Writers Corner: Maria Mears and Sylvia Drzewiecki
While watching the TV news earlier this year, Sylvia Drzewiecki and Maria Mears, two friends and individuals who participate in UCPLA’s Washington Place Adult Day Program, both saw the same alarming story: children were being separated from their families at the southern US border and detained in facilities not fit for human habitation.
“Little babies…put in cages,” recalls Maria, who soon began to discuss the issue with her neighbor Sylvia, who was likewise “very perturbed” by the images and stories. The two friends and collaborators had a similar feeling about what was going on, and they decided to work together to bring attention to the issue. Enter the Writers’ Group at Washington Place, a collaboration of UCPLA-a_ liated writers who have been writing, workshopping, and editing pieces together for over a year. Sylvia and Maria were both part of the Writers’ Group, and together decided that they would co-write a poem dealing with the subject in order to express their anger and frustration.
The issue of frustration and the imagery of cages resonated particularly strongly with Sylvia, who at the time was unable to physically attend the Washington Place program as a result of a wheelchair malfunction. Feeling trapped by her broken wheelchair, Sylvia wanted to utilize her own experience to advocate for others who were trapped by circumstances beyond their control.
So they got on the phone. With Maria at Washington Place and Sylvia calling in from home, the pair composed their most recent poem “Detainment Camps”, which was then edited by Garrett Caples, editor of City Light Books.
“I was [Sylvia’s] hands,” says Maria of their collaborative process, during which she wrote out ideas as she and Sylvia workshopped the piece over the phone. Though the pair has collaborated before, they hope that their most recent piece conveys both their advocacy for humane treatment at the border and a call-to-action for others who feel outraged by this situation – or any situation – to speak out as well. “I hope this inspires other people to do the same thing,” says Maria.
Detainment Camps by Maria Mears and Sylvia Dizewiecki
It’s disgusting, lying on rocks, on the ground
Little food, little water
Kids are getting sick
Kids are dying
It’s against the will of God
It’s like slavery
The parents aren’t there
It feels like a prison
A place where children lose hope
They’re losing their light each second they’re detained
Their lives are shortened
We want these kids to be free
We have to free these kids
God is alive in all of us
Alive in different ways
Every new child is a new human
Each one of us has a story
Because of my health conditions, I feel confined to my
apt and my bedroom
It’s not only physical, it’s psychological, it’s depression
It’s the feeling of not knowing
Being away from my friends, my community, and where
I would like to be
The longer I stay here the harder it is for me
Detainment for me means I’m closed up in a box
Like after my surgery, doc said 6 months and it felt like forever
It drains you
It’s hard on everyone
It makes you feel you’re alone
You have to have courage because you just don’t know
Renewing hope and strength
Not only my physical but my spiritual and emotional desire
When I was recovering from hip surgery, I felt like a caged animal
I felt like I was in prison
I had to heal my body before I could go out
And these kids aren’t even doing that
They’re stuck behind a wall
Depending on their age and how much they know
These kids will be scarred for the rest of their lives
They are damaged
They need to be reunited with their families
They scream at night for their families
Families don’t know if they are dead or alive
Kids are taking care of kids
How will they grow up?