A teenage girl has written a heartfelt poem about knife and gun crime in the capital.

Letetia Brown, 15, who lives in Stratford, wrote My Life Is Not For You To Take, Is It? in response to recent incidents of knife and gun crime across the capital.

Letetia, a pupil at Brampton Manor in Roman Road, East Ham, is hoping to make her poem available to a wider public so that it makes people think about knife and gun crime.

She came up with the idea of the poem as away of reflecting what she believes is real life for many, especially young people She said “I just thought I wanted to show what a teenagers view on knife and gun crime. I just came up with it myself and have shown it to family and two friends. They said it was really good.”

MY LIFE IS NOT FOR YOU TO TAKE IS IT?

‘You wanna take my life and get nothing out of it’

I beg them to not take my life, while I’m on my knees with their gun to my head and knife to my throat

You watch me suffer,

But for what?

What have I got that you want?

I have nothing for you

You just wanna take my life and call your self a ‘DON’ call yourself a ‘wasteman’ you took my life and didn’t care

Yeah I’m from a different area but is that really a good enough

Is that the reason you get out of bed every morning because that’s just sad

‘You slit my throat, you pull the trigger, I’m in the alleyway and you just don’t quit

I stand and watch myself die

‘See the tears run from my eyes down my face

See my soul jump out of place’

Are You Mad?

My life was not for you to take so y did you take it.

Did it bring you happiness? , did it bring you joy? What about wealth?

NO…So was my life really worth taking?