Poems

By CM

Constantly thinking about your love
Has my heart tied up in a knot
Because besides my family
Girl, you’re all that I got

Constantly thinking about your smile
And all the beauty in your blush
And all the love we made
After we’d argue and fuss

Constantly thinking about your style
And what makes you so unique
Constantly thinking about how being with you
Makes me feel complete

Constantly thinking about all the things
That I know were meant to be
And the most important of them all
Is the thought of you and me

By CM

If I ever had the chance
I’d fly you to the moon
Align the stars to spell your name
And say “the ring’s coming soon.”

If I ever had the chance
I’d tell you to be ready by three
Tell you we’re going somewhere special
Then take you to KFC

If I ever had the chance
I’d buy you a big bouquet
Kiss you, then whisper in your ear
That I am here to stay

See me and you
Could be something great, boo
On an island, sipping wine, eating grapefruit
Twenty stories up, in a penthouse with a great view
Anywhere you wanna go
Baby, I will take you ….

But I just need a chance

By RD

Who want to hear my thoughts?
Who want to know my pain?
To hear my thoughts you must listen to me
To know my pain you must understand me
My thoughts are home, family, and being free
My pain is being away from my family
That’s the main thing that crushes me

People want me to write poems
But it’s not easy when my thoughts are on other things
People say everything is going to be ok
But I’m the one going through it and they’re doing fine
People say I’m a good person with a good heart and mind
So why am I still doing time?
All who want to hear and know my pain…
Hurry up because it’s a long line

By RD

You’re in my thoughts, my dreams
When I open my eyes
I can’t wait to see you
Can’t wait to hear your voice
Your laughter makes my day too
We joke, we argue
But that’s just what people in love do
You’re my friend, my partner, my lover
I’m glad you’re with me until this journey is through
You make me laugh, I make you laugh
Because that’s what friends do
I hold you up, you hold me up
Because you’re my partner too
You’re my lover
You attract me and I attract you
Don’t doubt my love for a second
Because my love is true
Besides, you’re my heart
I couldn’t get rid of you if I wanted to

By RD

Upstream, upstream
I have to make it upstream!
The current is so strong
I don’t know if I can make it
I’ve been swimming so long
I don’t know how much longer my body can take it

Mentally and physically weakened
Upstream, upstream, can I make it?
I just want to be at peace
I just want to rest
Can I make it up the stream
Where there’s freedom and no distress?

Sometimes I just want to stop
And just go with the flow
I can drown to a watery tomb or float to freedom
Who will ever know?
I close my eyes as I relax
And pray for the better

Don’t give up, you’re almost there
Don’t give up!
My family and friends believe
They cheer me on!
I open my eyes and jolt forward
And push and push and push!

Upstream, upstream
I will be free
I will make it up stream!
Tough situations only last for a minute
But tough people last forever
I am forever tough
And this stream is a little obstacle
And I will hold together
Upstream, upstream
I will make it and be free of the forever!

By AH
Dedicated to Tyree, a Free Minds member who lost his life to gun violence November 8, 2013

What good is a reputation
If it demands the lives of millions of young black men and women to attain it?
Surely we have forgotten that our blood is sacred
And our youthfulness is pure
At least it was before we picked up the sword

What is the sword?
The sword is drugs, violence, money, and guns
These are the things that hold more weight in our heart than love
We are weak to the pleasures of this carnal earth
When our passion should never have ruled over our lives
Because sometimes your passion could bring misfortune to your front door

So how can our action be right when we have no rule of our lives?
Nothing can be just if acted upon without reason
What is life for such a man, but the phantom of a dream?
Maybe the truth is we are our own worst enemies
We are so concerned with people’s general opinions
When half of the generality of young men are ignorant
I mean, will it kill us to look in the mirror?
Or are we as scared of our own reflection as a groundhog is of its own shadow?

Matter of fact, I want you to close your eyes
And imagine that you are a working 25 year-old young man
I want you to imagine that you have a 7-year-old son
Who is the spitting image of you
And loves his Daddy dearly
For once in your life, smile at the fact that you are trying to better yourself

Now, open your eyes
Only to see a bloody shirt as screams echo through the air
This was Tyree (before the sword)

By CS

Violence is life
Violence comes from bad decisions
I see violence every day
It looks like a tornado
That destroys everything in its path
It smells like garbage juice; a sewer
It sounds like thunder on a quiet night
It tastes like a bitter lime
It feels like a knife going in your side
Violence lands you in here
I wish there was no such thing as violence
I will change the world
Be a good influence by spreading the message:
Violence is not the key
Violence changes lives forever

By AJ

Friends and family
Responsible (very)
Easy going
Exceptional people

Motivators
Involved in most members’ personal lives
Nice
Determined to excel
Supporters (extremely supportive)

By CR

I used to always think
That I was going to be in college
But whole time, I’m sitting in a jail cell
With an orange jumper
To me I see that we’re in a pumpkin patch
‘Cuz all you see is orange
I know behind these walls is a thing called freedom
Something people including myself took for granted
But now that I’m not free
I know what it mean to have freedom
I hope one day I can tell people, or mostly youth
That freedom can be taken away in an instant

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

By DL

Mama, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. Everybody say I was being selfish. Little do they know I didn’t know better. Now mama, I may sound stupid to you, but I’m tired of you breaking your back to put clothes on my back and put food on the table. Mama, I’m sorry but I can’t get no job because of my background. Mama I only got one choice, so I picked it and hit the block up every day. Mama, I don’t want to see you hurt no more. Ever since my father left, times became harder. We good doe, I promise you we good. This fast money doing us good. I’m making 6,000 in two days; we good. Until I got locked up, my mama said stop selling drugs. When I stopped selling drugs, the rent and every other bill was backed up. Mama told me we was good, so don’t go back to the block. I went anyway. After two months I was about to quit until I got locked up. Mama, I’m sorry for not listening to you. You in the house every day crying because I’m facing life in jail. Mama, your baby boy going to be good. Trust me mama. I’m sorry Mama.

Sincerely,
Listen To Your Mama

By RW

As I pace back and forth in my cell
I’m incarcerated but my mind is free
The door is locked but I got the key
I’m looking, but I can’t see
Dreams turn into reality
If loyalty and patience was a person
It would have been me

 I never knew I was at the bottom
Until I made it to the top
My life is harder than a rock
My past is darker than the dark

(The struggle don’t stop)
“I shine even in the dark”

I don’t even worry
About the time I’m facing
(My head is always up even in the worst situation)
I endure hardships with patience!