Poems

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!

By SH

I am
A young king
A hustler
By any means
I will survive
No question
That me and success
Will collide

I am
A product of my environment
A lot of money making
A lot of money taking
Shoot outs I been struck by
But now it’s time to walk by
I know what’s right
I know what’s wrong
But to be wrong
Is too much of a sad song
So I went right
And left the BS behind me
I am me

By DL

I come from nothing
Just like Oprah Winfrey
Since I been locked up
I tried to become something
Instead of nothing

By AH

When you love it’s hard to explain
I knew you were the one the moment you spoke my name
But I was so addicted to hate and carnal things
And fighting against love and my own growing pain
That I was left stuck and feeling drained
As reality set in that we were no longer one
I felt a sharp pain throughout my body like I was shot by a gun
What is it about love that makes you fall every time?
Discreetly trying to crack the code to your loved one’s mind
And my heart’s so tired of asking ‘why?’
That I put a sign above it that says ‘DO NOT LIE’
Surely it’s hard to face who you hate
Love is above all a chosen fate
One that even the ignorant can comprehend
But our relationship was over before it began
There was too much lust and not enough love
Still, we carried on dragging our hearts through the mud
In hopes of oneness like our breathing
So, let that be reason
We can’t collect our thoughts
As we carry around a jar full of faults
It was both of our loss
Or was it just mine?
You once told me to pay attention to the signs
And my mother once told me to be careful who I love
Because there’s no rehab to such a powerful drug

By RD

Dear Mama
Your work was well done
Take that from your baby
Your first-born son
I bow my head humbly
To make amends with you
I apologize profusely
For all I put you through
I did not realize
I was unaware
I swear Mama
I wouldn’a took it there

When it came to loving me
You did what you felt was right
My anger and the streets
Blocked out your light
I couldn’t see
The man I was supposed to be
But through it all
You kept on loving me

No matter what is said
When all is said and done
Hold your head high, Mama
That’s from your hard-headed son