A Little Village mother forgave her son’s killer. Now she writes poems to honor victims of gang violence.

On a small table adjacent to a red couch, Doris Hernandez keeps the last photo of her late son amid dozens of crosses, a rosary and a Bible with worn pages bearing the weight of countless prayers. 

Hanging on the wall is a card he gave her as a child for Mother’s Day. 

There’s also a gold notebook that she keeps on top of the couch. Within its pages, penned with ink, grief and resilience, are hundreds of poems. Each verse is a tribute to her son’s memory, a whispered promise to keep his essence alive.