Who Will Speak Up For Me…

Death Row
Humans waiting for repels, retrials, residents kept in a long corridor, leading to a black forgotten hole  
Time to repent, forgive, yet, living on borrowed time for their soul  
This is the most sensitive poem I’ve ever wrote  
The topic alone brings a lump to my throat  
The words They Should Not Kill  
Immoral choices in one’s life, does Capital Punishment fit a Life or Death bill  
Taking one’s breath away bringing their existence to an involuntary stand still  
Sealing the presence of their fate  
For some, this is such a controversial debate  
But wait  
  
I have to go on record, not meaning to strike a cord  
You live by the sword you die by the sword  
You are there on your own accord  
Three square meals given, plus room and board  
For crimes of nature, justice has deemed your presence to be hidden, completely ignored  
Never to be restored  
A topic for me to thoroughly explore  
This narrative comes down to two sides, you decide  
I’ll just provide the scenarios, not the whys  
The parent writing the letters, and the parent whose tears fill her eyes  
Most people would say, life without parole should be enough for a person who has misbehaved  
   
Spare their life, surely, they can be saved  
Nine months of life she birthed and gave  
Kneeling in remembrance as she now lays flowers on a young grave  
For a thug with a gun on the run  
Priors, juvenile detention centers, incarcerated at a young age  
Read from off a lengthily docket page  
   
In court, the Defense hollers a plea  
No, a mother emotional outburst drops her to her knees  
He snatched my child’s fun, who was playing on the porch in the warm summer sun  
Sentence him to death  
For all the nights I held my son’s pillow and wept  
Your Honor, my son is a good man  
Yes, he has made many mistakes, and yes this crime he has been accused of, I understand  
I raised him the best I can  
To place him on death role is so unfair  
It is a mother’s worst despair, an endless nightmare  
A grieving mother has no rights  
Heaven have given my son his angelic sights  
   
Your son should be punished to the fullest extent of the law, and then sentenced to die  
I will never wish death of a child to any parent, no lie  
But my son is now confined to the sky  
You son still breathes  
My son is in a grave, who I shall never see  
I feel your pain, I really do  
However, take an exception too  
   
Two women both in pain  
Who would you blame  
Death over Life  
Both parents living with daily strife  
Tears from the grave Tears glimpsed behind bars  
Resolutions for both sides, close but no cigars, by far  
One parent wishing on a star for her nightmare to have a worthless life end  
One parent wishing for repeals, new evidence to finally kick in  
   
If you were in this situation, how would you see this  
My opinions are private, I have to be unbiased and dismiss  
My answer deemed amiss and shall serve in words as a reminisce  
It’s a preconception topic on my Nurse’s wish list  
As you ponder this poem  
No judgments in vain, so keep your thoughts warm  
Some issues in life I just refuse to say  
However, if some have walked in these shoes, most will say, hell you have to pay  
Needle to veins you are hoping for, as a preacher forgives sins as he bows over a body and prays  
   
Yeah, thou I walk through the valley of the shadow of death  
Criteria for a new trial has been met  
DNA does not match the accuser of the crime  
Time taken away, expense of the taxpayers’ dime  
Tears of joy  
Tears of grief for a mama’s baby boy  
No side wins  
Therefore, keep your nose clean and do not succumb to any sin  
   
Dedicated to all the African Americans brothas/sistas accused of crimes who did not commit them and never saw justice served on their behalf  
   
#CelebratingBlackHistoryMonth    
1st Edition (Published 4th Oct 2018-Death Row)