PONGO POETRY | This Is Who You Are to Me

by a young person at the Echo Glen Children’s Center

In my ocean you are a penguin
because you chewed me up and spit me out.

In my grassy field you are a dead leaf.

In my galaxy, you are a shooting star
Because you left in the blink of an eye.

In my heart you are a lesson.
You showed me what not to be.

by a young person at the Echo Glen Children’s Center

Impatience.
The want of not being held back
by others, by self, by the circumstances
around you.

A better way.
A better way of living
is what we all want
but it’s hard to achieve.
It’s a process of actions
and reactions, of feelings
and desires.

Second chances.   
What we all deserve
but we don’t all get.

Fairness.
Fairness is relative
as all of us is different
as all of us are the same.
The only question is
what is to blame.

The future.
The future isn’t the end
but the journey along the way.
There’s no such thing as perfection
but who cares what they say.

I’m in the journey along the way.

by a young person at the Echo Glen Children’s Center

When I woke up this morning
I was thinking about being in jail
Wanting to go home
I feel it most days—
Knowing that everything that I want to do is on somebody’s else time
That I’m dependent on somebody else
It’s like feeling trapped
Every animal gets trapped
It makes me angry—
I miss that joyful little girl
Always playing outside, riding her bike
Playing with dolls
Hanging out with friends
Just being happy
Never thought she’d be locked in a cell
Asking to go the bathroom
Or to go outside
Feeling empty, broken, and lost

Pongo Poetry Project's mission is to engage youth in writing poetry to inspire healing and growth. The Echo Glen Children's Center, a juvenile institution for youth serving criminal sentences, is one of Pongo's flagship program sites in the Seattle area. Studies of incarcerated youth indicate that up to 70% suffer from a mental health disorder and that many have experienced childhood trauma. The isolation, economic upheaval, and turmoil of the last two years have only exacerbated this issue. Youth at Echo Glen have endured significant mental and emotional challenges in the last two years, including increased rates of depression, anxiety, sleep issues, and behavioral challenges.

Pongo believes there is power in creative expression, and articulating one's pain to an empathetic audience. Through this special monthly 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 learn more about Pongo's work and how you can partner with it in inspiring healing and relief in youth coping with mental and emotional turmoil, visit its website.