The Beat Within is a weekly publication of writing and art from inside juvenile halls in the San Francisco Bay Area (www.thebeatwithin.org). It is the product of workshops held weekly in the detention facilities. In an August workshop, a suggested topic was "The Beach." Here is some of what came in. We thank the contributors, David Inocencio, director of The Beat Within, and Pacific News Service, its sponsor.

Lonely Taz
remember when it was just
me and you mom
right after dad's funeral last year
we went to the beach
in half moon bay
we climbed on rocks and
picked up sea shells
you told me story's about my dad
and how he knew he was going
to die when he was 38
and how he loved you and me
even though he was an
alcoholic at the age of 14
and was murdered just to get a sip
you hugged me I cried
not scared to show my emotions inside
I love you mom forever

Al-Bundy
I ain't really got nothin' to say 'cause I don't think I really been to a beach, but I imagine it like white sand, hella females in bikinis. I think it's hot as hell out there, just kicked back an' enjoying the weather. I don't know that much so I'm 'bout to let y'all go. I'm out.

A
I love going to the beach. The way the mist hits your face; it's the best feeling in the world.

Sara
It was September and I went to San Francisco with my ex-boyfriend (at the time we were together), we played in water and walked hand in hand while the sun set. Unfortunately I conceived my child (or misconceived) that day. But if I were older it would have been the perfect end to the perfect day.

Furly Gurly
I have very fond memories of the beach. I use to go there when my auntie stayed up in the projects. I used to collect the sand dollars and use them as pancakes in my play kitchen (because they're circle shaped).

One of my favorite drinks is a sex on the beach.

Dominique
It was on January 30th. Me and my one love decided that we would go to the lovely beach, and get the drama off our heads. Away from all the shhh and the crying kids . . . .

Gilbert
I've only gone to the beach once or twice. It was in California but I don't know the name of the beach. I remember when I went there but it was hella long ago. I can't wait to go back to the beach when I get out. I'm going camping with my family and I can't wait.

John Doe Juggalo
See, I don't go to the beach. The beach, to me, is my music--the Insane Clown Posse!

It lets me escape from the people around me and the things that I don't like in life, so I can think about good things, like--myself, my mom into a drug program, and my loving dad that was always there!

Anthony
I used to go to the beach with friends and family to get away from a lot of stuff I don't really want to deal with. I never went in too far, because I was always worried about the sharks, and I can't swim too good. I would just go to kick it and talk to a few girls, drink a little, smoke a little bit.

When I finish camp I should go on a regular basis, because it keeps me out of trouble and I still have fun. It's just gonna be hard to stay out because I'm on probation till I'm twenty-two. I'm gonna get a job and go to Great America and Six Flags too.

DeAndre
Let me tell y'all something. Where I'm from we don't do beaches. Better believe I'm from da ghetto homie. I was raised on guns and bologna. Dat shhh right there. I can see the ocean water from da 'hood, but if I go to da beach I am going to be on the straight licks.

But I always wanted to go back to the beach and just look at the water. Dat a trip I always wanted to go, but what stop me, I don't know.

Uce-b
I like and don’t like the beach. The reason I like the beach is because I love to see me just sittin’ there lookin’ at the girls that play in the water and chasin’ each other. I also sit there lookin’ at the bomb-ass moms that lay there.

But the most thing I like about the beach is looking at the water waves comin’ and the sand and just like having the sound of the ocean, and also looking at the sun reflecting off the water. I also liked the smell of the stinky, sour, salty, infested, polluted, expired water. It also a fun place to be with family, friends, for barbeque and birthday parties and other fun stuff. I’ve been to a lot of beaches.

The reason I don’t like the beach is because when I swim--now let me tell you, I’m a pretty good son-of . . . a-swimmer--but look, check this out. I can swim, but I’m like a rock. The reason I say rock is because I can swim but I can’t float. I even almost drowned in the ocean 'cause I thought if you want to float, you have to hold your breath. I even hold my breath when only the water is up to my ankles. That’s how scared I was of swimming in oceans. I was so scared that if I touch my toes I hold my breath as if I’m under water. But still I like
it . . . even though I don’t.

