The The Light in My World is the second compilation of original poetry written by young people who stayed with their families in Solid Ground’s Broadview Emergency Shelter & Transitional Housing for women and children.
With the help of Broadview Children’s Advocates and the Pongo Poetry Project, the authors — ages 5 – 12 — found their voices. Over the past few months, they have laughed, cried and bonded over shared experiences while bravely speaking their truths. In this chapbook, they courageously share how they make sense of their world amidst the confusion, trauma and instability they’ve experienced, and in turn create language for their pain and perseverance, as in this excerpt from “My Bossy Family” by Princess, age 5:
I like when my mom buys me lollipops
I liked when my dad used to take me to preschool
I didn’t like that he prayed for my mom to die,
That’s why we had to move far away.
Over the next several months, we’ll share individual poems from The Light in My World on our blog.
A note from Pongo Poetry…
The Pongo Poetry Project is proud to work with the staff at Broadview to support this poetry project. Pongo believes that personal writing can help people understand their feelings, find their voices, and articulate their life challenges and best hopes. We are inspired by people who write from the heart. Pongo teaches our methods through a book, training and consultations. Please visit our website for poetry and free writing activities: www.pongoteenwriting.org.
Note: The young authors who contributed to The Light in My World 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.
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