AT-RISK YOUTH

At-Risk Youth

Here are 2 DVDs on Therapeutic SOULSPEAK projects.

The first is with pregnant teens using SOULSPEAK to bond with their babies in the womb and after birth.

The second is a project that used SOULSPEAK to give ten year old girls and elderly women a way of expressing their intimate emotions with each other.

Here are two recordings of Therapeutic SOULSPEAK sessions.What you will hear are live spontaneous spoken SOULSPEAK poems by at-risk youth .

BDTC RECORDING

SFMS

The first recording is by inmates (ages 18-19) at the Bradenton Drug Treatment Community. The second is by at-risk students (ages 10-12) at arasota Foundation Middle School..

SOULSPEAK also comes in a written version, called Elementary SOULSPEAK. Page down to see samples from many schools and children

There are many instructional SOULSPEAK manuals you can download free of charge, as well as extensive reports on the use of SOULSPEAK in all types of institutions and schools. Click here to see the list.

THERAPEUTIC SOULSPEAK: AN AIDE TO THERAPY FOR AT-RISK CHILDREN

(AGES 8 - 18)

Therapeutic SOULSPEAK is a revolutionary program that gives at-risk children a positive way to easily express deep, unresolved conflicts and fears. It helps break down the increasing isolation of children, an isolation that often leads to the type of violence seen recently in our nation's schools. Over 4,500 at-risk youth in over 40 schools have participated in SOULSPEAK programs since 1994.

The at-risk populations that have participated include children with dyslexia, ADD, autism, learning disabilities, as well as those with severe anger and emotional problems.

Therapeutic SOULSPEAK taps into the unconscious almost effortlessly and is both healing and cathartic. It is a non-traumatic process that uses the oldest form of poetry, an oral, story-telling poetry, to allow children to easily express their deepest feelings. It is also a poetry that young people find instantly appealing. It is performed in antiphonal fashion (speaker-responder) to slow music, and is learned almost instantaneously by anyone, even slow learners. No previous knowledge of poetry, or even reading and writing is required. The only population that cannot use SOULSPEAK are the moderately and severely retarded. Our experience has shown that a large number of children continue to use SOULSPEAK on their own and even teach it to their parents.

SOULSPEAK is healing in nature for both speakers and listeners and has been proven to dramatically increase self-esteem, self-awareness and, because of SOULSPEAK's unique communal nature, empathy for others. The poems spoken out in Therapeutic SOULSPEAK sessions also provide an extremely accurate diagnostic tool for counselors and therapists.

Therapeutic SOULSPEAK has been used at the following at-risk schools and institutions: Bradenton Drug Treatment Community, a federal and state project jointly conducted by the Florida Department of Corrections and Operation PAR; Myakka Stop Camp; Gulf Coast Marine Institute (Venice & Bradenton); Cyesis Teen Parent Program; Pace Center for Girls; Just for Girls; Adolescent Recovery Center at Manatee Glens; Oak Park School; YMCA Triad South; YMCA Triad North; Sarasota Foundation Middle School; YMCA Character House; Venice High/New Deal; Glenallen Elementary; Opportunity High; Girls Inc.; Boys & Girls Clubs of Manatee and Sarasota Counties; Clewiston Youth Development Academy; La Belle Youth Development Academy.

Grants from the Bates Foundation, Community Foundation of Sarasota County, the State of Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, Knight Foundation, Selby Foundation, Woman's Exchange, and the Venice Foundation have funded Therapeutic SOULSPEAK for at -risk children

Who Will Benefit From Therapeutic Soulspeak And Why

Our experience has shown that THERAPEUTIC SOULSPEAK will be readily picked up and enthusiastically used by ANY GROUP OF AT-RISK YOUTHS. Although Therapeutic SOULSPEAK is not a therapy in itself, it has proven to be a valuable aid to therapy, in that it develops a new sense of self-awareness, self-worth, and empathy for others.

