You want to come to my house?

April 1-4 I chaperoned a junior high mission trip with my church. The mission trip was only 20 minutes away--to downtown LA. I have lots of pictures and thoughts to write, but for now I wanted to post a poem that was read to us during the trip. The poem was written by a 10 year old girl who lives in Skid Row.

"My favorite sport is handball. You know what it is? You get a ball and hit it on the wall. If it touches down, you're out. You have have to get in line again and wait and wait until it is your turn.

Favorite subject? What is a subject? Oh my favorite subject is about planets because I know where the planets are. And lots of stuff.

Me, I am in my mother's world. I like my mother and father the same. But I like my dad a little more, because he takes me to buy more stuff and because he's nice to me. My mom is nice too but when we don't do well in school and my mom hits us my dad says why do you hit them? If you hit them they'll become more dumb.

You want to come to my house? Tell me before you want to come. I got to clean up.

My favorite color is red, blue, or purple. Tell you one word or you want more? Blue-hat red.

I was writing this poem but something happened. The police came because a man put a gun at my sister. My brother called the police. You didn't tell me. You want to come to my house?"

--Girl, Age 10