PARALLEL LIVES

This poem was inspired by listening to some of the young people who have been around me over the last 10 years, livng is inner city London England

            PARALLEL LIVES

 

Don’t like what we wear, the way that we speak, how we walk, what we wear on our feet

They cross the road when we walk down the street, we don’t get none of that meet and greet

Heads go down as their homeward-bound, no eye contact all they do is frown

I’d like to say hello as you go, cause you look like my Gran or aunty Flo

What can we do to make it right; we don’t all mean to give you a fright

 

In the papers they say that were all bad, especially those who

don’t have a dad

You can just see what the headlines say, single reckless parents of today

Double standards now that s what I hear, contradictions and lies running around in my ear

 

There’s guns and gangs in my neighbourhood, its not good living here there’s bad attitude

Many carry knifes they say to defend, we know they will use them if your not a friend

Scared to go out feel safe in our ends, what can we do adults don’t comprehend

They say all us kids are up to no good, that we are all just too bloody rude

 

Can’t help thinking its cause I’m half black, the police they see me as part of a pack

How would you feel if six times in one week, you were stopped and searched as you walked up the street

Sorry officer this is a bind, you shouldn’t worry if you’ve nothing to hide

I look at him tell him this is a joke, it made me feel bad the way that he spoke

Shut your mouth as he started to poke, you fit the description of some mixed race bloke

You know I went to school most every day, at the end of it got all double ‘A’s

Don’t get in to trouble, don’t even smoke, but now and again I do have a toke

Walking down the road visiting my Nan, when out of the blue they jumped out of a van

Empty your pockets what do we have here, it’s only a spliff no heavy gear

Arrested of to the police station I go, criminalise us youth before we grow

Now I have a mate who lives on an estate, he’s never been stopped even when he’s out late

He looks like the cops brown hair and green eyes, he never gets bothered can you tell me why

Are both of us living   parallel lives

 

 

(c) ENuff  August 2007 all rights reserved0

Reviews

[lynne dove]

I really enjoyed reading this, I felt your anger and frustration. I'll have a read of some of your other stuff too sometime :-)