Thursday, December 28, 2023

Above: Taishi Neuman is a longtime grassroots leader with CCH, member of the Speakers Bureau and CPS focus group, and participant in the Horizons creative writing program.  Though she was hesitant to write and publicly recite her poetry when she first joined Horizons two years ago, Ms. Neuman now appreciates the power of creative writing. “When you read poetry, it helps you. Because I love it now. I read not only my poetry, I read other people’s poetry.”

Horizons Creative Writing

CCH’s creative writing program Horizons offers creative writing workshops to parents experiencing homelessness who live at family shelters, as well as residents of adult shelters located in Chicago. Horizons was launched in 2007 by Director of Organizing Wayne Richard, a staff member since 2000. Wayne first became involved with CCH as a grassroots leader, when he was living in a West Side shelter that hosted an earlier version of the writing program.

“Everyone has a song to sing,” says Wayne, pointing to pieces written by participants that range from emotional to wistful, hopeful to angry. Most of the writing is “about relationships to someone or to something – the lack of, or need of, or appreciation of relationships.”

Two Horizons poets, Taishi Neuman and Brooklyn Silas, recently showcased their original poetry.

Silas credits her writing ability to her mother’s talents, her brother’s encouragement to rap, and God’s gifts and calliing. Her writing is an outlet, and in her mind, her “poetic justice.” Her poem “Survive the Weather,” featured below and on YouTube, outlines her experiences and hopes for those experiencing homelessness.

Taishi Neuman has been involved with CCH for 11 years as a grassroots leader, as well as participating in the Speakers Bureau and CPS focus group. Poetry has helped her unpack her experience with homelessness and express the words in her heart. Neuman’s poem “Life Journey,” featured above and on YouTube, outlines many of her own experiences.

Above: Brooklyn Silas has been involved with CCH for nearly two years, and she was introduced to Horizons by CCH staff member Claudia Cabrera. Silas is now a part of writing for the National American Writers Museum on behalf of the unhoused, and she says that writing her poetry gives her a sense of fulfillment. “When I think of the color yellow, I think about joy. And I feel like that’s something that the people of Chicago lack a lot is joy, and hope. And I feel like Horizons definitely gives a sense of both of those things,” she says.

The post Showcasing Horizons Poets appeared first on Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.