Anatomy of Faith
by
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the streets: i’ve lived it
from the day i was bornto the day I was considered a ghetto child
why? because my mother
was a dope fiend. my father was still a teen—
so what! they kept me clean.
i still see my father as a king and my mother as a queen.
you know half of the shit i seen—
i’m from the city of gangbangers, drug heads, and crack slangers,
not them weak-ass hillside stranglers or white supremacists
who plot to hang us or serial killers who
hide their face when they ride, only come outside in the dark,
killing couples in the park— that shit is weak.
come to my streets,
but you better have heat
and be quick on your feet
because you’ll find yourself
knee-high into some shit
you can’t get out of.
my reality as a child
was far from zack and cody—
i saw a sack and a fo’ty
while i sat in the back of the ’lac
listening to oldies.
papa was a rolling stone?
boy, was he.
if you only knew
what i’ve been through
when i choose to wear that blue,
then you would understand
because that’s what I was
exposed to—
crippin’
and set trippin’,
giving and taking
an ass whoopin’—
but i got back up when i fell.
that’s why i’m still living.
these streets is a motha—
i’ve lived it,
sat in prison without a visit—
but how can i blame them
when i put myself here
because i was on the corner drinking a beer,
selling dope throughout the year?
now i’m talking to the homies
from a cell,
screaming ’cross the tier.
i thought that shit was cool.
i chose this over school.
now i’m lookin’
like a damn fool.
but hey,
we all make mistakes.
struggles and heartbreaks
can crush your world
with vital damage like earthquakes.
this is the ghetto,
south central los angeles,
home of the scandalous
criminals and bandits,
hoodstas and gangstas,
suckas and wankstas,
but in reality,
they’re all the same—
well,
except for the last two.
i’ve lived it— full of hood rats
and ghetto stars, overcrowded clubs
and titty bars, ’hoods
we claim as ours, but they come
and take us away in black-and-white cars—
ain’t that crazy? it never ceases to amaze me
the way t.v. has made us lazy. pill poppin’ and sniffin’,
mothers wonder why kids don’t listen
because we all eat chicken— fuck kfc!
don’t stereotype me. politicians at they best,
yeah, y’all is a mess, blacks and browns looked down
to be less then those whose face is the same color
as the t-shirts i wear— but i don’t blame them
for discriminatin’. its not their fault they can’t relate
to the way we hate each other, brothers killin’ brothers,
black men and Mexicans— white trash will never last
because to some we’re lower class—
ghetto, my ass— what’s wrong with these streets,
it’s self-explanatory— i’ve lived it.
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About the Book
If you have ever lived aimlessly, loved with everything, and seemed like you were losing it, this book is for you. These poems will energize and inspire you. Darrell Louis has been through it all from drug selling, gang violence, prison, and fatherhood. Finding himself through the eyes of the Lord, he regains his strength and comes out strong. With the humblness of a pure heart, he opens up to us, sharing his joys and pains, strengths and weaknesses. Let his words speak to your heart. Allow your soul to hear his urgent emotions. Dare to let them in and move you. You won't be the same.
About the Author
Darrell Louis is a native to Los Angeles, with rich roots from the south. Mixing his streets smarts with his southern hospitalty, he has created a new addition to Urban Poetry. His writing style shoots straight from the heart, bleeding with emotions based on his own experiences growing up in South Central, Los Angeles. By taking the good and learning from the bad, selling drugs and gang violence, he is able to create colorful poetry full of life lessons. His goal is to be a voice to the younger generation. Being a ray of light and hope to those who feel stuck in dark situations. He wants to educate and inspire people of all ages to look at their life with eyes of desire and accomplishments. Not the eyes of enviormental ignorance that leads to self destruction. Darrell Louis speaks of his rock bottom experiences both in and out of prison. But by being a believer, stepping out on faith, his setbacks became his set up. All he had to do was to wholeheartedly reach out to God's steady, unchanging hand. Darrell is 38, has two beautiful daughters Dar'Nita and Dee'Jai and currently lives in San Pedro, Ca.