Life in “The Bridge” Pt.2
Formerly suburban my world now
urban
Tranquility replaced with
instability
Foreign territory
Why me?
They say from this place stems
greats
Nas, Prodigy, just to name some
Those are the few that escaped
Turned cannots into cans
Begging to differ
Challenged low-expectations
Determined for something greater
Innovators, Free-Thinkers,
Intellectuals
They say we lack ambition
Transition, Change were on a
mission
Fear fueled by ignorance
Maturity helped it lessen it is
now altered
For I am now forced to dwell in
my former enemy’s home
I am now well-informed
Fallen soldiers now non-existent
Fireworks from flaming steel
Real, projected images playing
from a reel
Grim-reaper comes to steal
Big reveal
Crush, roll, puff just to deal,
Numb to not feel
Out of touch, reality
Yet in my world everyone is proud
of me
Cause there’s more to what you
see
But after a while the façade
starts to peel
Faces begin to reveal vacancy
behind eyes
Sunken in to their skulls from
the constant cries and wonder whys
Novacane numbs the pain
Tricks the brain
Redirect, common sense
Confuse, Abuse and Use
Enable, Justify, Condone
Living in a Quarantined Zone
Why?
Six-story nightmare, towers
composed of bricks
Deteriorating dreams
Police crime scenes
Caution tape traps like spider’s
webs
Deafening sirens
Red, white and blue reflections
NYPD Presence allegedly our
presents
Labeled, recognized as a
collective never individuals
Problematic
Fight to survive
So rules and laws they don’t
abide, by
Drugs they hide
Police they don’t confide, in
Petrified so I’m hid-ing
Tensions constantly rising
Dividing
Seemingly flawed by design
Lack of motivation leaves them
further behind
Shattered dreams unaware of their
potential
For their comfortable
Oppression some say by their own
doing
Stifled, suffocated, hope
deflated
Putrid stench of wasted talent
Tennis shoes sparling, dazzling
Yet dwelling lacking luster
Cemented together, a cluster
Unable to prioritize
Ages increase as mentality stay
the same
Afraid to step out of their lane
Adapted to their surroundings, no
matter how harsh
Desensitized, oblivious to the
fact
Purposely hidden, tucked away
Eyesore
Advancement is forbidden
This pain we work on ridding,
ourselves of
In this race to nowhere
It’s a dog eat dog world
Crabs in a bucket climb toward
nothing
Goalless because they know less
Soulless, Vacancy Outcasts
overlooked, overpassed
Surpassed fast, material things
won’t last
Superficial tendencies serves as
distractibility
Generational poverty, people are
too blind to see
Dice skating across the concrete
Decades of pain, painted over yet
still remains
Undesirable but to some admirable
Cover up chipping away
All they do is pray
But they’re prey
Slaves to their own
comfortability
Where alarm should be
Claustrophobia, elevators tight
Travels up and down the flights
Harmful spite
Glass bottles filled with spirits
Intoxication
Stumbles across the filth soaked Pavement
Pariah I now am
Where ridicule lies praise
unlocks
Rusty bars, buildings bleeding
Barbed wire confinement all
imagined
Invisible to outsiders,
inescapable to inhabitants
Stagnant, stalled, regression
Stigma is hard to lessen
Everything blamed on blessings
Well when will our pain lessen
Restrained caged animals lined up
for slaughter
Not something I want for my
daughter
Rent prices sky high
Privatization, Gentrification,
Hipsters, Yuppies and millennials
now dwell
Their pockets swell ours lack
Some say it’s cause were Black
We work to take our city back
My former enemy and I are now one
Hands joined together, cupped,
fingers interlocking
Determined for change
Like minds, common cause, same
vision
Powerful as one unit
Fight to end stereotypes
Challenge pre-conceived notions
Decay surrounds us yet wildlife
sill thrives
This place is breathing and alive
We can thrive
Animalistic turned humane
A victim of my address as I
cannot control what’s in my backyard
Self-doubt conquered
Pride now lay where shame once
was
Temporary became permanent for
many, not I
Badges swing from the necks of
Scrubs clinging to their bodies
Framed degrees and diplomas
displayed on the walls
The glow of the bridge
Shrieks from the playing
neighborhood kids
Illuminated amongst the dark
Reawakening that spark
Suddenly light casted onto
darkness
Change in perception
Into a better direction
Self-love and reflection
From pessimism came optimism
Former dread and regret came
appreciation
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