Caren Krutsinger Poet Prose Poetry

I Want To Shake His Parents

I am bad he said. 
No I replied. You are sad.
Arms crossed now. Closing himself up.
Huddles in corner. Lying in corner.
Hood over face. Fetal position.

Stays there a long time. 
I type away, saying nothing.
He gets up after about eighteen minutes.
I am a bad kid he tells me.

There is nothing bad about you I reply.
You are a sweet boy. You help your classmates.
You are pretty wonderful.

His eyes fill with tears. I am bad! He yells.
I am bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad.
I have heard that a child who is taught this
Must hear a compliment ten thousand times before they hear it the first time.

I want to grab his parents and shake them.
I want to tell them to think before they speak.
I want to tell them to think before they give their children the hate looks.
I want to tell them to stop using the belt. 
I want to tell them to stop having children.
He is their seventh, and they have all been this sad.

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Heidi Sands October 5, 2019 at 12:08 PM This is heartbreaking! and you are right about the repetitive compliments needs to counter the message in his mind. Well written Caren :) Caren Krutsinger October 6, 2019 at 4:08 AM Thank you Heidi. It is so sad to see these children who have already given up on life thinking they are bad.