Author Information
Care
Care
By jfarrell
At noon my ‘parents’ went on strike;
Children’s home, NALGO union…
National strike…
Nothing to do with us…
The children in care.
They walked out at noon.
The ‘Suits’ came round;
Council officials…
“We have to move you.”
My younger sister…
Boarding school in Wales….
Me… only space we got is borstal…
“SORRY! NO! NOT MOVING!”
Throughout the afternoon - police amassed;
Helmets, riot shields, batons….
That ONE police van….
Rocking, with muffled barking…
A dark grey freezing cold afternoon quickly became….
Dark, overcast, scary….
I saw that van open and all I saw was…
Teeth, hungry teeth, million dogs gonna eat me, bite me, hurt me….
I ran…..
Didn’t know where to, just away from here…
My breath misting in the air….
So cold….
Smell of burning….
It’s nearly guy fawlkes night….
What do you expect?……
The ashes floating past me
Were my CSE ‘A’ s …..
My education, my future,
Racing ahead of me in the freezing cold night.
I didn’t know….
And if I did,
Was there anything I could do?
15 years old, my children’s home going up in flames.
this is CARE!
For a political dispute….
I cut myself off from my family, forever;
And didn’t see my future burn as I did it.
I was just scared and running away from the dogs;
35 years later….
I’m not a meaningful, productive member of society;
I phone my sister her birthday, she phones me mine;
That’s it!
At 11 I was taken into ‘Care’;
“the Care of the State”.
Knowing why I, and my sister, were here…..
They still went out on strike…
Has the ‘Care System’ changed since then?
