Posted inPoetry

Be Less Like You

by Dawan Ingram March 21, 2023March 17, 2023

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Be Less Like You

by Dawan Ingram, Prison Journalism Project
March 21, 2023

<h1>Be Less Like You</h1>
<p class="byline">by Dawan Ingram, Prison Journalism Project <br />March 21, 2023</p>
 
<p>You say I was guilty, but you lie<br />You say I am heartless, yet I cry</p>
<p>You say I am evil, yet I do good<br />You say you understand, yet I am still misunderstood</p>
<p>You say that we fail because we don’t try<br />Yet a discriminatory and oppressive system you don’t deny</p>
<p>You say that we are angry because we hate<br />Yet put chemicals in our water to seal our fate</p>
<p>You say we are trapped in a cycle and don’t want to read<br />Yet you ban all the books that can help set us free</p>
<p>You say that we kill each other for no reason<br />Yet give us the guns and the bullets that feed them</p>
<p>You say that slavery is over and done<br />Yet the 13th Amendment is still healthy and strong</p>
<p>You say who is a terrorist and put them on a list<br />Yet so many names from the government you somehow miss</p>
<p>You say we are greedy because we want to survive<br />Yet steal from the world in front of our eyes</p>
<p>You say what you will do but never do<br />You should be more like me and less like you!</p>


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You say I was guilty, but you lie
You say I am heartless, yet I cry

You say I am evil, yet I do good
You say you understand, yet I am still misunderstood

You say that we fail because we don’t try
Yet a discriminatory and oppressive system you don’t deny

You say that we are angry because we hate
Yet put chemicals in our water to seal our fate

You say we are trapped in a cycle and don’t want to read
Yet you ban all the books that can help set us free

You say that we kill each other for no reason
Yet give us the guns and the bullets that feed them

You say that slavery is over and done
Yet the 13th Amendment is still healthy and strong

You say who is a terrorist and put them on a list
Yet so many names from the government you somehow miss

You say we are greedy because we want to survive
Yet steal from the world in front of our eyes

You say what you will do but never do
You should be more like me and less like you!

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Dawan Ingram

Dawan Ingram is a writer incarcerated in New Jersey.

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