1. Literature provides pleasure to both listeners and readers. Any time you read literature, you are escaping from your problems and diving into another world.
2. Literature builds experience. When children read, they are learning about new places, gaining new experiences, and meeting new people. They are even learning about the past.
3. Literature provides a language model for those who hear it and read it. Literature exposes children to correct sentence patterns, expand their vocabulary, and learn standard story structures. 
4. Literature helps children develop thinking skills. When children take time to discuss the literature they read, they learn about cause and effect, reasoning, characters and settings, etc.
5. Literature also supports all areas of the language arts curriculum. For instance, when children listen to literature, they are developing their listening skills while discussion helps children express their thoughts, feelings, and reactions.
6. Reading literature helps children practice their comprehension skills in a meaningful ways. Writers can use literature as models for different genres of writing.
7. Literature may also help children deal with their problems. When children find out how characters in books deal with problems that they may be facing, they can apply what they learn to their own problems.

There are many benefits of literature. People young and old can grow mentally and emotionally by dipping into literary text on a daily basis. As more and more children are exposed to literature, we will begin to see a change in the world for the better as the benefits or literary engagement reach further than the individual.

The post Why Is Literature Important? appeared first on Adoption Poetry | For Adoptees, Adoptive Parents, Birth Mothers.

When I was younger, couldn’t see clearly

Often wondered why my bio mother couldn’t be near me

Left me in a home full of children just like me, yet I still felt lonely

They said I had ADHD, a Mood disorder and suffered from depression

In reality, I just didn’t know how to express the feelings of my family’s separation

I woke up everyday fearing the unknown

All because I didn’t have a place to call home

Packing my bags over and over

Feeling like my life was apart of a hostile takeover

I fought

I ran from what I couldn’t understand

I would scream “I hate my life”

In my mind I didn’t think anyone could relate

And when I arrived to my next destination

I refused to participate

Constantly

New house, New rules

New friends, New Schools

New pills, because I wasn’t given the proper coping skills

Then you came along

I knew your feelings for me were strong

You were determined to help me to feel like I belonged

Planting your feet in my corner

Pushing me to see my potential

Proving those diagnoses were simple

Even when I began to push you away because I wasn’t sure I could trust you

You pushed back with a firm “I Still love you”

That’s when I could clearly see, I’m yours

Today my wait is over

A new beginning for US

A New Name, New Love

New Family, New Me

New vision of life

A clear path in front of me

My wait is over

To learn more about foster to adopt click here.

To learn more about adoption click here.

To find adoption books click here.

To learn about support groups click here.

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1. This international adoptee, blogger “Happy Panda” writes about the connection she has with her birth mother.

Red thread

There is a red thread between two different kind of worlds,

One world with red dragons, incense and lantarns  I cannot remember,

I guess I lost her many years ago,

What she really was like, I will never ever know.

She changed very fast after I left her twenty years ago,

She is not the same anymore,

Neither am I,

We both changed in ways you can’t imagine,

Despite the distance, I still feel compassion.

There is a red thread crossing the big oceans and small seas,

All the way to the place I am right now; here,

This world I feel, smell, hear and see everyday,

It’s the world where I love, eat, work and pray.

This world taught and showed me so many beautiful things life has to offer,

I am living my dream because of her,

She gives me hope, freedom and protection,

She gives me motivation and takes me to the right direction.

There is a red thread between two kind of different worlds,

Both worlds taught me a different lesson,

One taught me my roots and family history,

While the other taught me to enjoy everyday cause the future is a big mystery.

2. Being adopted isn’t easy, and sometimes people sugarcoat it. Karen Belanger is raw and real in her poem “Denied,” a piece about the frustrations of sealed birth certificates.

DENIED – By The Government

poem by Karen Belanger

Assembling Self

I plead though they ignore my cries.

The record’s sealed is their reply.

Time and time again I ask.

I’m told to put it in the past.

I can’t get them to try and see.

They have what belongs to me.

I beg for truth but no one hears.

It only falls upon deaf ears.

I get no matter how I try.

The same stone cold response

DENIED

3. Adoptee Keith shares a beautiful tribute to his birth mother.

To A Mother I Never Knew

© Keith

To a mother I never knew,

From a son who desperately misses you.

There were so many times I would imagine you,

But you would never appear.

And there were so many times I would cry for you,

Tear after tear.

I have even begged for you,

On both knees,

To please come save me, Mama,

Please, please, please.

