What Daylight Brings

She’ll shoulder the world because that’s what people expect her to do

Through it all she’ll smile bravely

Gravely weigh the days concerns by how far her shoulders slump Read more »

Poetry Eludes Me

These are the times when Poetry just won’t come to me and I’ll wonder if she ever really loved me…at all. I’ll stall thinking she just needs more time. Her rhyme demands space that I can’t give. She knows I can’t live…without her. So she’ll make me chase her and all attempts to replace her will remind me that she was made just for me. I’d gladly give a rib if it means she’ll never leave again. Even then she won’t feel like I’ve given enough. She’ll call my bluff and demand I give my heart to her and though I typically place it on my sleeve, it feels so much better in her hands. She is…all that I am. Still, she escapes me. Traces me with lyrical outlines often left unfinished. She remains unblemished in my eyes. Blue skies created in her image are all that comfort me. If only she would come to me…Poetry

Operation Expectation: The War Zone Called Chicago

Two Illinois State Reps, John Fritchey and LaShawn Ford are proposing that the Illinois National Guard be called in to address the prevalence of street violence. Fritchey likened the current state of Chicago to that of a war zone, an analogy even more fitting given that just as many people have been killed this year in Chicago as have troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. 113 people have been killed since January of 2010. This is a strategy previously employed in neighboring Gary, Indiana. Judge for yourself how well that turned out.

Like others, I find it interesting the current numbers are so shocking to people. The murders of young Black men and women have become commonplace for those of us who call Chicago home. I can’t think of one friend from back home who has not lost a loved one to street violence. We braced ourselves for each summer because the temperature change always preceded the death of one more of us. Now that Chicago had reclaimed the “murder capitol” title, it seems the media is once again paying attention. Still, I’m inclined to agree with Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis and Chicago Mayor Daley who contend that bringing in the National Guard is not the best solution. But what is the best solution? Chicago police plan to step their game up but I’m not sure that alone will solve this problem. Part of my concern is that we’ll find ourselves with a New Orleans style order–shoot to kill (in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Governor Kathleen Blanco expressed her expectation for troops to shoot to kill looters.) Still, will the presence of troops create a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts? In doing something so drastic, treating our youth as if they are already criminals, do we run the risk of pushing them into criminal behavior through such socialization? Even if such a plan was successful, what happens when the troops leave? What Fritchey and Ford propose is a short term solution to a long term issue. Read more »