Growing Up In America! Poem by Eric Cockrell

you turned your children loose,
out in the streets of poverty....
only a few given a chance,

the rest left to fend for theirselves!
no jobs, unless you wanna soldier,
kill or be killed for oil....

then no jobs when you return,
and no house to return to!
food stamps and government aid,

till that eventually runs out....
then back on the streets where you started,
kill or be killed to survive....

dealing dope, dealing flesh, stealing cars,
no hope of anything more!
get caught and go to prison,

not in a gang, better join one!
poor white kids, poor kids of color,
growing up in America!