Historias de Poverty

Volume twenty-one. A collection of poetry. A variety of topics will be covered. Sarcasm and sadness. Natural and digital but never digitally artificial. Nothing uplifting. Some revisions from past volumes will be within. No AI herein. No AI ever.

Kenny McCormick is 16 and is the poorest kid in South Park, but he loves his 6 year old sister, Karen and he protects her as the mysterious hero of the night, Mysterion. But not everything is that simple, Mysterion has secrets older than time itself and he's not too willing to share them, but maybe he'll share them when the time is right. This South Park story is full of mystery, love of family, tragedy, and secrets that will finally be found out

'The Weight I Chose'* ₦15,700,000. That's what my brother's life costs. That's what I don't have. These are the pages I wrote between loan applications and prayers. Between "I would do anything" and "what if anything isn't enough?" For Ena. Always for Ena. *Poems from THE FAULT IS NOT IN OUR STARS* ©️ Copyright 2026 Chelsea Maya Victory Johnson ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without the prior written permission of the copyright owner, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

"One reckless night. Two shattered dreams. A future neither of them planned." 💘 Synopsis: For Ashray Clevrell, graduation day was supposed to be the first step toward a contract abroad-his only ticket to lifting his single mother and younger brother out of poverty. For Dawn Aezel Dewspring, earning her degree meant finally securing a stable job to ease the heavy financial burdens weighing on her humble family. Neither of them planned on their paths crossing. But a chaotic post-graduation celebration, a foolish clash of ego, and a tragic mix-up at the bar lead to an intoxicated ride in the back of a midnight taxi. When morning breaks in a unfamiliar motel room, two complete strangers realize they've made an irreversible mistake. Promising never to speak again, they attempt to return to their separate lives-until a positive test strip shatters their clean slate. Driven by tradition, pride, and strict family values, Ash and Dawn are forced to face a reality most couples run away from. Bound by a quiet civil marriage and thrown into a tiny, run-down rental house with empty pockets and a leaking roof, two young hearts must navigate the harsh realities of poverty, accountability, and unexpected parenthood. Can a romance born out of regret turn into something real, or will the weight of the world tear them apart before they even begin? ____ Written on July 20, 2026! By AerixielDaiminse

***Embargo*** is a memoir about what happens when a girl is denied nearly everything she needs to become whole-and builds herself anyway. Rejected by her family, ostracized by her peers, alienated from her community, and repeatedly failed by the adults responsible for protecting her, Giselle Harris grew up without consistent love, comfort, safety, or belonging. Her happiness made other people uncomfortable. Her confidence was treated like defiance. Her sensitivity, creativity, and difference were used against her. So she created her own world. Through imagination, fashion, art, education, ambition, and sheer refusal, Giselle transformed deprivation into vision. The discomfort she endured became the foundation of her taste. The isolation that was meant to break her became the space where she learned to think independently. The people who tried to make her feel insignificant unknowingly gave her the hunger to become accomplished, educated, creative, and impossible to erase. Told through memories rather than strict chronology, *Embargo* explores childhood neglect, poverty, family trauma, Black womanhood, generational suffering, identity, creativity, and the lifelong pursuit of softness after a life built around survival. This is not only the story of what was done to her. It is the story of what she built afterward. How does someone build an empire when she is denied every import-love, kindness, protection, consistency, opportunity, and peace? She learns to manufacture everything herself.

Mary Kristel Climaco - a girl who always worries about the future. Each day, she faces the weight of responsibilities and the fear of what lies ahead. Amidst the chaos of school, family struggles, and her own silent battles, someone unexpectedly enters her life - someone who makes her heart feel both lighter and heavier at once. But can she handle the tides of life and love at the same time? Or will the pressure of reality drown the feelings she's trying so hard to hold on to?

BEHIND Behind D. J. Labra's Smiles Everyone knew De J. Labra as the cheerful boy-the one who smiled often, laughed with friends, respected his teachers, and never seemed to give up. But no one knew what was hidden behind that smile. Born into a poor family in Barangay Nabulao, Sipalay City, D.J. grew up surrounded by hardship, sacrifice, and responsibility. As a child, he experienced embarrassment, loneliness, and separation from his mother, who left home to work so her children could have a better future. As he grew older, he faced bullying, self-doubt, family conflict, academic struggles, and the painful feeling of being overlooked despite giving his best. Behind his cheerful personality, D.J. quietly carried questions about himself, his future, and the meaning of hope. Yet even when life seemed unfair, he refused to let pain define who he would become. BEHIND is an emotional coming-of-age novel inspired by true experiences. It is a story about family, resilience, friendship, dreams, and the courage to keep moving forward-even when no one sees the battles you fight inside. Because sometimes... The strongest people are the ones who smile while carrying the heaviest burdens.

