The boy who lived in the dark
Isolation.
He lived In a house that was never his home
He lived without a key and a place to call his own
Silence.
His mind his only friend
Dark just like his surroundings
His crime:
Not giving in to a system who tried to control him
Not allowing the system to indict him Of a crime he didn't commit
Said crime - a stolen backpack
A boy with hopes and dreams
Ceased.
His mother found him
Deceased.
Rikers.
A prison for the worst of the worst convict
A place that was supposed to harbour the most hardened of criminals
Or
If you want a free entry pass
Just be an innocent black man
But that was who he was
Until
The system punished him
For his lack of compliance
They corrupted his mind with psychological violence
They stored him in solitary confinement
When released years later
He was never the same
Physically he may have been alive
But mentally he had died
That was until he committed suicide
However most including I saw it as a systemic suicide
This isn't just poetry.
This is truth.
This is reality.
But most importantly this is the black experience
This is a true story based on an innocent black boy
His name was, is and always will be
Kalief Browder
Copyright © Layla Riley-Hill | Year Posted 2025
Post Comments
Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.
Please
Login
to post a comment