There’s a death worse than the one that stops your heart—it’s the kind that kills your trust, your peace, your hope. I was raised in the Nation, where colors and codes were supposed to mean unity, brotherhood, survival. But somewhere between loyalty and bloodshed, the lines blurred. My closest friend became a stranger, my own family turned into an enemy, and the same principles we swore by became twisted by greed and betrayal. I walked away from the life to build a better one—for my wife, for my kids. But the past never lets you go quietly. It haunts. It hunts. And one day, it found me… in the most sacred place I let my guard down. What followed was not just an execution—it was a betrayal so deep, it tore through every bond I thought unbreakable. Family. Brotherhood. Nation. All shattered in the name of revenge and broken pride. This isn’t just a story of gang violence. It’s a story of love, loss, survival, and the haunting silence of a man dying with his eyes open…

“Now in my death, no matter how much I pleaded and begged, I was considered a threat. So I am asking this for my kids… Why do you still look at the color of my skin as a weapon?” JLHenry returns with Part II, the ghost of a man forced to narrate his own injustice. His voice—posthumous but thunderous—calls out the systems, the silence, and the stories twisted after the trigger is pulled. “Where’s the empathy? Where’s your humanity?” This isn’t just poetry—it’s protest. It’s grief. It’s truth that won’t die quietly.

"These sacrifices that I'm making now Are so they can grow old. This is for my daughters—my babies— The two halves of my whole soul.” A father's love written in sacrifice, sealed with resilience. In Distant Father, JLHenry lays bare the pain of separation and the quiet strength behind every decision made in the shadows. This is not just a poem—it’s a promise. A confession. A legacy in words. For every man grinding in silence, for every daughter wondering if Daddy still cares—this one speaks volumes.

Excerpt from PART I by JLHenry “Do you see me? No, do you really see me? My very essence? My being? I am more than a Black man—I am a father, a son, a brother. Why even bother when all you see is a monster?” A routine stop. A conversation turned confrontation. Obedience met with violence. “I’m just trying to make it back to my family… in one piece.” As ribs shatter under bullets and breath slips away, the silence screams louder than sirens. JLHenry’s PART I is not just a poem—it’s a cry, a chronicle, a confrontation with systemic injustice. Feel the fear. Taste the tragedy. Witness the truth

Excerpt from "The Eyes of a Broken Man" by JLHenry “He walks a lonely path, as he battles himself. Pushed away everyone else. He doesn't want his pain to be felt by the people he loves the most. So he remains calm and controlled. Constantly retrospective of his soul. Dedicated to making those around him feel whole— Even though his heart has a hole.” These are the eyes of a broken man—not seeking pity, but understanding. Through poetry and prose, I expose what most conceal. Step into the storm, feel the silence, and maybe—find your own reflection in the depth.