My Life
I am a nuyoriquen (new York Puerto Rican) born and raised
Living with the Bronx gangs was my craze.
You had to wear your street colors wherever you would go
This was the gang colors that you had to show.
I had to be in three gangs, just to get to school
This had become part of the street rules.
I had to change my jerseys going from turf to turf
And when I’d forget it would get much worse.
Scorpions, Dragons, Lightnings too, and three other
Divisions of Crowns ruled the south Bronx.
Egyptian, Royal, Bohemian Crowns
They had become Bronx renown.
But the most feared was the older gang
The Suicides was their name.
Against all gangs they would go down
Including their brothers from the Bohemian Crowns.
For each gang I had a different name
Derringer for the two derringers I carried
Nava Jo for my climbing skills
Blade for the switch blades I carried.
And with these names I had gained fame.
(ha-ha if you could call it that!)
I knew that I would have to leave these streets
And getting out of the gangs was the biggest feat.
I joined the Army at eighteen years of age
And from there my life did change.
When I was in the streets, I could not write my poetry
For this was punkish for a guy
and they said poetry was a lie.
This was the times of desegregation in Alabama, and Mississippi
And then entering into Vietnam, when the French moved out.
This left an imprint on my mind
and I wasn’t going back into past times.
When I returned back to the states
And went To an army buddies home
and met his family
I knew my past life would be history.
His father was a poet, and the best that I have known
And to change my life to me he had shown.
Anyone can change, with help and determination
And your belief in GOD will be your salvation.
poem by Louis Rams
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Related quotes
Gangs In The Street
Put your hands in the air
You better take care
Your body or your life
Don't think twice
Gonna get what they need
It aint nothing but feed
Better watch what you do
Or you'll know that your through
What would you do
If they were looking at you
What would you say
If they were walking your way
Looks like theres gonna be a showdown
You better not slow down
Better watch what you say (yeah)
'Cuz you know they're not playin'
Don't you look over there
You better not stare
Get down on your knees
You beggin' them please
(ohh)
(chorus)
Gangs in the street
Lookin for you
Looking for me
Gangs in the street
Ready for you
And they're ready for me
(chorus x2)
Put your hands in the air
You better take care
Your body or your life
Don't think twice
Better watch what you say
Or you know that you'll pay
Better watch what you do
Or you know that your through
Gangs in the street
Looking for you
Gangs in the street
Looking for me
Gangs in the street
Hey, you looking for me
Gangs in the street
We're gonna see
song performed by by Loverboy
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Colors
Yo ease lets do this..
I am a nightmare walking psychopath talking
King of my jungle just a gangster stalking
Living life like a firecracker quick is my fuse
Then dead as a deathpack the colors I choose
Red or blue cause a blood it just dont matta
Sucker die for your life whith my shotgun scatters
We gangs of l.a. will never die....just multiply
You see they hit us then we hit them
Then we hit them and they hit us, man
Its like a war, ya know what Im sayin
People dont even understand
They dont even know what they dealing with
You wanna get ridda the gangs its gonna take alot of work
But people dont understand the size of this
This is no joke man this is real
You dont know me, fool
You disown me, cool
I dont need your assistance, social persistance
Any problem I got I just put my fist in
My life is violent, but violent is life
Peace is a dream, reality is a knife
My colors my honour my colors my all
With my colors upon me one soldier stands tall
Tell me what have you left me, what have I got
Last night in cold blood my young brother got shot
My home got jacked
My mothers on crack
My sister cant work cause her arms show trax
Madness insanity live in profanity
Then some punk claimin they understandin me
Give me a break, what world do you live in
Death is my sect, guess my religion
Yo my brother was a gang banger
And all my homeboys bang
I dont know why I do it man, I just do it
I never had much of nuffin man
Look at you man, youve got everything going for yourself
And I aint got nuffin man, Ive got nuffin
Im living in the ghetto man
Just look at me man, look at me
My pants are saggin braided hair
Suckers stare but I dont care
My game aint knowelgde my games fear
Ive no remorse so squares beware
But my true mission is just revenge
