'Poverty'

Rust-colored, Boarded up windows, Chain-link fences. Bicycled children, Selling fruit, For the Great Muslim prophet. Marigolds in boxes, In windows of shanties. Creating beauty from ashes, Strength from fear. Matthew 6:34 Dusty streets, Forgotten times, Ghetto crimes. Barred up liquor stores, Selling the cure. Old, Baptist churches, Finding the pure, Screaming, 'Jesus!' Matthew 5:8 Sunken faces, Sunken hearts, Sunken wallets. Everything sinks, Into a deep oblivion. Except the superstar, That rises from the concrete, The rose that grew from the cracks, Of the ones that fell behind. Ecclesiastes 2:10 Secretive whispers, Of injustice. Ignorance breeding racism, Classes creating elitism. While another blue light special, Arrests another black man, Who is profiled to be 'suspicious'. Instead of concentrating on the rich kid, Driving his parents' wealth, The heroin on his breath. Mark 10:27 Poverty increases crime, And character as well. One man's heaven is another man's hell. One man's gun is another man's pain. One man's love is another man's hate. One man's family is another man's victim. One societal 'cure', Is often.... The symptom. Ecclesiates 3:11 Written October 30th, 2001 © on Oct 30 2001 06:18 AM PST   0 • 9