AT-RISK Youth SOULSPEAK Poems

Poems From At-Risk School/Organizations

These poems by at-risk students are complex songs of love, despair, loneliness, courage, faith and hope. They are also the written counterparts of a separate CD album of oral/musical poems created by those same students. All were created using the SOULSPEAK

JUSTIN SPRING

Founder/Artistic Director

SOULSPEAK/SOULMOVES

Sarasota County Cyesis Teen Parent Program/poems created by teen mothers on pregnancy and birth/1997

Poem by

Jaclyn Hojnowski

Put your hands on my chest

and touch

my empty hole,

deep inside of me,

where I feel so alone.

Sometimes I am

so emotionless.

I feel as if

I were a doll.

When I sit there,

by myself feeling

so blue, I pray

to God, hoping

the darkness will leave me.

There is so much

to know about me.

I'm an interesting person

and a bit of a tom-boy,

though I'm not ashamed.

Poem by

Abby Hall

I sit at the beach

with my feet buried in the sand

and the sun beaming down on me

watching the ocean

gracefully come towards me,

listening to the waves

hit the shore, but then the sun

begins to set, the sky

starts to run black

and the seagulls spread their wings

and fly away. The wind

picks up and whispers

a secret in my ear,

and before I leave

I take a picture

to remember the secret.

A woman rises

from the ocean and spreads

her wings, opens up

her arms and welcomes me in.

As I walk towards her,

the sun sets

and the sky turns black.

A Poem by

Erica Timmons

I heard this cry from afar.

It was coming from behind

this big tall wall.

As I walked around there was my mother

lying in a garden of roses.

I went to her

to see what was the matter.

She had split her finger

and there was blood

spilling out. I wrapped it,

and told her

that she would be all right.

As we walked away we saw

this big golden hawk.

It was like

we're in peace, away

from all harm and danger.

A Poem by

Lisa Miller

There's a side of the moon

that we don't see.

Who knows what it's like.

It could be cold and dark,

it could be warm and bright.

It could be dead and rocky,

it could be filled

with flowers, and trees, and life.

It could be quiet and dull,

or it could be full of song.

It could be calm and still,

or it could be windy and violent.

Most judge the dark side of the moon

by the lighted side we see.

Few actually get a chance to see it.

Only the explorers,

the astronauts.

We too, have an unseen side,

and it is judged by the side well seen.

And only those who take the chance to explore

get to see this incredible sight.

A Poem by

Tangela Singletary

When I had my baby

blood was everywhere

and when I looked down

I saw nothing but jet black hair.

I was so surprised

to hear that loud scream

that was my son.

My eyes sparkled with gleam.

He is my pride.

He is my joy.

He is my angel.

That precious little boy

like a gift wrapped in silver

sent from heaven up above.

He is my heart.

The one I cherish, the one I love.

Poems by

Sheila Giles

I

The sunlight shone on my face

as I relaxed on the bed

watching my stomach,

wishing it would happen,

wishing I would have my baby,

but the months roll round by slowly.

There wasn't any fear in me about this

just sadness wondering

what I was going to do.

My stomach was getting

heavier and heavier.

I kept thinking to myself

I'm going to pop.

I walked down paths

and through tunnels

but still nothing.

I was still pregnant.

II

The dark sky was filled

with stars that night.

I took my baby

out for a walk,

it seemed to ease

her crying. The breeze

from the wind touched

my body like fingers.

The night seemed purple.

A Poem by

Tiffany Ziegler

The Mysterious Woman

This woman was walking down

the hall of this school.

You could tell she had secrets

that she just wanted to spill.

This lady was just dressed in black,

with the sun shining of her back.

I was scared to go talk to her

because no one else would,

I though maybe

she was a devil

with angels wings.

She had eyes

the color of an ocean

the voice of a princess

and the arms of a pillow.

I decided to go talk to her after all

but, she was as sweet

as could be, she told me

her name and how she became pregnant,

but she really told me

she was having a rough time

and no one was there for her

and she needed

a friend like me.

Poems by middle and high school juvenile offenders at a residential facility for adolescent males/Myakka Stop camp/1998

Poem by: Johnny B.

