Northwest Media Inc. publishes lots of social learning material, including this poetry book. As I am working with teens in Indianapolis who are leaving foster care (or corrections) to live on their own, I have been trying to enter their world a bit. The poets in this book are all foster youth or former foster youth. Their work is impressive on so many levels, revealing great hope, pain, fear, despair, gratitude, resilience, and determination. These kids are not unlike the kids at Sovietsk, so I thought I would share some of their poems here and there, sharing a window into their worlds.

Escape From Reality

Isn't there a place

I can go

far away

from here

where I can find

peace and love and nothing troubles me

Where everyone

loves me

for who I am

and welcomes me with open arms

Is there such

a place on earth

Will you

show me the way

This is a place

I long to be

far away

from reality

Christina