Healing Words Troubled Teens Express Their Feelings In Crosswalk Poetry Collection

A sure way to understand or learn more about troubled kids is to read their poetry. Crosswalk, a center for homeless and high-risk teens run by the Volunteers of America, makes it easy to do so with its second book of poetry, “Beyond the Wall.”

“Beyond the Wall” is a collection of poems and illustrations created by 53 Crosswalk youth and adults. Poetry has a special place at Crosswalk. “Kids are encouraged to express themselves and discover something about themselves and others, as they relate thoughts or feelings born of love or hate, pain or joy,” says Bryan Harnetiaux of Crosswalk.

Here’s a small sampling of the poems in “Beyond the Wall,” as well as the comments of two teens whose work is featured. You can buy it for $5 at Crosswalk; call 838-6596.

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she smiles and laughs and flirts with her eyes

she’s pretty and coy and popular with guys

one will take her home and have himself some fun

and tomorrow before the day is through

she’ll have found another one

he takes her home and they do the same

she thinks he’s kinda cute - but already forgot his name

day in and day out - she continues this chore

but she doesn’t take money, she isn’t a whore

actually she’s paying these men

by sleeping with them again and again

she thinks her body’s not a high price to pay

in order to find warm places to stay

and they usually give her something to eat

before sending her back out onto the street

behind her smile and flirting eyes

i can see that her heart still cries

her childhood stolen from her, poor thing

- it’s hard to believe she’s only thirteen.

- Embear Ely

Out of It

Lonely, afraid, rejected,

And in the mirror, a nobody

reflected.

Nowhere in which I fit.

Can’t think. Just out of it.

- Spyder

The Color Gray

Mystery-

Illusion-

Amazement-

Confusion-

Magical Powers-

Cast away cowards-

White against black-

Onward attack!

What is the use?

Why this abuse?

What is the sense?

Why are you so dense?

The only difference is our skin and name-

We all share the same heart and bleed the same-

This prejudice, ignorance just can’t last!

We’d better start changing and make it fast!

I hope this discrimination ends by my dying day-

So we can all be referred to as the color gray.

- Aubrey Lynn Shults

Creating beauty

“When some of my poems got published, I felt a lot of accomplishment. It makes me feel better about myself. I also like the feeling of letting other people view the beauty of what I can create.”

- Amber M. Sanders

Book represents victory over pain, frustration

“It’s not very important to me to be a published writer. The most important thing is what the collection of poems represents. These works of art represent many different things but above all, they represent to me dysfunctional families, sadness, pain, grief, frustration, happiness and joy. I even have much jubilation in my heart for we have won a great victory.

“Though there are many of you out there who are laudable for showing feeling and understanding to us and for us, there are also those of you who, when you think of a street kid, you think of us as a malignant influence on society. But we know where that kind of behavior comes from: ignorance. But don’t worry, there is hope for all of us no matter what side of the street we live on.

“Listening is the first process in understanding, and society is finally listening to our side of this broken family of people. Thank you, every one of you.”

- Robert Zehnder