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This poem is, sadly, an accurate representation of life within the inner-cities of America. There are so many black youth who are lost in an endless labyrinth with only a Minotaur as guidance. The parents are not around so these overage children are left to raise themselves. It is so easy to fall to the wayside if you do not know that there is a system in place working against you. In fact, just to compete, the black male must think 3 steps ahead of his peers from better backgrounds. Two of my friends from high school come to mind as I read this. Although they did not go to the extremes of this poem, they still flew into a spider's web. At heart, both these individuals are good people. However, due to a few careless mistakes, they both wind up as guests in the hotel known as the prison industrial complex. As long as we continue to wrap ourselves within the confines of our own selfishness, the cycle will repeat itself to extinction. Efforts must be made to educate young black minds, instead of feeding them to the Minotaur. Thank you for sharing this poem.

I agree with Cynique 100%!!!!!! An autobiography is the way you should go. If it includes poetry that would be a good way to go as well. The idea of the Montessori is right on point as well. The teacher education plan is flawed anyway. You have 1000 teachers with Masters and PhDs who would teach at a high school in a minute who weren't trained or certificated and could bring a completely different style to the classroom, but because they are not certified teachers they can't teach high school. The criteria for who can run a classroom needs to change. There are guys I know that don't have degrees but can teach the hell out of someone looking to learn computer coding, but because they don't have a degree or certificate, they can't teach. The educational world screws itself with tons of antiquated policies.

Gee, Shirley, instead of writing poems, you should write an autobiography. My take on the public educational system is that a class room is teacher-oriented, and discipline earns high marks. A good student is perceived as one who is not disruptive and who does his lessons which consist of regurgitating what the teacher has taught and at the end of the grading period, report cards are issued wherein a single letter is used to define a student. This is not necessarily bad but, unfortunately, all children are not responsive to regimentation and often the brightest ones are the most difficult because they are bored by the structured routine that makes things easier for the teacher. In my "brave new world" kindergarten would be restricted to learning social skills, then beginning with first grade each child would be encapsulated in his own little pod and paired with a computer that would, through voice instructions, enable a child to teach himself by the trial and error method, learning at his own pace, using the reward system as a motivation. High school would be a non computerized environment of acquiring knowledge, allowing a student to put to use the abilities acquired in grade school. Yes, I know this is pretty much the methodology of Montessori and home schooling. But I think it would be a great innovation in public education because so many students are inhibited and insecure and how good or bad they perform in a classroom in front of their peers impacts on the self-esteem that propels or obstructs them through society at large. . Of course the argument could be made that this radicalization would eliminate the need for elementary school teachers. But it would also create jobs for education majors. Just some thoughts from a non-professional who has observed how compatible today's kids seem to be with computers.

Family is all there is Troy. Mentoring is the next best thing, but even that is limited in it's reach.

CDBurns and Cynique, I am already there. My manuscripts are already in progress. Cracked Glass ... a semi-biography, is being queried to literary agents as we speak. I started research for it in the late 1980s when it was titled SHIRLEY GALE. Carlton Press, Inc. in 1991 described it as so: "SHIRLEY GALE (TWT) is a candid semi-biography based on a life of tragedy and suffering, including fascinating portraits of despicable individuals that were known by the narrator... Shirley Gale Perry's story is provocative and eloquent in its appraisal of the environment and people encountered, from the faithless husband, to living temporarily in a homeless shelter with her children. It is recommended for its realism and human drama." Cracked Glass is an adaptation of SHIRLEY GALE. And, CDBurns, it does include my poem, Daddy's Little Girl. I 'm taking the courses with Gotham Writers' Workshop to ensure that I am enhancing my craft a bit more. In 2016, I am going at authorship with everything in me!!! Cracked Glass, Part One: The Whole Damned Family deals with familial dysfunction that speaks to mental and sexual abuse to includes rape and incest. It is tailored to the Young Adult (YA) audience because so many of our youths endure like dysfunctions that disrupt their lives in so many awful ways. Cracked Glass, Part Two: Broken, But Never Shattered deals with choices made in relationships, mental and physical abuse at the hands of one's spouse, homelessness, and finally, divorce. Yes, I was homeless with two children. I was even featured in the newspaper which drove my two children quite crazy at the time. And, Cracked Glass, Part Three: Life is a Bitch, But You Don't Have To Die, deals with finally escaping insanity and making things right. This is where I was presented with "A Whole New World" after enduring so much hell in the first part of my life. It is for this reason that one should never give up. Anyway, I am working hard to find literary agent(s) to represent my work. They tell me that my work is very interesting and has merit, but the answer is still "No." But guess what, if I can't find one soon, I am going to publish all my books myself. They say "If there is a will, there is a way." Now, Cynique, I love your ideas for educational reform. Montessori and Home Schooling have proven track records. However, what you propose is too much like right for those who constantly get it wrong. In some countries, kindergarten children have structured play all day to develop their social skills. Play is a form of learning for the young ones because their brains are not ready for the regiment of structured classrooms. Little kids are not designed to sit still that long. If they had more play in the early years, perhaps there would be less ADHD in the middle school years. I am definitely an advocate for this type of early learning. I wish policy makers would lend an ear to those of us who make sense on some of the issues that impact our children. Lastly, CDBurns, you hit that nail on the head. Teacher Certification papers does not make the teacher. I agree with you 100%! Thanks both of you for such insightful exchanges. This is how we learn and grow by listening and appreciating others for their knowledge, experiences, and expertise.

And this is why I spend my equal amount of time coming here! Thanks Troy.

Troy, I must agree with you, Trump is nobody's idiot. Whatever is said about the man, Donald Trump is a manipulative, evil, genius to me. For the most part, I think he knows exactly what he is doing and it is presently working for him. Will he be our next president? I think not. All of America will come to their senses one way or the other and realize that his contributions for this country and for our global economy are outrageous. I am going out on a limb here to make a terrible comparison on a scale of national tragedy, pain, and suffering. Osama Bin Laden displayed evil brilliance in bringing down the World Trade Center. The events of 911 turned out better than even he had imagined. His well planned scheme was successful and made a lasting impact on the world. Bin Laden had a brilliant mind that was set to utter destruction, but he was brilliant just the same. You might disagree with me on this, but no one saw 911 coming and he damned near crippled us in a way that keeps us at war to this very day. I put Donald Trump in almost this same category. He is dangerously brilliant with measured calculations for what he wants and how he plans to get it. What is scary is that we couldn't see Osama Bin Laden coming for us. But we can see Donald Trump and his evil plans coming straight for us. This tells me loud and clear that he is not an idiot--some of his followers may be, but he, for sure, is not. Please know that I am nowhere near advocating for this kind of violence and hatred. I do not like the man or his politics. I am sharing that brilliance can exist in the presence of evil planning. The good Donald is espousing what no other presidential contenders dare to say or do--only because he can--folks who support him says so. To what end is this done? He is about to bring down what compares figuratively to our World's Trade Centers if we, as a nation and world, don't wake up and put an end to his evil genius. Mr. Brown, thanks so much for initiating this great conversation

CDBurns, I like the honesty in what you had to say. However, believe me, you are making a real contribution every time you mentor a child. Yes, I wish we could multiply mentoring contributions. Sometimes, I want to give up. However, this is just not an option for me--ever. I will fight for our children until the day I leave this Earth. I was one of them--lost, neglected, and doomed to fail or so I thought. I know what great teachers and mentors can do for a challenged youth.