READING RESPONSE ON POETRY

Would you kill for a brand new pair of shoes? No, I don’t mean metaphorically, I mean literally. Would you kill someone for a new pair of shoes? In the poem, “Please Don’t Take My Air Jordans” by Reg e. Gaines, this is what the main character does. This poem is about a boy who feels the need to get new sneakers because his are torn out. But he doesn't have enough money for them, so decides to get them a different way. He decides to kill a kid and take his shoes. This poem shows that kids mostly care about style, and what other people think of them.

In the poem the boy who wants to get new air Jordans says, 

“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

every day there are more and more cops”

From this we can see that this boy cares more about his “ego” than what would happen to him if he stole. Stealing is against the law, but he is willing to do it just to keep his reputation. This shows that this kid mostly cares about style, and will do anything to stay in style, including stealing.

I think this is a big deal going around nowadays. Kids feel as though they need to do certain things just to fit in and to be popular, in this case, have a new pair of shoes, just to fit in.

            Since security is tight at the shops, the boy decides instead of stealing from a store, he will steal from a person. He finds shoes that he likes on a guy and follows him till no one is around, then “POW,” he shoots him then runs away with his shoes.

 “the very next day I bopped into school

with my brand new air jordans man I was cool

I killed to get them but hey… I don’t care

cuz now… I needs a new jacket to wear”

This shows that the kid mostly cares about style, because he doesn't care that he killed someone, plus we can tell he is planning to kill someone again for his jacket. Overall the boy cares more about getting new shoes, then ending someone’s life.

Another example is when the boy shoots his victim:

“while laying there dyin all he could say was

please…don’t take my air jordans away…”

This shows that the boy who got shot for his shoes, cares more about his shoes being stolen than dying. You would think getting shot would make you worried about yourself, but instead he is worried about his shoes.

After reading this poem, I realized that there are more important things in life than wearing the latest fashion or brand. I think kids should also stop worrying about fitting in, and be themselves even though they’re not wearing the newest shoes or the latest jacket.