gangs glamorised on the street
youths hooded with designer feet
blades set to cut human meat
loaded weapons no thought to heat
a child murdered in his bed
bastard bullet through the head
why
just because someone said
one kid’s glory leaves another dead
long ago they were innocent
life so sweet a luring scent
inbred badness or badness lent
by need greed or lack of rent
© Liola Lee 2007
I wrote this poem some 12 years ago when a 15 year old boy was shot dead in his bedroom in an apparently gangland-style killing in Peckham, South East London. There have been numerous stabbings and gang related incidences in recent times, and they are on the increase. We as a society need to sort this out. These senseless killings need to be stopped.