My head is hurt,

is hurt so badly

and my mother can look through the window

from her garden and see

that something's not right.

So she came in and said,

"What's going on?"

and she said, "I love you,"

and gave me a big hug and kiss

and then it was like the sun was shining in

through the window on both of us.

Poem by: Josh B.

I went to a park. I saw people who were angry. I don't

know why, but one of them hit me. This made me

angry so I decided to take a walk. I went to a part of the

park no one went to. I saw an old bridge. I went across

to find a cave. Once I got over the bridge, sunlight

was drowned out. It became very dark, many clouds.

I went in and to my surprise there was a lot of love.

And I stayed there for awhile. I was happy.















Poem by: Muhammed L.

The night was white¾white as a swan.

It was so cold¾cold as ice.

My mother, my mother was crying,

crying for me, crying for me to come home

because my friends are like tigers.

They're trapping me in, in a corner.

I'm trying to fight them off of me.

I'm seeing red.

I'm seeing red because I'm going into the night.

I scream because I'm going to kill my mother.

Kiss me, kiss me because she loves me,

but I'm trapped, trapped in the night.















Poem by: Bryson S.

It all started when I was at my new crib. I guess them kats

didn't like the way I chilled. And just because of that,

one of their homies got killed. I guess I had

something to prove, that I was real. And after that

all his home boyz got angry. One of them tried

to hit me up, so I had to slang him.

Now things are getting really hot.

I guess it's about time for me to call the shots.

I was riding across a bridge one day. I seen myself

slowly seeping into a cave. It's hard to see the sunlight

through the shade. I love the way that I used to live.

Now all I do is get clouded, running from my fears.















Poem by: Muhammed L.

Last night, the sky was red because the sun was lost.

My mother seen it too. Tears came down her face

because someone just died

I don't know why.

I was hungry, but not for food,

but for death. I'm lost.

Poems from youngsters at recovering substance-addicted teens at Adult Recovery Center at Manatee Glens./ 1998-1999

Poem by: Melinda

There's several wars stationed in my head.

I slip a little more into nowhere

with each passing day. I know what I want

but it seems so far away.

I won't be able to touch it I can barely see it.

My dreams have died down I see no end

There's a war where I live and I see no end

and I see no end, no end















Poem by: Laura

Sometimes in my dreams

I see a door open.

My father is standing there.

He reaches out to touch me but I run.

I'm unwilling to let him touch me.

I follow the river and find a mirror.

I look into it and see loneliness.

Never will anyone touch me again.



















Poem by: Stacy

Sometimes in my dreams

I feel brave

I see the unwilling father

in my mirror and my heart bleeds.

My yellow sheets are wounded

and my love is cut in half.

I'm confused and wanna scream.

I cry to hard

all I hear is "move on"

but I say to myself,

"the cut will heal and the love

will turn to a brave emotion."















Poem by: Wanda H.

As the night gets cold

and the moon is full

my father is sleeping so loudly.

I watch the moon rise

deep into the dark.

I see a reflection in the mirror

that scares me and I try to run and hide

but the terror finds me

like a dog or perhaps a wolf.















Poem by: Melinda

There is an enchanted land waiting for me.

I sit, waiting, trying to burn a memory

in my head of the glistening tree tops:

the height is enormous.

I'm at the point now I don't have to turn around.

I feel his presence looking after me,

always with me.

I'm just waiting trying to find faith.

My time will come, it's coming up

sooner than I think.

I'll be leaving my old life.

I'm entering a red world.

Too much is unknown.

I don't care.

Poems from middle school students with various learning and behavioral disabilities/Sarasota foundation Middle School/2000.

Poem by: Tyler B.

I am a thug going to school

I am a bullet speeding through the air

I am a comet hitting the earth

I am a lizard crawling up your leg

I am a star one out of a million

I am a volcano blowing up big

I am money spent on a house



















Poems by: Mario B.