You aint in my sect, you aint my friend
Wear the wrong color your life could end
Homocides my favorite venge
Listen to me man
No matter whatcha do dont ever join a gang
You dont wanna be in it man,
Youre just gonna end up in a mix of dead freinds and time in jail i
Know, if
I had a chance like you,
I would never be in a gang man
But I didnt have a chance
You know I wish I did
Ill just walk like a giant police defiant
Youll say to stop but Ill say that I cant
My gangs my family its all that I have
Im a star, on the walls is my autograph
You dont like it, so you know where you can go
Cause the streets are my stage and terrors my show
Phsyco-analize tried diognising me wise
It was a joke brother the brutally died
But it was mine, so let me define
My territory dont cross the line
Dont try to act crazy
Cause the bitch dont thank me
You can be read like a punk
It wouldnta made me
Cause my colors death
Thou we all want peace
But our war wont end,
Theyll always see
See the wars of the street gangs will always get to me man
But I dont wanna be down with this situation man
But Im in here, if I had something betta to do I think Id do it but
Right
Now Im just down here boye
Im trying to get money cause Im smart
Im gunna get paid while Im out here
Im gunna get that paper, ya know what Im saying
If I had a chance like you,
Maybe I would be in school
But Im not, Im out here living day to day surviving
And Im willing to die for my colors
Yoll please stop, cause I want ya all to live.
This is ice-t, peace...
song performed by by Ice T
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Also, I preached to gangs on the streets of Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx - and miracles began to happen.
quote by David Wilkerson
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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All I Want Is Everything
Some 15 year old kid sits on his porch, just half-past noon
Trying to figure out just what hes doing
Why he had to grow up so soon
With all the gangs, all the guns-watcha gonna learn in school
Theres got to be some way out of here
He says man, this life is cruel
I knew this puerto rican girl who lied to change her life
She changed her name
Her face because the grass looked greener on the other side
She turned her back, she ran away straight into the night
Her friends, her family feel the pain, but shes the one who cries
Tell me what you want
Tell me what you need
I want everything
Ive had enough of havin nothing, I wont take just anything
I got my mind set on something, all I want is everything
Its my life mr. - I aint running, Im no puppet on a string
I want more than I see coming
All I want is everything
All I want is everything
My next door neighbor donnie
Died in his room just the other day
His brother come home
Found him dead on the floor with a needle in his vain
Cops come down with a body bag
They said donnie was a casually
I said, all its about is the boy checked out
He couldnt handle reality
Tell me what you want
Tell me what you need
I want everything
Ive had enough of havin nothing, I wont take just anything
I got my mind set on something, all I want is everything
Its my life mr. - I aint running, Im no puppet on a string
I want more than I see coming
All I want is everything
All I want is everything
song performed by by Bon Jovi
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Colors
I am a nightmare walking - psychopath talking
king of my jungle - just a gangster stalking
Living life like a firecracker - quick is my fuse
Then dead as a deathpack - the colors I choose
red or blue cause a blood - it just don't matter
Sucker die for your life with my shotgun scatters
we gangs of C.A. will never die....just multiply
Colors!
you don't know me
song performed by by Machine Head from The More Things Change
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Street Gangs Of Today
Street gangs are growing like ears of corn
Money, greed, and hatred are now being born.
They find it so much easier to be bad than to be good
Values are no longer held as they should.
Many blame it on the society that is around
When it is them that tore it to the ground.
They prefer to roam the streets and not have to work
And to extort money from the illegal that are here
Because of deportation that they fear.
Brandishing tattoos to show that they belong
And if you’re not in their click
Then you are scorned.
Society will say that as parents we are wrong
That we are too weak, when we should be strong.
Most times it is the environment in which we live
That to survive, in turn we must give.
Even the good at times can be swayed
If they don’t want to go to an early grave.
