*Born.*

Mama had a smile on her face,
But fear in her eyes
Her hands trembled
As she heard his first cries…
Un-pleasant thoughts taking over..
Visions of a future, not so far away
Baby crying out for an absent daddy,
They’ve become just another cliche

*5 years later.*

Taking him to his first day of school,
Excitement sparkles in his eyes
She lets go of his hand at the classroom door.
Now -- off to work to earn his supplies.
Retail job, never got around to a diploma
“Yes Ma’ams” and “Thank you sirs” to earn $10/hr.
Wanted her baby in private school rather than public,
But $400 a week doesn’t grant her that power.

*10 years old*.

Phone call at work so Mama has to leave early
He’s in the Principals office, just got detention.
Punched another boy in the face for callin him “bastard”—
-& callin his mama a whore, now he’s facing suspension.
Contemplating if she should even tell him
That what he did was wrong..
All he was guilty of in the face of confrontation
Was trying to be strong.
This path to him becoming a man has started,
Lonely, and loong.

*15 years old.*

Little man cries silently as they lock the cuffs..
Looking out the window, thinkin’.. “Mama’s gon be mad”
Truancy Officer found his stash in his backpack
And figured -as he cuffed him, that he doesn’t have a dad.
Mama gets to the precinct, her heart beating thru her chest..
As the officer speaks, tears spill on her cheeks
“This offense is too serious for immediate release..
He’ll be in custody, till his court date in a few weeks.”

*18 years old*

Mama smokes her cigarette, nerves are bad these days
She’s watching those doors, as the past 3 years replay
In her mind, “he’s learned a hard lesson.. but he’s not far away
From doing the right thing”, she bows her head and prays.
He gets in the car, his smile radiates his love for her
He’s become a new young man, that young boy is a blur
He’s been schooled in the system, and has some BIG plans..
Get momma out the hood, and some rocks on her hands.
Pay her back for all her love, commitment and devotion,
Shes struggled too long, time to get his plan set in motion
They pull up to the old house, she fixes him a hot plate
He sneaks out the back door, time to set this shit straight.

*12 hours later.*

The phone rings,
--startled from her sleep—
---Mama answers the phone
Her head shakes in disbelief ,
Her heart screams, she lets out a painful moan.

“We need you to come to morgue....we think its your son…
…..we’re so sorry for your loss… they tried all they could…
…….shot in the face… drugs… tragedy….. gun”

.
.
.
.
*sometime later*
.
.
.

She’s not the same person she used to be,
---since the streets took her only child--
She still hears his baby-cries at night
Haunted by the laughter of a baby beguiled.
Wondering ,(( where did she go wrong??)),
She tried the best that she possibly could.
Worked all his life to keep his belly full
Thought his time sent away would do him some good.
Like too many others though, he felt forced in his hand
With no daddy there to help him grow or pay sum bills
Logic told him to supply the demand.
Like any other war, the one fought on the streets
Takes many lives and many dreams it defeats.
So she cries as she reminisces of
Another fatherless child lost to the streets.