Sometimes in my dreams

I see my enemy

My enemy is death

Death took my dog

Death is in his eyes

I wish death would go to the door

I wish death would go to hell

I love my dog

He went to the light

My dog is my friend

I love my dog















I see my mother

She is standing on a mountain

I must embrace my heart

When I look through the window

I see the moon

The things I love are my nightmares.















Poem by: Melissa B.

Sometimes in my dreams

I remember beautiful times with a lost friend

I remember my love for him, the love we both shared

I remember my dog's bright green eyes

When they looked up at me all happy and cheerful

Then in an instant his and my life changed

A car from out of what seemed to be nowhere

I see his eyes close and watch as death falls upon him

I know he's scared to see the big door

That is followed by that big bright light

Then I see my love, my friend, my life

Close his eyes tight and forever.















Poem by: Avaughnte C.

Sometimes in my dreams

I see my father

He is disgusted in me

When I see him in the mirror

I know he loves me

But should he punish me this way

What about the secrets he told me to keep

Even though I tore down the gates of hell

It just wasn't enough for him

Together, I thought we could make it through anything

Why does he want to punish me this way?















Poems by: Matt C.

I am a thug hiding in the shadow

I am a bullet gliding through the sky

I am a comet like a rock

I am quick like a lizard

Bright as a star-wild as a volcano

I am lots of money in your pocket.















Sometimes in my dreams I see a gate

With great courage I open it

I see my life as a warrior before my eyes

I hope this is not real... so much blood

I see swords bang

I see myself together with an enemy... more blood

The hope within my eyes flies away

and back out the gate as

I see the truth

is the other...

is me

Poems from middle and high school students in an at-risk alternative school/New Deal Venice/2000

Poem by: Damian B.

Sometimes in my dreams I say, girlfriend you betrayed me, you

shut the door to your heart, you burned the sky in my life gray.

Your arms no longer open to me, but like the tree planted by the

waters, I will be

HERE















Poem by: Kris C.

Sometimes in my dreams

I am near a river

the water is silent

Silent, flowing, unwilling

unwilling to love

death is near

like a reflection in a mirror

she will soon flow

like the river

silent

and unwilling to love















Poem by: Staci C.

Sometimes in my dreams

I see my child

He is standing

standing in the doorway

He sees me

his mother

we embrace each other

I love my child

We are at a river

We are so distant

from the rest of the world

I love my son















Poem by: Ashley D.

I am a fire blazing through your house

I am a star flickering and flashing in the sky

I am the fist that knocked you out




I am the scream that pierced your ears

I am a bear in hibernation

I am the storm that floods your house

I am the lake in which you drowned















Poem by: Lindsey G.

Sometimes in my dreams

I see a flower

A beautiful blue flower of love

It makes my heart glow like a light

and shine like a star

The same star

that reminds me of my best friend

The one who betrayed me

and she did so with ease.

It makes me wonder

How someone you love

Love so much

can hurt you so deeply

It's not fair

It's not right

My love is strong

My heart is broken

Poems from middle and high school students with various learning and behavioral disabilities in an alternative school/YMCA Triad North/2000

YMCA Triad North

Poet: Nicole B.

Sometimes in my dreams I see the death of my boyfriend

looking back at me. Sometimes in my dreams I see him

lying with me in my bed beside me. I look in his eyes of

pain all inside of him, and I set near my window of pain

and then I see him by the river and I want to go with him.

I start to cry and screaming with pain and sorrow I fall

to my knees and pray that this pain will all go away

soon. Then as I rise up and wipe my tears away and clean

the black dirt from my knees I see him walking away. I

want to go with him. I want to touch him. I want to love

him. I miss him very much, very much, very much.















Poet: Karen C.

Sometimes in my dreams . . .

I see a large golden gate

Above it hangs a sacred cross

Beside the gate is a warrior

tearful and bloodied.

"The battle was a triumph"

He declares.

But a black hawk circles a sky.

The battle was also a defeat

because the enemy was his brother.















Poet: Ashley F.

Sometimes in my dreams I see my boyfriend again

that we are once more together.

The river is no longer sparkling and blue.

Now my river is black.

I hold his hand while we look into each other's eyes.