And even as the years passed by,

I would never lose hope,

Because it was hope

That kept this little boy afloat.

I would daydream about the moment

When I would finally meet you,

And how I would cry and be speechless

Just to finally see you.

With my own two eyes,

Exactly how I had dreamed,

Angelic and beautiful

And as loving as you seemed.

But I’m all grown up now

With a son of my own,

And I try to give to him

What I’ve always wanted in a home.

I teach my son,

From the lessons that I’ve learned.

I teach him that love can’t be bought,

It can only be earned.

I’ve learned that sometimes love

Is so much harder to show than to say.

That’s how I know you truly loved me, Mama,

Because you’re not here with me today.

I can only imagine

The selfless love that it took

To say goodbye to your child

And take one last look.

To let him go,

In hopes that he can live a better life.

The pain must’ve felt

Like a dull serrated knife.

I miss you every day, Mama,

And I hope to see you soon.

But if not,

Then I’ll see you in my dreams tomorrow afternoon.

The post 3 Poems By Adoptees That You Should Read appeared first on Adoption Poetry | For Adoptees, Adoptive Parents, Birth Mothers.

The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein

Although this poem is not about adoption specifically, it describes the selfless love the giving tree has for the little boy. “And she loved the little boy very, very much. Even more than she loved herself”. Placing a child is a great sacrifice for a birth mother, one we make out of love.

Once there was a tree….

and she loved a little boy.

And everyday the boy would come

and he would gather her leaves

and make them into crowns

and play king of the forest.

He would climb up her trunk

and swing from her branches

and eat apples.

And they would play hide-and-go-seek.

And when he was tired,

he would sleep in her shade.

And the boy loved the tree….

very much.

And the tree was happy.

But time went by.

And the boy grew older.

And the tree was often alone.

Then one day the boy came to the tree

and the tree said, ‘Come, Boy, come and

climb up my trunk and swing from my

branches and eat apples and play in my

shade and be happy.’

‘I am too big to climb and play’ said

the boy. 

‘I want to buy things and have fun.

I want some money?’

‘I’m sorry,’ said the tree, ‘but I

have no money.

I have only leaves and apples.

Take my apples, Boy, and sell them in

the city. Then you will have money and

you will be happy.’

And so the boy climbed up the

tree and gathered her apples

and carried them away.

And the tree was happy.

But the boy stayed away for a long time….

and the tree was sad.

And then one day the boy came back

and the tree shook with joy

and she said, ‘Come, Boy, climb up my trunk

and swing from my branches and be happy.’

‘I am too busy to climb trees,’ said the boy.

‘I want a house to keep me warm,’ he said.

‘I want a wife and I want children,

and so I need a house.

Can you give me a house ?’

‘ I have no house,’ said the tree.

‘The forest is my house,

but you may cut off

my branches and build a

house. Then you will be happy.’

And so the boy cut off her branches

and carried them away

to build his house.

And the tree was happy.

But the boy stayed away for a long time.

And when he came back,

the tree was so happy

she could hardly speak.

‘Come, Boy,’ she whispered,

‘come and play.’

‘I am too old and sad to play,’

said the boy.

‘I want a boat that will

take me far away from here.

Can you give me a boat?’

‘Cut down my trunk

and make a boat,’ said the tree.

‘Then you can sail away…

and be happy.’

And so the boy cut down her trunk

and made a boat and sailed away.

And the tree was happy

… but not really.

And after a long time

the boy came back again.

‘I am sorry, Boy,’

said the tree,’ but I have nothing

left to give you –

My apples are gone.’

‘My teeth are too weak

for apples,’ said the boy.

‘My branches are gone,’

said the tree. ‘ You

cannot swing on them – ‘

‘I am too old to swing

on branches,’ said the boy.

‘My trunk is gone, ‘ said the tree.

‘You cannot climb – ‘

‘I am too tired to climb’ said the boy.

‘I am sorry,’ sighed the tree.

‘I wish that I could give you something….

but I have nothing left.

I am just an old stump.

I am sorry….’

‘I don’t need very much now,’ said the boy.  

‘just a quiet place to sit and rest.

I am very tired.’

‘Well,’ said the tree, straightening

herself up as much as she could,

‘well, an old stump is good for sitting and resting

Come, Boy, sit down. Sit down and rest.’

And the boy did.

And the tree was happy.

Legacy of an Adopted Child, Unknown Author

This poem speaks to the fact that birth mothers are real mothers, just as much as an adoptive mother is. We each play a special role in the child’s life, and we do the best we can for them.

