Half-assed Freedom for 16 years
Is all Charles McNeair ever experienced…….
Restrictions on where he could go
Fear of the other side of town
Treated as second class
A mom that pulled him close
Siblings that stuck together
Bicycle rides, sports and fun
But only with those like him
School was extremely hard
He hid his disability
Behind his good nature
It worked for awhile
His half-assed freedom ended in 1979
When he was discarded like trash
To save the reputation of a white woman…..
Because racism was stronger than freedom
Taken from a world he knew…
A world he could navigate
To hell on earth
Because racism was also stronger than justice
In his Half-assed freedom world
Prison was a surreal experience
For an illiterate teen
Akin to hell on earth
He had only two options
Give up and die
Or make a life inside and learn
He watched
He learned
He worked
He adapted
Still with a ready smile
A big heart for others
His faith sustains him
Yet, he remains an incarcerated man
He prays for freedom
I hope he gets it
………..and I hope it’s an improved version
Those of us who have never been shackled by our skin color…..
How will we define freedom for Charles McNeair?
Half-assed or the real thing
Free Style Wisdom 