Homeless 11 Year Old Girl Tape Recording

WHEN: July 25, 2009
CATEGORY: none

- From a tape recording of an 11-year old girl in an emergency shelter

You think you know what homeless mean but you don't know nothin' 'bout homeless. You think homeless mean you ain't got no apartment, you ain't got no bed for yourself, ain't got no place to wash off when you soil or you be sweaty. Well, bein' homeless mean more than that.

It mean you ain't got no next-door neighbor, no best-friend no more. You don't got no favorite place to play, or hide your candy money. You don't even got your own seat in your own classroom, you be movin' so many time. Don't know the teacher name. So who care? She don't know your name either.

You ain't got no good memories of holidays or the movies or even rides. You ain't even got yourself bad memories. You know why? You bet you don't! 'Cause one shelter look like the next, and soon you can't remember how long you been in this one or that one.

Anyway, it don't make no difference. Not after a while it don't. You know why? 'Cause you be doubling up so many nights in the same bed covers, sharin' the same potty so many nights, that one mornin' you turn into the other person.

So don't tell me you know 'bout homeless kids. And don't ask me if I understand what happen' to my family bein' we got no home. They invisible and so is me. I not here anymore. I died three years ago. Hey, you wastin' your time talkin' to a dead person.