Why Not
By Amer “CoCo” Cannella
Leave you…why not…cause I trusted you.
Cause I thought I was in love w/you…
Why not every time you punched my face
Then said I was 2 blame…
Mental manipulation was your game…
Every time you took my last,
Every time you beat my ass.
When I’d speak up and strike a chord,
Said you’d never hit me no more…
Why not cause you followed me out the door…
Said bae don’t leave, begged and pleaded.
So I stayed and played your game
Cause you said you’d change.
Then you violated every part of me…
Why not I been through it all
Why not stand up instead of fall.
Give a life without you my all.
Back to me you know what I need 2 be free.
Why not just leave and be…
Not a statistic,
Not a victim,
Become a survivor.
Put you in my rearview ,see I can see now I
Got a clear view…these are my facts
Cause I’m trying to find my strength so I can
Never look back.
Why not cause you don’t deserve me.
I never knew my worth.
I never saw value in myself.
Swear admitting it now it hurts…
I didn’t get far
I got stuck.
I tried to leave
I thought love was enough.
I confused bruises with affection.
I traded FAKE love for PAIN.
I didn’t know better
I was never shown the right way.
So hear me right now if this applies to
You, you and you.
These are the signs,
Red flag-get out while you can.
Your creator made you as a gift 4 whomever.
Fits to cherish love and protect,
So never accept nothing less.
I digress…
Why not…
Where Do You Want Your Words To Go?
By Amber “CoCo” Cannella
I want my words to shake your core.
I need my words to jump over barbed wire fences,
Go through brick walls, up to the steps of Capitol Hill.
I want my words to lobby, to ring
In the ears of the Senate and House, to sting
When judges try to impose unjust sentences to All!
I want my words to go to the hearts and
Souls of every change maker, law maker,
Supreme Court, defense attorney, prosecutor,
Jury member, and even the stenographer. I
Need all of them to hear over cries from
The inside even though we are all alive
While we are stuck criminalized survivors.
Dying to survive, dying to strive while no
Rehabilitation exists. Just deterioration of
Hope, our bodies, and any gifts. Poor
Conditions are killing us. They say we all got
Cancer that’s what’s making us sick? Bundled
Inside and out ask yourself; What is justice
Really about? So where can my words go
When they’re labeled as contraband?
Who’s gonna listen? Who’s really paying
Attention? Who cares when this is an
Afterthought? Where do my words go
When politicians politicking about
Summer homes and who’s golf swing
Is the best while standing with a
Number on my back and a knife in
My chest, while they’re saying
Truth in sentencing does it the
Best. So where are my words now?
Did they penetrate your chest?
Did you get 15 years for enhancements
For not having on a bullet proof vest?
Where do my words go?
Free ‘Em All
By Amber “CoCo” Cannella
I am a woman behind bars
Incarcerated,
Forgotten, broken, lost.
Double-crossed by a system designed to do
Exactly what it’s doing.
Daughter, sister, lover, not yet a mother…
Forgive me for I never hold my tongue.
Not a victim, never claim to be one.
Survivor is all I see.
Every name call and punch to the face
Never fazed me, only made me crazy.
It made me hate me, remain angry.
No, I don’t think you heard me.
Every name call and punch to the face
Never fazed me, only made me hate me,
Remain angry.
I stayed like most do. Never knew how to
Love. I thought I was loving you.
Had to grow as a woman to find my
Strength whether it be in the pen
Or my pen.
I am who I am cause of where I been-
Poverty, broken home, growing up alone.
My pops rest in peace was addicted to
Crack but that’s a whole nother rap.
Next time for that.
Moms did what she could but didn’t
Know how to leave either.
So all I did was emulate the abuse
And toxicity I saw like a mirror
One bad decision after the next.
Pops was around but always hitting on me
Big brother, so big bro left…back alone
Streets where I felt home. Stomping,
Stepping but inside a little girl.
Neglected-started selling drugs, toting
Guns, cheating death, popping x-pills
Smoking weed, drinking. What the hell
Was I thinking? If I could rewind
Time, get a second chance, tell that little
Girl who was scared and alone you losing.
Time you can never get back…You going
Down the wrong road pump ya brakes.
When a man hits a woman that’s not
Love that’s hate. Run baby girl because
That’s your fate…No I don’t think
You heard me when a man hits a
woman that’s not love that’s hate. Run
baby girl because that’s your fate.
You are better than what they labeled
You to be; dropout, fat, ugly…use your
Eyes to see you are beautiful and can be
Whatever you want to be…no matter
Where you are, or how you feel, remember
Love yourself and always keep it real.
Speak your mind don’t hold shit back!
Love your parents because when they are
Gone you can’t bring them back!
Be you, be loved, be funny #1 rule.
Always stack your money you gon
Struggle. It’s gon be ok have faith love
You. Things will change, the pain will go
Away one day so just pray…cause…
21 years of this ‘Nope Not Me’ gotta
Fight for freedom, fight for women’s
Rights, gotta fight to “free em all” locked
Inside…the roadblocks from day to day.
Truth in sentencing needs to change cause
There is no sentence that defines the truth…
Old timers pose no threat still remain in
Chains they dangle days while idle
Minds play spades for trays stay
Medicated to numb the pain, shit needs to
Change “#FREE EM ALL” from the modern day
Slave ships better known as mass incarcerations-
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