Off the Cuffs: Poetry by and about the police Edited by Jackie Sheeler

Read by: Anna/Copley Teen Room

This book includes a wide variety of poems by police officers, witnesses, journalists, bystanders, protesters, victims, perpetrators, and others. It tells the stories of those who have witnessed crimes, who have commited crimes, who’ve worked hard to stop crime. These poems reach out and explain what life in jail is like, what life without Daddy is like when Daddy is sent to jail for something he did wrong. They mention the heartache police officers face every day when they see young children in bad situations, when they are forced to shoot someone to save themselves and others nearby. They share part of the souls of those who were wrongly brutalized by the police, who want justice served. This large collection does not discriminate in any way, shape, or form. It tells police work like it is, the good right along with the bad.

This is a great collection for anyone who enjoys crime literature, or anyone who loves the genre known as Street Lit. or Urban Lit. It’s a gritty telling of the truth, and towards the end, of some people’s dreams which involve the men and women in blue. It shows officers and detectives, not just as the people who wear a uniform and uphold the law, but as the complicated human beings they truly are, just like you and me. Inside, they are no different. They fear, they love, they hate, they cry, mourn, work hard, and try to be the best they can be every day. It’s not always easy. But this book does a great job of portraying all of that through multiple viewpoints. I greatly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it, especially as poetry makes for a quick read. It’s just too bad this book isn’t being printed anymore. I think it should be.  However, you’re in luck, as the BPL has a copy available! So check it out today. You’ll be glad you did.

Remember

Do not forget who I am today,
For tomorrow I will be but a memory.
No longer can we share a story,
Or a touch of hand, for I have gone away.

Do not forget to think of me
Of the dreams we shared of forever,
And of the times we spent together.
I will live on in your memory.

Do not forget to remember me
In times of happiness or sad.
But if you do, do not feel bad,
For I am only in your memory.

In life I wish for you all the joy,
Peace and love that you can be.

“Revolution” by M.

Only we will

kiss the fire

one heart blazes war

but near the sun

comes absolute light

“Friends” by M.

Friends are something

special,

friends are something

you have to hold on to,

make each day last,

keep your friends

close some might say,

but keep your heart

closer.

“The End Of The World As We Know It” by Mary Devine, Teen Librarian

Skyscrapers tipping

Broken windows

the Earth reclaims with Nature

Green lucious trees and plants

Vines winding floor to floor

Animals reclaim their kingdom

Cars and metal become rust

Humanity eliminated

Piles of Dust

All we are is dust in the wind,

Dude!

“I Dance” by Brianna

I dance

dance to the rhythm you left me in

the rhythm that you used when my mom

has your pleasurable shelter.

The type of rhythm that the savages

used when their freedom was about to

come.

I dance to that rhythm. That rhythm

of life.

I see you when I dance

I see the eyes that capture me when

I was born.

The two hands that held me in your

strong arms

the hands that went through dirt and

pulled out the struggles of what you

went through.

But I can’t feel you when I stop

moving.

So I take each step so I can see you

as my father.

I take each step to feel you

but every time I lose my way

try to find music to help me breathe

Sometimes I don’t know who you are

cause when I stop dancing

the building around me shut down

the people turn around and face each other

and the love for each other on the

inside fades away

the bruises on my mom’s arm

appears.

And the happiness you once felt turns to be anger

I wonder why you are like this

cause God stopped playing the music

I wonder why you are not listening

cause the grooviness of your step lost

its way

I wonder why you don’t see me anymore

cause the music in our lives stop showing

a happy image.

I can’t take it when everything stops

cause I stomp my feet to hear singing

and I stomp my feet to the beat to breathe

in life.

I stomp my feet to end the fighting

that’s going on

I tap my feet to bring back your

heart from hell.

I try to bee the reason of the

had autotune violent music in our

house.

But I breathe in the soulness of

the 60′s, 80′s, and 90′s.

To get a trace of what a family

of music should be like.

So I dance, dance to the stress of the beat

I dance, dance to the anger it its

tone.

I swing my hair in the air of

madness

and shake myself up and down

to get the happiness flowing

I sweat cause I need to survive

so I can get a happy home in this

house we call saintairs home.

I dance cause it’s the only freedom

I call my mother.

Our last poetry workshop on Thursday went really well. The Magnetic Poetry proved to be an interesting medium with which to write poetry. So come by next Tuesday for lots of fun and food!

We will have magnetic poetry to play around with and we will discuss the creation of the book we were looking to get published by teens (That’s YOU!) for teens (That’s also YOU!).

A reminder of a different order:  Our Teens Knit! group will also be meeting tomorrow, Thursday April 1st, from 3pm to 5pm after having a two week break.

Poetry Workshop on March 27th 12-1:30 in the Teen Room.