Black Youthful Fate

Posted on October 1, 2023 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

As youth they couldn’t wait
To reach for the very stars
For them no such thing as fate
As youth they couldn’t wait
To reach for the very stars

Their dreams never appeared to be too far
For them no such thing as fate
They’d be driving their own luxury cars
Their dreams never appeared to be too far
For them no such thing as fate

The Watchers had already foretold their fate
From windows reinforced with bars
They wouldn’t live long enough to mate
The Watchers had already foretold their fate
From windows reinforced with bars

Their date with destiny couldn’t wait
They’d never reach the stars
Too soon they’d be introduced to fate
Their date with destiny couldn’t wait
They’d never reach the stars

Dreams falling from the sky like dead stars
Rushing headfirst toward their fate
Dreams crashed from joy riding in cars
Dreams falling from the sky like dead stars
Rushing headfirst toward their fate

their fate

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About William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

William Eric Waters is an award-winning poet, fiction writer, essayist, educator, criminal-justice scholar, and nonprofit executive. Writing as William E. Waters, he is the author of the epic poem Black Shadows and Through the White Looking Glass and three poetry collections: Sometimes Blue Knights Wear Black Hats, The Black Feminine Mystique, and The Black Blood of Poetry. Under the pen name Easy Waters, he is the author of the novel Streets of Rage and the short-story collection Conundrums: Stories of Law & Justice. His work explores Black history, race, law, punishment, institutional power, accountability, redemption, and resilience.
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2 Responses to Black Youthful Fate

  1. greek39's avatar greek39 says:
    October 1, 2023 at 10:55 am

    Eric, I see the work as fatalistic, it provides a tone of not being accountable for what happens in life. Nothing good ever comes without much effort, yet I see your vignette imposing fate as a preordained system that will destroy all dreams of youth, and the watchers like a Greek Chorus announcing to the main character that fate will be the destroyer of all youthful dreams. And you have no control . If that were true examples of success and greatness large and small would not exist. I recognize the technique employed but I am an eternal optimist who sees a barrier as a hindrance to be circumvented . Since my release I have encountered examples of discrimination subtle and blatant. If I were to have put my phone on record being rejected by Amazon because I was a felon would have been lucrative due to the subcontractor being very candid about why I couldn’t get the job. It was a hindrance to go around and I obtained a Class A CDL to become a commodity in the market place even with the felony. Now all the works I compiled while in are being advanced patent applications followed by my literary works . Fate taught me I will and have succeeded , and we will surely meet one day as I take my last breath, but no today, nor anytime soon!

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