Pongo Poetry Project's mission is to engage youth in writing poetry to inspire healing and growth. For over 20 years, Pongo has mentored poetry with youth at the Clark Children & Family Justice Center (CCFJC), King County's juvenile detention facility.
Many CCFJC residents are Youth of Color who have endured traumatic experiences in the form of abuse, neglect, and exposure to violence. These incidents have been caused and exacerbated by community disinvestment, systemic racism, and other forms of institutional oppression. In collaboration with CCFJC staff, Pongo poetry writing offers CCFJC youth a vehicle for self-discovery and creative expression that inspires recovery and healing.
Through this special bimonthly column in partnership with the South Seattle Emerald, Pongo invites readers to bear witness to the pain, resilience, and creative capacity of youth whose voices and perspectives are too often relegated to the periphery. To partner with Pongo in inspiring healing and relief among youth coping with mental and emotional turmoil, join the Pongo Poetry Circle today.
By a young person at CCFJC
Sometimes I feel like I lost all hope
Because I'm trapped in a cage like an animal.
Only let out a couple hours a day
Because I'm trapped, I feel like I'm lost
On an island with no boat.
On the island there's no one but yourself
It's lonely at night but my heart is warm with heat.
Sometimes I feel like I have everything I need
Because my mom's always been there
And family's all I need
But I feel like it has been taken away
And it needs to be earned back
Sometimes I feel like I'm confused
Because I've been locked up since I was 15.
And I committed no crime
I'm confused why they killed my little brother at just 13.
He didn't get to make it to 16.
Because there's no love in the streets.
It's lonely at night but my heart is warm with heat.
By a young person at CCFJC
Slowly going crazy in my mind
Feeling lonely and feeling blue
I've been sleeping not so well
Feeling bored, not much to do
Sadly, I'm in adult court
When I get my hearing aids
I will feel much better
When I get to talk to my girlfriend,
I will be much better
Playing guitar and piano
make me feel happy
When I feel down,
I like to listen to upbeat music
I'm good with woodwork
Working with my hands
gives me something good to do
I was acting on instinct—
in the moment
In the future I want to join the army
When I get out of the army
I will go back to my girlfriend,
settle down and work
doing concrete work.
By a young person at CCFJC
I am not my past.
My trauma will NOT define me.
I'm sure you've heard many other
people say this but I mean it.
Me being in Juvie doesn't define me.
The people I've trusted and called "brother"
will not define me.
I know this
because I have people who love me.
They were & still are
my shoulder to cry on.
My light in the dark.
They are my ONLY reason for still living.
So for all those girls and boys
who believed it was their fault
and blame themselves for what happened,
that will NOT define you.
'Cause it doesn't define me.
📸 Featured Image: Illustration by 周杰意 Jieyi Zhou.
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Before you move on to the next story …
The South Seattle Emerald™ is brought to you by Rainmakers. Rainmakers give recurring gifts at any amount. With around 1,000 Rainmakers, the Emerald™ is truly community-driven local media. Help us keep BIPOC-led media free and accessible.
If just half of our readers signed up to give $6 a month, we wouldn’t have to fundraise for the rest of the year. Small amounts make a difference.
We cannot do this work without you. Become a Rainmaker today!