Adrian
I love going to the beach. I like to go to the beach with my family and swim, barbeque and just have fun. I really like to go to the beach with my homies at night and have a bonfire. We like to chill and smoke and drank. What I also like 'bout the beach is the sunset. It’s so beautiful! I love going with my girl. She loves the beach. We can sit there for hours and get lost in our little world. I would like to go to Brazil and visit the nude beaches.

The Grinch
I have many beach memories. They are all so good, but each one has its categories: family, friends, girls, etc. I think my favorite of all and the one I think about whenever I think of the beach is a recent one, only a couple of weeks before I ended up in this place.

We just met up with my brother’s best friend and he was like another older brother to me. My brother’s pit bull named Cali was there also. We were just about to leave for the beach, so we stopped off at the Bungalo to get some wraps and forties.

It was not the best weather out, sort of overcast, but it was a great day to me. Ever since I was little, spending time with my brother has made me happy, and it always will. I am looking forward to another day just like this one once I get out.

Crackhead
I hate the beach because the water’s dirty. It’s ugly. People hangin’ 'round . . . and I had a bad experience too. Probably 'cause I was high.

Starr
I love the beach 'cause the one that I go to, not a lot of people know about it. I also love it 'cause you can have bonfires there without getting bothered at all. People go there and get drunk and smoke and people lay around naked all around and boogie board. Everyone that goes stays late night and when the sun sets there are fireworks all night, every night, for no reason.

Patricia
Sometimes okay most the time I daydream and I could picture myself alone with my man on a nude beach. Nah, just playing. But for real I would really like to do something romantic like going to a sunset dinner and a walk at the beach. But that was just my imagination running away again.

A-Lo
Was up Beat? It’s Tank writing to you about how there’s nothing better than to chill at the beach on a nice warm summer day. You have to wake up early in the morning and get everything ready. Buy some B-B-Q coals some carne asada.

The night before have my grandma make me some Mexican rice and frijoles de la hoya. Buy some tortillas . . . oh yeah, and you can’t forget the brew. Tecate will do you good.

Go swoop the homies up in Hollister and the females. And we’re on our way. Usually we’ll go to Sunset Beach over in the 831 area. because they allow you to barbeque there. But sometimes we’ll go to Lover’s Point in Monterey. That’s a beautiful beach. Oh yeah, one of the best parts of going to the beach are those bikinis, que no?

Well this G is out.

Anna
The beach is the perfect place to go when it’s just you and the one you love have a romantic dinner by candlelight, watching the sunset, even when you want to take a boat cruise and scuba diving. The beach is a place to relieve your thoughts.

A place to kick off your shoes, walk in the sand and wet your feet. Long horseback riding along the coast, taking your kids to play in the sand, making sand castles, looking for sea shells and other sea animals. The beach is a place where everyone goes to enjoy their self. The beach is a place where I’ll take my kids when I get out. The beach!

At Peace
I pulled up to the beach front. It was a muggy night, and though I hadn’t been in the water, my swim shorts were soaked through with sweat. I smelled of sunscreen lotion. The air smelled thick and salty.

I approached the water cautiously, though I didn’t know why. From afar, the ocean looked crimson from the sunset, but upon approaching the water itself, I gasped! The water which had been colored crimson from the sunset, was now neon-yellow--and glowing! I tried to run, but before I turned to do so, a brilliant golden flash shook the ground beneath me.

I froze, stock still, and gazed in awe at what stood--no, at what floated--before me. A spectacle which I would never have conceived in my wildest imagination: the leaders of World War II, right there in front of me. I rubbed my eyes, but the spectacle was still there: President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Benito Mussolini, Joseph Stalin and the führer of Germany, Adolph Hitler. (To be continued.)

Rook Nasty
I can’t even remember the last time I went to the beach. I’ve been in and out of the hall and Ranch for almost a year and a half. But this time I am getting off probation and I am not coming back. I’ll be at the beach.