PONGO POETRY | Love

by a young person at CSTC

My depression brings me
to where I can’t eat at all.
Sometimes, it makes me not want
to hang out with people.
It used to turn me into a monster.
But now I learned better
Because of CSTC
I still get depressed
Now I can control it.
I learned to not get angry
If I get angry, I have coping skills
I can say the alphabet and list an animal for each letter.
I can take deep breaths for 5 minutes.
I can also read to cope when I’m angry.
When I go home
my depression will get smaller
I will be happy
I will hang out with people more.

by a young person at CSTC 

I hope the end of every season
Is followed by a home pass.
I hope the weakest dog will find
a home,
With its family
and a warm bed and food.
I hope the fiercest storms
will only last a few minutes,
with light rain.
I hope every empty room
will eventually have
a family in it
playing Uno together.
I hope the saddest person in me
will learn how to
act right to get home passes.
I hope when life passes
There will always be
someone to love me. 

Dedicated to my family, I love you guys.

by a young person at CSTC

I’m sad.
I want to go home.
I miss my family.
I’ve been here for four months,
And I want to be on pass—
The home pass.
My family is my favorite part
About being home,
Because they’re fun
And they aren’t rude
And I love them. 

Dedicated to my family.

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 children at the Child Study Treatment Center (CSTC), the only state-run psychiatric hospital for youth in Washington State. Many CSTC youth are coping with severe emotional, behavioral, and mental health challenges. Approximately 40% of youth arrive at CSTC having been court ordered to get treatment; however, by the end of their stay, most youth residents become voluntary participants.

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 of inspiring healing and relief among youth coping with mental and emotional turmoil, register for Words Beyond Walls today.