Livin' in dah 'Hood

"The following poem is a radical departure from my
traditional style of writing. The poem was a challenge
for me because I wanted to use a vernacular that I am
not familiar with. To that extent I may not have
succeeded but hope that the hardship and utter despair
living in the socio-economically challenged areas does
come out clear as seen through the eyes of a teenager."
 

I ain't  goin' home tonite
Not that  Mama's gonna care
She's workin' the streets agin tonite
And she'll bring home a friend from there
She always say we's lucky life's jus' real good
Cause we're eatin' everyday and livin' in dah 'hood

My ol' man, he wen' to prison
He's gonna be in there for life
Cause he saw mama with his bes' friend
And stabbed him to death with 'is knife
But mama say its okay 'cause he was no good
Mos' dads are' n' prison anyways, instead of  livin'
in dah 'hood.

I was watchin' my li'l sistah one day
On the front porch; I heard 'er cry
And I wasn't watchin' real good that day
Cause she got shot in the head in a drive-by
So I held her bleedin' head, but 'was no good 
Cause now I ain't got no sistah livin' in dah 'hood

I bin seein' this girl next door
Jus' turn fourteen and mighty fine
She tol' me she's pregnant with a kid
And she thinks that it cud be mine
And I tol' her not to worry and its gonna be good
Cause I'm already fifteen and we're livin' in dah
'hood.

I go gang-bangin' with dah home boys
We have a good time and it feel right
Cause you jus' don' know when one of us
Might never make it home that night
So we drink togetha' and life a' sudden feel good
It's what you do with dah boys if you're livin' in dah
'hood.

I know you folks think I'm dumb
Cause I'm wastin' my life away
What with drugs and drinkin' and whorin'
How I gonna make it another day.
Who cares 'bout tomorrow 'cause today's all good
I was born  in dah  ghetto, I'm gonna die in dah
'hood.

~Anwaar Hassan~

"livin' in dah 'hood" -"Living in the neighbourhood".
gang-bangin' - members of a gang will often scout the
streets at night and beat up innocent people before
robbing them of their valuables.
"drive-by" - shooting at rival gang members usually
with an automatic while driving by in a car. Often
times innocent bystanders get shot.
Sistah - slang for sister.
"Home boys" - Fellow gang members.

More Poems By Anwaar

Kavitanjali

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