The Boy With No Name

He was the oldest of 3,
Lil' sis and a little brother.
Same old song, raise by a single mother.
His schoolin' is third rate.
Only in second but he should be in 3rd grade.
Or was it 4th? Can't remember it escapes me.
Didn't have a clue that his little life was crazy.
All I knew, was in class
He would spaz!
Could sit for a minute.
Throw a fit before ya' finish.
Wanted the best for him
And I was tough on him
Until my boss told me the deal.
His momma worked hard!
Scooped the kids straight from her job
And would black out soon as they got home.
No spouse.
He was the little man of the house.
Fix'em dinner and put'em to bed on his own.
How?
So in school, when he would act wild,
It's because it's the only he had to be a child.
Wow.
Boy... with... no...
Name
I once knew this youngin, I forget was his name was.
He was a lil' playa,
Some say a trouble maker,
'Cause he would act a fool.
Came to see me after school.
Said, he wanna change.
Told him that it's never out of range,
Long as you ain't scared to work for it.
Fast forward,
He was in a gang fight
Over something petty, it ain't right.
But he came clean when he came to me.
So I tried to get his folks to let him stay with me
At the center.
Said I could work with'em, help to prevent a
Situation like this from happening again. But,
His stepdad wasn't trying to hear me at all.
He was fed up and said that it was the last straw.
Tried to check up on'em they would return my call.
What's that about?!
When we spoke, man, we had it out.
'Cause they told me that they him committed.
Hurt me to my soul, man, I have to admit it. Damn.
It feels like the world's against you.
And I can't imagine the hell you been through.
When they put you down,
Don't give up!
If they knock you down,
Then you gotta get up, get up!
I struggle to remember your name,
But just know I never will forget your pain!
When they put you down,
Don't give up!
If they knock you down,
Then you gotta get up, get up, get up...
Ain't too many days I meet...
A young man, that's born with HIV.
I was there speaking on diversity and poetry.
But, you seemed to be more into art.
Asked you to write what you felt, didn't know where to start.
So, you chose to draw from the heart.
You were a young man in the body of a child.
Who wouldn't let a disease rob you of your smile.
Nowadays, that type of courage is rare.
The words that you hear
Can never compare...
To the struggle you face, day in and day out.
Every single day, pray-in' for a way out!
See there's one too many youth like the 3 I spoke on.
No one cuttin' slack but fightin' to hold on.
Maintain youngin's in these troublin' times.
And I care because your struggle is mine. One love!