EVERY CHILD MATTERS!
MONSTER, A RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL EXPERIENCE
By Dennis Saddleman
I HATE YOU RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL
I HATE YOU
YOU’RE A MONSTER
A HUGE HUNGRY MONSTER
BUILT WITH STEEL BONES
BUILT WITH CEMENT FLESH
YOU’RE A MONSTER
BUILT TO DEVOUR
INNOCENT NATIVE CHILDREN
YOU’RE A COLD-HEARTED MONSTER
COLD AS THE CEMENT FLOORS
YOU HAVE NO LOVE
NO GENTLE ATMOSPHERE
YOUR UGLY FACE GROOVED WITH RED BRICKS
YOUR MONSTER EYES GLARE
FROM GRIMY WINDOWS
MONSTER EYES SO EVIL
MONSTER EYES WATCHING
TERRIFIED CHILDREN
COWER WITH SHAME
I HATE YOU RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL I HATE YOU
YOU’RE A SLIMY MONSTER
OOZING IN THE SHADOWS OF MY PAST
GO AWAY LEAVE ME ALONE
YOU’RE FOLLOWING ME FOLLOWING ME WHEREVER I GO
YOU’RE IN MY DREAMS IN MY MEMORIES
GO AWAY MONSTER GO AWAY
I HATE YOU YOU’RE FOLLOWING ME
I HATE YOU RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL I HATE YOU
YOU’RE A MONSTER WITH HUGE WATERY MOUTH
MOUTH OF DOUBLE DOORS
YOUR WIDE MOUTH TOOK ME
YOUR YELLOW STAINED TEETH CHEWED
THE INDIAN OUT OF ME
YOUR TEETH CRUNCHED MY LANGUAGE
GRINDED MY RITUALS AND MY TRADITIONS
YOUR TASTE BUDS BECAME BITTER
WHEN YOU TASTED MY RED SKIN
YOU SWALLOWED ME WITH DISGUST
YOUR FACE WRINKLED WHEN YOU
TASTED MY STRONG PRIDE
I HATE YOU RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL I HATE YOU
YOU’RE A MONSTER
YOUR THROAT MUSCLES FORCED ME
DOWN TO YOUR STOMACH
YOUR THROAT MUSCLES SQUEEZED MY HAPPINESS
SQUEEZED MY DREAMS
SQUEEZED MY NATIVE VOICE
YOUR THROAT BECAME CLOGGED WITH MY SACRED SPIRIT
YOU COUGHED AND YOU CHOKED
FOR YOU CANNOT WITH STAND MY
SPIRITUAL SONGS AND DANCES
I HATE YOU RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL I HATE YOU
YOU’RE A MONSTER
YOUR STOMACH UPSET EVERY TIME I WET MY BED
YOUR STOMACH RUMBLED WITH ANGER
EVERY TIME I FELL ASLEEP IN CHURCH
Your stomach growled at me every time I broke the school rules
Your stomach was full You burped
You felt satisfied You rubbed your belly and you didn’t care
You didn’t care how you ate up my native Culture
You didn’t care if you were messy
if you were piggy
You didn’t care as long as you ate up my Indianness
I hate you Residential School I hate you
You’re a monster
Your veins clotted with cruelty and torture
Your blood poisoned with loneliness and despair
Your heart was cold it pumped fear into me
I hate you Residential School I hate you
You’re a monster
Your intestines turned me into foul entrails
Your anal squeezed me
squeezed my confidence
squeezed my self respect
Your anal squeezed
then you dumped me
Dumped me without parental skills
without life skills
Dumped me without any form of character
without individual talents
without a hope for success
