Thursday, April 14, 2016

I came from a broken home.


"I came from a broken home."

Not me
I am quoting Gil Scott-Heron  RIP
poet, recording artiste, campaigner. 


My work - MISSION::
I worked with a group of
wounded young humans some time ago. 

Everyone of them had
come from a broken home. 
All had either been forced to leave
or chosen to leave because they were 
~being physically battered 
~made to feel they were not wanted
~abused

Another young man I know 
was pushed away to live with grandmother 
no place for him 'at home'.
In his twenties he still feels rejected
and has little confidence.

To feel unwanted 
must be absolutely terrible. 

Another tells me,
and it still rings in my ears,
that he was moved out
to nothing because
he was caught up in endless fights
between his parents. 

He was cared for by the state 
He mental health was cared for
He talks about feeling like a stray cat. 

The stray cat lived on the street 
no food for days 
hardly sleeping 
no clean clothes
filthy hair 
all alone
feeling not good enough
feeling not enough.

He talks of walking into school
nobody knew him
feeling all alone 
without a family 
without a base 
without belonging 
without without. 

He heard screaming in the night 
He was full of such nightmares 
He felt lost emotionally
relationally and
totally unstable.

At home he never been acknowledged 
even doing well at school -
it was ignored. 
He did good things, NO PRAISE 
He joined a gang did bad things and
he was PRAISED BY HIS PEERS. 

So many I know and work with,
and such a privilege to know them, 
either 


explode - violence 

or 

Implode - self harm.



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