“For Whom?”
By Tavaris “Taz” Kelly,
Project Transformation Tulsa AmeriCorps Member ‘07

Mommy don't
Daddy Stop
Kids confused about who they are, or what they're not
Innocent souls that are condemned because of situations in which they have no control
Fingers are pointed and judgments are made as they are raised in a society which designates their role(s)
Their little hearts are broken; their battered bodies are bruised
And those who don't feel contempt are left feeling confused
They lash out at others or they hold it in inside
Either way they feel that they have no one in which they can confide
Because the adults don't listen, or they already have the answers
So they keep buried inside and it eats at them like cancer

But their cries are not unheard, the tears are not left unseen on their faces
There is hope for those who only find comfort while hiding in unseen places

There isn't a such thing as failure protection
Young men and women searching for direction
Putting on social façades as they search every burning bush for God
But instead coming face to face with Temptation
Feeling obligation
To turn to sin to deal with Frustration
Burdened with sound doctrine and organized religion
Fearful of being judged if they make the wrong decision
So they simply harden their hearts against the love of Christ
Numbing their minds to the memory of God's sacrifice

However their hearts remain uneasy, their souls unsettled
Simmering beneath the skin like a boiling pot or a steaming kettle
But there is a chance for those who love Christ to grow
A place for those who want to do God's work to go

Finally someone who will listen;
whose touch is not intended for harm
A place where voices are raised for fun, not to evoke fear or alarm
Where children are showered with love and not neglected
Somewhere where they feel like they matter and are respected
Where they can eat and get full
Laugh instead of cry
Where they can shed their desire to be secluded and shy
Where they have little reason to be angry or mope
This is the place where children find hope

A job to keep them busy
Faith and prayer to keep them strong
And friends who love them enough to tell them when they're in the wrong
Devotion every morning, and worship every Wednesday
And a lot of time afterwards for everyone to go their own way
A coordinator to give direction; a chaplain to help with needs
And volunteers who provide meals and help plant good seeds
And every once in a while someone will find out what they're made of, stumble across their calling
Or even find the strength to catch a friend who's falling
They discover how it feels to make a difference is someone's life
To make friends that are willing to walk with them through the strife
Bonds are formed
They discover love of different kinds
The voice of transgression is silenced in their minds
They no longer live in depression or frustration

And all this is the work of Project Transformation.