A Child Grows in Brooklyn

amother

Wed, Jun 20 2012, 10:22 pm

by PinkPointes

Lulled by the sweet sounds of fire trucks singing
With the roar of the street cleaning truck in ears still ringing
And the sharp scent of pollution and exhaust fumes leaving nostrils stinging
A child grows in Brooklyn

With windows barred against intrusion
Cement forced by a tree root to gross protrusion
The racial tension cultivating an inner sense of exclusion
A child grows in Brooklyn

Prospect Park a haven descended upon by swarms
Milling, riding, running, playing, a blur of feet and arms
Where an oasis of man-made serenity lures Brooklyn to its charms
A child grows in Brooklyn

Where the term "house pet" confers to the ubiquitous mouse or roach
Where a patch of grass along the walk is a wonder to approach
Where early in life a skill is learned of ticket cops to reproach
A child grows in Brooklyn

Where houses cluster tightly, built literally wall to wall
And a backyard is a luxury, no matter how very small
Where the neighbors hardly meet or greet or greet or know each others names at all
A child grows in Brooklyn

Where ice cream trucks make their rounds in the late hours of the night
Where the celestial stars somewhere above have never been seen in human sight
Where the headlights and the streetlamps never leave absence of light
A child grows in Brooklyn

Helicopters pounding
Car alarms nagging
Buses hissing
Chains dragging

Dogs barking
Cats screaming
Hydrants gushing
Manholes steaming....

...

...

...

Friends calling
Children playing
Youths motoring
Elders staying

People connecting
Community sharing
Wherever you turn
Someone is caring...

when a child grows in Brooklyn.