Out of the Mouths of Babes
Poems Written From a Kid's Perspective
Poems Written From a Kid's Perspective
These words are meant to be heard, not just read. Don’t ask me why, that’s all that they said.
Click on the down arrow to read each poem and on the title to listen to the recording.
It’s hard to be a kid these days
We’re growing up too fast
Each new generation grows up
Faster than the last
We’ve traded dolls for Retinol
And skipping ropes for phones
We’re dieting by middle school
If we’re not skin and bones
We’ve swapped cartoons for horror flicks
And outdoor play for pills
In school we practice lockdowns
Not just routine fire drills
We’ve become desensitized
To the harshness that we see
We play first-person shooter games
Forget Monopoly
Society is quick to blame
But we didn’t make ourselves this way
We need some better role models
To lead the world today
Hocus pocus, time to focus
Where did Focus go?
It drifted off to someplace else
To where, I do not know
It moves so fast, it’s hard to see
And harder still to track
It goes without me knowing
When or if it’s coming back
At times, it goes without me
And at other times, I drive
But either way, it’s safe to say
It makes it hard to thrive
In a world where people
Always need me to be here
To listen, watch, and do things
That to me, aren’t always clear
They program every moment
Of my morning, noon, and night
Sometimes I feel I cannot breathe
It all just feels too tight
It’s not that I don’t understand
Why I must brush and floss
Eat healthy food, manage my mood
And look before I cross
It’s not that I don’t realize
With practice you get better
But homework and piano scores
Can sometimes feel like fetters
I understand more than you think
Regardless of my age
I understand that maybe Focus
Wants to leave its cage
I don’t have a solution
But I need you all to know
That every time you call my name
It makes me want to go
It doesn’t bring me closer
It just makes me want to run
To hitch a ride with Focus
And escape to somewhere fun
I don’t mean to be difficult
I just need some empathy
Can you please make some room for me
Where I can just be free?
Can’t you see
I’m not 6 anymore?
I’ve circled the sun
Nearly five times more
That is to say
I’ve made five extra trips
And not that my age
Equals 5 x 6
Haven’t you noticed
I’m nearly your height?
It seems that I’m adding
An inch every night
It feels much too fast at times
Even for me
And sometimes I wish
I was still only 3
Everything seemed so much
Simpler back then
And so much more fun
Than my life after 10
Just running around the house
Filled me with glee
And when I got tired
You’d just carry me
We’d play hide and seek
While I counted to 20
I’d pick the same spots
And you’d think it was funny
We’d play make-believe
And we’d dress up my toys
And back then
You were not so allergic to noise
After three or four years
I was still having fun
Although somewhat more serious
Play had begun
I’d post letters to fairies
Through our magical door
And they would write back
And then ask me for more
But after another two years
Had gone by
This childhood magic
Had started to die
I cannot say when
I precisely outgrew it
But hard as I try
I can’t seem to Undo it
So here we are now
And I’m almost 11
Yet you seem to forget
I’m not younger than 7
I’m growing up fast
And it’s hitting me too
But maybe it’s time
We leaned into the new
OK, so I’m a bully
But you don’t understand me fully ….
You’re all so quick to say I’m mean
A heartless, evil brute
But there is much behind the scenes
That you do not compute
Yes, I often crave attention
But I’m not a narcissist
I’m just a kid who needs affection
But is usually dismissed
I may have been deprived of love
Or basic forms of care
My parents may have been too harsh
Or simply never there
It’s not always their fault, of course
But you can safely wager
I carry scars from trauma
That are nothing short of major
“Hurt people hurt people”
I’ve heard it said this way
To me, it makes most perfect sense
But I know it’s not OK
I know that what I do is wrong
I know it isn’t fair
To punish other people
For the hurts that I can’t share
Sometimes I really know this
And sometimes I get stuck
Feeling insecure and small
So I drag them through the muck
It may seem that I’m proud of this
But really I’m just trying
To mask the pain I feel inside
And to keep myself from crying
I don’t want anyone to see
This sissy part of me
I’d rather that they think I’m bad
Than find out that I’m weak
Sometimes pushing people down
Makes me feel less alone
I wish I didn’t have to act
Like this to feel at home
I wish that I could fix the parts
Of me that are so broken
I wish that all the things I said
Were always kindly spoken
I wish I could be normal
I wish I had real friends
I wish I wasn’t someone
Who belittles and offends
I wish I didn’t hate myself
And take it out on you
I wish someone would hear me
And help me make it through
By now you must have noticed
That we’re not like other kids
Even things that seem so small
Can make us flip our lids
You’ve tried punishments and consequences
But they don’t really work
In fact, they often backfire
And just make us go berserk
Incentives and rewards
Are also largely ineffective
When we’re in a state of rage
We can't exactly be reflective
Nothing seems to matter
When we’re in this type of state
If you try to reason with us then
You’ll just make the state INFLATE
We have trouble being flexible
And handling frustration
We don’t like the unexpected
Change inflames our irritation
We promise you that we do not
Prefer to be this way
Raging, stomping, screaming
Having meltdowns every day
We’re not trying to be difficult
And we’re not looking for attention
We’re not lacking motivation
We just need some intervention
Not the kind where people tell us
How and who to be
Not the kind where we submit
To their authority
What we need is something else
We need help to improve
We need someone to teach us skills
So we can learn to move
Beyond these situations
And in healthier directions
We need you to work with us
So that we can make corrections
We need you to think ahead
By studying the past
To identify the triggers
That often come before a blast
Then with an empathic heart
Wear the hat of a detective
Ask us questions to find out
What’s wrong from our perspective
If we listen to each other
And make plans to work together
We can find solutions
That will make us all feel better
*This poem was inspired by Dr. Ross Greene’s book, The Explosive Child. If you are a parent, family member, or teacher of a child with behavioural challenges, I highly recommend reading this book. You (and the kid) will be grateful that you did.
What if I’m dumb
And I never become
Whatever you dreamed I would be?
What if I fail
Or end up in jail
And I never earn my degree?
What if mistakes
Cannot be erased
Even if I burn the pages?
What if my ways
Are not just a phase
And you can’t deal with the changes?
What if you wish
You could trade me for fish?
An easier creature to raise
Fish don’t talk back
Or have a real knack
For making their parents go crazed
What if I’m not
What you thought you bought
What if I’m more than you asked for?
Will you still love me
If you want to shove me
Or will you just show me the door?
To my own children, I hope you know that I will ALWAYS love you – no matter what.
Before you reprimand us
Please try to understand us
There’s a valid reason
Why we don’t like hearing “no”
Why we don’t like being ordered
When and how and where to go
When we challenge your directives
We’re often labeled as “defiant”
But what we’re truly seeking
Is to be more self-reliant
We know our tantrums aren’t pretty
And our tempers can run high
But when we feel we’re losing freedom
Our reaction is to cry
With tears or screams
Or both of these
We’re urging you to grasp
That even though we’re little
We are not a “thing” to clasp
We are people, just like you
With needs and motivations
That won’t always align with yours
Despite your expectations
“No” is sometimes necessary
To stop us in our tracks
If we’re about to run in traffic
Or touch molten candle wax
Of course you want to keep us safe
And for that we’re truly grateful
But unless we’re in real danger
Please allow us to stay playful
There was once a time
When all of you were more like us
Free-spirited and joyful
Living life without the fuss
But over time this part of you
Was gradually phased out
Even well-intentioned grown-ups
Will pass on their fear and doubt
Someone has to break the cycle
And that someone could be YOU
Living needn’t be a struggle
If you’d remember what you knew