My eyes

I reflect back with the eye of the mind
That third sight
The clearest of vision
To portray all that I have seen
Which takes me to a place
Called
The Ghetto

And in it, I have seen
The struggles of a people
Doing what they must to get by

I’ve seen hustlers always on the move
Always plotting, always planning
Walking, running, standing
In demand for those demanding
A taste of what they had
Magic dust
That impaired the third vision
And took them somewhere other than where they were
Although they never left

I have seen strength in the form of single mothers
Soft as cotton but tough as nails

I’ve seen nights without lights
Days full of haze
Project perils
And derelict ways

I’ve seen lines for free lunch
And very little for dinner
Picket lines
Dollar dreams
Lottery tickets
But no winners

I’ve seen summer days where the ice cream truck would ride by
But I couldn’t whistle to stop
For a Popsicle to pop
Because Pop’s had empty pockets
And not even a pot to piss in

I’ve seen playgrounds of shard glass
All concrete, no grass
Careful steps taken past a bloody syringe
I’ve seen stacks of old tires
And trash can fires
With men who stand around in a drunken binge

I’ve seen the worst of situations
That brought out the best
Of those who had less
But gave so much more

I’ve seen beauty within the beast
And those who would preach
That it wasn’t all bad to be considered poor

I’ve seen a world outside of my hood
And some places where I stood
Reassured me that in this world there is some good

I’ve seen people who shared flowers
Lovers that danced in rain showers
Proposals, and commitments, and love at its best

I’ve seen relationship trials
And relationship struggles
And quite a few relationships that withstood any test

I’ve seen the earth’s magnificence

Tall trees older than me
Mountains that touch the heavens
Oceans with endless bottoms
All with their own stories to tell

I’ve seen changing seasons
That has caused barren fields
To come alive with color and life
Only to wither away and restart the cycle

Which made me look at life in the same manner
So many people
So many colors
So many beginnings and so many endings
So many seasons taking place before our very eyes

Can you see it?