Gang Violence Poem by Ti'ara D. Perry

They say once your in, there’s no way out
Unless you’re wounded in a bed, or six feet under ground
You step out into the streets
Getting shot, without a witness to see
Just lying there all blooded up
With blackened pupils, and still breath
Your homies comes across to see
To realize their member has been shot and deceased
But it’s not over, but then it may
“An eye for an eye”, Is what they say

Black on black crimes
Latino’s killing their own
Whites fighting themselves
Mexicans stunt on their own
Killing for what’s theirs
And for what they want for themselves
You step on their turf, be prepared to meet death

No one else can see him
Just your eyes alone
Only they can feel his presence
Tonight you won’t be going home
What you bragged
You weren’t afraid of
Has come to see if it’s true
Death puts his hands upon your shoulder
You don’t know what to do

As you look into his empty eyes
You remember the takings of other’s lives
Then you come to realize
That your own people weren’t there
To save your life
Who do you have to look at now?
Did they ever care once before?
Or left you at your own bound

You think hanging in gangs is cool
But if you were smart
You wouldn’t think like a fool
Gangs you believe you’re committed to
Are only playing games
And making up their own rules
You do this to yourself
Because you have no one to depend on
But the decisions you choose and chose to do leave you nowhere
But inside a whole
Now you’re gone and your family’s in pain
How do you think they feel?
knowing you left them
Playing your own game