FINDING BALANCE IN STORY TELLING:

Selected Words and Poems

By Helen Caulton-Harris

Many of us know a lot about Helen Caulton-Harris. We know that she is the Director of the Springfield Department of Health & Human Services. We know that she has a magnificent, oratory voice that commands our attention. We know that she has received many, many awards, too numerous to name. We know that she is married to Douglas and has a son, Christopher.

But did you also know that she is a published poet? I happened by this information at a recent event given by the Xi Xi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority where Helen was receiving yet another award. In her remarks, she told the stories “through words and poems” of some of the women that have influenced her. We take this opportunity to reprint some of those words and one of those poems.

RECOVERING

“I met a young woman who I knew was struggling with a drug addiction. Being accomplished, almost a genius by her SATs, I knew from talking to her parents that she was feeling overwhelmed. When I started to talk with her, I asked her how her recovery was going and she looked at me and said, ‘Ms. Caulton, every body is recovering from something.’” n