Summer
and the gangs
along with the heat,
dust rising, stirring
the smoking air,
cigarettes butted
revved-up engines
and short tempers,
beer bottles broken
on grafitti-divided walls,
gun-shaped bulges
under oversized shorts
and hand-signed gestures
selling drugs and hate
nearly killed the city.
Then someone said
Let’s build a park
bring wheels that don’t smoke
battle skills not wills
carve hills where
litter and fear used to pile,
know their names
and say them often
sit back and listen,
smile when they get it right
watch them
faces streaming sweat
colored boards and ankles
shirts flapping, wheels slapping
pavement
flips, dips and hanging edges
fear gone, and play escapes
freed
in peals of laughter
I love the almost rap rhythm and the optimism of this poem.
Good job.
Pearl
Almost rap – I rated an almost rap. I’ll have to call my daughter now and brag about it. That’s about as close as I ever got to rap. I’ll go to bed tonight feeling proud and accomplished. My daughter will go to bed laughing.
: ) We need an audio of that!!!! Sue
You got me to smile at your image and your fun writing.
Have a great weekend. 
Glad you enjoyed it, doraz. I visited your site – love the positive, crazy energy. The world can use as much of that as it can get. Keep banging that drum…
Transformation does the trick – one step at a time..
Loved the pace of your poem!! I was reading it aloud, and it sounded real neat!!
Happy Weekend!
You read it right, girl. I wrote it out-loud, and my fingers kept tripping over the keys just trying to keep up. They’ll never be the same now. I’ll have to stick to haiku. Thanks for your comments.
This was so fun!!! So wonderful and sorry so late…I had withdrawls!! Loved the poem my friend!! ~ Hugs x
Beautiful Brokenpen. Community building is one of the greatest accomplishments. I love the smoke references. ‘The smoking air’ (Brilliant) “Let’s build a park, bring wheels that don’t smoke” And from this seemingly simple idea, to reclaim a city park from the perversion of drugs and smoke, hatred and gang violence…it could be (it is) a model for us as a global community too. Really nice. Thanks, Sue
Thanks, Sue. Last night’s news showed a neighborhood in Calif (Yolo?) where two guys opened their garage and yard. Every Friday evening, people come and contribute to a comedy club – families, singles – young and old – no charge. The whole community is loving it – strangers two months ago, now friends – all laughing together.
I thought it was so good, it inspired to write the poem. The photo was one I took last year outside the family court parking lots. There’s a dog park and next door, a newish rollerboard park, and it always fascinates me how so many kids of different ages/types/cultures seem to get along really well there. Inside the courthouse, families are falling apart, but in the park, kids are building something good.
I like the transformation in the poem…and like you if anyone said I wrote something that sounded like rap my son would want to personally pay for their treatment.;-)
Thanks!
wow.. i like it
“lightly” and with Shine..
Thanks, wind.
Fine rhythmic quality, a pulse to it, a city pulse. Movement…great.
Key word here being pulse – I’m so glad you felt it. Subconsciously don’t we all walk through the pulse of places – the heart? Don’t we raise our psychic antennae and feel our way around, is it safe, do I fit, does it wrap around and comfort me or stir me up and make me crazy. Can I change it, can I trust it, or do I even want to bother. I’m a country girl, and cities scare me, but they fascinate me too. Never been able to stay in one for long, but each stay remains vivid in my mind. Thanks for your comments – reminded me of another pool, one I forgot, and left in the garden, growing stagnant. Time to go and stir it up.
lovely!