Once there were two women

Who never knew each other.

One you do not remember,

The other you call mother.

Two different lives

Shaped to make yours one.

One became your guiding star,

The other became your sun.

The first gave you life

And the second taught you to live it.

The first gave you a need for love

And the second was there to give it.

One gave you a nationality,

The other gave you a name.

One gave you a seed of talent,

The other gave you an aim.

One gave you emotions,

The other calmed your fears.

One saw your first sweet smile,

The other dried your tears.

One gave you up —

It was all that she could do.

The other prayed for a child

And God led her straight to you.

And now you ask me

Through your tears,

The age-old question

Through the years:

Heredity or environment

Which are you the product of?

Neither, my darling — neither,

Just two different kinds of love.

Love You Baby Boy, by Melody McCaid

This birth mother writes about the joy and pain of open adoption.

You spent the weekend with us,

It was nice….

It was very scary and never wracking, but I got over it.

You didn’t cry when I held you in my arms.

I am glad you didn’t.

And when he held you it looked so natural

I almost cried….

I know you’re doing well with them,

I know that this is for the best,

It just hurts sometimes

in my chest….

I try to fight it

like it doesn’t bother me….

But it does….

But when I saw you this weekend I was so happy

And I thought to myself, “I did the best.”

Are you considering adoption and want to give your child the best life possible? Let us help you find an adoptive family that you love. Visit Adoption.org or call 1-800-ADOPT-98.

The post 3 Touching Poems for Birth Mothers appeared first on Adoption Poetry | For Adoptees, Adoptive Parents, Birth Mothers.

I lost you

I ache.

I always will.

Sweet-

Your softness

Your smell

Your eyes that match mine.

I got to be your mother

If only for a moment.

Love–

My love is with you

Surrounds you

Every minute

Every day.

They say that true love hurts.

Loss–

Turns out they were right.

But-

I fight with all that I am

To heal, to grow, to flourish

I can do anything

Because it’s for you.

Hope

Hurt

Laughter

Tears

The story of you and me

Bittersweet.

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Journaling

Yesterday’s thoughts, prayers, and worries may seem inconsequential to you now, and you may be surprised at how readily those issues are eventually resolved. Final exams, landing your first job, and attracting your first date are now immaterial concerns that once consumed your little world. Many times, trusting that the future will turn out okay involves looking back and remembering how things worked out in the past. Journaling can help you to commemorate small successes and keep your current woes in perspective.

Blogging

During my first few chaotic months as an adoptive parent, there were few things that mitigated my self-doubt more than reading the posts of other folks who had adopted children internationally and dealt with aggression, language barriers, and developmental delays that eventually ironed themselves out. Friends and family members tried to give support, but none had jumped into parenting during the school-aged years and they couldn’t help me normalize my experience. Blogging can help you to organize your problems and develop solutions, but it also helps other parents in that “wow, I’m glad it’s not just me!” kind of way. You never know who else out there has ten-year-olds who can’t tie their shoes yet, and you will be glad to hear they are in their corner!

The Write Life

Ray Charles once said that “I was born with music inside me. Music was one of my parts. Like my ribs, my kidneys, my liver, my heart. Like my blood. It was a force already within me when I arrived on the scene. It was a necessity for me – like food or water.” If you are a writer, it is hard to make sense of life without reciting in your head and jotting it down on paper. That is not something you should fight! Don’t be afraid to express your feelings, hopes and dreams in language and sensitivity that is all your own. If you find it hard to live without the power of the written word, you may have been born to create it. As Cicero said, “a room without books is like a body without a soul.”

Diggin’ Deep

There is nothing more frightening than not knowing where your feelings of anxiety or sorrow are coming from. The hurtful words, confusing experiences, and loneliness that the world levels at us each day come pouring out in structured sentences, where they have names and are no longer indefinable. Here, we can begin to celebrate the power and uniqueness of our journeys, and know that there is a purpose to our pain. We can hit backspace, ignore our critics, and dream all over a blank piece of paper.

Are you ready to pursue adoption? Visit Adoption.org or call 1-800-ADOPT-98 to connect with compassionate, nonjudgmental adoption specialists who can help you get started on the journey of a lifetime.

The post How Writing Can Help You to Understand Yourself appeared first on Adoption Poetry | For Adoptees, Adoptive Parents, Birth Mothers.

I never knew I wasn’t going to be able to give birth.

