I said I was going to "mail" this to you...I think my mind is on the
fritz from too much excitement.  Here's the poem:
------

Upon the turning of back to us the young.
        Often will I cast my pen down in cotton picking rage
to catch the attention of
to breath life into
to release the shackel of my
defeat and mouth

        I didn't voluntarily cup my sweaty palms over my eyes.
Blinding myself with salt, but I see nothing.  I do not see my issues
nor do I see me.

        My hands are tightly placed over my ears acting as suction
cups leaving me with only the sound that you would hear on the
emergency sound system, emergency.
I can hear my own chest.  I am deaf to my own issues, deaf to my
peers.

        My hands don't firmly press my lips into my all but perfect
teeth to feel the blood rush to surface and down my throat, but to
stop the nothingness that flows out.  I can say nothing, voice no
words.

        We often hear that we young people of tomorrow are the future
that shines bright.

I've never seen a shiny bright throw/runaway young person.  Living on
the streets by prostitution and/or doing drugs.
Our Numbers are 26%.

I've never witnessed the twinkle in the eyes of young homos who have
just committed suicide.
Our Numbers are 30%.

I've yet at the ripe OLD age of 18 to see the glittering of a bashed,
self-identified lesbian or gay youth.
Our Numbers are 41%.

Our movement is not a waste of time.
While you are fighting for Domestic rights we are desperately fighting
to stay alive.
Support the youth of TODAY
Remember Silence = DEATH

By Prudence Brown, 18, New York City

Trey Harris
--Stranger in a Strange Thread!
-- 
Unitarian Universalists affirm and promote the inherent worth and
dignity of every person and respect the interdependent web of all
existence of which we are a part.  Please ask me about UUism.