A sequel to 'Beneath the Beads.' Hearts, secrets, and first loves collide in the Dalindyebo household. Between laughter and chaos, the next generation discovers that growing up is messy but love is everything

It's 1983, and Celia Harris has spent all thirteen years of her life feeling like a burden - the hand-me-down clothes, the forced haircuts that made her look like a boy, a mother who kept her on the tightest of reins. Then her father dies, and everything shifts at once. Her mother goes to work. Money appears from somewhere no one will name. And Celia is pulled out of the only life she's known into a world of old family wealth, quiet secrets, and half-truths about who she really is and where she came from. But safety comes with its own questions. Why did her father really die? Who's been paying for everything all these years? And why does everyone seem to know more about her family than she does? All Celia ever wanted was to grow her hair out, choose her own clothes, and finally live for herself. What she gets is the truth - one buried secret at a time. A coming-of-age story set in the 1980s: surviving abuse, uncovering family lies, and slowly learning to trust. Peppered with clean, slow-burn first love. ***Content warning: this story depicts child abuse.***

Ray is eighteen, homeless, and living in a tent. Last night someone broke in. There's still blood on her sleeping bag. He's in jail. Today, an alien saves her life. But, when he takes her hand, she finds out she's been chosen for something bigger than survival-a war spanning 13 galaxies. And if she doesn't marry him, the one who rescued her, they'll both die, because their minds linked. But Ray knows a secret nobody else does: the final battle isn't the end. There are two other evil men coming, and the bad guys already know she's a threat. This time, she won't have the element of surprise. This time, there's no guarantee anyone wins. Trigger Warning: Homelessness, violence, parental estrangement space opera, first contact, intergalactic war.

From the Bronx is a powerful story of survival, motherhood, heartbreak, healing, and hope. It is a reminder that the strongest people are not those who have never fallen, but those who rise every single time life knocks them down.

Three strangers, one bar, one hot December afternoon. Andrew is failing Philip is broke Sinora has secrets When the sun goes down, they decided to share their stories about who is ruining their lives. Everyone has an enemy, but it is a different foe for different folks.

The Land of Sirens An African Novel Nigeria is a land of dreams, but behind every dream lies a battle. A determined journalist risks everything to expose the truth. A compassionate nurse struggles to save lives in a broken healthcare system while fighting to keep her own family together. In the North, a young farmer must choose between hope and survival as insecurity threatens everything he loves. Though their paths have never crossed, their lives are connected by a country battling corruption, loss, injustice, and resilience. As secrets unravel and impossible choices are made, each of them will discover that courage comes at a price-and sometimes, the greatest battles are the ones no one sees. The Land of Sirens is a gripping African novel about truth, family, sacrifice, hope, and the strength to keep fighting when the odds are against you.

THE LIFE I WASN'T READY FOR "I spent my entire life preparing to be abandoned. I just never learned what to do when someone finally chose to stay." Elara Mae Villareal has one rule in life: Never become a burden. After losing her father at a young age and growing up with a mother who built a new family without her, Elara learns to survive through the kindness of relatives and the tired hands of her grandmother. So she becomes the grateful girl. The quiet girl. The girl who never asks for too much. When her relatives offer to send her to college, Elara accepts the future chosen for her-an Information Technology degree she never dreamed of taking. Because dreams are expensive. And Elara has spent her entire life learning how to need less. But as graduation slowly approaches, one question begins keeping her awake at night. Where will she go when the people helping her decide they have done enough? Then she meets Caelan Reyes. A boy who notices how often she says sorry. A boy who knows when "I'm okay" means the exact opposite. A boy who doesn't promise to save her. He simply refuses to treat her like someone who needs saving. And somewhere between failed codes, cheap coffee, 2 a.m. conversations, first paychecks, unanswered questions, and a mother who returns years too late- Elara begins to wonder if survival is really the only life she's allowed to have. But loving someone is terrifying when abandonment is the first language you ever learned. And before Elara can build a future with anyone else, she must answer the hardest question of all: Who is she when she is no longer living just to be easy to keep? A story about poverty, family, abandonment, dreams we couldn't afford, and the quiet kind of love that doesn't rescue you- but sits beside you while you learn how to rescue yourself. She was never asking for someone to save her. She just wanted to know where home was.

