I am from a place where failure flails like flag
on the parapets of the castle of forgotten dreams

I am from a place where modern day chariots fill our homes with the sound of their sirens,
the red and blue lights blinding us from the incompetence of our justice system

I am from a place where street gamblers put the casinos in Las Vegas to shame,
where the currency of death is highter than that of life.

I am from a place where children are higher than their grades,
where weed is easier to acquire than a loaf of bread.

I am from a place where mothers mourn the loss of their children,
their tears watering the seeds of their hatred planted in the soil of society.

I am from a place where hope hangs in the balance like sneakers on electricity cables.

I am from a place where a young man’s dream of being a writer
is fueled by the carnage that is Eldorado Park.