Daughter of abuse victim uses poetry to make sense of life

Aylisha Brown has been writing poems since age 16, when she found it the best way to make sense of her crazy world.

One of her first poems was included in a news story about her mother, Crystal Brown - a narrative of tragedy and triumph - published in The Inquirer in 2006.

It was then that Aylisha learned that her biological father was also her grandfather, that her mother had long been abused by her father, and that that relationship had caused the progressive genetic disease leaving Aylisha in a wheelchair.

Aylisha is now 23, with a degree from Community College of Philadelphia and a self-published book of her poetry. She will read two poems Saturday at 8 p.m. at the iMPeRFeCT Gallery, 5601 Greene St. in Germantown.

The collection is titled Unpowetik Powems. Aylisha dedicates the book to her mother and also to her "faux father," Evan Brockington, who wanted to marry Crystal when she was 17, who had no idea of the abuse that was occurring, and who, as Aylisha writes, has "always been there [for me] as a father figure and if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have had the courage to publish this book."

The iMPeRFeCT Gallery was opened six months ago by Renny Molenaar, who says its focus has been "artists who are not trying to mainstream themselves."

The featured artist at the opening Saturday is Baron Roane, who lives with Crystal Brown and her family. Roane, a teacher of sign language at Temple University, collects recycled items, used to run a small antiques store, and has long been creating art - paintings and sculptures - from things headed for the trash.

"The criteria for my art is it has to be something that was discarded," he said. "Junk, I love junk. And rust. If it's not rust, I'll make it rust."

He loved Aylisha's poems, too, and showed them to Molenaar, who invited her to read at Roane's opening. Molenaar also plans to host a book party for her next month, and hold a gallery show next spring for her brother, Christopher, who suffers from the same genetic illness for the same reasons, and who loves to draw.

The poems are about love and longing and loss.

Why does she write?

"I can't help myself."

Here's part of a poem, "The Story of My Life":

Am I to become the boldest, or shall I remain as I am?

While I'm left quivering in the corner, you're living your life as you planned.

I am scared out of my mind, praying that you would look my way.

I take on the role of the wallflower, dreaming of the unborn day.

I glance your way, and then I glance at the clock.

My wish is for you to hear me, but all I hear is tick tock.

When I dream of the future, I see you and me.

When I take in the scene around me, I know that could never be.

at 215-854-5639, mvitez@phillynews.com,