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Aonad 1Resource Sheet 2BAn Extract from ‘Out of Home’by Louise WilkinsonTo you a home may seem so realBut what is real when out of home?As night and day run into oneIt’s all the same when out of home.A strength I find from where unknownUnknown to me a strength alone.But with this strength I’ll find my homeAnd bring my life and soul right home.The Seven Daysby Sarah Murphy and Peter LewisOn the first day the landlord came,He said we owed too much.Mam said Dad’s drinking was to blame,Too much time had passed as such.On the second day Mam and Dad were sad.They said we had to leave.Our house, our friends and all we had,It was so hard to believe.When day three came, we were aloneAnd help was what we needed.But our pleas and sadness were so unheard,The welfare lady never heeded.On the fourth day we packed up all ourstuff,All we had was bagged and taggedAnd left in an old container store,The only room we now had.On day five we found our new home,We moved to some ‘hostel’ place.Dad was left out now on his own,This was the new life we had to face.Yesterday was our sixth day,And mam began to sob.We have no space there’s a noisy crowd,She’s too upset to get a job.What Home Is(See Painting Above)Home is where the heart isAnd where each new start isFor plans and dreams and painWith everything to gainA haven for the brainTo keep you safe and saneFor peace of mind and happinessAnd shelter from the rainDay seven is never ending,We’ve applied for a council home.But the waiting lists are long and growing,We’re short on money, can’t get a loan.Our lives have changed in one short cry,People just don’t seem to care.We’re not so different, there’s not enoughhelp,It just doesn’t seem fair.Emma Staerck, poet and artist31