I cry looking through the window of what

we could have had but can no longer be done.

Sometimes in my dreams I am covered in blood.

I think that I have been defeated.

I see a gate and my brother is on

the other side.

He has to see me in battle. I have to stay away from hell.

I cry to my brother on the other side

but he is not able to help me.

He says I am a warrior and will defeat the unknown

but why the blood already?

Have I already been defeated?















Poet: Marcus F.

Sometimes in my dreams

I am a river floating down hill

Sometimes in my dreams

I see my father

He is standing in front of me

He is looking me in the eyes

He is waiting to tell me a secret

He tells me he loves me

But when he said it I felt hurt

because he was never there.

Sometimes in my dreams

I wish it was night instead of day

Sometimes in my dreams

I see my father floating into the sky.















Poet: Jason G.

Sometimes in my dreams I see him. He's walking through

a river. It's a beautiful day. He doesn't cry anymore.

There's no blood. I see him peek through an open window.

He whispers to me. It's hard to hear him. He tells me he wants

to come back. He can't. He tells me to be strong for him

and never look back.

Sometimes in my dreams I am flying like an eagle. Soaring

high in the sky. I'm looking for something I don't know

what. Is it my brother? My long lost brother whom I can

only see in the mirror. The mirror which is not reality.

At times I'm disgusted with not being able to see deep

in the mirror. I wish I could hug someone. Feel the love I could with a brother.

Poems from middle and high school students with various learning and behavioral disabilities in an alternative school/YMCA Triad South/2000

Poem by: Kyle C.

Sometimes in my dreams I am afraid of my brother.

He is a warrior on the other side of the gate with his

fist balled up, no longer loved, trying to get together

with me.















Poems by: Mike C.

Sometimes in my dreams I see my mother. She is sitting

in the cellar. Her lips are a bright red, and her skin is

white. As white as the silver moon. I feel love and anger.

I run away.







I am a spider looking for food. I am a plane crashing

down on the ocean. I am a forest full of trees. I am a

gypsy without hope. I am a stick breaking in half. I am

a lover without love. I am a boat sinking in the sea.















Poems by: Jesseca E.

Sometimes in my dreams I see very beautiful blue

eyes through my window. I love eyes just like I love

my beautiful mother. It's getting very dark and I can't

see the blue eyes anymore. It's very cold like I was in

the mountains. I couldn't see my mother. I was very

sad and then I wake up and realize that it was all in

a dream.















Sometimes in my dreams I have a brother who is a

warrior. I am afraid to open the gate for him. We have

really never been together. If my gates open, I have to

show him love. I never thought I would have to show

him love. I'm afraid he will not know who I am, and

he will try to raise his fist to me. Then he will realize

that it's me.















Poems by: Guen F.

Sometimes in my dreams... I'm walking in my

backyard. It's dark, I feel the wind blowing at me

violently. I'm scared. I see bright blue eyes. I see her,

it's my aunt. I want to be loved by her, but I'm scared

to tell her. The wind blows. She's gone and I'm

awake¾scared and dying.















Sometimes in my dreams I feel as cold as ice. I feel

disturbed but yet loved. When I look in the mirror I

see my mother in the cellar, and she's angry, it's dark

and black.















Poems by: Terra Hazen

Sometimes in my dreams I see my Grandma. My

grandma is full of love. I see her as I look through the

window into heaven. She places her hand on my

shoulder as I stare into her face at her beautiful red lips.

I miss my Grandma. She left the world with happiness.















Sometimes in my dreams I see my mother, so beautiful.

She looks angry, lots of anger. Her eyes full of love

and anger as she's sitting in the white padded cellar

room, the room of insanity. Confusion, mother

wishing she could still see the moon. I see a frown on

her lips as she looks at me. I love her. My mother.

Poems from elementary students with various learning and behavioral disabilities/GlenAllen Elementary/2000

Poems by: Jessica A.