I never knew how devastating that would be.

I never knew where my journey was leading,

I never knew being an adoptive mom was for me.

I never knew I could love someone else’s child as much as I love you.

I never knew that being your mom was the most important thing I would ever do.

I never knew how much it would scare me when you finally met.

I never knew how important it was to you until the date was set.

I never knew you were as afraid as I until that day.

I never knew how much you loved me until you said “She’s my birth mom but you’re my mommy.”

I never knew it was possible to love you more, you’ll never know how much it meant.

The thing I am most certain of, even though I didn’t give you life; you are my son of heart and that, Will, is the important part.

When my youngest adopted son was seven years old, he had the opportunity to meet his birth mother. I had been fortunate enough to have maintained a Facebook relationship with her and therefore was able to contact her. For years I had agonized over this day and dreaded what might happen after they met, however, I couldn’t steal from him the opportunity to know the woman who had brought him into this world. After many discussions with my husband, we finally made arrangements to meet.

I remember it was a cold winter evening. He had just gotten a haircut and was looking quite handsome with his missing front tooth. He seemed really excited to meet his birth mom, but when we arrived he clung to me as if scared. I didn’t mind, I was scared too. I felt like I needed to make a claim on this child who I had raised since he was three days old. Me, I had raised him. I had gotten up at 2 and 4 am to feed him. I had wiped snotty noses and kissed scraped knees. I had held him when sobbing when he didn’t understand why his skin was brown and mine was white. But I knew she had claim as well, because there was a hole in his heart where she belonged that I would never fit. I knew he would always wonder why she didn’t keep him, and I wanted him to have that relationship when he needed to ask those questions.

She was nervous too. I couldn’t imagine what she might have been thinking because I could never imagine not keeping a child I had given birth to. She was young then, only 18 when she gave birth to him, 14 to his older half-brother. Way too young to start a family. She tried to explain to him why things happened the way they did, but he was still too young to totally understand. After the visit, he seemed somewhat relieved–I know I was. After we jumped in the car and headed home, he sat quietly in his seat as I silently cried in the front. I was worried the experience was too much for him and he would want to be with her instead of us. I quietly voiced my concerns to my husband. “Ask him,” he said. I turned to look at my sweet boy sitting in the back seat and asked if he was okay. He nodded and smiled at me and said the words that eased my heart. “It’s okay. She’s my birth mom, but you’re my mommy. I’ll always love you.”

We continue to have a relationship with his birth mother seven years later and my fears she would take my son away are no more. He has let me know he is happy and glad that he had me for a mommy because he knew she wasn’t ready to be his mom. He still misses her and what might have been, but has expressed his gratefulness for having my husband and me in his life. What he doesn’t know is how grateful I am for him being in mine.

Are you an adoptive mother? Do you have an adoptive mother poem you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments!

Are you considering placing a child for adoption? Not sure what to do next? First, know that you are not alone. Visit Adoption.org or call 1-800-ADOPT-98 to speak to one of our Options Counselors to get compassionate, nonjudgmental support. We are here to assist you in any way we can.

The post Adoptive Mother Poem: “I Never Knew” appeared first on Adoption Poetry | For Adoptees, Adoptive Parents, Birth Mothers.

1. “Legacy of An Adopted Child” by Unknown Author

I love the way this poem describes how an adopted child has two moms and the roles they each play in the life of the child. At the end, it says “Heredity or environment–neither, just two different kinds of love.” I love this because it describes the feeling of an adopted child at some point in his or her life. I remember sitting in biology class learning about genetics. It was hard for me to determine my genetic traits because I don’t know my birth mom. I believe that some of my personality came from the way my adoptive mom raised me. I believe every adopted child wonders about their genetics, but it’s more important to know how your environment has shaped who you are.

2. “My Own Child” by Unknown Author

By using the analogy of a garden, this poem describes how an adoptive mom feels after raising an adopted child. In summary it says “Even though I did not plant you, I have harvested you.” While you may not have given birth to the child you are raising, you can still call that child your own. It all depends on how you raise the child. One day you will see the harvest.

3. “Dear Birth Mother” by Karen Ledbetter

This poem is a letter written to a birth mother to encourage her and thank her for the gift she has given. Many parents who adopt don’t have the ability to give birth to their own children so a lot of times, a baby is an answer to prayer.

