I Too Have Felt Pain by T. Melton

I Too Have Felt Pain

By Timothy Melton

A sister woman

sat on her steps crying,

clutching a paining heart,

pointing a trembling finger

at me the source of her pain.

I can understand her feelings

I too have felt pain

And when I offered her my heart

she looked at ME

and sat

HIM . . .

The brother man who did her wrong

who broke her heart

and left her alone on white marble steps to cry.

I can understand her feelings

I TOO HAVE FELT PAIN.

* * * * *

Timothy Melton wrote most of the poems in For Black Men Who Have Considered Living while incarcerated. They are "passionate and full of power." According to Richard Rowe, who wrote the foreword to this volume: "To write such a book of poems took tremendous discipline and courage. A book of this quality is never really expected to emerge from the dungeons of the criminal injustice system. Men, especially men of African descent, are supposed to waste away--return unfit and unable to maintain normal lifestyle.

"Timothy Melton is an exception to the rule. . . . I hope you will read each poem slowly and feel the power in each word."