“Free as a Bird” (a poem by Ray Lewis)

You were not born a bird, but you were born to be big,

to bring hurricanes to the bright sunshine state,

and move quickly to the brighter stage

to write your own fable, to fulfill your destiny

So they praised you for plays in the depths of December,

as you led your flock back south to a warmer climate,

They called you their king, bound by purple forever,

but I see a heart, black as raven feathers.

Because you fought and fought, to achieve your main goal,

You silenced your scoffers, you won the great war

but in the war of the streets 2 lives were the marker

and although you won the trophy, you gave your soul

So caged by your actions, with no chance to escape,

you escaped your bonds, and now you fly free,

you deceive an entire nation with the gospel of your beak,

But all I hear is a crow’s guilty plea.

now you roam the skies like an acquitted felon,

and devour your prey with your ring on the heels,

demanding that the world call you model and legend

so that they forget your lies and your past sins.

who am I to judge, just an encouraging critic,

They say it’s half the story, that I’m being a cynic

that it’s all just a ploy or a selfish trick,

It’s not how you start, but rather how you end.

And it’s true that I can’t judge, because I’m neither judge nor jury.

But in the People’s court, I’ll take it one step further,

‘Cause God knows I’ve been watching, and the bird watcher says the same thing,

“When your company is crows, it’s nothing but murder.”

by Alexander Camp

I hope everyone understands that this is an opinion where I do not claim to know the exact situation of the murder complaints. I am simply giving an artistic opinion on the circumstances surrounding Ray Lewis’s career and indictment and involvement in the murders that took place in Tampa Bay, FL in 2000.

I hope you can view this subjectively, no matter how harsh or biased your own opinion may be, as I respect and encourage your thoughts and opinions as much as I would like mine to be respected and considered. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy the poem.