Reading Response to "Please Don't Take My Air Jordans"

My air jordans cost a hundred with tax
my suede starters jacket says raiders on the back
i'm stylin . . . smilin . . . lookin real mean
cuz it ain't about bein heard just bein seen
my leather adidas baseball cap
matches my fake gucci backpack
there's nobody out there looks good as me
but the gear costs money it sure ain't free
and i gots no job no money at all
but it's easy to steal fresh gear from the mall
parents say i shouldn't but i know i should
gots ta do what i can to make sure i look good
and the reason i have to look real fly
well to tell ya the truth man i don't know why
i guess it makes me feel special inside
when i'm wearin fresh gear i don't have to hide
but i really must get some new gear soon
or my ego will pop like a ten cent balloon
but security's tight at all the shops
everyday there are more and more cops
my crew's laughin at me cuz i'm wearin old gear
school's almost over summer is near
and i'm sportin torn jordans and need somethin new
there's only one thing left to do
cut school friday catch the subway downtown
check out my victims hangin around
maybe i'll get lucky and find easy prey
gots to get some new gear there's no other way
i'm ready and willin i'm packin my gun
this is serious bizness it sure ain't no fun
but i can't have my posse laughin at me
i'll cop somethin dope just wait you'll see
come out a the station west 4th near the park
brothers shootin hoops and someone remarks
HEY HOMES . . . WHERE'D YOU GET THOSE DEF NIKES
as i said to myself. . . i likes em . . . i likes
they were q-tip white bright and blinded my eyes
the red emblem of michael looked as if it could fly
not one spot of dirt the airs were brand new
had my pistol knew just what to do
followed him very closely behind
waited until it was just the right time
made a left turn on houston pulled out my gun and screamed
GIMME THEM JORDANS . . . and he tried ta run
took off fast but didn't get far
i fired (POW) he fell between two parked cars
he was coughin/cryin/blood dripped on the street
and i snatched them air jordans off a his feet
while layin there dyin all he could say was
please . . . don't take my air jordans away . . .
you think he'd be worried about stayin alive
as i took off with the jordans there were tears in his eyes
the very next day i bopped into school
with my brand new air jordans man was i cool
i killed to get them but hey . . . i don't care
cuz now. . . i needs a new jacket to wear
-Reg E. Gaines

Response:
In this poem it shows how the speaker wants to fit in with the crowd and he will do anything to feel accepted and to feel cool.He doesn't care how he does it or who he hurts he just wants to be cool. The speaker in this poem sounds very selfish because he is only thinking about himself and how he looks. To him it doesn't matter what he does he just wants to fit in. He killed someone for sneakers just so he could look cool. But he probably wasn't thinking about the fact that this person has a family and people who love them. I think he wouldn't be so happy if someone killed someone in the speakers family for a pair of sneakers. The speaker is desperate and just wants attention from his friends so that they think that he looks cool because he has brand new air jordans. I think that when he hurts someone for something (like the air jordans) he feels more confident in himself and he feels cooler and he wants everybody to be afraid of him because he has a gun and he will shoot you for a pair of sneakers.
I like that the poem has a rhyme scheme because i think poems that rhyme are more fun to read. I think that its better when poems sound like they have a rhythm to it,it sounds more fun and i understand the poem more when it has rhyming or a rhythm.I think that the poet (Reg E. Gaines) is trying to say that there are people in this world that would do anything to get what they want and to be careful and to try not to be one of them.