AT RISK 62 Lines Part I. A mother answers the door Robe disheveled, vodka on her breath A little boy at her feet, arms around her knee They've been through this before She clears a spot on the couch And tells the worker to have a seat The call comes in, a ten year old boy in trouble A mother with her hands in the air, out of options Workers calling group homes Selling them on his good points Trying to minimize the bad Hoping for a placement without locked doors A mother calls the police, her teenaged boy enraged, Fist marks on the walls, on her flesh Weeks later, a judge hands down the sentence One year in a youth facility A mother in fear of her son behind bars But more in fear of taking him home Where were we when he was little When he still knew how to cry When his mom still wanted to do better When the courts still had some options When he was still looking to grown-ups for answers Holding tightly to his momma's leg? Now we call him "At Risk" But he was at risk before we met him Now, he's in danger He's not falling through the cracks He's fallen Are we ready to catch him? Part II Maybe we are the one's "At Risk" At risk of missing something Of feeling too much Of feeling too little Of trying too hard To fix what's broken We're "At Risk" of hoping too much That his family can fix themselves Of not trusting them to fix themselves Of jumping to conclusions Of jumping too slowly Of trying too hard to protect ourselves From the liability of risk The prospect of seeing ourselves On the six o'clock news Failing to protect the children Failing to predict the risks Of letting them slip through our fingers We are all "At Risk" Our country, our communities From kids neglected, parents allowed to abuse By well-meaning friends and family, overworked agencies, Laws to respect privacy and parent's rights More important than the safety of children We must be there when they are little When they still know how to cry When their moms still want to do better When the courts still have some options When children are still looking to grown-ups for answers, Holding tightly to their momma's leg? Only then will we be able to protect Children at Risk SWPoet |