Bleeding from Love

Bleeding From Love

By: Arlette Morales

1. Love
2. Something so powerful it can destroy any war.
3. Hate
4. Something so powerful it can destroy one’s self.
5. East Oakland,
6. Where two households alike in dignity are held.
7. Both stained with the blood of eachother.
8. The Crips
9. The Bloods
10. A feud that began in the 70’s.
11. Both gangs have love for the game and hate for the player.
12. Guns being fired
13. Bodies dropping
14. Mothers crying
15. Brothers dying
16. When one dies, its family bleeds with him.
17. That’s just Oakland.
18. Oakland is who has the most power
19. Who can make it to the top
20. Who can have the bigger bankroll.
21. A gang member from the Bloods thought it was all about money and power
22. Until she met him,
23. A Crip.
24. How can two sides love?
25. A Crip, the enemy
26. How can hatred be overcomed by love?
27. Meeting in secret
28. Only because if they were caught, they’ll both be done.
29. “How can someone love a Crip?”
30. Love destroyed the 2 love bird’s war
31. They just needed to show the rest that love is key to ending the gangs war.
32. “How can two sides come together and fall in love?”
33. It was love at first sight
34. The shortness of her breath when she saw him
35. The race of her heart beat
36. Like bullets racing at the speed of light
37. It wasn’t long until both gangs found out about them.
38. The girl was waiting to meet with him again,
39. Only to discover the Bloods had shot him.
40. “How?”
41. Dreadful thoughts crossed her mind
42. “How could we have met without them finding out about us?
43. The tears that rushed down her face seeing him in his grave.
44. What was the point of breathing when the worth of her living was dead?
45. Love
46. Something so powerful it can destroy any war.
47. Hate
48. Something so powerful it can destroy one’s self.
49. East Oakland,
50. Where two households alike in dignity are held.
51. Where my love was shot and killed.
52. I destroyed myself.
53. Because I loved,
54. Because I loved you.

Artist Statement

Love. Something so strong it can end any war. In Romeo and Juliet, their love was invincible. Two love birds from fighting families came together and found love in one another. Their war ended because love overpowered hatred. I wrote my version of Romeo and Juliet. Two opposing gangs came together and found love. Both weren’t allowed to have feelings for each other because they were supposed to be enemies. If they were caught they would be killed, but they were willing to die together than to pretend they didn’t care for each other. Meeting together was like a dream come true. Almost like destiny put them together. Throughout my poem I didn’t say any names because I wanted them to be a mystery (until the end of course). My poem is about “two star crossed-lovers” that fall in love but can’t be together because they’re from rival gangs. The Bloods and the Crips, a feud that began in the 70’s, but the feud between the two love birds ended once they found each other. My poem is a true story based on me and the love I had for a Crip.