Welcome To My City

Imagine a place.

A place where as a child you can roam free;

Free to fall victim to the surrounding world and all it's wild dangers.

If you weren't born here,

Dare to go outside.

This is a place where Christmas lights dangle from the roof tops and bushes.

All the while notice it is nearing the end of June. 

This is a place where community is strong,

And friendships are stronger. 

Houses are kept private with multicolored sheets,

Instead of curtains being drawn.

And when I see a four foot tall mom with eleven kids,

I pray that one of them will make it out of here.

..I pray that I make it out of here. 

This is a place where McDonald's has become the nicest place in the city.

And there are couples making out in front,

With matching tramp stamp tattoos. 

You can only hope that that little girl you saw walking down Main Street; little brothers hands in each palm,

Won't end up like the McDonald's chick. 

This is a place almost everyone has an orange or lemon tree in the back of their house,

You need to know Spanish just to order a sandwich, 

And dresses are down to your ankles unless it is your profession to wear miniskirts.

Dare not wear red,

Dare not wear blue.

...If you do the gangs will come after you.

This is a place...

Where we can make a meal out of almost everything; served with beans. 

Where my grandma picked strawberries just to proved her family's means. 

So.

Welcome to my city.

Where most of us live on food stamps.

This is a place the government just tends to ignore.

Welcome to my city,

It seems that you don't care about our future anymore.