Neverland

What is love?

Love smells like the common aroma of pastelillos and orange slices

It’s bright flaming fingers from hot fries and all too often granola bar breath

Love sounds like the echoes of bouncing leather when it hits the cement before the screams after it swoosh’s through the net.

It sounds like the creaking of swings, laughing and giggles, common phrases of “you extra” “you’re breath bangs” “break check!” and “strike!”

Love looks like a different world, a world of little artists drawing comic book Picasso’s, the excited sprints of help tag and screaming conversations with no sense of inside voices.

It looks like the bond of friendship and family..

You can’t quite identify love because it has more fingerprints than the sky has stars

But that’s what love feels like, like someone steals it & my heart’s been stolen by so many Peter Pan thieves

It’s covered in hundreds of fingerprints when they took me to Neverland, because where there is love there is Joy and I found Joy in this Modern day Neverland.

Where the lost boys and girls were elementary Einstein’s and middle school conquerors.

Who daily battled captain hook’s army wanting them to stop dreaming and grow up too fast. Because when these Tinkerbell's lose their pixie dust they stop flying and when the peter pan’s  lose their shadow they don’t know who to follow.

So sometimes hooks shadow’s of deception crept in, causing Tinkerbell’s and peter pan’s to fight & causing tension b/w me and the lost boys.

But love looks like hope because when we found ourselves tied up w/ hooks rope of misunderstanding and stubbornness, the Hope of Peter Pan would set him and Tink free to save us before anyone walked the plank of surrender.

So I found love daily sailing in the ship through the city streets to this Neverland’s urban islands of Camp Grace and Camp Peace.

Love is there,

All the faces that pass through, are still framed pictures in my mind

And if each face were dusted for fingerprints they would be covered with God’s

We found love in a hopeful place

Where headphones bump, basketballs bounce, feet run, smiles shine, tears may come, but laughter echoes throughout

Love is Tony, Tat & Xavier’s sketches

The street leaders humor

Garrett’s goofyness

John’s comedic relief

Sha'rons tears n smiles

Taijan's kisses 

And the bond of family

Love is in each of you, the Tinkerbell's Peter Pan's & Lost Boys of Camp Grace & Camp Peace, look each other in the eyes and take note of the light you see.

A light of love is found in each of you so when you’re together it makes the rainbow after the storm

Winds of lies and pain will try to blow it out, so stick together and protect each other.. guarding the lights in each of you

For even though you’re different you've found a common place, this Neverland where you are family, the house of Camp Peace the house of Camp Grace, the house of God

God is in you, and if God is love, then you are love.. So What is Love? 

Love is you: Yasiria, Danielle, Hector, Naji, Randy, Bebo, Shaina, Ciara, Jose, Joseph, Javier, Iridian, Lavar, Adamiriz, Alexandria, Lemuel, Kelvin, Xavier Rivera, Giovanna, Giovanni, Kevviyonne, Shamika, Egypt, Toni, Marcos, Josh R., Chupi, Tatiana, Xavier Ruiz, Nadiah, Peanut, Tyleek, Kyle, Tyannie, Joseph, Joshua, Merv, Ashley, Kayla, Keylin, Equasia, Sapphire, Lilly, Shakeyra, Lulu, Miracle, Braheem, Anthony, Christina, Victoria, John, Gianni, Kharon, Ronald, Dashonda, Shermirah, Tyerah, William, Ajai, Hector, Quadir, Jimmira, Saprina, Tasean, Jasnasha, Jasmine, Taijan, Marionna, NayNay, Dominique, Nyelle, Marquan, Tashon, Matthew, Shamarrah, Gregory, Isaiah, Jayline, Timmere, Fabien, Leighasia, Ashton, Tatianna, Rahmir, Raken, Deshonn, Davion, Jimmyra, Natalia, Julian, Makiya, Sha'ron, Tauhid, Jahsir, Lizmarie, Michael, Janiyah, Braheem, Taheem, Divine, Adeja, Jide, Vic, Rich, Chiina, Jose, Nildaly, Dora, Garrett, Vannessa, Mike, Christine, Lisa, Brooke, Julie, Gabbi, Charleston, Mike, Delialih, Michelle, Tavy,Adam, Tianna, Tamaya, Gabby, Jasmine.