Story Archives

by PNN staff

The people came - the voices were heard. Histories and Herstories were spoken.

A. Faye Hicks, Carmi Johnson,
Oji Elliot, Byron Gafford, Marvin Crutchfield. Martrice Candler and many more upcoming youth and adults spoke on the POOR Press authors panel at the 2nd annual POOR Press Release Party to introduce their poverty scholarship on issues ranging from racial injustice at the workplace to the plight of the poor single mother.

The day was also informed by Poverty Scholars- The Po Poets Project of POOR Magazine, who spit rhymes from their tome; The houzin Project; Art and Resources on Gentrification, Eviction and houselessness.

So now friends, readers and potential conscious Gift Givers - it is Up To You...please support all these po folks - tryin to be heard.. buy our books... for all your holiday needs and wants... !!! ( see below for on-line POOR Press catalogue)

by Dee Gray

at poor magazine we ask that our interns "give back"

however, one intern whose origin was never made clear to us had a particular
and abiding interest in helping us by organizing a very Dis-organized closet in our
kitchen. This intern was known for making unfathomable comments like
"the more you do for me, the more Karma it builds up that i owe to you" and the
right pronounication of the name of the Amish people is Aaa-mish", these comments were
punctuated by loud whistles and chirps.

Of course we, glad to have all the help we could get, tended to ignore this somewhat odd
behavior and eagerly left him to claw his way thru the extreme mess of the kitchen
closet.

The closet finished was unbelievable, amazing. It didnt even look like it lived here - sort
of like a space ship thats landing and dropping by to refuel, in fact, each night I have been
hearing banging and crashing in the kitchen, while wierd blue lights flash in the hall -
then an odd pungent smell like fuel burning drifts down the hall. Oddly, the smoke
dectectors dont ring. Im scared. So I dont go near the kitchen. But then, in the morning
everything looks the same.

EXcept that is, for a lite greenish darkening of the paint at the base of the closet
and when the cats Lester, Hands, and Saul come in for their morning Fancy Feast
breakfast, Lesters hair on his tail feathers stand on end. He looks at us and then
the closet, his eyes glistening. A faint knowing meow passes his lips.

He finishes
his meal, and almost unnoticed a large green feather falls from the whiskers on
the left side of his face.

by Joe B.

Award Night Wednesday

Folks,know are in the media biz whether they be top flight professionals, retired,or just beginning to learn what its all about.

There are stressful times when your day doesn’t end because your job does.

A major story turns guppy,minor ones becomes huge and the vacation for you alone or the family that was planned weeks maybe months in advance all of it shot to… you get the meaning.

No family have I except for mother, brother,sister -in-law her relatives now related by marriage.

You see Wednesday’s is almost my one day off to decompress,get away from radio,video/dvd, or reading,hearing what happening around this floating multi color gemlike mud-ball floating in space.

Usually,I sleep late, shower,then volunteer a Glide Memorial making safe hygiene,kits for people dealing with drug addiction,or male and female condoms for safe sex to prevent spreading the HIV/AIDS virus but my supervisors Willie,David, would more up on this they’ve been at it going into communities all over the city for three years

I’m just glad to help in my small way.

When lunch time arrives its either stand in line at Glide or be in St. Anthony’s line this time there’s baked and boiled chicken with potatoes and gravy,broccoli,water with wheat or white bread.

The line is short so there’s a second serving for me I could’ve gone for a third helping but other people need it more so its up five flights of stairs [the elevator is being fixed it’ll take a few weeks.]

I’d see a movie or sleep,get up to practice Salsa dancing before going to Glides Prayer Circle.

After that take an F bus or any bus going to Fisherman’s Wharf then quickly walk to Pier 23 at Embarcadero San Francisco, Ca.

Pier 23 is I go the free Salsa dance lessons from Mr. Fred Flores and his dance instructor’s helping multi thumbed and clay footed folks as I with dance steps.

It feels great relearning dance again with lovely and willing instructors women/men and other ladies too now if I could perspire less but really wanting to be a competent partner for any woman dancing with me plus heat causes it guess going to other clubs would help.

All the above explains why I value being away from my media driven-non profit-job at times.

I do my volunteer work, had lunch, slept instead of seeing a movie provided the C.H.P.[San Christina Housing Project.]

Anyway,there’s this vanilla card "You’re Invited"

Join us to help honor our Catholic Campaign for Human Development Funded Groups

Folks,its my Wednesday -do-good-deed-movie or sleep-Glide Prayer Circle, and Salsa dance night with many lovely ladies.

