Ghetto Blues Ii: A New Beginning

By Stacey P. Murray

Ghetto Blues II: A New Beginning is a series of poems written about life-and-death experiences not only of myself but also of people I have encountered thus far.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 29, 2018
• ISBN: 9781984517708

Stacey P. Murray

I grew up in the rough streets of Homewood, located in Pittsburgh PA. I graduated from Westingouse High School and I am a Bulldog for life! I am a mother of 3 beautiful children; Brandon, Rikia and Rikquan. I started writing as an outlet. Feeling like I could not express myself to others I wrote what if felt. When people I knew started passing away that's how I dealt with it, by writing. Once I realize my God given gift was to be shared with the world I started publishing. If my gift of words comfort others then I've done what I set out to do.

Book preview

Copyright © 2018 by Stacey P. Murray.

Cover Image by Gene Mollett

Model: Tionna Brisker

ISBN:                   Softcover                         978-1-9845-1771-5

                            eBook                               978-1-9845-1770-8

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 04/09/2018

Xlibris

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

775417

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I LIVING LIFE

Failure Passage

Our Hood Has Changed

Larenda 50th

My City Is Hurting

Sierra (My Life)

What Matters?

Cin Pen

Chrome

Homewood (Torron)

Will This Work

Mind Your Own Fucking Business

Heaven Ain’t For Everyone

A Dying World

Pastor (Graduation)

The Election

Chevelle & Paris

White Cops Vs Black Men

Black Lives Matter

This Hood Of Mines

Torron

CHAPTER II LOSS IS GOOD

Choices

How Many Times Can You Leave Me

Can’t String Me Along

Lame

Simple Niggas

The Break Up

You Left Me

You Had Your Chance

The Night You Left

I Thought

What A Waste

CHAPTER III SELF RELEASING

Make It Count

Who Am I

A Rough Day

A Season Of Turmoil

I Survived

Love Me While I’m Here

When A Dying Heart Bleeds

I Cry

I May Be Flawed

Damn Dad

The Father I Never Had

For All

CHAPTER IV LOVE IS REAL

Where’s The Love

My One True Love

I Miss You

Love

My Love

We Are One

Missing You

Real Love

My Heart’s Desire

Together

The Wait Is Over

CHAPTER V FALLEN SOLDIERS

Tastey

Ms. Eartha

Ms. Lucy

Charlene- For Debbie

Kyshenna

Maurice Bruce

Bruce Formosa

Joe (Work)

Big Moon

AKIL 20

Little D 10 Years

Dayjon

Lay Day

Timmy

Kevin Carter

For Chewy

For Desiree

Mike

An Angel Has Gained His Wings

Desean Fountain

Dionne

Norma O’toole

Tanya (Ed)

Lisa (Heaven Was Calling Me)

When My Mom

Aunt Net

Lil Mont

Heaven Was Waiting For Me

Michael Brunner

Olivia Jones (Oj The Juice Lady)

OG Kool Kell

John Bundy

B J

Bruce Wright

Sybil

Kirt (Dirty Kirt)

Gram (Vanessa)

Mike 10 Years

Satyra

For Satyra

Gucci

Mom B-Well

Young Angel

Barbara Porter

Vonda

Laymon Kyser

Popa Lou

G Lipp

Linda

Dear Dad

If I Only Had One More Day

I’m Only A Prayer Away

Echoes In The Wind

Happy Eternity Day

Small Sacrifices

To Amber

Taryon Johnson

Kelvin

Does God Make Mistakes

Momma Audrey

Bobby Hall

For Warno

From Sean

Mike

Dear Dad (Jeff Nash Jr.)

Chy’enne Manning

Drew

Tina Shelton

Happy Mother’s Day

Dae Sean’s B-Day

Daddy Floyd

Onion (Gary Anderson)

CHAPTER VI SPIRITUALLY REBORN

The Day I Met God

God Is Good

God’s Test

My Talk With God

Are You Growing

Are You Living Right

Does God Hear My Cries

DEDICATION

Just like my last book, I dedicate Ghetto Blues II to my children; Brandon, Rikia and Rikquan. The center of my life and my reason for living. You guys are all beyond your years, which has allowed me to learn from you all. There is no handbook on parenting so I am still learning to be a better one. I apologize for any of my shortcomings and if my actions haven’t been the true example you needed them to be. Thank you all for loving me through it all. You have allowed me to make mistakes, continue to grow and loved me without judgement. I say to you all, dream big and no matter what shoot for the stars. Love God and put Him first in everything that you do. Respect yourselves, mind, body and soul. You are capable of anything you put your minds to and let no one stand in your way. Always beware of the wolves in sheeps clothing, Remember everyone with a smile isn’t happy to see you. By the time this book has been published my daughter Rikia Fulmore will have graduated from Morgan State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology. I am so proud of you baby girl! The sky’s the limit, reach for it! I love each and every one of you equally and unconditionally!

