1997

He recited his many poems in the cafeteria.

1998

He was signed up to go to class. Tim McManus and Kareem Said had his poems published in an anthology, and Poet was eventually released from Oz. He didn't stay out too long, for he returned under a murder charge.

1999

Poet asked Said for his permission to write poetry again, which Said gave him. Poet and Junior Pierce were attacked by Chucky Pancamo, Adebisi, and Raoul Hernandez, and hot grease was poured on their skin, keeping them out of the way for a long time.

2000

Poet, Pierce, and Kenny Wangler teased Guillaume Tarrant, and he shot the other two. Poet teamed up with Adebisi in the drug trade, but helped Said bring Adebisi down when things got out of control.

2001

For a while, Poet ran the gang until Burr Redding arrived. After that, he didn't really do much. He was just there.

2002

Again, for a while, he was just there, though he did try to sell drugs to Omar White, and ended up giving them to Augustus Hill. When Hill became ill and Redding demanded to know who'd given him the drugs, Poet forced Busmalis to say that the Italians had done it. So Redding and Poet killed an Italian, then later Poet forced Busmalis to say that Carmen Guerra had done it. Redding and the Latinos erupted into war, and Poet's lie eventually got Hill killed as an Italian tried to stab Redding, but Hill got in the way.

2003

The Homeboys didn't think Redding was any leader for them, but Poet refused to take over. He hesitatntly followed Redding into his telemarketing business, but when Poet got upset at a woman he was calling, Redding yelled at him to calm down. Poet refused to scarifice his dignity for some "racist bitch", so Redding fired him. Most of Redding's gang walked out on the business then and there. Poet decided that the gang should join up on the Muslims' business instead. Redding told Poet and his men that they can come back to the telemarketing business, but they refused. Then Poet and the men spoke to ex-Black Panther Jahfree Neema and asked him to lead them. Neema refused, not wanting to be involved with drugs. Redding ordered Poet and the gang not to deal, but they wouldn't listen. When the publishing business suffered an "accident" and went out of business, the Homeboys wanted to start selling drugs. Poet told Reggie Rawls not to worry, for his buddy was going to smuggle some in for them to sell. Then Pancamo informed Poet that his friend had been the victim of a hit-and-run-over-and-back-up-and-run-over-again accident. Poet and Rawls were upset that they had no money or drugs. Frustrated, decided to go back to Redding's telemarketing business. But while there, Poet decided to steal the peoples' credit card numbers and sell them to people on the outside.