During my recent visit to the Groveland Correctional Facility where I spoke, a young man gave this to me, I was moved as I began to read…
Upside Down World by Enriguq Fierro
Upside Down World
By Enrique Fierro
There’s a 13 year old Black Boy that lives in the projects with 2 little sisters
His Dad’s a crack head, his mom doesn’t work and he hits her.
Black boy skips school cause nobody really cares.
So he turns to a gang where he thinks they’ll always be there.
He learns to steal, shoot, rob and fight
In this upside down world black is wrong and white is right
Same town divided by railroad tracks.
Where it’s segregated from whites and blacks
There’s a 13 year white boy who lives in the trailer park with his brother
His Pop’s an alcoholic and unfortunately beats his mother
White Boy runs away because something is missing
So he joins a gang because he believes they will listen
They introduce him to drugs, guns and how to sell’em
But he started using and that’s something they forgot to tell him.
We’re all somewhat the same despite race, creed or color
In this upside down world both boys are in a gang and their fathers beat their mothers
10 year later same Black boy nothing’s changed
Only his heart is harder and he’s living with a great amount of pain
White boy still around no job – still using
In this upside down world it doesn’t matter what color they are because
Both boys are still losing… Same town Black boy get mad…
See’s his mother with a blackeye…So…he…kills his dad
Same white boy only the tracks he sees are the one’s down his arm,
So he picks up his pistol… what he thinks is his good luck charm.
He’s sick, he’s sweatin, He needs a bump.
He’s runnin on emotion his mind is numb…
He runs in the store and demands some money…
The lady said I’ll dies first you’ll have to take it from me…
That’s what did, that’s what he become…
Just to get a fix he killed that lady with his gun.
Same Black boy, Same White boy, Same damn Jail,
Same type of case now in the same damn cell!
Both boys now facing life together…
For the mistake they made
But in this upside down world…
This life never lasts forever,
Unless you, me, we my brothers make a change.
Gandhi grandson shares message of non-violence at Groveland (Livingston County News)