Usually the mother/ daughter,genetically connected Dee and Lisa Gray would be up there talking about how they’re struggle began and continues to this day.

I go after explaining to the prayer group why I must flee to the Archdiocese of San Francisco.

On time with other people there waiting for the photo electric eye on the sides of the door to let us in.

We’re in and I have to say there in an array of food,pastries,dip,wine, water,and apple cider in a wine like bottle.

Lots of baby carrots, celery,broccoli,cookies, and foods I can pronounce but not spell properly.

Ms. Melanie Piendak is a bubbly,shapely,full figured young woman who with help set up the reception for the organizations honored and spoke slowly,clearly,so that multi linguistic-ly diverse people are translated so all could understand,first in English then translated to other languages.

Others followed her lead in the slow clear speech.

I and other people accepted awards for those who could not be here to accept them themselves.

I hand out my cards, explain what we do and helped with garbage can placement and removal of some trash on the floor.

It was a pleasant event and worth missing one dance night but don’t want to make a routine of it.

Besides Poor Magazine Inc.,The Chinese Progressive Association, San Francisco,ACORN, Myanmar Community Of Unified States Of America, Inc,and Senior Action Network.

After the awards people ate,drank,talked,handed out business cards and announced dates for up coming events.

May all the organizations keep doing their best to help people as we have and we link up to other organizations and continue improving the horizons for many.


Donations C/0 Poor Magazine

1448 Pine Street #205

San Francisco, CA 94103

Email: askjoe@poormagazine.org

by Joe B.

The Have None’s

There levels of being houseless some people have experienced them all from mental illness with self medicating proscription drugs to habitual drug addiction.

Everyone has a bottom once reached we either crawl or walk away from the gaping abyss or fall further into maybe dying in the process.

Luckily my shallow bottom was having nowhere to stay while writing, being dirty,and getting colds I knew if I kept floating among the shelters in Oakland, Berkeley,and San Francisco one day I’d be so sick my body would finally reach its breaking point and death would claim me.

Other houseless, working poor individuals and families went through more before finding their havens.

The worst level is battling these addictions a once drugs,booze, gambling,and or sex especially the last one can take you off world quicker than walking pneumonia because anyone can be a carrier of HIV or AIDS [Human immunode ficiency Virus/Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome ] see not feel,be sick,or show symptoms of have the disease.

Then there’s former lover’s who’ve become sick,dying,or have died from HIV/AIDS opportunistic infections that would have been normally shrugged off by antibodies inside the human body but now not only weakens the bodies own defense systems but turns it against itself.
Immuno-deficiency.

Luckier me a second time because of being not particularly strikingly handsome though my equipment was on standby and at-the-ready my lady friends.

I didn’t stray to much and I was always clean because of being monogamous with her only being literally deathly afraid of catching the virus from women in weak one-night stand moments. (Ok,it happened once! ) I’m clear of that as my screenings are negative.

So knowing about sexual Russian roulette my brain kept my helmet sheathed, protected, and celibate.

I disliked being celibate for weeks,months at a time, ball sacks full of sperm with fisting the only safe release option.

That’s why those cyber stories in chat rooms both helped and hurt.

It helped to remember blending fantasy and reality but after such vivid imagery my body responded and it’s a long tortured walk home down Polk Street especially with made up men in women’s clothes and natural ones looking for customer’s.

I’m no superman but between quick death by freezing,heatstroke,being, or murdered in the streets dangerous sex from one night stands men/women (women for me) I’d rather jerk myself staying alive than be a jerk dying either fast or a slow painful disease ridden death.

The thing about having little or no money is you may as well not look at a woman and want her if you cannot take care you own needs.

I chose not to be with one,find shelter,job, learn a few things before dating and being intimate again.

Now that I have a job, apartment,I’m still leery about sex but I know women are just as concerned as I so its always "Show ‘em updated test results before anything and be honest about past sex life.

For me now I’m ready to be porn films as a participant making up for the years of no sex
knowing that they take better care of them selves and aren’t as wild an industry as once thought but how does a lazy eyed, stocky,low wage,short black guy with working equipment get into the porn business? What kind of tests does it take,and lastly if I have the stamina to stay up, maintain an erection?

I think of maintain, enjoy ask what she wants/ needs and continue light,feathery to heavy strokes she'll tell me when she's done with me.

Maybe I’ll get into message and join a legitimate business or be on a cruise ship.

But all of the above trumps being houseless, seeing,without touching females and aching to touch and be touched by them.

