Give us your homeless tweens, and hopeless teens
We fed, clothed, and sheltered them
We provided counseling and then
They waited and waited until the courts and the social workers decided
Where they should be placed
Sometimes they went to overcrowded group foster homes
Where sometimes they were cared for and other times neglected
Then they would split and run to us again
Only to be put into a system that seemed to cycle with no end
Then there were the lucky few that only needed a free bus ticket home again
Living on the streets had become too much for them
Or sometimes a family was down on their luck and in need
So their kids stayed with us until they got back on their feet
Where they should be placed
Sometimes they went to overcrowded group foster homes
Where sometimes they were cared for and other times neglected
Then they would split and run to us again
Only to be put into a system that seemed to cycle with no end
Then there were the lucky few that only needed a free bus ticket home again
Living on the streets had become too much for them
Or sometimes a family was down on their luck and in need
So their kids stayed with us until they got back on their feet
Give us your beaten and broken children of the streets
For some we were the first clean bed and hot meal they’d had
in weeks
They needed to stay sober and follow house rules
And then all of them needed to attend our school
Our house parents were there because they cared
You see their pay was very spare
They kept the kids safe and kept them fed
But it was up to the kids to make their beds
Assigning daily housekeeping chores was a must
Compliant behavior would gain our trust
That went just so far and with supervision
They still needed guidance; at least it was friendlier than a prison
The kids felt safe when there were consistent boundaries for
all
We had to be diligent lest those boundaries fall
That is when panic, anxiety, and fear would take over
When that would happen we all would suffer
Sometimes the police were called in to calm the house down
They were our last resort and not very effective I found
When teens were crying and everyone was upset
Even the police thought the staff was our best bet
The director would be called in and then all were bedded
down
When order was restored he’d head back into town.
We showed them love by being consistent and firm
Trips and treats had to be earned
We kept them safe from their abusers
Who could be family or friends
We could bandage their bodies
But their souls took longer, if ever to mend
