Dear Dad,

I just thought you should know what I’m doing now.

I am an energetic person who spends lots of time hanging with friends.

When we lived with you, my friends would all have sleepovers and when I asked if I could go

You would yell “leave me alone!” and would never let me make friends.

You used to tell me I wasn’t worth your time.

 

I just thought you should know how I’m feeling.

I feel so much hatred towards you

Because you left us standing in the dust.

You were supposed to be a good dad and you weren’t.

We would still be in our house if it wasn’t for you.

The shelter is dumpy.

I miss the reading nook in my old room, the trees behind our house.

Behind the shelter there’s only concrete and drunk people.

 

I just thought you should know what I’ve been through.

Since the last time I saw you, I have changed so much.

I’m not in constant fear all day,

I don’t have to pretend to be someone I’m not since we left you.

 

I’m so confident without you in my life.

 

The time that I moved to the shelter was especially important to me.

I don’t have to see you or live in a crappy hotel.

I’ve made friends that are like sisters to me now.

I don’t have to worry about you hurting my brother anymore,

Which is one less thing on my list of things to worry about.

 

I just thought you should know what I wish for the future.

I hope that you go to jail for doing this to my family.

For hurting my brother,

Yelling at us,

For being a horrible father.

 

I just thought you should know what I don’t miss about you.

I am glad I don’t have to worry about you yelling at me anymore,

Or about my mom still being married to you.

 

I just thought you should know what I miss a lot.

I miss the way we used to get Sunday breakfast,

Yummy pancakes at IHOP.

Back then we had a lot of money, and I could get things I wanted,

Not just things I needed.

My aunt even had to run over my phone cuz you put a tracking device in it.

You’re a butt face.

 

I just thought you should know that I’m finally happy.

 

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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.