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I worked for many years in the juvenile court.  Jimmy is a composite.  The worker may leave the job, but the children will never leave the worker.

Tanka: An unrhymed Japanese poem consisting of five lines of 5/7/5/7/7.  Tanka is generally written in two parts. The first three lines is one part, and the last two lines is the second part.

*Please note that the picture of the boy is one I chose from stock photos and not known to me.

 

”He was born that way.

Hyper, mean, hitting others.

He’s unlovable.”

–Mother, beaten from the age

of two, until now. Addict.

*

”He’s my first grandchild.

When she’s in jail, he stays here.

I wish she’d leave him.”

–Grandma, drunk, married to drunk.

Grandpa’s in prison for rape.

*

”He will not sit still!

Can’t do his work. Gone a lot.

Needs intervention.”

–Teacher, with 30 students,

half of which fit this profile.

*

”He was a sweet child.

I used to read to him; his

face filled with wonder.”

–Elderly neighbor, who lost

her eyesight, then audience.

*

”He’s my bro for life.

We take what we never had.

You got more, mofo.”

–Best friend, carries a glok 9,

(They’ve done juvie together.)

*

”Young man, you’re hopeless.

You’ve been before me too much.

Boot Camp for two years.”

–Judge, born rich, lives rich (dies rich)

This-that, us-them, quick-fix (not)

*

”Maggots, you will run

10 miles, then scrub 10 toilets!

It’s all you’re good for.”

–Drill sergeant, puts thousands through

transforms to killing machines.

*

”IED’s ahead.

Bomb squad not available.

Troops, move forward now!”

–Lieutenant, given carte blanche

with lives deemed expendable.

*

”Mama? Grandma? (groan)

I remember that picnic

where we were laughing…”

–Jimmy, a good boy, his life

doomed within a small cruel box.