years

A forever sleep

Why does it feel more peaceful to die? It's harder to live and im too tired to cry Tears no longer salty Fears no longer faulty I'm wanting peaceful slumber I d

I am loved in convenience Missed in theory Kept around like a comfort blanket that is discarded at the first tear

Today I am beyond grateful For the ones who stayed The loved ones that remained strong When my life broken into a million pieces Who held steady While I learned

Grief is like feeling lost Walking down a street you have walked before But everything is different And you don't want to keep going forward anymore You want to

I'm alone — CHC

I'm alone. I can't find peace. Uncertainty Will not cease. Everyone is Dead or dying. Everyone is Cheating Killing Sneaking Stealing or lying. I need a rock

I've held a lot of grown men's hands

It's hard to act tough When your life has almost been taken Its hard to act brave When you've been beaten down and shaken Its hard to not cry When life doesn't

Invisible wounds

You may see the bruises, cuts and scars But the wounds that remain Are pounded into my heart Everyday I wake up I see a physical reminder of that day But the e

Chicago has its own tragic lullaby Sirens become the soundtrack to the city As your hear them speed by Through the day and night Year after year The sound star

Who knew Growing old would be a privilege To wake in the morning And have more to give So many children left this earth prematurely So many children buried by

The sentiment is sweet The feeling is there When those saving your life are trying to show that they care Statements like "It's a miracle that you are alive" B

"Red snow" — Benito Juarez

Sometimes it snows single flakes One by one Fragile and delicate Peaceful and calm Other times the snow Creates blizzards, The perfect storm Powerful and reckl

Unzipping bag — Kevin Davis

A white, plastic bag Embracing the deceased Zipped over the face Enclosed and resting in peace Creaking sound of the zipper Shaky, unsteady movement A pure whi

Jakown

Living under everyone else's expectations Unable to arrive at his own destination This young man had visions to be something more But circumstances pulled him A

"Nothing good ever happens on Gladys"

Gazing into the face of another Becomes a responsibility, and a choice Unlike any other An experience to grow A moment to rediscover Humanity to be seen And no

Miracle boy

A young boy No older than the age of thirteen Had a life altering night Like one of a bad dream The sound of a bullet screams past his head As the second one p

A bullet is unforgiving

A bullet wont stop until it hits something It won't stop until it Breaks, pierces, or tears It won't stop until Someone ends in tears It won't stop Because a b

Rushed

Who is allowed the time And who is giving? Why does one death seem rushed And others reliving? Doesn't everyone deserve respect? Isnt every life precious? I can

A life spent looking over ones shoulder A life moving too fast A life scared of tomorrow Unable to look past the past A life that is frozen in time A life that

A Small victory We only need one To shift ones perspective That life can move on One step at a time One foot out the door One small little inkling that life can

Life may not end But it tends to change colors Things may seem familiar But a haze clouds our view We may go on living But our wound is unforgiving And its hard

I lead a vessel A vessel of souls Whose lives were cut short And seek passage home Their bodies remain grounded But their spirits still roam As I stand steady

"Not my son, You have to be wrong" A chanted statement From a hopeful mom Unable to speak anything but what causes harm I'm Wishing time would have been more ki

If you care about one care about them all Outraged by a single fate And willing to let the next fall More people get shot Than the media cares to share Because

Moments are milestones

LA

There is a whole world out there A wild, vast, beautiful world out there Beyond the block, Beyond the street That restricts and constrains A world where people

Aveon G

Assumptions assumptions The world loves to assume That someone may not be What the media tells you Brainwashed by people Who clearly don't have a clue And just

Jayquan Sanders — 16 year old boy

A state so cruel Floating between Heaven and hell Holding on to hope but Experiencing a slow farewell Brain death Toys with your heart and head Are you even ali

Maleek S — 14 year old boy

This is not normal And I will never allow it to be Ive seen too many mothers Fall to their knee Children on break from school Unable to enjoy the sun Fearing th

Absorb all the hits and punches thrown toward you Maybe not physical But emotional abuse Words are painful And can leave you black & blue But You Take the hits

The call

This is the call I never wanted to make The call that even makes my body quake The moment a sound responds on the line My words, my heart, my voice become inter

Die twice

It's hard enough once It never gets better watching someone "die twice" Is harder than ever The body, the heart, the mind All shut down The skin loses pigment

Melissa Ortega

Abre tus ojos My sweet little one Abre tus ojos Don't tell me it's done My princess, my child, My sweet angel dear. Look, please My eyes are wide open Although

An orchestrated symphony Ebbing and flowing to the melody Meticulous fastidious With a desire to avoid a casualty Many unique parts Each vital to the tune Some

Sweetener (for Rene)

The sting of a bee Invokes quick, sharp, unexpected pain But the sting will subside And will not stay For the bee Which can cause undeniable, swift pain Also c

I bet you see ghosts As you enter the room Not a white glowing being Who rose from the tomb Not a dark heartless demon Preparing to consume But... A smile A fee

Samuel I aka "Smitty Smith"

People keep playing God and think they can hand out death sentences.

