Poems

My Case Load

by a Community Supervision Officer

Offender wants off papers

Refuses to change ways

Running away to come back

Where Does Love Go?

Where does love go when true love dies?

It goes back to your heart

And comes out to your eyes

My dear daughter this is true

I see your face in every star

In every rainbow

Near and Far

My heart will not accept that you have gone

Your precious love so warm and true

I hope this life

Tears will weather and pray someday

We can be together

We Have Future!

Sittin’ here thinking to myself writin’ poem after poem

Every night I lay down I have a mental storm after storm

But when I was free and out we were goin’, we were goin’

She is always on my mind but I’m torn, yeah I’m torn

And it ain’t no one to blame cause I was wrong, I was wrong

I’m just hopin’ she will be there when I come home!

 

My Case!

Sittin’ here in this alias place…

Everything orange I knew I had a serious case

Chillin’ in the cell for about three or four days…

Thinkin’ to my homeboy out loud, tellin’ him we shouldn’t have went that way…

I had so many signs before I hit this case

I ignored them all so the Lord put me in my place

Or yet… he put me in a place

I’m too legit to quit, I’m not like these fakes.

 

Youth Life

We go through the school day wondering why we are here

We feel like no one understands us

Sometimes the teachers give us something to fear

This results us getting kicked out of class

We camaflouge our true feelings so we don’t let anyone in

We beat each other up because we don’t truly love

We want someone to show us the way, we want it to end

We give up, we no longer look for help from above

So we die or get locked up ‘cause we have no hope

People tell us we’re never going to be anything

We kill ourselves by smoking dope

While feeling insecure and helpless

We will make you an offer, help us with our internal issues

And we’ll be the best student you ever had

Let us cry out our feelings give us tissues

And together we can achieve greatness and success

 

My Fault

Is it my fault I grew up around crud living

the block can turn you into a man now im drug dealing

My best friend mama smokin buttas  should I serve her

or let my pockets stay broke because I love her

Lil sisters going crazy man they wildin out

Cuz I was in when  mama died God im cryin out

Is it my fault i got a lust for material things

addicted to fast money I love pitchin to fiends

Everybody want change thats what Obama say

You gotta get it how you live dats wat my mom would say

my mind gone insane man dats what the doctor say

now go where I live and go c where the doctor stay

its a real big difference from my project building

so u could neva understand man dis project living

floor after floor its a story in these walls

the only place u can get rich go to jail then lose it all

so is it my fault that i did wat i did

lil babies havin babies raisin project kids

is it my fault i want a different type of living

yea its my fault cuz im just gettin it how im living

 

Free is a Word

Free is a word I have come to appreciate
Education is something I can now relate
Stress never again will I let it determine my fate
Poetry the release I need to control the hate
Society wrote me off as a lost cause
But free I am and free I shall remain
I changed my hustle from drugs
To books and knowledge gotta maintain

And I will.

 

World Full of Dreams

I’m a little seed in this world full of dreams

Waiting to grow out to be someone real important

So many significant figures stood up and died

For what they dreamed and believed

If you really want to achieve something great

These dreams are in the air floating invisibly

All you have to do is close you eyes and grasp it

And hold on to it till the end.

 

My Society’s Problem

 

We deal with issues that include “hateration”

It will continue to affect us for more generations

People don’t realize they have learned how to hate

It’s so deep being blocked by anger and fate

Friends pretend that they are loving the great life

But the truth of the situation is simply struggle and strife

Just like me, we have too much pride

But some don’t have a struggling mom by their side

You need to realize struggle is the way of life

You see someone doing better

You rob him with no hesitation in sight

You see hustlers with a quick solution

So you start selling drugs to handle problems that’s polluting

Selling drugs gets you everything you need

But you’ll always be incarcerated

Believe that indeed

People don’t care who gets hurt

As long as they getting paid by selling their work

Most don’t have time to worry about police or dying

Feeling like they already dying while they leave their parents left crying

I have pride in my culture

I know my heritage

I’m not worthless and I am conditioned to feel the advantage

The projects are designed for those to fail

We don’t see the experiment

But as young black males, we live and die by consequence

Men lose their confidence and are afraid to admit fear

Deep inside they admit it with a little inside tear

You see, hate is a very strong word to a young man like me

But if you don’t resolve the problem

The consequence will last eternity

 

