You Can Not Blame Me For That Poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

The facts remain to be as they are.
Your 'baby' has been imprisioned,
Not for those 'things' you attempted to give to him.
But for those things like discipline,
Respect for others.
A defiance against authority and social rules.
And a lack of common sense used,
By 'who' or whomever...
Neglected to raise him as a responsible parent.
Those are the 'things' your 'baby' has missed!

'How DARE you speak to me that way.
How DARE you say my approach to parenting,
Had been negligent?

Every night when I went out clubbing,
To bar hop...
Who do you think had to arrange for a babysitter?
And when his grandparents refused to look after him,
When I needed to escape to enjoy myself on the weekends...
I did all I could to find someone, anyone sober enough,
To take care of my baby.

'And for how long did you do this? '

For eighteen hard struggling years.

'And...
Where were you when he dropped out of school? '

You can not blame me for that.
I gave him money for lunch everyday.

'Okay.
And when he committed armed robbery,
Bringing thousands of dollars home...
Where were you then?
Did you question him at all about the money? '

Of course I did.
I wanted to know how much of it,
He intended to put away for college.
So you can not accuse me for not being concerned,
About his education OR being an unfit parent.
And when he dropped out of school,
You have no idea how heartbroken I was!