![]() ![]() Legendary, Beautiful
and Reflection Pond Three Books by Jaiya John Soul Water Rising, 2007, 2008
Reviewed by Legendary and Beautiful are
collections of poetry inspired by the work John does with adopted and foster
children, as well as his own life experiences. They can best be appreciated
by those who have experienced the foster system firsthand, either as a child
or as a professional or foster parent.
In the preface to Beautiful, John states, “young voices encountered in my life’s work are rendered in fictional poetry inspired by their sheer human luminosity. I wrote these poems for adults, intending to transmit the honest, unobstructed spirit of children.” Many of the poems and short prose vignettes are touching and give us a new insight into the thoughts and feelings of children in the foster system. An example from Legendary: I just hope nobody ever takes me away cause how would I ever find my way back and why are people always talking about sending me to a better life folk seem awful comfortable with the idea of me never seeing my family again. And these lines from Beautiful: foster is a funny word child comes to us a hummingbird fluttering nervous tiny thing frantic beating of her wings hungry starving daring thing darting dancing wishing she could sing like other birds and have her song listened to enjoyed...understood.
Later, in Beautiful, a child
says, “How can you assume people who scorn what I come from can make
me feel loved.” These poems, though written by the author as fictional
composites of what children have expressed to him, are true on a larger level.
Many adoptees and birth parents will also find the words true for them, even
if they have not been involved in the foster system. Adoptive parents may
find some of the words troubling, touching, or painful.
If you’re not into reading poetry, try these books anyway. If you have a foster child, an adoptee (child or adult) or any triad member in your life, recommend the books to them, without telling them how to think or feel about the content.
These books, published under the author’s own imprint, Soul Water Rising, will probably not be available in your local bookstore; they can be ordered from via the website http://www.soulwater.org, and copies are available for check-out in the O.I. lending library.
Excerpted from the October 2009 edition of the Operation Identity Newsletter |