Being homeless taught me more values of life and people and if there were any homosexual tendencies they would’ve come out by now.

In jail a bigger, stronger man can rape or kill you,out free in the street its on you to stay alert to survive its all up to you to choose death or life.

That’s why I say I’m hopelessly hetero doomed to like,and love women, though most may never see me that way all I ever needed is one but until that one arrives I’ll be enjoying the sight,smell, taste,feel,conversations of my feminine half.

To everyone have a safe Thanks Giving and watch out for the extra weight.

I like and adore normal well developed fem form, if its not healthy scale back on the goodies, oh-I’m sorry,to me you’re all THE GOODIES.



Donations C/0 Poor Magazine

1448 Pine Street #205

San Francisco, CA 94103

Email: askjoe@poormagazine.org

by Leroy Moore

Brown gave birth to a wealthy White man, Gavin Newsom

like father like son

holding homeless people as political ransom

Running on oppressive propositions

eight years of sweeping out the brown & yellow men &

women

a Republican in Democratic skin

Green lining their pockets

campaign promises don't make it

into working class & poor people's Christmas

stockings

Make room for a 3rd party

busting up the old dusty monopoly

Matt G speak to me

The two party machine

has many walking around like robots

father and son planted a virus on the ballot

Prop N & M

Gavin Newsom still playing in Brown's shoes

can't produce an independent thought

Clang, clang

Champagne glass in one hand

silver spoon in his mouth

December's runoff

Will kick this dysfunctional family

Out of office

Newsom has an identity crisis

he should be running to the Wizard of Oz

cause he has no heart, soul or brain

Can't understand why Newsom has no respect

for people of color

oh! Cause he was raised by uncle Tom in Uncle

Sam's house

Using daddy's brown costume

to trick his father's loyal followers

like father like son, only seeing big green bucks

Amos Brown, Cecile Williams & the African American

Democratic club

file behind the Man

who hit the jack pot with the race card

San Fran recovering from a conservative, capitalist

creature

dot coms, gentrification & eviction

all happen under Brown administration

The revolution was on

activists & liberal roots

grew on the Board of Supervisors

Taking over City Hall

and the police commission

aiming for room 200

Get off the fence

put your pride aside

push Newsom & his policies-out-of bounds & on the

bench

Money swells in his pocket

while his head is empty

his promises make no sense

Polished & slick

Newsom has no substance

Matt Gonzalez has a compus

to keep the campaign on the right track

away from personal attacks and straight to the facts

A migration of low-income people

but now the tide is turning

with a living-wage ornament

Mother-nature & humanity has a chance

to work together in unity

with the green party

The ultimate balance

take a glance

leave the Brown machine

Go to the polls

Cast your vote

Toss father & son in the Bay with no boat

Like father like son

Bullshit don't float

On Dec. 9th father & son will be going down slow

by Joe B.

2nd Thoughts On Perfect Jobs


Careers; tricky are the ways some define,take apart,and in a few cases can end ones life.

Most of my life I’ve had the dream of the perfect job where I didn’t have to do much,have time to be creative so I could read, write,while getting a paycheck every week or two.

It hasn’t worked out that way at all from Construction,Custodial, Lab/Librarian’s aid, Security Guard,Cooks Helper in the Oakland Unified School System, selling solar heat equipment,to Warehouseman, H.H.A./C.N.A Home Health Aide/Certified Nurses Aide,Dietary Aide
and House-sitter to name a few occupations over the years.

That was before becoming a houseless, jobless,non entity living in the streets or in shelters.

Thank fate for room and board from another guy named Joe and his kind wife their shelter was my sanctuary in L.A. and after then The Salvation Army or Sally’s.

At that same time some sick, twisted, individual or group were having their fun slashing homeless folk sleeping in near by ally ways I can still hear screams of help.

Anytime,anywhere,it could have been my turn as the next unsuspecting victim under a knife!

Everyone assumed it to be a man doing few thought of it as a woman and yet females equal in their anger,rage,and disgust easily could’ve done it too especially if they are pretty lure a poor guy away tempting him with more than food and when he’s sleeping sounding- quick,hard,stabs, slashing,and inaudible gurgling as the victim chokes and drowns in his own blood draining our of him.

I don’t know if this sicko was ever found?

‘Um, photography, painting,silk screening, writing stories,columns, and using computers and working with the internet followed yet house-sitting seem the perfect job,or writing columns a few times a week.

