I am from a place that lacks not in style
But falls short of grace.
It’s a cafe for hard hearts, surrounded by concrete ground and concrete air.
In this place, you are your hair
You are your image, and what you wear.
Step out if you dare or do so without a care.

I am from a place where all that glitters is perceived as gold.
The natives know better,
but migrants buy the dreams they are sold.
They follow the stars and their heart to the north and
land in a daze seeing all they were told.

I come from a place where Johnny comes and never leaves
He is following his dreams is what he believes.
But when the darkest nights hover over Johnny won’t share the things that he sees,
or hears
or smells.
He may never ever tell.

I come from a place where the contrast is striking!
Seas of plush green lie scenically
against
food deserts and designated dens for lower-class death.
It’s no less than a shame that living life here is a game.
Know your position, hold on to your name.

In this place cash is king, and big flex is a “fin”.
A son will sell his mother’s wedding ring to say he’s got the latest thing.
A daughter may slay to get her way at the end of every single day.

I come from a place with many faces,
some alluring, some disgraces.
If ‘home’ is where my heart is, my heart is in a tricky state
where I hate to love but love to hate-
Johannesburg, what a wonder that is great.

(flex-Urban American slang for ‘showoff’)
(fin (short for finesse)- Urban American slang for making a big deal of material belongings)