This is Rose, a five year old girl in a single Filipino jail cell packed with dozens of other children and adults, some of whom have committed serious offenses.

Though the exact number is not known of these child prisoners, some estimate that the number is as high as 20,000.

I am shattered by this. Some of you may know that I was born in the Philippines. I spent some of my childhood there…and watching the CNN report that came out this weekend about the Filipino child prisoners…like 5 year old Rose…God I feel like I’m dying.

I am writing about some of my childhood experiences in the Philippines in my forthcoming book of essays and poems…and right now I can’t even stop the tears. I haven’t cried since…it’s been a minute

Anyway…this issue is heart-wrenching. Not to say that the situation of child soldiers in other countries is less important, or the issue of juvenile violence in the US is any less important, but seeing these children, jailed in the same cell as grownups — killers, rapists, what have you — temporarily brought me to a point of delirium I have not felt since…I was a kid in the Philippines… Some of them have horrible sores all over their bodies from the filth, and mental scars that will never go away… The thing is, some of the children in the CNN report said that being in jail was sometimes better than being out of jail…because at least they had food. Many of the kids are in jail for stealing. Then the reporter in the piece was shown in a huge trash heap with little kids all around him digging for food and junk to sell…

Seeing the faces of those children in the jails, and in the trash…oh wow it’s hard to talk about this…I was seeing a part of myself in their eyes. My heart hurts. Physically. Like my ribs are straining to overlap, as if they were hands wanting to pray.

I can’t write much more about this…I have to get up in exactly two hours to work on an interview for the Princeville documentary…but I could not take a rest without writing this out. I can’t stop crying… Breathe…

I encourage folks to get this documentary I’ve heard great things about, Bunso, that follows the lives of three jailed children during and after their experiences. Bunso in Tagalog basically means like…the baby in the family.

ALSO PLEASE visit this site Preda, which works to help these children. Preda is based where I was born, Olongapo City. The Philippines is really beautiful. This guy Regie has some great pics from there… There is a lot of beauty there, but a lot of pain too…particularly if you are poor, as is the case in a lot of places.

I will never forget this child, Rose. She, and people like her…situations like hers…are why I write. Why I exist. I strongly encourage all Filipinos and other concerned individuals to make a huge ruckus about this jailing of Filipino children. And I will make it a point to visit Preda tonight after I’m done with documentary stuff and see what I can do to help, even in a small way…