For twenty-two years, Detective Neema Omondi has believed one painful truth: her mother died a drug addict, and her past was buried forever. When a wave of young girls begins disappearing along the Nairobi-Namanga highway, Neema is assigned to investigate a powerful human trafficking network that has operated in the shadows for decades. As the investigation deepens, forgotten case files, buried secrets and a single faded photograph begin to connect her to a past she never knew existed. More than two decades earlier, a courageous young woman named Aisha was willing to sacrifice everything to save her sick mother. One desperate decision led her into the hands of a ruthless criminal empire, changing countless lives forever. As the past and present slowly collide, Neema discovers that justice is no longer just another case-it's personal. Every clue brings her closer to a truth people have spent years ignoring not knowing it's a ticking bomb, and to a man whose identity could destroy everything she believes about herself. MBEGU MBAYA is a gripping Kenyan crime thriller about human trafficking, family, identity, corruption and the enduring power of hope. It is a story that asks one haunting question: Can something beautiful grow from the darkest of beginnings?

'Under The African Sky' is the story of a spirited girl, raised by her grandmother, the last surviving member of her family. Temi marries 'Hon. Samuel Esupofo' to pay the debts her parents owed him before their death. He sponsored her in school till she gave birth to him. Meanwhile, Temi was nothing to him but a slave child. And her daughter too was. Bryan Olumoroti is a successful surgeon and the heir to one of the biggest companies in Abuja. His longtime girlfriend cheated on him, and he'd been single for five years until destiny brought them together. What do you think the Honorable would do about it? What happens when Temi learns he caused her parent's death? How would Temi fight this when Bryan's girlfriend is a witch herself? You wouldn't know until you read. **** Cover Credit 1: @Mitchie_fortune Cover Credit 2: @Kavya Graphics (Thanks a lot for making this awesome book cover for this story. I can't thank you enough.😩💜💜💜)

What happens when a dream is crushed-not by failure, but by poverty? Ananya had only one dream: to become a doctor. She studied day and night, believing that one day she would wear a white coat and save lives. But before she could even complete her education, life forced her to choose between her dream and her family's survival. She left school. She worked three jobs. She buried her dreams in an old wooden box and learned to smile while hiding her pain. Years later, after marriage, that forgotten wooden box is opened, revealing a story no one ever knew-a story of sacrifice, silent tears, and a girl who gave up everything for the people she loved. "The White Coat She Never Wore" is an emotional journey about broken dreams, family, love, and the quiet strength of a girl who never stopped caring, even after life took away everything she had hoped for. Some dreams remain unfinished... but their stories deserve to be told.

In the heart of Maiduguri and the bustling streets of Abuja, unfolds a tale of love and destiny. Aisha Baba Gana, the daughter of Africa's wealthiest man finds her heart drawn to a humble orphan. Despite their differing backgrounds, Aisha's half-Shuwa, half-British heritage weaves a unique bond between them. Determined to defy societal norms, Aisha embarks on a journey to win the heart of the young man, promising to make him hers against all odds. Follow Aisha and her beloved as they navigate the complexities of love, wealth, and tradition in a story that transcends boundaries and celebrates the power of true love.

Abdul Rasaq had nothing but a dream. Rejected by directors, abandoned by his wife, orphaned by tragedy, and trapped in crushing poverty, he refused to let go of his faith. Day after day, he begged for the smallest acting role, believing that one opportunity could change his life forever. Then the impossible happened. A single movie role turned an unknown actor into the biggest star in the country. Fame, wealth, and influence came faster than he ever imagined. The man who once slept on a bed filled with bedbugs now lived in luxury. But success changed him. He forgot the prayers that carried him through the darkness. He forgot the people who stood by him when he had nothing. Pride replaced humility, and power became his new god. As his arrogance grew, everything he had built began to crumble. His fortune disappeared, his fame faded, and the man who once had the world at his feet found himself back where he started. When success became his greatest test, would Abdul Rasaq find his way back to God, or had he lost everything that truly mattered? A powerful novel about faith, ambition, humility, redemption, and the dangerous cost of forgetting where you came from.

Aristides is the poor son of potters who dreams of becoming a gladiator someday. Ambrosia is a well education and rich girl who wants to escape the arranged marriage that her parents are forcing her into. Discover the world of ancient Romans and the city of Pompeii that was eternally forgotten when a volcano erupted, destroying everyone's lives forever.