Street Crhymes

Justin Rollins grew-up on the streets of south London and was at one-time a leader of a graffiti gang. Ten years ago following publication of his acclaimed The Lost Boyz: The Dark Side of Graffiti (Waterside Press, 2011) he found himself a 'go to' expert and speaker on gang and knife crime, including at colleges and universities where that book became a key text for criminology students and others. Having served time for violence in his youth, he now works to encourage young people stay away from street crime, gangs, drugs and criminal activity. His struggle to overcome long-standing mental health issues (that affected his offending especially) is the subject of this new book.

Vivid, telling and in tune with young people, this poetry collection is by someone who spent years as a runaway living on the streets of London and contains social insights, key messages for law and order, crime and punishment. Justin Rollins has a remarkable ability. His poems emerge not from agonising over a blank sheet of paper, but in rap-like fashion, in full-flow and in their complete form. This collection takes the reader on a journey on which those familiar with his autobiographical "The Lost Boyz" will recognise the landmarks as the streets and characters of his native south-London once again spring into life. But this is fresh and captivating work. It deals with the everyday effects of disadvantage, the tensions of wealth and poverty, freedom and incarceration with glimpses of a sometimes dark past, motivational now and uncertain though optimistic future. What registers strongly is Rollins' eye for detail, injustice, the telling remark, the eccentric, the absurd, clandestine places and parallel realities. Much of this is driven by his years living on the streets chasing excitement to compensate for the lack of things that come through a conventional upbringing. The result is a raw journey captured in snapshots of survival, crime, pain and the author's travels on the Northern Line.Extracts:From 'Street Wise'...Some boys played with toy carsWe played with metal barsAnd set firesOn the way to becoming the ladsAll the traits of a psychopathThey visited museums and studied from booksWe bunked history and became hookedSnotty-nosed kids slowly becoming crooks.From 'Cameron's Kids'...See we wasn't born with richesLuxury food on tap . . .I was born guiltyBrought up in those flatsSo when you drive on byJust give us a bibCameron what would you doIf this was your kid?Justin Rollins is the author of The Lost Boyz (2011) an account of disaffected youth acclaimed by people working with hard to reach young people and others.

About the Author. Acknowledgements. What others say about Justin Rollins. Dedication. THE DARK STREETS: Streets of Crhyme. Karma. The Devil's Nest. Teenage Flashbacks. Not Perfect. Tales from the Crypt. Graffiti-eyes. Anger Management. Live by the Sword. Street Horses. Gang Bang Slang. Welcome to the Jungle. The Cycle. Music Affects. FOOTPRINTS ON MEMORY LANE: Morden. Welcome to Tooting. A Million Mordens. IT'S ALL POLITICAL: Tragedy. Risen. Clues for Politicians. Funny Money. Cameron's Kids. Needy Streets. 'Bye Phone. Total Eclipse. Handling Hair. Licence to Kill. One Life. It's Gonna Get Dark. Spilling. Slave Ship Mentality. Surviving on Love. A DIFFERENT ENERGY: Echoes. Stranger of Truth. Call the Search Off. Born to Survive. Ego. The Gates. Book of Faces. Trust. Sometimes. Power of Now. A True Champ. Touching Souls. Common Fate. Life's Bridge. LOCK DOWN: I'm a Young Offender. Mirror Kids (or Little Man I). Robbers and Killers. Moving Tomb. Baby Boy. Slammer Life. Up and Down. Help Me Please. Prison Clips. Little Man II. Youngers. If that Match Don't Strike. Too Short. Breather. A POCKET OF POISON: Golden Brown. High. Clear Vision. FINGERPRINTS ON MY HEART: Proud to Know You. I Will Never Forget. Limey. Chantel. To You. Jamin T. The Pack. UNCONDITIONAL: Sweet Child of Mine. Happily Ever After. Pillow talk. A While Ago. My Greatest Auntie. No Ordinary Love. MORE TALES FROM THE DARK STREETS: The Devil Wears Prada. Little Gary. Vice System. Calm After the Storm. Daddy's Running. COLOUR BLIND: Paki. Colour. Confessions of The Sun. Angry Men. Munching History. ALL IN MY HEAD: Lately. Sevens. Nomad. Stay. Self-healing. Searchlight. THE GOOD STREET: The Struggle. Narrow Roads. Shifting Labels. Debris. Discover. One-Way Roads. Before It's Too Late. The Take Off. JUDGE AND JURY: Danger Dog. Falling Feathers. A Write Buzz. Street Wise. Pointing Fingers. Hater. Many Hours to Think. Material Smiles. Small Thing to a Giant. Daddy Where Are You?. Actors. Index of First Lines.