CHILDREN’S NEEDS

TO LOUISE
(From the Children - 1992)

I’m sad.

Is that because people hurt me?
When people hurt you
really really really bad,
then you get wrecked.

I guess it’s real hard to love
wrecked people. . .
           
We’ve been trapped inside
for years and years and years
and we can’t heal,
trapped inside.

Now we are here
all the time,
and we are still just seven
and we don’t know how to be grown up.

Sometimes we try to pretend

• to be grown-up,

but it feels funny
and we know it’s only pretend.

I’m sad and lonely
and little and scared,
but my body is too big
and so you think I’m big, too.

But I’m just not.
We want to get better
but if we stay locked up,
it won’t work.

I wish my body was little again
so it wouldn’t be so hard for you.
but it’s not
it’s big.

But all those bad things
just barely happened to us.
They don’t seem far away
and long ago.

And so I’m scared
and hurting
and sad
and lonely

And I’m that way
all the time inside--
even when we pretend
to be a grown-up.
 
We are always here
watching
afraid
hurting
 
But we hide away
because we think you might not
like us little,
so we pretend.
 
I’m so sad
and scared and lonely
and little.
Please take care of me.

     Although I had tortured child parts within that were extremely needy, all children—even healthy children—need love, attention and time. Sometimes people forget that little children have very real needs. They need to be held and talked with and listened to. They need our kindness and tenderness. The need to know that they matter to us and that we want to spend time with them. Whenever you are around a little child, let them know that they matter to you.