Connecting With Corey Poem by Linda Coker

How I long to remove the rage
That’s etched upon his boyish brow
Unclench the fists so tight and tense
And smooth the lips shaped in a scowl

This child a pawn, a chess game piece
Jerked constantly between two homes
Addicted parents in selfish war
Then both disappear, the pawn is alone

So Corey moves to foster homes
One, then two, now ours makes four
He can’t relax or trust or feel
Or hope for more than a swinging door

We work to earn his trust each day
Gently, firmly, helping him grow
Challenging him to forgive and detach
From the depths of pain his soul must know