They ripped the trees down, but those branches still grow

They tore off all the leaves but the fruits still prosper

The soil is eroded but the grass gets taller

The wind gets bolder

The clouds get darker

The rain pours

The thunder strikes

And then you realise that life was never really alright...

It's broken.

Who is broken?

No, no, no

What is broken?

Wait, am I broken?

No, no, no

No, no, no, no...

Not you dear friend,

You are not broken.

You are the light that brings warmth to the room

You are the smile on everyone's faces

You are the nuture that the soul requires

You are the flowers when they bloom

You are the sunrise and sunset

You are the strength many don't require

Not you dear friend,

You are not broken.

You are just in one chapter of your life

You are on a journey of purpose and wisdom

You are learning true value in the world

You are on a road to belief beyond anything you could have imagined

You are more than important to the world

You are the key,

the key that holds the change to this broken system.

Not you dear friend,

You are not broken.

The system isn't set up for people like you

The system can't handle the changes that you are capable of making

The system judged you from day one

The system tore you down repeatedly

The system didn't show any kindness nor love

The system didn't forefill your heart the way it desired, the way it deserved

The system my dear friend

It's the system that is broken, it was never you!

Clarissa Stevens

In a world where justice truly thrives,

Victims wouldn't suffer, in the darkness, they'd survive.

No re-traumatisation, no blame to bear,

Only empathy, healing, and real care.

If the system wasn't broken, it would stand firm,

Supporting the weak, righting the wrongs.

No more punishment for wounds unseen,

Just fairness and compassion, where kindness meets.

In this vision of a world made whole,

The system's repaired, every heart and soul.

No more pain inflicted, no more tears shed,

Only a future where hope can spread.

But the journey is long, the path is steep,

Fixing the system, promises to keep.

Yet with unity and purpose, change shall be spoken,

A world remade, if the system's unbroken.

Kar-Man, Au

If the system wasn't broken,

I would know who it is I am.

If the system wasn't broken,

I wouldn't need a constant plan.

To wake each day and get through it,

And think of all the good,

A plan that's ever changing,

To pull myself out of the mud.

If the system wasn't broken,

Others would understand me.

If the system wasn't broken,

What I mean you'd be able to see.

You wouldn't think me quite as strange,

Expressing it all in a different way.

Meaning well but it taken wrong,

I give up explaining what I'm trying to say.

If the system wasn't broken,

I wouldnt push my loved ones away.

If the system wasn't broken,

I would know how to let them stay.

Living deep inside the shadows each day,

Is easier than feeling the hurt.

No one judging for your random sadness,

Is the only way to make it work.

But the system is so broken,

And remains so still each morning wake.

There's no magic wand to be waved,

But this system needs fixing for goodness sake.

A better understanding,

Not treated like a book,

Not written as a number,

A story without much luck.

The system, it needs fixing,

Please listen to our words,

We've lived the life the systems for,

Now let our voices be heard.

Don't treat us as statistics,

You say our needs were met,

But the bare minium isn't love,

We are still humans, you forget.

We grow this love for our carers,

To just be moved along,

Our thoughts that the love was equal,

We learn was very wrong.

Getting settled here to stay?

No! time to go to a whole new place,

Further than your birth family reside.

Very quickly losing faith.

Make us matter,

For you to care.

So the misunderstanding,

Can stop the stares.

Our corporate parents, the words 'in care',

Used like it's true.

We are grown now and alone,

Where are you?

Friendships lost,

So long ago.

Memories and people,

You only used to know.

Start again,

Just settle down.

A whole new city,

A whole new town.

If we can better it with our voices loud,

For those ahead of us in the crowd.

Can you work with us to right the wrongs?

Make them feel like they belong!

Tiffany Ruscoe

In a world where systems often fail,

Leaving scars, like a heavy, dragging veil,

I've wandered through the shadows deep,

Seeking solace, longing for sleep.

If only the cracks could seal and mend,

I'd find completeness around the bend.

No longer fractured, no longer torn,

A heart restored, no longer worn.

In a world where voices hush and cower,

I'd speak my truth with radiant power.

Embracing love, both fierce and true,

Not held back by fear's dark hue.

But brokenness holds lessons, too,

A chance to build, to start anew.

To mend the bonds that once were frayed,

And walk together, unafraid.

For in the midst of chaos, we find strength,

A resilience that stretches at length.

To rebuild, to grow, to soar above,

And nurture a world filled with love.

So let us dream of a brighter day,

Where broken systems fade away.

And in their place, we'll plant the seed,

Of a future where all can succeed.

Hand in hand, we'll pave the way,

Towards a brighter, fairer day.

Together, we'll rise, we'll overcome,

And fix the broken, one by one.

lkh