Crime is Crime, Every Day, All the Time
Crimes
War crimes
Hate crimes
Crimes against humanity
Organized crime
Property crime
They’re all crimes
Every day, all the time
So why I ask
Why this need to classify
To quantify
Organize and categorize
Different folders, different signs
And yet, still, crime is crime
Say it again,
Every day, all the time
All are bad, none are fine
But then again, war is war
And hate is hate
Every day, every place
Whether organized or pint sized
My house or yours
Does theft really change
From the garage to outdoors
Where’s the leap
The jump, the big sweep
What makes them escalate
Rise up to the heavyweight
How many punches
Or bombs in the city
How many would-of, should-of
Or is it up to a committee
And just for the record
Every crime goes against humanity
A broken window takes time and money
Another questionable rub I see
Don’t rush to agree, it might be me
That see’s war crimes as selective
One side gets protected
It seems winner takes all
The victor makes the call
Statistically a bit of trickery
To most a total mystery
And the hate crime thing
I just don’t really get it
No one is attacking another
Beating up their friend or brother
Saying how much they love them
Guns and knives, taking lives
There’s always hate, in every case
Love doesn’t lead to a busted face
Crimes, crimes, and criminals galore
One of them might be living next door
But they get away, each and every day
While the bureaucrats belabor
To make it look good on paper
Eyes focused on the passing time
While on the streets, crime is crime
Additional Reading
R.J. Schwartz is an American Poet and Author.
His complete works on The Creative Exiles Website can be found here
The Gypsy Thread is a huge collection of his original work
Ralph also writes on HubPages
- When We Lost Control - October 13, 2025
- The Crumbling Space Around Me - October 10, 2025
- Sorrow - October 9, 2025
I just read ‘History of Crime in America Since the Early 1800s Essay’
https://ivypanda.com/essays/history-of-crime-in-america-since-the-early-1800s/#:~:text=This%20essay%20will%2C%20therefore%2C%20study%20the%20history%20of,and%20violence%20especially%20against%20black%20people%20in%20society.
“Crime is, however, only associated with violent gun battles that characterize organized gangs and drug cartels, forgetting that there are other forms of crime like economic crimes, which include banking and internet fraud. In general, crime rates have been on the steady rise in America, especially in densely populated communities. Crime has also changed tact with time, from the random attacks and muggings of the early 1700s to the more organized and violent crime of the present-day society. There is a need, therefore, to study the history of crime in American society in order to establish clues that may help in controlling the rising crime rate in America.”
This powerful piece you wrote, Ralph, is so indicative of today’s crimes and the way media categorizes each crime. It makes me wonder what must be done to put an end to so much crime happening all over the world. It is a sad world we live in today, but we can let our voices be heard through writing and by voting.
Interesting poem Ralph that brings up interesting questions on Crime and what it means to be criminal. Jamie