The tragic story of John,a notorious gangster.


John

ish! plow! plow!
I don't know how
three bullets to his chest
and his life was gone
this is the very sad story
of a man called John
so much promise he had
as a youth growing up
top of his class
darling of the teachers
so much potential he had
always exuded confidence
we all felt that John
was destined for greatness
a lawyer...a doctor
one of the two he would be
oh yes!
he achieved greatness
but for all the wrong reasons
at the time of his death
he was a notorious gangster
how did he end up this way?
he made the wrong choices
thought that thug life
was the way out of the ghetto
wanting to live like his peers
who had so many bright ideas
like staying out of crime
and focusing on their books
the stock brokers and architects
who made the choice to learn and live
the ones who recognized
the easiest way out of the ghetto
now John is gone
and from his life we learn lessons
getting out of the ghetto
comes down to two choices
thug life or education
it's up to us to decide



Poetry by Mike
Read 800 times
Written on 2006-12-18 at 06:37

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tony legba
I agree with the sentiments.
The poem works best when it has casual rhyme, so that it has a ballad-like quality.

wanting to live like his peers
who had so many bright ideas.

Some would say this is rap, it isn't, it is balladeering.
You puzzle me more: the poem has a real metrical feel to it, but doesn't have the right feel in free-verse--I suggest.

The first six lines, as I say, make a ballad stanza.
Have read through your website--interesting too!
2006-12-18


Janine>K
Hi Mike this is a great poem... and a great lesson... and yes on the end all the decisions lies with ourselves (can bring a donkey to the water but cant make him drink)

Thanks for sharing this... a nice eye opener so early in the morning
2006-12-18