have trash to throw out. I need to organize everything in this room.

My living room is a mess.

I have trash on the desk. I have a dirty carpet. I have no seating arrangements. I have not decorated. I need to make this room as an office or entertaining room but organize it.

My kitchen is a mess.

I have dirty counters that need cleaning. I have a floor that is dirty. I have cabinets untidy. I have a refrigerator that has to be emptied, cleaned, and reorganized.

My hair is a mess.

I have no style in my hair. I have to clean and deep condition it. I have not cut or trimmed it. I need an organized natural hair style.

Messy isn’t who I am.

I am not a messy person, I just have messy habits. I want to be organized in all I do to function properly. Patience and endurance can bring me to an organized me.

A Dirty Job

Wring 101:  Day 1: Magic

Cleaning Apartment

Cleaning my apartment is hard to do.

I live alone and answer my phone

and always eat lots of food.

I always think of ways to clean

but never get it done

my friends seem to be mean,

but I sit all day on my bum.

 

Visions

One day I am hanging with some friends at a bar. I see an extremely attractive guy there. He had been drinking a bit too much. He ran to the restroom and when he returned I noticed he had forgotten to remove his outer garments. I then realized I had to go to the restroom. Obviously, I had forgotten to lock the door because the drunk guy came in. Luckily, I had finished and washing my hands. He made advances but he wasn’t standing good and I immediately ran out of the restroom. He ordered drinks for everyone.

While we were toasting to things we couldn’t understand, he grabbed his keys and said his good-byes. That is when it hit me! I had a vision of him driving home, but hitting a tree and dying. I saw it so clearly that it made me jump. So being scared of the vision, I decided to act on it. I will advise people never to do this.

I followed him out to his car while ignoring the advice of my friends to leave him alone. I try to convince him to let me take him home, but he wanted his car. So I opted to drive his car. This was a big mistake. He made references to driving his stick-drive car. This was a ten-minute drive, but he was able to strip his clothes off during the drive. In his driveway, I know that if a car came I could just jump out and go down the street. Unfortunately, he didn’t care and started following me down the street. What made him stop was I started to run because I knew drunk people don’t like to run drunk.

I just made a post about something similar I wrote called, “Running the Streets“. I started writing this post first because of yesterday’s events. This happened about five years ago, but I have learned my lesson on not to help men in need. I think my weakness of wanting to help people causes me to put myself in dangerous issues. By the way, I called my friends to just come pick me up.

 

 

Running the Streets

I started the day tired from a late night. I had a few friends in my house and they left an hour before me. I had an appointment that was an hour and a half away. I missed my first bus. I didn’t let that discourage me from keeping good spirits. As I waited we saw a 6 car pile up because of the slippery ice. I had someone to keep me company on the first bus and then I had someone who talked with me on the second bus so it made the time go fast. Afterwards, I headed home and wrote the last blog as I travelled.

When I got off the bus I started heading to the store to cash a check when a guy asked for a cigarette. I said I was gonna buy one for my neighbor so he walked with. He said he just got homeless which, of course, made me more sympathetic. At the store I realize I couldn’t give him a cigarette from my neighbor. So I got him his own pack but he stayed with me. I got a tv from a pawn shop and he asked to hang out for awhile at my house and I said I am not in the mood to entertain because I have been gone since noon. It is about 6:30 pm and I offered to buy dinner. I let him come in to carry my tv, but he asked for a hug. I thought maybe he is feeling bad, but there was an ulterior motive. I immediately left my place and bought dinner at 7-11 so that I could end the visit.

My heart is big when it comes to homeless people because of my experience of homelessness. I know this was a bad thing to do, having him in my home, but it was only for ten minutes. I was firm and he did appreciate the food. We sat at 7-11 and eat then I said good night. I feel sorry for people that want to take advantage of people. I would have given him bus fare to go downtown where the shelters were, but he didn’t want it.

I ended my night by washing a load of clothes. I watched some tv in my bed and I thought that it was important to reflect on my actions in a positive way.