James 📝

Let me tell a tale, a somber start,

Of my childhood friend, a broken heart.

I'm private, names I won't bestow,

But call him James, the boy I used to know.

We met in youth, at school's first gate,

His house, the next block, sealed by fate.

Two worlds apart, though side-by-side,

His, freedom's breeze, where rules subside.

Mine, expectations, a stricter hand,

Yet love he knew, in his own land.

He rushed to grow, too quick, too fast,

A shadow fell, his joy surpassed.

A chill he wore, a distant gaze,

The "weird kid" label, in those school days.

The shade they cast, a cruel design,

He chose to leave, that eighth-grade line.

No diploma earned, a future bare,

He sought escape, a different air.

Westward he went, a sister's care,

To mend his ways, to leave despair.

Three years went by, then he returned,

A rebel's guise, a lesson learned,

In darkened streets, a hardened shell,

He sought my aid, a story to tell.

But that path he chose, I couldn't tread,

The life he embraced, filled me with dread.

Then came the day, etched in my mind,

A fateful choice, left lives behind.

He sought me out, to spend the day,

But caution held me, made me stay.

He begged and pleaded, wouldn't cease.

We walked the blocks, found no peace.

A car pulled up, a reckless crew,

An offer made "Want to ride through?".

I lied, said "No", a truth concealed,

But James, unheeding, his fate revealed.

He climbed inside, without a care,

That single ride, a deadly snare.

A gas station robbed, a desperate plea,

He hid, they stole, for all to see.

The cops arrived, the chase began,

Seventeen, in jail, the boy became a man.

The walls closed in, his spirit broke,

Solitary confinement, so they spoke.

Suicidal thoughts, a haunting fear,

With no one near, to lend an ear.

Or so they claimed, this twisted lie,

A cellmate present, as days went by.

While prayers were sung, and bible read,

James hung himself, with a bedsheet thread.

A life cut short, a tragic waste,

By negligence, a bitter taste.

How could he be alone, yet share a cell?

The questions linger, a living hell.

Where were the guards, supposed to see?

A broken boy, consumed by misery.

Too late they came, the deed was done,

His freedom lost, before it begun.

His family shattered, grief untold,

The neighborhood hushed, a story cold.

Even those who mocked, now bowed their head,

To mourn the boy, now lying dead.

His funeral, a somber scene,

My sister by my side, to intervene,

And catch me, if I start to fall,

His mother's pain, consumed us all.

That day I learned, life's fragile thread,

Can snap so quick, leaving hearts misled.

I never found another friend so true,

My heart still aches, with memories of you.

I love you James, may you find peace,

This tragic tale, will never cease.

The end.