Slowly Fading Away

 

I feel like I’m slowly fading

Like smoke into thin air

In constant search of a caring soul

But no one really cares

It’s rare to find a genuine heart, truly sincere and kind

Expecially when you end up in a predicament like mine

Snatched away from society at a very young age

With no guidance and no structure, I was living in a haze

But the past is done and gone and my future seems bleak

I’m slowly fading away

Like a drunk when he drinks

I think this life is worth living

Sometimes it’s hard to tell

It’s like I was born into Satan’s hands, then cast into hell

My potential is at a peak, where I’m beginning to see

But twenty years from now, who knows where I’ll be

Still locked in a cell where my potential and worth is a “was”—a thing of the past

So vast my dreams and goals, things I aspire to achieve

It’s a daily struggle for me to continue to believe

To believe that I could actually be more than a thug

To believe that a woman still wants to give me a kiss with her love

Still wants to see me smile and tell me I’m so cute

To see that I’ve blossomed into a wonderful man

Though I didn’t have rich roots

Locked away like this, everyone seems to forget

I’m slowly fading away

Into a bottomless pit

Out of sight, out of mind, damn it’s a shame

Sometimes I wonder if certain people even remember my name

In a predicament like this you become very aware

Before, ignorance was bliss and you don’t know to be scared

I feel like I have so much to offer

But am I really even here?

Time waits for no one, and no one sees my tears

I’m ripe and ready for whatever

I’m 21 years young

Sometimes my soul feels 80, like it’s almost done

I’m slowly fading away

Into a mist of confusion

Constantly wondering if my life is just an illusion



Spoken But Not Heard

 

From the pallid walls my voice emanates, it elucidates our struggle

It depicts frustration and rage from when our voices were muffled

When no one listened or cared, feelings never were spared, so hearts

resembled prunes. Violence ensued leaving too many cold and blue.

Blood red tears cascaded down the cheeks of momma’s face,

she cried as she consoled her baby with her last loving embrace.

Spoken but not heard!

Our cry for help rejected, learning facilities neglected, hearts dejected

by circumstance, nobody saw our anger. Danger followed,

murder hollowed bodies because they failed to listen.

Intentions misunderstood due to malignant intuition.

Sentences issued, toy soldiers locked away to decay from inside out, doubt

filled our world without drought. Certainty never came.

Red rain beating the roof of a house where hurt and pain resides.

Memorials raised, pictures depicting fertile thoughts that strayed,

then died. All we ever heard from the public was why. Debating facts

and fantasy as our world collides.

Spoken but not heard.

Victorious

I’m sittin’ here chillin, thinkin’

about the past. All the stuff I’ve been

through, some thought I wouldn’t last.

I’m still standing, I’ve overcome

many obstacles, I see

success and I smell it all in my nostrils.

It’s mandated, this thing is

like non-optional, something to push

against when these haters insist on knockin’

you! Aggressively pressin’ forward you

can’t ignore it, finessin’ you lyrically 

can’t help but support it. I’m in

a lane of my own and I can’t be

topped. I’m standin’ firm like a pillar

and yes I’m as strong as an ox.

So versatile that I can’t be stuffed in a box.

My views are universal, no longer

left in the dark. Can’t be afraid or timid,

gotta be sure, keep raisin’ the bar

because I know I’m deserving of more.

I’ma keep on knockin’ until they open

the door and see what’s arrived

watch their chins drop to the floor.

Yeah, I made it, endured what you could bring.

I’m tested and tried so give me my champion’s ring.

I dare to dream so I see the best

is yet to come. I’m about to rise,

and shine, just like the sun. Never been

one to run from a battle, I hold it down.

Toe to toe, blow for blow and round

for found. Divinely inspired I’m destined

for greatness indeed. If you can’t

seem to find the way, just follow my lead.

I’m on top, give me my props,

and home stand down. In case you don’t

notice partner, I’m the man now.