Sometimes in my dreams I am a horse

my friend is on my back riding me

she is afraid to get down

she looks in my eyes

she sings in her head

I see a ghost and she falls off

her friends come and help her up

and she looks in the mirror

the mirror

the mirror















I am a boat floating through the river

I am a lake with a lot of fish

I am a tree on fire

I am a shirt for sale

I am a stone lying at the bottom of a river

I am smoke out of fire

fire

fire

fire















Poems by: Milan A.

Sometimes in my dreams there is a window.

Through the window I see a car. The keys to that car are next to me.

I am so happy, that I take the car for a ride.

I crash into a mountain. My heart stops. I am hopeless. I am mad.















I am a train, going very fast.

I am a bobcat, ready to attack.

I am candy-so sweet.

I am a river, so blue and long.

I am the wind blowing you away.

I am the rain, getting you wet.

I am snow-all white.















Poems by: Luke A.

Sometimes in my dreams I am alone with a bully.

He is hurting me. I am not happy playing with him.

He breaks my teeth in the scary room . . . scary room.















Sometimes in my dreams I see a big horse. He is a ghost

horse, his eyes are afraid. He wants to be my friend. He

sings songs. But I found he was just in the mirror, just in the

mirror.















Poems by: James B.

Sometimes in my dreams

I am riding a horse

I am with my friend.

There is a ghost near me

I am riding in a deep black forest and I am afraid

I hear singing

My eyes look funny in the mirror.















I am a boat floating on the stream

I am the grass blowing in the wind

I am a tree being eaten by termites

I am a lake and fish are jumping out of me

I am a microscopic shirt moving in the wind

I am the biggest stone in the world and people touch me

I am the smoke and everybody hates me















Poems by: David B.

Sometimes in my dreams I see my Grandma.

She is standing by a door. She seems so happy.



I get mad at my Grandma sometimes. Yet, I still love her. Sometimes I see her by a tree, and she is thinking about something.

Yet, she won't tell me.



















I am a sword, getting thrown into the ground.

I am a mask, scaring my sister.

I am a squirrel being hunted.

I am a gun going hunting with someone.

I am a tree, standing so stiff and still.

I am a knife, stuck in the ground.

I am myself, playing kickball with my friends.

Poems from pregnant teens and teen mothers at a residence for adjudicated females/YMCA Character House 2000

Poems by: Alicia

Sometimes in my dreams,

I see a big

blount putting out cloudy storms

I am on cloud nine.

So on it.

I see a vision of a hawk.

It appeared to me as if it was my mother,

Telling me to stop blowing a big one.

But I told this hawk, "The love of it won't set me free."

The hawk responded back saying,

"Hurt will come your way

If you don't get a new set of stairs of life."

"But the arms of a joint is too strong to let go," I replied.

The hawk said, "Streets is where the joint stay,

But if you go now, you can be saved from the arms of the joint."

I decided.

But 'bout time I said anything,

The hawk vision disappeared,

Leaving me thinking, "Which is best, a fat joint or my life?"

I think I ain't sho'.















Sometimes in my dreams

I walk through a dark tunnel

with a glowing door

with a gold flower on it

Open the door

and all I see is death before me

No love

No hope

Just lonely

As I keep walking through the door

All I see is a big sign

With a big plant on it

It says, "This way"















Sometimes in my dreams,

Brother that's what I call it

It gives me great shelter in da mind

I don't have to be afraid of it,

'Cause it's natural, from the Earth.

Just like the ocean

It ain't near white

I use my hand and mouth

To talk to it.















Poems by: Pallis

Sometimes in my dreams

I see my father,

To look at him is like looking at hell,

So I hide, I hide myself from danger.

I hide myself to where I'm free,

I go to the river to wash my soul

and I look up with my eyes

and I see me child

and she is like gold

and I then remember the love that she gives me

and my heart is free

and my danger has passed

and I am at peace,

I am at peace, at peace.















Sometimes in my dreams

I see a dark, dark storm

The storm of terror and of hate

But yet, it is calling me

And when I turn back

My mother is waiting for me

She's standing at the top of the stairs

She's calling my name.















Poem by: Shamika

Sometimes in my dreams

I see this window

this window with a little girl

a little girl in yellow

as I open my arms

my daughter comes running.

