by Reginald Sweet
Just the other day, I was compelled by a force that grabbed the handles of my memory and led me unexpectedly
To break the normalcy
Of driving.
So I parked my car and I decided to walk.
And while taking this particular walk
On this particular day
Walking down this particular street
I began to notice some particulars
I began to notice
No trespassing signs
Holding up old run down dilapidated structures
That mirrored the signs of other
No trespassing holding up old and run down
Dilapidated structures
That rocked themselves
In rocking chairs
On the porches
Of those old run down dilapidated structures
Hearing them spew words of rebuke
Like
Boy you better get in here and do your home work
And I smile,
Because you see
those particular old run down dilapidated structures
tell stories of war and courage
through each wrinkle that surfaces the skin
and they remember when structures wasn't
old and run down they remember when they were just structures
so I grin, and I walk,
and I walk and I notice
and I notice and I walk
and I notice
I notice young children of this ghetto
Playing ghetto games
Yelling ghetto slangs
Repeating ghetto names
Not feeling ghetto shames
That reveals ghetto pains
And I'm walking trying to figure out
If this here ghetto is all to blame
Or should there even be blame
Because the ghetto has taught them to be scrappy here
And know what it means to be nappy here
And I by the looks on their faces,
These kids are happy here
Because they donít know that this here
This here is the ghetto
And I try to get them to come with me
Pass the cat thatís selling drough
And walk with me to go get mo
Of what I know
From this here ghetto
But they rather stay
And watch the asphalt grow
But little do they know
That asphalt don't grow
It just cracks
It just cracks
It just cracks
And through these same cracks
We loose our doctors
And loose our lawyers
And this shouldn't shock ya
Because they tried to warn us
That crack kills
So I frown and I walk,
And I walk and I notice
And I notice and I walk
And I notice
Underhand actions
Of illegal transactions
Made by boys who want to be men
Thinking their smart because they have avoided the pen
Which the promised themselves
That they would never go again
But how can you not go again
If you continue to do the same thing over again
So the cycle repeats itself over again
And they promise themselves over again
And they lie to themselves over again
Until they find themselves and the end
Ready to repeat this cycle over again
And I frown and I walk,
And I notice and I walk
And I notice
A high school
Yea, a high school I remember those
And right then that thought locked my thoughts
But unlocked my memory
And as I thought back into a brief but fulfilled history
I am reminded of a history
Filled with memories
Of mean teachers
Bumpy bus rides
And fine as hell secretaries
Lunch room fights
Prom nights
And Friday afternoon pep rallies
Standing up
Getting pumped up
For our cross town rivalries
And I know yall feeling me
And I know yall feeling me
Because all of yall have had these same high school memories
But now my journey
Down that lane or memory
Is suddenly interrupted
By the glaring sounds of sirens
And my instincts tell me
That my man that I just passed
Is in for a rude awaking
But I donít stand to see
I just keep walking
And then I notice mt zion Baptist church
And then I notice mt pilgrim Baptist church
Ant then I notice oak groove Baptist church
And across the street I notice
Walker's liquor store
And I notice Harris and sons packing store
And I notice quick stop pawn shop
A young girl drop it like it's hot
A young man smoking a little pot
And a young pimp who had the whole block on lock
And never before have I noticed these particulars before
Itís just that on this particular day
While I took this particular walk
I happened to notice these particulars
On my walk I notice
22 inch rims on cutlass Supremes
I notice buck wild youngsters
Wearing throw back jerseys of my favorite teams
I notice red flip flops
Green flip flops
Yellow flip flops
I notice flip flop colors flip flopping on a black Cadillac
I notice hella nice m c's
Engaged in ghetto wars called battle rap, (wassup knalidge)
I notice the thump in 12 inch woofers
And the tick in 2 inch tweeters
I notice this one dude and his girl about to fight
And I pray to God that he doesn't beat her
I notice baby mammas
And babies daddies
I notice baby diapers
And baby bottles
I notice baby cries
And laughs
I notice ghetto ups
And ghetto downs
I notice ghetto laughs
And ghetto smiles
I notice ghetto hurts and ghetto pains
I notice ghetto fears and ghetto rains
And just when I notice that the ghetto
Had refreshing ghetto wind,
I notice that my ghetto walk
Had come to and end
But I promised myself that I would have to take
This ghetto walk again
And again
And again
|