There are gangs in every state in this nation
And for them it is their salvation
Until the time that they can walk away
Raise a family, and with their children play.
And tell their children what they went through
And let them know “ I don’t want this to happen to you”.
We must deal with choices every day
Whether we choose the right one.
Who is to say.
So to GOD we must pray
And follow his words, day by day.
poem by Louis Rams
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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In England And All Over The World
Raped!
Abused,
By gangs! !
In England.
Bad gangs,
Bangs, fangs, hangs, pangs, tangs, gangs!
To abuse and to rape girls;
In England and all over the world.
poem by Edward Kofi Louis
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Gangs
Gangs I say are like no other,
In it varies the bold schedule
Of a thousand nights.
Gag the criminal as he gagged you,
Lest the minding has upset totally,
Like the gorilla and its warfare on us.
Gangs will make a mother pay,
Leap into the chair of your father.
I say no other than parent and child,
Killing the one is like killing the other.
I am demonstrating a mistake for ever.
Gangs must keep silent, all the time.
poem by Naveed Akram
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Bang Gang
We dont care,
Cause were in a gang
Parties that we go end up in a bang
Look at us funny and well shoot you dead
While were there well fill em with lead
We follow the gangs, we are the worst
Well be the last one,
But we werent the first
Weve been in a gang for a year and a half
There goes our future,
But we live in the past
Lets go out, shoot some people tonight
We use guns, cause we dont wanna lose the fight
When we fight, its 20 on 1 its funny that way,
Its much more fun everyone knows that were so bad
Our knives are long and our day is short
Our nights our long, and our days are sad
But we dont care cause were in a gang
song performed by by NOFX
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Terrorism, ladies and gentlemen, in my eyes I have a very, very, very simple explanation. Gangs of criminals, killers, used unfortunately by certain governments in the past for political purposes, who are on their own now as gangs.
quote by Hamid Karzai
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Cowboy From The Bronx
He's got sandy hair and steel blue eyes and
Dressed in black from head to toe and his main
Love is a cowboy show. He's a cowboy from the bronx.
He stands tall and straight and lean
And mean and he sure is a loving machine.
He's a cowboy from the bronx.
He loves rattle snake boots and big stetson hats
And he's sure hell in any spat.
He's a cowboy from the bronx.
He bought a guitar and learned to play,
He practiced hard night and day.
He's a cowboy from the bronx.
It took 10 years to become a star
That Bronx Cowboy and his guitar,
So when you go to a cowboy show and you see a man
In black from head to toe you can bet it's
A cowboy from the bronx.
poem by Dewey Nixon
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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You can change the names
You can change the names
of places and call them,
what you want.
My people who life there,
will still be living there
next year and for many years more.
You can change the personnel
that work for the city
and the inadequate delivery of services
and corruption,
will in time make you
pay a handsome bill.
You can change the names of streets,
and fashion them
to your heroes.
Never could you undo
the acts of those
whose names they originally bared
and everyone that uses them
will still know
what they were called before.
Without fixing the roads
people will remember
about the holes in Slovo street
and the dead robots in Mandela drive,
which will keep them alive
You can change the names of airports
for its better that way,
that the world knows
that they coming
to an new country
that’s has fallen years behind,
from where it was before.
poem by Gert Strydom
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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An Open Letter To NYC
Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten
From the Battery to the top of Manhattan
Asian, Middle-Eastern and Latin
Black, White, New York you make it happen
Brownstones, water towers, trees, skyscrapers
Writers, prize fighters and Wall Street traders
We come together on the subway cars
Diversity unified, whoever you are
We're doing fine on the One and Nine line
On the L we're doin' swell
On the number Ten bus we fight and fuss
'Cause we're thorough in the boroughs and that's a must
I remember when the Duece was all porno flicks
Running home after school to play PIX * 1
At lunch I'd go to Blimpies down on Montague Street
And hit the Fulton Street Mall for the sneakers on my feet
Dear New York I hope you're doing well
I know a lot's happen and you've been through hell
So, we give thanks for providing a home
Through your gates at Ellis Island we passed in droves
Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten
From the Battery to the top of Manhattan
Asian, Middle-Eastern and Latin
Black, White, New York you make it happen
The L.I.E. the B.Q.E
Hippies at the band shell with the L.S.D.