I feel love, and then I feel hate

I feel like a weeping tree

I am crying

I am crying

Poems from middle school students with various learning and behavioral disabilities in an alternative school/Sarasota Foundation Middle/2000

Poem by: Name Withheld

Sometimes in my dreams

it is spring.

I sit by the water,

I see the spring leaves.

I see my mother,

She is with a young child.

This child is not clean,

but dirty.

This child totters,

and falls on the hard floor

The child is me.















Poem by: Rachel P.

Sometimes in my dreams

I am angry,

burning with fire,

filled with hate.

I wish I could be as numb as ice.





I want to perish for one day.

There is something I desire,

I can't figure out what.

The furious pain escapes me.

It turns into an empty darkness.

So much destruction lies everywhere.

Will it ever end?















Poem by: Andrew S.

Sometimes in my dreams

I can almost feel

the cold hard ice.

The desire to destroy

lives among us.

I so much want to end

the hate that is burning inside of me,

but the hate flickers like fire in my veins.

I will perish,

and so will the people around me.

We will be gone forever.















The Warriors:

by Ariel P.

Sometimes in my dreams

I am with my sister.

We are close to death.

All of our enemies

are waiting at the gates.

I love my sister.

We are holding our swords.

We are brave warriors.















I Was Walking Down a Lane:

by Whitney S.

Sometimes in my dreams

my skies are gray.

I am full of sorrow.

Yesterday it was beautiful,

no heavy mist,

but sunshine filled the skies.

I was walking down a lane.

Out of nowhere there came a mist.

I wish it would stop.

I want sunshine to fill the sky

again.

Poems from residents (middle and high school boys) with various learning and behavioral disabilities at Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches in Bradenton, Florida/2001

Chris S.

Sometimes in my dreams

I see a stranger

trapped

with red cold eyes

but he is proud sometimes

and he is banging on his cage with his fist

trying to get out

















I am a river flowing with fish

I am a thief that just stole your soul

I am a friend that helps you out

I am a knife that just stabbed somebody



I am a mother that cares a lot for her family

I am a mountain higher than Everest

I am a careful father that cares for his family

















John C.

Sometimes in my dreams

I see a cold red sky

with eyes looking down at me

I feel trapped inside.

I hold my fist up to show I'm not afraid

but then I realize that I am proud

to be seen in my father's eyes.

















I am a river that animals drink of

I am a thief with a poor life

I am a friend to my elders

I am a knife, red and bloody

I am a mother that loves children

I am a mountain that's too high to climb

I am a father that never has time

















Barnard C.

Sometimes in my dreams

I see a ghost.

The ghost has secrets.

I lock him in my room and ask him all his secrets.

He turns gray.

I am unable to touch him.

He says he has an aching heart.

















I am a river that runs far

I am a thief in the night

I am a friend who loves you

I am a knife that is very sharp

I am a mother who loves my kids

I am a mountain that is too high

I am a father who loves my mother

















Jessie P.

Sometimes in my dreams

I see a stranger with a red bloody fist

shaking madly at me.

He has me trapped in

with his cold eyes on me.

I got away proudly.

















I am a very cold river you can't swim

I am a thief with your money

I am your friend forever

I am a knife that is in a drawer

I am not a mother with kids

I am a cold mountain top with snow

I am a future father with a baby girl

















Joe U.

Sometimes in my dreams

I am in a room.

There's nothing but gray fog.

Every direction I look it seems I'm unable to see

but when I do get a glimpse,

everyone I see looks ghostly.

It's as if the room is trying to hide something from me

and tell me something at the same time.

It's like a secret,

a secret I can't quite touch.

















Sometimes in my dreams

I am floating in an ocean of blood,

red, red blood.

So cold I can hardly move,

I feel trapped so trapped,

I can't bear the cold.

All I can do is close my eyes.

I'm like a stranger in unfamiliar territory,

I clench my fist tightly from the pain,

wanting to let go, I can't

my pride is just too strong,

just too strong.

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