Kenneth L. Collins, Jr. was born on June 3, 1971.
He was murdered on June 10, 2010, one week after his 37th birthday. He was buried on June 19, 2010.
Kenneth was the father of four children, two sons and two daughters.
His youngest daughter Amber was 8 at the time of his death. She never really spoke on this tragic event, until now. She felt like putting her feeling down with his “unspoken word” poem.
Some days my mind goes places I don’t want to take it. It walks its own path. My body goes its own way. It’s a part I just can’t feel, and it’s only big enough for you June. You took a part of me that no one else can feel. Some days I find myself asking, do you remember our vacation trips where we played basketball in the pool? As we slowly got in the pool trying to get used to how cold the water was. Or when you would go hide and I would call out June, June where are you? You come out behind me and hold me up like I’m the most important person in the world. When I’m with you June, everything goes away. All the pain, guilt and hardship all travel away. Being around you makes me happy it becomes all about you and me. Remember I’m yours…then I come back to life and put a smile on my face to forget the road I just traveled down. The month of June comes and goes and I learned that the hard way. It traveled but didn’t make it as far as we believed. My body shaking, my stomach has just picked up butterflies. I’m running,
‘Running,
Running.
Trying not to reach the end, trying not to lose the pride, and happiness that you provide. I’m slowly traveling back down the road that should be unspoken. I feel…wait here I am again back on the wrong path. It feels as guilt over takes pride and forgiveness. There are so many words that haven’t been said. Maybe traveling down the road of no return might be the only way to speak upon these words like:
Love,
Wisdom,
Hope,
Happiness and
Laughter.
I gain strength.
I lose strength.
I gain the memories and the pain.
It’s like when you were here you were holding up the chain. Then it’s like when you disappeared it all went down the drain and I felt all the pain. It’s nothing holding me back, me back from the shame. No one knows I’m truly not the same.
