show your love for god daily, 9.1.17

on sharon amity, by the light at the walgreen’s, there is always a black man in dreads standing next to a shopping cart with a sign hanging that says ‘show your love for god daily.“ it has a smiley face beneath, along with examples of how you can including waving, smiling, etc. he’s always on that corner preaching and anytime i’m in area stopped at that light, i always turn down my music so i can hear what he’s saying. he doesn’t make much eye contact to the drivers passing by, so i don’t think he’s talking to anyone in particular, but i know god’s listening. i know he knows he’s listening. i wish i believed in something as much as he believes in his god. 

life would be much easier.

-ratha, 2:53pm, 9.1.17

innocent anger, 2.23.17

i saw something tonight that made me sick. in may of 2010, new york police department arrested a 16 year-old because he was a suspect in stealing a bookbag. he didn’t have enough money to post bail, so he was jailed for three years. no conviction, no evidence against him, nothing. during those 3 years, he attempted suicide 6 times and was starved on multiple occasions by the guards. there are videos of him being jumped and abused, sometimes by correctional officers. charges were dropped and he became a free man the summer of 2013. 2 years later he committed suicide moments after checking on his mother by hanging himself with an air conditioning cord. he was only 22 years old. a month and three days younger than myself. his name is Kalief Browder. i wanted so bad to cry, but my anger and remorse wouldn’t let me. an innocent kid with no criminal record goes to jail for 3 years and commits suicide 2 years later due to trauma and emotional baggage. i cannot understand why these things happen. it makes me question if god exists. in the event there isn’t, i will continue to pray for peace, justice, and understanding, as if there is, hoping for change to come soon.

-ratha, 10:11pm, 2.23.17