Missing from My life

Missing from my life

By Mary Katherine Chapman

My childhood was shaped by your presence

Who will shape my adulthood?

You ran into a world in which I may never know

Will you come back, are you missing forever?

Are you living it up on some foreign beach or

Are you screaming out for me to come save you?

Come home to your family, come home to me

As I enter adulthood, I wonder if I will always be missing you.

Will I be missing you on my graduation day?

Will I be missing you on my wedding day?

Will I be missing you on my retirement day?

Will I be someone who you want to come home to?

Big brother please come home and show me the way.

I wrote this poem at the beginning of my senior year of high school, in 2017.  This was inspired by the disappearance of my brother, Ryles.  On December 19, 2014, Ryles became a missing person and was never seen from again.  Ryles was the big brother that all little girls need in their lives.  He protected me and taught me so much.  As I prepare for college, it pains me to think that he may never see me become a success.

Writing this poem made me realize some of the true feelings that I have.  I have always missed my brother, but writing this made me realize that he may never see the woman that I will become.  Writing this poem also made me think about who I want to become.  Do I want to chase money or do I want to do something that will make a real difference in the world?

After Ryles’ disappearance, I began volunteering at local food banks and homeless shelters.  At first, I wanted to get the word out that Ryles is missing and we desperately want to find him.  As my volunteer hours stacked up, I realized that I can do something to make a difference in these people’s lives.

After college, I plan to start a foundation that will help the homeless community in my area receive training and jobs.  When researching federal financial aid for my own higher education, I realized that there are many grants for homeless or at risk of homeless individuals.  These grants can be used at technical colleges to train individuals in the homeless community.

My plan is to help homeless individuals apply for grants, help them become accepted into technical programs, tutor the individuals, and help them find jobs through employer incentive programs similar to the ex-convict employment incentive programs.

The motivation behind this idea was originally built from the night that my brother became a missing person, but the actual idea came when writing this poem.  Before, I thought that I would find a career that made the most money and work until I retire.  This experience has taught me that there are much more important things in life.  I can say that the experience as a whole has completely changed the path of my life.  I miss my brother every day, but I am thankful for this last change he made in my life.