Fire Song by Adam Garnet Jones

Author:Adam Garnet Jones
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Annick Press
Published: 2017-11-30T20:10:28+00:00

chapter sixteen

Roberta is the smartest, kindest, best person, but she doesn’t have a clue. I asked her once about what kind of school I would have to do to help kids like she does. Eight more years of school, she told me. Eight! And she still doesn’t have any idea how to help us. Me neither, but I didn’t go to school. She handed out these cheesy sheets today that were written like legal contracts where we promised to call Roberta or our “buddy” if we’re ever thinking about killing ourselves. Right. Nice idea but I don’t think a little sheet of paper is going to do much if somebody wants to go through with it. Shane had taken off by then so creepy Kyle jumped in to be my “suicide buddy.” Ugh. No thanks.

I love that Roberta is here though. Even if she doesn’t solve anything, I like to imagine her going to school down south year after year, dreaming of doing good and caring enough to come back and try. It helps to know that. It really does. It makes me wish I was strong enough to do something someone could look up to. But I don’t think people get very much out of poems. You can’t eat a poem. It won’t keep you warm. It’s not going to filter the water or keep kids from being taken into care. But I keep thinking that a really good one—the right magic combination of words—might save your life.

Roberta asked us to make a list of ten things that, no matter what happens, make life worth living. I only came up with four.

1. Books.

2. Writing.

3. Shane.

4. The possibility of seeing my mom again.

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