Judy Barton

We the Children-Voices in the Shadows



Posted: Sunday, November 02, 2008

by
Inner Voyages

Lost in the midst of chaos are the voices of our nation's children. They are in crisis but their cries for help go unnoticed. They reach out to us in many ways, hoping to have their needs recognized and addressed, but we aren't paying attention. Our attention is focused on the major issues and our concerns for a better America. The war in Iraq, the state of our economy and the need to help other nations are important issues deserving of our attention, but when do our own children count? When can their voices be heard?

Our schools suffer from lack of proper materials such as books and funding. Police are stationed in our nation's schools as staff. Our children are presenting lower test scores and an increased number of dropouts. Violence has intensified and the number of children being placed in foster care has risen at an alarming rate. Does all of that not speak loud enough to warrant being heard? What will it take to notice their cries for help and their need for us to address their issues and concerns?

Children in foster care are suffering injury and death, living in a world of pain, suffering from emotional and physical abuse as if they are the cause when, in fact, they are the product, the result of our lack of attention. Placed in a system posing as an angel of mercy while in reality, presenting as the villain.

These children are stereotyped and their voices ignored. No measures are taken and no plans in place to prevent their placement in care. We merely deal with the after affects, serving the system not the child. When a child in care dies we bandaid the systems wounds but never cure the cause of those wounds. No one is listening to the child's muffled cries for help. How many children must we lose before they will be heard? When will they get the respect and recognition it takes to be important? How long must our children wait for a better America?

The following verse is the collective voice of our systems children. It is their hope that in this election year, that someone will hear them and respond accordingly.

Children of Darkness

Please help, for I have fallen

into a hell on life's far edge.

I am somewhere, deep in nowhere,

trapped, with no escape.

There is nothing I can reach for,

No knight to set me free,

doomed, alone, in my dark abyss,

No light embraces me.

Lost in this world forever

to wither in this pain,

No love to heal these wounds,

No comfort to regain.

Thoughts of love and family

consume my inner soul,

there has to be a rescue,

I can't live this pain alone.

I regret all my transgressions,

this is more than I can bear,

Please reach and try to find me,

I'm here - in foster care.

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