DR. WALLACE: About seven or eight years ago, an older teen was in prison for illegal involvement with drugs, and he wrote a poem concerning drugs and his situation. When I read it, I was at the University of Illinois hoping to become a high school math teacher. I am now a teacher in Chicago and would like to have all of my students read this particular poem that I feel has a great message. Could you include this poem in your column so that I might share it with my students? — Chicago-Area High School Teacher
TEACHER: I'm happy to honor the wish of a fellow educator, especially considering your wish is to create a teaching opportunity with this material. The poem you are referring to is titled "Listen," and you can read it below.
DR. WALLACE: I'm a 19-year-old young man currently serving a four-year sentence in the Missouri Department of Corrections. So that I won't bore you with the terrible details of how I got here, I'll just say one word: drugs.
I have written a poem and hope you will print it. It's from my heart and intended for every teen who reads your column. I don't want them to end up like me.
"LISTEN"
I'm sending a message to the young who are free:
Stay away from drugs or you'll end up just like me.
For I have lost this freedom,
Four years tossed down the drain.
For I have lived my life as if it were a game.
"Where did we go wrong?" I've heard many parents say.
It's not their fault; it's only mine, and now I'm going to pay.
Drugs are not the way to go; they'll only cause you grief.
They'll cause you to do things you know are wrong.
I know because I became a thief.
Some may take this as a joke, but let me set you straight.
Prison is not a place to be; it's full of tears and hate.
It's a lonely place to spend your life, and time goes by so slow,
So, teens, please listen to what I say so to prison you'll never go.
I've nothing left to end this rhyme, so I'll go back filling holes in time. — John, Booneville, Missouri
JOHN: Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with our young readers. Nobody says it better than someone who has "been there." I wish you all the best, and I'm hopeful you'll become a productive American citizen after your release. Your heart is certainly in the right place.
Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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