ACT…WHILE YOU CAN

“Write ‘Red’, she said, “He’s got a great mind.”
“He’s one of those children, who’s a great find.”
“Write ‘Red’ another told me,
“We can’t loose such a high I. Q.”

“He’s young, he’s smart, he’s strong,
please catch him before he goes wrong.
Released from County jail, ‘Red’ saw his future lost.
Only theft, heroin, and prison could be the final cost.

So before the age of twenty…
to avoid the pain, addiction, and the strife;
‘Red’ sadly and quietly took his own life.

© Joy Brigfht McCorkle
First Published in THE STREET SPIRIT in the Spring of 2000