It’s hard to be young

When you are among

Others who also are struggling with some

Of the challenges of growing up—finding a voice

Can’t measure the pressure to make the right choice

You want independence, be on your own

Must be respectful and use the right tone

In Kim Bearden’s first poetry collection, I Really Need You to Hear This, young voices emerge in verse, documenting–tentatively at times, and at other times boldly–the joys, challenges, fears, frustrations, hesitations, and comforts of growing up in today’s world. Many poems are situated in the classroom, with their young narrators reflecting on how the adults around them are struggling to see and support them. With huge heart and tremendous insight, Bearden captures the complex, layered experience of coming of age in America and celebrates what our young people can tell us if we only listen more closely.