Our lives can be like a rollercoaster.
Torment or the greatest opportunity.
We get given transience when all we want is stability.
This artificial family could mean belonging,
Could mean insecurity – we remain unaware.
Resilience is the buzzword in the lottery of care.
Finding safety in new roots.
Finding trust in new life’s branches.
But what happens when the bough breaks?
Where does the cradle fall?
So many eyes but nobody sees
The externally monitored remain invisible internally
Blind and blinkered for red tape and dotted lines
Can’t spy the forest for the trees – too many unaware
Overcrowding gets you lost in the lottery of care.
Stigma predicts failure
Vulture-like she circles
Expectant of damage and inability –
What news for our equality?
We hope. We demand. We strive
That you see past our vulnerability,
See beyond old case notes, scrawled files –
You must be aware
Individuals we remain in the lottery of care.
Now we stand. We stand together.
Not numbers in the bingo.
Not scratched out gamblers’ cards.
Our lives are not a lottery.
Care is no betting game.
Remember our humanity
And see all people free from shame.
About this author
This poem was written by The Group (Manchester’s Children in Care Council) – thank you for sharing this moving piece with us!
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