Category : Poems

Sub Category : N/A

I deleted the original "mama" story to add more to it, punctuated and removed small details. This is the finished product. 

My mama always taught me good right from wrong. 
I was the good son. 
I was better than Tom. 
I looked up at her like a beautiful queen. 
I was the Prince and Tom was the flea. 
My mama raised us with her pride and swore 
that when we step out the door, 
we'd be armed for the war; 
but in the end, Tom lost 
I'm sure 
He got devoured by the world like an apple core. 
And his pocket was so heavy, weighing with dirty gold. 
He was hiding a rich life 
With all the drugs he sold. 
It upset me most because he was my brother, 
But what made it worse, 
He was the child of my mother. 
While he was in prison, he would write to her 
A mountain of letters, but mama was too hurt 
To write back to the son she thought she raised so well. 
The pain he caused my mother made me wish he'd burn in hell. 
After that I guess I took his place 
I became the bad kid with the "wanted" face. 
I was in bad shape and squeezed in with a gang. 
All the kids were doing it. 
What put me to shame? 
But I was just a kid; 
I didn't know any better. 
I did what they did. 
I guess that's peer pressure. 
My mama noticed that I was acting kinda funny. 
She gazed into my eyes and said she didn't know me. 
I just rolled her off. 
I was coming to my own. 
If only I had talked to her, maybe I'd have known 
That the path I was on was the most deadly of them all. 
If I had just talked to her, I wouldn't be behind these bars. 
But there were some rules to the gang I was in: 
No one tells no body not even their family or friends. 
But there was Larry aways babbling to his parents. 
Since I was the new kid, I had to take care of the business. 
I shot my life once when I picked up that gun. 
Pulled the trigger twice then I was on the run. 
The third shot made me feel like a king. 
These imbeciles begging down on their knees. 
With the gang behind me, we stole from Larry's house. 
We hid their bodies in the deep of the south. 
Eventually we grew and we split apart. 
A lot of us grew out of it, 
A lot of us were caught. 
Soon it was just me and the leader Jason. 
He was the rebel if us all; 
He was full of dedication. 
He never got caught 'til he screwed the wrong person. 
I thought of him my brother 'til he dragged me down with him! 
It was like the Titanic all over again, 
and he was the iceberg! 
But this time I swear I was innocent! 
HE was the monster! 
It upset me most because he was like a brother, 
But what made it worse, I was the child of my mother. 
I had to run somewhere where I knew I was safe 
I walked miles and miles to my mamas' place. 
I knocked on her door and banged on her window. 
No one answered, 
But I saw her shadow. 
I screamed "mama! Please open the door! Mama! Just let me in! Mama! I won't do it anymore! Mama! Don't leave me out here!"
I could hear the sirens from around the way. 
The screeching of tires that were coming my way. 
Helicopters roared, their lights flashed on me. 
It was so surreal when I was dropped to my knees. 
Going to court, my hands chained with my feet. 
The horrifying words "this court finds you guilty". 
I already felt the weight of a 30 year sentence. 
Only 18 years old in a high security prison 
But what was worse was what I saw in the audience, 
A queen crying over her son's disobedience.
Do you know how it feels for your mama to look at you? 
See you in prison and your mug shot picture too? 
She wails in her hands but she smiles at you. 
Wonders what she's done wrong for the past year or two. 
The pain, the hurt, the tears I've caused. 
I'm just a worthless careless son, made of flaws. 
If only I could reverse time or pause. 
As the curtains close, I can hear the roar of applause. 
My mama's there sitting in the front row. 
She can't even look me in the face, 
That's like death row. 
You sacrificed so much and I just let it go. 
You gave me the best script but I cancelled the show. 
So here I am writing these letters to you. 
I hope you're okay and you write back soon. 
But even if you don't, I won't blame you 
If I was in your shoes, I would ignore me too...