In the spring inside of me

I grow

Happiness blooms inside of me

In the summer something inside of me is burning

School is more interesting

We go on field trips

In one of them the theater was filled with gold

In the fall the leaves let go of their branches

And I let go because life brings new things

In the winter it gets cold and I get cold too.

This poem is published in The Light in My World, a compilation of original poetry written by young people ages 5 – 12 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 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.