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Losing that street mentality A poem by a resident
of Alameda County’s Juvenile Hall
By Artist
Only if
I just would have stayed in school and got
more knowledge
But for some reason I never
saw me going to college
Instead, I wanted to
be on the streets making money the easy way
Now I’m in jail with no money, just time
to pay
I’ve been on the streets too long
But now I’m gone
It will be hard to lose
that street mentality
But when I came to jail
I was slapped in the face with reality
As I
sit and think I ask myself, “Why do I
hustle?”
I just want to make it out the
struggle, but I only find trouble
As I look
in the mirror, I don’t recognize the
reflection
Everywhere I go, I make sure to
carry my protection
But that’s back to
a street mentality
It’s time to lose
it before I become a fatality
The “Seeking Solutions to Black
on Black Crime” series
is copyrighted 2007 by
The Globe Newspaper Group.
Email editorial@theglobenewspapers.com with reprint permission requests.