Seven Sinners

Seven Sinners

 

Seven babies born in May

when innocents was new

& suckled at their mothers breast

all wrapped in baby blue

 

Seven tots no more then five

mama and papa's dream

a world that felt so beautiful

but nothings as it seems

 

Seven children passing by

Were looking for a dollar

Little boys no more than ten

who made their parents holler

 

Seven sticks made seven guns

And seven cowboys fought

They killed the sheriffs invisable self

The rush is what they sought

 

Seven boys no more that twelve

Took from the corner store

Seven bottles of good old JIM

Made seven minds a blurr

 

Seven years at seventeen

They find a way to use

And sadly seven teenage girls

Must learn the word abuse

 

Seven men at twenty-one

have learned to be hard core

And seven children passing by

Aren't children anymore

 

Seven shootings on the streets

Seven shot for fun

Seven funerals in a row

Can make the mind go numb

 

Seven Sinners sit in jail

Death Row now their fate

Seven little boys of ten

learned from a world of hate

 

 

© 2007 bj Smith

aka shallimarRose 

Author's Note

thanks for reading.

Reviews

[Einstein Noodle]

all born sinners; all fallen to bad choices; the tragedy in this for me is that not one turned the other way
i am also impressed (tho not specifically expressed here) by the sadness and grief of the parents ... assuming they cared of course. i feel a certain heaviness :(
E.

[shallimarRose]

Thank you so much for your comment yes the weightiness of the whole situation... kids born into societies where our young are thriving on the wrong things.. bad messages... Innocense lost... yes.. huggs, Rose

[Keith]

A compelling piece that tells a sad story. Also a social comment, this is a common story. You poetry has no bounds, always superb, no matter what the theme.

[shallimarRose]

Thank you Keith, your words humble me.. xo Rose

[ron]

This is sad Rose. More so because it depicts some of what society has come to.

[shallimarRose]

Thank you Ron for always reading and the sweet reviews. I so appreciate you.. xo Rose

[ron]

It is always my pleasure Rose. xo

[jacob erin-cilberto]

needs a bit of editing...but a really powerful write that reminds me of gwendolyn brooks' "we real cool"

the seven pool players at the Golden Shovel....this is like a sequel to that poem...if only those seven had the chance to grow up...this might have been.
this is written like a tragedy...that snowball effect of one thing causing another.

[shallimarRose]

I am not familiar with the piece you are speaking of Jacob so if you have a link or a book I can look for? re: editing... open to suggestions.. this was one of those compelling pieces that just wrote itself .... I have not really edited since. xo Rose

[jacob erin-cilberto]

when you go back through you will see...just some spellings...

if you key in "We real Cool" by gwendolyn brooks on google....that poem should come up.

[shallimarRose]

thanks J.........

[Tom]

Heart-breaking and gut-wrenching though admirably portrayed, the innocence of children soon manifested itself into badness in seven year cycles, until their ultimate wickedness saw them awaiting summary execution!

Its a sad reality of society and imaginatively relayed in this poem about the seven sinners, splendid Shallimar as always !

[shallimarRose]

Thank you Tom for reading and understanding the magnitude I felt as I was compelled to write this one.. xo Rose