Guns and Weapons

Aug 14, 2014

On July 31, 2014, 33 youth in our Urban Arts summer program put together a “Self-portraits” showcase event, from stage managing and hosting to dancing and DJ’ing. Several youth performers shared their poems with us to publish on our blog. 

Guns and Weapons

Guns and weapons
Don’t you know what you’ve done?
Huh?
Nah, you don’t know
But let me tell you this.
You’re the cause why us children aren’t able to live our childhood in peace.
You’ve taken our childhood away.
Just why? I ask myself.

Guns and weapons
You’re the cause why us children aren’t able to run free down the streets with smiles and laughs all on our faces, like swinging on a swing for the very first time, without getting shot on the block.
You’ve taken our freedom away.
Just why? I ask myself.

Guns and weapons
You’re the cause there are days mothers out here crying, tears running down their faces, because they’re losing their babies on the streets, with many questions unanswered.
You’ve taken our loved ones away.
Just why? I ask myself.

Guns and weapons
You are the reason why everyone assumes we all the same. Those same ones using those guns and those weapons. We not all the same, playing the same game, ya’ kno’.
We got dreams and hopes, dreams and hopes, dreams and hopes that we’ll keep dreaming and hoping about!
You’ve taken our identity away.
Just why? I ask myself.

You happy now?!
Think and look around us.
Look at the world we live in.
Whatcha call this?
Ain’t this enough, I say.
They’re all on the news but we’re now just a few.
All we see are tears and broken hearts.
These guns and weapons killing our innocent ones.
You may call this a society.
But all I see is all this ferocity.

You may call this living but I call this dying.

 

Leslie, performing Guns and Weapons at the Urban Arts Showcase

Leslie, performing Guns and Weapons at the Urban Arts Showcase

 

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