somebody who just loves to burn

An excerpt of this poem paints a picture of two brothers, John and Robert Wideman, leading different lives. Robert Wideman, embraced a path common for black men during that era; a life of crime, glamour, and drugs. Quietly sitting in jail, he reminisces deeply about his troubled past and the consequences of the future that now haunts him. John, on the other hand, chose the path less taken by those living in the same world as he did and in due time become a successful professor at a University. How did two people from the same origin, living in similar environments, and raised by a caring family choose such different paths? Some might explain the cause to be risk factors, learned behavior, or missed opportunities. When explaining criminal behavior, it is inevitable to identify sociological, behavioral, and psychological problems as causes of crime.

John and Robert always dreamed about running away from the pove

As a child Robert constantly needed the attention of his family members especially his mother. From a different point of view, we can say that Robert was a neglected child, emotionally. During a time when Robert needed the people he loved most, they were not there for comfort or guidance. Sometimes Robert felt the "least important. Always last. Always bringing up the rear. You learn to do stuff on your own because the older kids are always busy, off doing their thing" (88). To strive for the attention Robert needed, he turned to his troubled community for instant gratification

We cannot just blame Robert's family or the community for his behavior. Part of the problem explains Sutherland is that crime is a learned behavior. Essentially, Robby's criminal behavior is a result of being directly in contact with criminals. Robby is a like a virgin in the drug business. He didn't know how to use drugs until he meet friends that were into drugs and getting high. Robby describes the first time he gets hooked on drugs. Squirrel and Bugs Johnson are "like my teachers," teaching me the tricks of the trade (104-5). Interestingly enough, Bugs Johnson had previously learned how to use drugs from an infamous Uncle Carl also known as the "King of the Junkies" (105). . There seems to be an admiration for these types of guys through Robby's eyes. Robby's relationship with drugs and the values that have been passed on gets him into real trouble not only with his family but also with the law. Many times have Robby have been arrested and jailed for his drug habit.

Some common words found in the essay are:
TV Hustle, Robert Wideman, According Cohen, John Robert, King Junkies, Homewood Pittsburgh, Homewood Shadyside, Sometimes Robert, Robert's Mother, Essentially Robby's, robert wideman, inversion values, robert's family, john robert, child grows loves, drugs robert's, drug habit, risk factors, opportunities robert's, bugs johnson, hooked drugs,
Approximate Word count = 1704
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)