A mother in shock Every word you cannot say I hear loud and clear Shallow breath And a quiet "okay" Couldn't make him reappear

Demarlon Jernigan

One life Two months too late Three injuries By the fourth Five times pushing fate Awaiting the gate But life couldn't wait I was a little too late

I don't walk I Run towards danger It's how I'm trained I'm not a stranger I have been called to Serve my fellow man That's why I cannot duck But firmly stand.

You don't own me

A body made of flesh and bones Has a soul, a spirit, and a future of unknowns A silver bullet delivered by a brother May have altered my fate But I lived a life

Someone has fallen down, And the world continues on. Someone is lying still, And the world continues on. Someone has lost too much blood, And the world continue

You couldn't even dream Of what I do. Because the reality of it is, This is a dream that should Never have to come true. A fatal decision, A mother's tears, A b

You couldn't even dream Of what I do. Because the reality of it is, This is a dream that should Never have to come true. A fatal decision, A mother's tears, A b

Historian of suffering

A collector of pain from the past. A gatherer of information for the future, Continuously exposed to and concerned with the narratives of an individual's experi

A sudden unexpected shift in life. A father, husband, son, Filling loved ones' hearts with strife, Unraveling and undone. The repeated plea of a mother, "What d

"I wanted a spicy tender, and, instead, I got a spicy bullet." -ML

Historian of suffering. A collector of pain from the past. A gatherer of information for the future, Continuously exposed to and concerned with the narratives o

The stories we hear like water Soak in, Absorb, Become entrenched And become us. Internally, We are a flowing river Of thoughts, Feelings, Emotions, And hope. I

Cracked, flawed, rusty vessel. A provider of a consistent flow of Thoughts, feelings, experiences. L. I. F. E. Filled to the brim, overflowing with Privileged c

A happy meal. She was 7, Seven, SEVEN! Was it a careless father? A corrupt city? A broken system? Whose hands are stained with her blood? Tell me, who will hold

Death on a Thursday. Life isn't supposed to be this way. Another unknown name, unknown face. Cuffed to his death bed. He said, "Didn't you know we are Dangerous

I have become an open chasm, A vessel to fill. Pouring heartache, pain, and fear Until I'm drowning, And the room is still.

"Mental health is a real thing... It's a lost art in the hood." -DA

I know him! He sat up, I saw his face and I said... I know him! Why does it hit so differently? Instead of just tears, I'm mad. Instead of calm and collected, I

1 injury. 2 deaths. 3 children, victims to the gun. 4 parents, wishing there was more to be done.

Can you imagine being 20 years old? Losing your best friend, Your love, Your whole world? He died in her arms. She cried evermore, The love of her life Was imme

Cut coat. Pure white feathers afloat Mixed with scarlet blood. An unknown identity is written in the book. Two shots were all it took, And they took.

"It is hard For a small flame To stay alight Laden with constant winds. Do we blame the flame When the flame falters, Fades, or dies?" -CHC

Stop! Remind yourself that this isn't normal. This rushed, frantic meeting Is anything but formal. It's truly abnormal.

Head trauma. Let sweet dreams soothe his mama. Let familiar voices soothe his mind, Giving him peace, grace, and time, Allowing body and soul to recombine.

I am not incompetent, Incapable, Or lost. I am thoughtful, Loyal, And a boss.

This kid is a fighter, A do or die-er, A heart-stopper, Re-starter. Never falter. A never should have made it. Shouldn't be alive. Continues To not only survive

You wonderful girl! You are holding the entire world. You are brave and strong, Although things are scary and wrong. You can make a difference! You can feel who

My sturdy heart Crumbles into pieces As a mom pleads to God above, Hoping that her faith increases But there is nothing that could be done. For any chance her s

I wish I knew you better. I really only know your name And your body's physical pain. Your mind races and tumbles until You've thought you've gone insane.

Have you ever seen Someone lose their life, F l a t l i n e In a room of pure white Surrounded by others With pumping hearts An identity still Unmarked?

Are you the man With metal in your hand? Would the childhood you, Even understand? Or, Would he hide away, Looking for an escape, Because the metal fragments th