The Street Life Message
By RW
He recline with only liquor to drink
With a mind to think, and a pen full of ink
He reminisce off them scary nights
He had to put up a fight to see the light
He was doing wrong, but it felt right
Shoot the dice (this is the street life)
People say: “he’s mean,” but he’s nice
We all go through ups and downs, but that’s life
He love the pain in the hood even though it’s bad
That’s why he’s mad
Never had a dad, it’s sad
The streets is like love
It brings so much pain
Why do people call it The Game?
I call it The Gain
He start to think less and forget the rest
But in actuality he want more than the less
He rather earn than pay
You should learn from your mistakes
You learn when you listen
The difference from succeeding and failing
Is making a wise decision
This is a gift given
And I’m hidden
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The poets featured here are currently incarcerated, and many of them are in federal prisons far from home. Your feedback is a valuable source of motivation and connection to the outside community. Post your comments, feedback, and encouragement in the space below the poem. Messages will be passed on directly to the author. Comments may not appear immediately on the site, as our team processes them to mail to the poets.
Dear RW,
I like rhythm of your poem when read out loud; you write in a lyrical and elegant style. Line 9 is especially powerful: “He love the pain in the hood even though it’s bad.” Isn’t that the truth about how we all feel about our origins? We all carry pain from where we come from, but that connection stays with us forever. The “wise decision” of the last stanza is so hard… You speak to the human condition–so true!
Thanks for a thought-provoking piece.