NORTHEAST OHIO
​YOUTH OUTLET

Cleveland, Ohio

Poetry by ​Anonymous

after Knoxville, Tennessee by Nikki Giovanni 

I always like summer best
Going to the beach on a hot day
Listening to the birds chirp
The sounds of the waves crashing
The busy traffic up the hill
Walking the busy streets
The soaring buildings
The great water display
The colorful lights
The crowded streets busy with festivities
Assorted cultures about
And it’s all home
Home to me and many.

About the Author
The anonymous author of this piece is a resident at a juvenile detention center in Ohio. Through its Youth Outlet partnership with Writers in Residence, GSR intended to publish “Cleveland, Ohio” under the author’s first name while omitting other identifying details. Just before Issue 9’s launch date, however, a representative from the detention center declined this publishing opportunity, expressing discomfort with the residents’ work being published, even anonymously, and has not provided additional details or explanation. As a result, GSR, with the support of Writers in Residence, decided to publish this piece anonymously. Please see the Issue 9 Editor’s Letter for more information.

About Writers in Residence
Writers in Residence is an Ohio nonprofit that teaches creative writing to youth who are incarcerated to empower their voices and assist in their re-entry into society. Writers in Residence partners with juvenile detention centers in Ohio “to reduce the recidivism rates of our residents and participate in the transformation of the juvenile justice system.”
 
According to the ACLU, nearly 60,000 youth under age 18 in the United States are incarcerated in juvenile facilities. Writers in Residence strives to increase literacy levels, build self-esteem, provide positive peer mentorship, cultivate young writers into published authors, and advocate for youth who are incarcerated in Ohio. Learn more about Writers in Residence here and view a fact sheet here.