I would like to say
there is a city beneath my floorboards
vibrant, pulsing, alive
Where Muslims create mosaics arabesque scrolls and tiles
And Jews build Sukkahs which they line with pomegranates and gourds
And my black brothers and sisters can drive without being pulled over or shot

And women can be goddesses
And everyone worships whomever they please
And everything is
so vibrant and alive
I would like to say
We trade cigars for tapestries, coffee for chocolate,
We adorn the temples and mosques with flowers
I would like to say
I am not hiding a family beneath my floorboards
where it is cramped and cold and *****
where there is no freedom, religious, social
or otherwise.