Epidemic

These streets are taking our babies, dreams now hopeless and gone
New generations learned from the lessons we passed on
Still heartbroken over the robbing and killing over tennis shoes
The streets I see, don’t even make it to the news
But some mistakes you can’t come back from, we don’t have nine lives
Inexcusable acts of desperation are means to survive
But senseless acts of greed distorts minds
Mothers grieving for children who didn’t even make it out of school
Cruel intentions with fires fueled
Taking away futures no longer able to live
Misdeeds not able to ever forgive
Justice not always the conclusion
Retaliations are street justice delusions
To save our own life, we look the other way
While images of what we witnessed replay
Their screams haunt our dreams
While inside, our tears stream
It’s our way of life, all we know
In this society distorted minds only grow
Sirens become familiar and are disregarded
Shots leave the bloody pavement charred
Kids not expecting to make it into adulthood
Living for the moment, not caring about what could
Selfish behavior taking what doesn’t belong
Peers influencing what’s all wrong
Why have parents stopped trying
Morals no longer being enforced and applied
Single mothers struggling to provide
Leaving no time to guide
There are not enough mentors
To set examples and gives hopes to explore
This repeating cycle never ends
Only strengthens
Violence is never the answer
Just motivation for escalations enhancer
More roles models need to step up for our youth to mimic
If enough people cared, this wouldn’t have to be our epidemic