young voices bleed through the silence
of night
hear me
say they
sonic booms
and sparkling dollars
light the sky
through dawn
feel me
cry they
leaving debris
to line the streets of their displeasure
in Glenville
and every other ’ville
where melanin dwells
redlined lead filled
toxic soils lower life expectancies
fresh
takes a back seat to abundant
processed nutrition-less
bodega matter in plastic packages
courting cortisol
causing loss of control
absence of nature
leaves a void in judgement
lack of culture
leads to nonexistent respect
no apology
words
replaced by the cacophony
of scattered explosions
shouting indifference
as the walls come tumbling down
in spectacular fashion
unimagined
until now
no one has the answer
to Marvin’s anthem
uncertainty reigns supremely
with the planetary energy
singing its song
change will come
when it comes
and no
sooner
anxiously
normal’s return
awaits
Vince Robinson is a writer who has lived in Glenville for the past twenty-eight years. He has been writing poetry since high school and his first writing class at Kent State University in 1975.
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