Thursday

I sit listening to James Lee Burke's "Heaven's Prisoners" on tape. I am cleaning the desk, the dining room table, and my assorted tools. Sort of a 'very late' spring cleaning. Just came back from 'downtown' and some thoughts are in my mind, which I need to attempt to write down. This is 'first thought' writing, forgive me.

Downtown
.... late night
goths and stoners and bangers
baggy shorts revealing plaid boxer shorts
rings in ears
.. tongues
....... lips
........... and eyebrows
music
or UN-music to my ears
...... blares from parked autos
three grand speakers
in thousand dollar cars
if you took the profanity out of rap
would there be anything left?
the ability to shock
is all that street youth possesses
kids of fourteen going on thirty
they've freely given up childhood
that they won't miss for decades
by then
.... it's too late
get high
... get by
....... get over
forget Barbie, cap guns, and first love
do it all
.. get pregnant
..... watch him leave
over-weight
..... over-sexed
......... under-loved
I weep for your attempts at adult hood
it will never truly come
for there wasn't a childhood
your friends die
over-doses
... drive-bys
........ suicides
...............and car wrecks
the ones who make it go to jail
or Burger King
they work for five an hour
at car washes and pizza huts
they want expensive rides
expensive bling
and high dollar sneakers
on two hundred a week
minus taxes
... and drugs of course