Im Gonna Get There Guys! ! Poem by sheniqua lowery

Sheniqua Lowery
August,06,1990

When I came into foster care a lot of things changed. Oh boy! A lot has changed. Like my schools, teachers, friends, family, it’s a different world then before.
I am so use to being independent and going a lot of places by myself, especially being alone. But now I feel loved and cared for by people that aren’t my parents. That’s so sad if your parents have other people take care of you because they can’t handle the responsibility of you. When I came here a lot of people asked. “Where is your dad, can I come over and hang” I would look at them and say “umm I am a foster child, I don’t know if you can come over and hang out”. It felt so emotional to say that.
But it was also good at the same time because I got out of a bad place into a good one before it was too late. It’s a struggle everyday to be in foster care and not getting to see my parents. Mostly, I love my dad more because he’s been there for me and my brother since day one. He raised us until we were sixteen, then the CPS workers came and that’s the last time we saw each other again.
Hey momma has to have love too. Because even though she wasn’t there, she was there emotionally. There were phone conversations that often did not happen because my mom & dad fought a lot. They were fighting over who gets custody of us kids.
I have overcome a lot of things like emotions, physical, mental issues since I have been here. When I went into a foster home and laid my head down to rest without noise. I just cried and you ask why I cried is because so much left behind hurt me a lot.
The photos, memories, laughter, independence, sibs, family, and my pets it just made me think why I am here when I already know the answer to the question. I am happy to be alive and well fed and actually get awards and smiles and hugs from my family, when I get good grades. Today I am a better person as I get to vote for presidents and get to do a lot of things now that I am 18yrs old. I make good grades and don’t let anyone come in my way of learning, I also look forward to going to a good collage and sticking it out cause I’m not a foster child, I’m me, I’m family in my foster home. To them I’m Sheniqua Lowery, not just a kid from a foster home.
Sincerely,
Sheniqua lowery