Love Always!

Mommy!

WORDS FROM THE AUTHOR

Ghetto Blues II (A New Beginning) is just that, a new beginning.So much has changed since releasing Ghetto blues. Some good and some even better. I am releasing so much that I have kept locked inside of me, even back to my childhood. Never realizing that those things have kept me bound and caused me to make many if not all the bad choices in my life. I have grown Spiritually and I now do my best to operate under God’s provision. I am still a work in progress. Some may disagree with my choice of words but they are just that, My Choice. I have grown so much through this process. I thought I needed people but realized that I only need God. That is the reason for having Spiritual poems at the end of my book. As my relationship with God has gotten stronger I found myself writing more for Him. He has Blessed me with this gift and why not use it for His teachings. God is far from done with me.

Ghetto Blues II will go from night to day. That is where God is leading me, into the Light. So if you read something and think that it applies to you and/or you feel offended, maybe you need to make some changes as well if you already haven’t. I wrote how I felt at the time. I say to EVERYONE who has hurt, betrayed, used and/or abandoned me I forgive you. I also seek forgiveness from anyone I’ve hurt in any way. Forgiveness is for me. In order for my God to forgive me must first forgive others. No one can hold me bound anymore!

I thank God for this beautiful gift and I will go where He leads me. I also want to thank everyone who has allowed me to write on behalf of their loved ones. Your trust in me has allowed me to write unforgettable words allowing the memories of yours and my loved ones to live forever. I anticipate this to be my last book. Though I have provided a sense of comfort to others, I myself need time to heal. The poems in Ghetto Blues I and II were created by the lives and deaths of so many different people from all walks of life. No matter what you are going through, know that someone else has gone through it as well. You are not alone! Communication is key. We may not always like what’s being said but we still need to hear it. Live and Love! Life is too short for anything else. Thank you all for your support.

God bless!

CHAPTER I

Living Life

Failure

Failure is an option, it may not be the one you want but it is a viable option and sometimes necessary. Sometimes you have to fall so you can learn to get back up. No matter how much of a balancing act you put on we all lose our balance and fall. Some failures make us better. We look back at the very thing we thought we needed and realize we didn’t. Failed exams make you study harder, lost games make you practice more. We all know failed relationships will make you better if you let it. Sometimes God removes things and people from our lives for a reason and we fight tooth and nail trying to get them back. After bumping your head (many times for some) you start to move on. One day turns into one week, one week turns into one year. Now you look back and realize that failure gave you the strength you had not tapped into before. Saying to yourself what the hell was I thinking, why did I keep doing that, him or her? Sometimes you have to have bad to appreciate the good. Failure is an option but you have to learn from it in order to succeed.

62298.png

Our Hood Has Changed

Are we living to die or dying to live, man I can’t tell

All I know is I’m missing Lit Mont, Tastey and Kool Kell

What happened to hide-n-go-seek or even release the den

Our children are committing robberies and murders waking up in the pen

The hood has changed every corner is displayed as a crime scene

I couldn’t believe it when they killed Slim Kapone A.K.A Mark Green

I can appreciate them wanting to save the white house from an invasion of the drones

But our hood has a Black House that became vulnerable when we loss Olivia Jones

Practice what you preach, treat everyone how you want to be treated

Remain alive and free to raise your children so of their dreams they won’t be cheated

I remember back in the day, shooting dice on Formosa Way off the steps

Let’s pay honor to one of our most respected jitney drivers Mr. Epps

As we all know death doesn’t discriminate no matter your color, religion or age

This poem doesn’t even cover all we’ve lost so let’s unite and get on the same page

40828.png

Larenda 50th

Today is a special day look at everyone all dressed up and spiffy

Can you believe we are here to celebrate Larenda turning