Good things happen when the Butler Bulldogs and the Shortridge Blue Devils get together. If you need proof, check out the following poems that are destined for publication in our second Exclusive Ink print magazine due out this spring.

“Gun” by Benji
Money Line: In unfortunate neighborhoods, a familiar sound acts like a 10:30 alarm, / Letting all be known that the violence being done is ever growing like a farm. / Maybe it’s the role models they watch and listen to. / If good modeling was straight, they’d be as straight as a cashew.

“The Dogs And The Devils” by Darlene
Money Line: The Dogs and the Devils, / hand in hand, / living through the actions / of pen and pad. / Creating the worlds, / they most desire, / the Dogs and the Devils / have the power. 

“Dry My Hands” by Zuri
Money Line: Why do I have to carry / Your broken smiles and / Stolen cookie lies / The ones we promised lookin’ into mama’s eyes?

“F.U.N.” by Isiah
Money Line: What happened to childhood dreams? / Now it’s minimum-wage manual labor. / Still stuck in that phone booth with metal bars, / and the state gave you a quarter, / but the phone lines are cut loose / and the repairmen aren’t going to come. / Yet still, instead of doing what needs to be done, / we decide to get deceived by what seems to be.

“Heartache’s Quest” by Eric
Money Line: Cupid’s bow can only shoot a message in a direction that inflicts infection / That can only be treated with a extended injection of time and rejection.