I Feel Like That Bird That's Fallen
These sample poems were written by teenagers in King County Juvenile Detention in Seattle during the 2013-14 school year. The young people express themselves on a variety of themes, including abuse at home, the importance of family, confusion in life, witnessing violence, love, addiction, loneliness, and hope. The teens in detention are awaiting trial or serving sentences for a variety of offenses, from running away and truancy, to prostitution, shoplifting, drug-dealing, and violent crimes.
Pongo has worked inside detention since 1998. The team of Pongo adult mentors who worked with these youth included Vanessa Hooper (project leader), Emily Holt (assistant project leader), Liz Koontz, Carol Thompson, and Mark Johnson.
These teen poems are great. And they are just a few of the great poems created during this Pongo writing project! Please enjoy the honesty, depth, and complexity of this work. (And please note that details within the poems have been changed to protect the teens’ confidentiality and their families' privacy.)
Selected Poems from This Collection
Independent
My Sister
Abandoned
Me and My Board
Lost Girl
Longing For Another Life
Princess Adia'Zalika
Capitol Hill
Handcuffs
Peace and Love From a Natural Born Thug
The Pain
Me As a Hermit
Finally Opening Doors
A Gaining Loss
Anger
Do You Really Know Me
Not My Real Sandals
Para Mi Papa y Para Mi Mama
My Brother
The Undefined
Something Missing
Pre-Summary of my Life
Really Buttery Popcorn
I'm Getting Out
Physical Love
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