Adoptee's Voice:

A collection of thoughts and reflections by adopted children.
I. Poems by Krystina Kelly
II. Essay by Christopher Stebner
III. Songs by Katrina Swift

"The Surprise Gift" & "The Picture of Happiness"
Two poems by Krystina Kelly
(She was adopted at 5 years of age and wrote this when she was 12).

The Surprise Gift
Happiness landed on my shoulder unexpectedly.
It felt like a hand that was warm and strong,
so I let that hand guide me.

Happiness came all the way to Russia
when I was older than five.
It whispered to me, “You’re special!”
It sang out loud, “You’re alive!”

Happiness gave me a new last name,
it flew home with me on a silver plane.

Happiness grows just outside my front door
on a tree that I helped to plant.
Now that my grandma has gone to Heaven,
it watches me when she can’t.

Happiness sits at our dinner table.
At night, it says prayers with me.
It has a very simple name,
I call it “Family”.

- by Krystina Kelly

The Picture of Happiness
There is a picture in my room,
it was done by Mary Cassatt
The little child playing in the sand
is the baby that I was not.

I don’t even know what I looked like then,
or if I was ever that small,
in the place that I came from, there was no camera,
no one took my picture at all.

But I have an album now, right by my bed,
so I look at the pictures in that book instead.

Here is my first birthday party, at six,
my silly hat, my pretty red dress,
all of my cousins brought so many gifts
that lie on the floor in a happy mess.

Here is my white baptism, at seven,
I still have saved every card.
There is the white cake, trimmed with pink,
and if I look close and hard,
I can see what is printed under my name:
“To our greatest gift from God”.

I won’t ever be that little child
in the picture by Mary Cassatt
but no artist could paint the colors I feel,
and I know I am loved a lot.
I still wonder who I was, long long ago,
but I’m happier with what I’ve got.

- by Krystina Kelly

"The Traveling Boy" by Christopher Stebner
(He was adopted at 8 months of age and wrote this when he was 8 and in the second grade).

BIO: Christopher Stebner, born September, 1997 (adopted at 8 months of age), wrote this essay at the beginning of second grade. The Parents Association submitted it to the 2005-2006 National PTA Reflections Program in the Primary: Preschool to Grade 2, Literature category. The theme was “I Wonder Why…”. His essay won the county level competition and placed second in the regional competition.

Songs performed by Katrina Swift:
1. Caro mio ben by Tommaso Giordani (1730-1806)
2. L'ho perduta from "Le Nozze di Figaro" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
3. Over the Rainbow from "The Wizard of Oz" Music by Harold Arlen, Lyrics by E.Y. Harburg. Accompanied by Joan Krueger, Piano.

(All songs can be played with the Microsoft Windows Media Player. Download the free player).

BIO: Katrina Swift, Born: October, 1993
Twelve year old, soprano, Katrina Swift was first introduced to the world of classical music in her native Russia. Adopted at the age of three and a half, Katrina made her first public appearance at age five singing, "The Star Spangled Banner", and has continued to delight audiences with her "crystal", "hauntingly beautiful" voice ever since. She has performed numerous times at professional sporting events, and has made special guest appearances for the Texas Jr. Miss Scholarship Program, Pepperdine University Associates and the Don Campbell Band's 4th of July L.L. Bean concert in Freeport, Maine. Katrina recently had the honor of performing for Barbara and George Bush.

Katrina's 2006-2007 schedule is filled with firsts. She made her debut with the El Paso Youth Orchestra in the spring of 2006 and was invited back for a second concert. In the summer, Katrina will perform at the Gala Concert for the newly founded Kennebunkport Arts Festival. In December, Katrina makes her San Jose Chamber Symphony debut singing a role written for her by New York City composer, Kin D. Sherman.

©2001 - 2008 Children of the World Adoption Agency Inc., All Rights Reserved.
www.cwaany.org - Release 4.0