Doug the Foster Child
By Susan Wagner
She arrives with three,
One a foster son, Doug.
He’s restless, he
Wanders, talks to his
Brother, to baby sister
To his almost mother.
Then, his therapist
Appears.
His mother speaks to me
Softly before she leaves.
She has cancer.
The boy-child must live
Elsewhere now.
There are rules for this
That must be followed.
She weeps, her heart
Broken.
They love Doug.
They wants to keep him
Home forever.
But he leaves in two days,
To his fifth foster home.
He will never return.
Susan Wagner, a former therapist, facilitated creative and poetry writing group therapies. She’s published poetry, short stories and feature articles for many years and taught both creative and business writing. Susan is currently finishing her second novel and is an editor with The Pearl S. Buck Writing Center.
Pearl S. Buck Writing Center 