If the system wasn't broken
Perhaps I would have felt less frown.
Growing up without parents to be spoken
Would not have felt like a break-down.
If the system wasn't broken
Maybe my scars wouldn't be so deep.
I wouldn't have felt so awoken.
From the nights I spent trying not to sleep.
If the system wasn't broken
Maybe I could trust again.
I wouldn't feel so outspoken.
With my distrust of worldly men.
If the system wasn't broken
Maybe I could find my feet.
Maybe I wouldn't be so woken,
From the nightmares I still meet.
If the system wasn't broken
Maybe I could feel whole,
Maybe I wouldn't be outspoken,
When judging the system's role.
But the system is broken
And I am just a statistic
A number that can be woken
To prove just how I’m misfit.
The trauma inflicted deeply,
All because of a system's flaw
The nights spent crying me to sleep,
And memories that I can't withdraw.
A trauma-informed system
Could have been my saving grace.
But in reality, all too dreary
Feeling like I'm in a hopeless race.
If only I had a steady hand
To guide me through the fog
Maybe I wouldn't be so bland,
Just another broken log.
The system may be broken
But I am stronger than that
I will not be a mere token cos
My future is where it's at.
We put our trust in those in power
To help us find a way
But they need to walk the talk, not just cower
And truly hear what we say.
But I won't give up, no, not me
For I know there must be a way
To make a difference and to be
A light in the darkness, come what may.
So let's piece the system back together
And make it what it's meant to be
Where trauma survivors can weather
The storm and come out feeling free.
So let me break the cycle
Let me be the change we need
For I know I am not an obstacle
But rather, a growing seed.
Together we can make a difference
And bring justice to our calls
For a brighter and safer existence
And to ensure others never fall.
The journey is long, but it's not in vain
And with every step, we'll pave the way
For a system that's truly humane
Its time to break that chain.
Broken systems, broken statistics
Feels like a don’t have a choice.
I need to shout it loud and proud
You will never break our voice!
So, my story may just be the start
Of an activist revolution, I’m told
Where trauma survivors find their heart
And come together with love, and stand strong and bold.
So, heed my words and take them in
For a better system, we must begin.
And with that, my final line is through.
To the next poet, the pen is for you…..
Terri-Anne Hamer
Founder N.I.Y.A.A LTD
National Initiative for Youth Advocacy and Accountability
