Street Smarts Can Kill You.........

Sad story about a kid....

Did you see the paper?
There was another incorrigible kid,
wandering the streets, looking for adventure.

He was just out seeking his fortunes,
maybe a baseball, a nickel found, a lost pup,
when he was converged upon by the local press.

They were looking for a street smart kid,
able to tell them the realities of living on the street,
show them the lay of the land so to speak.

Now, this kid, bright fella, figured he had something here,
Thought, all these folks really liked him.
Were interested in him, actually thought they may have cared.

He showed them the back streets,
the corners where the hookers hung out.
Introduced them to the local dealer, and
made short work of the secrets of a local chopshop.

He really thought they cared,
they gave him a fiver, a bag of candy, a grin,
They talked to him like he was the Man,
he wanted to be, amazed and excited by what he told.

Then they disappeared one day, their story written,
published for the newspaper and the kid was all alone.
All alone.

He was all alone when the chopshop boys and the local pimp found him.  
Made an example of him for any other fools who thought they knew so much.  
Now you can see him, head down, limping, crippled and blind.  

I wonder where those people are now, needing a story,
filling their space with black and white lines.
Missing the black and blue bruises they left behind.

Author's Note

It should be noted that this is not a true story. I have no knowledge of the life on the streets through personal experience. This was only an effort to tell a story.

Reviews

[Sel Whiteley]

Things like this do happen frequently. I know cause I’ve seen things like this. If you just take the north of Ireland, a scene a know very well, there are numerous people who wanted to raise awareness of THEIR living conditions so spoke to the press. Their IDENTITIES weren’t protected, they were labeled as TOUTS and TORTURED. Not only is this realistic…it happens all too often.
And their punishment: kneecapping. Not killing. The walking wounded are better examples than the dead, who can simply be buried; hidden from view; forgotten.
Yes, there are those who become apprentices to dealers or prostitutes.

[Fabian G. Franklin]

I don't see this happening...a street smart kid would not be talking to the press or the cops...too scared protecting his own safety and freedom from the orphanage or the truant officer. And kids hustle, steal or beg...they don't bargain for information. Some of them are child prostitutes and runners for dealers or drug addicts themselves. Those are the real facts about the street. And if it ever were to happen, there wouldn't be a beat up blind kid roaming the streets. There would be a little body floating in the river maybe or a kid shoved onto the third rail at the subway. Snitches and rats on the street last about as long as ones in prison...very short life spans. I get the picture of the villianous press here...but it's like a scene from an old episode of The A Team or The Incredible Hulk...not very realistic. The realism is something much darker I think.

[Ben Taylor]

This is something I never would have thought to write about. It's a full story, too. IT's sad, but you incorporate emotion into this very well; the need for acceptance, the desire for money, the dismissal, etc. It's rather beautiful.

[Neva Flores Smith - Cha..]

The sad thing is they probably don't care. So many are just out for theirs. Well penned Judy.

[unknown]

Such an interesting story...sounds like something that would be on a movie. Good job on this one :-)

[Lily Mae]

This is a heart wrenching poem Judy.. I can picture it so clearly in my mind. I hate to ask if it was a true story, but what does that matter..these types of stories happen every day unfortunately don't they? Great write on a tough subject for sure...x

[Hayley]

Wow. This is incredibly sad. Written very well...I almost didn't get through it. The last stanza really nails it.

[Cara Rosalie]

Wow...Words evade me right now. Attempting to sum up this piece proves challenging, but I shall try :)

First of all, I applaud for taking on a subject requiring honesty and certain amount of vulgarity. It's easy to laud love poems and descriptive imagery pieces, but something like this takes integrity and a strong voice.

The structure and the way in which you unfold the story is perfect...We could be sitting down for coffee while you tell me what's been going on around the neighborhood. I love that you bring me into the piece, rather than explain it to me. Without even intending to, I saw each part clearly. I could see the kid's face, filled with pride and esteem as he toured his home town. I could see the pandering men, only out to get what they needed, before leaving behind a mess they would never again think about.

It's hard to describe how I felt at the end. Used, angry, broken, disgusted, just to name a few. What makes this so heart-wrenching, is this sort of thing happens every day. Not always this way, but too many people care only about themselves, are willing to crush and hurt anyone, if it gains them a step ahead. We don't stop to ask ourselves how our actions will affect those around us.

Thank you for bringing this subject to light. Lovely.

[emmajoy]

Oh my goodness this is a hard piece to read a second time, but must .. your words are heartbreaking.

Your poem really packs a punch, it's powerful and utterly true to life. The times this sort of thing occurs - anything for a headline, never mind the tragic consequences. Bless you for reminding us

[Robin]

hard lesson learned on the street