Sad and tragic rap
sets the mood for my long walk
down the quiet street.

The glow of the cheese
suggests it is fake. Oh well,
so is the burger.

Very few adults
can squint hard enough to see
pictures on a phone.

Fresh out of prison,
these twenty women gather
pieces of their lives.

Melancholy vibes
fill the auditorium,
thanks to the chorus.

Filthy nesting birds
build monuments to their filth
above my poor head.

It is warm tonight.
The food, the conversation,
the weather…all warm.

Tough, undercooked yams
bend the hard metal masher.
Back in the oven!

Chased for his blackness.
Chased because he could be chased.
Chased for no reason.

Walking through weather –
the warm and welcoming kind –
can lighten the soul.