Scared Stiff Poem
Holding the community hostage
And putting them through it
Who killed my homie?
Tell me why they’d do it
Said it wasn’t his turf
He didn’t belong
Shot him down in the street
Now you know that was wrong
Watching out of the window
Neighbors see what’s going down
Pretending not to notice
Code of silence they are bound
In this neighborhood
You can’t tell what you see
Thinking to themselves
This could happen to me
Ambulance siren screaming
Racing to the scene
Trying to save the brother’s life
Was the paramedic team
What ever happened?
To looking out for one another
What’s the world coming to?
Brothers killing brothers
When will we say?
We’ve finally had enough
Of negative behavior
And all this deadly stuff
Need to show them the reality
Of all this gun violence
Tell them what really happens
When a bullet renders silence
Show them the body
Laying dead on the hospital table
Doctors tried hard to save him
But they weren’t able
Or maybe the morgue office
Where the ID will be made
In front of a grief stricken family
The body will be laid
The body parts in a container
The organs weighed on a scale
This in-depth inspection
Will really tell the tale
We already know what happened
The coroner writes it best
Gunshot wound autopsy says
Is the official cause of death
Body fluids and embalming fluids
Running in and out of containers and baskets
That’s what truly happens
Before he’s dressed and put in the casket
Author Karole P. Gray © 2006
Now what you see in that coffin
Came with a price that’s very steep
To fix his face and other wounds
To make it appear as if he’s sleep
This devastation
Affects everyone
Family, community and his friends
When all is said and done
Our children are in turmoil
Self-esteem we need to lift
Gotta show them the reality
Of being “Scared Stiff”
Even if you get in an altercation
And argue, fight and shout
The final solution never should be
To take a brother out
So this plea of peace in the ‘hood
Goes out to all of you
The community has to come together
To see this mission through
We all have to realize
That life is a special gift
Got to show them the reality
Of being “Scared Stiff”
The “Scared Stiff” Violence Prevention Program searches for ways to curb gun violence in the inner city areas and to provide alternatives for adolescents. They have formed collaborative unions comprised of religious organizations, governmental agencies, educational institutions, mentors, neighbors and parents to support and guide teens to discover viable solutions that will reverse the escalation of violence in their neighborhoods