Youth Voices Rising Writing Contest 2023 — Third Place, Poetry
Content warning: This poem mentions suicide.
ALL I NEED IS ONE RIGHT
STOP COUNTING MY WRONGS,
I’VE HAD PLENTY OF THOSE
I HAD NOTHING IN HAND
BESIDES THAT GARBAGE BAG
FULL
OF CLOTHES,
OF PASTS
IF MY MEMORY SERVES ME,
LET’S EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY
THAT YOU TOOK ME FROM MY HOME
BECAUSE YOU WANTED THE “BEST FOR ME”
I WAS LEGALLY KIDNAPPED,
DEPRIVED OF MY LIBERTY,
SEPARATED FROM MY FAMILY
MY NEW HOME HAD NOTHING FOR ME
BUT WITH OPEN ARMS, THEY WELCOMED THE CHECK
WITH SO MUCH PASSION, THEY REMINDED ME
CONSTANTLY
THAT AMERI-K-A HATES THE COLOR OF MY SKIN
I HAD TO FIGHT,
NOT PHYSICALLY
BUT MENTALLY
I HAD TO TRAIN MY HEART TO FEEL NO PAIN
ALL THE HOPE I ONCE HAD NEEDED TO BE DISPOSED
NEVER WAS CAUGHT,
BUT THEY KILLED THE LOVE
FOSTER CARE EATS ITS YOUNG
ONCE ITS BELLY IS FULL,
THEY DONATE THE LEFTOVERS TO THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM
TO FINISH OUR DECAPITATED SOULS
WALKING DOWN THE HALLS WE GO,
TRADING WAR STORIES WITH A CELLMATE
STARING UP AT THE CEILING, PLOTTING OUR ESCAPE,
IMAGINING THE DAYS WHEN WE ARE NO LONGER OPPRESSED
RETALIATING ON THOSE WHO PUT US IN THIS ROTTEN MESS
GETTING LOST IN THE MADNESS
RUNNING INTO OUR ENEMIES,
TAKING OUT ANGER AND FRUSTRATION
JUVENILE HALL IS A GLADIATOR SCHOOL TURNING BOYS INTO THEM,
PREPPING US TO HIT THE PEN
WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE REFORMED,
BUT WE ARE WORSE THAN BEFORE
THE SYSTEM TURNED US INTO CRIMINALS
THEY CHOOSE NOT TO ACCEPT
THAT WE ARE VICTIMS OF A FAILED JUDICIAL SYSTEM
THEY FORGET WE ARE HUMAN BEINGS,
DYING TO LIVE
THEY LOOK AT US IN DISGUST
WHY CAN’T THEY UNDERSTAND?
DARKNESS CANNOT DRIVE OUT DARKNESS
I WONDER, WHEN DID THE WORLD STOP CARING?
MY SILENCE IS A CRY FOR HELP
I’LL PLAY THE CARDS I’VE BEEN DEALT
DON’T BE SURPRISED WHEN YOU FIND ME HANGING FROM A PRISON CELL
MY LETTER WILL TELL YOU
HOW MUCH I CARE
HOW I LOVE
HOW I WANT TO REACH ONE HEART
I’M ABOUT TO HIT THE YARD,
THE MAINLINE
I GEAR UP AS IF I’M GOING TO WAR,
MY SHANK IN MY SOCK
ALL I WANTED WAS ONE RIGHT,
I HAD PLENTY OF WRONGS