Mama's Warning by Kyle Garlington
Source: Kyle Garlington
Mama warned us about hanging out on them corners, she told us that the things they'd show
us would not only turn our dreams into nightmares but also corrupt and control us.
She told us that they would mold us into men that couldn't be saved.
She told us they'd steal our innocence and replace it with wicked ways.
But we were far too young to understand her tongue at such an age, so away we went with our
little cap guns to play some ghetto games.
Cops and robbers were cool but we loved cowboys and Indians.
Who would've ever known that these games were training us to become menaces?
Who would 've ever knew that them same dudes I played with on the jungle gym, would be the
same ones in the future aiming real guns at me and my other friends?
Mama knew, that's who, and she used to caution us everyday, but it's hard to convince a bunch
of fatherless kids to pay attention to the things you say.
See poppa was a rolling stone, so, mama started smoking stones, therefore in due time our fixed
up house became a broken home.
That nice floor model TV and brand new leather sofa got sold off and replaced with filth and
disgrace plus hundreds of humongous roaches.
That ‘can goods’ packed shelf and refrigerator that used to runneth over, now only contained a
jar of mayonnaise with a box of baking soda.
Under these conditions of utter despair it'd only be a matter of time before we no longer cared
about what momma said and embraced a life of crime.
On those very corners she warned us about how we found our father figures.
They came in the form of killers and pimps, gangsters, and drug dealers.
The way that they dressed connected with us because they looked like stars always surrounded
by beautiful women and driving fancy cars.
The diamonds that shined in their watches and chains, to us, symbolized success so one by one
from slum to slum we began to jump off the steps.
Author Bio: Kyle, 39 was born in Pennsylvania and received a bi-costal upbringing between PA and California. He is currently incarcerated for a regretful event that took place over 20 years ago. Over the many years Kyle has used his time wisely to educate himself, learn to love books and writing and eventually finding poetry. Writing poetry has been used as a creative outlet for Kyle and he’s at his happiest when sitting at a table putting pen to paper. All his poems stem from personal experiences and his heart.
“Mama’s Warning” is dedicated to his much-loved Mother Annie who sadly passed away in April 2021. Her memory lives on through his poetry.