I found Matthew there alone
\nsitting on a pile of planks and cardboard,
\namid the debris that had once been his hideout.
\nHe had put up the cabin to be his haven.
\nI found him there,
\nwrapped up in himself by the loneliness
\nbrought on by his parents\u2019 poverty.
\nAt thirteen, Matthew is lonely and friendless,
\nbecause as soon as he sees other youngsters,
\nhe feels ashamed and darts out of sight.
\nHe is alone, rejected like his family,
\nbecause no one in the neighborhood
\nwill have anything to do with him.
\nNo one takes any notice of him,
\nnor of anyone else who shares in the shame of poverty.
\nNo teacher ever comes to see your family here,
\nnor any minister to share his faith with you.
\nThere is no big brother, no friend spending some time
\nto make a little confidence and happiness
\ngrow in your heart.
\nIf he has cut himself off from the others,
\nit isn\u2019t that he doesn\u2019t like them,
\nbut because there are too many people missing
\nfor him to believe that he is loved
\nand that his family is respected.<\/p>\n
(…)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"