One Be Lo kept it real
When the broke down
Why the caged bird sings
I'ma pick up the pieces
That he left behind
And explain why this jailbird screams

I scream because...
It took only one bad, ill advised decision
To be deemed a menace to society
By public officials

I scream because...
No one wanted to listen
To this hurt child
That was begging for attention

All of a sudden
After one bad ill advised decision
The whole wants to pay attention

I scream because...
Society's answer to the problem
Was a cage, a lock and a key

I scream because...
At 17 they were saying
That "I couldn't be redeemed"
I scream because...
No matter how loud
I plead my case
The judge still wouldn't listen

I scream because...
I started to believe what
The district attorney was saying about me
That I was some kind of animal
And that I shouldn't be set free

Fast forward one year later
I turned 18
And my screams got 10 times louder
Because my name had been replaced with a number

10-46-1-86
Were the 7 digits
That got wrapped around my wrist
At this point in my life
Nothing at all made any sense

I crunched the numbers
Like a mathematician
Thinking to myself
Maybe then it will all make sense
No matter how I added, subtracted, multiplied and divided
I was still left serving 25 to life
For one bad ill advised decision

Note:
Today after 16+ years of incarceration, the screaming has stopped because I know: I AM NOT MY WORST DECISION. I am fully aware of the far reaching impact that the crime I committed has caused. For that I am truly sorry and remorseful. Nevertheless, I could no longer allow 12 minutes of one day to define who I am. I had to stop screaming in order to start living