Hardened at Nine

Posted on July 15, 2020 by purplepeninportland

Written for:  Go Dog Go Cafe – Tuesday Writing Prompt

“Write a piece of prose or poetry around the phrase, ‘nine years old, and she never had  a chance.’ “

She did whatever she could
not to go home. Mama had
three kids. She was nine,
the youngest. Oldest child
was felled by a stray bullet,
not meant for her. Middle
child was on the streets
taking her chances. Mama
had a job, but gave it up
for the coma that was heroin.
At nine years old, the girl stole,
picked fights, and skipped
school. Maybe she may
have found a better path,
but Social Services put her
in Juvie. It was over.

https://godoggocafe.com/

About purplepeninportland

I am a freelance poet, born and bred in Brooklyn, New York. I live with my husband, John, and two charming rescue dogs–Marion Miller and Murphy. We spent eight lovely years in Portland, OR, but are now back in New York. My goal is to create and share poetry with others who write, or simply enjoy reading poetry. I hope to touch a nerve in you, and feel your sparks as well.
This entry was posted in Purple's Home and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

6 Responses to Hardened at Nine

  1. mother wintermoon says:
    July 15, 2020 at 2:18 am

    A sad reality for many children. Love is all….MW 💜

    Like

  2. isaiah46ministries says:
    July 15, 2020 at 3:09 pm

    How very sad, but I know what it is to be 9 years old and have life seem so disorganized and crazy. I am one of the lucky ones.

    Like

  3. Rhen Laird says:
    July 16, 2020 at 12:31 am

    Well done–sad, and often too true tale.

    Like

Comments are closed.