Get my BVD's from VIM
You know I'm reppin' Manhattan the best I can
Stopped off at Bleeker Bob's got thrown out
Sneakin' in at 4:00 am after going out
You didn't rob me in the park at Dianna Ross
But everybody started looting when the light went off
From the South South Bronx on out to Queens Bridge
From Hollis Queens right down to Bay Ridge
From Castle Hill to the Lower East Side
From 1010 WINS to Live At Five
Dear New York this is a love letter
To you and how you brought us together
We can't say enough about all you do
'Cause in the city were ourselves and electric too
Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten
From the Battery to the top of Manhattan
Asian, Middle-Eastern and Latin
Black, White, New York you make it happen
Shout out the South Bronx where my mom hails from
Right next to High Bridge across from Harlem
To the Grand Concourse where my mom and dad met
Before they moved on down to the Upper West
I see you're still strong after all that's gone on
Life long we dedicate this song
Just a little something to show some respect
To the city that blends and mends and tests
Since 911 we're still livin'
And lovin' life we've been given
Ain't nothing gonna take that away from us
Were lookin' pretty and gritty 'cause in the city we trust
Dear New York I know a lot has changed
2 towers down but you're still in the game
Home to many rejecting know one
Accepting peoples of all places, wherever they're from
Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten
From the Battery to the top of Manhattan
Asian, Middle-Eastern and Latin
Black, White, New York you make it happen
song performed by by Beastie Boys
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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But I was also a brat. I used to belong to a gang that went looking for fights with other gangs.
quote by Thomas Keneally
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I was born in Harlem, raised in the South Bronx, went to public school, got out of public college, went into the Army, and then I just stuck with it.
quote by Colin Powell
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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You Must Change Your Life
Facing up to our responsibilities
And our maturaties
Is not a subject, on which I can preach
(You must change your life)
Setting records straight
Opening yourself wide to possible hate
Being abandoned there at the gate
(You must change your life)
And ages will come to us
And years will fill our heads
With wisdom, caution, an understanding
(You must change your life)
Consumed by love, for your man
To sustain what you've longed to gain
Now that we want the same
(You must change your life)
How can one of their own
Turn around in the family home
And stand to say, 'I don't live alone'
(You must change your life)
There are times that loom
Speak only of a endless doom
When you're in that room, and say
(You must change your life)
But you MUST change your life...
(2007)
poem by B. Alexander
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Golden Years
he finally reached his golden years
wanted to leave his family,
thoughts and love to share.
so he sat with pen in hand
wrote about his lifes plan.
it started off with just his dream
never expecting the unforseen.
as his plans began to unwind
he found himself lost in time.
he joined the army at an early age
this was to become the setting stage
he survived the street gangs and a war
and never talking about what he saw.
he managed retail businesses all his life
met the woman who would become his wife.
he had always loved children
so he thought it was time
his wife agreed and it turned out fine.
a beautiful little girl came into their life
and everything seemed twice as nice.
now he had two women who captured his heart
and knew right then, that this was the start.
the start to his golden years
with his wife he could share.
all the dreams that were meant to be
was now becoming a reality.
but the years was going by fast
he knew his dreams would not last.
now with this thought in mind
he decided it was time
to put his life in perspective
for the golden years to become effective.
so he changed his train of thoughts
a late retirement he would abort.
he retired before his time
so he could enjoy life the way
that it was meant to be
living happy and carefree.
now that he finished writing
down his thoughts and plans
he let them know
'YOUR PERCEPTION BECOMES YOUR REALITY'
and this is what mine was to me.
the golden years are now mine
and i'm lost in its time.
poem by Louis Rams
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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R. Gang
Written by John Mellencamp
oow, hahaha ha
Well now to live in this world
Sometimes you gotta get touch
I got me a bunch of boys when the going gets rough
Someone to lean on when their calling my bluff
Someone to .....
