Grew up like all the rest of them

Mastored how keep friends close 

and enemies closer

The hood signifes the latest 

rap game and crime 

only for people to watch on the news and

shake their heads in digust.

I am not proud of where I came from.

Where every kid believed education was a joke.

Most just came to school to warm up seats.

By 9 o'clock students where heading in the opposite direction of school.

I wish things were different.

I wish my parents had showed me a better lifestyle.

But all of this was going to change.

I wanted to seek what was out beyond the prison of the hood.

I moved.