March 18, 2013By
D’Angelo Crosby
Oakland’s Castlemont High School student D’Angelo Crosby won first place for original poetry with this poem about his life during the Martin Luther King Jr. Oratorical Fest Regional competition 2013.
The Struggle
Mommy and daddy died
When I was young
Felt a lot like losing one of your two lungs
And sister was all I had growing up
She gave me things
But to some people that was a bit much
But I can’t complain
Because things happen for a reason
All the pain and struggle was the best part of my season
And even though sometimes I felt like leaving
It was their love and support that was keeping
Me away from the edge
And leaping
Into darkness
Seeking something that I couldn’t find that was leading
Me down the wrong path
Un-succeeding
Pleading for healing
But only getting a worse beating
Inside it was like not knowing the plays while in the huddle
Or a drug dealer
That couldn’t find their bundle
I tried so hard to understand why
But I guess it’s just the way it is in the struggle
~Copyright 2013 D’Angelo Crosby