Dear Mom,

I want to thank you for taking care of me,
for helping me when I’m struggling.

I tell people you are really beautiful
because every time I see you, you glow.
Your eyes sparkle like the stars in the sky.

I remember you holding me at night when I was a baby.

The last time I cried, I was in our car because I fell down
and scratched my knee.
But I knew to be strong because you were strong when you caught me.

We’ve always wanted a dog that’s a German Shepherd.
You’ve always wanted to be happy, every time I’m sad and angry,
like the old sky is blowing.

You never stop taking care of me. You just keep going.
You are warm like the sun,
healthy like a banana,
and strong like a superwoman,
and I’ll always love you every day and night and won’t stop,
thinking of you every time you’re gone.

Love, Jazmin

This poem is published in The World in Me, a compilation of original poetry written by young people ages 8 – 17 who stayed with their families in housing at Solid Ground’s Broadview Emergency Shelter & Transitional Housing for women and children. The young authors who contributed to The World in Me are not identified by their real names, and some details have been changed to protect the privacy and confidentiality of them and their families. The authors retain copyrights on their individual works.