What really got me thinking was the lucky stiffs and I mean lucky for those guys working in the porn film industry.

I know about the late John Homes,Long Dong Silver,Savannah,Linda Lovelace and many more unknown to me.

After learning about dead porn stars dying by accidental drug overdoses, misadventures,murder,and suicides made me reevaluate the skin flick business.

Even though I have endurance along with RE [retarded ejaculation] my body and lazy eye would keep a few women from enjoying their scenes even though I’d be up for it knowing that made it less appealing.

I’ll learn the physical and therapeutic art of massage so if the housesit doesn’t work out I’ll have a real hands on job and though I have small hands and have been told they are pleasing and comfortable women’s skin.

My rear was another problem or so I thought until I realized it’s a genetic gift of genes hand down by ancestors,and forefathers to me – who am I to disparage something nature gave me I like ‘em on women they might like it on me besides that having a firm,round ass to be gripped,touched, fondled,poked,is find as long as nails are cut short;a reddened scratched bleeding back in one thing but bloody bottom cheeks I can do without.

So the porn biz as on camera stud star is out maybe behind it,writing scripts,or distribution is what works from me. People,situations,life, all of it changes and so do dreams of the moment when one cannot be realized others take their place.

May be some of my online buds in/out of that it know how it all works but I’d sure like to know if I had what it takes to be in a film or two immortalized on video or dvd formats.

"Joe, your lucky you weren’t killed way back when the Slasher was out and about cutting faces, throats, and bellies.

A wise woman said to me once.

Thinking back angels, friends,and strangers have watched over me.

Also all those women, guys,floating around in cyber space chat rooms, again thanks for all your support,friendship while in those myriad voiced-rooms.

Sometimes I went far trying to tare thru the thin online user/screen names membrane for a real date in real space with a fully fleshed out female and I apologize for putting everyone through that (onliners in chat rooms know of what I speak.

For those celebrating Thanks Giving,Christmas, Kwanza,and New Years may the coming month and after be blessed,safe,and rewarding for you all and for those whom this is but an ordinary day may your days to be long and full of good tidings and the best of great times.

I’ve got to go, get ready for KPFA’s Radio show PNN- P oorN ews Network, Dance or drop-in at Pier 23 but be in bed early dang it, see Alcatraz early on Thanks Giving for prayer celebration,then zip over on Bart to visit mama with at her new place for a Turkey and fixin’s dinner.

I still want to housesit now to see about being bonded.

Well,by folks save, wicked days,and nights to all.


Donations C/0 Poor Magazine

1448 Pine Street #205

San Francisco, CA 94103

Email: askjoe@poormagazine.org

by Staff Writer

An excerpt from the Introduction...

"This book is for all women who are in positions of power, who are not assertive but strong in order to handle any situation brought their way. To these women I say - Never give up. Thats's what "they" want you to do..."

by Staff Writer

B-tro

I was born up in eighty-six after my dad was stabbed to death for some shady shit but I guess that’s life in the dirty south losing your pops over bull shit before you’re old enough to speak out your mouth what the hell are people about how the fuck you going to kill some body bringing home a pay check who ever did this I wish I could see them hung by theyre neck It seems like even from an earlier age I don’t get no respect then I went from Ft. Lauderdale to the Bay where I learned to spit some ill shit and have everybody listen to what you gotta say Ive come sort of a long way from losing friends to bullets to losing friends to heart attacks to hittin the ganja tree till my lungs damn near collapse shrubbing off pain to envious niggas tryin to stomp my ass in vain and my for the rest of my family that’s hard to explain so Ill save that for some other info matter of fact fuck a intro this a B-tro.

by Staff Writer

"Now the God unites with his Goddess
Like relatives of negative and positive
It can be electric when you attract the opposite

Their conquest of melodic octaves is harmonic cosmology
Acknowledging positive honesty promising progress constantly

They relocate to an oasis and meditate
Within their special place
Engaged face to face
Faithfully embracing as their souls mate

Showing reflections of affections
With deep breaths connected in romantic tantric sex
Within their minds resides heaven
Blessed with longevity she’s pregnant
Now they shall achieve their dreams
Breathing, smiling, and singing safe and sound
While they’re royal flower child succeeds on soil that’s fertile"

by Staff Writer

Editors Statement

“ I believe, and teach that all writing about poverty should be first person narrative. It should be exciting, cinematic, seductive,
grabbing the reader’s interest down to the last word.’’

-- Dee Gray,
Editor, The Scholarship of Poverty
Co-editor, POOR Magazine