Cameron's Poem: Why?
Why?
Because, I don’t remember you as,
the body under the sheet with the tag on the end.
I remember you as, the guy who’s smile
was like a burst of sunlight.
But what happened to that.
The only separation between us,
Six bullets.
To be, or not to be, for now, that’s the question.
One thing I know is, it wasn’t your time.
Why?
Through an endless cycle of grief and gratitude.
We know that now he rests in a better place.
But Six bullets.
Pieces of metal can destroy a family.
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!
That’s the pattern that stops a father from seeing his daughter,
Finish law school.
I remember you would see me and you would say,”
Peter Piper picked a peck” and then he would stop,
Because he didn’t know the rest.
Your humor, was the Chicken Soup for the Pre-Teen Soul.
Why?
Gone like the wind
The one you talked about every, single day.
But,
The hardest part was seeing you in that all white casket,
In that all white tux, like a white winter waging war on my mind.
I know you’re up there and in peace, this doesn’t change the point.
The violence has to stop.
Three kids.
One to miss graduating law school,
Another to miss graduating college, a last one to not see graduate high school.
A wife, the most loving one of all.
Round and round the cycle of tears went and how the seasons changed,
Everyone else changed.
A star, the brightest one of all was gone.
Out of nowhere no warning.
Thirty-seven years old, three kids, a wife.
On moms birthday.
I didn’t say goodbye, but one day, I’m gonna see all of your kids graduate for you.
That is, if the violence doesn’t take me first.
Last year over one thousand five hundred eighty-eight people,
Died of gun violence.
Shot by their neighbors, their friends, strangers,
Just those that don’t understand how precious life is.
“Do you not think your brother’s blood cries to me from the ground?”
That’s what’s said in Genesis.
Why?
Why is it that when Abel is killed Cain is forced to roam the Earth.
But when Jew is done with, those people are gone like the wind.
How is one life more valued than the next?
But of all the questions I’m left with one sticks out.
Why?
i liked d how personal this poem was to you but i taled about a really big issue that the people are facing today
ReplyDeleteyour poem was very deep and it howed how you where feeing sad about someone you loved dying.
ReplyDeleteCameron, your poem is amazing! I loved how you described what it's like to live in danger and the feelings of living in a fearful area. I also liked how you used the word "why" as repetition, because not only did it help you tell people about your life challenges, but also let me think of all of the bad things that I had to suffer in my life. Overall, this is a superb poem!
ReplyDeleteI feel like you shared another part of your life which gives me a better understanding of you as a person. I can tell that this is a sensitive subject for you so it was brave of you to get up there and present your poem. Great job.
ReplyDeleteanother great poem about violence[Not by you specifically] , i love these poems because they talk about issues but yours obviously stuck out because one of your family members were lost to this, I'm so sorry to hear this and i hope that your family has or is moving on and has not been impacted by this. Nice job
ReplyDeleteGreat poem! I could see how much impact this death had on you and how you expressed it. The language and image helped add emotion and depth to the poem. Great job!
ReplyDeleteWhat's the symbol in his name in the image?
It's an "E"
DeleteWow! Cameron, this poem was really deep, and I did not know that you were going through so much. This is a poem that I could not relate to, but when you read it, I think that a lot of people can feel what you were feeling. Great job Cameron!
ReplyDeleteWOW cam that was awesome i loved it i think one of the best in the class this is something i know is important to you because of how you showed it in your poem amazing job
ReplyDeleteThis is an awesome poem! Your tone with the wording was epic, and the poem itself was amazing. Personally, I cant relate to this, but I can hear the pain in our voice when you presented. It takes courage to say that in front of the class, and the way you did it with such confidence was inspiring, Excellent work Cameron!
ReplyDeleteThis poem was great, I liked how your poem was a question and expressed memories with the question of your cousin. It seemed to be a very personal poem and you showed you cared a lot.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, that was incredible. I don't even know what to say. I can totally relate to how you feel because I live in this, and I have experienced this. I love your connection to the Bible and I think that when you talked about his kids, my heart sank. That was a sad but good feeling. I felt what you felt and it was a really well written and an emotional poem. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteNice poem dude. I thought that your poem was really well written, and I could tell that it had nice meaning behind it. I could tell that you put a load of thought into it, so well done. That was a sweet poem, so good job!
ReplyDeleteCameron this poem made me feel the emotion about this that you've been holding in. This poem talks about what you're going through after losing your cousin to gun violence but it also addresses that the gun violence is a problem that needs to be solved. When you presented there was a vulnerability and I could tell that there was still pain after this. I liked that you talked about some of your other family members which added to what it means to you. It was one of my favorites and you really had a bravery in presenting something so personal.
ReplyDeleteCameron, this poem was extremely powerful and was vibrant with personality. I am so sorry for your loss. Gun violence is a major problem in society today and it was not fair for your cousin to be victim of it. You turned a horrible event into a beautiful piece of poetry. I could tell you were having a hard time presenting because of your emotions but that goes to show the meaning of this to you and how much work you put into it.
ReplyDeleteThis poem is real and this truely happened and I always wondered what it would be like to lose someone because of gun voilence. Gun violence is a serious thing but to lose someone to it is sad and not a thing you want because it can break a family and the family might crumble.
ReplyDeleteCameron, this is a really powerful testament to broad societal issues and both really personal ones. I am so sorry about your uncle, and that these questions are ones that you have to contend with everyday in this world. I like the repetition of why throughout, and the ways you talk about your lived experience.
ReplyDeleteThis poem was beautiful! I don't know what to say, that's how good it was. You did a great job at writing this poem and making it about the violence and how violence connects to your family. You had lots of imagery in your poem, and you wrote it as if you were talking to someone as if you really missed them. I think it is a great thing to stand up there and talk about the bad things that has happened to your family and in your own city. Amazing job, Cameron!
ReplyDeleteWith all of this that has happened, you still stay strong.
DeleteCameron, this poem was really powerful and showed the reader/listener how the death of your cousin impacted his family, and more specifically, you. This is a topic that you are really passionate about and it is evident that you put a lot of rime and effort into writing this poem. Your poem conveys a beautiful message. Good job!
ReplyDeleteThis poem clearly meant a lot to you it looked to have brought you to tears when reading it. Your poem somehow speaks on real world issues such as the violence in Chicago before you even said it because your experience was enough for the whole poem.
ReplyDeleteCameron, this was an amazing poem. The topic was clearly something that you cared about and was very important to you. Just by reader it I can imagine the power in your voice when presenting. This poem was written really well, and you did a really great job expressing how you felt after the death of your family member, amazing job!
ReplyDelete