Day of the Dead poems and photos from Redlands High School students, part 1

By KAREEM HASSEN, NOAH PATINO, DEBRA CHENG, JAN IAN BENITO, CRISTINA ORTEGA, AVA SOEMARNA, ROBERT VENEGAS, AFIFA MOHSIN, and LARRA LACIFICAR

On the day of the dead
We celebrate
On the day of the dead
Do not be late
On the day of the dead
The dead awake

On the day of the dead
We leave an altar
On the day of the dead
You know walter

He was born different
That's his fault
He was born different
He is very tall
He was born different
But that doesn't make him less than you

Noah Patino

---

 Juan is a candlestick maker, 
 Making candles all day as a caretaker 
for the muerto. 
 Watching over the graves,  
Feeling their waves of energetic energy 
through their bones. 
Digging new graves everyday, 
Through day and night, 
Working so hard, 
All the way until his skin charred, 
Scarred from all the work he had done. 

Kareem Hassen  

---

The boy lied to his parents about his grade. 
Death came along  and told him,  
I will accompany you  
for I can no longer use my mouth to lie  
and if you keep up like this  
the same thing will happen to you. 

Jan Ian Benito 

---

It's six in the morning
And the boy can't sleep
Because the dead is here visiting him,
Dressed in her long black hood.

Not afraid
Because he's as dead as they come.
Few know how it is
Being made of coffee.

Walking beside the bed,
Look at the boy
And give it a welcome.
"Come with me."

Before getting lost
She lifts her tired eyes to look at him.
“I don't want to look at you anymore.
Leave me alone."

The room was quiet,
And he thought for a moment.
He got up to dress.
He thought about starting the day early.

Ava Soemarna

---

Today we lie, with pumpkin pie, 
and a president on a bed 
To which they say
might done or dead
From a virus who came in his stead
From which he takes his stride to die 
With pride,
only on a rise.
Pride so fresh and deep
He still refuses to weep
Oh foolish president on his knees
  
Won’t be lying with his little please
Till he becomes o’ so foolish,
O’ so ghoulish,
And is finally put at ease

Debra Cheng 

---

 Oh Sebastian, 
always dreaming and imagining, 
Never thinking of where you should be 
And never thinking of where you are going 
Cliffs have come close to taking you life 
Yet you are still dreaming and alive  

Robert Venegas

I’m a very brave teenager,     
The skeleton lady wanted to see my valor,      
She wanted to take me to the grave,          
Because I’m very daring, 
I was smart,    
I was able to escape.    

Joshua Ramirez  

---

Charlize Halim,
A girl and a friend to all.
She liked to sing 
and go to the mall.
She had a party, 
but no one came.
She felt sad 
so she played a video game. 
The dead took her away 
because she was too good. 
On the day of the dead, 
she ate a lot of food.  
People gather together, 
and now remember, 
not her being nice, 
but that she won a game 
and her love to eat rice.

Larra Lacificar

---

The girl is tall,  
her name is Afifa
She plays volleyball with her friends
But now the skeleton is looking for her, 
but now she plays tennis. 
She likes to spend time with her friends. 

 Afifa Mohsin