Dealing with Loneliness

He gets told his fat
That his shoes are from Kmart
He face goes red
And his heart is under attack
But he doesn't fight back

He wants to be accepted
Even by those who beat him up
I am useless
I am afraid I will become psychotic he says
How are you feeling I ask
That noone cares he says


Tell me what's on your mind
I want to make friends he says
And find ways to deal with loneliness

I knew that the system had conditioned me to not touch students
To remain neutral
To keep my boundaries

But love knows no boundaries
And at that very moment
As he sat in my chair with his head down and cheeks blushed with shame
I reached out and rested my hand on his back
I just held my hand on his back
The silence spoke to me

His need for maternal love
Touch
Comfort and nurturing radiated through my hand

Working with neglected children has a way of bringing up your own internal neglect
And that hand i chose to rest on his back
Seemed to be beyond my own free will
It was a reaching out
To the cries of him
And the cries in me