PONGO POETRY | I Am Me

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

Today I am like a tree
Strong and tall
and nobody can hurt me
Yesterday I was like fallen leaves
or a broken branch
but today I will not be put down
Tomorrow I will continue to grow
I am me, and nobody can stop me

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

It's fun and games when you're young
but as life goes on it gets harder
Being young is a great way to be yourself
and actually take the young life to learn something

I was once in this place
I used to mess up and still do
but I try to better myself
It was all fun and games
until I got here

Being away from my family
not being able to see their faces
and watching them go through pain
While I just sit in this cell
thinking when I’m going to get out

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

My name is S*
I come from South Seattle
and I was raised there too

I am made of love
and loyalty
You should know I am careless but caring
I want peace
I will separate myself from the people that don’t want the same things as me

I am a leader
I love my son
I love the people that love me
Most of the time

I love those moments that you know you're always going to remember
I love where I'm from and how I was raised
I love myself

*Name removed to protect youth confidentiality.

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. 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.

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 partner with Pongo in inspiring healing and relief among youth coping with mental and emotional turmoil, apply for Pongo's Certification program.