Talking about R. Gang, R. Gang, R. Gang, R. Gang, R. Gang, R. Gang
There were only your friends who died ??
Well now the boy wanna run out with the boys tonight
And the girls are on the corner in a fashion show all right
I got their allmoter dead on my right
You better get great protect on this cool old night
Talking about R. Gang, R. Gang, R. Gang, R. Gang, R. Gang, R. Gang
There were only your friends who died ??
Well now, if there's a moral to be told
Its just that, growin' up is to growin' old
And when the asses say yeah, I'm doing all right
Well I got my bunch of boys, its Saturday night
Talking about R. Gang, R. Gang, R. Gang, R. Gang, R. Gang, R. Gang
There were only your friends who died, yeah ??
song performed by by John Mellencamp
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I've written a book on gangs, taught a course on gangs at Occidental.
quote by Tom Hayden
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Change
Dont you ever wonder why, nothing ever seems to change
If it does its for the worse, seems its just a modern curse
Sometimes when I take a peek outside of my little cage,
Everyone looks so asleep, will they die before they wake
And, hey. . . dont you know? were just products of our time and hey . . .
What dya say? show me yours, Ill show you mine
Better dumb and happy than smart and without any friends
Better cute and better loud, better join up with the crowd
Keep up or be left behind, theres a dust storm in my mind
Seems I cant see straight these days, doesnt matter anyway
Hey . . . dont you know? were just products of our times and
Hey, what dya say? show me yours, Ill show you mine
Hey, what dya say? hey, what dya say? please dont ever -
Oh god, heres that question now. the one that makes me go insane
Id gladly tear my heart out if you never, never, never, never change
Do you want to change? do you want to change right now?
Do you want to change . . . I like my stupid life, just the way it is
And I wouldnt even change it for a thousand flying pigs
And I like you just the way you are, I like your face just the way it is
And I wouldnt even change it for a herd of screaming kids
And I like you just the way you are, I like you though you may not like me back
I would dazzle you with brilliance, if I only had the knack
cause I like you just the way you are, I like this life just the way it is
And the castles all around me, have been melting now for years
And it kills my brain to think of all the time I wasted here
All the efforts, sweat, and broken hearts, the screaming and the tears
And Im dreaming again . . . floating in a pool of mud
Try to get back where I was and I dont really care
Got a little talking to, by the mirror in my room, and I dont really care . . .
Whispering voices from the dead, come from underneath my bed
And I dont really care . . .
I like my stupid life just the way it is
And the chaos that surrounds me like a flock of screaming pigs
And it hurts my brain to think of all the stupid things Ive said
And if I could change the future I would change the past instead
And Im dreaming again . . . and Im dreaming again . . .
Baby - sometimes I worry about you
Sometimes youre so far away, tell me what to do
I say, baby . . . sometimes I worry about you
Sometimes I just cant believe everything you do
I say, baby . . . sometimes I worry about you
Every day I feel the same, dont you feel it too
I say, baby . . . sometimes I worry about me
Seems Im falling down a lot, in between the scenes
I say, baby . . . sometimes I worry about me
Getting harder all the time, harder now to see
I say, baby . . . sometimes I worry about me
Light another cigarette, have another dream
Its the same thing every day, nothing ever seems to change and I . . .
Do you really want to change?
Testaments and growing pains. tranquilizers for the soul.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained - evolutions cruelest joke
Why is everyone upset? I once knew but I forget. something happened,
Something strange, something it appears has changed
Hey . . . dont you know? were just products of our times
And hey, what dya say? show me yours, Ill show you mine
Hey, what dya say? hey, what dya say? please dont ever -
Oh god, heres that question now, the one that makes me go insane
Id gladly tear my heart out if you never, never, never, never change
song performed by by Oingo Boingo
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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