4. “A Special Bond of Love” by Karen Ledbetter

This poem is also a letter written to a birth mother to thank her for the precious gift she has given. The author acknowledges in this poem that the child is still the child of the birth mother even though she has placed the child for adoption. Even though a birth mother and an adoptive mother may not know each other, they still share a special bond, the child, whom they both love.

5. “When Hope is Given” by Sheila T. Williams

I love that this poem is written through the eyes of an adopted child. This poem is a letter written to the adoptive parents thanking them for giving the child love and hope. The child realizes that he/she is a chosen child. For many children in foster care, it is hard to find hope because they come from a rough background and are moved from home to home. This poem really touches my heartstrings.

Are you and your partner ready to start the adoption process? Visit Adoption.org or call 1-800-ADOPT-98 to begin your adoption journey. We have 130+ years of adoption experience and would love to help you.

The post 5 Adoption Poems Every Adoptive Parent Will Love appeared first on Adoption Poetry | For Adoptees, Adoptive Parents, Birth Mothers.

We were incredibly fortunate to find out that she went to live with an amazing family during those three months. However, we knew nothing of where she was or who she was with for those three months until they were almost over. I thought of my daughter multiple times a day. My heart ached not knowing if she was okay or what she was doing. I had only my imagination, and I often went to a very dark place.

With an open adoption and an amazing foster family, whom we keep in touch with, my daughter has an incredible amount of people who love her. She not only has me as her mother, but two other incredible mothers who may not be so by name to her, but fully encompass the definition. As I left that hospital the day of her birth, I never knew we would be here. With such trepidation, I was prepared for the worst. I wondered if she would somehow know she was alone. Would she somehow feel forgotten? I wrote the following poem to sum up a little part of our story:

“I left you there. Not even old enough to know.

Who is my mother? Where is the one who loves me?

She left you there. Not wanting to part, but the demons kept her at arm’s length.

Who is my mother? Where is the one who loves me?

They came to take you home. Not flesh, not blood, nor permanent.

Who is my mother? Where is the one who loves me?

Three long months. I fought with all I had right alongside the one who gave you life, but could not keep you.

Who is my mother? Where is the one who loves me?

The gavel fell and you were ours forever onward. But still hers. Still theirs. Loved.

They are my mothers. They are the ones who love me. “

-Lita Jordan

Considering adoption? Let us help you on your journey to creating your forever family. Visit Adoption.org or call 1-800-ADOPT-98.

The post The Longest Three Months: Adoption Poetry appeared first on Adoption Poetry | For Adoptees, Adoptive Parents, Birth Mothers.

Grieve Infertility

There’s never any sense that we’ve missed out on the best or most realistic parts of parenthood because we’ve adopted. Our bond of love is strong and so are the day to day challenges.

And yet even after all this time, hope for a pregnancy remains. I love the blossoming round bellies of pregnant women. I love what birth and the womb represent physically as well as metaphorically. For many years I have longed to feel these truths in a deeply experiential way.

Adoption Poetry

Many years ago, my husband bought me a necklace resembling a locket. It reveals a message I have pondered and treasured for a long time:

I carry your heart in my heart.

This phrase is based on the most beautiful poem by E.E. Cummings called “I Carry Your Heart with Me.” It has brought me great comfort during the dark and lonely times that happen when you grieve infertility. It speaks of a profound kind of intimacy. One that could be reserved for God alone. A kind that is unconditional. One that is satisfied, but wanting. To me it tells of a bond that is possible between lovers, or sisters, or a mother and her adopted child.

I carry your heart with me (I carry it in

my heart) I am never without it (anywhere

I go you go, my dear; and whatever is done

by only me is your doing, my darling)

I fear

no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) I want

no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)

and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows

higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart

I carry your heart (I carry it in my heart)

Another poem I love is by Fleur Conkling Heyliger. I have it printed in my son’s life book. It’s a poem that helped usher in hope and healing where only desperation and barrenness existed.

Not flesh of my flesh

Nor bone of my bone

but still Miraculously my own.

Never forget for a single minute

You did not grow under my heart

but in it.

I wondered if my time would ever come. And whether my grief and longing would ever subside. It has waned over the years. But it’s been work. It’s been up and down. It’s not just time that has brought healing. It’s been reaching for meaning. Reaching for love wherever I find it. And choosing to carry it wherever I go.

Do you feel there is a hole in your heart that can only be filled by a child? We’ve helped complete 32,000+ adoptions. We would love to help you through your adoption journey. Visit Adoption.org or call 1-800-ADOPT-98.

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