creative corner: 'born for this' by ebya brown

Image from miasquires.com

No one enters life all bad or all good.

That is mostly defined by your circumstances, your situations, your hood.

You may look at a precious baby and think this isn't so.

But one day you tell them to come here, who teaches the baby to say no?

Certain things are embedded into our DNA that sparks virtuousness.

Some are deleterious, iniquitous, ranconous, and maliciousness.

Coincidentally, there are other virtues that speaks of a contrary nature of our DNA.

This is a proven fact whether scientific, spiritual, or evolutionary.

These are nobleness, trust-worthiness, genuine-ness, and benevolence.

These characteristics are intertwined in a molecular strain of importance.

Your cell nuclei of heredity will not change.

It has little bearing if you're a mad scientist, Einstein's genius, or straight-jacket derange.

These things become a byproduct of abuse, poverty, and addictions.

It takes over life's meeting from salutations to benedictions.

The streets can make you heartless, conniving, and mean.

The home can make you lovable, respectful, so fresh-so clean.

Every experience you face builds one characteristic and depletes another, which can't be dismissed.

Life dealt me five of a different, I turned it into a straight flush because I was born for this!

If you or someone you know is a currently or formerly incarcerated person with creative content to offer, please submit your materials to admin@vote-nola.org and we'll be in touch! We'll share the content on social media, always give credit to the artist(s) involved, and cover the costs of submission. Any type of submission--whether stories, poems, illustrations, music, videos or something else--are welcome! Eyba Brown is currently incarcerated at Raymond Laborde Correctional Center.