Words Unlocked: Reclaiming Lives Through Poetry

By Runjini Raman 

Like a bottle at sea

I have a message in me

That no one can read

-- Allan; Passages Academy, New York City, NY

Poetry’s job is to make sense of the insensible. As an art form, it allows for a way to turn tragedy or senselessness into something different; it provides an opportunity to accept and understand trauma. That’s why poetry is an incredible tool for youth. Art in itself is a form of catharsis-- something troubled youth desperately need in order to get their lives back on track.

That’s why it’s incredible that CEEAS started the Words Unlocked initiative. They encouraged youth held in detention facilities and long-term, secure correctional settings around the country to write and submit poetry. Volunteer judges narrowed the 1,000 total submissions down to 75, and the final judges -- Bryonn Bain, R. Dwayne Betts, John S. Blake, and Chelsea Clinton – chose the winners of the contest. In May, CEEAS published the anthology of work.

Supporting these kinds of projects can make a huge difference for troubled youth. Not being seen is a type of psychic violence that these youth can’t afford – they already risk becoming invisible to the community with the label of “incarcerated.” We should celebrate this willingness to share a difficult story. Once others see it, hear it, and acknowledge it, troubled youth are one step closer to putting bad choices and bad circumstances behind them and starting over.

You can download a PDF of the anthology and listen to the winning selection, as well as a recording of the top 13 poems, with a download of the iBook.

Runjini Raman is a communications associate for MetisNet.