Jaszmier Branch, 11, left her imaginary friend Max at home, but spoke about him in a poem Tuesday at a peace rally in Market Square.
"He's alone in a cold, dark world," the Penn Hills girl, clad in an oversize black "Stop the Violence" T-shirt, told a crowd of 250 to 300 people. "I'm begging, please stop the violence."
About 25 youths sang, danced and read poems to promote peace in Pittsburgh as part of the third annual "Silence the Violence" rally sponsored by the MGR Foundation Murals program in the Hill District, which works to end violence by encouraging artistic expression.
Students from Pittsburgh Public Schools filled the square before the rally, hanging "End Violence" signs and making rainbow peace necklaces. Two circles formed around dancers who showed off their moves as hip hop music filled the air.
Branch attends the Holy Rosary School in Homewood, where she hears from friends about the violence in their lives. She said she knows she is blessed with a great family and nice neighborhood, so she uses Max as the inspiration for her poems, stories and songs that center on a darker side.
Her poem related how she sees Max under a tree. Max's mom was executed and his dad was missing. Meanwhile, Branch's biggest worry was writing a poem for the rally. She said she talks to Max about his problems and speaks for him.
As she spoke after reading her poem, she stopped several times, trying to find the right words.
"I feel people should stop what they're doing and see who they are inside," she said. "What they're doing isn't right for the planet."
DeVaughn Hopkins, 15, of East Liberty attended the rally with seven or eight others from a group called Teens Against Senseless Violence, or TASK.
"It's about taking ownership of the neighborhood," he said. "Violence is a problem anywhere you live."
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